Can I be allergic to one particular cat?

[MeganBoo]

Hi all, I love cats and have had cats before myself that have been different types of breeds, male and female and never had any type of reaction…well my partner has a female British shorthair and when I’d stay at his house and be around her I was okay until he also got a male British shorthair, I believe this is when I started getting irritated, from then on whenever I’d stay at my partners I’d be constantly sneezing none stop literally none stop and my nose would feel very irritated and stuffy to the point it would start going red, even if I was in a different room and far away from the cats.

Its been a while since I’ve stayed at my partners house but I’ve come back to stay at his today, his cats are now living at his mums house and haven’t been in his house for a long time but I’m still sneezing and irritated…the minute I leave his house and we go out I’ll be okay but I can’t stop sneezing in this house even though the cats are now gone! As mentioned I’ve had cats before myself and been perfectly fine so I don’t understand how I can be allergic to one particular cat or if it’s even the cat I’m allergic to 😅. Is this something that’s possible and if so why am I still having a reaction even though the cats are no longer here?

Allergies can develop over time or just appear from nowhere. I became massively allergic to fabric conditioner in my late forties. My Dr said around menopause age is typical for women to develop or have worsening allergies.

I have a cat allergy, always have, and I’m definitely allergic to some cats and others don’t bother me at all! I love cats too!

It's possible, though rare, to be allergic to certain humans, and some people are allergic to some animals. Sometimes medication is effective but that's for the individual to see what works, but a GP might help.

Perhaps that particular cat started wearing Lynx....

Im only allergic to ginger cats..
I developed an allergy to my dog during a pregnancy over 15 years ago. This ended once id given birth.
6 years later I became pregnant again. However I didnt develop the same allergy to the same dog.
Ive not become allergic to any others dogs whether ive been pregnant or not.
Theres no logic to any of this.
In answer to your question OP., yes I believe you can be allergic to.one particular cat.

I'm late 40s & post menopausal.
I've had 2-3 cats in my home all my life, all different breeds, coat lengths, male and female. I've never had an allergy to any of them.
Until 2 months ago when we rescued a British Shorthair (female). I had an instant allergy, it was really extreme.
I started taking various anti histamines and steroid noise sprays but nothing worked.
I then started to get problems swallowing and tightening of my throat.
I have had reactions in the past to dust, hay and some frangrances but not all the time.
Different cats have different levels of a certain protein in their saliva which can trigger an allergy, so I presumed my new cat had high levels of this.
I actually went for allergy testing, including cats. Weirdly the results all came back clear. Even the ENT Dr was confused!
I am now seeing an immunologist who suspects Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and I'm just waiting to be tested.

How well has he deep cleaned the house since the cats have gone to his Mum's?

If you're stilll getting symptoms then either there is still cat saliva in the house, or it wasn't the cats you were allergic to.

You can develop allergies OP, so it’s entirely possible to be allergic now when you once weren’t. It’s also common to be more or less allergic to a particular animal than another of the same species. Cats produce a number of proteins/allergens that sensitive people can react to. At least one of them is stronger in males that haven’t been neutered than in females or neutered males.

It will take months for the cat dander to clear from the house and it will depend a lot on how much cleaning is being done too. Carpets and soft furnishings are the worse culprits for holding onto allergens, so if you can get them washed it could help.

Of course another possibility is that you’re allergic to something else in the house.

I grew up with cats no issues and then adopted two of my own and had chronic congestion so we tested for cat allergy and yep I’m allergic. Same with my mum every time she’d visit she’d get itchy eyes but was fine with all the cats we’d had growing up.
I think of my two I’m more allergic to one as I find my symptoms worse when she sleeps with me compared to the other. And yet they are biologically related.

Yes, one particular cat can affect you more than others. The only way to find out is trial and error.

Your partner needs to wash, scrub, sugar soap, wet vac everything. Dander can last for ages and gets into every nook and crevice.

@EnjoyingTheArmoire To be honest there’s still a lot of cat hair lying around as my partner hasn’t kept on top of things, so I guess that could explain why I’m still having a reaction even though the cats aren’t here anymore.

Yes you can be more allergic to some cats and cat breeds than others and more allergic to male/female cats. Some shed less allergens than others

One of my GCs is (mildly) allergic to our cat, but they now have a cat at home and it doesn't bother him at all. He hasn't visited for a while so it will be interesting to see if this is still the case.

I was fine as a young child then age 9, I vividly recall visiting mums friend who has Siamese cats. They had fleas and I developed itchy eyes, runny nose etc. I know allergies can develop and it affected me badly all of my teens.

In my mid 20's, I stayed at MIL's house multiple times with her 4 cats and I was fine. I assumed I'd grown out of it, till staying with a friend in my 30's and had a full blown reaction again! Last week I visited my neighbour who has 2 cats, one rubbed itself all over my legs and I was fine. Now in late 40's.

I've read it could be the saliva on dander, but then I also wonder if fleas are the issue? No idea, but I've never owned a cat as a result.