To just buy a bloody cat & stop overthinking!

[SupSlick]

Okay, I had a cat when I was younger that lasted until she was 21. I miss having a cat around. She was a big part of my childhood.

DS has been around cats before & seems to handle them well. He whispers to them (?) & strokes them only if I say it's okay. He also is obsessed with cats. Completely obsessed. He carries a selection of cat teddies around every day & pretends their real.

We have a large house (for just the two of us) with a big garden, near a pond/wooded area, & huge playing fields. Only one main road which is on the other side of the fields.

Landlord is happy for me to get a cat. I can afford vet bills & insurance. Can take two weeks or so off work to settle the cat in. Wouldn't be out for too long in the day and have family close by that could check on the cat. Don't go on holidays as I'm terrified of flying.

Only thing stopping me is DS has asthma. It is controlled on a few different inhalers. I don't want to get a cat if potentially it could make my son ill. But then again there are cats such as bengals who have a pelt rather than fur so are more "hypoallergenic".

I am allergic to cats & also asthmatic but my childhood with a cat was such a valuable experience & I seemed to "get used" to my own cat.

DS has Pyriton for hay fever so could possibly use that?

I feel like a bad mother if I get him a cat! I just think having a pet is such a great experience. But I'm panicked with visions of my son having a serious asthma attack & having to give the cat away! That would be an awful situation a) because of all the unwanted pets around & b) giving DS a cat then taking it away again.

Why can't I just make a decision!

Would you be willing to pay for an allergy test? I am asthmatic but not cat allergic - allergic to some dogs (scurf not hair). I knew this before I got my cats because I was allergy-tested as a child via the asthma specialist I was attending, but you can ask to be referred for private skin prick tests. Less risky than your DS bonding with a particular cat and would set your mind at ease.

That said, when DH and I first got together he was quite allergic to my cats, but got used to them and is fine now with our recent rescue. He wasn't asthmatic though, only sneezy and sniffly. I don't for a moment suggest you risk an asthma attack.

I am/ was allergic to cats and couldn't have one as a child - at least the cat we had was quickly returned when I had symptoms. We currently have two and it just seems to have worn off. I used to have to wash hands every time I touched them and take an anti histamine every day, or else I was very wheezy and had unbearably itchy eyes, but two years on and I cuddle the silly things, and one sleeps on my bed all day, and I barely sneeze. So I think it's worth trying things out and working out what you will be able to handle, because your son's cat love sounds adorable. Some allergies get worse, but some can wear off with exposure.

We have a Bengal and have no issues and we're all sneezy/mild asthma.

I really keep on top of hoovering to keep the minimal hair down and keep the bedroom doors shut.

Google Petal Cleanse which helps keep the allergens down, it's got great reviews. Apparently it's the skin/ dandruff flaky bits not the fur people are allergic too iirc,so if you wipe them regularly this really helps.

Our cat goes out so he's not spreading his fluff or whatever all over the house all the time.

I'd be inclined to re post in The Litter Tray,lots of knowledgeable people over there

www.healthy-house.co.uk/petalcleanse-for-cats-and-small-pets-350ml

My cool as a cucumber teen ds is soppy daft over the cat,loves him to bits and the do 'long blinks' at each other!

What Issey said above about enzymes in the saliva. I have kept a cat(s) for 40 odd years and found it was mainly female cats that I reacted to when they licked. I too think it would be a good idea to visit a rescue, or contact the cats protection league.
The upside of having a kitten(s) is they will grow up completely used to your son and at ease with him, less easy with an older cat.

Oh it's the saliva that's the allergen, I knew was something like that

I grew up asthmatic, allergic and with cats - here is how my mum managed it.

Bear in mind that my mum is very clean and tidy (to the point of obsession) and she was a SAHM so she had time to maintain the house when I was at school.

My cats Stan and Ollie had a basket in our living room, and a pet carrier in our shed lined with blankets. They were mostly outdoor cats and slept outside in the shed at night - locked cat flap to prevent other cats coming in. In the day they roamed freely but only ever downstairs. I think this is the essential thing. The door to the hall was always closed. My bed room was a completely hair free zone!

They were not allowed on the furniture, although this rule was relaxed for lap sitting and the odd cuddle. So they rolled around on the rugs, snoozed in their basket and generally were very happy.

My mum hoovered and swept downstairs every day. The hair was kept at bay. I grew up knowing that the second I was finished playing with them I had to wash my hands. I loved my cats and they were a huge part of my childhood!

So I'd say, if you are prepared to put the effort in - why not?

