Following are suggested steps for an allergy test at a cattery. The optimal outcome is an authentic allergy test that gives visitors a clear indication of their response to Siberians in general, and to the kitten they wish to purchase.

Most reactions to cats are from Fel d1.  Reactions to dogs, horses, hamsters, rabbits, and eggs may demonstrate problems with secondary cat allergens. These reactions tend toward a higher rate of failure in kitten placement.

When purchasing a kittens for allergy reasons, it is best if both sire and dam  have naturally low levels of the Fel d1 allergen. Start by testing with the breeding cats which produced the kitten you are interested in. Start with the dam and then the sire.

The following steps work well at isolating allergic responses, and demonstrating any allergic reaction visitors may have to cats:

1. Prior to a visit, review the severity of the allergic response to cats. Mild reactions may include itchy eyes, runny nose, or sneezing. Severe reactions include difficulty breathing, or welts. When cats have caused severe reactions in the past, visitors should check with their physician before visiting a cattery.

2. Visitors should always bring their own medications with them - including eye drops, inhalers, and antihistamines. For legal reasons, catteries should avoid providing medications. If a reaction should occur, visitors should wash their hands and face with soap and water to remove surface allergen. Emergency services should be called in cases of severe difficulty breathing. (Catteries might consider offering visitors a clean apron or smock. The smock can be removed if the person reacts.)

3. Cattery visitors should not take antihistamines prior to their visit, as they mask possible reactions. When this is not possible, consider delaying kitten adoption until they are not on daily antihistamines.

4. Allergic visitors should plan to spend several hours at the cattery in an effort to obtain a clear reading of their reactions. The majority of Fel d1 reactions are fairly rapid, showing within 15 minutes of exposure. Even so, some reactions will show only with longer exposure.

5. Reducing secondary allergens by cleaning rooms to remove surface hair and dust mites is appropriate. Litter boxes should be clean and fresh, and the house aired out in advance. Avoid exposure to soft upholstered furniture as they collects large amounts of allergens and dust mites.

6. Begin a visit with a low allergen-tested dam in the cleanest room possible. Allergic individuals should bury their face in the adult dam for a brief time. The dam should not have been bathed within the prior two to four weeks. If an unacceptable reaction occurs to the least allergic dam, purchase of a kitten may be unadvisable.

7. Kittens do not have the levels of allergens present in adult cats. This means that holding kittens is a very poor indicator of future allergic response. The primary Fel d1 on young kittens is from the mother grooming them and material deposited on the fur from dust in the litter box.

8. Visitors may react strongly to nursing kittens, but not the mother. This reaction may be seen in combination with allergies to eggs or milk. When these same kittens are older, this reaction may not be present. Look at reaction to adult cats, not the kittens.

9. Reaction to litter boxes is very common, and can be from many sources. Dusty or perfumed litter can both cause problems for allergic individuals. The feces and urine contain many cat allergens including Fel d1. It is always advisable for allergic individuals to keep the litter box in a room well isolated from the living quarters.

10. When visitors have had no reaction and are ready to leave, expose them to queens or sires with higher allergen levels. This will help verify how reactive the individual is toward cats. If the individual is reactive to Fel d1 and not other allergies they tend to quickly react to stud males and higher allergen females.

Siberian Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved (c) Copyright 2008