We just found out our daughter is allergic to cats, and of course, we have one. Help!

[emer95]

Our daughter went for allergy testing earlier in the week and we got the results this morning. She's highly allergic to dust, and her other allergies are ragweed, pollen, many trees, grass, and dogs and cats.

We're going to start taking her for allergy shots this week, and modify her environment as much as possible. Guess I'll have to start dusting once in a while. Would we be the worst parents in the world if we kept our beloved cat? Our daughter would be crushed beyond belief if we got rid of her.

Obviously, if we need to get rid of our cat for the sake of our daughter's health, we will, but it would kill all of us. I was actually planning on getting a kitten, but I guess that's out of the question now.

If anyone has ever been through this and has any advice, I would appreciate it.
Thanks!

 

[Wishing on a star]

No advice...

My son is so highly allergic to cats that we simply could NOT keep the cats.
Personally, I would be inclined to find a new home for Kitty.

My son has been on shots for almost TWO years...
I think many of his allergies (very similar to your DD) are beginning to improve... however cats are still a huge problem.

Also, I would wonder about how this would affect any chances of your daughter recovering from her allergy if there is a cat in the home... something you should probably ask the allergist about.

I am one who takes these kinds of allergies very, very, seriously.
I feel that they can seriously impact ones health and immune system.

I can only send

 

[Planogirl]

How allergic is she? DS was tested and he had a mild allergy to cats so we kept ours. It never got any worse and now you wouldn't know that he had any allergies at all.

I sympathize with your worry.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am allergic to cats and dogs and have had them all my life.

Since she is not highly allergic you can keep the cat however do not allow the cat in her bedroom. It helps.

 

[AristocatFan]

We've been through this with DH. We discovered he was allergic to all dust, mold and cats about three years ago and we have a cat. She's a part of the family and was my oldest sons 9th birthday present. We do the shots, I give them to him once a week and they help. We're in the process of getting rid of all carpeting and putting in laminate floors to help with the dust. No you're not bad if you keep the cat. If it's not a severe allergy, where she swells up and has trouble breathing etc., then use other measures to treat the symptoms.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

DD and I our both aLlergic and we have 4! The allergy isn't bad enough o warrant rehoming, so we didn't.

And I'm a meanie! I do make her dust her room even though she is allergic to dust. It is a life skill and dust is just a fact of life. We do have an air purifier in her room and she doesn't have to do any other dusting.

Now if she was at risk for anaphilactic (sp?) shock--it would be a different story.

I have a grass allergy that is bad enough that I will not mow grass. If her dust and cat allergies were that bad, I *might* consider other measures. But our allergist that we had wasn't a stickler for those extreme measures.

The one thing she has to remember is to wash her hands after petting cats. It just takes a moment of unawareness to rub your eye and then it sparks a reaction immeditely.

We don't do the shots.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just have to add that I did do the shots for 6yrs. However it was for my multiple allergies of which I have many. Basically I am about allergic to most things.

 

[castmemberb4]

This is what my Vets website recommends. HTH

I have allergies to dogs and cats. Is there any way I can minimize or cope with my allergies?
Persons who have allergies to dogs or cats are actually allergic to the saliva, dander (i.e. shed skin) and the secretions from the hair glands of these animals. Dog and cat hairs by themselves do not cause allergies, but the allergens on the hair shafts do.

The severity of your allergic reaction depends on the amount of allergens you are exposed to. This in turn depends on such variables as the size of the pet (i.e. a bigger dog means more shedding) and on how often you groom and wash your pet. By bathing pets frequently, allergens are washed off and this results in a decrease in symptoms in allergic owners.

The less hair and dander a pet produces (and sheds), the less likely a person with allergies is to react to that animal. For this reason, some breeds of dogs are thought to cause fewer allergic reactions. These include all three sizes of poodles and schnauzers, Kerry Blue, soft-coated Wheaten and Bedlington terriers, Bichon Frisé and Irish water spaniels.

