Hypoallergenic Cats - Do They Exist?

(Taken from: www.cat-world.com.au)

No! There are no hypoallergenic cat breeds.

Before I discuss what is causing the allergies I have some interesting facts for you.

• The prefix "hypo" means "less than" and thus the word hypoallergenic tells the kitten/cat buyer that the breeder believes the cat to to produce fewer allergens than other cats. How is this measured or regulated - well it isn't. There are no legal regulations defining allergens (let alone allergens in cats), nor are there any guidelines. So the world "hypoallergenic" has very little meaning.
• Around 2-15% of the worlds population is allergic to cats and 1/3 of these have a cat in their home.
• Up to 40% of Asthma sufferers are sensitive to cats.
• A large proportion of cats surrendered to shelters are from allergic pet owners.
• Up to 25% of Rex cats that are in need of assistance from rescue organizations are there because their new owners cannot cope with their allergic reaction to their Rex cat. Cats bought because of their so-called hypoallergenic nature.
• Many allergic people report more or less allergic reactions to individual cats.
• Considerable allergen variation exists between cats and at differing times the same cat.
• Allergic Symptoms may not occur until there have been several days or weeks of continuous exposure to the cat.
• There have been reports of both, reductions or an increase in symptoms after long-term exposure to cats.
• An asthma study by Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, PhD and his colleagues showed that high exposure to cat allergen appears to be protective for some children and a risk factor for others.
• Male cats produce more allergen than female cats and neutered males produce less than non-neutered males (but not always).
• Kittens produce less allergen than adult cats.
• A study of 321 patients with allergies showed that dark-coloured cats where 4 times more likely to cause more sneezing, wheezing and overall allergy-symptom than light-coloured cats did.
• Another study showed cat allergen levels in domestic living rooms are not related to cat colour or hair length.
• Woollen sweaters retain more cat allergens than cotton tops even after washing.

What causes the Allergies?

The primary cause of allergic reactions to cats is caused by allergens found in the cat sebaceous glands in the cat's skin, such as the allergenic glycoprotein called Fel D1(short for "Felis domesticus"), it is also secreted via saliva in lesser quantities. When cats lick themselves, they spread this protein, which is rather sticky, and glues itself onto dust particles, the home, your clothing and their fur; whether it's long, short, straight, curly, or absent. As all cats have sebaceous glands, all cat breeds can potentially cause allergies. Allergic allergens are also found in the faeces, serum, urine, mucous, dander, and hair roots of the cat.

Cat allergen is incredibly pervasive and even after the cat has been removed, the cat allergen can remain throughout the home for up to 6 months and up to 4 years in the cats bedding. The allergen has been found in almost 1/3 of non-cat owner's homes and on the clothing of co-workers who don't own any cats, and in doctor's surgeries and schools. And yes, they even found cat allergen in the Antarctic (where no cat has ever been). Cat allergen is about 10 times smaller than pollen or dust particles it is so small that it easily penetrates the bronchial membranes.

It is also very important to note that up to 50% of people who are allergic to cats will not get any immediate symptoms. So always check with your Dr first via skin prick tests and have multiple visits to catteries, over a period of months to test your reaction to particular breeds.

And remember before you blame the cat for your itchy and watery eyes, constant sneezing or runny nose, go and get allergy tested, as the cat may not be to blame after all.

Why can some people allergic to cats, tolerate rex cats?

In truth, a rex cat is no different from any other cat and produces allergen like all other cats*. They are not hypoallergenic by any means, as claimed by some. Then why do some people seem to have no allergic reaction to rex cats? There is no simple answer to this question at this time, and more research is required to get the answers needed. One possible hypothesis is that as rex cats have less hair to shed, they simply deposit less allergen-laced hair around the home. But, whatever the reasons some allergic people seem to tolerate them. From personal studies and observations by Margaret Lawrence in the UK, she found that around 10% of people allergic to cats tolerate rex cats. Please, before you race out and look for a rex cat, remember you should always test your allergies by visiting home or catteries that only own rex cats, and test continuously over several weeks or months. As you don't want the poor little kitten to be re-homed if you find out you are allergic to him or her. Don't let your new cat become another statistic at a shelter.

How can I reduce allergen levels in my home and cat?

