Raw food and being allergic to cats

[furbulousbunz]

Hi guys!
My boyfriend said he's allergic to cats, like if he touched them it would make him really itchy. I was kinda scared about bringing them to his house, but he said it was fine. Turns out, they don't make him itch at all. I feed them a raw meat diet, and he thinks that's what is making the difference. Either way, I'm pleased that my cats aren't an issue for him!

I just want to know if someone else has had an experience like this??

 

[abyeb]

I might have an idea as to why this is the case, and I don't think it has anything to do with the food. You see, cats produce two proteins in their saliva, FelD1 and FelD2. When cats groom themselves, these proteins in their saliva get transferred to their fur. After the saliva dries off the fur, these proteins remain. People with cat allergies are reacting to one or both of these proteins. However, there are some cats that produce less FelD1. There are cat breeds that are typically associated with being hypoallergenic, Siberian and LaPerm. Some people say they've had luck with Devon Rex or Oriental, but this isn't as widely accepted. Is your cat one of these breeds? Maybe she's a mix including one of these breeds. There are some domestic shorthairs (mixed breed) who also, for whatever reason, just produce less of these proteins. My cat, Charlie, is like this. We've had people with cat allergies come over and have no problem with him. Whatever the reason, it's cool that your boyfriend can interact with your cat!

 

[furbulousbunz]

I don't know what breed they are, I adopted them from a shelter. They're both short hair tuxedos.

 

[abyeb]

Some cats just for some random reason produce less of the allergen than others. As I said, my cat is also a shelter rescue and people with allergies have no problem with him. It's just one of those happy accidents