ALLERGY INFO – Sneeze no more! 

Many people who suffer with cat allergies, pet/fur allergies or respiratory allergies to cat dander can tolerate a Siberian very well, and many people with these allergies never experience any symptoms at all living for years with a Siberian. 

There are hundreds of testimonials proving this claim.  Add me to that list.  The reason is a very reduced level of FEL D1, the potent “cat allergen”.   FEL D1 is deposited on a cats’ fur by their saliva when they are cleaning themselves.  When this saliva dries on the fur, it then flakes off as dander and also becomes the airborne allergen that sets off the allergy symptoms in sensitive persons. 

The Siberian cat produces such a low level of FEL D1 compared to other domestic cats, due to a protein sequence missing from their DNA.  This has given the Siberian cat the Hypo-Allergenic title.  When another breed is crossed with the Siberian, it re-introduces this missing protein link. 

You will want to keep this in mind if you do have a pet sensitive person in your home, to make sure you are getting a Traditional Siberian kitten, and to check out its pedigree for out crossings.

My cats have all been tested and have some of the lowest levels of FEL D1 possible. My test results come from a biotech lab that specializing in this type of testing.

THE BIG ALLERGY TEST 

The real test with my Siberians was my mother-in-law. I know this may sound like a sales pitch, but it’s not meant to be.  It’s a very real story, and proved to me how hypo-allergenic the Siberian cats are. I too have respiratory allergies, and to cats, but don’t know of too many people that have it as bad as my mother-in-law.

She’s a lovely lady, level-headed, very matter-of-fact, and I love her dearly.   For years when she would come and visit us like on Christmas day, when I had my 2 domestic shelter tabbies, I would do and clean everything imaginable.  She had always had very severe cat allergies all of her life. Within 10 or 15 minutes of entering our home, and she would have already taken medication by then, she would get all stuffy in her head, nasally, runny nose, sneeze, watery, itchy, swelling eyes, red blotches on her face and neck, and short of breath, wheezing. She’d have to go outside a few times for fresh air.  Usually after an hour or so she would have to leave.

Two months ago she wanted to come up and see all my Siberians – she is an animal lover! She sat in just our living room for a 2 plus hour visit with half a dozen Siberians all over her for the whole time!  I kept asking her, are you alright? Did you take your medication? Do you need any medication? I said something’s wrong, you’re not sneezing, you’re not sitting with a box of tissues, etc.  None of us could believe it.  She never even had a tear in her eye, not even a sniffle. Never took any medication, not even the slightest sign or symptom of an allergy!  We were all so amazed – we couldn’t believe it!  I called her a few hours later to make sure she was OK, since she lives over an hour away, and still no sign of “cat allergy”!  Well, this was so incredible we called every family member in the country from Florida, to Idaho, to Utah, to Michigan to Missouri to tell them about Mom and the cats! 

The downside to all of this – Now she wants my Little Lady Lea! And when she calls now, she doesn’t want to speak to her son or me, she wants to know how her Lea is!

SIBERIAN FACTS

If you’ve been looking for a wonderful cat, then look no more!  The Siberian cat is one of Mother Natures’ most precious gifts, and a perfect work of art.  They have an incredible loving , gentle disposition, with just the right amount of energy.  They can be very playful,  and also be calm and mellow.  They have sweet, angelic faces, and are quite beautiful to look at.  They have a medium to long coat on a rounded body, a gorgeous neck ruff, and long flowing fur on their tails, giving a very bushy appearance.  Their fur, like silk to the touch, is very low maintenance.  They love to be brushed and a weekly brushing is usually all that is needed to keep their coats in great shape. Their coat will thicken and become very plush in their second winter. 

The Siberian has a solid build, strong, muscular with a large bone structure.  They are slow to mature, are healthy and hardy, and get along great with other pets and children. They are a larger breed of cat and come in a palette of many colors and patterns. 

The Siberian, one of the 3 breeds of “forest” cats, is also one of the oldest “natural” breeds of cats, and were not created by crossing various breeds to meet our needs.  They have been around for over a thousand years in their native Russia.  In 1990 the first Siberian cat made the crossing over the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. 

The personalities of the Siberian are more dog-like than feline.  They communicate in a variety of ways, from their expressive eyes, head butting, to their wonderful chirping and trills, and they love to be spoken to!  They love human interaction, will develop a strong loyal bond to you, come when called and greet you at the door.  They are highly intelligent and train easily.  With their easy adaptability, gentle nature, intelligence, dog like loyalty, and the fact that they are hypo-allergenic to the majority of pet sensitive people, it’s no wonder that the Siberian makes the best pet companion in any household – whether it’s a large growing family or an older couple!