# Cure for cat allergy?



## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

Is there something I can do so I'm no longer allergic to cats? I'm not completely sure if I am since I've never had cats - I'm still sixteen and my parents aren't allowing me to get a cat because I did an allergy test a few years ago and it said that I'm a little allergic to cats.

I'm really upset because I've wanted a cat since I was really young... And now my sister's getting a dog, so I'm quite envious...

I have friends who said that cat allergy passes with time, is that true?

I've also thought about getting allergy shots, but I heard that they might make you get asthma, and I don't want to risk.

Does anyone know what can I do? I really, really want to get a cat.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

If you had an allergy test tell you, you were alittle allergic to grass, would you never go outside? No, you'd take allergy medicine. Perhaps you need to put that into perspective with your parents. Do you know anyone that has a cat? Could you perhaps spend the weekend at their house and see how you react to the cat? If you have minimal symptoms, I say go for it, get a cat, and if you are anything like me after a couple weeks your body will adjust and your symptoms will fade. 

Leslie


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

Allergy shots do not cause asthma. In fact, allergy shots allow me to be asthma-symptom free - well, just an episode or two a year, which beats using up an inhaler every month like I used to do.

And allergy shots do not work for everyone, every time. It can take weeks to know if they are wroking oo.


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## bm0513 (Sep 17, 2008)

I'm "a little" allergic to cats and dogs. And pollen, grass, hay... lots of stuff. I've never had any real bad symptoms; just a stuffy nose. I have three cats in the house right now (my cat, my mom's future cat, and a foster) and I've spent time with all three cats as well as my mom's dog, and I really only get a stuffy nose. That is what I consider "a little allergic". I deal with it by keeping tissues in the major rooms of the house and using nasal spray when I want an un-stuffy nose. I also found that after I had been around cats for a certain amount of time (about 3-4 days) my reaction went way down. 

I second the suggestion of spending time with a cat, for a few days if possible. You might see that your symptoms are completely manageable, or that you might not have any symptoms at all.


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## Fran (Jan 9, 2008)

There are a lot of things you can do to help with allergies.

First, although this sounds silly, is to be sure to find a cat or kitten that you doesn't cause you an immediate allergic reaction. Allergies will vary from cat to cat - my family has allergies, and sometimes we are fine, and sometimes we will visit someone and find ourselves endlessly sneezing / red-eyed / runny nosed.

Allergy shampoo that is designed specifically for cats will cut down on the saliva which is the source of the allergy. The protein in the saliva is the source of allergy, not fur. Also house dust that a cat (or dog, for that matter) picks up contains dust mites and droppings, which are a common source of allergy. Shampooing the kitty and being diligent with vacuuming (for dust mites) helps a lot.

For people, over the counter medications help, as well as homeopathics. We have had remarkable success with homeopathic remedies. Also, it is good to have some places where the kitty is not allowed, so that there are places in the house where the allergic person can go when needed. Keeping the bedroom free of cat dander is the best, but it is easier said than done! :wink: 

Hope this helps...

Fran


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Do you have your wisdom teeth? This is going to sound really weird, but when I got mine pulled, all four at once last fall, it cured my cat allergy completely. The surgeon who pulled the teeth said that trauma can cause physiological changes, although he'd never heard of this one.... :roll: Anyway, no guarantee it would work, but if you still have the teeth and you're going to get them pulled eventually you may as well do it now, stress out about it really bad, and maybe you'll get lucky and have my result! 

And yes, allergies can change over time, so you can hope for that as well. I was not allergic until halfway through college, and then I became horribly allergic until the teeth came out. Meanwhile, my brother went from horribly allergic to not allergic at all, right about the same time as I developed my allergy. Apparently we traded. :lol:


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## Kilippa (Jul 20, 2009)

Hi,

I'm allergic too, been for whole of my life (28years) and I can't remember a time that I didn't have a cat. There are medicine for this, of course it's not pleasent to take a pill every day, suffer nose drops, sneeze all the time etc, because if your allergy is not mild, you will have this little even with the medicine. Hopefully it's a miner allergy and doesn't get to asthma. That's a bit more serious. I'm really not telling you not to take a cat, but you must be really really sure if you are willing to suffer these with your cat. *Cats are not toys*, you can't put it away and take as you pleaze. Think what are you willing to do / suffer. Cats also need time, you must be willing to spend time with it, take care of it, clean its litter etc. You can't take it just because you are envy for your sister for her dog. There are so many poor kitties out there, who have been just dumped on the streets when their people have gotten tired to them. Think very seriously about this, please!

