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

Original poster

I'm allergic. Should I get a cat anyway?

32 replies

ewchoc · 20/07/2022 16:37

I've always loved cats more than anything and everyone in my family has at least one or two. We had a family cat when I was little but found out I was allergic and had to give her away (to my grandparents who lived round the corner, so I saw her all the time). I've never had any pets as an adult, partly because of work & holidays, having no one nearby to watch them if we went away. But now I find myself at home full time, with DH too ill to travel (so we're never away at the same time). I have two autistic children who I know would benefit hugely from having a pet. I am considering a dog but I'm really not a dog person. I love cats! And a cat would fit into our lives so perfectly. The only problem is my allergy. I've just been googling and have found that there's a pet food that supposedly makes your cat less allergenic. Is it true? Are there any other options? I'm just really hoping that somehow science has moved on in the last 40 years and there's something I can do to make it work?

OP posts:
ohblowmedown · 20/07/2022 16:40

I very much doubt that works. I'm allergic to cats and I can't think of anything worse than living with one and having constantly itchy eyes/runny nose/asthma attacks. So yeah, YABU.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 20/07/2022 16:42

I don’t think anything has moved on in the last 40 years. The only thing that’s moved on is my allergy which gets worse as time passes.

Tgeres no cure unfortunately. I’d love a pet, but the itching, sneezing, wheezing is unbearable, and anti histamines are no use at all.

Oneearringlost · 20/07/2022 16:45

If you are allergic to cats then you are allergic to a protein in the cats saliva, not the dander, so I would be cynical about how a cat fod diet could eliminate or even ameliorate that.
My DS has ended up in hospital due to an exacerbation of cat allergen and needed IV steroids.

mathanxiety · 20/07/2022 16:47

There are breeds which don't cause allergy symptoms.

Siberians are one I am aware of (I have one - good family cat).

Mueslikid · 20/07/2022 16:48

I have cats and I’m allergic.

I have a few other allergies so I take a daily antihistamine anyway.

I’m usually fine. Sometimes I have a bit of a flare up for a few hours, but it isn’t constant. Maybe once every couple of weeks or so. I think my body has just got used to it.

A friend has a hypoallergenic cat - might be a Siberian?

newtb · 20/07/2022 16:48

Apparently cats like Maine Coons cause less problems.

Our vet, 30 mins from national stud, was allergic to cats, horses and hay. Our fat was the first Maine Coon at the practice and he was Ok with her. He had a soft spot for her, and used to cut her claws for free when she was old. Didn't stop her attacking him and peeing on his table, though.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 20/07/2022 16:50

Hypoallergenic animals don’t really exist.

mathanxiety · 20/07/2022 16:52

Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, Javanese, Balinese also hypoallergenic.

You would need to find a reputable breeder and shell out quite a lot for a purebred kitten or older breeding cat.

I got my Siberian by accident, long story.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 20/07/2022 16:59

I'm allergic to cats (mildly) and always have them. In fact, my allergy has significantly reduced to my own cat as I've acclimatised. I wash my hands after stroking her and if I don't and rub my eyes, I always suffer for it, but other than that I can pick her up, let her sleep on my bed etc. When she first arrived (about 18 months after my Old Boy died) I was sneezing all the time, and when I visited my sister and her Monster Cat earlier this year I was wheezing again. I think that if your allergy isn't too bad, you can adjust. My allergies have always been annoying but manageable rather than severe, though.

Original poster
ewchoc · 20/07/2022 17:34

Hmm, not quite as positive as I was hoping! Maybe if I got a breed that tends to be more hypoallergenic and fed it the food it might at least help? My allergy is quite bad to be fair, I take a daily antihistamine anyway and if we go to family I get symptoms even without touching the cats. Mostly sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose but sometimes my eyes swell up and if I spend too long there my throat starts to feel a bit constricted. I just feel so guilty that my children don't have a pet, and I know how much we'd all love a cat as part of the family. And I do know people like some of you that do have cats with an allergy and manage ok. Maybe their allergies are milder though.

OP posts:
Kindofcrunchy · 20/07/2022 17:42

Please disregard posters claiming certain breeds are hypoallergenic. There's no such thing. This might help: www.catchat.org/index.php/blog/1988-allergic-to-your-cat

HundredMilesAnHour · 20/07/2022 17:42

I was allergic to cats from childhood - I love them but allergic is allergic unfortunately. In my early 20s, one of my flatmates got a cat (didn't bother discussing it with anyone else). Within a few months I had my first every asthma attack. Apparently cats are quite a common trigger for asthma according to my GP at the time. I ended up moving out but the asthma has stayed with me for life. I've tried everything (my father moved in with his partner who has cats so it means I can never visit) but nothing made any difference apart from avoiding cats. I love animals and a cat would be ideal for my lifestyle but not my allergy. You need to stop grasping at straws OP.

MaChienEstUnDick · 20/07/2022 18:13

If you fancy having a taxi driver turn to you in the middle of the fare and saying 'sod taking you home lass, we're going straight to A&E' then crack on...

