Category Archives: Help for people allergic to cats

Help for people who are allergic to cats, but want cats in their lives: either in their home, or have friends or family who live with cats.

does bathing your cat help with allergies?

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We love our cats, so for those of us who have cats as part of our family, but are allergic to their dander, is there any remedy? Bathing might help with allergies.

Let’s start with:

Why am I allergic to cats? The culprit is Fel d1, which all cats produce.

?? What is Fed d1?

Male cats produce more Fed d1 than female cats, but if your male cat is fixed, he’ll have less than tomcats. Yet bred, and length of fur, doesn’t alter amount of Fed d1 your cat produces much.

You can bathe your cat, but apparently in about 2 days, the Fed d1 will return to pre-washing levels.
from National Center Biotechnology Information

So let’s talk about Purina’s newest product line, Liveclear. In addition to Liveclear food, there’s a Liveclear shampoo. This might be interesting…

from chewy.com: Using the dry shampoo on an as-needed basis, only reduces the allergens in cat hair and dander temporarily between applications, correct?

Answer: The average allergen reduction is approximately 33% up to 24 hours after applying LiveClear shampoo.
Jun 8, 2020

questions & answers on chewy.com

I started this post, prepared to buy the shampoo, but now not so enthusiastic. It seems the real difference between regular bathing vs. Purina’s Liveclear shampoo, isn’t effectiveness, it’s ease of use because it’s rinse-free. That certainly is a benefit, since most cats are not happy being dunked in water. Unless you have a Turkish Van (a breed that LIKES to swim!). So actually, the rinse-free aspect might be enough to make this product a viable option.

But let’s see if this stuff works. Fingers crossed.

Has anyone used Purina Liveclear shampoo?
Please let my kitty care know.

Thanks for helping

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

Except for Love Your Cat bags, by My Kitty Care, on Etsy.

Update on Purina’s cat food to help people allergic to cats

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Purina gets credit for their ambitious project, which we eagerly waited to be available. My Kitty Care first reported on Purina’s research, back in August, 2019. The post new research for people allergic to cats explains how and why we’re allergic to cats (including what Fel d 1 is) and Purina’s innovative cat food solution. For anyone who loves chemistry, and is interested in a complicated explanation about dander and secretoglobin, sciencedirect.com is a satisfying read. Admittedly, a bit much for me.

It took years to develop, but Purina finally released their new cat food LiveClear, in the USA around April, 2020. Based on our research, this is the only cat food product on the market designed specifically for people with dander allergies. So here’s the update on Purina’s cat food to help people allergic to cats.

The product is a dry cat food, in three flavors: turkey for sensitive skin and stomach, chicken and rice formula, or salmon. The short version of how LiveClear works: cats who eat the kibble, consume a particular protein from eggs, which neutralizes the Fed D1 protein (the allergen that causes misery to those of us allergic to cats) found in cat saliva.

On Purina’s website, the company claims:

“LiveClear is a revolutionary cat food shown to reduce the allergens in cat hair and dander by an average of 47% starting in the third week of daily feeding.”

Purina pet food company

According to Kurt Venator, Chief Veterinary Officer at Purina, “The beauty of Pro Plan LiveClear is that it reduces cat allergens in cat hair and dander without impacting the physiology of the cat. Because scientists don’t know exactly why cats produce Fel d 1, our goal was to neutralize it rather than inhibit its production.” A 6-month safety study also showed that the egg product ingredient coating the LiveClear kibble is completely safe for cats to eat. The action happens in the cat’s mouth, but once swallowed, the ingredient is digested like any other protein.

provided by PR newswire, a Public Relations company

So now that’s it’s available to the public, does it work? We waited for our update, to give enough time for the product to be tried, and reviewed. We wanted to find unbiased reviews, which meant we decided to avoid Purina’s own website. So on chewy.com, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Most of the negative reviews were due to cats not liking the product, and simply not eating it. Sounds like something my cats would do.

My Kitty Care is ignoring Petco’s reviews, because they are all from purina.com, so it’s promo rather than proper evaluation. Same situation on petsmart.com.

So cat lovers, please, if you’ve tried Purina’s LiveCLear, it would be helpful for all cat lovers to read your honest opinion, which we’d love to share on my kitty care.

Please take this poll to help cat lovers with allergies

Thanks. Our poll is independent of any promotional or sponsored associations. It is only to help other cat lovers who need cat allergy help. Like us.

Thanks Kkdf for answering our poll about Purina’s LiveClear food

Name: Kkdf

Have you tried Purina’s LiveClear cat food?: no, but I plan on trying it

January 12, 2022

Thanks Tracy for answering our poll about Purina’s LiveClear food.

Name: Tracy A D.

Have you tried Purina’s LiveClear cat food?: no, but I plan on trying it

December 19, 2021 at 6:46 am

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

new research for people allergic to cats

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new research for cat allergies

This could be amazing news: scientists from Purina, the pet food company, have provided new hope for people with cat allergies. Are you allergic to cats? Is your partner, a family member, or someone close to you? One in five people are. In fact, allergies to cats is a major reason why people don’t have cats, or return an adopted cat to a shelter because they discover they, or a family member, have cat allergies. As any of you who follow The Scratching Post may know, I am allergic to cats. To my own, wonderful cats. My eyes are always red and itchy, and i’m always congested, But as much as I suffer from these symptoms, I tolerate them, because I love my cats. Still, I wish I could get some relief from my discomfort.

