Question About Allergies

Hi all,

I am very interested in getting a cat and I've spent a ton of hours doing research on breeds, ethical breeders, and more. I love the idea of getting a ragdoll because of the fur length and silkiness as well as their temperament (would love a lap cat haha). I've also heard that their coats are a little more manageable among the long-haired cat breeds.

The problem is that I have a mild allergy to cats, which usually shows up through itchy and red eyes (after I touch my eyes) and some swelling from cat scratches. I've never spent more than one night in a cat household (and I was fine). I also have dust and pollen allergies.

I keep seeing varying accounts of experiences with allergies and ragdolls. Some ethical breeders say they are low allergen and others say that they are not at all allergy-friendly. I'm seeing the same thing with various Redditors in previous posts. And I am also fearful that I may be more allergic to ragdolls than other cats or that my allergies could get worse in the future. I really don't want to be forced to rehome (if I'm struggling to breathe and sleep). Unfortunately, most ethical breeders don't seem to allow visitors (and I've heard that it's not an accurate picture of allergies anyways since there may be more dander from all the cats).

Would love some help getting clarity or at least some recommendations on how to proceed! Thank you all in advance :)

P.S. Yes, I've looked into Siberians. I'm seeing similar accounts regarding allergies being cat-dependent. I'm a bit put off by the significant amount of shedding (a lot of folks talking about finding fur in their eyes) and I'm not certain I can give all the energy a Siberian needs in terms of activity level and cleaning fur around the house.