4yo DD showing signs of allergy to new kittens!

[ImogenTubbs]

We had a cat when DD was 2,who sadly was killed by a car after six months. DD showed no signs of allergy to him. 18 months later we've finally got two new kittens who are completely adorable and DD loves them.

We've had them a week and she is starting to show signs of an allergic reaction - one of her eyes is irritating her, she's been sneezing and coughing a bit, to the point we've given her her inhaler a couple of times (she has one after some wheeziness the last time she had a chest infection). She's also had a small rash on her face.

Has anyone dealt with similar and how did you manage it? It doesn't seem to be serious so far but we'd be devastated if we had to find the kitties a new home!

Irritated eye? Rash? Needing inhaler?

Of course you'd be upset if you have to part with the kittens.

But you can't be serious about keeping them, if this really is an allergy, can you?

sorry, you need to rehome the cats.

and clean the house top to bottom to get rid of the allergens.

and no, she will not 'grow used to it'

you don't fuck about with lungs, people die of asthma, allery induced or regular.

I'm a lover but I would rehome if my dc were allergic. It doesn't matter that she wasn't allergic as a baby, you can develop allergies as you grow up.
It could get worse the longer you leave it too.

Start giving her some piriton every day until you can find a home for them.

I'm also a cat lover as well as being a lover 😹

Thank you for the replies. I'd like to see if there is anything we can do to minimise the effects but if that doesn't work after a couple of weeks we will rehome them.

Have you tried Petal Cleanse? It's supposed to be good for reducing allergens

Really sorry but they have to go and the sooner the better in terms of her attachment.

Devastating as kittens are the best but you can't mess with asthma. If it was hayfever type symptoms you could maybe go for it with antihistamine and petal cleanse but with wheeze it's not worth the risk.

Thank you. The more I read the more it seems that even if we could find a way of living with them, DD wouldn't be able to play with them and that would probably be harder for her than saying goodbye now.

Hulder, yes, that's what I'm afraid of. It's only been very very slight so far, not really wheezing, just a slight tight noise in her breath IYSWIM, and coughing. It would be awful if they triggered asthma in her.

It would be awful if they triggered asthma in her.

it already has... sorry to say. she must be feeling miserable.

People often get used to the cat. My dh has quite bad allergies to animals, but vet "used" to them after a few weeks. As long as he doesnt touch his eyes after stroking the cat he is fine with ours.

It already has triggered asthma in her as she is wheezy and making a tight noise when she breathes. Sorry.

tbh I would also take your dd for an asthma nurse appointment, she might need different medicines on top of her current inhaler.

Bruffin, I'm genuinely pleased for your DH, but, sadly, most people's allergies actually get worse with repeated exposure. More histamine release, more symptoms. Especially with asthma.

If you are significantly allergic to cats, you don't have to be directly in the presence of one to have a reaction. ExDH had an asthma attack from sitting on a sofa, that earlier in the day had been sat on by a cat owner, so a few hairs left.

I would be rehoming g these kittens asap- the longer you have them, the harder it will be for everyone- including the kittens.

Thank you all for the replies. I think we are facing the inevitable.

DH has talked about taking them back to the rescue place where we got them but I would be very unhappy with that as it was a slightly chaotic farm type place with all the kittens in the same room - I think it would traumatise them. I think we'll start asking around among friends if anyone would like them. They are delightful kittens - beautifully behaved and trained and have been very happy around DD. It's such a shame.

Do you know though, thinking about it, in the short six months we had our last cat she had three chest infections and had to be taken to hospital once with breathing problems, and on two separate visits to my parents (who have a cat) we've had to take her for emergency medical attention for breathing difficulties. She wasn't showing typical allergic signs, they were more like symptoms of infections, so we just thought she'd had a run of bad luck picking up bugs, but thinking about it now it all adds up.

Dancingledge
Allergies do not necessarily get worse at all. Dh and ds both have nut allergies, we are used to allergies in our house. The latest research has cured allergies is actually increasing exposure, albeit starting from minute exposure. It has been done with nuts and dog allergies
Dh has really bad reactions at my sisters, with cats he doesnt know, and hadnt touched. He does get "used to" cats he is around every day. My ds is the same. It is not unusual for this to happen.