Siberian Cats?

[winniplayhouse]

We are contemplating getting a cat. We would like to get a shelter cat/kitten however, my mother is allergic to most cat breeds. While my husband sees this as a great mother-in-law deterrent, it's hard to pass up the free babysitting! My siblings' families both have Cornish and Devon Rexes and she's hasn't had a problem with them. However, we'd probably prefer a more "traditional" looking cat. I've done a little online research and found that Siberian cats are supposed to be non-allergic. My question is, does anyone around here have a Siberian cat that you'd be willing to let us come visit to see if there's any reaction? It would have to be a house without any other kinds of cats or dogs for the experiment to work. Any other suggestions of hypoallergenic cats to consider?

[Onshore]

Is that the same as a Russian Blue?

[winniplayhouse]

I hadn't heard of those. Just did a quick google search and nothing seems to imply that they are the same type. Thanks for the reply though!

[jaymorgan]

we got a ragdoll kitten 2 years ago. my wife is also allergic but, the fur is bunny like and has no effect on her allergies. besides they are big babies and very afectionate cats. they will follow you everywhere and also play fetch.

[Quilt Lady]

I have only seen Siberians at cat shows and have never had one. They are very big cats (larger than Maine Coons) but with slightly shorter outer hair. They have a dense undercoat. With that much hair, I would doubt if they would be hypo-allergenic. It takes just so much "cat spit" to keep the coat clean and it is usually the dried "cat spit" that people are allergic to (commonly known as dander). I have had different cats, from Siamese to Ragdoll to part Maine Coon to Domestic Short Hair, and have found that good, regular cleaning of your environment is one major way to keep allergies at bay. You can also bathe your cat but they aren't too fond of that unless trained from kittenhood. There are commercial wipes on the market that you can wipe the cat down with. You could restrict the cat to one room but that's not much fun for everyone. By careful cleaning and restricting the cat to one room when Mom babysits might work out too.

The bottom line is there are ways to keep the dander down: Mom would have to take her allergy medication but it could be done. A pure bred Siberian would not be an inexpensive cat. I favor shelter cats who are always so grateful for a good life. Check online for various ways to keep dander levels down. I'm sure you can find a workable solution and make both kitty and Mom happy.

Good luck finding an answer and your dream kitty!

[webmaster]

I found this interesting video on the Ragdoll:

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[winniplayhouse]

Thanks for all the advice - lots to think about!