15 Cats That Don't Shed Their Fur: Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds

Abi
May 28, 2022
10:12 am

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Did you know that approximately 35% of people in the UK have allergic reactions to their pets? Not to mention that cat allergies are actually double that number. Let’s look at some breeds of cats that don’t shed their fur!

If you suffer from allergies, cat ownership may seem impossible when it isn’t. There are cat breeds out there that don’t shed as much, preventing or minimizing allergic reactions.

We’ve researched all the breeds of cats that don’t shed and compiled a list for cat loving allergy sufferers to choose from.

Cats That Don't Shed As Much Fur

Cats usually shed during the spring as the warmer months approach, but it is also possible for them to shed due to things like stress, a poor diet, or allergies.

Shedding can usually be kept to a minimum with thorough and frequent brushing of their coats, a good diet, and constant hydration. However, it is also possible to find cats that simply don’t shed as much fur.

Here are 15 breeds of cats that don’t shed as much fur and make the perfect pets for allergy sufferers.

1. Siamese

With its commonly used nicknames Meezer and Mese the Siamese cat originated in Thailand and became one of the most well-known cat breeds of the 19th century.

These distinctive cats are largely vocal and affectionate, often communicating and spending quality time with their owners. These cats are so loving that often they’ll follow their owners around the house, seeking cuddles and love.

Although Siamese cats are not the most hypoallergenic of breeds, they can often be tolerated by people with mild to moderate allergies.

Siamese cat facts

Average weight: 3 to 7 Kg (6.6 to 15.4lbs)
Country of origin: Thailand
Personality: Vocal, intelligent, and playful
Pet friendly
Easy to groom
Tolerated by people with mild to moderate allergies

2. Bengal

The Bengal cat breed is a domesticated breed that was created through hybrids of other domestic species, mainly the Egyptian Mau, mixed in with the Asian leopard cat.

Although the opinion that Bengals are actually wild cats only pretending to be domesticated is highly popular, it is untrue. This cat breed is very kind and affectionate in nature and will often form loyal attachments. Due to the fact that their grooming is much less frequent than that of other cat breeds with thicker fur, Bengals are a hypoallergenic breed.

Ensuring that your Bengal eats a meal plan that is wealthy in Omega-3 can further lessen the quantity of hair and dander released, making them even easier to own.

Bengal cat facts

Weight: 4.5 to 7kg (10 to 15lb)
Country of Origin: Asia
Requires infrequent grooming
Personality: Affectionate, loyal
Hypoallergenic

3. Abyssinian

Abyssinian cats, also known as Abys are named after their presumed place of origination, Abyssinia. This domestic breed is well recognized for its athletic build and prominent short hair painted by what’s known as ticked tabby fur, in which each hair is branded with a different color.

Abyssinians are adoring and devoted cats who thoroughly enjoy being around their owners.

Even though this particular cat breed isn’t usually considered to be hypoallergenic, they are likely to be ok for owners with milder allergies. This is because their shedding and dander levels are lower than most other cats.

Abyssinian cat facts

Weight 3-6 Kg (6.6 to 13lbs)
Country of origin: Ethiopia
Low Shedding and easy to groom
Personality: Playful, smart and affectionate
Pet friendly
Suitable for owners with milder allergies

4. Sphynx

Sphynx cats, also known as the Canadian Sphynx, are a breed that mostly gain popularity from their lack of fur.

This hairlessness is a naturally generated mutation that has been developing since the 1960s. Their behavior is generally motivated by their need to seek heat on sunny ledges or hidden under blankets.

Overall, they are outgoing and love to greet any new people they meet. Due to their lack of hair, Sphynx cats are commonly assumed to be hypoallergenic. However, this is untrue as even without the hair; this cat breed is not fully hypoallergenic. It still means that they are much less likely to trigger allergy symptoms.

Sphynx cat facts

Weight: 3 to 5.5 Kg (6 to 12lbs)
Country of Origin: Canada
No grooming required but needs to be bathed to keep skin in good condition
Personality: Outgoing and friendly
Less likely to trigger allergy symptoms.

