Will an American Shorthair cat be safe for my child's allergies?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some people can be allergic to cats and therefore can react to cat hair and dander. Otherwise, aside from getting it in your eye with a scratch, or in your throat with itchiness, it is not 'dangerous'.

Each animal can cause allergies to a human, some kids will be allergic to one dog and not to another, same goes with cats, a kid may not be allergic to dogs but will be allergic to cats, it's impossible to predict.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately no. They can still develop an allergy. Keep in mind that allergies are not only due to things in the environment but also to fleas and the food for example. Best of luck!

Allergies definitely stink. I know a lot of veterinarians out there that end up developing allergies to dogs or cats throughout their careers and it makes their lives very difficult. In terms of things that you can do, the first thing I would recommend is speaking with your allergist or dermatologist about possibly getting allergy shots. Some people have a lot of luck with these. It makes owning a cat not only possible, but enjoyable. Secondly, just like there are hypoallergenic dogs, there are hypoallergenic cats. I am providing you with a link to a page that goes over many of them. It will also tell you what makes people allergic to cats. I hope you find a kitty that makes your home whole. Good luck!

Cats aren't dangerous to humans, but humans can be allergic to them. Because I'm not a human doctor, I diagnose if you are allergic to your cats or not, so make an appointment with your doctor. Even if you are allergic, there are medications you can take to help with the allergies so you can keep your cats. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It's really difficult to know which breeds your kids will be allergic to. I find the small breed dogs to generally not cause allergies as much as the larger breed dogs, so it's good that you are in the market for a small breed dog. The dogs that I find to be especially itchy are pit bulls, shar peis and bulldogs. The only way you will know for sure is if the new dog spends about a week in the house. If a week goes by and your kids are not showing signs of allergies, then you can be rather sure that the new dog will not cause allergies. I definitely recommend adopting rather than buying one from a store or breeder. Shelters will often allow you to test them out before committing to adopting them and usually have plenty of small breed dogs available. I hope that helps and all goes well with your new dog search.

Brushing more often (in an area that's easy to clean up any hair that flies away) can certainly help. Keeping carpets and furniture clean can also help reduce pet dander and allergens. If you do a search online, there are also special shampoo sprays that can be used on cats to help reduce excess dander without harm to your cat. Having an antihistamine on hand for your friend to use, and keeping bedding/cat towers/etc out of common areas your friend will frequent may also help.