If you’re thinking about getting a sweet new Siamese kitten to cuddle with, but you find yourself thinking “are siamese cats hypoallergenic?”. Cats have caused you issues before, like a runny nose or itchy eyes… you may be here because you want to know if your new family member will be causing you the same issue.
Are Siamese Cats Hypoallergenic?
Siamese cats are usually considered hypoallergenic, meaning that people with cat allergies that are mild to moderate typically don’t have too much trouble being around them. Let’s break this down a little further.
Most people believe that cat hair is what causes symptoms of cat allergies to strike. The truth is… cats (and dogs, by the way) produce a protein called Fel d1. It is found at the base of a cat’s hair, in cat urine and cat saliva.
The main way that cats spread their Fel d 1 protein is through their hair. If you have ever owned or been around a shedding pet, you know that hair gets everywhere.
It can also be found in cat dander, which are extremely small particles of dry cat skin about one tenth the size of dust mites. They often become airborne and can land on surfaces including human skin and clothing.
Since all cats produce and shed this protein, no cat is truly hypoallergenic. However, the Siamese Cat shed less than other cat breeds. Which means less of the protein floating around on those pesky cat hair strands. This is the main reason they consider the Siamese hypoallergenic.
Why Am I Allergic To Siamese Cats?
If you know you are allergic to Siamese Cats, you may just be one of those people that has an overly sensitive immune system, which could cause your pet allergies to Siamese Cats.
If you want to find out if you are allergic without coming into direct contact with a cat, there are a couple allergy tests you can try.
A skin prick test is a common way of finding out if you have a cat allergy. For this test, a small amount of an extract of cat allergen is placed on your skin. You will then be pricked by a small needle, so the liquid can seep under your skin’s surface. You’ll then be monitored for allergic reactions to the serum.
You can also get a blood test done to determine if cats are on your list of allergens. However, blood tests can provide false positives, as likely as 50% of the time!
>If you’re really dreaming about getting that Siamese kitten in your arms, and snuggling up with them after a long hard day, there is still hope yet!
How To Deal With Cat Allergies
If you only have mild side effects from being around a sweet feline, it is possible to manage your allergies and you can have you cake and eat it too 😉
- Vacuum as often as possible, especially in areas your cat likes to hang out
- Allergy shots have been shown to rid cat allergies entirely in about 80% of people
- Nasal spray can help alleviate symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and itchy watery eyes
- Create a “cat free” zone that you can keep as allergen free as possible, maybe your bedroom
- Groom your cat outdoors to prevent lots of hair from shedding off into your home
- Change your AC filters regularly and often
- Avoid rubbing the cat against your face, or your hands in your face after rubbing them
- Regular cat baths in cool distilled can reduce up to 84% of cat allergens
There is even this cool solution that many allergy suffers swear by called Allerpet. It’s a spray that comes with a mitt for application. You rub it on their fur and it reduces pet dander by 50%. Plus, it will leave your kitties hair feeling silky smooth and conditioned!
Now that you are well informed about Siamese Cat Allergies, how cat allergies work, why Siamese cats are considered one of the more allergy friendly breeds, and how to manage your cat allergies, are you ready to adopt your Siamese Kitten?
