# Is it possible to be allergic to one cat and not others?



## paperbacknovel

So, I noticed that every time I went into Forte's room my eyes would itch and water and I would sneeze. But I'm having seasonal allergies, and I thought it'd be impossible for me to be allergic to him when I am not allergic to Coda and Allegro and never showed any signs of allergies around my foster cats.

For the past few nights, we had been allowing him to roam around alone while Coda and Allegro are in his room, and at first he mostly stuck to exploring. He has become more comfortable lately, though, and tonight has been climbing on and around me, rubbing his nose and head all over me, and sitting on my lap or shoulder. 

And I've just broken out in hives on one arm, and again, my eyes are watery. I don't remember ever getting hives before. 

I know at this point I'll want to go to an allergist to see if I can get meds, but has anyone ever heard of being allergic to some cats and not others?


%^*$^&$%@@$%$, this sucks.


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## marie73

Could it be the stress from the whole introduction process and not the cats?


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## Muzby

My spouse is allergic to cats. 

We have five.

Every time we get a new one, he sneezes/gets watery eyes/coughs until he gets used to the new cat, then he's fine. Maybe this is what's happening?

I do agree with Marie, though, that stress can really make things like that worse.


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## paperbacknovel

marie73 said:


> Could it be the stress from the whole introduction process and not the cats?


 I don't know. It's not really that stressful (or if it is, I've been through a lot more stressful things in my life, so this doesn't register as stress). 

Muzby, yeah, my reaction was "well, I guess I'll have to get medicine." My husband's response was, "I hope you're not allergic, because then we'll have to give him back." I let him know in no uncertain terms that if I'm really not sure, then I'm not THAT allergic, and will just need medicine. And if we DO have to give Forte back, that's not going to be the reason.

It's just weird because I've never had an allergic reaction to any cat before.


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## marie73

Hopefully, it's temporary. If it's not, we have lots of members here with allergies and different ways of coping they can share with you.


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## Susan

It is possible to be allergic to some cats and not others. Most cat allergies are related to a protein found in cat saliva, called Fel d1. Individual cats produce this protein in different amounts. So, people are more likely to be allergic to cats that produce Fel d1 in larger amounts. I know that, in general (and one must always be cautious with generalizations), male cats tend to produce more Fel d1 than do females (particularly males that have not been neutered), and dark-haired cats tend to produce more Fel d1 than do lighter-haired cats. I believe it is possible for you to be tested to assess whether or not you are allergic to this protein, although you should check with your allergist. It is also possible to have the cat tested to determine the level of Fel d1 produced (a saliva test). With a bit of luck, perhaps your reaction is related to something other than Forte.


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## catloverami

Yes, I agree with _Susan_, a friend's hubby used to be very allergic to my shorthair cats, and when they visited his eyes and nose streamed and he couldn't stay longer than about 45 mins. in our house, but they had several cream colored Persians and he wasn't allergic to them at all. I didn't know that about the _color_ of cats having an influence, so I found that very interesting.


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## Miso

Very interesting. I'm allergic to cats and I have noticed that I'm more allergic to my darker hair cat but I never knew why.


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## Fran

Hubby is allergic, our son is also but not as much. We have had a lot of success with Allerpet shampoo for cats, and also with Dander Free for cats by Earth's Balance. The Dander Free is a spray bottle (what were they thinking?) so I pour a little into a glass to work into Gracie's coat (slightly warmed in microwave helps too).

Gracie doesn't seem to mind the warm water part of the process, she only complains when I towel her dry (but by then it is too late to complain!) She always forgives me right away.

 Fran


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## My3babies

I am allergic to all cats, but definitely some more than others. My allergies to cats has always been minor, (runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.) but with some cats I do get to the point of hives.


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## ZoeH

Thank you, Susan!

I'm very allergic to some cats, not at all to others. Once on a cıty bus, I started having a reaction. Turned out the guy next to me had a cat at home. Several vets have told me that this isn't possible, so I'm very glad to hear it's not all in my head.


