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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.

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Original poster

Child living with a cat allergy? Am I mad to consider this?

39 replies

CityDweller · 27/09/2021 13:12

We want to get a cat and have been looking into pedigree cats because I have in the past been allergic to a cat (but grew up with one and was fine with that one and with most others I've met). We decided on a Bengal, found a nice breeder, etc. We have two DC - one of them, DD(8), has seasonal hayfever but has never shown any reaction to cats before.

We've done two visits to the Bengal kittens. On visit one (we were there for an hour), DD was completely fine - no reaction at all during or after the visit. On visit two (a week later), DD was sneezy and had really itchy eyes within about 20 mins of being there and we left after about 45 mins because her eyes were really bothering her. The only things that were different on the two visits were: visit 1 - DD had taken her hayfever pill/spray the evening before (about 18 hours before the visit), on visit 2 she hadn't taken any medication. Also on the day of visit 2 DD's seasonal allergies were anyway a bit flared up (she was a little sneezy/ snuffly on the way there) - mine have also been a bit flared up recently as they often are at this time of year.

Now I don't know what to do! My unscientific conclusion is that DD has a mild allergy to cats that could be managed by her regular hayfever medication that she anyway has to take about 5 months of the year. But I also don't want to set her up for a childhood of having to take medication every day. I'm also worried the allergy might get worse. But on the flip side I've read lots of stories of people building up tolerance/ immunity to their own cats.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? What would you do? The irony is that I've resisted the rest of the family's pleas to get a cat for years, thinking that I was the allergic one. Turns out I'm completely fine, but DD potentially not. We all feel a little heartbroken at the prospect of giving up our cat-owning dreams. But I absolutely do not want to get into a situation where we have to rehome the kitten after a few weeks because DD's allergies are unmanageable.

OP posts:

scrillish · 27/09/2021 13:16

You would be crazy to get a cat in these circumstances. We got a geko in the end which allergic child is fine with.

Amrapaali · 27/09/2021 13:19

Try a Siberian forest cat, they are good for allergy sufferers. The allergy enzyme in their saliva is really low. Still have to do allergy sittings

If your DD has allergies, she definitely won't become immune to them living with a cat. Sorry! She may but it's not a given.

Heavy duty air purifiers and hayfever medications are in your future I'm afraid

ChateauMargaux · 27/09/2021 13:24

Your child already suffers from hayfever. Don't make it worse. While the medication might help symptoms, her body is still fighting the allergy to some extent and then dealing with the medication. Even if her symptoms become less obvious and it appears that she has increased her tolerance, in my experience this manifests itself in other ways, mood changes, constant low level exhaustion, sensitivity to other things.

Even if her allergy is under control, it does not mean that her body is not reacting. It is hard to control pollens but you can control the animals you have in the house.

MrsGhastlyCrumb · 27/09/2021 13:28

Sorry, I think you should shelve the idea now. I grew up with a cat-allergic sibling. She's never grown out of it, and even now I don't own a cat as if she were to visit she'd be unable to stay in my home for more than an hour before having a reaction. I appreciate that not everyone is as allergic as that, but it does sound as though your daughter would have to take medication all the time at the very least, and that seems rather unfair on he- and also on the cat if it turns out that it's not enough and you have to rehome it.

Original poster

CityDweller · 27/09/2021 13:30

Yes, I think you're all probably right (I just needed to hear it from someone else).

OP posts:

DiaryofWimpyMumm · 27/09/2021 13:34

I had 2 ragdolls returned to my when I bred. Their little girl came out in a rash and was severely allergic to them

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/09/2021 18:32

You’d be mad on two counts.

A child with an allergy.
A Bengal. They really aren’t cats for first time cat owners. Their noisy, they need a lot of stimulation, they have incredibly high energy levels & need a cat proof garden. Their clingy to their human. They fight with any cats they come into contact with & they don’t mess about they go in guns blazing.

wasifakber · 27/09/2021 18:34

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PlanDeRaccordement · 27/09/2021 18:38

No I would not get a cat with a child allergic to cats. It sends message that an animal is more important to you than your child.

Also, it takes repeated exposure to trigger an allergy. So the fact she did not react the first time doesn’t mean her allergy is mild. The fact she reacted so quickly on second visit indicates it is likely a severe allergy and will only get worse if you have a cat in the home with her. She could also develop allergy related asthma- you don’t want that added to hay fever type responded.

LoveFall · 27/09/2021 18:47

I am allergic to cats and have been my whole life. My eyes itch like crazy, and swell up. When it happens I am miserable. I also now get asthma.

I am over 60. When I was a child allergies were not as well understood. People would pretend there was no cat as then maybe I would not react. Nope. I always knew.

I would still love to have a cat but I can't. Honestly, getting a cat when you have an allergic child would be madness. So would giving her medication in order to have a cat.

