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RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

Jingles4000 — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:43:03 GMT

I think that most of the points that are being discussed here can simply be fixed with the use of 'responsible pet ownership'...you can have a safe, happy and healthy human/pet relationship as long as you are practicing proper care methods and are able to provide for the animal.

As for allergies--here's some food for thought: My two cats are purebred ragdolls and I am very slightly allergic to them (sometimes at night when I'm run down and tired, I'll get a little sniffly when I snuggle with them). The weird part? I work at a humane society and am majorly allergic to most of the cats at the shelter! I can't explain it...

My theory is that my cats are purebred ragdolls, and I know allergies don't necessarliy come from fur, but ragdolls have a different kind of fur, similar to soft bunny fur) that may make a difference. You should look into it!

On a final note, I have to say--don't get a cat if you're not 100% sure you and you're husband will be able to deal with allergies...either you can find a cat that you aren't AS allergic to, or you can talk to your doctor and ask about your options. I know tons of people that just take a daily pill and live happily with multiple kinds of pets!

Just please don't get one and realize you have to give it to a shelter a few months down the road...it's a heartbreaking situation to be in for the cat and for you so do your research and all the best!

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:24:00 GMT

Well you can start it I don't think they would let you carry bodily fluids of any species into the school. Cats are out of the question due to allergies. We dont even have classroom pets any more. There is a 0 tolerance animal policy in our schools. Maybe you can dry some cat pee and make scratch and sniff stickers and gross the kids out. You tube videos could be shown for educational purposes. There enough cat fights and cats spraying on there. I do an annual presentation on invasive plants and I plan do to one on the dangers of letting your cat roam free and the importance of spaying and neutering. My daughter can identify garlic mustard and buckthorn on sight.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:35:26 GMT

Many schools don't let kids look on you tube... for GOOD reasons. That site can be really icky.

I think if properly managed I think it would be a good idea this outreach program. It may be the best thing unwanted cats in shelters could ask for. Curtainly better then the pet food advertizments trying to save animals from shelters so they can kill them yet again by inferior diet.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:29:07 GMT

There is always youtube - I have seen just about everything there.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:23:51 GMT

It would be controlled and the tom couldn't actually breed, but it would have all the other problems... they do it all the time at cat shows why not schools?

if people smelled tomcat urine maybe even witnessed a fight in the making over a heat crazed female ..ect it would leave a lasting impression. Then after a few gen spaying/neutering would hopefully be required by law for non purebred cats.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:45:51 GMT

Hmmm taking an intact tomcat to school. Now that is a bit over the top I am not sure what will reach kids. I am thinking of doing a "keep kitties inside, spay/neuter, cats effect on birds" presentation to my daughter's school. But I have no source of intact toms for a demo
I do know that in Norway instead of spaying, you can give your kitty birth control pills. Apparently it is a common practice over there.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:12:43 GMT

It happens everywhere, You are right, its fantacy to believe anything can or will be done about it,

If I had the resourses/money/ect , it makes me want to get some male cats as kits, vecictomy them, keep them outdoors as stud.... then go around at schools with the tomcats and show how wild/nasty cats are when not fixed.. Maybe even breed these cats for older kids to show how the cats are in a natural state. They will spray, get stud jowls, fight, mate, have sexual urges but cannot father kittens, lol. The tubes are cut but everything else is the same. Then after a few years neuter them and keep as indoor pets.

I think THAT would help if kids are reached. I think it would be a great program

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:20:12 GMT

Panther pride, I should have been more specific. In the city, Alley Cat Allies, found that 80-90% of cats are fixed. With rural areas and small towns, you are right, not many are fixed and they are mostly the source of the ferals and the free kittens and so forth. It would be super if vets charged $40 for a spay and neuter and some low cost or free options exist, but I was reading an article that was against TNR and vets actually said that these low cost or freebie fixes undermine their business. So you can see there is opposition for low cost healthcare even for cats. I dont know what the fair price would be, because the procedures are non-trivial. You need a tech to run the anesthesia, supplies, not to mention the skills involved in doing a spay (neuter is pretty easy). Is it worth 40 bucks, probably more than that if you count the work put in. Is it worth $400, probably not. I hesitate to put restrictions on who can own cats, because if anyone could be fantasy dictator and run the world, they would put all kinds of restrictions in place for cats and people.

But really, we have to start a separate topic, we cannot hijack this thread!