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## kwarendorf

There are also certain breeds that produce less Fel D1, and thus are "hypo-allergenic". I can;t be around DSL/DSH for more than an hour or so before my eyes and nose start to act up. I have 2 Balinese the cause no problems at all. Perhaps your two older cats have some percentage of hypoallergenic cat genes.


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## Mitts & Tess

To put a slight twist on the issue of allergies. One of my rescue friends had fostered a batch of kittens. No problem. The next batch she got she had a terrible allergic reaction. Our vet said it could be something she was allergic to outside that they have on their coats.


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## NRD

Like Muzby, I hope it is temporary. When I first got Snowball and Blizzy, after not having a cat for 7 years, for the first three weeks I was stuffed up and teary-eyed. Then it went away and hasn't returned, even though I have two more cats since then. Since you're not reacting to Allegro and Coda, let's hope your immune system adjusts soon.

Another possible factor I haven't seen mentioned is how often the cat grooms itself, thus depositing the saliva with the protein on its fur. Perhaps not as important as the volume of the protein the cat produces, but cats that groom themselves more constantly would seem to me to have more of the protein available on their fur to slough off on you to breathe.


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## Kobster

It is possible to be allergic to some cats and not others. The good news is, I think it will pass. Being around Forte every day is like giving yourself allergy shots every day. The more you are exposed, the more you will build a tolerance. In the mean time, try some wiping him down with some pet wipes to remove some of the allergen. 

I have a friend who has three cats, but she cannot come to my house because within minutes of being here, her eyes swell shut and she is having an asthma attack. 

When I went away to college the first year, I left my cat at home. When I would come home to visit after being away several months, I would sleep with my cat as usual, but would wake up unable to breath, wheezing, etc. After a few months, I had adjusted again and was no longer reacting to her. 

I think it will be fine!


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## paperbacknovel

Thanks everyone! Sorry, I was out of town for the past few days.

I'm still getting hives but benadryl has been helping. Things are crazy over here, but once things get settled down and I'm still having lots of trouble I will check w/ a doctor about meds.


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## paperbacknovel

Ugh. Forte has been roaming around the house for many days now. His relationship with Coda and Allegro has gotten tons better. Coda still hisses at him when he sniffs her or touches her or gets very close to her, but it's half-hearted. They spend hours around each other, perfectly calm. Yay!

My allergies are TERRIBLE. I'm miserable. My allergies don't start acting up until we let Forte out of his room and he jumps in my lap. My husband just looked at me and said "Molly, you can't do this. You can't be miserable forever." I reminded him that we were NOT going to give up Forte just for an allergy. Then he said, "Molly, if YOU'RE allergic to him, there's a much greater chance that our [future] children will be, too. Having everyone get pills and shots for the rest of Forte's life is going to be a lot of money."

I don't know what to think. He's so happy here. I love Forte so much. We're still "fosters" for him, though, until the month is up. I don't want to give him up. He's an awesome cat. He's a sweetheart. He's happy. 

The other thing is that sometimes he still just randomly comes up to Allegro and bites him on his butt. Allegro does NOT like it at ALL. I don't know if he'll stop that eventually...

Anyway, I guess my thing is that we're fine now. I'm fine now. My entire family is allergic to cats, and I thought I was immune, but guess not entirely. I'm wondering if it'd be better to take Forte back while he's still "fostered" and not totally attached to us, than if, 5 years down the line, we give him back because our kid is getting hives and has trouble breathing.

*bangs head against wall* I don't know what to think. I feel like if we're going to make a decision to take Forte back, we'd better make it sooner rather than later for his sake. But when I imagine taking him back and him living for the rest of his life without us...it's hard.

ETA: I'm reading your posts aloud to my husband...hopefully that helps.


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## NRD

Boy, that's truly a tough one. And out of my league, as I don't have experience with allergies and odds of children inheriting the disposition, so I'll defer to other members on that. What I WILL offer for consideration are a few thoughts on the situation:

1. Seems to me your allergic reaction to Forte is now the paramount issue, as it is a present reality, so if I were in your shoes that is what I would focus on primarily--would you rather deal with the various medical options to get the allergy under control and keep Forte or let him find a home elsewhere and return to life pre-Forte. No one should be judgmental about it, whichever way you come out, as you are a couple that has already shown extraordinary compassion and caring with your recent experiences.

