Question:
Cats make me sneeze or make my eyes swell, but I'd love to get one as a pet.
Does anyone know if there's a way to get rid of an allergy or if there are any
cats which don't affect people with allergies as badly?
Answer:
I use homeopathic drops I get at the health food store for animal dander and
they work great. There are many medications available for treating allergies, including allergy
shots which desensitize you to what you're allergic to. I think your best bet
would be to talk to your doctor. I'm sure he/she could even give you some
sample packets of medicine to see which ones work for you. I would suggest
visiting a friend who has a cat to test out how well the new meds work. Also,
most people are allergic to the cat's dried saliva which becomes airborne, not
their furr, so I'm not sure one type of cat would be better than another. You
might also try posting your question in: alt.med.allergy, and
alt.med.veterinary If you really want to get a cat, despite your allergy, then you need to
decide *now* what will happen if the allergies don't clear up. Many rescue
centres will accept a cat back into care if things don't work out, but as it is
disruptive for an already traumatised cat to be returned and rehomed again,
they prefer to find permanent homes rather than adopt cats out on a trial
basis.Perhaps you have got a cat loving friend or relative who will adopt the
cat from you if things don't work out? As for dealing with the allergies, there are two possibilities. The first one
is that you will adjust to your particular cat after a few weeks. This is what
happens to me. Some cats make my eyes stream and my skin itch, but I can get
used to them over time. The second possibility is that you can reduce the
amount of dander on the cat. Dander is the particles of fur and skin, covered
in dried cat saliva, that initiates most allergic reactions. You can reduce the
amount of dander by wiping the cat regularly with a damp (not wet) cloth. There
are also products on the market which claim to reduce allergic reactions. In
the UK, Allerpet is sold at Boots the Chemists.
Finally, you could get treatment yourself. As well as the usual range of
steroidal anti-allergy treatments (which have other, undesirable,effects) there
are courses of desensitising treatments available through GPs. Alternative
treatments such as homeopathy may work for you. If you really want to get a cat, despite your allergy, then you need to
decide *now* what will happen if the allergies don't clear up. Many rescue
centres will accept a cat back into care if things don't work out, but as it is
disruptive for an already traumatised cat to be returned and rehomed again,
they prefer to find permanent homes rather than adopt cats out on a trial
basis.Perhaps you have got a cat loving friend or relative who will adopt the
cat from you if things don't work out? As for dealing with the allergies, there are two possibilities. The first one
is that you will adjust to your particular cat after a few weeks. This is what
happens to me. Some cats make my eyes stream and my skin itch, but I can get
used to them over time. The second possibility is that you can reduce the
amount of dander on the cat. Dander is the particles of fur and skin, covered
in dried cat saliva, that initiates most allergic reactions. You can reduce the
amount of dander by wiping the cat regularly with a damp (not wet) cloth. There
are also products on the market which claim to reduce allergic reactions. In
the UK, Allerpet is sold at Boots the Chemists.
Finally, you could get treatment yourself. As well as the usual range of
steroidal anti-allergy treatments (which have other, undesirable,effects) there
are courses of desensitising treatments available through GPs. Alternative
treatments such as homeopathy may work for you.
