Siberian Cats:
Hypoallergenic Or Hype?
Many people are drawn to the Siberian by the ‘fact’ that
they are a ‘hypoallergenic’ cat.  This is actually a MYTH
FACT – There are NO completely hypoallergenic cats.  
FACT – Siberian cats are possibly the LEAST allergenic of all the domestic felines
that have fur. There is not nearly enough research to even begin to make conclusions
about the Siberian’s hypoallergenic status, although some Siberian breeders are
attempting to gather some scientific data on this currently.
FACT: WHATEVER the mechanism is behind a person's allergies to cats, it has been noted
REPEATEDLY by Siberian breeders that allergy sufferers just don't seem to react to
Siberians; or that they react minimally. People who could never own cats before, can now
have the joy of owning a cat and not be miserable. Hence the term ‘hypoallergenic’ became a
part of the Siberian’s allure, and an advertised plus for the breed. People who have been
breeding for years have numerous testimonials to the lower reactivity of this breed.
FACT – Cat dander is not the only problem causing allergies and reactive asthma. Cat
dander regularly flakes off the cat's fur and into the carpeting and furniture, where dust
mites feed off of it. (Don't worry - YOU slough off FAR more dead cells from your skin
and scalp than your cat). People typically are very allergic to the dust mites, or rather, the
dust mite's, shall we say, excrement from feeding on the dander and cells. (I know,
disgusting little creatures). Thus, even with a "hypoallergenic" cat, it is EXTREMELY
necessary for allergy sufferers to keep on top of the cleanliness of your environment by
vacuuming and using air filters in the central air system. Also consider that dust from cat
litter can be a trigger to a reaction as well. There are low dust/low perfume products out
there for those individuals who are sensitive to the various litters.
That is why we at Keitta Siberians, along with other responsible breeders, require an
allergy test (we use an exposed t-shirt method), before bringing a kitten into your home.
The t-shirt method is just that - you send a t-shirt, we expose it to multiple spayed females
(that are from the same genetic lines as our breeders). We then return the shirt to you and
ask that you wear it for a day and report to us the outcome of the testing (we can help
interpret any mild reactions). Again, noted from Sib Breeder's experience, different
genetic lines of Siberians tend to be more hypoallergenic than others. This also means
you should allergy test with the cattery where you are making the purchase. We
believe that it is a disservice to you and to your chosen kitten to send them to a home where
within a week the kitten needs returning to us.
In conclusion, a Siberian Cat is the best chance an allergy sufferer has to owning a cat -
and THAT is a FACT.  
Actual Corporate Website promoting the genetically
designed hypoallergenic cat as an FYI for the curious
Article questions validity and reliability of
studies touted by Allerca, most of which
are unpublished.
We make other recommendations to allergy/asthma sufferers as well. For example,
wiping down your cat weekly with Pet Wipes to keep dander counts down. Don't let the
cat sleep on your face...OK, laugh if you will, but those of you who already own Siberians
know that their morning wakeup calls often involve any tactic to get your attention and
get you awake. Allergists recommend not having your cat/s sleep with you or be in your
bedroom at all. That would have to be a choice you make, and based on if you are slightly
reactive versus not at all.  Other recommendations - there are sprays that can be
sprayed onto couches, rugs, bedding, etc., that inactivates the allergens related to dust
mites. Central airflow Hepa filters are important.  See the allergy resource links we have
provided below for additional information.
November 16, 2011
We allergy test at Keitta by asking you to send us a t-shirt, pillow case, handkerchief, or
some item of clothing that you can wear for a day. Contact us for the address to send it to.
We charge $50 for allergy testing. $25 of this amount is applied toward the purchase of a
Keitta Kitten.

We DO NOT routinely do home visits for allergy testing.
Sometimes
you just
feel like
you're
going to
sneeze your
head off...
Click on the Logos to go to the
recommended websites on
Allergies/Asthma info
Keitta Customers
are saying:
"My Sib is the only
cat EVER that
doesn't make my
eyes swell shut, and
she sleeps on my
pillow every night!!!"
"The allergy test went terrific, I wore
the shirt about 12 hours changed to
sleep but no shower and still no reaction
at all!  That is so amazing.  Other breeds
of cats I would have puffed up at even a
sniff out of the t-shirt bag."
"I can't be around most cats, but our wonderful
Siberian is my best bud! She cuddles with me all the
time, sleeps with me every night and greets me
every morning by laying across my neck! Love her!"
"I have been proving many disbelievers wrong
ever since I brought Innochka home!"
"I can’t even begin to say how happy
we are to have her [Snickers], I
marvel every day I’m not allergic and
can hold and play with her."
"We just got [our kitten] last week.