• Washing your cat 2 times a week has shown to help reduce the allergen levels. Ensuring that you wash and rinse it well. Studies have shown that the accumulation of of Fel d1 on the skin is restored within two days.
• Fel d 1 levels on the skin of the cat are dramatically higher on the facial area than chest. Make sure you wash that face well.
• The use of allergy wipes such as Allerpet, has proved effective in reduces cat allergens on the cat and thus your home (studies showed that it was effective for around 80% of its users).
• Ensure your cat is spayed or neutered.
• Wash your hands after handling your cat and refrain from touching your face or eyes.
• Wash clothes frequently and wear more cotton and less wool.
• Keep the house as clean as possible by washing floors and bed linen often with hot water to eliminate the allergens.
• Wash clothes and bed linen using detergent solutions at 25°C (77°F) for at least 5 minutes - to extract cat allergen from bedding and clothing.
• Use dusting sprays whist dusting to minimize dust spread.
• Carpet is more likely to hold allergens - so if you can remove it in favour of wood, vinyl or tile floors.
• Avoid heavy drapes that trap the allergens and dust.
• Keep the cat out of your bedroom and laundry (keep it off your clean clothes) and provide it with its own bed.
• Minimize other allergens in the house such as smoke, dust, moulds, scented candles, chemicals and pollens etc. Multiple allergens are linked to the development of more severe allergic reactions and asthma.
• Create outdoor enclosures for your cat so it can spend some time out side and not confined to an enclosed house and you get some fresh air in your home.
• Keep the cat litter in a well-ventilated area and dip rather than pour when you empty it and use litter that is as dust free as possible.
• Use high-efficiency air cleaners, either central or portable.
• Check with your allergist for any anti-inflammatory therapy or possibly desensitisation ("immunotherapy") options.
• Hope they finish working on a vaccine.

Trap, Neuter, Release is the Answer!

TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN IS THE ANSWER

Taken from “Animal Wise Radio” interview with Nathan Winograd on the subject on TNR.
TNR, Feral Cats and Community Cats.

Back in the 1980’s TNR was a controversial issue. Seminars were held where most of the animal welfare groups in attendance were anti-TNR. Today more groups are in favour of it, than against it, so we’ve come a long way.
We only have three options when dealing with cats in the communtiy;
- Cats are trapped, come into the shelter and are killed
Unsocial cats (community cats, alley cats) are generally the offspring of other outdoor cats. They have a nearly 100% chance of being killed for being unadoptable.
- Desex the cats
Now in the US the favoured solution. This has been practiced for decades in Europe.
- Leave them alone
Not a the preferred option/practical as cats are attracted to the resources of people. People care. People get upset that nothing is being done.
Other than ‘leaving the cats alone’, the only humane way to address the issue without killing is TNR.
There is no reason why shelters should prefer trapping and killing.
Cats will always live in the community. They are members of our community. Some people don’t want them around which causes conflicts. However, regardless of your goals (don’t want to kill/ want to have no cats) TNR is the only solution to reaching these goals.
If you want to control cats without resorting to lethal methods, then you must TNR. Even if you don’t care about whether the cats are killed, killing is not a solution that has ever shown any long term success.
TNR is the most effective way to manage cat populations.
People see cats outdoors, worry and then ring shelters to ask what to do. Shelters say, ‘bring the cat to us and we’ll save it’ – what are you saving it from? And are we really ’saving it’ if we kill it? We see a situation where animal shelters who claim to promote humane cat care, are encouraging people to ‘rescue’ an animal, only to put it to death.
What is rescued? When we’re dealing with unsocial animals, we’re not dealing with cats who need rescue. With or without a caretaker, they’re not just surviving, they’re thriving.
The traditional sheltering dogma is that outdoor cats are suffering. Their lives are short and miserable. When you look at the data and studies on colony cats, owned and unowned cats have similar low baselines for disease. Longevity, life expectancy are the same. 96%+ have a good to great quality of life. The cats caught in traps are healthy, robust animals.
This false notion that these cats were suffering has meant healthy cats are impounded and killed. We need to fight conventional wisdom. Groups who once opposed TNR, are now solidly on our side.
Handling community objections
“We don’t want the cats there, so we need the lethal approach to get there”
Putting aside the people see this as a zero sum game (cats mean wildlife suffer), the conventional wisdom that ‘people don’t want cats arounds’ has largely reflected the negative messages put out by cat welfare groups about cats (they should be kept indoors, outdoor cats are suffering etc.). As our messages changed, the public have come with us as we started to advocate effectively for cat welfare.
Those people who are intolerant, the ones who don’t care about the cat. We can’t meet their goals of improving wildlife outcomes through lethal methods.
- Studies show denser population of birds where there are cats (keep rats down)
- Cats allow denser populations of native birds, preying largely on other non-native species
- Even if you kill them, cats aren’t gone forever – more cats will move into the area because the area supports cats. These new cats aren’t unsterilsed and they’re unvaccinated.
Even if you believe the less cats out there the better, the only way to have that happen over the long term is TNR.
Finding out the true concerns. If the concern is that based on a 19th century public health model, that cats are spreading diseases; when you look at the data, regardless of which area you’re looking at (rabies/toxoplasmosis) they are not a great risk. Even if you can’t be convinced by the data, if you want to control disease spread, what you want to do is sterilise the cats so they’re not reproducing, get people to feed them at the same time each day so they’re not scavenging. You want to have them vaccinated. All of these things point back to TNR.
Regardless of whatever objection you throw out, TNR is the solution.
Can a community reach No kill without TNR?
No absolutely not. Without provision for unsocialised cats, you will always be killing.
Even if there were a sanctuary you could send them all to, there would still be cats in the community. The size/cost of the sanctuary would be prohibitive.
It’s expensive to not implement TNR. It reduces impounds. It reducing killing. A 10 year study in the Journal of the AVMA in Ohio, showed cat impounds and deaths were increasing, except for one community – the one who had TNR.
There is a webinar on community outreach for TNR advocates.
How do you engage the ‘wildlife’ people? How do you engage the people traditionally opposed to TNR. How can you have the discussion in your community. How do you diffuse objections?
The science of TNR is not that complicated anymore. Concerns evaporate over the years – and people want a third option for that ‘under the porch’ cat.
How do you take the message to city councils? They realise killing doesn’t work. Encouraging people not to feed, doesn’t work. While maintaining these approaches mean people who care about cats and want to do proactive programs like TNR, get pushed away – the very people they need to help with solutions.
  
