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Cat allergy.. can it last for a while .

27 replies

Username536448227 · 31/01/2022 18:43

Posting here for traffic. Assumed for a few years dd is allergic to cats. Every time she was around one, she would sneeze, go red in the face and get watery eyes. Sometimes symptoms fade quickly other times lasts longer. Dp is also allergic to cats as is the rest of his family. But no issues with dogs.

We do not have a cat. We do have a dog.

My mum has several cats as does my grandma. If we visit she was prone to getting snotty.

We've not been there for a while but visited my mum on Friday. She's got a new cat - a real fluff ball type cat. Dd an animal lover was stroking it and shortly after become very snotty. I didn't give her an antihistamine before as it was not a planned visit, I did however give her a dose when we got home.

She's been congested and snotty ever since, she's so congested it's causing her to cough, her eyes are red. She was absolutely fine prior to visit. Yes it could be a cold (likely not covid as just finished isolating last week with that with minimal symptoms).

Can a cat allergy last for days if you've been exposed to a lot of the allergens? There's also cat hair everywhere in my mums house, so would have breathed a lot of dander in too.

Posting here for traffic for any other cat allergy sufferers!

Obviously I'll be stopping visits. My mum just says that she'll shut the cat out but I feel it's all in the air anyway.

She also suffers from other allergies. Hayfever, dust mites etc. Literally have to keep everything dust free! She has no issues with our dog though! She's been around dogs from a very young age though...

Can a cat allergy last for days after a trigger?

OP posts:
Username536448227 · 31/01/2022 18:44

I obviously mean can the symptoms last a while, not the actual allergy!

OP posts:
Purpleflashingunicorn · 31/01/2022 19:10

Yes it absolutely can.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 31/01/2022 19:15

Mine can. If I know I’m going somewhere with cats, and to a lesser extent dogs, I take an antihistamine for a couple of days before and after. And when I get home I have a shower, wash my hair and change my clothes.

HermioneWeasley · 31/01/2022 19:16

I reckon for me it’s about a day per hour to clear the symptoms and it’s miserable, so much worse than a cold.

Nice of your mum to get a fluffball cat when her granddaughter and son in law are allergic.

Cookerhood · 31/01/2022 19:33

Did she wash her hair & change her clothes when she got back?

Lagarthatheviking · 31/01/2022 19:36

Second others. I need a shower, change of clothes and an antihistamine before symptoms go away.

Username536448227 · 31/01/2022 19:37

My mum is a crazy cat lady for sure. She thinks it's as simple as locking cats in another room but it's already in the atmosphere 🤦‍♀️

She had her usual shower and pjs not long after she got home. Clothes were obviously washed...

OP posts:
RockerTheQuokka · 31/01/2022 19:38

Make sure all her bedding and the clothes she has worn are all washed.

Yes, it can last for days.

Username536448227 · 31/01/2022 19:38

It's been a few days. Trying to figure out if it's the cat as symptoms started then or coincidentally a cold on top of it. Causing her too cough a bit from being snotty!

OP posts:
Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:06

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to reduce symptoms? She's coughing from being so bunged up since and her face and eyes are red still like a rash . She had covid 2 weeks ago and in December so highly doubt it's covid again but could be a coincidental cold... symptoms started right after cat exposure.

She's been taking antihistamines, she was showered not long after she got in. Nothing was taken into my mums house and brought home so none of her items should have allergens on!

I'm gonna hoover and wipe around my car later if if stays dry because she would have sat in her car seat with her clothes on from there!

Is there anything else apart from antihistamines? She's not keen on nasal sprays 😪

OP posts:
user094746788 · 01/02/2022 09:12

FWIW in future tell her not to touch her face after touching cats. I'm allergic and I'm fine to stroke them, until the moment I touch my face (especially the eyes)!

It's surprising how often we subconsciously touch our faces too

Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:24

@user094746788

FWIW in future tell her not to touch her face after touching cats. I'm allergic and I'm fine to stroke them, until the moment I touch my face (especially the eyes)!

It's surprising how often we subconsciously touch our faces too

Yeah definitely! I'll think I'll make sure to have hand wipes available to and regularly vigorously wipe them over all the time. Proably will avoid going over there to be honest. They could come here (but then allergens could be on my families clothes but I guess it's less so than being in their house) or meet them in public. She's suffering so bad! Almost wheezy now! It could be a virus but symptoms started just after exposure!
OP posts:
trumpisagit · 01/02/2022 09:32

If it is affecting her breathing I would call GP. They can prescribe stronger anti histamines.
I am allergic to cats but have a lovely cat.
I am mostly fine with her as long as I wash my hands after touching her (and don't touch my face).
She doesn't go in my bedroom.
I think you get used to cats you are exposed to but can remain allergic to other cats.
I had no idea I had a cat allergy until I left home at 18, as we had always had cats. When I visited my eyes would swell, sneezing etc.
It's much better these days.
I have had an emollient for my eye lids, eye drops, nasal spray etc. I recommend eye drops if your daughter would try them.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 01/02/2022 09:35

All the family need to put the clothes they were wearing when they visited in the wash to remove any traces of cat dander, hair and spit.

