Thread: Hypoallergenic cats! Too good to be true?

The real culprit appears to be cat saliva which contains an allergen; this allergen is a protein called Fel d 1. When a cat washes itself, saliva is deposited on its fur (or skin in the case of hairless cats). The saliva dries into dust (dander or dandruff) which is released when a cat scratches or moves and when humans stroke or brush a cat.

All cats wash, even those which lack guard hairs or which lack hair altogether. The dust forms on all types of cat hair or directly on the cat’s skin if it lacks fur. Hairless Sphynx cats produce dandruff directly on their skin and though they produce less of it than furred cats, they can still produce enough to trigger an allergic reaction. An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to a substance (allergen) and produces excessive amounts of histamine. Excessive histamine production leads to the irritating symptoms associated with cat-allergy - itchy eyes, sneezing, skin rash etc.

Although Fel d 1 is the protein most often associated with allergies, humans are very variable and there will be some people who develop allergies to other feline proteins. I have met people who are unaffected by Siamese cats, but allergic to other cats and I have a friend whose cat alergy is only triggered by male cats (even if the cats are neutered).

In general, it is not the cat hair which causes the allergy, it is the dandruff (dust) on the cat’s hair and skin. All cats produce dandruff, though some cats produce less than others. No cat is allergen-free, not even hairless cats.

Source: HELP - I'M ALLERGIC TO THE CAT