Cat allergy

I've seen an allergy/asthma specialist at the University of Michigan since about 2013 and really respect and like him. He tested me for allergies and told me my allergies are cats, dust and mold. Then, we had a cat with somewhat long hair and I was having lots of asthma trouble. Eventually, that cat died after 2 years with diabetes. One day, my husband, Dean, came home from doing errands and said he'd seen the nicest cat at the pet store we shop at, and could we please get him. Sure. I didn't think about my allergy for a second. Next day, we got the cat. The lady at the pet store who handled the matter told us that he was part-Bengal. Not long after we got Tiger home, I came to my senses and thought, What have I done?? So, I really steered clear of Tiger, made him Dean's cat and they are a match made in Heaven. We've had Tiger 4 or 5 years now, and Tiger and I have chatted a lot during those years, but that was the extent of our relationship. Well, one day a couple weeks ago Tiger actually jumped up into my lap. Dean was out of the house, and Tiger gets pretty lonesome. But it was so enjoyable to have a cat in my lap again that I just let him be. I had done reading about Bengals on my laptop and had seen the comment several times that "Bengals don't have coats; they have pelts." Tiger's soft, silky, short coat is definitely different from any other cat I've ever seen. After he sat in my lap that day, nothing happened! No reaction. And he's done it a couple more times. Same thing. No allergy reaction. I can't say whether my asthma meds are protecting me, or whether Bengals really are different. At any rate, I'm really enjoying my new relationship with Tiger . . . who seems to not want Dean to know about it because when he's on my lap when Dean isn't here and Tiger hears the car, he leaps down and becomes Dean's boy again!