Anyone Allergic To Their Cat(s)?

[chwx]

Ugh! So since bringing home Oliver on Sunday, I have been fairly miserable. Congested, sneezing, headaches from sneezing so much, puffy/irritated eyes, ect. It has been so long since I had a cat that I didn't think about allergies. I've spent small bits of time with cats of course but never been stuck in a house/room with one long enough to have bad side effects. Anyone have suggestions on helping my symptoms and bringing down his dander?? I bought some new brushes and was honestly thinking about a weekly bath which thank GOD his previous mom has been doing fairly often since he was a kitten so he's used to it. I'm not familiar with the selection of allergy pills out there or what may or may not work. I do know I don't want to take something that turns me into a zombie! Any suggestions? Just wondering how others manage?

 

[Draco]

There's quite a few people here who has cat allergies. I am sure they will chime in!

Some take shots by the docs
Some take OTC Medication (not sure which)

Some take extra measures by getting room purifiers and bathing/brushing their cats more often, along with dusting and vacuuming too.

 

[cprcheetah]

Allerpet C works wonders for my husband and I's kitty allergies.  We wipe them down with it once a week.  Our kitties are strictly indoors as that way they don't bring in more dander/pollen from things outside.  I am on Zyrtec (OTC) and Singulair (Prescription) for my allergies.  

 

[wolfie305]

I used to be very allergic to cats until I got my first job at an animal hospital and worked there for 5 years. Now I have two of my own and rarely have troubles. Occasionally they do act up and I take a claritin or something to get me through

 

[reggie2011]

My girlfriend is allergic to our cat. Luckily we have hardwood floors and take special care to make sure he doesn't get onto the bed. It's usually pretty manageable, though winter time can be harder than summertime. Fortunately her allergy doesn't seem severe enough to have to treat him for dander or anything.

 

[jcat]

I'm allergic to cats, but manage by keeping textiles to a minimum, i.e., we have hard floors, leather furniture, little in the way of drapes or throw pillows, etc.. We had an industrial-sized HEPA air filter system installed, and use vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. I used "allergy" pet wipes on our last cat, but then switched to just wiping him down with a wet washcloth once a week, which is just as good, and have continued that with Mogli.

 

[lamiatron]

I've never had cats before, so i never knew whether or not i was allergic. I've had 2 of them for 3 months now, and for the past 1 month i've been having bad allergies. My boyfriend has been allergic from day one. Here are some of the things we try to help us:

-We have a HEPA air purifier/filter, for which the filer is cleaned every 2-3 weeks

-We have hardwood floors, so i'm always sweeping daily and mopping once or twice a week

-We are both on OTC allergy meds, he's on Zyrtec and i'm on the store brand loratidine (rite aid brand for me, it works great, zyrtec gives me a bloody nose)

-we purchased pet wipes from Whisker City. They say hypoallergenic on them, but I think its meant mostly for the cats, wipe down every 2 days, and it has helped

I've ordered the AllerpetC and i'm waiting for that to be delivered to used it. I've read great reviews on it, and you have @cprcheetah  who says it shows great results, so i'm excited to try it, you should look into it and see if it might work for you.

Some days I don't need to take the OTC meds. I only take it once every 2-3 days, when i notice a an allergy fit coming about. since my boyfriend has more severe allergies, he has to take Zyrtec whenever he comes over.

hope these suggestions help you. 

 

[pezkat]

So sorry!  I've lived with cats all my life, and the year I turned 40 I developed allergies to cats and dust mites!  Currently I take Singulair at night (doesn't cause drowsiness & helps me breathe while surrounded by dust mites, lol) as well as a natural remedy called Allermax - the main ingredient is Quercetin & it also has stinging nettle & vitamin C.  Any health/natural food store or even a large chain drugstore might have something similar.  I still have a little sinus drainage but no watery eyes or sneezing.

