Reply #33: CORRECT! Ding, ding, ding!

[Lorien]

it's a protein in the animal's saliva that dries, flakes off and causes allergies. There is a breed of cat, the Siberian Forest Cat (similar to a Maine Coon) which has a mutation in it's genes which causes it to not produce this protein; thus the breed, though very furry, is hypoallergenic (try Google for more information). Hairless breeds of dogs or cats will cause the same allergic reactions as most furry breeds. Try a search on "hypoallergenic dog breeds" to see if any have developed the same mutation.