Are savannah cats or serval cats hypoallergenic? Short answer is NO savannah cats and serval cats are not hypoallergenic. For people who suffer from cat allergies, and those who do not suffer from allergies I have to break it to you that ALL cats regardless of breed this includes Bengal cats and savannah cats whether long hair, short hair or no hair can cause allergies. Any vet of any state can confirm this known fact. Contrary to popular belief, allergic reactions from cats are not the result of cat hair length.
The true culprit of cat allergic reactions is a glyco-protein known as Fel d1 that is produced in the sebaceous glands of the skin, saliva, and urine.
The only breed that produces less Fel d1 is the siberian forest cat. The theories of why siberian do not affect those allergic to cats is that siberian cats have No Fel d1 protein or there is a much a lower Fel d1 concentration than ordinary house cats in siberian cats. Older books on hypoallergenic cats and cat care usually blame the allergy on cat fur so the reaction was caused by breathing in small particles of the fur itself.
At some point allergies were blamed specifically on the cat’s guard hairs. Those are the long hairs within the cat’s coat. So breeds where developed which lacks these guard hairs Devon/Cornish Rex or the hairless Sphynx. These breeds are NOT hypoallergenic or allergen-free because It is not the hair which causes the allergic reaction. The real culprit appears to be a glycoprotein, Fel d1 which is secreted by the sebaceous glands and is the major cat allergen. This allergen is found in the cat fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat. The main sources of the allergen, however, are the skin and saliva.
When a cat grooms/washes itself, saliva is deposited on its fur. The saliva dries into dust which is released airborne when a cat scratches or moves and when humans stroke or brush a cat. Fel d1. All cats groom themselves, even those which lack guard hairs or which lack hair altogether like the Sphynx. The dust forms on all types of cat hair or directly on the cat’s skin if it lacks fur. Hairless Sphynx cats produce dandruff directly on their skin and though they produce less of it than furred cats, they can still produce enough to trigger an allergic reaction.
People with mild allergies to cats can benefit from Benadryl, Allegra, Singulair, Clairitin, Zyrtec other similar antihistamines. One may work better than one another if you are willing to experiment to see which works best. If the allergy is more severe neither a cat born without the Fel D1 protein or the anti-histamines has been successful.