Some suggestions to minimize your allergic symptoms include the following:

Restrict your pet, if not to the outdoors, then at least to a certain area of the house, and especially out of the bedroom. Cat dander can take up to 5 months to disappear after a cat is removed from a house. In fact, cat allergens have even been found in houses and schools in which cats have never been present (the cat allergens are carried in on people's clothing!).

Wash your pets every 1-2 weeks. Studies have shown this to be a highly effective way to reduce allergens on the pet's hair coat.

Control house dust (especially in the bedroom) by removing carpets, reducing the amount of upholstered furniture, and washing materials that can readily trap animal dander (i.e. drapes, bedding, stuffed toys, etc.). Install a high efficiency electrostatic air filter.

Polish and vacuum floors regularly and use a damp cloth or mop to wipe all surfaces and floors weekly. Certain solutions (e.g. 3% tannic acid) applied on carpets will destroy animal allergens without harming the carpet.

In very sensitive individuals, allergy shots may help reduce the degree of allergic reactions to occasional unavoidable animal contact.

Consult both your physician and veterinarian for advice if you suffer from pet allergies.

 

[Feralpeg]

We found out DD is allergic to dog and cat dander when she was about ten years old. She is now 22 years old. We still have a cat. We currently have no dogs.

She is not so allergic that she can't stand it. Her eyes will swell and she will get stuffy if she puts them right in her face, but she decided long ago that she would rather deal with the symptoms than give up her pets.

OP, you need to decide how badly the animals affect your child and make the decision based on the degree of her discomfort. Just because the test came back positive does not mean you cannot find a good solution.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm allergic to almost everything, and I bet the fact that you have a cat has lessoned your dd's allergies (I have a hard time being in a cat household for more than 15 minutes). If she was very allergic to cats, trust me, you'd know. I've heard that having pets decreases allergies. If she's not miserable, keep the cat.

 

[Christine]

If the cat allergy is not causing severe symptoms (asthma, severe eye swelling, total sinus issues) then you could probably keep the cat. If you can, BATHE your cat. Best thing you can do for people with allergies. Bathe it weekly. I know, easier said than done.

Also, invest in a good animal dander vacuume (Miehle makes one) and some good HEPA filters in various rooms to fileter out the dander.

 

[torinsmom]

Keep the cats out of her room and put in an air purifier in her room as well. I am allergic and have had cats all my life. It also helps to take allergy meds every day. I take Flonase and Allegra, which helps with my dust, cat and seasonal allergies. It's worth it to have my babies.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Our daughter went for allergy testing earlier in the week and we got the results this morning. She's highly allergic to dust, and her other allergies are ragweed, pollen, many trees, grass, and dogs and cats.

We're going to start taking her for allergy shots this week, and modify her environment as much as possible. Guess I'll have to start dusting once in a while. Would we be the worst parents in the world if we kept our beloved cat? Our daughter would be crushed beyond belief if we got rid of her.

Obviously, if we need to get rid of our cat for the sake of our daughter's health, we will, but it would kill all of us. I was actually planning on getting a kitten, but I guess that's out of the question now.

If anyone has ever been through this and has any advice, I would appreciate it.
Thanks!

I am alregic and own three. My best advice is NOT to let the cat in her bedroom. Bedding is a PITA to wash. Bascially clean and vaccume soft surfaces alot. Mabey try to get the cat to have one favortie "spot" in the living room and cover it with a fleece blanket (attracts cat hair easly) and wash the blanket each week. I noticed my biggest issue is in the winter when the cats are danderfull. In winter the cats get weekly baths and my long haired get his fur trimmed down. Hope you can keep your kitty.

 

[NonScents]

I'm allergic, have cats, and worked for a cat vet. (I have not worked for a pediatrician and don't have human children so I will confine my suggestions to how to treat the cat.) The biggest allergen is the protein in cat saliva; remember how cats constantly clean themselves? So the saliva is carried by the hair, which also has some of the oils from the skin follicles, so it can be a double whammy.

