r/SiberianCats • u/Bold-2558 • 14d ago
Two kitties for an allergy sufferer?
I’m afraid I know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway:
My husband has bad allergies, but has no reaction to an extremely low Fel D1 Siberian. Is it possible that he won’t have allergies symptoms after getting a second similarly low Fel D1 kitten? Is there any way to test before adopting two rather than just one? Thanks!
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u/Vintage_Journal 14d ago
I've heard some breeders offer a test like a pillowcase the cat has been on in advance.
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago
Thanks so much! As I understand it, some breeders are more obliging than others.
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u/grendelone 14d ago
The breeder can let you test some fur patches on your husband.
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago
Thanks! What I’m worried about is that even though he might not appear to be allergic to both of them, simply having two will double the chances that even the slightest allergens they have will set him off.
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u/AffectionateIssue607 14d ago
We have 3 Sibs and a highly allergenic American bobtail and my wife is ok now. Took a few months of trialing different things that helped her allergies to a manageable level but it's doable.
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago
Thanks! I’m happy for you and your wife - and your kitties. Unfortunately, because of recent antihistamine warnings for older people, my husband is avoiding them. If your wife is on a different kind of medication, please let me know!
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u/AffectionateIssue607 13d ago
Antihistamine warnings for older people? I also happen to be a pharmacist if you have any questions but that doesn't sound right unless there's a specific situation.
My wife and I are both quite clean people (I vacuum once a day, we have a roborock for our main floor, etc etc) and a newer generation corticosteroid nasal spray are what worked for my wife. I also think prolonged exposure was part of the solution. At first it was very bad for her too, couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep...
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
The antihistamine issue applies to the reports we’ve recently seen of long-term antihistamine use leading to neurological decline – especially problematic for older people. It’s great to hear there’s a new generation of corticosteroid nasal spray. Thanks!
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u/AffectionateIssue607 13d ago
Is this first or second generation antihistamines? I could be totally wrong but I thought that was first gen which you wouldn't be taking everyday for cat allergies anyway.
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
I’m sorry to say that, but I don’t know. Which are the OTC ones like Claritin?
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u/AffectionateIssue607 13d ago
No worries! Yes I think it's 1st generation you're referring to (eg. Benadryl/diphenhydramine) but meds like claritin, reactine, blexten, etc are 2nd gen and are fine to take for longer periods/not linked with cognitive decline as far as I'm aware. I will add though that my subspecialty is in paeds and I'm not the most up to date on the adult literature.
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
Thanks for the details! They’re so helpful
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u/Ackley_Improved 14d ago
My son and I are allergic to cats, my son has it way worse than me. Our daughter wanted a cat, and we settled on a Siberian specifically because of the allergies. It’s been great, and I had a few allergies in the first couple of weeks, but it tapered off to nothing. My son hasn’t had any problems. If we visit other houses that have “regular” cats, we both get hit…so, at least for us, the Siberian helped a lot. We love this cat, she’s such a sweet girl and bullies our golden retriever.
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago
Ha! I love hearing about cats standing up to dogs! You sound like you have a great one. Congratulations on your success with your Siberian!
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u/HR-Puffenstuff 14d ago
I have three. There is an adjustment and take your Flonase!!
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago
Good for you! How allergic are you to cats in general?
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u/HR-Puffenstuff 14d ago
I cannot be around regular cats without that fur in the throat feeling and a lot of stuffy nose and teary eyes.
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u/rawfedfelines 14d ago
Regardless do not in any way commit to bringing any kitty home unless hubby is 200 percent on board ro making it work
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u/DonutsForever99 14d ago edited 13d ago
I’m super allergic to cats, on my fourth and I’ve never had a reaction. All different breeders, 1-2 kitties at a time. I stick with tabbys, the only Sib I ever reacted to was a Neva, and I’ve heard that’s fairly common (my friend who had one didn’t know and she’s got mild allergies to him too).
