Achoo: Pets and Allergies

By Jonathan Berohn

When I was growing up, we always had dogs and cats in the house. That was just the way we lived. When I met my wife, though, I quickly realized my pet days were in for quite a shake-up. She is allergic to both dogs and cats.

Having an allergic spouse doesn't automatically mean farewell to Fido. There are still quite a few pet options people with allergies can explore. The Humane Society has a good basic reference that can get you started thinking about pet choices, but it only goes so far. There are a number of practical considerations I’ve learned through experience.

Other Options

If you are allergic to cats and dogs, it only makes sense to at least consider other options. Fish, of course, are a classic non-allergic pet, but if you are looking for companionship fish don’t have much to offer. Birds on the other hand, can actually be quite gentle and affectionate and often cause no reaction to those allergic to dogs and cats (you should check this, of course, with your allergist before plunking down the $100 or more for a bird or any pet if you know you have allergies). We have a cockatiel at home, and—in addition to causing no allergic reactions—he actually interacts quite a bit with us. He’s no dog or cat, but he likes to sit on our shoulders and even lets us pet him.

Rabbits also make good options. We have not had a rabbit, but a neighbor of ours had a rabbit that he trained to use a litter box, and he never caused my wife allergy problems when we visited.

Dogs and Cats

Like the Humane Society piece says, there are no sure bets when it comes to allergies. There are ways, however, to try to find a pet that will work for you. First off, I have to say we’ve never found a cat that didn’t affect my wife’s allergies. Dogs, on the other hand, do offer some hope. Airedales and poodles have long held the reputation of being allergy-friendly. From experience I can assure you that some allergy sufferers—my wife for example—are not bothered by standard poodles at all. The bulldog that my parents bought after the poodle died, however, made my wife miserable.

The best way to figure out what will and won’t work for you is to do research ahead of time. Visit the breeder’s house and spend time there with the dog. This will expose you to the level of allergens you will experience as an owner. If that works for you, you probably have found a pet you aren’t allergic to.