Allergic to Animals: Hair vs. Fur

Posted At : May 26, 2006 1:16 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Myth Buster

I'm allergic to dogs and cats. I've had a lot of people tell me that I can have a dog if I find a species that has "hair" instead of "fur". I can't tell you how many times I've heard that. It's a myth.

"Hair" and "fur" are the same thing. A defining characteristic of mammals is the presence of hair on the body. The word "fur" is simply a term used to define hair on non-human mammals.

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If you're like me(and most other people) you're not allergic to their hair/fur whatever you call it. The allergen is not actually hair, but a protein present in the dander and saliva of the cat or dog. The allergens become airborne as microscopic particles which, when inhaled into the nose or lungs, can produce allergic symptoms.

Cat's clean themselves by licking their fur. So they are coating their fur in their saliva. Also, some people can be allergic to the lick of a dog. Same thing applies.

I did read that there is a chemical(a mild sedative) that can be added to a cat's water (like 1 drop per gallon of water) which changes the chemical makeup of their saliva. The cat doesn't notice a difference or feel different, but their saliva is no longer an allergen. My girl and I are talking about getting a cat some day, and if we do we're going to look into this first to see if its a possibility.

Read more here about pet allergies: http://www.allergybegone.com/aboutpetdander.html

# Posted By MjR | 6/2/06 4:16 PM

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