2. Without trying to tip the decision , my personal view is it won't be "easier" on Forte for him to be rehomed now, as opposed to five years from now. Indeed, I could easily make the opposite case, that it would be at least as wonderful for him to have, let's say, five great years with your household as it would be for him to undergo the stress of going back to his foster and then to at least one other new home in the near future. So I think it will be an uncomfortable situation whenever it happens, whether now or five years from now, except in the latter case he'd likely have five great years in the meantime. That said, Forte is apparently pretty adaptable, so I think your decision hinges on point 1 above, not this point.

3. I guess life has so many contingencies that I personally would not give back a cat because I was worried that when I have children they might become allergic to Forte. For all you know, they might become allergic to Allegro and/or Coda. To me, it's too hypothetical at this point to base a decision now on Forte on it. At least, if I were going to keep him but for this point, I wouldn't let this one stand in the way of at least five great years.
Hope this helps. One of the advantages of vetting on a Forum like this is that as you see the points that are made, you can decide if you agree with them or not, and voila, you will have your decision, tough as it is in this case.

Good luck!! You won't be happy either way in the very short run, but you are making a decision for the long run, not for the next month. And in any event, congrat in turning the introduction into a relatively smooth one so quickly.


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## paperbacknovel

Thanks, Scott. When I talk about it to people on this forum or to myself, it seems so obvious that we should keep him. And then my husband (who, mind you, said right away WE ARE KEEPING THIS CAT) goes and tells me that it doesn't make sense to keep Forte if I'm allergic to him, and suddenly I feel like a cat-crazy looney.

I keep looking to him and C+A for clues. One minute, they're like best buds already, striding along next to each other in-sync. Then the next minute, they're fighting and yowling and screaming at each other...and Allegro and Coda don't start the fights anymore, it's all Forte...he'll get bored and suddenly bite Allegro on the butt/tail/back leg region, and when Allegro hisses and yelps, Forte pounces on him and starts wrestling. Forte doesn't attempt to wrestle with Coda...he must realize she won't put up with it. But Allegro expects him to act calm and normal, and then Forte goes nuts, causing a fight. We almost let them out together overnight last night because they were doing so well, but then they started fighting (Forte chasing Allegro all over and tackling/biting him, Allegro yowling) for a long time. So....I don't know if Allegro is happier with Forte around or not. I don't know if Forte's totally happy, because why would he randomly bite and attack Allegro? Allegro doesn't do anything to provoke it; he's just laying there, minding his own business. Coda's just intimidated by Forte and hangs back, watching or grooming herself. She has fallen asleep in Forte's presence, though...that's a good sign, right?


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## NRD

Quick answer on Forte: my guess is because he's still largely kitten, though a large kitten by now, that's Forte's way of getting his attention and announcing the wrestling matches. Analogy to Hershey: while he and Blizzy are friends, he still often starts wrestling by grabbing Blizzy by the throat or neck, and Blizzy cries out, pushes away and runs away. Sometimes he's not in the mood to wrestle, either. Hershey has learned to leave him alone when this happens, but it took time. To me the key is it sounds like they are doing well together for longer and longer periods of time. Has Allegro ever initiated play with Forte or run after him? If so, good sign; if not, then A is still not comfortable enough with F.

As for Coda, yes, good sign, I think. Analogy is Snowball, who has been defensive/aggressive with Blizzy for six months, but increasingly less so. Once she started nodding off when he was nearby, I knew she was learning to relax in his presence. It has been a very slow process, but day by day I see her confidence growing. She sleeps out in the open sometimes, like on the family room couch, and sometimes she goes into the cat tree condo when he is in the same room. She never used to do this. There will continue to be setbacks, but now that Coda knows she can relax, she should do so more and more often. If you haven't already, you might try treats when Coda and Forte are in sight of each other, not too close at first, but increasingly closer.


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