I think this would be a really bad move. My childhood allergy 'disappeared' after we got our cats, only to return with a vengeance three years later leading to cat-allergy asthma, nearly having to call an ambulance out in the middle of the night and the above close call after being at a friend's house with a cat. It's just not worth it. And I had to re home the cats at the end of it (because it was just becoming untenable) which would be worse for your kids than never having them in the first place. Don't play fast and loose with this.

Iwanttenofthose · 20/07/2022 18:26

Sadly I wouldn't recommend it. I used to work in animal rescue and we used to get a LOT of perfectly healthy cats dumped on us for rehoming for no other reason than their owner is allergic. I was understanding when the owners had developed allergies since getting the cat, because they weren't to know, but getting a cat when you know you're allergic (and have already had to give a cat away because of it previously - so I assume it's not mild) isn't a wise move imo, no matter how much you like them. I don't think there's any evidence to support the idea that it might be different this time around - sorry.

As an aside, I know it's not the same as having a pet but is there anywhere locally you could volunteer to spend a little of your time helping out with rescued cats? Rescue centres often appreciate this type of help and you might find having contact outside of your home and for just a few hours at a time is more manageable for you. Just an idea, I appreciate it's not for everyone and not the same as having a pet, but might be rewarding in a different way.

Itsnotwhatitlookslike · 20/07/2022 18:30

if we go to family I get symptoms even without touching the cats. Mostly sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose but sometimes my eyes swell up and if I spend too long there my throat starts to feel a bit constricted.

well then you would be incredibly foolish to contemplate getting one. It would be even more unfair, to the DC and the cat, to get one that you then have to rehome because it makes you so ill.

Yarnasaurus · 20/07/2022 18:34

With those symptoms you'd be bonkers and reckless to get a cat.

And even if the allergy formula food worked for now, what happens if/when your hypothetical cat needs a special or medical diet?

SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound · 20/07/2022 18:35

We’ve ended up looking after two semi feral kittens who live outside and although one is tame enough to let me stroke it, I’ve found I’ve become more sensitive, not less and now I come up in welts if the fur touches the skin on the inside of my wrist.

Back when I had to drive them to the vet for neutering I wanted to claw my skin off and the vets is 5 minutes from my house!

CointreauVersial · 20/07/2022 18:36

We had a cat during my teenage years and I suffered horrendously. Even though it never came into my room I was constantly wheezing, streaming and sniffling.

Interestingly, at 55 my allergy is much weaker. Some cats don't seem to affect me, but some still do. No idea why!

Original poster
ewchoc · 20/07/2022 18:50

Oh dear, really does sound like a no then!

OP posts:
deedar · 20/07/2022 19:05

I'm really allergic to cats and we use the live clear dry food. When our last cat died a few years ago we decided not to get another as my allergy was making me miserable. As well as the allergic asthma and daily itching and sneezing I'd also get irregular allergy attacks which felt similar to a 24-hour flu-like illness. My kids also had mild allergies.

But then a neighbour found a stray cat who they couldn’t keep and so we tried the cat food. He's still with us 4 years later and is the hairiest most shedding thing ever. But none of us have allergic reactions to him. So it works for us. I don't think it's likely to work on all cats but it is amazing when it works.

Apparently it removes the fel-d protein from their saliva so when they groom they aren't releasing the allergens. Caveat though that he is a dirty beggar and rarely bothers with a full clean so perhaps wouldn't release the proteins as much as a more fastidious cat anyway?

Greenkitten · 20/07/2022 19:12

Could you get one of those hairless cats? I’ve always wanted one and never been allowed ( husbands says they’re too expensive and kids think they’re creepy). They love to be bathed so I would have thought that would keep the allergens down and obviously a lot less hair. I stalk them on instagram and am getting one as soon as the kids move out.

Toddlerteaplease · 20/07/2022 20:21

My friend is horrendously allergic to my Persians. It sets her brittle asthma off. I can here her wheezing after 15 minutes.

Yarnasaurus · 20/07/2022 21:06

Greenkitten · 20/07/2022 19:12

Could you get one of those hairless cats? I’ve always wanted one and never been allowed ( husbands says they’re too expensive and kids think they’re creepy). They love to be bathed so I would have thought that would keep the allergens down and obviously a lot less hair. I stalk them on instagram and am getting one as soon as the kids move out.

As a poster said above, it's the proteins in cat saliva that trigger an allergy response, not the fur.

Also, allergies can escalate with no warning, and what the OP describes is not a mild allergic reaction, and it's really not something to mess about with and take risks.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/07/2022 21:09

Don't even consider it!

GonzoGonzo · 20/07/2022 21:27

To add my experience, I am also allergic. It triggers my asthma.l never thought i would get a cat as didn't even like them but a neighbourhood cat change my opinion... He moved on so we researched and went for a Devon Rex breed x 2. It was not a good start with bad allergies but we tried the special food & in time it has worked. You get the odd flair up but easy to manage. I would also recommend a good hover with filter.

Devon Rex are a fun breed, will play all day!