Are Siberian cats hypoallergenic?
Allergies, Fel d 1 and daily life

Being allergic myself and not tolerating an abundant, persistent down, I select the quality and structure of the coat of my breeding cats very strictly. I regularly bring in cats from other catteries to diversify my lines.

When a newly arrived female immediately shows a down that does not meet my criteria, I plan a single mating with one of my males and keep from that litter a kitten with the coat quality I am looking for. The female is then spayed and leaves my breeding programme for good.

This selection does not allow me to promise a hypoallergenic Siberian cat. It allows me to bring new genetic diversity while keeping the coat quality I look for.

To diversify my lines, I have acquired breeding cats from catteries located in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Italy. The real quality of a coat is not always visible in photographs, so I assess it carefully as soon as the cat arrives.

Allergy tests carried out by a doctor or an allergist can confirm or clarify a cat allergy. I have had them myself, and my allergy was confirmed.

An allergist may suggest a blood test (specific IgE, including IgE to Fel d 1) or a skin prick test. However, these tests cannot guarantee tolerance to a particular Siberian cat.

A medical test can confirm an allergy, but it cannot be used to choose a hypoallergenic cat with certainty, nor to predict the reaction to a particular future kitten. The reaction to a Siberian cat remains individual.

I am allergic to cats and dogs, without being asthmatic. Allergy tests confirmed my allergy. At first I simply thought I had a cold; a doctor then explained that it was an allergy. For me it shows as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, watery eyes and, above all, strong itching of the eyes.

I live every day in contact with my Siberians, and my own sensitivity lets me observe directly how I react to the cats of my cattery. This is also one of the reasons why I chose the Siberian cat and built my selection around this breed, without ever presenting a Siberian cat as a guaranteed hypoallergenic cat.

When I welcome a new cat from another cattery, my allergic symptoms usually appear as soon as it arrives. I start by washing it, and I often feel a first improvement after the bath.

I then gradually move it to the Purizon food I use in my cattery. I also notice a change in its digestion, with stools that are usually less smelly. About two weeks after its arrival, my body seems to have adapted and I usually no longer feel my symptoms.

I cannot say whether this change is caused by the bath, the food or another factor. I only share what I observe myself. For any allergic person, the advice of a doctor or an allergist remains the most reliable step.

In all my years of breeding, I have known one particularly difficult case: a lady had adopted two kittens, but her husband suffered from asthma. In the end she had to find other families for them.

Earlier, when I still bred Neva Masquerade cats, my own allergic reactions stayed persistent with them. A young woman also reacted strongly to their very abundant, ever-present down.

This is my personal experience as an allergic breeder. My own reaction cannot predict another person’s reaction, and it is not a medical test for adopting families.