5. Peterbald

The Peterbald cat breed was originally created in St Petersburg, Russia, in the early 1990s. It was an experimental breeding that was carried out by Olga S. Mironova.

Peterbalds are similar to Oriental Shorthairs in terms of their lack of hair. These cats are highly loving and kind, and their behavior is often described as dog-like due to their loyalty to their owners.

Despite being a hairless breed, Peterbalds are not considered hypoallergenic and are still likely to cause allergic reactions because of the different proteins in their saliva, dander, and coat. That being said, they do shed less and won’t leave much fur around your home.

Peterbald cat facts

Weight: 3 to 6 kg (7 to 14lbs)
Country of origin: Russia
Personality: Loyal and dog-like
Sheds less but may still cause allergies

6. Cornish Rex

The Cornish Rex is a domestic and low maintenance breed that requires minimal care in terms of their appearance. Although brushing their fur from time to time is still a good idea to keep in mind, Cornish Rexes possess very short coats that rarely shed off.

Despite the notion that this breed’s short fur makes it hypoallergenic, it is actually the fact that its lack of shedding means that there is less dander released.

Cornish Rex cat facts

Weight: 2.75 to 4.5 Kg (6 to 10 lbs)
Country of Origin: UK
Grooming: Low maintenance
Personality: Independent, friendly
Hypoallergenic, the cat’s short fur means less dander is released.

7. Devon Rex

The Devon Rex is a highly intelligent, hyper, and playful cat breed that was first acknowledged in the late 1950s. These cats are very friendly not only towards people but also towards other animals they might come across.

In terms of fur upkeep, Devon Rexes are relatively low maintenance, although mild shedding can still be expected. They have short woolly fur and are teddy bear like.

Devon Rexes are hypoallergenic due to their fur absorbing all the oils that often cause allergies and not shedding often.

Devon Rex cat facts

Weight: 4-5 Kg (9 to 11lbs)
Country of Origin: UK
Personality: Hyper, playful, intelligent
Low maintenance fur
Very friendly to people and other animals
Hypoallergenic; the perfect pet for someone with allergies

8. Russian Blue

Russian Blue cats are known for their good behavior and loving nature, as well as their overall calm manner. They are devoted to their owners and enjoy having human company despite initially coming across as shy.

These cats’ coats vary in shades of grey and are often recognized by their dominant, dense, short fur. Although Russian Blues don’t have any particular coat characteristics that make them hypoallergenic, they produce less Fel d1, which is the protein most cats produce that causes allergies.

Russian Blue cat facts

Weight: 3.5 to 6 Kg (7.7 to 13lbs)
Country of Origin: Russia
Easy to groom
Personality: loving and calm
Hypoallergenic as they produce less Fel d1 the protein that can cause allergies.

9. Exotic shorthair

The Exotic Shorthair is a cat breed developed as a short-haired version of the Persian cat in the early 1960s. Exotic shorthairs are affectionate and calm in nature and develop well under any household environment as they enjoy being around both adults and kids.

These cats have short hair often falsely leads people to believe that they are hypoallergenic. In reality, they frequently shed and give off dander which is likely to cause allergic reactions.

Exotic shorthair cat facts

Weight: 3.5 to 7 Kg (8 to 15lbs)
Country of origin: USA
Personality: Calm and affectionate
Grooming: Short-haired version of the Persian; requires less grooming. Able to care for its own fur.
There’s a myth that these cats are hypoallergenic, but they do shed less than long-haired cats.

10. Burmese

Burmese cats are domestic cats that originated in Burma and are thought to have roots close to the Thai-Burma border while having developed in the US and Britain.

The Burmese are extremely smart and loyal, as well as often showing lots of affection to their owners and people around them in general. They get along well with other animals, dogs included.

Although these cats are not technically considered hypoallergenic, they do have low levels of shedding, meaning that cat hair can be kept at a minimal level.