I've learned about a shedding tool called *FURminator*. I'm thinking of getting one for my cat (short hair). This tool is told to minimize the hair looze of you cat and also help for the dandruff that causes the allergy reacts (as well as cat's split). Has anyone got any experience of this? I'd like to get the "FURminator deShedding Tool with Double Edge", how does this vary from the one ment for cats?


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

:luv Thanks everyone for giving me advice! Now I have hope that I'll manage to get a cat somehow. For now, I've decided that I'll take another allergy test to see if my allergy's still there. I hope not.

Thanks again!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

When I was doing adoption counseling at my local shelter, if we had someone that wasn't sure about allergies, we would have them do a 'towel test'. We would rub a towel on the cat they were interested in and the person was to wear that towel around their neck for a couple days and sleep with it on their pillow. If they didn't have an issue, great. If they had an issue, they were to take their allergy medication and continue to wear the towel and see how it went.

I believe I have a minor cat allergy (never been tested) and also believe I'm allergic to mold and dust mites. The cat allergy never really seems to bother me unless the mold and dust mites are bad, then the cats can send me over the edge. I do agree that some cats are more of a problem than others, at least for me. There were times I'd go in the shelter and pick up one particular cat and have a really bad reaction. I also had a hard time when I went from 2 cats to 3, it took me a couple months to adjust and go back to normal.

I've been taking Claritin or Alavert for my allergies for years, but this year changed to Zyrtec and it's way better. I used to have massive sneezing fits every day, multiple times a day, the worst was in the morning and now I sneeze maybe a couple times a week.


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

The towel test sounds interesting. But I have a question: my mother is convinced that if you're exposed to the thing you're allergic to, the allergy can only worsen. From your answers I see that your allergies haven't really worsened when you got a cat. So I'm wondering, if I get a cat, how big is the chance that my allergy will get worse to the point that it's really overwhelming?


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

It partially depends on the amount of exposure.
For instance, allergy shots work by exposing you to minute amounts of the things you are allergic to. It allows the body to build up a tolerance, not a cure, for the allergan (whatever you are allergic to). 
It is also known that by avoiding the allergan for a period of 5 years, the body decreases its reaction to the allergen. The reaction will stil be there, but in a milder form.
Prolonged, intensive, or repeated exposure to an allergen may result in an increased severity of the reaction. Or not, it's hard to predict.


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

Hmmm... Well, I've never had a cat, and I haven't been in contact with one either, so I wonder how I got my allergy. Either way, if there is a risk that my allergy might get worse if I do get a cat... Should I get one?

I'm also going to talk to a doctor about the allergy shots (when I get that allergy test), because I read on the internet that a doctor is the best when it comes to deciding whether you should get allergy shots or not.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Katoosie said:


> The towel test sounds interesting. But I have a question: my mother is convinced that if you're exposed to the thing you're allergic to, the allergy can only worsen. From your answers I see that your allergies haven't really worsened when you got a cat. So I'm wondering, if I get a cat, how big is the chance that my allergy will get worse to the point that it's really overwhelming?


In addition to what Mom of 4 said, there's not way to prove that the allergy wouldn't have worsened anyway without the exposure to the cat. 

I really think the best way to know if the allergy is real is to expose yourself (in a controlled manner, with adults around in case it goes badly)....


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Have you considered a hypoalergenic kitty?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/Ne ... esscat.jpg


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

Dave_ph said:


> Have you considered a hypoalergenic kitty?
> 
> http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/Ne ... esscat.jpg


Actually, I've studied about this before, because I had thought that it was cat hair that caused the allergy. But it's a protein in the cat's saliva which gets on the fur (or skin, in this case) when the cat cleans itself, that people are allergic to. So a hairless cat will be a little helpful since it doesn't have hair to fall everywhere, but not much.

Right now I'm waiting to get a new allergy test and I'll ask a doctor how worse can my allergy get, in the worst case, so I know what I'm risking if I do get a cat.


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

You may also want to pay attention to how you react to different cats. I found that when I was allergic I was extremely sensitive to kittens and many male cats, but not nearly as much to females and older cats. Some people seem to be more allergic to long-hairs, but since the short hair seems to float around in the air and get in your nose more I was better off with longer hair that didn't static itself to my face. So it's really going to be worth your time to spend time with different cats and see if there's a pattern to your allergy. You may get lucky and find that there IS a cat out there that you're fine with. 

