Hypoallergenic Russian Blues???
Many people have read that Russian Blues are Hypoallergenic. Breeders & owners are asked about this all the time. The answer is mostly no.
-Definition-
Hypoallergenic: relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction
All cats can cause allergic reactions in people and generally its caused by the protein called Fel D1 in the cat's saliva. When cats groom themselves they coat the hair with this allergen. There is some anecdotal evidence that a Russian *could* have less Fel D1 along with a few other breeds. This is by no means a guarantee. There is still dander produced as well. Everyone has stories about people with cat allergies being ok around their Russians. There are just as many stories about people that had horrible reactions.
If you have a family member that has cat allergies but you want a cat there are a few things you can try.
Your best option is to contact a reputable breeder and ask them to let a cat sleep with a shirt for a few days. Once the shirt is back home with you let the family member try to sleep with the shirt or cuddle it on the couch for a few hours. If there is little to no reaction then you should continue to pursue getting a cat of that breed. You should still do the shirt test on the actual cat or kitten you are getting just to be sure.
You can commit to taking medication every day. There are lots of people that couldn't live without their pets but are allergic to them. It is expensive in the long term.
Last you can try to bathe the cat more often to wash the fur and remove the Fel D1 that's all over it. This could be as simple as a warm wet washcloth bath once a week or may require an actual shower/bath. How effective this could be is unknown.
There is no 100% guarantee on anything. Any good breeder is going to require you provide a permanent home for the cat. This means you don't get to change your mind and drop it off at a shelter or give it to a relative. So, if you are in this situation do your homework, do the shirt test and think long and hard about how committed you are to this animal. If its anything less than a new member of the family it may just not be worth it. This is a 10-15 year commitment.
Last but not least....