Burmese cat facts

Weight: 3.5 to 5.5 Kg (8 to 12lbs)
Country of origin: USA and UK
Personality: Friendly and loyal
Pet friendly, generally gets on well with dogs
Low levels of shedding

11. Bombay

The Bombay cat is a short-haired cat that evolved via breeding the Burmese and black American Shorthair cats to produce a cat that looks mainly like a Burmese but with a more dark, sleek coat.

Bombay cats are an outgoing and social breed that enjoys being vocal and communicating with anyone and everyone around them.

Although they aren’t technically hypoallergenic, Bombays can shed to a much lower extent compared to other cat breeds. And with the right grooming, their shedding levels can be easily manipulated.

Bombay cat facts

Weight: 3.5 to 7 Kg (8 to 15 lbs)
Country of origin: USA
Personality: Outgoing, sociable, and vocal
Health: Can suffer from blocked nose and sinus issues. Generally have a long life span of 15 to 20 years.
Sheds less fur than the average cat.

12. Singapura

The Singapura breed was imported from Singapore in the 1970s, and it is known for its large eyes and ears in comparison to its overall small size.

While Singapura cats are small, they are most definitely not delicate. They are hyper and curious cats that love expanding their intelligence and receiving the attention of their owners.

Although their shedding levels are pretty low, Singapura cats are still not considered hypoallergenic and could cause allergic reactions.

Singapura cat facts

Weight: 2 to 4 Kg (4 to 8lbs)
Country of origin: Singapore
Personality: Hyper and into everything. An intelligent breed that loves attention.
Shedding levels are very low but the breed isn’t considered hypoallergenic.

13. Oriental Shorthair

The Oriental Shorthair is a domestic cat breed developed from and very similar to the Siamese cat, with its most prominent difference being its fur coat colors and patterns.

Oriental shorthairs are extremely friendly and intelligent and tend to make great companions. They have less dander when compared to other breeds and appear to have moderate levels of shedding, which means they are considered hypoallergenic.

Oriental Shorthair cat facts

Weight 3 to 7 Kg (6.6 to 15.5 lbs)
Origins: UK
Personality: Friendly, intelligent, great companions
Easy to groom
Considered hypoallergenic

14. Colorpoint Shorthair

Colorpoint Shorthairs are a type of domestic cat and were initially developed through the crossbreeding of the Siamese with the American Shorthair.

These hypoallergenic cats are very playful and smart, as well as being more extroverted in general. They enjoy playing with people and receiving and giving affection.

This love for affection does however mean that Colorpoint Shorthairs require quite a bit of attention and can become unhappy and temperamental when they don’t receive it.

Colorpoint Shorthair cat facts

Weight: 3 to 6 Kg (6 to 14lbs)
Country of origin: USA
Personality: playful and smart
Hypoallergenic

15. Ocicat

The Ocicat breed is a domestic breed that often looks like a wild cat despite not having any wild cat DNA. This breed was developed by mixing the Siamese and the Abyssinian.

Ocicats are easily outgoing and bright cats that are friendly towards everyone around them, strangers included. They are intelligent and curious and can be trained to perform tricks.

Due to their low dander production rate and shedding levels and how easy they are to groom, Ocicats are considered hypoallergenic.

Ocicat facts

Weight: 3 to 6.5 Kg (6 to 14lbs)
Country of origin: USA
Personality: Bright and outgoing. Curious and friendly.
Very easy to groom, produces less dander.
Considered a hypoallergenic breed

Cats That Don't Shed: Final Thoughts

Overall, hypoallergenic cats make it possible for people with allergies to still be able to enjoy the companionship of a pet cat in a controlled environment.

Cats such as the Oriental Shorthairs, Russian Blues, and Cornish Rexes are a perfect fit for people with allergies. These breeds ensure that you can still love your pets without suffering from horrible allergy symptoms.

Article written by Viktoriya Litovchenko

Deals