Allergic to Cats

After many years of breeding Siamese and Balinese cats and suffering from pretty severe allergies myself, I can attest to the lessened allergic reaction to Siamese & Balinese; making this breed much more tolerable by individuals affected by cat dander, which is what triggers allergies.

 

Soon after my initial contact with my first Siamese cat a child I noticed that my allergic reaction wasn't quite as severe as it was with other cats.  I still sneezed; got watery eyed and breathing was labored but not to the full extent of going into an asthma attack.  Also, I discovered shortly into my breeding hobby that my cat allergy attacks were very infrequent compared to other breeds I had been exposed to in the past.  I spent all of my childhood highly allergic to cats, so I thought I would never be able to be around a cat, let alone one day become a breeder of cats.  Today, I am still sensitive to most cats; even my Siamese and I noticed I can only be around very few cats in one place because the concentration of dander will cause me to start wheezing, which is why I keep only 2 to 3 cats together in any one room. 

 

Fortunately for me and many others who are allergic to cats; the Siamese and Balinese breed produces less FEL D1, a protein which is responsible for causing an IgG or IgE reaction in sensitive humans (either as an allergic or asthmatic response).  Siamese and Balinese breeders have thought that the Siamese and Balinese may have reduced cat allergens called FEL D1.  This allergen is extremely potent.  Secretions from the glands of the skin are the primary source of FEL D1, but it is also deposited on the fur through the saliva when they clean themselves.  Eventually the allergen flakes off and becomes airborne to trigger the symptoms that characterize the allergies to cats.  Feline allergen levels very within the Siamese and Balinese breed, and human reaction to this allergen very considerably depending on the person's level of sensitivity to the allergen.  Please remember, the term hypoallergenic breeding and my own allergy condition I can honestly say that 99% of my customers including allergy sufferers have not had any negative allergic reaction to their Siamese or Balinese Cats

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Please note:  Cats produce on average 2-7 pg of Fel d1 per day.  Studies have shown that intact males produce Fel D1 levels higher than castrated males, leading to the assumption that the Fel D1 is hormonally regulated by testosterone.  Neutered males produce Fel D1 in levels similar to females) both intact and spayed females produce Fel D1 in similar levels).  Even though females and neutered males produce Fel D1 in lower levels, they still produce enough to cause allergic symptoms in sensitive individuals.