Are Black Cats Hypoallergenic? 22 Amazing Breeds Discussed…

So are black cats hypoallergenic? The simple answer is, the is no evidence to suggest that any cat is hypoallergenic. Cats shed dander and with that they shed allergens too.

Do Black Cats Cause More Allergies?

Before diving into this complicated subject I think we have to establish that a black cat isn’t a breed. There are multiple breeds of domestic cat that can be black.

Black Cat Breeds

According to The Cat Fanciers’ Association, 22 breeds of cat have a solid black coat.

So when attempting to answer the question ‘are black cats hypoallergenic?’, you can see that the answer is complex.

The 22 breeds are:

American Bobtail

American Curl

American Shorthair

American Wirehair

Bombay

British Shorthair

Cornish Rex

Devon Rex

Exotic Shorthair

Japanese Bobtail

LaPerm

Maine Coon

Manx

Norwegian Forest Cat

Oriental

Persian

Ragamuffin

Scottish Fold

Selkirk Rex

Siberian

Sphynx

Turkish Angora

Yes but, are black cats hypoallergenic? I’ll get to that, let’s read on…

Which Breeds Cause a Reaction?

If you are reading this blog you would like to know which black cats may or may not give humans an allergic reaction.

Of the 22 breeds listed above, according to my research, the following breeds may cause an allergic reaction:

American Bobtail, American Curl, American Shorthair, American Wirehair, Bombay, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Exotic Shorthair, Maine Coon, Persian, Ragamuffin, Scottish Fold, Selkirk Rex and the Turkish Angora.

Which Black Cats May not Cause a Reaction?

As you can see, no cat is truly hypoallergenic but some people are able to live with cats that shed less fur than others quite comfortably without having a reaction.

These black cat breeds may be the:

Devon Rex, Japanese Bobtail, Manx, Norwegian Forest Cat, Oriental, LaPerm, Siberian, and the Sphynx.

What Causes a Reaction?

The most common allergic reactions to cats actually come from the cat’s saliva. As I’m sure you know, cats groom themselves regularly by licking their fur.

They leave a particulate matter on their fur which is then inhaled or touched by humans. If you are allergic to this matter then you, unfortunately, have a reaction.

Cats known to produce or shed less Fel D1 are less likely to cause an allergic reaction in humans.

My Final Thoughts

As a cat lover I am thankful not to have any noticeable allergies to pets and I really sympathize with people that do.

When researching for this blog post I came across a lot of conflicting information and a lot of discussion regarding whether a hypoallergenic cat even exists.

Looking at the science I think it’s safe to say that no cat is allergen-free but it is comforting to see that there are breeds that don’t tend to cause allergic reactions in humans.

Unfortunately it seems as if it’s the more exotic breeds that cause less allergic reactions and the common black cats appear to be problematic to allergen sufferers.

Keeping things positive though, it is great to see that there are options. For the well-being of the many domestic cats in need of being rescued and the wanna-be cat owners.

So ‘are black cats hypoallergenic?’ according to the internet, this question doesn’t make sense on two levels…

Black cats aren’t a breed and no cat is hypoallergenic.

I hope this blog post has helped you with your pursuit of new info on this subject.

You now have a list of cats that can be black that may not cause an allergic reaction in humans.

Please use this info to do further research for yourself and always consult with a professional regarding your own health and or the health of a pet.

Have you read this? Over 40 Brilliant Black Cat Names from the Black Cat Community

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