My husband, Arik, is deathly allergic to cats. We couldn't even visit friend's home who had cats. He couldn't go with me to take our dogs to the vet because of cats. He takes daily allergy medication, and even so, coming into contact with a cat can put him down for days of misery. I'm like this with horses (I once had a pair of jeans I wore when riding, and continued having allergic reactions until those pants were washed), so I empathize with his pain and suffering.
I'm an animal lover and spend most of my free time doing animal stuff (fostering/training dogs, writing pet blogs, etc.), and worked in vet offices for years. I've always wanted a cat despite primarily working and associating with dogs, though since marrying my husband, I'd put it out of my mind. But last year, we had a sudden realization that our greyhounds were not immortal as one was diagnosed with a rare cystic issue in her joints while relatively young. As we come to an age where kids are likely in the next few years, I balked at the idea of adopting another dog; being the dog-perfectionist that I am, I wanted to be sure I had all the time and dedication I wanted to train even the mellowest of dogs, and while we're at it, long-term cost is a bit of an issue with uncertainties in the air. However, we didn't want our one year old Pyrenees mix, Ahri, to be on her own at home, so gave cats a second look, thinking that might be a great compromise. Ahri adores other animals, true to her breed, and is extremely gentle and affectionate with all of them. It wouldn't have to be another dog to give her the same company my greyhounds offer her when we're not at home.
We stumbled upon the Siberian breed: a type of cat that is naturally hypoallergenic? A cat that contains less F1 fel protein in their saliva to make people less allergic? It sounds too good to be true, but we thought maybe we would give it a shot and at least look into these claims. There was a very responsible breeder (which is admittedly a term I'm not too familiar with) just 20 minutes away, so we arranged an appointment to meet ALL of her home - kept cats (12). My husband took his regular meds, and we went.
He didn't die. He had cats climbing all over him. He held them. They licked his face and rubbed their cheeks on him. He fortunately loved them right back and reciprocated their attention. It's worth noting that he DID get a slightly runny nose and sneezed a few times. But his eyes didn't swell up, he didn't break out into hives, and he didn't cough or have his throat start to tighten. And, he was totally normal within 20 minutes of us leaving. W decided to give it a go and put our name on the breeder's very long waiting list.
BUT. For those interested in Siberians: understand, it's possible they may still trigger an allergy. It might just be less intense and more livable than other cats for SOME people, my husband included. And, understand that these guys are getting popular. Don't get scammed by someone claiming unrealistic scenarios. Be sure to meet the parent cats and test your allergy on them first to be sure their claims are true. Expect to still clean a lot. Teach the kitten to accept being bathed to keep down allergens. Get a high end heppa filter. And, above all, be sure a Siberian is really your only option. These guys can cost more than $1,000. I promise you, if I thought it were viable, I'd long ago have saved a cat or two from the shelter. Even now, I will be making annual donations and volunteering my time to help homeless cats get homes. There are way too many unnecessarily killed.
But if it's between getting a Siberian and having no cat at all, we're going the Siberian route: cue Gideon!
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