—DR. EBENEZER SATYARAJ
Many people go to great lengths to reduce allergens in their environment, such as daily cleaning and frequent washing. Cat allergens can limit people’s interactions with cats, though, and they’re a common reason people relinquish cats to shelters. Allergens also create a barrier to cat adoption and ownership.
As many as 1 in 5 adults
worldwide are sensitized
to cat allergens.
Avoidance or rehoming
is a common recommendation
to manage cat allergens.
Although many people believe cat allergens stem from the cat’s hair or dander, the major cat allergen is Fel d1. This protein is found primarily in the cat’s saliva.
Fel d1 is then transferred to the cat’s hair and skin during grooming. As the cat sheds, the allergen on the hair is dispersed throughout the home.
Contrary to popular belief, there are no truly hypoallergenic cats. All cats—even hairless ones—produce Fel d 1, regardless of breed, age, sex or neuter status.
Additionally, Fel d 1 levels are not affected by hair color or length.
[Fel • Dee • One] noun
A protein produced in a cat’s salivary and sebaceous (skin) glands. Transferred to cat’s hair and skin during grooming. Dispersed in the environment via hair and dander (dried flakes of skin).
Of cats fed this egg ingredient, 97% showed decreased levels of active Fel d 1 on their hair and dander. On average, there was a 47% reduction of active Fel d 1 on cats’ hair beginning with the third week of feeding the diet.
The revolutionary cat food shown to reduce the allergens in cat hair and dander by an average of 47 percent starting in the third week of daily feeding.
—DR. EBENEZER SATYARAJ