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:50:39 GMT

I do not believe that 90% of owners fix cats... if that was true then how come there's so many? Our local shelter just one place BTW gets 270+ cats a month! I know 2 owners, not personally that have had intact cats... my pca went to to get 2 sister kittens from a friend ( ended up returning them as they had Feline LUK) and a painter on our house has a litter of black kittens... maybe what you say is true for males but I doubt females.

Also rental is bad for cats because of moving- LL's and de clawing, Old people are not only more vulnerable to infections, diseases from animal they are more likely to have their pets outlive them. If they get older pets that issue may be resolved.

Rather then having anybody gets pets why don't they just maybe it illegal to charge above a curtain amount for a spay/neuter- say $40 and then make it a requirement as a rabies vaccine is

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:50:42 GMT

I think we have to stick the subject at hand. These people are looking for a hypoallergenic cat, possibly a purebred. Nowhere did they say that they were going to breed it.

But to digress to Panther pride's points: Agreed, cat spray is icky, I have smelled it, and even from my fixed males, it is gross and damages (although does not dissolve) the floors. But 90% of people who are getting a cat will fix it. Cats also require commitment and it is true that some people who rent may move to a place that does not allow cats, but that can happen to any family, homeowners or renters. THere is death, divorce, job loss which alter the financial situation of the household and a move can happen. We have cats listed in our will with provisions for their care (which reminds me, I have to type up my wallet cards, so that if something were to happen, the cats would be taken care of). Older people benefit from feline companionship and as long as cats are provided for when the owners pass on, I dont see any issues in seniors owning cats. We absolutely should have more responsible cat owners. But if we went by your list of requirements, cat ownership would be restricted to upper middle class homeowners under the age of 60 (but with no kids) who feed their animals only raw meat and organs. That leaves out many responsible cat owners and thus more cats in shelters meeting the fate that you often mention on this forum.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

cats_dolls — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:16:39 GMT

PantherPride (12/3/2009)

I'm not saying no one should have a cat but they really are not good choices to have if you live in rental( dick landlords that require de clawing are common/ cats hate moves), a group home( state may require cruel issues such as declawing), or are getting older( cat may outlive you). If you have really young kids.... if you don't have enough to pay to feed them properly.

The best choice for cats would be a homeowner, people who are not over 60.. and people who do not have allergies... note the ideal isn't always possible but just so you know.

I beg to differ. I've lived in apartments all my adult life, and have never had a problem finding apartments that allow cats and don't require declawing. Yes, there are some that do require declawing but one of my first questions is, "What is your pet policy?" If I don't like the answers I get, I move on to the next one.

Cats do hate moving - but so do I. Just because I rent an apartment doesn't mean that I move often. There are ways, too, to make a move easier on your cat.

Just because someone is over 60 does not mean that their cats will outlive them - nor does it mean that if someone is younger than 60, they will outlive their cats. Perhaps an older person would be happier with an adult cat than a kitten, and an adult cat may not be as happy in a household with young children (although children can be taught to handle a cat with gentle care and respect), but age alone should not be used to "disqualify" someone from sharing their home with a cat.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:37:28 GMT

Do any of you keep a full tom fully indoors?

Most people unless they live/work with ferals, do rescue work or breed don't keep a tom or have been around toms so how could they know such icky things.. AND no sane breeder wouldn't tell that kind of stuff to anyone but a fellow breeder that has experience with breeding looking into breeding( perhaps as a way of talking them out of it) has toms on site as stud. otherwise no one would buy a male cat... they just have a neuter contract, or do it before they sell the kittens... solves the issue .... toms are NOT house pets... useally a female cat thats not spayed will get out and mate with a FERAL tom... or one that was dumped because of spraying/declawing/ect.. Thats what happened probably with 2 such BYB cases. Bindi and Nina. Nina was my moms cat. Bindi is my cat. A queen just showed up in someone yard pregnant and thats how I got Bindi from my dads ex girlfriend.

Go into low income neighborhoods... go on You tube and type in tomcat..... thats where you find mix breed toms. Pretty nasty stuff.

Anyway if you think I'm purposely listing all the bad stuff on cats to stop or prevent another shelter statistic yep you are right... people who have Allergies many times dump/surrender their cats sooner or later. 80% of cats have some form dental issues by the time they are 3... why?... because they are not properly fed. cats CAN live that long its just if you ate fast food all day everyday from childhood would you reach your full life span?

At my vet to fix a female cost between $230-$270 a male costs around $130 this is the cheapest vet I've been too, lol.

I'm not saying no one should have a cat but they really are not good choices to have if you live in rental( dick landlords that require de clawing are common/ cats hate moves), a group home( state may require cruel issues such as declawing), or are getting older( cat may outlive you). If you have really young kids.... if you don't have enough to pay to feed them properly.

