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Cat lovers understand instantly why allergy sufferers will go to great expense in their search for an hypoallergenic cat. Few people can live with constant sneezing, red and itching eyes, and a general feeling of heavy-headed fatigue. Really, who wants to take an allergy pill every day in order to own a cat? Yet, many people do because their love for felines outweighs the negative side effects of ownership.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, up to 15% of all people have some form of cat allergies. The science behind allergens in cats is easier to understand than it is to cure. The answer begins in your immune system that works relentlessly to guard your body against bacteria, viruses, and even toxic substances.

When an allergic reaction occurs, your immune system reacts like a false alarm over the invading allergen, and then produces an antibody to counter what it has mistakenly identified as dangerous. Your body stores this memory after the first time and keeps repeating it every time you come in contact with the specific allergen.

The search for hypoallergenic cat breeds has intensified because they are said to possess lower Fel d 1 protein in their saliva glands. While there is no such thing as a 100 percent hypoallergenic cat, scientific advances have been made in breeding to find a more compatible cat for allergy prone cat lovers.

The Science behind Hypoallergenic Cats

In 2006, Allerca Inc. a small biotechnology firm in San Diego, took a dramatic step toward developing a true hypoallergenic cat. After completing a scientific breeding program, they introducted their cats with a hefty $6,950 price tag. Initial tests to prove that they were successful also revealed something more important. That is, that a small sample of cats carry a mutant gene that produces a modified protein that is far less likely than Fel d 1 to cause an allergy reaction.

Allerca then screened thousands of cats to find a group with the modified gene and then proceeded to breed those cats. The breeding process was simplified because the modified, mutant gene is dominate and this allowed them to cross breed with normal cats in order to produce hypoallergenic kittens.

Other Common Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds

Word of mouth, combined with a touch of myth, has popularized some breeds as hypoallergenic. The low-allergy reputation of these breeds has spread because of the variation in allergy reaction levels by different individuals. Following are some cat breeds that are thought to produce low levels of Fel d 1:

* Russian Blue

* Siberian

* Devon Rex

* Cornish Rex

* Ragdoll

* Sphynx

Before you spend a lot of money on a high-priced cat breed, understand that no cat is 100 percent hypoallergenic. Do your research and spend some time around any potential breed before making the final decision to adopt a new kitten or cat.

Learn more about this author, Diane Quinn .
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