Are Burmese Cats Hypoallergenic? What You Need To Know
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Plenty of people who like the look of a Burmese worry about allergies. The breed is not hypoallergenic, but there are ways to manage.
Key Takeaways
- Not Hypoallergenic: Burmese cats are not hypoallergenic as they produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur, and urine, which triggers allergic reactions in humans.
- Managing Allergies: Steps to minimize allergic reactions include regular brushing to reduce shedding, feeding a balanced diet rich in vitamins and proteins, and using air purifiers to remove allergens from the air.
- Shedding Patterns: Burmese cats are a lower-shedding breed with a fine, short coat that mainly sheds seasonally. Regular grooming can help manage shedding.
- Alternative Breeds: While no cat breed is completely hypoallergenic, some breeds like the Siberian produce less Fel d1 protein and may be better suited for people with allergies.
Why Do Burmese Cats Cause Allergies?
Like all cats, Burmese cats produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur and urine. That protein is what sets off allergic reactions in people.
Coat pattern makes no difference here. Tabby cats, with their “M” markings on the forehead, produce it too. Read more about tabby cats here.
When a cat sheds fur, grooms itself or uses the litter box, the protein spreads around your home. You react when you come into contact with it.
How To Own A Cat When You’re Allergic?
You can’t control how much Fel d1 your cat produces, but you can limit how far it travels around your home.
Shedding is one of the main ways it spreads, and how much your cat shedding varies a lot. The amount your cat sheds depends on breed, diet, health and the season, among other things.
Long-haired cats tend to shed less than short-haired breeds, though their fur tangles easily and is harder to groom. Short-haired cats shed more but are much easier to groom.
A few things help reduce the amount your cat sheds.
Brushing Helps With Shedding
Brushing is one of the best ways to cut down on shedding. It removes longer hairs and the ones about to fall out anyway, so less ends up on your carpet, furniture and clothes. How much brushing a cat needs depends on its breed.
Brushes to Consider
These brushes are a good size, take off a lot of fur and leave the coat soft, and they work well for cats who dislike brushing. Gloves can help get a cat used to being groomed if they don’t like normal brushes.
Diet
Feed your cat a quality, balanced diet.
Most cat food has a decent balance of ingredients, but a cat can still end up short of specific nutrients. Vitamins A, E and B are needed to grow and maintain healthy fur, and a cat that doesn’t get enough can shed more than usual.
Cats also need plenty of protein for healthy fur. Some dry foods contain less protein than wet foods, which often have more meat in them. If your cat is shedding heavily, a mix of wet and dry, or all wet, might help. It can take some experimenting with different foods to find one that improves the coat and cuts shedding.
Stress and Shedding
A stressed cat may shed large amounts of fur in clumps. There are lots of possible causes, and it doesn’t always mean something is medically wrong.
Moving house is one. Bringing a new cat into your home can be stressful too, especially for rescue cats with a difficult past (the link has tips on introducing a new cat).
Loud noises also stress cats, including loud music, heavy traffic and thunderstorms. If your cat is shedding a lot, try turning down the background noise.
How To Minimize Allergic Reactions?
Change clothing and bedding regularly
If your cat sleeps on your bed, stopping that will make a big difference for anyone with allergies. Wash bedding and clothes often as well.
Vacuum regularly
Clearing cat hair and other particles from floors and surfaces stops allergens building up where you’ll touch them.
Clean out litter tray often
Outdoor cats may not use a litter tray, but if yours does, or is an indoor cat, cleaning it often cuts the allergens in the area and stops them being carried through the house.
Wash hands regularly
Clean hands spread fewer allergens onto your household items.
Use an air filter
Air purifiers pull loose hair and other particles out of the air before they settle on your clothes, furniture or bedding.
A purifier with a HEPA filter can cut down the allergens floating around a room. This Levoit model is one budget-friendly option.
Change carpets to solid flooring
Burmese cats shed, and a lot of the hair ends up on the floor. Carpet holds hair and other particles far more easily than solid flooring, and even regular vacuuming doesn’t get it all out. Swapping carpet for solid floors is an extreme step, but it is an option for an allergy sufferer that wants to keep cats.
If you do have carpet, a handheld carpet scraper helps. It brushes the cat hair out of the pile so you can vacuum it up, and you will be surprised how much comes out.
Read this article for more on why Burmese cats shed and how to reduce it.
Are Any Cat Breeds Hypoallergenic?
No cat breed is completely hypoallergenic, but some, such as Siberian cats, produce less Fel d1 and can be better choices for people with cat allergies. Some breeds also shed less fur than others, which helps too.
Cat Breeds Which Shed Less
Allergies and a Burmese
Burmese cats are not hypoallergenic. They produce Fel d1 in their saliva, fur and urine like all cats, and that protein triggers allergic reactions in people.
Their coat is no different from that of tabby cats in this respect (read more about tabby cats here).
Frequenly Asked Questions
For moderate periods, yes, if they have food, water and a clean litter box. They like company, so don’t make it a habit.
They are outgoing, affectionate and fond of people. They are also intelligent and energetic.
Like most cats, yes. Give them proper scratching posts and train them to use them.
They are quite vocal and will often meow to talk to their owners.
Generally, yes. Indoors they are protected from predators, cars and disease.
Many breeds are friendly and affectionate, including the Siamese, Maine Coon and Ragdoll.
On average, a lifespan of 10 to 17 years, and up to 20 in some cases.
They are not considered high maintenance, but they do want attention and interaction. If you want a friendly, affectionate, intelligent cat that keeps you entertained, one could suit you well.
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