Sorry OP.

alexdgr8 · 27/09/2021 18:51

why would you even think of imposing this on your child.
at least you are willing to consider that you may be wrong.
you are wrong, to even think of doing it. don't.
put your child first.
well done for not rushing ahead.

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 27/09/2021 18:53

It definitely seems like she is allergic so it would be a no, sorry.
My cat came to me as a friend had an allergic child. She had had the cat before her son, he’d always had mild asthma symptoms but when he was about 7 friend and husband split up. When son was coming home from his Dad’s cat free home to his Mam’s he started getting really bad asthma attacks and the only thing friend could do in the end was rehome her cat, great for me, sad for them.

FeckTheMagicDragon · 27/09/2021 18:56

I’m allergic to cats, and have hay fever. I have two Russian Blues (10 years old now) that are good for allergy sufferers. I can’t even stroke my sisters cat without starting to sneeze! Maybe try your DD out with a visit with a different breed? They are also lovely cats, snuggly, less vocal and stay playful well out of the kitten stage.

RightsHoardingDinosaur · 27/09/2021 18:57

Sphynx cats are supposed to be good for people with allergies as what causes the allergies is cat dander. They also have splendid personalities.

ElspethFlashman · 27/09/2021 18:59

My DH has a dander allergy (tested) but we took the risk because his IG levels were relatively low and he had lived with cats in house shares before with no issues.

He occasionally has a sneezing fit if the cat has been lying on him but that's it. He's not particularly

If it was at your DDs levels we wouldn't have gone forward, sorry. Recipe for disaster.

Joystir59 · 27/09/2021 19:06

@CityDweller please don't do it- I'm allergic to cats and its like having constant flu when I'm around cats. A lifetime of antihistamine barely controlling a feeling of being unwell itchy breathless and sore-eyed.

purplesequins · 27/09/2021 19:10

don't get a cat

it would be unfair on both the cat and your dc if you have to rehome it.
living with allergies is miserable (been there, got the lung damage) not being able to breathe because of allergic asthma is a scary thing.

elaeocarpus · 27/09/2021 19:27

We have a cat
I was/am mildly allergic to cats, always had one growing up, i am barely reactive now as an adult.
One of my DC is, it turns out, also mildly allergic. Mostly if she touches cat then touches her face she will react, or if too much hair around she'll sneeze a bit. We manage it by excluding cat from her room, lots of vacuuming and diligent hand washing after touching cat. She is much more allergic to her friends cats in their houses.
It is possible your child may be more/less allergic to different breeds; different exposure routes.
Its harder to introduce a pet once you are aware rather than other way around

Justanothergeneric · 27/09/2021 19:42

Bengals have a different protein in their saliva than other cats (because they are cross-bred with a different species, Asian Leopard Cats). As such it is quite possible to be allergic to Bengals but not allergic to moggies/other pedigrees. Equally a lot of people who are allergic to moggies are not allergic to Bengals (so they can be a decent option for people with cat allergies). I'd see how your daughter gets on with a moggie or different pedigree.

Original poster

CityDweller · 27/09/2021 19:43

@FeckTheMagicDragon

Interesting… She has a friend with a Russian Blue that she has stroked and played with with no reaction at all. But I can’t remember if it was when she was taking her hay fever meds.

Anyway, . I know the rest of you are right. I guess I was hoping for a slew of ‘my child was allergic and is now absolutely fine…’ stories. Poor DD is going to be so sad as she’s the one who really wants a cat, ironically. (And me too - I miss having a cat)

OP posts:

ColouringPencils · 27/09/2021 19:44

Don't get a cat! This thread makes me feel wheezy and itchy just thinking about it.

Original poster

CityDweller · 27/09/2021 19:48

@Justanothergeneric

Hmm. I hadn’t thought that it might be a Bengal thing. But this makes me realise that this is the only time she’s displayed allergies to cats. Fine with her friend’s Russian Blue. And no issues when we stay with a family member who has a cat (although to be fair the cat scarpers whenever we’re around - so she hasn’t actually stroked him, but presumably if she was highly allergic she’d react to the dander that was around in the house?).

OP posts:

Suzi888 · 27/09/2021 19:51

As a child I was allergic to my cat. I took an antihistamine every day. I did grow out of it to a degree as an adult, I’d wash my hands before touching my face etc. Our cat was only allowed on two rooms though, never upstairs and definitely not in my bed.

A friend of mine got a cat and she was allergic and had to rehome it after a few weeks.

ColouringPencils · 27/09/2021 19:54

If your DD has to take hayfever medicine 5 months a year, and had an allergic reaction to this cat, it seems like absolute madness to me. Were you really allergic to cats yourself and still want to get one? Allergies are horrible, why would you inflict it on yourself?

Jammydodged · 27/09/2021 19:54

My husband is allergic to cats and dogs. When he was growing up it was thought he was asthmatic except he only had symptoms in the house..:. It’s not just sneezing and being itchy, being around them dries his skin out. I personally wouldn’t.

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