WHY ARE MORE PEOPLE ALLERGIC TO CATS THAN DOGS?
It could be related to the fact that dogs have been domesticated by humans for a much longer time than cats (although recent studies suggest that cats were domesticated well before the days of the Pharaohs). Essentially, it is the cat’s saliva and excessive licking of their fur, which spreads their saliva and allows pet dander to escape into the air. The allergens are caused by the cats saliva, which is different than dog saliva and thus can cause a greater allergic reaction in people with pet allergies.
Cats cause more allergy problems than other animals and sensitivities to them can be extremely serious. Fel d 1, the major allergen of the domestic cat, is produced in the sebaceous glands of the cats skin and in cat saliva. Fel d1 is deposited on the fur from sebaceous gland secretions and through saliva (when cats lick themselves clean). Previously , it had been generally accepted that the self-cleaning of the cat was the major source of Fel d 1. A recent study in Marseille, France, at the Hospital de Ste-Marguerite indicated that the largest producer of Fel d 1 by far is the sebaceous glands.
