Hello, I am hoping you can help with this question. I have been reading about the Siberian breed of cat because my husband is allergic to cats. This breed is said to be somewhat hypo-allergenic. I don't beleive it is prooven, however, many of the breeders claim that people who adopt them have little or no reaction. It has to do with the FEL D-1 protein which creates the dander that folks are allergic to. The Siberian is said to be void of this protein in their saliva. Therefore, little or no dander. Now this would not help the person who suffers from a rash from being around cats. My husband does not sufffer from the rash, therefore he is said to be a good candidate to own a Siberian.

I had read that the Maine Coon is a similar breed to the Siberian and I am wondering if the same may be true of their saliva. Are there any claims that people do not seem to suffer allergies around the Maine Coon? I am trying to find other breeds to expand our options and I have always been in awe of the Maine Coon cat.

I would appreciate any information you can give me on the subject. Thank you,

Lisa Maltese Deerfield Beach, FL

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2000

Answers

Hi Lisa,

Hate to say it, but my niece's boyfriend is very much allergic to our Maine Coon. She is considering getting a "Ragdoll," since she heard they have a lower instance of people being allergic; although I say it is totally in each individual which cats bother them more than others.

Good luck!

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2000

I have not seen any breed of cat which is truly "hypo-allergenic" for all people. The ONLY way to find out if your husband is going to have a reaction to any breed is to go to the breeder's premises and spend some time in close proximity with the actual kitten you are interested in. There can even be differences between the kittens as to which one may be less of a problem for your husband! I know someone who was allergic to a Siberian he went to see but was not allergic to a particular MC kitten so they ended up with the MC and no problems. In my experience, ragdolls are no more or less likely to cause reactions than are the MCs or Siberians. Another type of cats to look at are the rex breeds (Cornish, Devon, etc.). Some people are less allergic to their tightly curled coats (rather like in poodles which tend to cause less allergy problems than other breeds of dogs do).

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2000