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.

if you’re allergic to cats try this

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“I love cats but I’m allergic!”

My Kitty Care has heard this many times. In fact, I too am very allergic to cats, but I love my two cats. when my doctor said “OK, since you should get rid of your cats, but I know you never will, take allergy shots.” Which I did for five years, but stopped because it was awful.

So what to do?
if you’re allergic to cats try this:

  • First, and most importantly, make sure you are not so severely allergic to cats, that contact could trigger a life threatening reaction. If you are unfortunate enough to be that allergic, yes, you should not live with or have any contact with cats. But if your symptoms are mild, or even chronic and uncomfortable, like mine, here’s some suggestions about what to do if you’re allergic to cats but love them:

what about a Sphinx (hairless cat)?

Sphynx may be hairless, but they are not hypoallergenic because they still produce dander: dead skin cells. There is no scientific evidence that any breed or cross breed is more or less allergenic than any other cat.

hairless cats

In humans, it’s called dandruff, but with cats it’s called dander, also saliva, and even their urine may contain the proteins that people are allergic to. Sometimes people are able to build up a tolerance to their cats over time, at least enough so that they can live with them comfortably.

  • It’s always recommended to make your bedroom (or the bedroom of your allergic family member) a cat-free zone.
if your allergic to cats try this

Ludlow in bed
photo by shari smith dunaif©2016

 

 

I failed miserably trying this because I missed my cats nestled next to us, and so did they: they’d scratch at our door until we let them in to join our cozy bed. Good luck to those trying!

 

 

 

  • A high-quality air purifier does help rid the air of allergens.
  • Vacuum your home often and thoroughly, which means sofas, rugs and carpeting, pillows, upholstered furniture, etc.
  • Wash all cat bedding weekly in hot water.
  • Wash your hands after handling your cat.
  • Shower and shampoo before going to bed to minimize carrying dander to bed with you.
  • Reduce allergenics in your cat’s saliva by gradually eliminating genetically modified foods you may be feeding your cat.
  • Make sure your cat is getting plenty of essential fatty acids in her diet to reduce shedding and dander.
  • Bathe your cat regularly, taking care to use only a safe, non-drying herbal cat shampoo.

Some of these suggestions are immediately doable (like frequently vacuuming your home) while others will take time, like changing your cat’s diet or bathing your cat.

Next post: about bathing your cat.

 

vetstreet.com

Kitty litter tip for people with cat allergies

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people with cat allergies

I am terribly allergic to cats too, but I Love My Cats. Handling kitty litter for my indoor cats was an issue. So how do I deal with kitty litter? Here’s a kitty litter tip for people with cat allergies: this is how I handle cleaning kitty litter
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I bought a box of mask filters, and use one every time it’s kitty litter time

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It helps

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my cats are happy and I breathe easier.

PetMD cat allergy tips

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Kinda obvious stuff, but if you aren’t familiar with these suggestions, they will help…
PetMD Staff, POSTED: FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014

Gesundheit! Are your friends and family allergic to your cat? Here are some ways to improve the situation — without having to give your cat away.

Itchy eyes, itchy noses and sneezing are never pleasant. And when it’s because of a cat, well … that’s worst of all. If you are allergic to cats and decide to get one, then you’ll be happy to learn most people tend to build up a tolerance to the allergens found in the cat’s dander and saliva. There are also specific regimens allergic people can follow, as well as medication to help alleviate their symptoms.

But if one of your loved ones is allergic to cats and they are not helped by medication, what can you do? Other than replacing your loved ones (this is not usually recommended), there are some ways to reduce the effects of allergens in your home.

Clean, clean, clean. People don’t understand how much of a difference a cat’s daily grooming and a thorough house sweeping can make. Keep the surfaces and floors as fur-free as possible, and the reactions to the cat’s allergens should also diminish. Floors and carpets can especially be a haven for the cat’s hair and dander, so vacuum them often and take the rugs out for a cleaning — preferably more than once every spring.

Another way to reduce the effect of cat allergens is to try (emphasis on “try”) and bathe the cat every four to six weeks using a cat shampoo. This will help remove the dander buildup, extra hair, and saliva, which contains a natural deodorant and cleansing agent that causes allergic reactions. Rinsing the cat is important and may prove difficult, as most cats don’t like being in water. Combine that with its claws and agility, and you may be in some emergency room type of trouble. But seriously, have a trusted friend or family member sponge bathe the cat while you hold it down.
An air purifier can sometimes be a great weapon against allergens. It will help remove impurities from the environment and although more expensive, a commercial purifier usually works better than a regular one. Routinely brushing the cat’s hair will also reduce the amount of fur (and thus dander) floating in the air.

While not always practical, going to a doctor for an allergic exam can be advantageous. As there are many household items which can initiate an allergic reaction, this test will help sort out the underlying cause(s). It is more of a trial and error type of test, but can work wonders at determining the allergic agents quickly.

Using a combination of these methods — or even all of them — should greatly reduce the amount of allergens in the air, and hopefully make your home a sniffles-free zone. Good luck. Hopefully you and your family will be able to hug and kiss your kitty cat soon.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillypets/20140411_PETMD_How_to_Fight_Cat_Allergies.html#ZfeAmDEJfhIqqojS.99

Scientists working on allergies to cats

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Scientists are working on allergies to cats. At last!20130726-184944.jpg

It’s good news for cat lovers: A new, more effective
treatment for allergies may be on the way, thanks to scientists working on allergies to cats.  At the
University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have discovered the
receptor protein in human cells that triggers cat allergies. They
anticipate that new drugs will be developed to bind the protein and
prevent people from having an inflammatory response. “It has long
been known that cat allergies are caused by people reacting to cat
proteins secreted by the salivary or scent glands being transferred
to the fur,” Dr. Clare Bryant, lead researcher, told Yahoo! Shine.
“Other allergen—for example house dust mite allergy protein—trigger
a receptor protein in host [human] cells and we wondered if cat
allergen would have similar effects. We did not expect this to
happen because the cat allergy protein is very different to the
house dust mite protein, so we were very surprised to find that it
triggered inflammation through the same receptor.”  About 10 percent of people have pet allergies, and reactions to cats are twice as common as
reactions to dogs. Cat allergies are especially pernicious because
the proteins are small, light, and sticky. They float through the
air and when they land on a surface—a piece of clothing for
instance—they can be transferred to places that are cat-free.
Symptoms include sneezing, watery eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat,
hives, wheezing, and in severe cases, asthma. Currently the only
way to treat cat allergies is to reduce the symptoms with
antihistamines or decongestants or endure weekly shots to boost the
immune system—which can take as long as a year to kick in and may
not even be effective. Bryant can’t predict exactly how long it
will take for new drugs to reach on the market—that’s up to the
pharmaceutical companies—but says that “drugs that inhibit the
receptor have already been tested in clinical trials for conditions
such as sepsis.” She added, “I would anticipate that an allergic
person could, say, inhale a blocking drug before going to a house
with cats and not get a reaction.” And allergic dog lovers have
cause for hope, too. Bryant believes the findings could lead to
improved treatment for canine allergies. The research will be
published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Immunology.