The best choice for cats would be a homeowner, people who are not over 60.. and people who do not have allergies... note the ideal isn't always possible but just so you know.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

cats_dolls — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:44 GMT

Panther Pride - you brought up several considerations other than allergies. But from reading your post, you seem to be saying that nobody should have a cat because they are too expensive to care for properly and if you do care for one properly that it will live too long. Am I misunderstanding you?

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

freia — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:59:56 GMT

Whoah this sounds like a script from a horror movie. Cat pee dissolving walls. Most of us on this forum live with these creatures and it is really not as bad as you make it out to be. To fix a cat is not hundreds of dollars, but more like $150 spay and about $100 neuter. Frankly most of the last post was not very cohesive and introduced issues that are not relevant to the original post. I liked your original post better - simply answering the question asked that really no breed is hypoallergenic, because it is not the hair, but the dander in the skin that causes allergies.

You can try fostering a cat and seeing how that works out first. Supposedly frequent baths or using one of those dry bath cloths keeps the dander level low. Vacuuming may be a double edged sword. On the one hand you will vacuum out all the dander and on the other hand you will be stirring it up.

Visit friends with cats and see how long you last, try fostering, before commiting to being a cat owner, because it is a serious commitment that can last for more than 20 yrs and it is sad to see cats in shelters given up due to allergies.

Best of luck

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:05:50 GMT

Please DO NOT get a cat! There's no such thing as a cat that doesn't give people allergies and indeed if there was besides being redicously expensive there even could be something genetically wrong with it as all cats from domestics to tigers to sand cats will have the ability to make a sufferer ill.

That being said some people are better able to put up with it and some cats are better at it then others

Besides a cat is a very high maitmence pet in the ways of behavior management and finding a proper diet. Low maitmence/cost are in cleanness and in adult vet care vaccinations besides rabies.. KIttens will need more but many are overrated. the FIV one is one such vaccination.

Some cats wont use a scratch post... many posts are made wrong.... Soft paws are expensive.... De-clawing is basically legalized torture and can result in biting, walking and balance problems, litter box avoidance, paw amputation and death.. Some cats will fight savagely if another cat is placed in the home resulting in wounds and vet bills others will be fine .... its best to introduce a cat to a cat as a kitten or a kitten to a cat. There are diseases that cats can spread to each other including feline AIDS

A cat CANNOT live in a house as a happy pet unaltered. The urine of a tom is not only powerfully stinky it can even cause electrical fires and dissolve wallpaper and in rare cases the walls themselves. A queen will have heat cycles that will keep you up all night for over half the year in a heated home. both sexes spray and are unhappy if not fixed or breeding. To fix a cat 'could" cost you hundreds of dollars.

The proper natural diet for a cat isn't something most people are going to be able to afford in this economy... is even entirely safe for humans.... or one that you'll even want to do. raw meat, bones and organ.... ideally whole carcass.... all meat grain less canned CAN work but again hard to find, $$$ and still lacking in proper tooth cleaning/jaw workouts. curtain kinds of plants can be deadly... onion can kill.

Besides a cat kept in the manner I describe 'could' live MUCH longer then originally first planned possibly over 30 years in fact!.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

monkaz82 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:12:11 GMT

i am bad with allergies also. I found myself with a colorpoint siamese. No effect at all. try playin with a colorpoint siamese maybe you will be as lucky.

RE: Hypo-allergenic breeds

PantherPride — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:15:54 GMT

Its a complete myth that there are breeds that give or not give a person Allergies. Its a protein in their spit, that they lick on their fur that dries and becomes airborne.

Depending upon how bad it is however an Allergy can be managed with shots, exposure trails, meds ect.

Hypo-allergenic breeds

cat-lover83 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:30:57 GMT

My Husband has allergies and we both would really like to have a cat (or maybe two) in our home. I know that the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex are better for people with allergies, but I will be quite honest, I like the more cuddly, furrier cats (I have always had a tabby, love the coat and features). My Husband and I were watching Animal Planet last night, Cats 101, and they were talking about the Oriental breed, which I think rank in cuteness factor with the Devon and Cornish (no offense to anyone who has one. I just like the more rounder face and features). I tried to look online for breeders of the Oriental and couldn't find prices. That is a major factor. I found a breeder with beautiful Siberian kittens (Gorgeous!!!) but they are $800 and that is not in our price range right now. Are there any other breeds that are similar to the Siberians or Tabbys in look that are good for allergy sufferers, aka hypo allergenic?