Can cats have allergies?

[AshleyW]

So, this may be a silly question.. but can cats have allergies? I have two cats, and one of them, Aikman (yes, as in Troy ) we got from the local humane society in February 2008. He was just a tiny kitten - probably 9 or 10 weeks old, and they told us they found him out behind the shelter walking through the woods in the cold. So we adopted him and he gets along great with our other cat, Skeeter, and he's the most snuggly and happy cat I've ever met. He's never really been sick, but I've noticed that he often gets a snotty nose. He has one right now, but that's his only symptom. No fever, still playing like normal, eating and drinking normally - everything about him is completely fine, except one of his nostrils is a bit snotty. So, I'm just wondering if any cat experts here on the DIS have had a cat with allergies, and if so, does this sound like it might be the problem? And just so everyone can "aww" at their cuteness ..

Here's Aikman:

and here's Skeeter, hangin out in a box

 

[dakcp2001]

awwwww they ARE cute! I imagine it could be allergies? It seems reasonable, but next time he goes to the vet for something, ask them. He might have some kind of virus or something. They are both adorable!!

 

[chell]

Cats can have allergies. When you say his nose is snotty is it thin and runny or thick and yellow. Going by what humans have if it is thin and runny that is an allergy. Thick and yellow is a cold. Poor kitty.

 

[AshleyW]

awwwww they ARE cute! I imagine it could be allergies? It seems reasonable, but next time he goes to the vet for something, ask them. He might have some kind of virus or something. They are both adorable!!

Thank you!

Cats can have allergies. When you say his nose is snotty is it thin and runny or thick and yellow. Going by what humans have if it is thin and runny that is an allergy. Thick and yellow is a cold. Poor kitty.

About a week ago or so, he sneezed once and it was semi-thick and a little greenish colored. But lately it's been runny, thin, and clear. We've had our windows open a lot of the summer, and he hasn't really acted sick, which makes me think it probably is just an allergy - I'd just never heard of a cat having allergies.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Yes. We had a cat with like kitty eczema. The vet said not to feed him fish or milk and see what happens. His skin cleared right up and he stopped picking at himself. Weirdest thing ever! It was a pain in the rear to find him food that wasn't fish flavored or with milk in it but that was a long time ago before the variety out there now.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Yes. We had a cat with like kitty eczema. The vet said not to feed him fish or milk and see what happens. His skin cleared right up and he stopped picking at himself. Weirdest thing ever! It was a pain in the rear to find him food that wasn't fish flavored or with milk in it but that was a long time ago before the variety out there now.

 

[chell]

That sounds more like allergies then. My friend just had to take her cat in for some shots and meds because of his allergies. It made his skin real bad bad and super sensitive to the touch. Allergies this year have been horrible for everyone.

My dog has had horrible allergies this year. My husband who has never had allergy trouble has had to go on allergy meds.

Having the windows open is letting all the pollen and junk in your house. We can never open the windows and let the fresh air blow through the house. I would love to feel the cool fall breeze but can't because my allergies are so bad.

Fish oil pills will help with the allergies. We just talked with the vet about them Friday.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

It sounds like allergies. Kody has REALLY bad allergies (sneezing and always pulling at his nose with his paws) and Hurley sneezes a lot, too so I know dogs can have them.

 

[swald91]

We adopted a kitty that was in a fire. Since the end of April she has started to sneeze as well-snotty nose too!! Sometimes she will sneeze & it's thick -a little colored-then sometimes its just clear. I doubt its a cold-I think it could be some reaction from the fire a few years ago....

 

[AshleyW]

We adopted a kitty that was in a fire. Since the end of April she has started to sneeze as well-snotty nose too!! Sometimes she will sneeze & it's thick -a little colored-then sometimes its just clear. I doubt its a cold-I think it could be some reaction from the fire a few years ago....

That sounds a lot like what Aikman does, too. Pretty sneezy, and sometimes it's a little thick but usually clear. He wasn't in a fire or anything, but sometimes it sounds like he wheezes a little.. my fiance thinks maybe his respiratory system just isn't very good, possibly from being out in the Iowa winter as a kitty before the shelter took him in.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

Cats can have asthma, as well.

 

[englishteacha]

I hope your kitty feels better! My kitty gets sneezy once in a while but it never lasts long. Perhaps it's an allergy. Mine have been horrible, as have my family members who don't normally have trouble with allergies. It wouldn't seem odd to me for a kitty to have a sensitivity to pollen or something.

 

[bumbershoot]

Our cat had allergies. Turns out she was allergic to fowl. It is very hard to find cat food without chicken or turkey. We were using the one brand of Nutro (Nupro? can't remember) that didn't have either of those it, and had just started getting into raw food from the really nice pet food/supplies store, when she got really sick and ran away while hubby was cleaning up after her.

Her allergies included sneezing and wheezing and a really snotty nose.

She also had some skin stuff, but later on after some research, I figured out that the skin stuff started after a rabies shot the vet talked us into, and shots can cause some NASTY reactions...

 

[jsmith]

i had a burmese that had allegries-really bad-the vet gave her shots but she still sneezed alot. One of the cats i have now has a dust allergy-she would cough once in a while and we assumed that since she had a respirtory infection when she went into the shelter it was residual from that-but when i had to change littlers because the one i was using was not longer made it got really bad-so now i use a really expensive wheat based litter-but she rarely coughs at all.

 

[bicker]

Kaliope is a highly allergic cat. She's been tested for food allergies, and came up highly allergic to rice and soy, and also allergic to corn and potatoes. She also has some airborne allergies which we haven't isolated. Her allergies cause her to lick her stomach raw (and bloody sometimes). It was really bad from about the time she was 6 until about age 13. For the last five years it has begun moderating, and is very manageable now, at age 18. In a way, she seems healthier name than she has since she very young.

 

[Robinrs]

My cat Max is allergic to mold and, get this, FLEAS!

 

[SC Minnie]

Tink, in my sig, is has allergy/asthma. She wheezes/coughs and has a hard time breathing. She has to have a steriod shot every couple of months whenever it starts acting up. The vet told us that it will probably get worse and she will have 'attacks' closer and closer together. At the point it gets to be every month we will have to put her on a daily nebulizer. Who knew this was even a possibility???

 

[ohiomom28]

I have googled this before. I have a 5 month old kitten that sneezes ALL the time! My other cat doesn't do it much but I have heard them both.

 

[chell]

I have googled this before. I have a 5 month old kitten that sneezes ALL the time! My other cat doesn't do it much but I have heard them both.

Did you get your kitten from a shelter or humane society or has it been to a humane society to be fixed? I'm asking because we adopted a kitten and as part of the contract they had to take it back to the humane society to get her fixed. She was fine before they took her. Since she has been back home she has developed a cold. Our vet said she picked it up at the humane society. Her main symptom is sneezing so that is why I was asking about your kitten.

 

[ohiomom28]

Did you get your kitten from a shelter or humane society or has it been to a humane society to be fixed? I'm asking because we adopted a kitten and as part of the contract they had to take it back to the humane society to get her fixed. She was fine before they took her. Since she has been back home she has developed a cold. Our vet said she picked it up at the humane society. Her main symptom is sneezing so that is why I was asking about your kitten.

We bought her from a pet store. She was abandoned at a doctors office when they got her. She was already fixed when we adopted her. The only symptom is her sneezing. She acts fine other than that.