Even though he came from another
breeder I feel like I learned a lot
from your website. Thanks for all the
great information on Siberians. I was a
bit skeptical about the hypoallergenic
factor, but I have to admit it's true!! "
"[My husband] has had zero reaction,
even with her in the bed all night!"
Nice overview of
Allerca and founder
Excellent investigative work giving a time-line
of the man behind Allerca - demonstrating
proven fraud by following the paper trail
Blogs with
multiple links to
testimonials of
people
defrauded by
Allerca
There is now the ability to measure each individual cat's FeL D1 levels, and many Breeders
have begun to test their studs & queens, and some even post these levels on their websites.
We at Keitta anticipate doing so in the future - currently the testing is cost prohibitive
with doing all the breeding pairs at once, plus, the technique used in obtaining a sputum
sample is very stress-inducing for the kitty.  They must be given a pinch of a bitter
tasting pill in-between their cheek & gums. This makes them salivate to the point where
they start to foam and drool.  It is then necessary to obtain at least 0.1 ml (cc) of saliva in
a syringe to freeze and send to the lab. This amount is not very much, but when it comes to
trying to aspirate it from a wiggly, agitated, uncooperative kitty, it might as well be a
gallon - or a liter.  When the testing improves to the point of getting a cheek swab, as with
DNA testing, then perhaps this will be a little less stress for the kitty to go through.
Until such time, our method of testing ('t-shirt test') shows a great deal of reliability &
validity, given that it is subjective reporting from the people being tested.
"A friend of [my husband] who is
also usually pretty allergic to cats
was very surprised to learn that he
is not allergic to these cats."
"We chose her for low allergy
properties, which has worked out
perfectly, but we didn't realize all
the value-added that we were getting
from your loving care."
Curious about Allerca/Lifestyle Pets?
I was too. Here are some great links to check out.
From the results, you note that Siberian's have much less FeL D1 protein than a mixed
breed cat, and that the female Siberian and Abyssinian spayed female have lower levels
than a neutered Sib male.  What conclusions can we draw from this???  Nothing. More
formal and rigorous studies have to be done and repeated with large numbers of cats.
[Some breeders and researchers say it has not been proven that FeL D1 is the culprit,
but possibly that the Siberians top coat, which has an oilier quality, somehow suppresses
FeL D1 and other proteins from becoming airborne when the cat cleans itself.]
#1 (male, neutered, mixed breed) 62,813
#2 (male, neutered, Siberian) 2001
#3 (female, Abyssinian, neutered) 384.50
#4 (female, neutered, Siberian) 205.50
(Measurements are mg/g of sample)
What we DO know is that cat dander is the trigger for a large number of allergy
sufferers. This cat 'dander' is created when a cat cleans itself with its saliva. ALL
breeds of cats have saliva that is partly composed of a protein - FeL d1 - which is the
culprit to the victim's allergic reaction. Siberians are thought to have very low
production of this particular protein compared to other cat breeds. This was
determined by a non-formal study done in an independent lab in Virginia. The study
tested the following felines, with results noted:
Because of people's affection for the feline, scientists with a corporation (Allerca)
believe they can now genetically engineer a cat that is "completely non-allergenic".
You can start by putting your name on a waiting list with the company, and the purchase
price is a mere $9,000 plus  (yes, that is 3 zeros).
[Recent info (2010) has it that Allerca aka Lifestyle Pets, now has THREE varieties of
hypoallergenic cats the ALLERCA GD: $9,950; the ASHERA GD: $35,950; and the
LANGUR GD: $57,950. See references at the end of this page to learn more about this
well marketed and very high profile SCAM~!!!]
How can we at Keitta talk with such expertise about these things? Well, both of us are
allergy sufferers - have been all our lives. And we are allergic to cats, but have also
owned cats all our lives and put up with the inconvenience and sometimes misery
associated with this. However, since Siberians have come into our lives, the cats are not
the allergy trigger any longer.
I am posting this on my [Facebook] page
because "my boy," Simon, comes from
Keitta Siberians, and is one of the
great joys and blessings of my life. He
is COMPLETELY hypoallergenic. My
husband literally cannot breathe around
other cats. Simon sleeps IN our bed!
And the owners of the cattery are
lovely, bright and really fun women,
sisters, who genuinely love their
charges and don't over-breed, and all of
us -- I can give references, and we will
all attest that these kitties are not
only gorgeous but loving and sweet and
fun. They are the best!!
As another proud Siberian owner
(with a seriously allergic husband) -
these little miracles are awesome!
Smart, cuddly, and beautiful! I call
my kitten the "Kitty Ambassador" for
all people afraid of cat allergies or
cats in general. She could start her
own Facebook page with her legions of
fans. :)
[My husband] actually picks her up
every night and cuddles her a bit
and she doesn't seem to mind,
which is amazing not only because
she used to hate being picked up
[a retired breeding cat], but also
because she doesn't bother his
allergies at all.