my girlfriend is allergic to cats and my roommate has a cat. what can I do to lessen the affect on my girlfri

Answer 1

Keep the cat out of your room...keep the 'house' vaccumed, and keep a supply of benadryl (or whatever antihistamine she can take) on hand.

I'm VERY allergic to cats and my best friend just acquired one. My time in her house now is limited, unless I double-dose on benadryl because the cat goes in every room, and the house is full of fabric (drapes, furniture, carpet). A-choo!

Good luck to your girlfriend...perhaps y'all can spend more time at her place?

Answer 2

You have to enlist the help of your roommate. If a cat is bathed every week (water will do) then after about 8 weeks the amount of allergen on the cat will be reduced to a level that most people with cat allergies can tolerate. (This was the result of a study performed at the University of Washington). Bathing the cat 2 times a week will lower the allergen sooner. Giving a cat a bath can be a bit tricky though. You also need to remove as much of the cat allergen in the apartment/home as much as possible - that means vacuuming; mopping even washing walls. You can also purchase a HEPA filter that helps to remove allergens in the air. Some people can adapt and develop a tolerance to cats, but it is a slow process - and if she gets extremely ill around the cat she might have no choice but to avoid the cat. Some people are soo sensitive that even being around someone that has a cat can trigger an allergic response. So don't let the cat sleep in the laundry basket on your clothes!

Answer 3

But a plastic bag over her head! Just Kidding.

Not much, its the cat's saliva she's allergic to--the cat cleans its fur with its spittle which has enzymes in it that cause an allergic reaction. The cat's "dander" falls everywhere carrying those allergy causing particles.

You can vacuum very well, put the cat somewhere else when she visits, but the likelihood there is nothing you can do to change the environment for her.

She can try getting de-sensitized to cat dander by visiting a doctor--thats a process where she is exposed to small amounts of cat dander over time, causing her to build up a resistence to its effect on her immune system...it takes time, and may not work.

Otherwise I suggest that you move, get a new roomate or visit your girlfriend at her house, after you launder your clothes so that they do not bring her any allergens when you visit....

And I don't agree with bathing the cat advocates here either...cats do not need to be bathed, they naturally keep themselves clean. The problem is the girlfriend's not the cat's!

Answer 4

Unfortunately cat allergens, from cat urine and cat saliva, have been present even after 25 years.
Found on an island, where ther was no cat for over 25 years ( a fact in the medical literature.
The only real solution is to get rid of the cat.
A 3rd generation anti histamine should help.
For nasal symptoms a topical nasal steroid may be effective.
Get rid of cat, roommate or gf

Answer 5

There's actually some shampoo that you can buy to wash the cat with that's supposed to reduce whatever it is that makes people react to cats.

I've seen it at Petco... and I don't know how well it works, but I haven't heard of anything else to lessen the reaction, except having her take some allergy pills before she comes over.

Answer 6

Vacuum the carpet a lot before she comes round and dust etc to get rid of as much cat hair as possible. Also keep the cat out of her way as much as you can.

If she has any anti allergy pills like Benedryl get her to take some before she visits.

If she is very allergic you'll probably have to go visit her instead.

Answer 7

She can get over a cat allergy. You just have to suffer through it for a month or two. That worked for me when my gf had a cat. My eye used to puff up like a tennis ball around cats but now they barely bother me at all.

Answer 8

haha, i like the one about killing the cat. That's a pretty good one. But just put the cat outside or just go somewhere else instead. If she wants to see your place then have the roomate take the cat to the kitty store or something.

Answer 9

Nothing. I have tried allergy shots. 4 years worth. They don't work. Washing the cat often doesn't work, because the allergen is in the cats saliva. Vacuuming doesn't work. Don't invite her over, and keep the cat off all your stuff.

Answer 10

If she's on allergy medicine, make sure she takes it before going arount the cat, if she's not currently on any allergy medicine, invest in over the counter claritin. You can buy at Walmart or even Costco or BJ's brands too.