June of this year, 2019, Purina researchers announced,

Feeding cats a diet coated in a specially formulated egg powder product can neutralize the feline allergens that trigger [allergic] symptoms in people..

dvm360 (Doctor Veterinary Medicine) reported that researchers found a protein in cat’s saliva called Fed d1; they aren’t sure it’s purpose for cats, but they know it’s responsible for 95% of why people have allergic reactions. There is no allergy-free cat breed, including hairless cats, since all cats have Fed d1 in their saliva.

The Fel d1 protein (yellow) bound by IgY antibodies (blue). (Photo courtesy of the Purina Institute

This is how Fed d1 gets distributed

A grooming cat licks it’s fur, a lot, because cats are clean,and that’s a good thing. The not so good result of being such fastidious creatures, is that because Fed d1 is in the cat’s saliva and sebaceous glands, it gets on their fur. Then the cat sheds fur and dander (flakes of skin) into your house: carpets, curtains, bedsheets, the air. Other animals have dander, but cat dander is small and “sticky” and therefore harder to get rid of.

The result of all this dander for people who are sensitive to Fed d1, is the misery of an allergic response. That happens because Fed d1 binds with a molecule, lgE, found in human immune systems, and due to the binding of these molecules, the effect triggers allergic symptoms.

The decade-long research by Purina scientists, published in Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, found that the IgY molecule present in egg yolk (an antibody passed from hens to their chicks) can block specific parts of the Fel d1 molecule. That is significant because if parts of Fed.d1 molecules are prevented from binding with the molecule lgE (the one in human immune systems), it can eliminate, or at least reduced allergic reactions.

Purina tested the egg yolk formula on cats. According to the scientists, there was no health difference between the control cats and the cats eating the special diet, which they conclude makes it safe to add the egg product to cats diets. They also said that the egg product doesn’t destroy Fel d1.

Immunologist Dr. Ebenezer Satyaraj, director of molecular nutrition at Purina and lead investigator on allergy research, confidently said,

“Our discovery has the potential to transform how people manage cat allergens.”

sleeping with your cat if you have cat allergies

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I have cat allergies

I do, I’ve mentioned it in other posts, and here it is again, I’m allergic to cats. Yet I happily allow my cats to sleep with me. In fact, I’m happier when they do.  So, is sleeping with your cat if you have cat allergies a bad idea? Apparently, yes.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America claim that almost 10% of Americans are allergic to pets, and cats, unfortunately, are the main culprit. The reason for that isn’t due to cat fur, it’s about dander.

According to sprucepets.com

Cat dander consists of microscopic pieces of dry cat skin which become airborne, landing on bedding, curtains, carpeting, and other surfaces, including humans’ skin and clothing. Cat dander particles are tiny, about 1/10th the size of dust mites. Dry skin particles wouldn’t be particularly allergenic except for a factor known as Fel D1.

Fel D1 is a glycoprotein found in the cat’s sebaceous glands under the skin, and to a lesser degree in cats’ saliva, and urine. When a cat grooms his coat, the Fel D1 present in his saliva lands on the cats’ skin and hairs, and, combined with the Fel D1 from the sebaceous glands, creates a sort of “double whammy” to allergy sufferers.

Cat dander is small and lightweight, so it can be airborne for hours. Also, it’s a sticky protein, so it clings to clothes, skin, carpets, bed linens…
Here are some tips to help minimize dander, the source of our cat allergiessleeping with your cat if you have allergies

 

sleeping with your cat if you have allergies

 

  • Use allergy covers on your mattress and pillows.
  • Wash your sheets at least once a week
  • if you already have carpeting (wood flooring is preferable) vacuum often
  • use an allergen-proof vacuum cleaner bag or a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter.
  • steam cleaning your carpet periodically is especially helpful.
  • get an air cleaner with a HEPA filter for your bedroom
  • Open your windows: ventilation will air out dander in your bedroom
prime cat
Marnie says “good night,” by shari smith dunaif © 2016

our cats love sleeping with us, and by adhering to these suggestions, I love it too!

allergystore.com

Kids & allergies to cats

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Why some people are allergic to cats

I had been wondering about this, especially since I am quite allergic to cats. I didn’t find out until I was an adult that I was allergic to cats at all. Which, coincidently, was when the first of our cats entered my life. Turns out, it may not be a coincidence.

The journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy published a study about kids and allergies to cats, conducted in 2011. The study followed over 550 kids from birth to 18 years old, by regularly collecting data from the families of the kids about the presence of cats in the home. Once the data was gathered and the study ended, blood samples were taken from each kid to test for allergies to cats.

Kids who had a cat in the house during their first year of life were 50% less likely to be allergic to cats than the children not exposed from birth to one year. Therefore, It was exposure during infancy that is significant. In the study authors own words, they concluded,

“The first year of life is the critical period during childhood when indoor exposure to cats influences sensitization to these allergins.”

Researchers also discovered that exposure to cats for kids a few years older didn’t make much of a difference.

kids and allergies to cats

photo shari smith dunaif ©2015

 

 

So here we have yet another great reason for families to enjoy cats in their home ESPECIALLY if you’ve got a baby! Your infant’s exposure to cats will enable your child, once they’ve grown up and have their own home, to be able to choose if they want to have cats, rather than allergies preventing them from having the option.

So now I know at least one reason why I’m allergic to cats.