If my son is really allergic to cats is there anyway we can have one live in our house?

Question

My son is allergic. My daughter wants a kitty so bad! I was just wondering if he were exposed to one for awhile he would outgrow it or not?

Settle Down everyone it's not like i'm filling my sons room with cats. I thought maybe someone might know if people outgrow this allergy. And of course my daughters happiness is not more important than my sons health. Ridiculous

Answer 1

Just get rid of your son....Isn't your daughters happiness more important??

Answer 2

Put your son up for adoption.

Cats and cat lovers!!! Cats may be the most destructive animal a human has ever taken in and cat lovers are too blind or stupid to see it.

Your problem is really simple. Is the cat or your son more important. Answer that question and you will have it all sorted out.

And NO, chances are a person will become more sensitive as time goes by.

CATS, my god, I'd rather have a moose, two brown bears and a road grader in my living room than a damn cat anywhere in the neighborhood.

My oldest daughter is a very bright person in every other matter, but cats. She has asthma and four cats and can't figure out why she has trouble controlling the asthma.

You will get no sympathy and no diplomatic speech from me. Only you can figure out which is more important.

EDIT: Of course you can always put your son on Drugs. That's a nice thing to do to a kid but what the heck, who cares if he is a pin cushion, has to pop pills every couple of hours and carry an inhaler, as long as your daughter has her damn cat. You should watch Forrest Gump, there is a great line that seems appropriate here, and no it isn't the one about a box of chocolates.

Answer 3

Look at the environment first. Use distilled water to wipe down the walls and furniture from knee high on down to remove 3/4ths of the allergens from the enviornment. Once every two months should do it. Have him NOT touch the cat. And don't let the cat into his bedroom (a hepa filter in there will help a lot). Most allergic people have a much easier time if this is done. A 13 year old cat is going to be put down. If you can't find a relative to take her, or a co-worker or feline rescue, I would say keep her. Look into pediatric allergy shots, they've come a long way in 5 years.

Answer 4

I can understand you want to make BOTH kids happy. If it were me I would have an outdoor cat who could maybe sleep in the garage at night. Not a good idea if you live on a busy road though. I can see that you are really hoping you can find a solution but I am not sure if allergies work that way. I don't think having your son around a cat more often will cure his allergy. I think of it as people with allergies to peanuts. The more they eat the sicker they will get. The only way your son could go near a cat without being affected so badly would be to be on allergy tablets but then most tablets attack the liver so that is not a good idea.

Answer 5

There are cat allergens everywhere. Depending on how your house is arranged and how bad your son's allergies are, you may be able to swing it.

You can make sure the cat stays out of areas where your son spends a lot of time especially his bedroom. You can get good air filters and maybe even an air purifier for his room. Your daughter can make sure her cat is healthy, clean and wipes him down with a damp cloth and gives him baths every now and again.

You can look into getting a hypoallergenic cat, a hairless or at least a very small, short haired cat, for your daughter. It may cost more at the beginning to get a purebred cat with those qualities but it will be negligible over the lifetime of the cat.

Friends with allergies come by all the time and do not have a problem in my house. It is probably concentrated exposure to lots of allergens that tips people over the edge and causes reactions.

You can always try fostering a cat and see if that works for your family.

More ideas for keeping cat allergens low:

http://www.metpet.com/Reference/Cats/reducingallergensincats.htm

Answer 6

It depends on how allergic he is. I was born with cat allergies but i have always been around cats, never have i lived without one. I eventually just basicly grew out of it, once in a while i still sneeze or my eyes get watery but nothing bad. I would much rather have my kitty than not. Maybe see if it could be a outside kitty, or have your son visit someone with a cat just to see how bad his allergies are. Anyway good luck. Hope this helps some.

Answer 7

It is possible that your son could outgrow his allergy if he experienced a prolonged exposure to a cat(s). But then the question comes down to ethics- you say your son is very allergic, are you as a parent willing to watch him suffer every time he's around the cat in the hopes that he might one day outgrow his allergy? Perhaps you should try suggesting a different pet to your daughter. Chinchillas are excellent pets. They're very docile, very clean, and quite easy to take care of. Not to mention one of the softest creatures ever to exist. Perhaps you could suggest this as an alternative?

Answer 8

Not inside but you can have it live outside. If you have a porch you could keep it there or in front of your house even if they're dogs around your house buy an older cat their usually more found of dogs and dogs are scared of cats more than cats are scared of them. Also it would need food and water in its reach (you may want to put the food up in a higher place but where it knows to get to it at night so raccoons and other animals won't eat it) and you would need a kitty condo during the summer or box with a thick blanket during the winter. Living outside it will have more room to roam and if you get it fixed it won't go but a few yards from your house. JUST DON'T DE CLAW IT IF IT'S GONNA LIVE OUTSIDE. Oh yeah those hypoallergenic cats usually don't work. So good luck email me if you need any more help. on yeah it can still come into the house to be petted and stuff but make sure that your son washes his hands after petting it. Unless the doctor said he could like die or something if he pets cats.

Answer 9

It is very rare to be allergic to cats. Your son may be allergic to the saliva of the cat which is known to cause high irritation. I myself am allergic to cat saliva. Simple steps to ensure that he doesnt break out:

1) Althought you should limit your kittens bath to every few weeks. The best way to do it is everday at a certain time, probably when you see him cleaning himself, just wet a clothe with luke warm water (you'll know its luke warm when you cant tell if its cold or warm).

2) Make sure the clothe is damp and not dripping water.

3) Grab the kitten and pet him to calm him down and just wipe him going with the fur. It will feel like his mother's tounge so he wont be shocked.

4) Go all over the body, dont let a spot stay. If he gets too restless pet him and get someone to hold him down

5) Once finished, just bring a towel or blow dryer and dry him on cool. This is a neccesary step because he will then try to lick himself dry.

6) Just stay petting him and you are done.

Your son will not have allergic reactions. If you want you can do it every 2nd day.

Answer 10

Take him to your doctor and ask about allergy shots. This builds up immunity to allergens far more effectively than constant exposure.
Having the cat in the house will only make his symptoms worse; getting the shots acts as a gradual vaccination. The allergist can also prescribe him medications that can help alleviate the symptoms.
Tell the daughter that if she is patient for the next year or so until her brother finishes his treatments, then you can have a trial period with the cat and see if it works. This gives her something to look forward to, but makes her see that her brother's medical condition comes first. Spend the year letting her practice responsibly pet ownership - caring for neighbor's cats, saving her allowance for pet toys, daily filling pretend food and water bowls for an imaginary cat, etc.

Answer 11

Allergy I thought I had of cats was actually from rodent hairs the cats had on them. Allergist needs to test sonny boy and see what he is actually alergic to. Then the plan of action is either shot's for years or just not come in contact with poor little kitty. Until you know for sure no cat. Sneezing swelling eyes hives bumps rash all not worth it for a pet you and your husban have to smell the litterbox about a week after daughter does not want to dump it any more. And anamals really limit your family just jumping in the car and going some where.