Long Hair vs Short Hair cats and being allergic to cat dander

[AprilSun]

I have always heard that when you're allergic to cat dander, to get a short haired cat. But, according to some articles I have read online, it doesn't make a difference. I am allergic to my long haired cat and out of curiosity, I just wondered if anyone has a short haired cat that is allergic to them and if it does make a difference. Are you still bothered with allergies from your short haired cat or are they better? I understand it is their saliva that is the problem so it seems as if since there wouldn't be as much hair on a short haired then it should be better. So, is this true or false?

 

[SeaBreeze]

I'm not allergic to cats, and I think that frequent grooming can help some people deal with them, but I've heard too that it's the saliva or skin cells that cause the allergic reactions. Even the hairless Sphynx cat can cause allergies.

People are twice as likely to be allergic to cats as they are to dogs, and contrary to popular belief, it is not the hair that most people with cat allergies respond negatively to. It's a protein in the cat's skin that causes the allergic reaction.

People most often become exposed to this protein through the animal's dander, or dried flakes of skin that fall out from between the hairs and possibly become airborne.

There are also proteins in cats' urine and saliva that cause allergic in many humans, but people are less likely to have extended contact with these substances, so they generally cause less of a problem.

 

[Cookie]

I don't think it makes a difference whether its long or short haired cats and agree its the saliva that causes the allergic reactions.

My son was allergic to our short hairs and couldn't have them in his room at night because of his asthma. Now as an adult he has a sweet Devon Rex, a short hair breed that is apparently non-allergic. He never has problems anymore.

 

[tnthomas]

For me there's been no rhyme or reason- I've been allergic to short haired cats, and not-so allergic to long haired ones. Any cat that pees in the house...I'm allergic to! :shrug:

 

[Guitarist]

I used to be allergic to cats but not severely -- thank goodness because I love cats and have two! Mine are both shorthairs. I used to have a Persian as well but his long hair didn't make any difference that I could tell, so maybe at some point I outgrew my allergies.

This just occurred to me, maybe it's way off-base -- back in the days when people's cats were indoor-outdoor animals, maybe when the cats came into the house they brought allergens in on their fur, and that was what people were allergic to? Now, with most cats being indoor-only, maybe that makes a difference for some people? When I was a kid, dogs were mostly outdoor-only, rarely came into the house, whereas cats seemed to be indoors as much as they were outdoors. I don't remember ever seeing a litter box in those days.

Just a thought ...

 

[Aurora]

According to a newsletter from the Cornell Feline Health Center, i tmakes little or no difference whether the cat has long or short
hair. But having 2 or more cats together can make a difference, as I have discovered--my doctor told me that 2 is the maximum that I should have because I have a mild allergy when I am near several or a room full of cats.