Are Norwegian Forest Cats Hypoallergenic? No, and We Traced the Myth
No, and the famous "35-40 percent lower Fel d 1" figure has no study behind it: we traced it. The real mechanism, the real consensus, and the only test that counts.
Published August 21, 2026 3 min read
Contents
The internet's answer to this question comes with a suspiciously precise number: "Norwegian Forest Cats produce 35 to 40 percent less , per a 2019 Uppsala University study." We went looking for that study. It does not exist: no author, no journal, no PMID, nothing at Uppsala, nothing anywhere in the allergen literature, just a cluster of authorless pet blogs citing each other. This page tells you that plainly, because a reader who has seen the number deserves to know why we refuse to repeat it.
The real mechanism, briefly
, the allergen that matters most, is a protein made in a cat's salivary and skin glands and spread by grooming; it is not the hair. That is why hair length is not linked to allergen levels (the allergy bodies say so directly). And it is why this breed's famous water-repellent double coat is irrelevant to the question: the coat is a delivery surface, not the source. The AAAAI, the ACAAI and a 2024 academic review agree: no cat breed, this one included, has been shown hypoallergenic.
The honest state of the file for THIS breed
No study of any kind has measured output in Norwegian Forest Cats, in either direction. That is a genuine contrast with the neighbouring Siberian, where a small real study and a loud registry claim exist (the comparison covers that asymmetry: makes a lower-allergen claim for the Siberian and no registry makes one here). An empty file means the default applies. Every cat produces the allergen, individuals vary, and no breed label protects you.
What to actually do
Spend real time with the specific cat, more than once, before committing. Reactions are individual on both sides of the relationship. If allergies in your household are significant, the first appointment belongs to your doctor, not a breeder. And no page on the internet, ours included, can make that call for you.
The whole file in three numbers
studies of this breed's output, in either direction
0
authors, journals or PMIDs behind the famous "35-40% lower" claim: we traced it
0
real test: time with the specific cat, more than once
1
The vet's take
Veterinary review
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Frequently asked questions
Are Norwegian Forest Cats hypoallergenic?
No: no breed is proven hypoallergenic, no study has ever measured this breed's allergen output, and the "35-40 percent lower Fel d 1" figure circulating online traces to authorless blogs, not to any study.
Was there a 2019 Uppsala University study on Norwegian Forest Cat allergens?
We could not find it anywhere: no author, journal or PMID exists for it in any database we searched. Treat the claim as folklore until someone produces the paper.
Does the thick double coat make allergies worse?
The coat is not the source: Fel d 1 comes from skin and saliva, and the allergy bodies state hair length is not linked to allergen levels. Shedding moves allergen around; it does not create it.
Which cats are better for allergy sufferers?
The 2021-2024 consensus finds no breed with a substantiated claim. Time with the individual cat, repeated, is the only meaningful test, and a doctor is the right first call.
Community questions
Got a question this page doesn't cover? Ask it: the best ones get published here with their answer.
This is information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot tell you what is wrong with your cat. Our rule is a simple one: if something is wrong with your cat, call your vet, and call an emergency clinic if it is out of hours. Nothing you read here is a reason to wait.
Medical information applies to every reader. Prices, legal duties and common practice do not: unless stated otherwise, they are given for the United States, and they differ in the UK, Canada and Australia, and often between states or provinces. Check with your own vet and your own local authority.
Our sources
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