Litter Allergy???

emelyssa

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Brax was a feral cat until I took him in late May. The day I trapped him, I got him vetted and the doc said he had signs of allergies, particularly apparent in his ears. I have been working with Brax and while we visit and play together every day, he's not ready for me to touch him yet. I noticed that he has been stuffed up / congested for the last week, and also a little sneezy as of today. Brax lives in my master bathroom right now (he isn't ready for larger spaces just yet, and is scared to go in my bedroom even if I leave the door open). He has been exposed to no other cats as he is totally isolated. I can't take him to the vet because he will revert to Wild Cat and will need to be sedated. I will lose all the progress I've made with him.

Could it be an allergy to clay litter? We use Arm & Hammer Slide Platinum. I was thinking about switching to the Naturals version made of corn cob instead of clay. Has a switch from clay to corn litter helped anyone else?
 

CindyH66

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Good morning ! I discovered Peanut is allergic to litter ! she was at a shelter for 3 months and they never noticed ? if not, they didn't mention it. :mad2: anyway, I noticed she would bolt from her box ..sneeze. started scratching, and worse of all she would dig her ears and flip her head like crazy !!:dizzycat:I put 2 + 2 together... went out and got Tidy Cats Free and Clear Litter. Viola! all behavior stopped. she even started digging in it, covering up her "potty business" :catrub:! I did take her to vet to be sure she did not have ear mites , fleas , etc. ..nope. it was all litter sensitivity !! Its the perfumes , dyes and stuff added that she couldn't tolerate. BTW, I bought other brands that CLAIMED to be fragrance/dye free.. she STILL had problems. Not all litters are created equal. She started digging again, wheezing !! back to Tidy Cats: all better again ! I was sold. Now I just get that . Not sure what exactly is triggering her problem ( and dont want to spend a small fortune on bloodwork to find out, frankly) since I know what's doing it.. I'll stick with one I know is ok. yes, it can happen !! good luck !!:cheerleader:
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Since Brax WAS seen by a Vet already, what type of allergies did the Vet suspect? Of course, it certainly wouldnt hurt to switch the litter, but sometimes food can cause issues in areas like ears. So if you can discuss this with the Vet he already saw, it might save you some time in trying to figure out the problem. What exactly is the issue with his ears? Is he scratching at them? Are they getting gunk inside? Different things cause different issues. Too much yeast can cause gunk to build up and a change in food can help. Scratching at the ears can be food OR mites or even an ear infection. The congestion and sneezing could be a kitty cold, an upper respiratory infection, herpes virus or even seasonal allergies than something like Zyrtec might help.

What did the Vet recommend? If he needs medication ( including allergy meds), would you be able to give it to him by putting it in his food? I'm guessing you would not be able to pill him at this point.
 
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emelyssa

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Yes, I will call and seek advice before just switching the litter. The vet thought allergies based on how the ears looked- allergies to something outdoors, anyway. Brax is paying and eating well, but I definitely hear the congestion. Can't give meds and won't take to the vet unless absolute emergency based on his unique situation.
 
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