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Dear Pet Island, we need advice. Seven years ago, I adopted two cats. Due to my studies, I had to move to a different city, and my mom offered to take care of the cats. The big one, Goliath, passed some years ago, but Frida surprisingly adapted well and is now a 10-12 year old active adult cat.  My SO developed cat allergies as a child, and has spent his adult life generally hating cats. Chance would have it that we had to catsit Frida while my mom was abroad, and the (non)surprising development was that: - I want to keep my cat. - Frida fell totally in love with my SO (which translates into her staring at him from afar and purring). - My SO would like to try to keep her. We have been keeping Frida for about one month now, and my SO is reacting to her. A couple of days a week he will be wheezy. OTC allergy pills work OK, but this is not ideal. Personally, I have no experience with allergies. Our plan so far is as follows: - Keep definite cat free zones (my SOs bedroom, our wardrobe) - More strict routines for vacuuming - More strict routines for hand washing after cuddling, etc. Our plans for the offending party: - More grooming, at least a full groom weekly (brush, some washing). - Possibly a monthly shower if applicable (my mother has not washed her, although I used to do this semi-regularly many years ago). - Possibly trying products such as "Petal Cleanse" (a product that is supposed to reduce fur allergens after washes, although the documentation is a bit sketchy). This is the offender.  Other points: - Frida is an adult neutered female. She's small (~3kg) and has no issues with being an indoors cat. - We currently live in a two-bedroom apartment, but will move to a house in two months. - The offending party is very well behaved for a cat - she prefers to sleep in the shower, is totally uninterested in mangling furniture and suprisingly does not want to climb on chairs, tables or couches. So, we would like to ask for advice regarding allergies and cats. Does this seem reasonable to try? My SO accepts some allergy, but doesn't want it to get worse. Is it possible to keep a cat when one owner has allergies? Do you have any recommendations or experience?
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Mar 13, 2016 15:26
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Hi, I am a cat allergy sufferer and cat owner. It's fun! (sometimes miserable) I think you have some good base grounds set up. Vacuuming and washing anything that comes into contact with the face that the cat also gets on is good. Hand washing after petting is also good. Regarding the OTC pills, they never worked for me either. I have to use daily prescription pills and nose spray and I have OTC eye drops for when it gets really bad. Most of them time it's not so bad, but during shedding seasons, it can get a little out of hand. Brushing regularly helps IMMENSELY and I know when the cat is regularly brushed, my allergies are pretty low. I have never washed my cat so I can't comment on that. Another thing I've noticed is other cats set my allergies off a lot worse than mine, I feel like I've become a little desensitized to his dander specifically (I don't know if that's a scientific thing, this is purely ~~anecdotal evidence~~.) Another thing he may be interested in, depending on insurance and how serious he is about surviving living with a cat, is allergy shots. They really changed my life. I took them for about 5 years and they were so worth it. It's definitely do-able. But you both should be prepared for it to NOT work out. If he's already been living with her for a month, another month or so should show him what you can expect for his standard allergy responses. The problem with wheezy is it can become very serious very quickly.
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Mar 14, 2016 03:16
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Good news: allergy medication has gotten a lot better in later years - side-effects such as sleepiness are almost completely gone, so it's possible to take the pills all day every day. Bad news: as previous poster said, might still not work out.
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Mar 14, 2016 07:34
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I have very severe cat allergies but fell in love with a stray last summer and took her home with me. I had two miserable months of an itchy, runny nose and a dry, hacky cough. People in public would stop me and ask if I was all right. Eventually my body seemed to get tired of being miserable all the time, so now I only have a bad allergy day every few months.  I got very familiar with the OTC allergy meds and found a combo that worked for me, though it seems like everybody has a different magic bullet. For me, it was 24-hour Allegra and Nasacort spray every day, with the "good" allergy meds (aka the stuff they keep behind the pharmacy counter because of sudafed) for breakthrough. Seriously that poo poo would dry my nose up like nothing else, it's great. If I was miserable and wanted to just sleep it off I'd take a good old benedryl and pass out. Eye drops helped when I was dumb and rubbed my eyes and ended up with the itchies there. I have a small apartment and it's all cat territory, so I try to vacuum frequently and spray this stuff that claims to destroy cat dander. Kitty also gets brushed and scrubbed down with Allerpet, which is another topical treatment claims to deactivate cat dander for a couple days. I can't tell you 100% if they work or not, but they are cheap and the peace of mind is worth it at the very least. Even when I was miserable and curled up in bed trying to remember what it was like to breath through my nose, I never considered giving up the cat. <3 It gets better. It sounds like you have a gem of a kitty there and I hope it works out for your husband.
