“You’re dreaming of having a cat but you’re allergic? There are two breeds, which seem not to cause the usual allergic reactions…” Here is Valérie Tasiaux’s testimony.
I had been allergic to cats for more than ten years, and I was getting really desperate. Then one day I found out that there were two breeds, which didn’t seem to cause too many allergic problems: the Sphynx and the Cornish Rex. As I wanted a cat with a least a bit of hair, I chose to have a Cornish Rex. The breed is not very common yet, and it took me quite a long time surfing on the Internet before finding a Belgian breeder, where I could purchase a kitten. And that’s how I got Gribouille for Christmas 2001.
The Cornish Rex is a rather recent breed: Kallibunker, the first kitten, was born in Cornwall in 1950. I suppose that the cat’s non classical look still draws few fanciers. However, it’s important that people who are allergic to cats know of the breed’s existence and particularities. The Cornish rex is quite funny looking at first: it’s quite thin, its hair is wavy, its tail looks like that of a rat, and its ears are simply huge. as if it were a mix between a bat, a rat, a cat and a Gremlin. But trying a Cornish Rex is adopting it for life. Its coat is of an unequalled softness, a bit like astrakhan fur. Its large eyes always seem to be telling you something. Besides the fact that the Cornish rex causes very little or no allergic reaction at all – very few nasal flow on the first days – it is very endearing thanks to its attitude, which is a bit similar to that of a dog’s, while retaining the characteristics of a cat: a bit like glue and still independent, adoring cuddles and badly standing loneliness. And it’s a pleasure to see it discovering its outdoor environment.
I must however point out that the Cornish rex is not “anti allergic” for all… For instance, a female friend of mine has allergic reactions to Gribouille, although she has a European cat, which causes her no problem. Therefore, you should spend quite a while at the breeder’s, to help you make out your mind and be sure to make the good choice. Yet, according to the numerous testimonies I’ve collected, it really seems that many people allergic to cats, would certainly be very happy with a Cornish Rex.
Log in
