Hypoallergenic cats! Too good to be true?

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7th February 2010, 01:09 PM
Tomiam

Hypoallergenic cats! Too good to be true?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: My brother in law is allergic to cats. So I thought I would do a little research, see if there are any tablets he can take to help it & to find out exactly what it is that causes him to react.
Hypoallergenic cats is what caught my eye. A cat which doesnt aggrevate people who are allergic to them!
A post on the BBC website, dated Sept 2006, lists them as going on sale in the US at a very pricey value.
BBC NEWS | Health | 'Hypoallergenic cats' go on sale
Its on the BBC website, so its got to be legit right? Right?... Wrong. :(

Dec 2009 - article posted on 'the scientist' starts casting doubt on the legitimacy of this company and its CEO Simon Brodie.
The end of hypoallergenic cats? - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences

Then I found this, a website detailing customers who have placed orders (up to $10,000) and never received a refund or a kitten.
Post Title. - Allerca Lifestyle Pet Rip-Off

Amazing how ... I shall use the words "not very nice" ... some people in this world are.
Allerca, Where's My $4,000 Hypoallergenic Cat? - The Consumerist
Amazing how daft some people are too! I sure as hell wouldnt send $1,000 to any company I didnt know or trust 100%, yet along $10,000!!!
7th February 2010, 01:16 PM
messyhearts

There's a lot of rumours that Siberians are good for allergies. No idea why.
7th February 2010, 01:20 PM
Tomiam

Quote:

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