And as far as allergies getting worse with exposure, I think it can go either way. When my allergy disappeared, I still had a mild sensitivity for a little while. The shelter let us foster the cats for a trial period, and after having the two cats in my house for about a week, I stopped having even that mild reaction and I never had another problem. Every person's body reacts differently, so for better or worse you may just have to use the trial and error method.


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## DesnBaby (Apr 18, 2004)

I have a cat allergy too. I got tested to see if I was allergic to cats before I got one. I found out that I am, but still got one. I love them so much so I didn't care. I still have reactions, but I just deal with it. All I get is a runny nose, but I blow it and that's it. Plus she is indoor/outdoor so she sheds that way (not that much traffic here, plus she doesn't go far. Please do not tell me to keep her inside because she was a feral and she's used to it now (if anyone says that). Brushing: to get the loose fur. After I play with her I wash my hands, so I don't touch my eyes. If I touch my eyes they will itch and get red. Cat wipes are good too to just bathe them with and wash them with cat shampoo (teach them when they are young or else they will not get used to it). Air purifier for your room and don't let the cat in there, wash your bed sheets, pillow cases, vacuum, lint roller for your clothes is good also. Good luck if you do decide to get one.


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

I talked to my mother last night about everything you all told me, and she wasn't very... cooperative. I mean, she listened to me, and agreed to take me to an allergy doctor, but she said that if I am allergic, she won't let me get a cat. Only if it's an outdoor cat. And that really left me wondering... do people usually keep their cats outdoors?

To me it seems pretty weird, because I want a cat so I can spend lots of time with her, plus I don't want to let her out so she can jump into our neighbors' gardens and such. What if she doesn't return? Are cats really supposed to be kept outdoors? I thought that was for dogs...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

It sounds like you want the kind of pet who cuddles with you, sleeps with you and hangs out with you. I think it would break your heart to have to leave your cat outside at night, no matter what the circumstances may be. Your best bet would probably be to wait until you move out. What about volunteering at a shelter where you can spend time with cats? Check ads and see if neighbors need a cat sitter, or advertise to be one. You could earn a little money and spend time with kitties who have been left alone. win-win!


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## DustinG. (Jul 25, 2009)

My wife is actually very allergic to cats. Has asthma ONLY around cats/dogs. Sneezes, coughes, gets hives. and if she rubs her eyes, they will swell up. Well..... we ended up adopting a kitten anyways, we bathe her every two weeks, Vacuum religiously, and have a small air purifier in our bedroom. We got her going on alergy shots, but too soon for them to work. She takes an OTC allergy pill every day. She is still having alergies, but well within the tolerable range for her. Her love for the kitten overpowers any discomfort its dander/saliva causes. thought we did just get a second kitten..... we will see how that goes 8O 

and i hate to admit it....im a little alergic too :roll: though not near as bad as my wife. its really amazing how MANY people who are alergic to animals will suffer through it because they love said animals so much. For most of us mild/moderate alergic pet-lovers, the positives of having a furry freind far outwiegh the negative! :luv


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

You could try exposure to a Siberian cat. They are not yet a very well-known breed, but they are hypoallergenic. I have a relative who has a moderate allergy to cats, and she can cuddle and pet Arianwen, a Siberian, without a single sniffle.  
Another member here has a Siberian, and she enjoys the hypoallergenic qualities of her kitty, as well as his many wonderful purrsonality traits.


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## Katoosie (Jul 19, 2009)

Well, a Siberian cat sounds pretty cool. I studied about it a bit, and yeah, lots of sources say it's hypoallergenic. However, I'm not sure if it's my type of cat... I read that it's "dog-like" (and I don't really like dogs...) and that she enjoys outdoors. So, if I'm an indoors person, maybe it's not a good breed for me? I'd like to get one, but I'm not sure...


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

My boyfriend had moderate allergies to cats- I'm talking red swollen eyes, intense sneezing, itching, runny nose... We've been together three years, and my mom's three cats never stopped him from coming over. I witnessed his symptoms becoming less and less apparent until he barely reacts at all.

Now we have two cats of our own, and he has almost no problems. Both of us will get sneezing fits, runny noses, and itchy eyes for two reasons:
1: If we haven't vacuumed enough recently, things can get itchy
2: If we have compromised immunities (have a cold, flu, etc) we notice ourselves become way sensitive to all allergens

I'm a firm believer that, with time, minor allergies can cure themselves with enough exposure. Bad allergies, like getting hives, trouble breathing, rashes... those can be a different story.


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