Should I Give Up My Adopted Cat ?

[Fatdream]

i already love my cat and I think she loves me too.

But I’m extremely allergic , but not anaphylactic shock allergic to the cat

I’m currently on Zyrtec and Flonase . The reason I’m up right now is because I can’t breathe. . It seems to work decent but always wear off by 15 hours . I wake up with dry mouth and sore throat because I breathe from my mouth since I can’t from my nose .

I have her for a month now n I’m thinking of giving her another month: I really want to keep her but I don’t know if I can justify the cost of my health . But on nights like these I really question whether I should take her back now

How long does it take for people who noticed they became “desensitized “

 

[Fatdream]

Isn’t she a sweetie breaking my heart

 

[Lindzee2018]

I'm so sorry you found out you were allergic. =[

An air purifier may help.

Also I guess allergy shots are a thing if you are really looking to keep the kitty.
Allergy Shots (Immunotherapy) | AAAAI

Other thoughts, do you have a family member or a close friend that would take her, so you can still visit if it came to that?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If you want to try an air purifier, I'd suggest a good ionizing purifier. They seem to work best.

Best of luck to you both! I know your heart is breaking right now. If it were me, I'd get the shots. In a heartbeat.

 

[Kieka]

I feel your pain. I think it usually takes me 6-9 months to adapt to a new cat enough that it isn't a constant thing. If you're doing the flonase once a day you may want to check about doing it twice a day instead or mixing in a Benadryl right before bed. Obviously, check with your doctor first before changing medications.

Allergic To Cats.
Anyone Here Allergic To Their Cats?
Allergic to Cats
Living With Cat Allergy

 

[lalagimp]

When I was younger, we'd taken in these twins that someone was giving away at Petco. Lady said the mother never came back. They were just a few weeks old and we took them, vaccinated them, sterilized them, had them for almost 4 months and I gave them to a friend because they were really setting off my allergies. I already lived with guinea pigs and loose hay around, but those particular cats didn't make things easy on me. I was taking Singulair from the doctor. Maybe even Allegra at the time, but I can't remember. The next year I got cats again. This time things weren't so bad, and the next two cats I'd gotten I've had now for 9 years. I take OTC allergy meds every day and still live with guinea pigs and the hay out. I even have two more cats - but recently my oldest cat tried to murder me. My senior decided she wanted to sleep with her mother on the pillow at my face. 5 am I woke up with a cat in my face and my sinuses were freaking out. I spent all day eating benadryl and using the neti pot.

So what would you like to do? Do you want to try a different type of cat, or is this your cat? Can you try different allergy medication? Can you do allergy testing and do shots? is your reaction more in your airway and less in your face... like can you use Advair as an inhaled steroid?

You could also try using dander reducing wipes and wiping her down every few days.

I didn't grow up with cats because all I knew was that I was allergic, so we had dogs. When I was 18 I found out that there are dogs I am severely allergic to as well, so there may be different cats that I'm not so allergic to. It went the same way with my guinea pigs. Some of them would give me a nice reaction, and other guinea pigs I had didn't do much to me at all. I know exactly which two cats I can stick my face in and huff them, and which two cats I probably shouldn't do that with - one being the 9 lb tortie that slept in my face.

 

[Etarre]

I started dating my husband, who is allergic to cats, when I already owned a short-haired cat. He understood that she was non-negotiably a part of my life, so he worked on figuring out how to spend time with her without dying. At first, he had to be very careful not to touch her, to stay away from her favorite furniture, blankets, etc., and I vacuumed constantly. She learned that he was not receptive to head bumps but would play with her if she asked. He found this manageable enough to spend time at my place and eventually we all moved in together. He did find that when he spent time away (out of town on vacation, etc.) he would have a harder time reacclimating when he got back, and sometimes needed to use OTC antihistimines. He's always resisted doing cat shots or allergy medicines.

I don't know anything about allergy meds, but some of the antihistimines do have 12-hour formulas that are supposed to work overnight. Of course, they are very drying, and perhaps they're not any better than what you're currently doing.

