This is a very serious question – if one day a person allergic to cats goes to a wildlife park and wants to observe a lion up close, should they be concerned about being allergic to lions?
Most people think that cat fur causes allergies in humans. This belief may stem from the fact that when cat hairs float close to the nose, it can cause itching and a sneeze, similar to allergy symptoms.
However, to be precise, cat allergies are not caused by the fur itself. The main culprits for allergies are: Fel d 1 and Fel d 4. These are two types of proteins found in cats, referred to here as allergen proteins. Although there are other potential allergens in cats, such as dust and dust mites, these allergen proteins are the primary triggers for people allergic to cats.
Structure of Fel d 1 peptide chain in cat saliva.
Fel d 1 mainly originates from sebaceous glands, salivary glands, and the fur of cats, while Fel d 4 is primarily secreted from the submandibular glands. As we know, cats love to groom themselves. While licking, they stimulate their salivary and sebaceous glands to produce Fel d 1 and Fel d 4. Once the saliva dries, this allergen protein remains in the cat’s body.
If you are unfortunate enough to be allergic, exposure to an environment with cats (as cat hairs will float into the air as long as you are near the cat, even if you don’t touch it) will trigger your immune system to attack these harmless proteins. Specifically, when allergen-containing proteins come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes and enter your body, immune cells respond by releasing IgE and IgG antibodies, leading to the degeneration of mast cells or basophils in immune cells (i.e., mast cells or basophils).
Sensitization process.
This degeneration causes mast cells or basophils to release a variety of chemicals, including more than 30 different allergenic substances. The most famous is histamine, which causes itching when released into the skin, wheezing when released into the lungs, and a drop in blood pressure when released throughout the body, ultimately leading to an inflammatory allergic reaction. Allergies occur very quickly and are also known as immediate reactions. Allergy symptoms can be very uncomfortable, such as swelling, redness, runny nose, and watery eyes.
How can allergy sufferers keep cats?
In fact, female cats secrete less allergenic protein than male cats, but if a male cat is neutered, the amount of allergenic protein it produces will be similar to that of female cats. Thus, researchers estimate that the production of these proteins is related to the sex hormones of cats.
Are there cat breeds that produce lower amounts of allergenic proteins?
Indeed, there are individual cats known as hypoallergenic cats, but they are just specific cats. Researchers have investigated different cat breeds and found that some breeds produce significantly lower levels of allergenic proteins compared to others. For example, some Siberian cats, which are naturally bred from the Siberian region, have genetic variations that lead to lower allergenic protein content.
Although some cats produce lower levels of allergenic proteins, even the smallest amounts can trigger allergy symptoms in sensitive individuals.
Animal allergies can cause symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including itching, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, rash, swelling, difficulty breathing, and even asthma. In severe cases, animal allergies can lead to a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Since a person cannot pet a cat due to allergies, what about approaching other large cats? Could they also cause allergies?
In fact, there have only been three recorded cases of people being allergic to lions without being eaten by them. Of course, those who come into contact with such fierce big cats are extraordinary individuals, either hunters or animal caretakers. This data is not representative and cannot explain the issue.
Cats and lions are both felids and share some allergenic proteins. These proteins are found in their saliva, skin, and urine. If a person is allergic to one of these proteins, they may have an allergic reaction when exposed to any felid, including lions. However, the level of allergy may vary from person to person. Some people may be mildly allergic to cats but not to lions, and vice versa.
Therefore, a medical doctor from the Netherlands visited the Amsterdam Zoo, collected fur from various large cat species during winter grooming sessions, and studied it. The sources of this fur included lions, Siberian tigers, cougars, leopards, and snow leopards, among others. Scientists used chemical extraction methods to obtain extracts. Then, the research team recruited six individuals allergic to cats and extracted their serum.
After testing, scientists found that those allergic to cat fur were also allergic to large cat species, but to a lesser extent.
Thus, if you are allergic to cats, you may experience mild allergy symptoms when in close contact with lions.