My cats rule the house but are not allowed in my bedroom or on laundry (dirty or clean). Damp-dust hard surfaces often; I cover furniture with sheets or towels so I can wash them easily and the hair/dander does not get imbedded. Definitely, frequent vacuuming keeps the hair at bay.

I would bet that if you try to bathe your cat weekly, one or both of you will not be happy! Plus bathing doesn't help much with cats IME, because once you bathe them, they will groom (lick) themselves even more, spreading more saliva. Brush the cat as often as possible (daily if you can, especially if it is a long haired cat).

I agree with the PPs who said that if the allergies are not severe, some exposure can naturally build up a tolerance, and have experienced this.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My niece is allergic, and they had a cat for years. He just wasn't allowed into her bedroom, and she washed her hands after petting him.

 

[CathrynRose]

We found out, when I was a kid, I was allergic to cats. My mom had 3 of them.

She never got rid of them. I think you build a certain amount of tolerance up to them, just by having them.

However.... once I moved out, and came back to the cat environment, it was another story. I'm REALLY allergic to cats, now. So much so, I can spend very little time at anyone's house with them (we're talking minutes). I wear a surgical mask, at my Grandma's...honest to God.

But mine starts my asthma. It's not a simple runny nose - which is what I get from dogs... which is why I have 2.

I love animals. I can't not have them - and I wouldn't have wanted my mom to get rid of them. And this was way back before the great antihistamines they make, now.

 

[vettechick99]

DD is also allergic to cats. During testing, the reaction to it was almost as strong as the peanut one.

We still have the cat. She even plays with her. But we have some lotion we put on the cat that supposedly negates the dander. Check with your allergist. DD also takes Allegra which helps as well.

GL!

 

[shortbun]

we just went through the same thing. i got a good air filter for his bdrm, wrapped his bed, replaced his cloth side chair w/leather and keep the cat out of his room. i actually hired weekly cleaners to control the dust and DS knows that petting the cat reuires hand washing. All these measures have made a big difference. The cat stays.

 

[ReneeA]

Our DS is also allergic to cats and we have 2. He must have been exposed to ours long enough that they don't cause him to have reactions, because he's fine in our house. He does get stuffy and wheezy around other cats sometimes. We had our cats before we had him, so he's always been around them.

He gets allergy shots and takes Zyrtek when his allergies are bothering him. Mollie (my OLD cat) used to sleep wrapped around his head right on his pillow, but the allergist told us that the cat sleeping with him is a no-no. (I know...DUH!) The cat had a very, very difficult time adjusting to having his bedroom door closed on her...think howling, clawing, and generally being annoying for long periods of time.

 

[jenrose66]

Our daughter went for allergy testing earlier in the week and we got the results this morning. She's highly allergic to dust, and her other allergies are ragweed, pollen, many trees, grass, and dogs and cats.

We're going to start taking her for allergy shots this week, and modify her environment as much as possible. Guess I'll have to start dusting once in a while. Would we be the worst parents in the world if we kept our beloved cat? Our daughter would be crushed beyond belief if we got rid of her.
Obviously, if we need to get rid of our cat for the sake of our daughter's health, we will, but it would kill all of us. I was actually planning on getting a kitten, but I guess that's out of the question now.

If anyone has ever been through this and has any advice, I would appreciate it.
Thanks!

I'm sorry but yes, you would be the worst parents in the world if you keep the cat. I am deathly allergic to cats my parents found out when i was 3 or 4. Anyway we had a beloved family cat, my mom tried shots, I was on steriods after 9 months they made the hard decision to get rid of the cat. Even if you could control your daughters allergies on medication why would you want her on heavier doses of steriods or meds that can weaken her lungs and shorten her life just cause she loves the cat. It's a hard thing to do but life goes on.

I'll also go on to say that my parents divorced. My younger brother is also allergic to cats. Well the woman my dad left my mom for was a cat lover also and the first thing they bought when they moved in together was a cat. It was terrible, if I went to see my dad I'd always be terribly ill as would my brother. Once their first cat died after 13 years they went and got not one but 2 more cats. I always felt like their animals were more important to them than my dads own kids.