FOR CAT LOVERS A MUST READ BOOK

A testiment to the sucess of TNR is the book The sidewalk Beauty "strays cats of Singapore" by Bian Huibin and the subsequent documentary on this book.
The thing that strikes me in looking at this book is that about 60 percent of cats photographed in this book on the streets of Singapore have their ear tipped a very notable sign that they have been TNR. A Project that Eric Yeoh our Project Director of Cat Alliance of Australia had a big part in.
TNR means they can live their lives out in their environment with being harrassed and there will be no kittens, they will be healthy and most important keep the rat/mice populations down.
Some people might say that tipping will lessen the chance of a cat being rehomed but that is not the case and in fact if you look through this book and each and every cat is beautiful and ear tipping would in no way effect its chances of adoption.
Cat Alliance has been advocating TNR for Australia since inception and we strongly believe that it is imperative to the sucess of cat control alongside compulsary desexing and microchipping.

What is Happening With Rescues in Perth?

Well the last week has been a busy one!

We have had two cats come into our care at 9 Lives that were both welfare cases. Why did they come to us? Because the major, well funded rescues in Perth that take cats wouldnt!

The situation for cats in Perth at the moment is dismal. In the last 2-3 months only 2 other rescues have taken in cats other than us. These have both been small rescues with limited resources that have been as full as the rest of us but they took them anyway because they were in desperate need.

My question is why? Why are the smaller rescues like ourselves doing more than the bigger, well known and better resourced rescues are doing in Perth?

Let me explain:

Case One

First there was Gypsy. It was the Foundation Day public holiday and we recieved a phone call from a couple in South Perth who were walking into the city from where they live. They came across a white cat that they had seen wandering the streets for sometime but hadnt been able to approach until now. They described this cat as having very badly infected eyes and that they had called the various other rescues in Perth and the council and that none of them would do anything with the cat. We werent too far away at the time and although we are so full with cats that we are bursting at the seams we new that by the description of the cats eyes we couldnt just leave her on the streets.

Gypsy, as we later named her, was a friendly girl with sun damaged ears, nasty fleas and worst of all, eyes that were oozing green and yellow gunk to the point she could barely open them to even see us! So off we went with her because even though we had no carers to place her with at the time, we knew she could not be left in this state. We cleaned up her eyes, put in some eye drops and started her on antibiotics until we could get her seen by a vet to the next day.

