Which common cat is least allergic?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – my son is allergic to cats and we really want to get a cat. I was told there is a new cat breed that is less allergic but it is every expensive. Do you have an opinion on which COMMON cat is least allergic? I don’t want a special breed or anything exotic. Is there ANY rule of thumb I can use for just plain old cats?

Julie M.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email Julie. Great question. All cats produce allergens and it seems different people can respond to different cats….differently. Some breeds can affect some people differently.

You mentioned that you just want a regular cat. You also mentioned the special breed that is allergy free – which is true. If you do want more information on it – go to Cat Crazy and Allergy Free. You mentioned that you don’t want a pure bred – but if you change you mind – some believe that the Rex cat produces less allergies in some people than other cats.

So…as far as regular cats goes…it really is cat and person dependent but I’ve heard the following.

Spayed and neutered pets produce less allergens than intact cats. Spayed females may produce the least amount. It also seems that light-colored cats may produce less allergens. Some believe that dark-colored cats will produce more allergens in some people.

So….I guess you could try a light-colored female spayed cat. Maybe you could even talk to a local cat rescue group and see if you can temporarily foster a cat with those qualities to see how your son deals with it before permanently adopting.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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