cat allergy

[falasportugues]

Hi everyone.

My dd2 has blood tested as having maximum sensitivity to cats. My CM has 2 cats. Her eczema did worsen around the time she started being cared for by our lovely cm (3 years ago) and it's still bad. wwyd? I don't want to change cm, as i know the local picture, and i think she is the best for our family. I am under pressure at work to work more hours not less. any ideas gratefully recieved.

are you for real?

your dd eczema got worse - you got her tested for cats as positive and yet you keep sending your dd to the cm KNOWING she is allergic and dont want to change cm

wwyd - change cm if your cm wont get rid of her cats -which tbh she prob wont

i am very allergic to cats and the fact i can chose whether to go near/work with them - but you are subjecting your dd and she has no choice and tbh is probably miserable and fed up having sore/dry/cracked skin

she is NOT best for your family, if your poor dd is suffering

I think three years is too long already for your DD to be at the childminders. There is one answer find alternative childcare. She is not best for your family if she is makeing your DD ill.

If the cat/s are making your dd so ill then you need to find a new cm. I have two cats myself but they are not really in the rooms I mind in when I'm working and only time kids see them really is when they leave, put shoes on etc in the hall as I keep them away from the kids during the day (my choice), would your cm consider something like this?

Have you tried an antihistamine? My son has bad hayfever and has been taking antihistamines since he was about two. I believe they're one of the safest medications to take so it might be worth a try.

Can the childminder keep the cats out of the room that your DD spends most of her time in? Would your childminder be willing to use products on her cats to reduce their allergenicity? Pets At Home sell wet wipes that you can use to remove the loose fur and dander from their coats. You can also get brushes such as the Furminator (sounds scary I know) to remove the dead hair. Also does your childminder have a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter such as the Dyson Animal?

There are lots of ways to deal with cat allergy without having to necessarily remove your child from the childminder. Maybe you could buy an air ioniser to put in the room where your child spends the most time. This will purify the air and remove the allergens.

Also, if her eczema is bad can she take her creams to the childminders and apply them through the day?

I am very allergic to cats myself and have taken the drastic step of getting a Siberian Forest Cat which are known for being less allergenic than most breeds. I am only very mildly allergic to her (I only get a reaction if I rub my eyes after handling her or if she rubs up against me under my chin) but I do find my tolerance for other cats has improved somewhat as a result of having a cat in the house.

HTH,
Aurora

depends on the allergy tbh polly - i cant not work with cats in the house as they make my skin sore/eyes weep and nose itchy

so even if not in the room, its the actual cat being around, though some say its the saliva and not fur that people are allergic to - so keeping cats in the other room wouldnt work with me

neither keeping a cat would make me less allergic - i have fairly regular contact with the furry felines as 99% of my friends own them - do you think they are telling me something

and i def still allergic to them and i suffer spending 10/12hrs a day 3/5days a week being near them if working

but can survive for a cuppa/few hours babysitting etc

i got into bed with my friend saturday morning - after her bf had gone home and i was lying there rubbing my nose and said, really weird, i feel as if theres a cat here, which i know there isnt as friend has 2 dogs and she said her new boyfriend has 3 cats and i was lying where he had been

very strange

lets hope any new man i meet doesnt have a cat - or will have to choose which pussy he wants to keep rofl

bad blondes !!!

My DD has a severe cat allergy which really affects her asthma. Her consultant advised us that the only course of action was to rehome our cat (which we did), he also told us that it can take upto a year for the house to become dander free (the dander is the bit that causes the allergy, something to do with the cat washing itself). We did try every other course of action first but nothing worked (antihistamines, keeping the cat separate, damp dusting, minimal soft furnishings, keeping everywhere as clean and dust free as possible).

I think you might need to rethink her childminder, sadly.

I think it depends on how severe your dd's eczema is and if you can manage to keep it under control with regular moisturizing - I'd be a bit concerned about regular use of steroid creams as they are not good for the skin long term.

I do sympathise - my ds had asthma and eczema which started around the time we introduced cows milk, so we tried all sorts of diets and creams. He was never offered or given any allergen tests until his asthma got worse at around the age of 9. It showed he had an allergy to cat and dog dander and we had owned a dog that had died only 3 months before the test. So we were fortunate that we didn't have to make a choice about rehoming our dog but he had been with us for 14 years and it would have been like having to rehome one of our children

But I do think in your case it shouldn't be quite so heartbreaking - if your dd's eczema is bad then finding new childcare should be the way to go. There are lots of good childminders out there, children are quite resilient and usually adapt to the change better than us adults. If your childminder decided to stop minding or you moved areas then you would be looking for new childcare. It will be sad to leave after 3 years with her but you really need to put your dd's health first.

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your input. Yes, I am for real!

It has been a long process to get to the point where my daughter has been tested. There was a worsening when she started going, but it was not sudden, so I didn't add 2 and 2 together. She is also , it turns out, allergic to house dust mite, which is a big factor at home. I am trying to eliminate this as far as possible by the steps recommended by the nurse, and her bedroom, in particular is much better now. It's not like the cats is the only problem! Although some areas have plenty of childminders, I do know my local picture, and the capacity of local childminders is almost full. For this reason, stuntnun i will be trying your suggestions first. I'll have a chat with her tomorrow about it, but the pet products, special hoover and ioniser are all great suggestions.

Thanks everyone for your help.... its always useful to get a range of opinions.