When You Are Allergic To Your Cat

Pet allergies are some of the most common allergies in both children and adults. If you have a cat and you have allergies you may find that it is the cat that is causing the allergies. Before you run out and get rid of the cat you have to look at all of your symptoms to see if the cat may be the cause of them.

First, identify your symptoms. Do you have a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing or hives when you are near your cat? When you pet your cat and then accidentally rub your eyes do your eyes start burning and become dry and itchy? If the answer is yes, you may very well be allergic to your cat. You may also have wheezing, difficulty breathing, or a rash within minutes of petting your cat. All of these things point to a pet allergy.

After figuring out the symptoms and when they happen you may want to make an appointment with an allergist who can test you for cat allergies. By pricking your skin with a cat dander you will notice immediately if the area starts to swell and becomes itchy. They may test you for other allergens at the same time to see which one affects you the most.

If you do find that you are allergic to the cat then unfortunately removing the cat from the home may be the only way to relieve your symptoms. However, there are steps you can take before doing that to see if perhaps something else lessens the symptoms. There may be prescription medication that you can take to help with some of the symptoms if they are not severe. In other cases you may have to do things like stop cuddling with your cat, washing your hands after touching them, and only allowing them to sleep in one particular room.

This can be difficult with cats as they are very independent and like to be exactly where they want to be. So keeping your cat secluded in one area of the house may not be an option for you. By keeping them off your furniture your symptoms may lessen as well, as will vacuuming daily to remove all pet dander from the floors and rugs. When you vacuum it is advised to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter so that you can really remove all of the allergens. Air purifiers are another choice depending on how bad the symptoms are. Air purifiers can also take away some of the allergens from the home so that you can breathe easier.

If this still doesn’t take care of the symptoms or make them tolerable for you then the next step would be to place the cat with a trusted family or friend. Although this may be difficult it might be the only step to living allergy free.