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Will I ever build up resistance to cats?
UnknownSaint
KasynRegistered User regular
KasynRegistered User regular
This is more of a curiosity than a big help crisis thing, but this is basically it. When I was younger I was ridiculously allergic to cats and dogs. From hanging out with friends who have had dogs enough, I've almost entirely built up a resistance to my dog allergies. It doesn't affect me at all, and if it does it is very minor and after a very long time in a very rarely vacuumed house. Cats are another story. Not many people I know have had them, so the few friends of mine that do...well I don't last more than a few hours before going into allergy fits. It's pretty bad.
The issue is, I like cats. I like me a good cat over a dog, and when I get into my own place I would possibly want a cat. Is it possible, if I am around cats and cat-owners' houses enough, will I build up a resistance to them in a few months/years/whatever? Anyone had any experience like that?
tl:dr - Could I potentially ever be 'less' allergic to cats?
The issue is, I like cats. I like me a good cat over a dog, and when I get into my own place I would possibly want a cat. Is it possible, if I am around cats and cat-owners' houses enough, will I build up a resistance to them in a few months/years/whatever? Anyone had any experience like that?
tl:dr - Could I potentially ever be 'less' allergic to cats?
UnknownSaint on
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However, I don't know if you can build up an allergy to all cats. Perhaps you could start by catsitting or spending time at your local humane society? Popping a Benedryl to help reduce the allergic reaction might get your body used to cat dander. Also, don't rub your eyes or your nose at all after you've touched a cat.
I used to get bothered by cats, and still do sometimes when I'm around other people's pets for any extended amount of time.
That said I own two cats and they don't bother me at all anymore. I think having short haired cats helps, and when I'm petting them I need to keep my hands away from my face.
In your case with the dogs I think you just grew out of it, it happens that you loose allergies over time. I was allergic as hell to grass but lost it during puberty.
If you're serious about loosing your cat allergies I suggest contacting your doctor about hyposensizitisation, not trying to hang around cats hoping it will go away
As someone posted while I was typing this, if you have a horrible allergy - you're probably better off talking to a doctor and/or allergist to get a professional opinion & treatment regimen rather than suffering and hoping your body sorts it out eventually. By "pretty bad", are you talking "Trip to the ER" bad, or just lots of sneezing/stuffiness/itchy throat?
I have a moderate allergy to cats, along with dust/mold/pollen/etc., and mild asthma (thanks mom! :P), and i'm able to do decently while owning 2 Siberian cats. I definately react less to them than I did when we first got them 2 years ago, although I still take Benadryl and/or Claritin on a near-daily basis, along with vacuuming at least once a week.
Back when I was in elementary/high school, one of my best friends had a couple cats - after several years of being over at his house on a regular basis, spending the night, etc., I tended to not really react, unless I was already sick with something else.
Some people may try to tell you that certain breeds are non-allergenic - unless you're talking about one of the genetically engineered felines, that will never be true. Some breeds (like the Siberian) supposedly make lower levels of the allergy-causing protein, but the evidence is still less than conclusive.
The hair doesn't cause the allergies, the protein in the saliva the cats put on the fur when they wash themselves is the real culprit. They wash, then it dries up and falls off/floats away into the environment. Some long-haired cats might shed more, and thus spread the allergen wider, but the root cause is still the same
Edit for just seeing a new post. I suppose "pretty bad" may not be so bad. Just basically sneezing and runniness and scratchy throat. Enough for me to be miserable and want to leave immediately though. Sometimes it takes 20 minutes and I'm awful, other times (like tonight for some reason) one of the cats is on my lap and I'm petting it for half an hour with no issue at all so long as I was careful not to touch my face and wash up after. I think a lot of it had to do with them vacuuming their house and getting new furniture, as well as an air purifier recently.
Double edit for research justice. I found out that Cornish and Devon Rex's are apparently really good breeds if one has allergies, as the texture and length (or lack thereof) of their hair don't allow for the saliva to be as big an issue. Sphynx have this as well, but those things are goddamn creepy.
Yeah, it may help somewhat, although you'll still get skin flakes and such falling off.
No kidding....They make for good lolcat fodder sometimes, mostly they just look deeply disturbing :P
Yeah, that will definately help also. Vacuum at least once a week, keep any fabric-covered furniture cleaned off. We also keep a high-grade filter in the HVAC system, and got one of the little 3M air purifier units for the bedroom (only had it a month though, not sure how much difference it makes).
I understand what you mean, but my first thought was "wha, injecting kittens?
For me, it was a combination of multiple things. One, when I spoke to my doctor about it, she recommended a nasal spray, so I do that once a day in the morning (nasonex or whatever the generic is). Two, my allergies got better in general from eating a little better and exercising much more. I bike to work (3.3 hilly miles per day) regularly, for instance. I have hardwood floors, which helps in keeping total allergen levels down (as long as we sweep at least every other week). And, finally, both of my cats get high quality food (raw nuggest, fancy wet food, and occasionally fancy kibble). The high quality food keeps their coats shiny and their saliva is less dander-y.
The problem, of course, is that with my situation I'm not about to suddenly change some element of it to discover what the best part is. Is it that, ultimately, they're just "my cats" and I'm OK with it? I'm less allergic to other people's cats so I don't think it's just them. But I'm not going to stop doing my nasal spray just to test out.
What I did, before we bought our cats, is we hanged out at the SPCA for a few hours and I hung out at a friend's place for a few hours shortly thereafter. Then we vacationed at my wife's parent's, who have 2 cats, and we told them to keep the cats there. So I discovered from that that my allergies were much improved from what they were a few years ago. We then bit the bullet, got a hold of a semi-local Abyssinian breeder who had kittens ready to go, and we picked our 1st kitten up on a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. In the sense that we woke up, had an email, and called her up saying we'd take the guy, and ignoring the months of planning ;D
When i'm near cats (and dogs) I sneeze a lot and my nose runs like a faucet.
After a few days' exposure, I start to get chest congestion and a cough.
However, I DO get "used" to a cat after about 30 days.
I've had 3 or 4 cats in my adult life, and my body will accept them completely in a month or so.
Granted, i'm a sloppy mess during that acclimation period - but I know (now) that it does get better.
I don't take any prescription medications or steroids for the allergies.
Here's a few particulars:
I can only do this with ONE cat at a time - multiple cats still overwhelm me.
Shorthair cats are much easier on me than long hairs (american black shorthairs seem the "best").
Keep the litterbox very clean (scooped daily), and keep the house as free as you can of loose hair.
Don't let your cat walk on surface areas where you prepare food (countertops). If this is a problem at night, just get some clear packing tape, tear off long strips, and lay them face UP along the perimeter edges of the countertops. The kitter won't hop up there more than two times, guaranteed.
Your mileage will of course vary, but my brother and I are the same way - we both are terribly allergic to almost any furred animal, but we can each get used to one cat at a time, eventually.