Do Black Cats Produce More Dander? 5 Interesting Topics Discussed

Do black cats produce more dander? It is very possible that they do. Recent studies have shown that darker colored cats can produce more dander than lighter ones. Of course, the breed of the cat can alter the effects of this, but most experts do agree that the darker the cat, the more dander they can produce.

What Is Black Cat Dander?

To be honest with you, while they may produce more, the dander produced by black cats is the same as other cats.

Basically, black cat dander is the tiny bits of dead skin that you can sometimes see when you groom your cat.

It Is All About The Proteins

While most people will blame that pesky dander for their allergies, it is not actually that which causes you to sneeze and cough.

There are two proteins called Fel d 1 and Fel d 4 and these are what actually cause cat allergies, it just so happens they are transported via the dander.

It may not sound super interesting, but it is important to know that it is not just the “dead skin” that is causing allergies.

Teeny And Tiny!

While you can see the dead skin on your black cat when you are giving them a well-appreciated combing.

The stuff that is going to cause those who are allergic to have issues is so small that it is hard to see to the naked eye.

This is why it is so important if you do have issues that you make sure you are taking care of it.

How To Deal With Black Cat Dander

You love your black cat as they are awesome, but the allergies are driving you nuts! There are some things you can do to lessen these allergies.

First of all, you need to make sure you vacuum regularly. You can get special pet vacuums that are designed with this kind of thing in mind.

Vacuuming things like the chairs and curtains and anything else it can stick to is just as important as the carpets in your home.

More Factors To Consider

While there have been studies that show black cats and darker cats, in general, produce more dander, there are other things to consider.

For example, studies show that male cats in general produce more dander. It goes even deeper with other studies saying neutered males can produce less!

So, while it is easy to point the finger at black cats and say that they produce more dander, there are many more factors you have to consider.

My Thoughts

Our American Shorthair called Coco doesn’t appear to produce much dander at all.

I’ve seen photos of black cats who are unfortunately covered in dandruff-like flakes all over their fur.

The fact that Coco is an American Shorthair may play a part in him not producing much dander. I need to look into this further.

I once read that diet can have an impact on the dander that is produced.

I took Coco off of dry food a while back now and I must say he looks so much healthier.

Dry food can have 10% moisture and wet food can have around 90% moisture and the fact that Coco eats wet food now has had a real impact on his coat.

He is so shiny now!

Luckily neither I or Yurena suffer from pet allergies so dander isn’t an issue in our home.

I really feel for people that suffer from the effects of dander.

Do Black Cats Produce More Dander – Summary

Do black cats produce more dander? Quite possibly according to studies.

Dander is dead skin that is shed by the cat.

There are proteins called Fel d 1 and Fel d 4 that are transported by dander and cause allergies in humans. These proteins aren’t visible to the naked eye.

Vacuuming your home regularly can really help with dander issues.

There are many factors to consider when it comes to the amount of dander that a cat will produce.

For more black cat content check out the My Mini Panther Facebook page.