It sticks to everything - I have cats and I'm forever finding their hair stuck to things. I been found ginger hair from a cat I had seven years ago on some clothes once - that was two house moves later Grin

Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:37

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

All the family need to put the clothes they were wearing when they visited in the wash to remove any traces of cat dander, hair and spit.

It sticks to everything - I have cats and I'm forever finding their hair stuck to things. I been found ginger hair from a cat I had seven years ago on some clothes once - that was two house moves later Grin

It was only me and Dd there. Clothes have been washed 😊 I'm always washing clothes anyway 😅
OP posts:
Seriouslymole · 01/02/2022 09:38

Have you given her antihistamine since getting back? I would try again now.

Yes, it can last for days. How old is the cat? If it's not likely to die soon you're stuck with it or your mum gets rid of it depending on how nice she is, how much you see her etc. In future I would always carry antihistamine with you and give it the minute you get to your mum's.

Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:40

@trumpisagit

If it is affecting her breathing I would call GP. They can prescribe stronger anti histamines. I am allergic to cats but have a lovely cat. I am mostly fine with her as long as I wash my hands after touching her (and don't touch my face). She doesn't go in my bedroom. I think you get used to cats you are exposed to but can remain allergic to other cats. I had no idea I had a cat allergy until I left home at 18, as we had always had cats. When I visited my eyes would swell, sneezing etc. It's much better these days. I have had an emollient for my eye lids, eye drops, nasal spray etc. I recommend eye drops if your daughter would try them.
Thank you. I grew up in a house full of cats (mothers always been obsessive over them). I've never felt like I've been allergic but I find now as an adult living in a non cat household, my nose starts to twitch and even I sneeze in my mums house. But I wouldn't say it's an allergy.

Problem is my mum has several cats. She has hard flooring which is good but it still sticks to other soft furnishings like the sofa, curtains bedding etc and she's not overly fussy with cleaning!

We have a 5 year old dog (had since a puppy) but have had no issues with the dog and DD's allergies. So it really is just cats!

OP posts:
Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:41

@Seriouslymole

Have you given her antihistamine since getting back? I would try again now.

Yes, it can last for days. How old is the cat? If it's not likely to die soon you're stuck with it or your mum gets rid of it depending on how nice she is, how much you see her etc. In future I would always carry antihistamine with you and give it the minute you get to your mum's.

She has several but has a kitten which is a massive fluffball, all her others are older and short haired.

She's had antihistamines every day since 😪 in the summer Dd has daily antihistamines anyway due to hayfever but not so much this time of year!

OP posts:
OneTC · 01/02/2022 09:42

Yes my other half is/was like this but not always, sometimes an instant and goes quickly reaction, other times it lasts for a day or two

As an aside: she loves cats, and she had the chance to adopt one and she did (we had an agreed plan with our friend who's cat it was that we had a second home lined up as well) and after about 3 weeks to a month she wasn't having any allergic reaction anymore.

Now it affects her if she's got a cold but not at any other time

Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:42

I plan to buy a spare bottle of antihistamines and put in the car for unexpected trips. To be honest it was the first time in 6 months we'd been there...

OP posts:
OneTC · 01/02/2022 09:47

Also I have a lot of allergies (also cats but similarly built up an immunity) hayfever, medications, scented detergent, and I have chronic urticaria that may or may not be allergy related and I find that when I have a bad allergic reaction I seemingly become temporarily allergic to loads of stuff I haven't previously had a problem with. I take antihistamines for about 300+ days a year

Maybe the dog, or dust mites, or whatever is keeping the reaction going

Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:49

@OneTC

Also I have a lot of allergies (also cats but similarly built up an immunity) hayfever, medications, scented detergent, and I have chronic urticaria that may or may not be allergy related and I find that when I have a bad allergic reaction I seemingly become temporarily allergic to loads of stuff I haven't previously had a problem with. I take antihistamines for about 300+ days a year

Maybe the dog, or dust mites, or whatever is keeping the reaction going

Possibly for Dd too. She does suffer a little from allergies in the winter too but usually minimal.

She seems fine with the dig (not just saying that) but I find if I am moving furniture around she will suffer - moving dust around. I've recently bought a better vacuum with an allergy seal - she has seemed better since then as suffering in September - November badly but been fine since!

OP posts:
Username536448227 · 01/02/2022 09:50

We used to go to mothers more often pre pandemic. She would always get sneezy but short lived, maybe a few hours. But maybe because we don't go as much now means she gets affected more so when we do visit!

OP posts:
ToastofLandon · 01/02/2022 09:50

Yes it absolutely can. My DH has a severe cat allergy, he takes fexofenadine for it. After a recent visit to my DS house even with airflow and the cat being away from DH, he still ended up wheezing which didn’t go away until the next day after he used an inhaler. I would definitely contact your GP.

Suchamuddle · 01/02/2022 09:51

It's not just the hair, it's also anything the cats could have licked. Did you have a handbag with you? If you put it down allergens could have transferred to it and you might be touching it. I am very sensitive to cats and have to be very careful. I am more allergic to some cats than others, and the amount of hair doesn't really matter.
I moved into a house where there had been cats and it took weeks before I stopped suffering, despite thorough cleaning on the day we moved in, and several times over the next few weeks. I wiped down walls, etc, but still sneezed and wheezed.

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