Thanks, echoplexia, none felt. My boyfriend joked on the way to the breeder that I must be one of the "foremost authorities" on bengals at this point because, as with everything, once I'm interested in something I can't stop doing research. While I know this isn't even remotely true, it's probably not a good sign that I definitely knew more than the breeder himself. And you're right that we will definitely be waiting. I have gotten in touch with Amantra Bengals and some other local breeders, but for now we need to figure out if Sid is really allergic or just having an initial reaction!

For what it's worth (and I have a moggy, not a Bengal), I've been considered allergic to cats my whole life. When my boyfriend got a kitten, I was all over it, and as a result developed rashes all over my arm (love -- a kitten is asleep on your arm, and the rash is getting worse, but you don't move it. It's a kitten!). The first week or so of my owning my cat were terrible. Sniffles and rashes up and down my arms from where I held him. I took allergy medicine at least once a day those first couple of days. As the week went on, the rashes became less and less, and then I stopped taking the medicine entirely. No more problems, one year later.

Sounds like a wise plan. Definitely a good idea to try and get a better idea on Sid's possible allergy before committing. Don't be discouraged just yet though by the reaction he had at the breeder's house. There are definitely plenty of people who are just fine with one or two cats, but can't handle being in a room with a dozen (we've seen this a lot at the shelter I work at). There are also people who have allergies that will flare up around new cats, but are just fine with their own cats even if they do have many in the house. My OH's mom and sister are like that - they both had terrible allergic reactions to their cat Blue when they first brought her home, but were determined to have a cat no matter what so they just took allergy medicine and sucked it up, lol. Now Blue can lay and climb all over them without a problem. I guess your body can just get used to it. They have even been around our cats so many times now that they don't have a reaction unless they touch their face after petting one.

Pwnie, if every prospective bengal owner (or pet owner in general!) was like you I think we would have a lot less sad posts on this forum. Well done on doing the research and thinking things through before purchasing a cat. I hope you find a stellar breeder who can give you a lovely healthy kitten and lots of good advice.

As for the allergies, I've definitely heard of people who are allergic - but not to their cat or dog, because their body adjusts. They only flare up when around new animals. So your boyfriend might be ok, if he's willing to go through an initial sneezy introduction to your new cat

bengal fur is different from your every day cat, so a lot of people who are allergic to cats, find that they are not allergic to bengals.

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Lollo