If you have allergies, owning a pet can be tricky, as dander from cats and dogs is often a leading irritant for people with allergies. Luckily, if you have allergies, you can still adopt a hypoallergenic cat. The following four cat breeds are not 100% hypoallergenic, but they do shed hair and dander less, making them a better option for someone with allergies.
#1: Cornish Rex
When most people think of a hypoallergenic cat, they imagine a cat without any fur. A Cornish Rex does have fur; however, they only have the bottom layer of hair, which means that they don't have as much hair as other cats.
Most cats have a top guard layer, a middle awn hair layer, and a bottom layer of fur, whereas a Cornish Rex only has a bottom down layer. This essentially means that they have a lot less hair than the typical cat, and thus shed less hair, making them a good breed for someone with allergies.
#2: Oriental Shorthairs
Oriental shorthairs are very slender cats that only have a very fine coat. They don't naturally shed that much at all, making them another great hypoallergenic breed. To cut down on the impact of the little fur that they do have, just brush your cat on a regular basis. This will remove any loose fur in a controlled manner and help keep your home as comfortable as possible.
#3: Russian Blues
Russian blues are a little different than the two previous cat breeds on this list. They have regular fur and do shed; however, they don't produce that much Fel d1, which is a protein that most cats secrete from their skin.
Many people are allergic to Fel d1 that cats secrete from their skin, thus making the Russian Blues cat a good choice for individuals who know they are specifically allergic to Fel d1, and not cat fur.
#4: Bengal
Bengal cats have very short coats with almost pelt-like fur. Their pelt-like fur sheds a lot less frequently than other types of cat's fur, making this a good choice of a cat if the fur is what bothers you.
Remember, none of these breeds is 100% hypoallergenic, so you are still going to want to wash your cat two to three times a week, wash their bedding, and stay on top of dusting and vacuuming your home. You should also brush your cat a few times a week to control any fur that they do shed. Start brushing your cat when they are a kitten, so they are used to this grooming ritual. However, you should be able to live peacefully with one of the above cat breeds if you take the time to keep your cat and your house clean. Contact companies like Elbrus Siberian Cats and Kittens to learn more about adopting a hypoallergenic cat.
