A Genuine Hypoallergenic Feline Breed? Is there such a thing?
Can families or individuals really find hypoallergenic pets? Of course, there are many dog breeds out there: Golden doodles, D/Poodles (all sizes tbh), Bichon Frise, Maltese, Portuguese Water Dogs, and Mini Schnauzers, but about when it comes to the FELINE cat breeds? Is there such a thing????
Are there feline friends that can be prove to be less allergy prone?
Shedding & Dander Make a Difference
While these dogs breeds produce less dander and shed minimally, making them ideal for allergy sufferers. What then are the options for you cat lovers???? There are options and the Bengal cat is one of them!!!! Yep! You heard it here folks! Bengals are on the hypoallergenic scale and spectrum.
Now lets break down hypo vs hyper… Hyper is a term many of us are familiar with and need no expiation. So what about Hypo??? You guessed it! Less than. Remember that term in elementary school? More than > Less than < or Equal to= ? The same applies in medical terms! So while we are by no means medical experts, hypo stands for less likely.
Bengals are exactly that! They are a breed of cat that is LESS likely to cause allergic responses. But just how is this possible???
In regards to Bengals and their hypoallergenic traits; the breed itself is on the hypoallergenic scale. Although not allergenic free, they are FAR from the hypersensitivity of other cats and felines.
This is due to their hybrid relationship to the Asian Leopard (ALC).
The Asian Leopard Gets the Credit!
Because of being related to the ALC (which is what is responsible for the Bengal to get their rosetted patterns) this ancestry allows Bengals as a breed, to be less prone to allergy triggers compared to other feline breeds.
It is this ALC coating trait that allows the majority of Bengals to not feel the need to “clean themselves” (as Fel d1 is found in their saliva) regularly as their coats prohibit a lot of dust and debris from attaching to their fur.
Self Grooming & Medical Disclaimers
With that being said, not all coats are created equal. It’s something that a breeder would need to pay attention to. One of our girls for example, has a completely different coat vs our other Bengals; so we are very selective in who we breed her with. (She also LOVES to spoil herself with her self spa grooming skills)
Here within our home and cattery we too have family members that are very allergy prone (with severe chemical sensitivity/poisoning). It’s due to these aliments, that we had to be very selective in the start of our Bengal breeding program. And the hard work was with worth it!!!
Of course, no breeder can of course say a cat (or any pet for that matter) is ever allergen-free, but when a breeder works on their lines, includes diversity, and observes and pairs for selective coat and traits, one can thus create a more less allergy prone cat.
Interested in your own hypoallergenic cats, or about the Bengal feline breed? We’d love to have you on our list!
