Is there such a breed? My daughter desperately wants a kitten. My son is allergic to girls-with-cats. He doesn't live here, but I don't want him sick on Thanksgiving Day!!

I've seen a hairless cat that is supposedly hypo allergenic, but it was pretty darn ugly! Cat allergies seem to be the worst! I have two friends who are allergic to cats and it seems the minute they walk in a building where there is a cat symptoms happen right away! I've never seen it happen that fast with other environmental allergies!

Dotty! Yes there is! And they are really cute! I cant remember the breed, but the guy that owns are Ace Hardware just got one for HIS daughter, because his wife and daughter were allergic, but she wanted a kitten so bad! It might be a siberian..........I will try to do a search, and if I cant find it, I will ask Dave tomarrow!

I just did some research. From what I could find there are hypoallergenic cat breeds, meaning there is less of a chance of a reaction. I found these breeds Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, Sphynx and Siberian. The Sphynx is the hairless one and it really is rather pathetic looking. The Siberian is really cute. It was quite interesting.

Stay tuned... daughter is doing research too!

Sphinx cats?

Even with "ordinary" cats, the allergy factor varies a lot.

I can handle some cats for an hour or so and have minimal symptoms (I do have some)

and there are others - one touch - and I'm having trouble breathing, and my eyes are itching.

I haven't figured out a common denominator. My cat is an oily long-hair - and I do fine with him.

My step-dad had a short hair black one - severe reaction to that one.

Mom's Babe was a medium, soft-haired stripe, minimal reaction with him.

These are beautiful.
http://siberianbeauty.us/home.html

There are two breeds purported to have lower Fel-Dh1. This does not make them "hypoallergenic" but less allergenic. They would still need regular grooming and your daughter should stay away from the saliva and urine as well. That means no lessons on responsibility via the catbox. Lucky girl. :0)

Make sure you have a Plan B for the animal should the experiment fail. Good luck. Kittehs are awesome.

I have two cats (down from 5) and I can cuddle and love on them all day long. Monty even sleeps with us sometimes. No problems whatsoever. My girlfriend has cats that drive me crazy with allergies. When I'm around them any length of time, I am a sneezing -wheezing mess. So it does depend on the cat. Good luck finding one that works for your household.

Most allergies are triggered by pet dander. With cats the dander is microscopic dried bits of saliva from them grooming themselves. The Siberian lacks the protien in their saliva that most people have an allergic reaction to. However this is no guarantee your son will not have a reaction when he comes to visit.
I have known people who bathe their cats on a very regular basis (at least once per month, sometimes more) and have had very positive results with allergic people having little to no reaction because they have removed the excess dander. If you get a kitten used to it the bath routine isn't that bad. Maybe the two combined will work for you. Siberians are lovely cats but not inexpensive. You can expect to pay $800 plus for a kitten from a reputable breeder.

Yes, it does depend on the cat. My son is highly allergic to some of ours and not to others. Of course the one he's most allergic to wants to sit on his lap! He has a cat, no special breed, but he's not allergic to him. So glad b/c we love cats !!

ask a Veterinarian. i've seen shows on cats and some are OK for allergies.

Do you have access to watching Cats 101. Terrific show. Give all aspects of cats and Dogs 101 for dogs. If you could stop you cats from licking, would help allergies. Good luck, right. Forgot what it was about cat bathing that is responsible for allergies.