Cattery Visits for Allergies

Visitors wishing to allergen test are asked to fill out a Cattery Visitation form and pay a $50 visitation fee.  This fee is not applicable towards kitten purchase.  These visits are very effective at ensuring that you will be comfortable with a Siberian kitten.  No cattery visit fee will be charged for families who wish to test with Jenika or Zorro.

We want kittens and owners to have a long and loving relationship. Our adult cats are tested for allergen levels in saliva and fur, and only cats with low levels are maintained in our breeding program.  These breeding cats provide excellent kittens for individuals with feline allergies.

For our sake, we ask visitors do not come when sick with colds or flue. Please wash your hands with soap if you have petted or held other cats.  This helps reduce the risk of feline diseases in the cattery.

We keep a room for visits where cats are not allowed to roam freely. All rooms will be freshly vacuumed and aired out in advance of your visit.

Consider avoiding antihistamines before visiting the cattery as they mask potential reactions. Please bring your medications with you - including eye drops, inhalers and antihistamines.

If you have a history of severe allergies to cats or other animals, we ask that you obtain professional medical advice prior to your visit.

Visitors with allergens will spend time with both Larisa and Kaleriia. These girls have tested very low for feline allergens. You will be asked to bury your face in their fur for a brief time and then watch for possible reactions.

Our Queens will not have been bathed in the month before your visit. This assures normal allergen levels in the fur, and allows us to judge reactions more clearly.  When a visitor does have an unacceptable reaction to a queen, they may not adopt a kitten from her litter.

Kittens do not produce the allergens levels of adult cats, so holding kittens is a poor indicator of future allergic response.  Nursing kittens may cause reactions in people allergic to milk or eggs, and these reactions usually disappear in older kittens. Some Fel-d1 allergen will be found on kittens from the mother grooming them, and also from the litter box.

Reaction to litter boxes is very common, and can be caused by many sources.  Dusty or perfumed litter can both cause sneezing and eye irritation. Feces and urine contain many cat allergens, not just Fel d1.  When visitors shows reactions to the litter box, we prefer they are able to keep their litter box in a room isolated from the living quarters.

When visitors have no reaction to queens with low allergen levels, and are ready to leave, we ask them to visit with cats with higher allergen levels. This helps verify feline allergens as the problem. Visitors allergic to Fel d1 and not other allergens may show reactions to stud males, as the highest Fel-d1 levels are found in un-neutered males.