Cat Allergy?

lovely1m

lovely1m

Active member
My 6 year old has been asking for a cat for a while. We are finally in a place where we can get one. Today we went to a cat shelter and he had a reaction; bloodshot eyes and sneezing. He's played with cats before, but never had that reaction. The lady there thought it could be because they have 50 cats and he hasn't been around them that much and suggested that we come back and just play with one cat to see how he does. I would hate for him to get attached to a cat and then be allergic. Anyone have any experience with this? Could it have been just too many cats at once? I was fine and I have never had a cat.
 
Hmm...my family are really allergic to cats - my husband's asthma is triggered to be in a house where there is a cat... my son will get the eyes watering/sneezes/ etc if he touches a cat... and I break out in hives if I come in contact with cat hair...

I know when it comes to dogs... depends on breed, length or thickness of fur,... how clean they are... could affect allergies... and maybe so with cats? I get that could be a numbers thing as to why it affected him... but yeah, that would be sad if he got attached and to find out he was allergic. My hubby wants to get a dog in the worst way... but with his asthma, that isn't a possibility, even with a hypo-allergic type... I've told him that if we do and he has problems... it wouldn't be the dog that will be living in the garage... :D
 
i have a cat allergy...but only to longer haired cats it seems. i have a reaction similar to what nick had. my best friend has a cat (she's indoor and outdoor...the cat, not my BFF) and she doesn't bother me. i can pet her and i'm fine. there are other cats though that all i have to do is walk in the house and my throat swells up and i start sneezing. maybe he's the same? you could always look into the cats that have lower allergans. I know that shorter haired cats seem to affect me less.
 
I get that reaction with cats - any cat within arms reach. Maybe you should get him tested?
 
I didn't know Adrienne was allergic to cats until we tested her for the peanuts. They tested her for all kinds of things including cats. And she is allergic to them. We have no cats because I am allergic to them. Sneezing, watering eyes even coughing when I am around them. Yes get him tested.
 
I would suggest trying him tested just to make sure. The cat might bond with him, lick his face, want to sleep with him... Having a pet cat is more than just petting one occasionally. It's dander will be all over your house. I'm very allergic and its an uncomfortable experience... I wouldn't want to live with it. :(
 
I've heard allergy testing is very painful. He's also still very fearful of needles. Can anyone tell me about it?
 
It's not painful... And while it does use needles, they don't inject you with them. It's more like the needle scratches the topmost layer of your skin. You don't bleed. The most uncomfortable part is the itchy bumps you hay from the histamine spot and whatever else you react to.
 
We also found out our daughter is allergic to cats when we had her tested for seasonal allergies. They told us that she is "mildly allergic" but recommended that we not get a cat because it would probably get worse with more exposure. the allergy testing is not painful -- just very uncomfortable because they give you a little scratch with the allergen and then you have to sit there and wait for a reaction without scratching or touching it.
 
Allergy testing really isn't painful. My experience is the same as Brook's. The allergist will likely test your son for a variety of common allergens, so you'll learn a lot more about potential allergy issues other than cats.

I'm very allergic to cats too. I had a similar reaction visiting a cat shelter. It was definitely overwhelming. However, I still have uncomfortable reactions when I am around just one or two cats. My in-laws recently adopted two cats and I'm pretty sure if we go and visit, we'll have to stay at a bed and breakfast because I am not sure I can tolerate spending several days at their house.
 
Honestly, for a 6 year old, I think he would think the allergy testing is painful. Two of my boys were tested with probably 50 things and they were allergic to most of them and they did not like it one bit (and they were older). Could you possibly JUST have him tested for cats, so it's just one scratch? That might be easier to deal with.

I'm now allergic to cats, and I do have different reactions to different cats/houses. My brother has 3 cats and I can't be in his house very long without sneezing. My sister has 3 cats and I rarely notice it when I'm in her house. And hers are longer-haired than my brother's. I just think different cats can have different dander.
 
I've never had allergy testing so I can't give advice on that, but I wanted to say that while I am fine around cats I am highly allergic to short haired dogs :( Labs and great danes will have my eyes nearly swollen shut within 10 minutes of being inside with just one! The longer the hair on a dog the less allergic I am because it's not the hair that I'm allergic to but the dander and the more hair a dog has the less dander that comes to the surface of the dogs hair. So, it could be dogs, cats, or a combo that affected your son.
 
We have two cats and some of my daughter's friends are allergic to cats and can survive our house or others within minutes have to leave because their eyes are watery and they are sneezing. I am not a doctor but I assume some people have different reactions like stated above based on the type of cat. My thought is to to follow the suggestions above to see if he is allergic or maybe find another pet choice if that is an option you are open to. Good luck - I love our cats and hope you find a solution to this!
 
Female cats produce less allergens than male cats. Un-neutered male cats produce the most allergens. If you're in a shelter, most of the male cats are likely not neutered, so his exposure is going to be very high.

If he is allergic to cats, a short-haired female will likely cause the least reaction, and possibly no reaction at all.

I hope you can test him for just cats and not everything all at once. It can be overwhelming if it turns out he's allergic to many things. Good luck!
xoxo
 
I'm gonna call his doctor tomorrow and see about testing. I guess that seems like the best way before we get caught up in it. I have no allergies (except for something that blooms in south Texas in July, no idea what, but I was a mess that month in AF training) and neither does his dad, but my mom and brother have quite a few. Dang. I hope it turns out to be nothing.
 
Good luck Mari. I know how much he is wanting that cat, so I hope it works out. If he turns out to be allergic, my son's first pet was a hamster and he loved it. We taught it to sit up for treats and really played with it a lot more than I would have though possible, and enjoyed it. We would put BB in his ball in the evening and he would follow my son around the house as he played and into his room to help put him to bed. After that he would do laps around the living room in his ball until I put him in his gym before I went to bed. In the morning JT and I would put him in his house to go to bed before JT went to school and he was up after homework and supper. Loved that little guy. Unfortunately they do not have the longest life spam and it broke JT's heart when BB died.
 
I discovered my cat allergy when I was at a sleepover. My friend's poor mom thought I was going to die, and I loved that cat.

However, I did house sit for a very clean family with a long-haired cat as an adult and I was fine.
 
I'm allergic to cats and while the extent varies, it bites, I'd definitely consider allergy testing, it's not that bad, uncomfortable for a little while. It's really beneficial to know what your allergies are, when my DD was tested and we knew she was allergic to a lot of things and she was, but some of the things she tested positive for were not things we considered or expected.
 
I took him in today. The doctor told me they would draw blood and have it checked for cat dander. She said if it comes back negative, there is still a chance he has an allergy. At that point, take him some where and try with just one cat. But really consider it because he has eczema and people with that have a higher chance of asthma. Nick's Pedi's husband is an allergist, so she is going to talk to him about it, too. I guess we will find out. She seemed encouraged that he didn't cough or wheeze while we were there.
 
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