Giving up a pet- please help

[Sarahjaned]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice. Please be delicate with me as I'm really torn up about this.
I have a cat, he's been with me for almost 13 years. I absolutely love him to bits.
A year ago a moved in with my partner, who has always been mildly allergic to cats but we've managed to get by pretty well by keeping on top of cleaning etc.
Recently though his allergies have got much worse and it's impacting him badly on a daily basis. He constantly sneezes and struggles with breathing and ends up with rhinitis.
I've tried many different things to help (strong antihistamines, pet dander treatments, air purifiers) but nothing is having enough of an impact.
He's really patient and has never once asked me to give the cat up.
Very recently we had a baby and I'm finding it's become much more of a struggle to keep on top of all the cleaning etc that we need to do to try to keep my partners allergies at bay. To the point where I'm exhausted, he can hardly breathe, and it's starting to impact our relationship.
I don't know what to do. The poor cat can never spend time cuddled in with us and I'm always aware of the negative impact he's having.
I'm considering giving him up for his sake as well as ours.

He's the best, most loving, chilled out little creature and would make someone very happy but it devastates me to even think about parting with him.

Any advice, suggestions or comments welcome ♥️

In this situation, my first thought would be if there was a family member or friend who might be willing to have him. Word of mouth would be a good place to start, and might allow you to see your cat occasionally.
But yes, I think you do need to rehome him.

Everyone’s suffering here, it would be the best to rehome him, I’d try friends and family and if not a local rescue to make sure he doesn’t fall into the wrong hands

Your OH sounds amazing. has he tried any immunotherapy? Not that it will work, but could be worth exploring a chat with a specialist? Strange that the cat allergy has got worse. I’m allergic to cats but build up a tolerance to our cats with time (eg when we are back from a holiday). It’s worse if there is other allergens eg dust or pollen. Or a whiff of damp.

It’s ok if your lovely cat needs to be rehomed. There will be an amazing home out there and I’ve no doubt it will bring huge amounts of joy.

sending hugs OP.

There are a few things you can do to help make life easier for both you and your spouse. For example, you could keep the cats out of the bedroom and forbid them from entering any other shared spaces. You could also try to keep the house as clean as possible, since cat allergies are often caused by allergens like dander and fur. If that's not enough, your spouse may want to consider getting allergy shots or using an over-the-counter medication like Claritin to help reduce symptoms.