We don't let cats sleep with us and most recommend not letting them in the bedroom at all; guess you gotta choose your battles, lol.  We dust & vacuum weekly (which is more often than we used to).  Our current cat is not a big shedder which helps, but I have used the anti-allergen pet wipes as well as a Furminator (outdoors!).  Oh and I also sometimes use an anti-allergen laundry detergent (hot water kills dust mites but not pet dander, & not everything can be washed in hot).  And lots of lint rollers (clothing, bed, etc.)!

Good luck!  Maybe after a couple weeks your body will adjust & they won't bother you as much (happened to a friend of mine).

 

[asherdash]

I used to have to take multiple allergy pills AND a nasal spray every day for a few years. Now I can get by with one pill a day of the generic version of Zyrtec.The first three times I took Zyrtec it
made me very sleepy but a coworker said to keep taking it for a week and after that week it no longer made me sleepy. If I touch my face after touching the cats then I usually do still get a full blown attack. Itchy throat,very painful watery eyes,the works. In the 90s before I had cats and my best friend had several,I'd spend every weekend at her house and I would suffer the entire weekend,benedryl helped but that knocks me out fast. If the Zyrtec doesn't help, Allegra-D is really good but it interacts with some other meds I take and it winds me up in an awful way and it's pricey. Sorry for the rambling, Investigation channel got me distracted.

 

[lilin]

Ugh! So since bringing home Oliver on Sunday, I have been fairly miserable. Congested, sneezing, headaches from sneezing so much, puffy/irritated eyes, ect. It has been so long since I had a cat that I didn't think about allergies. I've spent small bits of time with cats of course but never been stuck in a house/room with one long enough to have bad side effects. Anyone have suggestions on helping my symptoms and bringing down his dander?? I bought some new brushes and was honestly thinking about a weekly bath which thank GOD his previous mom has been doing fairly often since he was a kitten so he's used to it. I'm not familiar with the selection of allergy pills out there or what may or may not work. I do know I don't want to take something that turns me into a zombie! Any suggestions? Just wondering how others manage?

I had mild cat allergies throughout my childhood. Because I was always around them, they did clear up as I aged, and now I don't have any symptoms except slight puffiness if I get a scratch. Even an unfamiliar cat doesn't really bother me.

So time can help. That's one thing to remember -- you might get better as your body gets used to this particular cat, or just being around cats in general.

In the mean time, there's lots of stuff you can try, both for yourself and your home and cat.

Try getting a HEPA filter for your vacuum to get allergens out of the carpet better.

Try washing your sheets or any covers on your furniture more often.

There are some "dander wipes" you can get for your cat. Try wiping kitty down with those.

For me, Claritin was the med I liked best. Benadryl and Zyrtek had the zombie effect for me.

You might also try getting the allergy shots as a long-term solution. The initial course takes a while, but they can dramatically improve symptoms. Some people require occasional maitinence treatment, but it might be worth it for the long-term commitment of having a cat.

 

[gatita35]

Benadryl and some eye drops ( to relieve allergies )

 

[nalacatsmama]

I do have some pet dander allergies.  Mostly mild thankfully as I love animals(cats and dogs).  On occasions if I pet my cat and not wash up I can rub in eye and get extremely painful itchy eyes.  Usually washing especially at season changes I find I don't get much annoyance from the allergies.  When I do Claritin helps or Benedryl. 

 

[cussinwolf]

Zyrtec for me.  Not near as allergic as when I was a child but I still test allergic for cats. An occasional sneeze and watery eye once in awhile.  I would not get rid of my Clyde for any reason.

 

 

[chaajo]

I asked a similar question like few weeks ago. And I've been taking Claritin and a decongestant. They should work...as long as you're not suffering from sinuses like me. 

Mine is really nasty and often worsens my allergy.  >__<

Also wherever my cat's hair accumulates, I'd just wipe it off. And just as others suggested, keep her away from your bed as much as you can. It's hard for me because I can't resist letting her sleep between my arms.

Another best solution is to give yourself a time...allergy shouldn't stay for too long.

 

[sparkie]

I took allergy shots for 3 years and they worked great! I think they're starting to wear off though.  I highly recommend them in any case