Anyone with cat allergies successfully had a cat?

[hettie]

I know, I know....DH is allergic, DC desperately want a cat... I've researched low protein producing cats (the protein most people are allergic to) such as the Russian blue. However, I don't know anyone whose done this. Any positive stories?

I'm allergic but have had cats all my life but OTC antihistamines keep the worst of the symptoms away: it's horrific for a few days after I've been away for a while, but once it settles down, it's a permanent runny nose, the odd sneeze and mildly Itchy eyes.

Obviously, though, a more serious allergy it wouldn't be viable, so it depends on the severity of his symptoms. Without AH, my nose streams 24/7, I cough, sneeze and wheeze, and my eyes are obscenely itchy- so it's unpleasant, but not actually dangerous.

I'm allergic to cats but have two. It was bad initially but settled after a couple of months. They don't affect me at all now, as long as I don't actually rub my face in them, or touch my eyes after stroking them.

It certainly wouldn't stop me having little fluffy overlords.

Allergic but had a cat all my life too.My symptoms however never involved respiration.

I read somewhere ( non scientific) that within a couple of weeks your tolerance will improve .I've just been careful in how I handle etc

Yes I'm allergic to cats as is DD2. But we were adopted by a cat about 3 years ago and we acclimatised to him within a few weeks. Need to take anti histamine if we get scratched but that's it nowadays

I've got one and initially was quite poorly (only took him in for a few days to help a friend!), but after a few weeks and continued antihistamines I rarely have a problem. I can react if he scratches me (the wound site will become inflamed) but I can live with that for the joy he brings

No. Ive tried acclimatising and visiting friends with so called non-allergenic cats (not really non, just lower I guess.)

Its awful being allergic to cats. Really awful. I take antihistamines when I stay with people but even so its much essier to breathe when I leave.

There is no way we can have a cat (and yes the kids want one and I do love them 😥)

Yes but I don't have asthma.

Couldn't breathe properly for 3 weeks and thought they would have to go but suddenly settled. Still itches if they lick me or even gently place a claw on my skin and can't touch my eyes if I've stroked them.

You're not going to acclimatise with visits to cat owning friends. It needs to be a constant presence over weeks.

We've adopted a cat about a month ago. I had nine cats growing up and permanent runny nose, itchy eyes etc. but never put it down to car allergy. I just thought it's caused by dust (I grew up in a hot, humid Asian country).

But this cat we've just got triggered asthma in me during the first two weeks. I lived on Ventolin. I'm going to see the GP soon to maybe get a prescription for a prevented inhaler.

I've also noticed a slight improvement if I don't touch the cat, keep the bedroom cat free and wear a mask when cleaning the litter tray.

It's hard but I'm going to try everything possible to keep the cat.

Mrs maise - we tried that when I was a child and had to rehome the kittens. I honestly think people taking on a cat that knowing its likely they will have to rehome the cat are cruel.

Im asthmatic and honestly asthma is no joke. Damaging your lungs leaving long term problems is not really worth it.

don't get a cat.
dh will be utterly miserable.
and it would be unfair having to rehome a cat for a known issue.

I can’t speak from personal experience, but I do have two friends with cat allergies who adopted cats and acclimatised to them after a short period taking antihistamines.

Norwegian Forest Cats and Siberians are supposed to be low allergen.

I'm allergic to cats but have two. It was bad initially but settled after a couple of months. They don't affect me at all now, as long as I don't actually rub my face in them, or touch my eyes after stroking them.

Same here
I take a daily antihistamine and am really careful about not letting them rub on my face. My friend has a severe allergy that sets off asthma and she can't be around them at all though so it really depends on the type/severity of the allergy.

My DH is allergic but had them as a child and they had one in a shared house he was in for a while. When we got a kitten he was allergic for quite a while, on strong antihistamines and we got a strong Air filter going most of the time downstairs. Cat doesn’t sleep upstairs etc. He’s rebuilt a tolerance but there was a time I thought he wasn’t going to.

We have two and DH and DD cope. DH had a recurrence of his asthma initially but he's built up a tolerance.

DD still reacts to other people's cats but not ours.

Pet allergies can do a lot of invisible damage beyond making you wheezy. I built up a tolerance to my cats (just shorthaired moggies) but once I did a bit more research on some of the more long-term risks I am having second thoughts about potentially getting new ones when the time comes.

try a ragdoll, but maybe go round to a breeder with your husband and have a good snort of the adult cats? Then you can look to maybe adopt through ragdoll rescue....

We inherited a Persian cat and despite my asthma and cat allergy, we got on very well. I think its to do with the different hair structure of Persians, and ragdolls I think, that is less allergenic. I still washed my hands if I'd been stroking him or else I got a slight skin reaction, but his hair around the house didn't affect me.

My husband and I are both allergic. We have a Siberian. We still take over the counter antihistamines (but would have to anyway as also hay fever, dust allergies etc) and only have mild, manageable symptoms.

Mmme, very mixed. I really really won't get a cat if there is any chance we'd have to re-home. Not fair on poor 🐈 He does have asthma, not used an inhaler in years...he needs to and stay with a cat family ...

I'm thinking aloud here, as I'm not sure whether this would be practical/worth the hassle for you or a potential rescue charity, but I wonder whether you could try fostering a cat(s) or kittens on a short term basis to see how your DH reacts?

I am not sure I could go through it. I can handle cats for visits with antihistamine but I had to move home for a while after my parents took in a stray and it was awful. It just got worse and worse, I don’t have asthma but developed wheeze, was exhausted and my eyes were terrible - the optician was horrified when I went for my contact lens check up. This was a cat that didn’t come into my bedroom and spent most of the day outside.

Also I grew up with a dog and didn’t really connect my allergic traits such as runny nose and sneezing
with the dog as it was a constant in my life. It was only when I went away for university did I realise how draining the constant minor irritation was.

I know a very seriously allergic man who has two Siberians and is fine. Expensive breed, though.

Oh my... Just looked up Siberian moggies, very very cute but for that kind of money the cast would have to be cooking my dinner