Allergic to my kitten?? HELP!

Oh my goodness, I'm so worried that I may be allergic to my 7 mo. Persian male kitty whom I have totally fallen in love with. I've always had problems with dryness with my eyelids during the dry winter season. Now winter is over, the heat is off and I've never been more miserable in my entire life. My lids are SEVERLY burning, scaling, itchy and I can't get any relief. I love my cuddly baby and I'm very worried. Any suggestions from anyone with cat allergies? I'm going in next week to get tested....I will die. This is the first time in my life I've had an animal that I love this much....now I get the love people have for their pets (I had a mean cat before for a short time). HELP. Would an air purifier help?

 

Have you tried taking algery medication? I have 4 cats and I'm allergic to all of them, but as long as I take Claritin, I do just fine.

-Chelle

 

Your doctor will probably put you on some allergy meds...The best I've been on is Alegra-D(sp?) and Claritin.
Also, you can try a Hepa air filter, one with a fan that will actually CIRCULATE air, not the Ionic Breeze thing(Info: http://www.aircleaners.com/sharperimage.phtml) Your doctor will probably know which one would be the best.

This site may help you out with air cleaners...http://www.aircleaners.com

 

I was very allergic to my first cat. I wheezed and had itchy eyes for weeks. But then it began to get better. I now have 2 cats, I've had them for 2 years and i'm completely okay. There is hope!

 

I won't bore you w/my long SIL story - but she never had pets since she was allergic her mother wouldn't even let her have a goldfish.
She's even allergic to toothpaste...seriously - her face blew up and the skin peeled off. Was horrible. She can only use Aquafresh as there is an ingredient in toothpastes she is allergic to and Aquafresh is the only one that doesn't have it.
Anyway - she and her hubby found a kitten that had been left behind when owners moved...and the kitten was pregnant :x
It took her a little while to adjust to the kitten's dander but while waiting (she's an RN) she didn't let the cat sleep in their bedroom, she took benadryl at night and she wiped the cat down daily with a damp washcloth.
Then she started to wean herself off the benadryl.
Now the cat even sleeps w/them!!!! And she has no problem.
But she comes into my house and you can see her skin go from lily white to blotchy red due to my cats. But she has built up a tolerance to her own.
Keep in mind most allergists will insist you get rid of the pet DON'T....I'm also allergic and I use a product called Becanese and that helps me immensely.
But don't let the doctor talk you into getting rid of the cat...you can always wipe your kitten down with a damp washcloth everday to get rid of the dander. It's the dander you are allergic to - not the cat itself.

 

I agree with Mary about keeping kitty out of the bedroom. That can really make a big difference. My dad is VERY allergic to cats, but i refuse to get rid of mine. I am very meticulous with her grooming tho, and he doesn't seem to have a problem with her at all, but if one of the nieghbors' cats so much as rubs on his leg outside, he can hardly breathe withing minutes. I bathe mine every 3 weeks with frequent wipe downs inbetween. I also brush her everyday with a slicker brush and a flea comb which really helps get a lot of the loose hair. I also give her a daily brewer's yeast tab with garlic and omega 3 which is sposed to help with excess shedding. I don't really have a set routine with that except the bath time and she gets her tablet in the morning with breakfast. I usually have her brushes and comb out within easy reach so if i have her in my lap petting her i just reach over to grab something to brush her with and that makes it easy. If you could get yourself into a habit of good grooming...and i highly recommend wet bathing...along with the air purifier and keeping kitty out of bed, i really don't see why you would even have to spend any lengthy time on medication. Maybe just to start off while you are adjusting. Good luck!

 

My allergist calls me "Miss Allergy" so you've come to the right place! I have never tested positive to cats, but I have all of the symptoms now so he told me just get rid of the cats. NO WAY JOSE! Not even an option. I didn't get rid of the grass and trees when I tested positive to those, did I? I have been on allergy shots for about 10 years and I'm sure we'll add cat to the next round when I'm re-tested. I have seen a HUGE improvement on the shots for everything else, so that might be an option for you--if you're going to an allergist. But he did tell me it's hard to test for cat allergy. We're actually allergic to a protein in the saliva that then gets on the dander.

I take a multitude of allergy medicine but I just like good 'ol benadryl at night because that's when mine's the worst. I also use a nasal inhaler like Mary--I use Rhinocort. I also wipe Copper down with cat wipes. One poster here told me about allerpet-C and it sounds like it will work really good, but I haven't splurged on that yet. You wipe the cat down with it and you can get it at pet stores or on-line.

So as was already said: DON'T GET RID OF THE CAT (unless you're having life threatening reactions....) You can live with him!

 

talking about allergies....the nurse practitioner I went to left the state and in order to get a refill of my Becanese I have to make an appointment and pay an office visit (don't have good health insurance) just to get a refill and the Becanese itself is very expense. So I've gone w/out it for awhile now and have been using Clariton, but I am a cheap Yankee so I didn't buy any this week.
I had a major blowup this morning. Standing in the bathroom sneezing horribly - eyes got all runny...couldn't breath couldn't see. Grabbed an allergy relief pill which turned out to be a cold/flu pill (couldn't see my eyes were watering so bad).
Well let's just say I wouldn't make a good druggie :roll: I was so out of it this afternoon. Helped my niece move and 1/2 way down the stairs this stuff hit me - I nearly broke my ankle on the stairs I wove when I should have weaved.
Came home and slept...with 2 cats :mrgreen: for 3 hours. Kinda defeats the whole purpose doesn't it LOL

 

Allergic to my kitten?? HELP! reply

Thanks for the encouragement and replies. Yes I am taking Zirtec allergy med. along with a med. eyedrop for allergies. Nothing has helped so far which is why I'm going to the allergist on Tuesday. Murphy does sleep at the head of our bed, but on the floor. Does that make a difference? I'm telling you my eyelids are so puffy and red and feel like razor blades cutting into the edges. Tonight I even went to buy a new kind of clumping litter, thinking I might be allergic to the Tidycat clay stuff with scent. Ohhhh! I haven't tried the wipe down thing either so will start that immediately. I've read that once the dander gets around the house, it is very hard to get rid of, so wondering how my bedroom could begin to get purified.....I guess I'll put in a purifier in there. People comment on my eyelids because they are so puffy in the corners. Thanks again for the responses! Deb in Minnesota

 

:m23: and welcome! I'm so sorry you are having such a rough time. I agree with others. I've heard from close friends that the air purifier makes a huge difference. Wipe downs, grooming, and baths help tremendously. And of course you need a good vacuumer. I too am allergic to my kitties, especially the longer fured ones. Swithching from Iams to premium foods like Chicken Soup, Wellness, and Pro plan wet and dry has helped with the dander problems tremendously especially on Monty. Our kitties love napping with us and my nose would get stuffed instantly whenever Pumpkin and Monty came near me. Good luck!

 

I feel ya on the itchy, puffy eyes. Do you have an allergic shiner yet? Black and blue swelling under the eyes? Those are always nice.

Is there chance that your cat sleeps on your pillow when you're not there? Copper was doing that. Now I make sure he stays off of MY pillow at least. He still sleeps on the bed--but on his side.

And do you have carpet in the bedroom? The carpet in my bedroom is the next to go. I am amazed at how much cat hair and stuff I sweep up everyday in the rooms I've already replaced the carpet with laminate. That means that stuff was just getting deeper and deeper into the carpet.

Personally, I've never had any luck with zyrtec. Just knocks me out. Actually more so than benadryl does. Good luck with the allergist!