That's basically what we do, and cat has a bed in the porch at night if he doesn't want to go out. I think cat free bedrooms are key tbh.

I'm allergic to cats and asthmatic but can cope with a couple of cats around with inhaler and anti histamines. I survived my in-laws 2 house cats but they now have 6 (!) so I can't stay with them anymore.

We had a beautiful Siberian and my allergy was much better with him. Despite all his fur he didn't shed much, although we needed to get him groomed.

Kids want a replacement 18 months after lovely Siberian died but I'm reluctant because of my allergy and fleas. They're wearing me down though.

My DD2 has terrible hives until she was 4. I asked the dermatologist if we should get rid of the cat in case this was causing it. He said the long term benefits to her immune system were worth the potential allergic reaction in the short term. I guess it depends how severe the reaction is though.

DH is allergic and after 20 catless years we got Bogbastard who is a beautiful Siberian. He doesn't trouble DHs allergies at all. Clearly asthma attacks leading to resus are a different ball game and you need to proceed with caution - but most breeders will offer an allergy sitting, and our breeder was quite clear that she would accept BogBastard back if there were issues, as she could home him several times over. Heartbreaking as that would be, it would probably be an option if you got a Sib kitten.

A cat like BogBastard would certainly fulfil your DS need for cats! He has a very friendly, almost dog like temperament, will rush out into the garden to play with the kids and miaow at the window when they come home. He was even trying to climb onto the trampoline with them at the weekend . Likes to visit them in the bath, sleep on their beds, etc.

I understand Bengals can be a bit more loopy by temperament, in a good way but perhaps less small child friendly?

Thank you all, the cat in the bedroom thing would definitely be a no-no as I once suffered from OCD but with CBT have dealt with my more irrational issues!

Also thinking any slippers worn in the house to be left outside the bedroom so no cat hair is taken in?

But ultimately, I'm going to see if DS's ENT consultant (hes a loud snorer this kid) can do some allergy testing, we've offered to go in & feed my mates two cats a few times when he's away in America next week (his parents are doing the bulk of the cat sitting) & I'm going to see how his asthma improves over the course of the next few months.

I explained to DS, we will have to wait a while to get a kitten & he said "what about a baby!"

Allergy tests aren't all that reliable and as previous people have said it also can depend on the individual cat. A good test would be for your son to go for visits to a home with cats...or preferably a few different ones, to see how he is. I used to be allergic to cats but it has worn off over the years after exposure through work (but in the meantime I've become asthmatic - which I think is due to moving to a city where there is more pollution than where I grew up).

It would be great for him to have a cat if you can manage it though - they are so much fun!

"What about a baby"

I was just coming on to say I am asthmatic and as others say it depends on the cat. We've always had cats and only one caused me problems and it wasn't with my breathing - my eyes were watery around her and I sneezed a bit more than normal. Good luck if you decide to go ahead.

Bengals are loony. In a major way. And all the ones I've met definitely have fur, they're still cats. They also insist on being very very close to you, so unless you want a cat sleeping on your/your sons head and refusing to move, I'd look at a more standard cat.

Also take a look at the research which shows living with pets reduces childhood excema/asthma :).

I second the comment re loony Bengals. They are also 'smashers' who will systematically swipe every object you own onto the floor.

They do, however, look like this...

My Bengal is not a smasher but very,very vocal and demands cuddles in a way no other cat I've ever had does!

Gorgeous cat !!

He knows.

I bet he does!

I've just ordered the tallest cat tree I could fit in my front room,it was small fortune and I'm expecting him to ignore it completely and carry on leaping up to the window sill

My friend is allergic to cats but doesn't have too much problem with their pair of beautiful bengals unless they sleep on her head.

I do remember them as kittens, climbing up the heavy vinyl wallpaper and trying to go across the ceiling. Lordy they were bonkers. 😆

They need lots of attention ,which your ds would probably love to give OP, more like a puppy than a cat!

We have several Devon Rex, and a household full of asthmatics and allergy sufferers. I swear my (previously appalling) hay fever improved a lot when I got the cats - it was never too bad as a child, but became much much worse when I left home and lived away from the cats! Devon Rex cats have a layer of fur (the outer guard hairs) missing, and they shed a lot less than other breeds. Definitely worth looking at. They are also quite chatty, very playful and affectionate, and a bit quirky. Highly recommended!

I've just googled Devon Rex cats- like little alien kittens, soooo sweet!!

Lolimax - I think your cats are my cats' brothers!

I have one tabby with the exact same colouring and one black cat who are brothers, also 7 months old and also the size of small dogs .