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Mar 14, 2016 15:36
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kittiesgomeow posted:Hi, I am a cat allergy sufferer and cat owner. It's fun! (sometimes miserable) Thanks for your input. The OTC pills work for some weeks before they lose their effect, so what he's done before it switch them around. They do make him tired. OTC eye drops we have not heard about, I guess they might be prescription here? We are considering asking a GP for alternatives. We live in Norway, so depending on how accepted allergy shots are here that could be an option. I briefly looked into that, and Norwegian pages said you can only be treated with these if you're not exposed to allergens, which I found a bit surprising. I'm glad to hear about the brushing, we'll give that a shot (brushes have been ordered). Also happy to hear that some allergic people get by without washing their cat - this is the calmest kitty until you offend her (with showers or vets). It's interesting about different reactions to different cats - my SO reacts to our friend's "hypoallergenic" Ragdoll much more than Frida. My mom knows about the situation and is prepared to take the cat back if needed, so that's not a crisis.
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Mar 14, 2016 20:00
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Hellacopter posted:I have very severe cat allergies but fell in love with a stray last summer and took her home with me. I had two miserable months of an itchy, runny nose and a dry, hacky cough. People in public would stop me and ask if I was all right. Eventually my body seemed to get tired of being miserable all the time, so now I only have a bad allergy day every few months. I know this stuff is highly individual but your story makes me very happy. I guess this sort of outcome might be wishful thinking, but I'm crossing my fingers. The issue with the meds is that hardly anything is OTC in Norway - I guess my SO should just get a folder of scripts from his GP. I have ordered a Scandinavian version of something like the Allerpet you're describing. The contents don't seem to be magical, but at worst it's some nice fur balm and placebo. Thankfully our setup is one bedroom each, which means he can isolate himself. I would of course ask my mother to keep the cat if my SO thinks it's too much - but it feels so bad having introduced him to the joy of this little monster and then sending her away. She seriously adores him, if he's in his room she will sit outside the door while purring longingly. She waits for him to come home and yowls in happiness every day  She gives few craps about whatever I am doing, but I'm the only person in the world who is allowed to pick her up and smoosh her, so I guess I am appreciated too. 
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Mar 14, 2016 20:11
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lizard_phunk posted:Thanks for your input. The OTC pills work for some weeks before they lose their effect, so what he's done before it switch them around. They do make him tired. Hellacopter has good recommendations too for medicine and basically sums up my life. I really liked Nasacort for an OTC spray. The eye drops I use are called Alaway. They were rx here in the states for a long time but recently became OTC, so they might still be rx in Norway. They're the only eye drops that help me. But yes, if you're not stupid (like me) and rub your eyes, then it shouldn't be a problem. Honestly, I don't do nearly enough as I should for mitigating my allergies. The cat sleeps with us and is allowed anywhere--I just can't say no! Like I said, I don't bathe him but do brush him every other day minimum. And even with all that, it's still a good life for both of us. I find the info about the shots surprising. Maybe it is a difference in practice? I specifically told my allergist I would NOT get rid of the (then four) cats or (then three) dogs, and I got the shots anyway. YMMV. Yes! Different cats definitely cause different reactions in me. The cat I have with me now is very low on the reaction scale compared to two others who still live with my parents. And since Frida seems to be a low-reactor for your bf, it's a good sign. It's good your mom has agreed to take Frida back but I wish you three the best of luck and hope it works out!
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Mar 14, 2016 21:02
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kittiesgomeow posted:Hellacopter has good recommendations too for medicine and basically sums up my life. I really liked Nasacort for an OTC spray. The eye drops I use are called Alaway. They were rx here in the states for a long time but recently became OTC, so they might still be rx in Norway. They're the only eye drops that help me. But yes, if you're not stupid (like me) and rub your eyes, then it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks guys - we will check out these allergy sprays and drops. Norwegian doctors are pretty conservative - my experience is that if you go to a private GP he/she will go the extra mile to help out, so I will suggest this allergy shot angle. Glad to have some input from people with experience with allergies to cats. I've had cats my entire childhood and it's hard for me to imagine any other reaction than some itching. For content, the cat is currently suffering greatly as she can't quite manage to demolish the IKEA clothes basket she has decided she lives in (see above). 
