Cat allergies ONLY after 2 months?

Question

My daughters is 5 1/2 years old and she wanted a pet. My husband LOVES cats, but I have traditionally been allergic. I agreed, however, that a cat would be the perfect pet for us if not for my allergies.

A lady at my office told me about her cats...Devon Rex was the breed. People who have had allergies to cats swore that this breed was milder. I went to visit her house for 2 hours and had NO reaction (with American shorthair, I would have had a running nose in a matter of minutes). So we located a Devon Rex breeder and bought an adult and a kitten.

For two whole months, I had no reaction (mid-Nov to mid-Jan). Now I'm having roller coaster allergies! Sometimes I'm ok, sometimes my eyes and nose are watering and I have that really uncomfortable feeling in my nose.

I have bonded with these cats and will not be "getting rid" of them...so please do not suggest that.

So two questions: (1) helpful hints on how to deal and (2) WHY after two months did I get my symptoms?

Answer 1

desensitizing shots from a allergist
allergy pills from pharmacy:zyrtec
over the counter meds: calritan

as to why, allergies are sneaky critters. they can pop up overnight.(even on haircoloring products they tell you to test before every usage)

i tested positive to cats, negative to birds, positive to dust mites. we had 4 cockatiels at the time. allergies galore. got rid of birds(dust mites in feathers) allergies calmed down to tolerable to none, and we still have our cat..
during the time of no symptoms, was the furnace on?windows open? the climate can also have some triggers to allergies

Answer 2

Do you have carpet?
We have two cats and I am allergic to their dander, (stupid dander) our whole house is tile but our bedroom is carpet and the only place in the house i have a reaction is the carpeted room.
I keep my home very clean so my allergys don't flare up becuase the dander gets in the air and on everything.
I tryed everything for the carpeted room, vacuming every day, wipeing everything down..... nothing helped until I bought a steam cleaner. I steamed the carpet and the stuff that came out of it was just plain wrong.... two handfulls of cat hair that the vacume had missed! I also cleaned my furniture with it and I do this every two weeks now and it has really helped.

Answer 3

More than likely the cat is shedding and its dander is airborn. An air purifier can make a big difference. Also, allergy medications will alleviate symptoms, use the non-drowsy type.

You should also talk to the vets office, they could have some great ideas for you.

Answer 4

There are many ways to help alleviate your allergies. Medicine, air purifier and keeping your carpet vacuumed often. Don't allow the cat in your bedroom. Sometimes it is not the cat but the food you eat or other causes.

Answer 5

It is something in the cats saliva is what I am told.
Start bathing your cats. They bath themselves but this is the problem.

Some times it takes some time for the allergies to set in. Must be miserable for you!
Hope you get things under control....

Answer 6

Hi Pam...I would like to share some supportive information we give to people who suffer from cat allergies as many are unaware that "all" cats regardless of breed or if long, short or no hair breed of cats can cause allergies. Any vet can confirm this fact.

Older books on cats and cat care usually blame the allergy on cat fur e.g. breathing in small particles of the fur itself. Some blame it specifically on the cat’s guard hairs (the long hairs within the cat’s coat) and may recommend keeping a breed which lacks these guard hairs e.g. Devon/Cornish Rex or the hairless Sphynx. Referring to these breeds as hypoallergenic or allergen-free is incorrect as It is not the hair which causes the allergic reaction.

The real culprit appears to be a glycoprotein, Fel d1 which is secreted by the sebaceous glands and is the major cat allergen. This allergen is found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat. The main sources of the allergen, however, are the skin and saliva.

When a cat grooms/washes itself, saliva is deposited on its fur (or skin in the case of hairless cats). The saliva dries into dust (dander or dandruff) which is released airborne when a cat scratches or moves and when humans stroke or brush a cat. Fel d1.

All cats groom themselves, even those which lack guard hairs or which lack hair altogether (e.g. Sphynx). The dust forms on all types of cat hair or directly on the cat’s skin if it lacks fur. Hairless Sphynx cats produce dandruff directly on their skin and though they produce less of it than furred cats, they can still produce enough to trigger an allergic reaction. An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to a substance (allergen) and produces excessive amounts of histamine. Excessive histamine production leads to the irritating symptoms associated with cat-allergy - itchy eyes, sneezing, skin rash etc.

Although Fel d1 is the protein most often associated with allergies, humans are very variable and there will be some people who develop allergies to other feline proteins. Some people are unaffected by Siamese cats, but allergic to other cats and some people have reported whose cat alergy is only triggered by male cats (even if the cats are neutered).

Anyhow, please consider reading the following website literature to learn more about the Fel d1 protein and how it affects allergies in humans.

http://www.allergysa.org/pet.htm#cat

Here's a video (located on the webpage on the right side) by a veterinarian about the allergen Fel d1 and how it affects cat allergy sufferers. It's an organization who is is selectively breeding cats without the Fel d1 protein to make available for sale for those who who suffer allergies but would like to own a cat: http://www.allerca.com/

People with mild allergies to cats can benefit from Benadryl, Allegra, Singulair, Clairitin, Zyrtec other similar antihistamines. One may work better than one another if your are willing to experiment to see which works best. If the allergy is more severe neither a cat born without the Fel D1 protein or the anti-histamines has been successful. This should be used along with bathing your cats with Allerpet http://www.allerpet.com/products/product1.htm and brushing them daily.

Other helpful tips on how to keep feline dander lower:
http://cats.about.com/od/allergiesandcats/a/allergictocat.htm

Answer 7

http://www.messybeast.com/allergy.htm

http://cats.about.com/od/allergiesandcats/a/allergictocat.htm