You might want to talk to a doctor or allergy specialist to see what your options are so you can make an informed decision. Good luck! I really feel for you. I don't know what I would do if I developed an allergy to my kitty.

 

[Neddiex]

i already love my cat and I think she loves me too.

But I’m extremely allergic , but not anaphylactic shock allergic to the cat

I’m currently on Zyrtec and Flonase . The reason I’m up right now is because I can’t breathe. . It seems to work decent but always wear off by 15 hours . I wake up with dry mouth and sore throat because I breathe from my mouth since I can’t from my nose .

I have her for a month now n I’m thinking of giving her another month: I really want to keep her but I don’t know if I can justify the cost of my health . But on nights like these I really question whether I should take her back now

How long does it take for people who noticed they became “desensitized “

My husband was put on medication by an allergist when I rescued our first cat. We now have 4 rescues
and he is doing just fine. Vacuuming to keep up with the hair helps. I think there are also
drops your vet can give you to put in the cats water dish to help.

 

[catsknowme]

My sister used to take the shots because she was allergic to her 2 cats. Her CA allergist had recommended that she give up her kitties and she was considering doing that. But then the opportunity to move to TN came up; her allergist in TN is a real cat lover. He suggested that she have all the HVAC venting in her house inspected and cleaned. She wound up having to replace a lot of the venting replaced and new filters installed. Also, some mold was discovered and repairs made. With those irritants removed, her allergies reduced to the point where she discontinued the shots and uses only OTC medications as needed!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I hope you find something that will work. We never did. My husband tolerated one cat in the house, but when we added a second, he developed severe allergies that nothing helped. Our solution was to move the cats outside to a fenced in area with access to a fully screened porch. He can sit there now in the presence of the cat. He can handle the cat if he remembers to wash his hands.

We learned the hard way that the steroid nasal sprays had some bad side effects that caused him to need a doctors care for his eyes. Medicines can help, but they do have side effects. People need to educate themselves about these risks before they decide on enduring life with something they are allergic to.

 

[catsknowme]

Blueeyedgirl is right - I forgot to mention that my sister also had to get hardwood flooring instead of carpets and drywall replaced in her guest bathroom. She and her daughter had severe allergies - needing shots, nebulizers, Rx meds. Now, my niece is on 1 pill a day and my sis gets by on OTC meds as needed, mostly when she is doing yardwork.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper's Girl-Human is allergic to cats. It took her about half a year to acclimate to having a new cat in the house.
She takes Benadryl when she needs it and she uses an inhaler for her asthma.

Tactics we use:
1) Vacuum the floors, carpets and furniture frequently.
2) Wash the bedsheets and do laundry often.
3) Take a shower at least once per day.
4) Ventilate the house as much as you can... Use fans or air purifiers but the best tactic is to just keep windows open whenever possible.
5) Use cold/allergy/asthma medicine as needed. Benadryl is the drug of choice for this household, as well as the asthma inhaler.
6) Try to encourage the cat to sleep elsewhere beside the bed. If not put a comforter/cover on the bed so that you can take it off before going to bed.

We've had Casper for a bit over two years, now, and Girl-Human hardly notices except for occasional flare-up days.

 

[Willowy]

Although I can't advise you to take more than the recommended amount. . .some allergists will tell you to take Zyrtec twice a day if once a day doesn't cut it. If it doesn't make you too drowsy anyway. Just mentioning that . Ask your doctor/allergist.

If it's hard to breathe, talk to your doctor about getting an inhaler. That's not really something you want to mess around with.

 

[Caspers Human]

Although WE can’t advise what medicines to take or what amounts, your doctor can.

That advice can often be handled by a phone call.
If you’re up to date on your medical information and visit the doctor regularly, you can usually call the doctor’s office and ask.

Then, on a subsequent visit to the doctor, you can discuss your allergy situation in more detail.

I have done such a thing myself.