Bombay cats are extremely popular, and allergies will concern many would-be owners.
But are Bombay cats hypoallergenic?
Key Takeaways:
- Bombay cats are not hypoallergenic; they produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur, and urine, which can trigger allergic reactions in humans.
- Managing allergies involves limiting the spread of the Fel d1 protein and reducing the amount your cat sheds. The article provides tips like regular brushing, proper diet, and frequent cleaning.
- While no cat breed is completely hypoallergenic, some breeds like Siberian cats, produce less Fel d1 protein and may be a better option for people with cat allergies.
- The article also offers practical advice for minimizing allergic reactions, such as using air filters, changing to solid flooring, and cleaning litter trays regularly.
Read on to learn why Bombay cats cause allergies and how to minimise the effects.
Table of Contents
- Why Do Bombay Cats Cause Allergies?
- How To Own A Cat When You’re Allergic?
- How To Minimise Allergic Reactions?
- Are Any Cat Breeds Hypoallergenic?
- Final Thoughts
Why Do Bombay Cats Cause Allergies?
Like all cats, Bombay cats produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur and urine. This protein is what triggers allergic reactions in humans.
When cats shed fur, groom themselves and use the litter tray, they spread the Fel d1 protein around your home, which can cause allergies if you come into contact with it.
As it is impossible to stop a cat from producing this protein, people who suffer from cat allergies can take steps to reduce the effects.
How To Own A Cat When You’re Allergic?
You cannot control how much Fel d1 protein your cat produces, but you can limit how much it spreads around your home.
One of the main ways it is spread around is by your Bombay cat shedding.
The amount your cat sheds will depend on their breed and their diet, health, and season. You can read more about why cats shed and which ones shed more than others here.
Long-haired cats tend to shed less than short-haired breeds. Grooming longer-haired cats can be more difficult as their fur easily tangles.
Short-haired cats tend to shed more but are much easier to groom.
There are ways in which you can try to reduce the amount your cat sheds:
Brushing Helps With Shedding
One of the best ways to reduce excessive shedding is brushing your cat.
Brushing regularly removes longer hairs and ones ready to fall out anyway. This will prevent fur from falling on your carpet, furniture and clothing.
Cats will need brushing in different amounts depending on their breed.
Brushes We Recommend
These brushes are very effective and a favourite for cats who dislike brushing. They are a perfect size, remove a lot of fur and leave your cat’s fur soft and fluffy.
For cats that don’t like normal brushes, grooming gloves can be helpful to get your cat used to being groomed.
Diet
Cats should always be fed a quality, balanced diet.
Although most readily available cat food will have a suitable balance of ingredients, it is still possible for cats to become deficient in specific nutrients. Vitamins A, E and B are necessary to produce and maintain healthy fur; when a cat does not get enough of these, they can shed more than usual.
All cats need plenty of protein to maintain healthy fur. Some dry foods have less protein than wet foods, which often have a higher meat content. If your cat is shedding excessively, switching to a mix of wet and dry food, or entirely to wet food, could improve this.
Many different food options are available, so experimenting with different ones can help find the right food for your cat to improve their coat and reduce shedding.
Stress and Shedding
If your cat is stressed, they may shed large amounts of fur in clumps.
There are many reasons your cat could be stressed, and it doesn’t always mean something is medically wrong with your cat.
Cats can become stressed from location changes. Bringing a new cat into your home can be a stressful time. Read here for tips on introducing a new cat into your home. This is especially true for rescue cats with issues or a troubled past.
Loud noises can be stressful for cats. This can include loud music, excessive traffic noise and thunderstorms. It can be helpful to try and reduce background noise if you notice your cat is shedding lots of fur.
How To Minimise Allergic Reactions?
Change clothing and bedding regularly
If your cat sleeps on your bed, stopping this will make a big difference for allergy sufferers.
Washing and changing the bedding and your clothing often will also help.
Vacuum regularly
Removing cat hair and other particles from your floors and surfaces will help prevent a build-up of allergens for you to come into contact.
Vacuuming floors, skirting, and radiators will deal with most of the issues, but a deep clean of the whole house now and then will make a difference.
Clean out the litter tray often
Outdoor cats may not use a litter tray, but if they do, or your cat is an indoor cat, cleaning out their litter tray often will reduce the allergens in the area and prevent them from getting carried through the house.
For indoor cats, the general recommendation is to change out cat litter in full at least once a week. This is in addition to the daily (or more often!) removal of solid waste, which is important for hygiene and odour prevention.
Depending on your pet’s bathroom activity and preferences, you may need more frequent changing.
Read More: How Often Should You Change Cat Litter?
Wash hands regularly
Cleaning hands often will reduce the spread of allergens onto your household items.
Without regular cleaning, you will easily spread allergens onto your food or when touching your face.
This makes a big difference when we touch our faces an average of 50+ times an hour!
Use an air filter
Air purifiers remove harmful particles and flying loose hair from the air before they can settle on your clothes, furniture, or bedding.
In our view, Philips make the best air filters. The Philips 3000i continuously detects and removes allergens from the air and is extremely effective with high-grade HEPA filters to remove 99.97% of airborne allergens, pollen, dust and other particles.
Philips air filters are expensive, and a more budget-friendly option would be the model from Levoit.
Change carpets to solid flooring
If you have a Bombay cat, you’ll know that a lot of the hair they shed ends up on the floor. Carpets can hold and build up hair and other particles much easier than solid floors.
Even vacuuming often doesn’t remove all of this from the carpet easily, so while an extreme step, changing for solid floors could be an option for allergy sufferers that want to keep cats.
This will not often be practical or cost-effective, so read on if you still have carpets in your home!
If you have carpets in your home, it will seem like no matter how much you vacuum, the hair doesn’t go away!
That’s where a handheld carpet scraper comes in handy. This little tool will easily brush all the cat hair out of your carpet so you can vacuum it up. You will be amazed at how easy it is and how much hair appears when you use it.
We use one regularly, keeping the carpet in great condition and free of cat hair build-up.
Read this article for more about why Bombay cats shed and how to minimise it.
Are Any Cat Breeds Hypoallergenic?
No cat breed is completely hypoallergenic, but some breeds, such as Siberian cats, produce less Fel d1 protein and can be better for people with cat allergies.
There are also some breeds of cats which shed less fur than others. These can be better choices for people with allergies.
Cat Breeds Which Shed Less
Final Thoughts
Bombay cats are not hypoallergenic.
Bombay cats produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur and urine like all cats. This protein is what triggers allergic reactions in humans.
Bombay cats are a specific breed with a fur pattern associated with the group of tabby cats (read more about tabby cats here).
They are no different to other cats in producing this protein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bombay cats are not considered hypoallergenic so they may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
The best cat for someone with allergies is a low-allergy cat, such as the Siberian cat, Balinese cat, or Sphynx cat.
Bombay cats have short, sleek hair and do shed, but not as much as long-haired cats.
Read More: Do Bombay Cats Shed?
Yes, Bombay cats are known for being affectionate and love to cuddle with their humans.
Bombay cats are known for their black coats and affectionate and playful personalities. They are often compared to dogs because of their loyalty and sociability.
No, Bombay cats are not high-maintenance. They have a short, easy-to-care-for coat and are generally healthy and low-maintenance.
Read More: Are Bombay Cats High Maintenance
Bombay cats are generally healthy, but like all cats, they can be prone to certain health problems, such as heart disease and urinary tract issues.
While Bombay cats are not as common as some other breeds, they are not considered rare.
Some Bombay cats are more talkative than others, but generally, they are not as talkative as some other breeds.
Bombay cats have an average lifespan of 12-16 years.
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