Cats and allergy

[afalmartin]

As a family we are seriously considering a cat, research shows a cat would fit our family best. We have a problem in that DH and I are allergic (low level allergy, sneezing and itchy eyes) question is, could we desensitise ourselves/build immunity?

Hopeful bump

I think it could potentially make it worse but best thing would be to consult an allergy specialist to get their opinion,

What do you mean when you say a cat could suit your family best? Do you actually want a cat?

No you can't.

You can take tablets to stop the side affects but you'll build up an immunity to them and eventually have to take more stronger tablets and possibly steroids.

Hi Lala thanks for replying, the (badly worded) phrase just meant that we'd love a pet although with both of us working out of home a dog would be unfair and although we have people who could pop in and see/pet a cat daily, they wouldn't be able to manage to walk a dog. Also because of my job (teacher) I could be with a kitten/older cat over the summer to introduce them to our home and us. However, the absolute last thing we want is to both be unmanageably allergic and have to rehome. In fact that's not an option, if there's a doubt that we can comfortably have a cat for the whole of its life, we wouldn't have one in the first place

Any other advice? Would I be best contacting an allergy specialist (where do I find these?)

just don't.
you will be miserable and it's unfair on the cat to have to be rehomed.

I am allergic to cats, dogs, rabbits, horses etc, really quite badly so (have to take antihistamines whenever we visit pet households). However, we have two cats and i was brought up with cats, and as long as I don't directly rub my face after stroking them (hello puffy eyes) or get saliva on me (get v itchy) I'm completely fine at home. I have definitely become desensitised to our cats and wouldn't be without them. No specific advice for you, but thought it might be helpful to know it's possible.

My DD is cat allergic.
We didn't realise as we had the cats before her and she didn't react to our cats. I wasn't until we were thinking about getting another cat and we went to see a litter that she reacted - itchy and wheezy ( she has asthma). We said we couldn't take the kitten(s) but the owner of the mum cat said we could return them if necessary so we took 2.
DD didn't react at all after a couple of days and now has no reaction at all - she does still have a few symptoms if we go somewhere with a cat and when mil used to have one DD suffered if she slept where it has been sleeping.
The point I'm trying to make is that providing no one has a severe reaction it might be manageable in the short term and then you might not react at all after a while. The only problem is you won't really know until you try and then you face possibly having to rehome the cat

You can get a solution called Petalcleanse from Amazon, you wipe it over the cat a couple of times a week and it helps reduce the allergens. Apparently the allergens are caused by the cat's saliva mixing with particles from their skin, it is called dander. Not actually the fur. Also, longer haired cats may be better as they have less dander.
I looked into it a while ago as our Ds can be allergic, however we have a medium haired cat who he is fine with! I also have an unopened bottle of the petalcleanse sitting in my cupboard, never needed to use it, if you PM me your address I don't mind posting it to you.

Both dh and ds are allergic to cats. Dh gets used to cats after a few weeks, but always makes sure he washes hands before touching his face after touching her.
Ds has lots of allergies any way so cant tell if its the cat or not. But neither of them would be without our cat. We have had her for 5 years now.

Poise what a kind offer, were not going to rush into anything so we're ok for now, but I'm really touched that you've offered, thank you , were really keen on having a cat but just want to make sure we've really considered/thought it through before we make a final decision, all opinions are really gratefully received

DH and I are both allergic to cats, sneezing, itchy eyes and skin where they've got saliva/scratched. We had two, now only one as we lost one unfortunately but I'm totally fine with him and DH is fine as long as he washes his hands after he touches him (though if I'm honest I don't think he needs to, he just likes to moan).

That said, I did know for sure that I got used to cats after a few weeks as I've had cats before. Took a risk with DH and luckily it paid off.

I discovered I was allergic to cats when I was 14 and stayed at a friend's house and had asthma for the first time. For the next 20 years or so, I got wheezy whenever I came into contact with cats and also feathers and dust. Also runny nose and streaming itchy eyes within minutes of being in a home with cats. Assumed that I would never ever have a cat.
A few years ago, I noticed that I no longer got asthma with any of the triggers and stopped using inhalers. I don't know what triggered the change : it stopped as suddenly as it started. Then last year, a stray cat turned up in our garden, and after trying to find her owners with no luck, we took her in. I am fine now with cat allergies, as long as I don't touch my eyes after touching the cat ( makes my eyes itch). Other than that, I can sit near her and stroke her with no problems. So, I would say that allergies can decrease in severity, to the point that it's barely noticeable, but I don't know how or why!

I was really allergic to cats - got one of my own and took Benadryl daily - however I must have built up an immunity because I don't need the meds now.

Ps only needed the meds for a month or two...

Getting excited that it might be possible, thanks so much everyone

No worries, just let me know if you change your mind! Hope you find the right cat soon