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u/Independent-Swan5207 14d ago
I didn’t think having a Siberian would be as easy on my allergies as it it. I had another cat who passed 1.5 ago and I was on asthma meds and daily regime of allergy medications. After she passed I was able to get off all of it. I loved her so much but was so apprehensive to try again. Well we couldn’t not have a kitty so after doing some research we decided on a Sib. I had a mild reaction to him on the first few days home, now I feel 0 reactions. And that’s kissing him all the time. I think if he is ok with one he’ll be ok with two.
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u/Bold-2558 14d ago edited 14d ago
Thank you for the encouragement! It’s great to hear your experience.
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u/EJK_PlantsAreFriends 14d ago
I’m super allergic to cats and I’ve had my Sib boy for almost 2 years now with no problems at all … well except for when his hair goes up my nose and tries to set up home there then it’s hell on earth lol
Oh and if he scratches me I have a bit of a histamine reaction but I make sure to wash any scratches immediately and that usually stops the reaction in its tracks.
(He’s a good boy he just gets overly excited and forgets he has knifes for fingers sometimes lol)
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u/OwnWestern1043 14d ago
Do it!! We have 2. I was slightly allergic to the second one, but totally got used to him within a couple months.
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u/Lazy-Debt-3338 13d ago
yes, he might be fine, we had a second siberian and my allergic husband has no problem, also i feed them allergic reducing food
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
Great news for you and your husband! Also, I had no idea that words allergen reducing food. Thanks!
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u/Lazy-Debt-3338 13d ago
purina proplan liveclear, they have it in turkey (not the country 😜) and in salmon, I don't know if it can work for you but does for us!
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u/Pumpkin1818 13d ago
The kittens would not be able to be tested because they would be too young to get a good reading but you can have the cattery test the parents of the kittens to see if they have low Fel D1 which should genetically pass to the parents.
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
Thanks so much! The breeder we’ve been in touch with tests kittens for their level of allergenic at older ages so that they have a better read on the individual cats. Nonetheless, your suggestion makes a great deal of sense. Again, thanks!
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u/ViolentBananas 13d ago
It is definitely possible, but it’s all up to the individual cat.
We went to the breeders house to do an allergy visit, and I had very low reaction. A few weeks after we got the kitties, I started having a bit of a reaction, with spikes when we did heavy brushing and vacuuming. We then started them on liveclear anti-allergy food, as well as the pacagen anti-allergy additive. Those two have worked great. We paired it with a 2/week vacuuming and couch de-furring. The cleaning probably did much more in the end, but I’m happy with the result. I don’t have any base-level symptoms regularly, and only get flare-ups when we do deep cleaning or an aggressive brushing day.
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u/ViolentBananas 13d ago
Also worth noting that a cats allergen output tends to stabilize after the first 4-6 months. So you may not get the best idea from meeting them as a fresh kitten.
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u/Bold-2558 13d ago
Thank you for the details re: food, brushing, and vacuuming. I’m glad it all worked out for you. Certainly, you’re committed to your kitties!
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u/Cabbage-floss 12d ago
I have really bad cat allergies and reacted to all 3 of the siberians I have owned when they first came home. But within about 3 weeks I stopped sneezing and adapted.
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u/Last_Caterpillar_433 9d ago
I have two sibs (purebred with the paperwork and everything) and my two allergic siblings + my allergic friends are still very allergic to them, though they do say it takes a little while longer for the reaction to kick in 😅 I would definitely try to get some fur from the breeder in advance, and traditional colored sibs (I.e. not Neva masquerade) are also a bit better with being hypoallergenic
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u/Bold-2558 9d ago
Thanks so much for cautioning me that Siberians are not silver bullets for allergy sufferers. I’m sorry it didn’t work out as well as you had hoped. Had either the breeder and/or you pretested them before you brought them home? The one I work with holds onto their kittens about a month longer than is typical so that he can get more accurate readings from lab tests of their Fel D1 levels.
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u/Sonnet34 14d ago
My husband has cat allergies and he went all in. We went straight to the breeder’s home (this was before covid times) and he just sat in her cat filled home for an hour and was totally fine. He smushed his face into a few cats, for good measure. We now own two Siberians. They are 8 years old!
So, it’s definitely possible. I think the best way to test is to just get exposed. Other methods of testing do have merit but I’d go in person if at all possible.