Sex Is The Only Physical Characteristic That Relates To Allergen Production

Sex Is The Only Physical Characteristic That Relates To Allergen Production

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While studies have demonstrated that hair length and color have no influence on Fel d 1 production, there is one physical factor that does appear to correlate: sex of the cat.1-6

The facts

Sex has been shown in some studies to correlate with Fel d 1 production.

  • It has been shown that intact male cats generally produce higher levels of Fel d 1 than sterilized/neutered male cats and female cats regardless of sterilization status.1, 6-9
  • However, each cat’s level of Fel d 1 varies based on genetics, and an intact male cat could potentially produce less Fel d 1 than a high-producing female or sterilized male cat.1,6,8-11

Find out more

  1. Kelly, S.M., Karsh, J., Marcelo, J., Boeckh, D., Stepner, N., Litt, D.,...Yang, W.H. (2018). Fel d 1 and Fel d4 levels in cat fur, saliva and urine. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.07.033
  2. Bonnett, B., Messaoudi, K., Jacomet, F., Michaud, E. Fauquert, J.L., Caillaud, D., & Evrard, B. (2018). An update on molecular cat allergens: Fel d 1 and what else? Chapter 1: Fel d 1, the major cat allergen. Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, 14, 14. doi: 10.1186/s13223-018-0239-8 
  3. Butt, A., Rashid, D. & Lockey, R. (2012). Do hypoallergenic cats and dogs exist?  Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, 108, 74-76.Fel D 1
  4. Nicholas, C., Wegienka, G. & Havstad, S. (2008). Influence of cat characteristics on Fel d 1 levels in homes. Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, 101, 47-50
  5. Siebers, R., Healy, B., Holt, S., Peters, S., Crane, J. & Fitzharris, P. (2001). Fel d 1 levels in domestic living rooms are not related to cat color or hair length. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 108, 652-653. doi: 10.1067/mai.2001.118788
  6. Platts-Mills, T.A.E., Vervloet, D., Thomas, W.R., Aalberse, R.C. & Chapman, M.D. (1997). Indoor allergens and asthma: report of the Third International Workshop. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 100, S2-S24. doi: 10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70292-6 
  7. Zielonka, T., Charpin, D., Berbis, P., Luciani, P., Cassanova, D. & Vervloet, D. (1994). Effects of castration and testosterone on Fel d 1 production by sebaceous glands of male cats: I. Immunological assessment. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 24, 1169-1173
  8. Ramadour, M., Birbnaum, J., Magalon, C., Lanteaume, A., Charpin, D. & Vervloet, D. (1998). Cat sex differences in major allergen production (Fel d 1). Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 10, 282-284.
  9. Jalil-Colome, J., de Andrade, A.D., Birnbaum, J., Casanova, D., Mege, J.-L., Lanteaume, A., Charpin, D., & Vervloet, D. (1996). Sex difference in Fel d 1 allergen production. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 98(1), 165-168.
  10. Morgenstern, J.P., Griffith, I.J., Brauer, A.W., Rogers, B.L., Bond, J.F., Chapman, M.D. & Kuo, M.C. (1991). Amino acid sequence of Fel dI, the major allergen of the domestic cat: protein sequence analysis and cDNA cloning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 88, 9690-9694.
  11. Bastien, B., Gardner, C. & Satyaraj, E. (2019). Influence of phenotype on salivary Fel d 1 in domestic shorthair cats. Accepted, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.