Orange tabby cats are extremely popular and allergies will concern many would-be owners.
But are orange tabby cats hypoallergenic?
Key Takeaways
- Orange tabby cats are not hypoallergenic and, like all cats, produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur, and urine, which can trigger allergic reactions in humans.
- While no cat is entirely hypoallergenic, certain breeds like the Sphynx produce fewer allergens and might be a better choice for allergy sufferers.
- Tips to minimize the spread of allergens include regular grooming, changing bedding and clothes often, using high-quality air purifiers, and switching to solid flooring instead of carpets.
- Diet and stress can affect how much a cat sheds, which can indirectly impact the level of allergens in the home.
Read on to learn more about why these cats cause allergies and what you can do to stop them from affecting you.
Table of Contents
- Why Do Orange Tabby Cats Cause Allergies?
- How To Own A Cat When You’re Allergic?
- How To Minimise Allergic Reactions?
- Is Any Cat Breed Hypoallergenic?
- Are Hairless Cats Hypoallergenic?
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Inspiring Orange Cats
- Pin for later
Why Do Orange Tabby Cats Cause Allergies?
Like all cats, orange tabby cats produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur and urine. This protein is what triggers allergic reactions in humans.
The beautiful tabby cat is not a breed in its own right.
These cats are often referred to as tabbies for their recognisable coat patterns.
Orange tabby cats have different fur patterns based on the positioning of their stripes, and all of them have distinctive “M” markings on their forehead.
As orange tabby cats are not a specific breed, they are no different to other cats in producing this protein. Some breeds will produce more or less than others and may be better suited to allergy sufferers.
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.
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 cat shedding.
The amount your cat sheds will depend on their breed and factors such as their diet, health, the season and other reasons explained below.
Long-haired cats tend to shed less than short-haired breeds. Grooming longer-haired cats can be more challenging as their fur easily tangles.
Short-haired cats tend to shed more but are much easier to groom.
Some pure-breed cats, such as Himalayan and Bengal are more likely to have genes that cause hair loss.
Others, such as Sphynx, are bred to be hairless.
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 by regularly 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
Small 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.
Your orange tabby cat can live a long, happy life with the right food choice.
Read More: How Long Do Orange Tabby Cats Live?
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. This is especially true for rescue cats with issues or troubled pasts.
Click for our tips on introducing a new cat into your home.
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 as any allergy causing particles will be removed.
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.
Clean out 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.
Wash hands regularly
Cleaning hands often will reduce the spread of allergens onto your household items.
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 exceptionally 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 a model from Levoit.
Change carpets to solid flooring
If you have an orange tabby 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 an allergy sufferer that wants to keep cats.
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 of 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.
Read this article for more about why orange tabby cats shed and how to minimise it.
Is Any Cat Breed Hypoallergenic?
No cat breed is entirely 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
Are Hairless Cats Hypoallergenic?
Some breeds of cats, such as the Sphynx, have been selectively bred to be hairless. But are these cats hypoallergenic?
Like all other cats, Sphynx cats produce Fel d1 protein, but because they are hairless, they do not spread it by shedding fur.
It is still present on their skin and saliva, so there is still a risk of allergies, but Sphynx cats can cause fewer allergic reactions than other breeds.
Despite this, Sphynx cats are not considered to be hypoallergenic.
Final Thoughts
Orange tabby cats are not hypoallergenic.
Like all cats, orange tabby cats produce the Fel d1 protein in their saliva, fur and urine. This protein is what triggers allergic reactions in humans.
As tabby cats are not a specific breed, they are no different to other cats in producing this protein.
If you have an orange cat or are considering getting one, check out our list of orange cat names for inspiration!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the colour of a cat’s fur does not affect the number of allergens it produces. This is dependent on the breed.
No “best” cat exists for people with allergies, as each person’s sensitivity to cat allergens can vary. However, some cat breeds are known to produce fewer allergens than others, such as the Sphynx and the Balinese.
Yes, all cats shed (except hairless breeds), including orange tabby cats. However, the amount of shedding can vary depending on the cat’s breed and individual characteristics.
Read More: Do Orange Tabby Cats Shed?
There is no truly hypoallergenic cat breed, but some breeds, such as the Sphynx, Devon Rex, and Balinese, are known to produce fewer allergens than others.
Read More: Are Any Cats Hypoallergenic?
If you have cat allergies, it’s important to consider the potential risks carefully and minimize exposure to cat allergens. This may include choosing a cat breed that produces fewer allergens, keeping the cat out of certain home areas, and using air purifiers or other allergy control measures.
Orange cats are not prone to any specific health conditions, as this would depend on their breed. However, like all cats, they can develop various health issues.
It is possible to be allergic to any cat, regardless of its colour or breed. Orange cats are not a breed and therefore do not have any specific allergens.
No, neutering does not affect the number of allergens a cat produces.