Kitty Allergic To Pollen Or Dust?

[Colourcloud]

Hello fellow cat lovers. My kitty Rudy has a problem. We just moved to our new vacant house, a mobile home, one week ago, in Northern CA (from Tulsa OK) and the first 3 days were fine...he was happy, and playing...also climbing up on tall kitchen cabinets...which were very dusty.., so we cleaned them off...but the last 3 days, he has been SNEEZING FREQUENTLY...the rugs have been seriously vacuumed, that was done before we moved in, and again after he started sneezing...he is fine otherwise..no nasal discharge, he is eating, playing, sleeping during the day, and up at night...and the sneezing has tapered off...but still frequent and I am wondering if it could be POLLEN. There are TONS of trees and bushes surrounding each dwelling...and since it is hot, I have been opening the screened windows in the morning. I also had to turn on the heater two mornings...and there is a swamp cooler in the center of the house, which I hesitate to use, since it is so noisy. Today I didn,t turn on anything but the fan in the living room...and there IS yellow pollen outside on a lot of things.
He has an appointment Wed am with a vet, since I don,t drive, and that is the first day I could get a ride or appointment.
Has anyone ever experienced their cat sneezing like this? Could the pollen be coming inside the house and causing this? Tomorrow I am not opening any windows to see if he is better. Again, there are NO other bad symptoms. We did have a very stressful week before we got here, staying in a hotel 2 nights, then on an two airplanes...where he stayed with me but I know he was very stressed out. This has been a HUGE change in both our lives..it is just the two of us...and the house is empty..but for a few items...like a bed, chairs and small table. Our furniture isn,t arriving untill this weekend. Thanks for any input, or advice.

 

[Colourcloud]

Omg, I just had an epiphany...there IS one new item in this house...I was in the spare bedroom..when Rudy came in, and started sneezing..as I was changing the sheets on a new mattress and bed frame. I wonder if the materials in that mattress have chemicals in the fabric, which are causing his sneezing. I am sleeping on it until my mattress gets here. Oddly, I had just put on the mattress cover, which instructed be washed before use. Makes me wonder what was in the cover that it had to be washed first. I had been sleeping on it almost one week...but just now washed and added the cover over the mattress. What the heck are they making bedding from that might cause a cat to sneeze? That is just WRONG.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Similar to us humans, our cats can also develop allergies from certain substances, like pollen. Symptoms, among others are scratching at eyes, lethargy, coughing or sneezing. I suggest that your cat limits his exposure to such things that you suspect causes his sneezing etc. Keep him indoors. Bring him to the vet.

I hope he gets better.

 

[MissClouseau]

I have dust mite allergy and can tell by experience it's a bit misunderstood. A place can be very clean yet still have dust mites/their waste. To give you an idea only 60C degrees washing kills most of them on the curtains, carpets, beddings, etc Since they live on fabric the most if the couch or mattress aren't microfiber or leather, the chances are it has dust mite and only a barrier like a waterproof bed cover will help.

Pollen allergy may also not be allergy if the only symptom is sneezing. Sneezing is also a reaction of trying to get rid of substance from respiratory so even the people (and animals) who don't have pollen allergy might sneeze if it comes close to their nose. Same with dust.

 

[Colourcloud]

Thank you for your replies. He is an indoor cat only...this morning he is a bit lethargic...but actually, MY eyes are all itchy etc...tomorrow morning we go to the vet...

 

[Colourcloud]

The vet said all looked good, it IS probably pollen...I also noticed he sneezes a bit when he gets into his fabric igloo with pillow...which has his hair on it...a lot of his hair...we didn,t take this on the plane with us, but had it sent by mail.could ha be allergic to HIMSELF after 4 days without sleeping in it? Yes, I plan to clean it with a lint roller as I have no vacuum attachments, but I threw my back out.
Today his sneezing was minute only one or two sneezes.

 

[Kflowers]

It takes a few years to get used to the pollen in a new place, and by a new place I mean as little as 25 miles from where you were. If it gets bad, take him to the vet again. They do have antihistamines for cats, but they do have side effects for them as they do for us.

 

[Colourcloud]

Oddly, the weirdest thing happened yesterday...we take a nap together every afternoon, which is the only time he gets into his covered fabric igloo. Yesterday when I put it on my bed, for him...he seriously HESITATED b4 going into it..I could tell he didn,t want to get into it, but it is sort of our ritual each afternoon. I put my arm in there with him, he rests on it...but I noticed his hesitation...NOTE, he was FINE in the new house UNTIL his igloo came by mail a few days after we got here...and he didn’t start sneezing u til after it arrived..so later that afternoon, I packed the entire thing ina garbage bag, and put it away in a high shelf. I also re washed our blankets, which had also arrived by mail..and the CHANGE when I removed the igloo was AMAZING! He went immediately back to the happy kitty he’d been when we first arrived! Playing, running around, purring etc. I was overjoyed, and plan to toss it out on garbage day. I dunno what that thing was made from...but something in the material was making him sick! (Sorry, CHEWY) but no more igloo. Thank you all for your help. If anyone else has had a similar experience like this, I would love to know.
Also, there is a redwood tree just outside that window, and I notice my eyes r scratchy when I wake up.
Bye for now...hug your kitties!