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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Anyone who is allergic to their cat read this.......

14 replies

Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:04

DH is allergic to cats and has asthma. Not a great combo Blush

Of course I still wanted cats despite this irritation minor hiccup so I researched what to do for him in order that we might be able to have cats.

Apparently white fur is somehow more allergenic than black. I got black cats with white paws due to this.

The allergy is normally to proteins in the dander. I bought a Furminator and Petal Cleanse. I also got DH Beconase Hayfever Relief. I have to say that this combo has stopped the wheezing that he started doing to the extent that he had to use his nebulizer. If he doesn't take the Beconase twice a day then you can hear the mucus build up.

The cats love the brushing and washing with the Petal Cleanse as well which is a bonus.

Best of all, I don't have to live in dread that the cats will have to go as my DH is too poorly Grin

OP posts:
belgo · 13/03/2011 10:06

What is the long term effect of your dh taking beconese twice a day?

ijudge · 13/03/2011 10:07

I am allergic to cats. I suffer like your dh.

Can't believe you would even consider having cats tbh. Your dh is mad to stay with someone so selfish IMHO

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:13

wooooow judgey Ijudge.........

DH already takes the asthma drug Becotide which is a similar drug which many asthmatics take as a preventer. DH actually wanted cats as we have both had cats from being children and have had a break of 4 years since our last one. Therefore I needed to do what I could to ensure that he would not be ill but still be able to enjoy having cats Confused.

This post was intended to be a "there is still hope if you are allergic to cats" post but clearly taken in the wrong way by one poster.

OP posts:
edam · 13/03/2011 10:14

dh became densitised to our late cat and her successor. Still allergic to other people's.

(For clarification, he wanted a cat too, so badly that he hid his initial wheezing from me - I was thinking 'wow, he's really not as bad as I'd thought' and he only confessed years later.)

belgo · 13/03/2011 10:15

My dh is also allergic to cats. Fortunately he does not have asthma.

I am very surprised that your dh is willing to have cats in the circumstances. I love cats but I am happy to have other animals instead.

Do you have carpets?

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:20

We have laminate and vinyl downstairs and the cats don't go upstairs unless they sneak up there by mistake. There is no sleeping in our bed.

He didn't realise that he was allergic to cats his whole life somehow as he thought that it was just "his asthma". However when we didn't have cats his asthma improved. It shows though that when he used to use Beconase during the summer due to his hayfever symptoms, his asthma was better than during the winter when he didn't. I always thought it was to do with the weather but obviously not.

The cats have also been very helpful for our DS who is being assessed for some Specific Learning Difficulties as they seem to calm him and also he is learning that he needs to be gentle and quiet around them which definitely he wasn't before!

OP posts:
belgo · 13/03/2011 10:26

has he been tested for other allergies? It turns out my dh is allergic to loads of things, meaning he can't mow the lawn for example, and we had to get rid of some shrubs in the garden.

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:29

He has never actually been tested for anything Belgo! He is one of those kind of men who will leave something really sore like a broken arm for 3 days until he can't bear it any longer! The thought of him actually mowing the lawn in the first place would be great though! Grin

It might be worth getting him tested. Did you get it done on the NHS?

OP posts:
belgo · 13/03/2011 10:30

We had it done privately because we live in Belgium.

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:32

aha. Should have thought Belgo = Belgium Blush

OP posts:
edam · 13/03/2011 10:45

Ben - yeah, I bet Belgo is right and he's allergic to loads of things. My dh has eczema and asthma and is allergic to fur, feathers, grass, basically everything you can be allergic to except for food. (Well, apart from the less common allergies like latex. At least I assume he's not allergic to latex but he never wears rubber gloves so who knows?)

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 10:47

At least DH is bird-phobic so no chance of him ever getting near feathers let alone a bird! He once ran in the path of a London bus to get away from a pigeon!!

I'll get him to chat it over when he next goes to the asthmas clinic thanks

OP posts:
belgo · 13/03/2011 10:50

Has he got a death wish, getting a cat when he's allergic, nearly running into a bus due to fear of pigeons?

Original poster
Ben10isthespawnofthedevil · 13/03/2011 11:01

Grin Grin Grin

I think his mum was even less impressed to be pulled into the middle of Streatham High Road with him Grin

OP posts:
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