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Mar 14, 2016 22:07
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Update - it has been a month since we considered to keep Frida permanently. We vacuum the apartment well once a week, perform some brush based fur removal and condition her with "Petal Cleanse (tm)". Cause and effect cannot be established, but I can report that my SO's allergies are down. He does not have to take OTC allergy meds every day. I think a big reason is Frida herself - being a sophisticated creature she does not climb into his lap, prefering to lounge in the recliner and watch us.  For play she prefers a minimalistic string and will remove any factors interfering with it.  (no PETA, she has no interest in eating the string, only severing it with delicate precision). There was a trip to the pet ER for an acute situation where we thought she was dying - laying immobile without being able to eat even her favorite snacks - where we found that the little monster had a back inflammation brought on by too much playing the night before. Some metacam and she was back to 120% - she probably has some back pain that we will be keeping a close eye on. Amusingly, the vet estimated her age to around 5-6 years - I adopted her 10 years ago as an adult cat. So thanks for the input guys, we are getting the feeling this is working out! 
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Apr 9, 2016 09:49
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As a child, I was dreadfully allergic to cats . Runny nose, red eyes and wheezing. Then we got a pet cat. I spent about... Two, three months? taking tablets to alleviate the symptoms when one day I just wasn't affected any more. I think that after a while of constant exposure to these kinds of allergens, your body just kind of gives in and is more lenient? Hang in there and see if he's having the same response. On the downside, I've apparently traded for a deathly allergy to rabbits (as in, I nearly went into what felt like anaphylactic shock by handling them too much at work) so it's swings and roundabouts.
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Apr 11, 2016 11:15
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On the other hand, your job involves the excessive handling of rabbits. Seems worth almost dying for.
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Apr 17, 2016 21:50
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kittiesgomeow posted:Another thing he may be interested in, depending on insurance and how serious he is about surviving living with a cat, is allergy shots. They really changed my life. I took them for about 5 years and they were so worth it.
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Apr 18, 2016 15:39
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In the interest of science (well, one case study), I can inform you guys that after moving the following has happened: - My SO hardly has any allergic reactions to the furloaf (itchy eyes/sneezing maybe twice a month). - The said furloaf has confessed her love to my SO. 
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Aug 12, 2016 22:39
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Roro posted:As a child, I was dreadfully allergic to cats . Runny nose, red eyes and wheezing. Then we got a pet cat. I spent about... Two, three months? taking tablets to alleviate the symptoms when one day I just wasn't affected any more. I think that after a while of constant exposure to these kinds of allergens, your body just kind of gives in and is more lenient? Hang in there and see if he's having the same response. I work with rodents more than most people (research) and one thing I'm really cautious about is allergens - seems the risk for developing an allergy when working with animals is really high, and the risk of developing other allergies is depressingly high if this happens. But seems like my SO just kinda adapted to this cat, like you said.
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Aug 12, 2016 22:45
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After trial and error, I have found a daily cocktail that works for me, and I had cat allergies so bad that I had to go to the hospital once. It's also pretty inexpensive. I use Nasocort, which is the most expensive part of the treatment. But it's supplemented with one AllerClear and one of these ChlorTrimetol knock-offs that our vet told us to get for one of the cats that had a brief allergic encounter. Either this works really well, or over the years my body has overcome the allergy to a large degree. My best cat friend practically sleeps on my face every night, and I LIVE! YMMV.
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Aug 18, 2016 14:35
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I feel sorry for you allergy folks that must suck.. I keep a box of the cheap allergy stuff and a box of claritin around just in case it doesnt occur to me to pre-warn people about the fur-pocalypse at my place beforehand.
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Aug 18, 2016 16:43
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XBenedict posted:After trial and error, I have found a daily cocktail that works for me, and I had cat allergies so bad that I had to go to the hospital once. It's also pretty inexpensive. Glad you found a working combo. We're limited by the fact that there are about two OTC allergy meds available in Norway. Seems like some people adapt to certain cats. My husband almost dies every time we visit our friends who are in the possession of a ragdoll ("allergy friendly" lol). SneakyFrog posted:I feel sorry for you allergy folks that must suck.. I keep a box of the cheap allergy stuff and a box of claritin around just in case it doesnt occur to me to pre-warn people about the fur-pocalypse at my place beforehand. That's really kind, I mean we obviously have a box of allergy stuff at home, but my husband is often unprepared for sudden cattery when we visit friends. edit: just to boast about my previously antisocial roomies!
lizard_phunk fucked around with this message at 12:11 on Aug 21, 2016 |
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Aug 21, 2016 12:09
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