Gypsy was examined by our vet and it was found that she had Entropian on both her lower eyelids which means her eye lashes are rolling in and rubbing on the eye causing ulcers and infection. This needs surgery to be corrected but we also needed them cleared up a little first. So the eye drops 6-8 times a day started. Gyspy didnt mind one bit and within 24hrs she could actually open her eyes and see us! Thankfully one of our carers put her hand up to care for Gyspy so now she is in good hands. Her surgery however along with a much needed dental is going to cost us $850.

 Case Two

Sal as he is now being called by his carer was a cat that belonged to an intellectually disabled man along with his 2 kelpie dogs. This man had to be put into a home and so his sister set about finding homes for the animals. She was told by all the rescues to ring back in a month or so to see if they had any room as they couldnt take any more animals at the moment. So she waited a month and was again told the same thing. This time she also contacted us but we didnt have any room either so we offered to advertise the cat for her and make enquiries with the rescues we had connections with who take dogs.

We had no luck and it weighed on my mind heavily for several weeks as she had said that she was only getting over there to feed the animals every 2nd or 3rd day and the picture she emailed me of the cat showed him to be thin and in poor condition. I urged her to call the RSPCA and say the cat was a welfare case and that he needed attention. Whether she called them again or not the cat was then posted last week on Facebook as needing urgent care because the ladies who had come to take the dogs rescued the cat because of his poor condition.

Well now I knew we had to step in whether we had no room or not because this cat was a welfare issue. Sal went into care with a wonderful foster carer in our program and thanks to his rescuers and his current carer he is putting on weight, is no longer flea ridden, has been brushed and de knotted to perfection and is a very smoochy cat! The problem is that when he was checked by our vet she found what she thought might be an abdominal mass, sun damaged ears, a heart murmur and possible Hyperthryroidism (over active thyriod). We need blood tests to confirm this last one but it is treatable if he has it and he is 9 years old so hes no spring chicken! The abdominal mass however is an issue and will be confirmed on this coming Friday. It may be slow growing and mean that Sal has several good years in him still so we arent giving up hope on him yet while he's happy and comfortable.

(This photo was not taken by us as we would never hold a cat in this manner)

So, where were the other big rescues that were contacted about taking these cats in these clear welfare cases?
They are full.
Well so are we and we still helped a suffering animal!
We took what little money we have raised to care for the cats in our care and spent a great deal on their medical treatments.
I ask again. Where were the well known and well resourced rescues in Perth when they were asked to take these cats on?

Well in Gypies case it was a public holiday so its expected that all animals stop needing to be rescued or getting sick because we are suppossed to be on holiday.
Sorry but it doesnt work that way!

In Sal's case it was because they were all full. So animals that are neglected or suffering should continue to do so because they cant be squeezed in to see a rescue groups vet and either be put to sleep or given treatment.
Nope sorry! That excuse doesnt workfor me either!

All the smaller rescues such as 9 Lives work together to help the cats of Perth and although we are under resourced and just as full as everyone else, we still find a way to make room and help those cats who need it most like Gypsy and Sal.

I would love to praise the large, well known rescues of Perth for their hard work in animal welfare as they do alot for the animals they do take in but what about those they ignore? No you cant save them all but letting them suffer is also unacceptable!

Nat
Founder/Director
9 Lives Cat Rescue

Dont Buy While Shelter Pets Die!!!

I had this forwarded to me as an email today. It sums up prefectly what I have experienced in rescue prior to creating 9 Lives Cat Rescue.

Even though we are no kill I still have to live with the guilt everyday that when I say no we cant take your cat on as we dont have enough foster carers or resources to care for them, that the cat I have turned away will most likely end up at a rescue or vet that does put animals down. So I am still indirectly participating in that cats death.

9 Lives Cat Rescue has always stayed neutral when it comes to breeders as many of our members are breeders and we would not want to lose your support, but sadly the statements made in the first part of this email are true, even though the truth may hurt, as we too have experienced it.

The following email does not in any way exaggerate what happens in most shelters. Please pass it on so we can make even just one person think...

- Natalie Mason
9 LCR Director


***A Letter From A Shelter Manager***

I think our society needs a huge "Wake-up" call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all...a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know.

That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays", that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are; "We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving too that doesn't allow pets? Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She's tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog".

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door.

Those dogs just don't get adopted. It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are.

If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.

Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down".

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to "The Room", every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.


I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.


Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that

someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it made me want to adopt". THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT

For those of you that care --- please repost this to at least one other person. Let's see if we can get this all around the World and have an impact.