Will these allergies get worse?

August 8, 2007 4:55 PM

I’ve heard that people with allergies become acclimated to their own cats, but I’ve also heard that cats produce more allergens than kittens, and that allergens build up in the home over time. On balance, will allergic skin reactions to our kitten get better, worse, or stay the same?

We have a kitten who is 13 weeks old, and we’ve had her for 5 days. The kitten is a Siberian, which are said to trigger less Type 1 allergies: runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, irritated eyes, and wheezing. They don’t moderate Type 4 (skin) allergies as well, such as itching and hives.

We spent an hour on each of two separate days at the breeder’s, testing my husband’s allergies with adult cats and kittens galore, and then brought this kitten home. He hasn’t had any Type 1 allergies, which is amazing given his usual response. But he has had some itchy skin and an occasional small hive or two. He is willing to bear that amount of a reaction, but we don’t know if it will get worse.

Yes, it is this kitten, and yes, she turned into a people-loving sweetheart hours after we got her home. (Thanks for reassuring us that she would!) We’re enchanted, and we don’t want to give her back if we don’t have to, but it would be awful to find out months from now that my husband would have to constantly be on medication to co-exist with her. So, we have to decide within the next few days whether we’re giving her back -- it's part of the breeder's standard agreement that we still can. I’m particularly interested in hearing any stories about how skin-related allergies evolved from kittenhood to adulthood.

(We know about air filters, cleaning the house, cleaning the cat, staying hydrated, etc.)

posted by daisyace to pets & animals (15 comments total)

I became acclimated to each of our cats within a couple months. Skin-to-fur contact will still trigger minor rashes on certain areas - inside of elbows, the neck - but the runny nose/sneezing stuff only happens when there's a lot of dust and dander in the air, such as during major cleaning.

Some people will not become acclimated to any cats, no matter how long they are in contact. Good luck.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 5:09 PM on August 8, 2007

I probably should have mentioned that, just like the standard allergy issues, the skin ones also became less severe over time.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 5:10 PM on August 8, 2007

I certainly get acclimated to particular dogs, but that allergy isn't that bad for me.

Has your husband looked into allergy shots (immunotherapy)?
posted by dilettante at 5:15 PM on August 8, 2007

Acclimation happens, but it takes months, and if you're away from the cat for a months-long period you'll feel it when you get back.
posted by schroedinger at 5:35 PM on August 8, 2007

in my house, everyone who's ever spent time here has found their snuffly and itchy allergies to my (extremely furry, sheddy, danderry) cat have decreased over time, usually within a month or so. good luck!

in the meantime, you can probably lessen the allergens by brushing the cat outside if possible (i like this kind of soft rubber brush), and wiping her fur with a damp paper towel every day to take off loose fur and dander. a wire-toothed flat slicker brush is useful for getting fur off the carpets.
posted by twistofrhyme at 6:00 PM on August 8, 2007

That's good news that acclimation is real. Part of what we're wondering is whether it's outweighed by the other factors: the kitten becoming a cat, and the allergens accumulating in the house. Did those of you who experienced acclimation have the cat from the time it was a kitten, and/or from the time that it was new to the house? Have others of you had a kitten who you tolerated with little or no problem become a cat who triggered your allergies more, or a cat who did so after being in the house for a while?
posted by daisyace at 7:13 PM on August 8, 2007

As a cat-allergic cat owner (who's aspiring to be a vet!), acclimation definitely occurs, but you have to watch out. I was great with the cats I grew up with, provided I was careful about washing my hands and keeping my room cat-free, but then I went away to college for a year. When I came home, it was to asthma attacks, rashes, swollen-closed eyes, the whole nine yards.

After that, I went to my doctor and got some prescription allergy stuff, and it has quite literally changed my life. Don't be afraid to look into a medical solution, especially if you have decent insurance. Some allergy pills and nasal spray and my life has been literally changed.

Also, not to be a downer, but brushing your cat might not help that much. A lot of people with cat allergies, especially with skin reactions, aren't allergic to cat hair or dander, but rather to cat saliva (which they groom onto themselves). Brushing doesn't help that too much.

If it is a saliva allergy, too, I wouldn't be surprised if you don't react worse with an adult than a kitten, if simply because there's more cat there, and adults groom more than kittens. Acclimation will probably offset that considerably, though.
posted by internet!Hannah at 7:25 PM on August 8, 2007

I've heard good things about Allerpet.
posted by decathecting at 7:35 PM on August 8, 2007

Some people also make their bedroom a cat-free zone. Keep the door shut and always keep the cat out of the bedroom.

Cats and allergies are weird. My ex-boyfriend is allergic to cats and had an absolutely awful reaction within five minutes of holding my mother's cat for a moment. On the other hand, he lived with my cat for almost two years and never had a single reaction to her.
posted by digitalis at 7:47 PM on August 8, 2007

(We know about air filters, cleaning the house, cleaning the cat, staying hydrated, etc.)

Are allergy meds implicit in that 'etc'? Because benadryl is great for all sorts of itchiness. Could buy him time to let acclimation set it.

The first kitten I brought home triggered the worst of my allergies. He was such a delight, but there was no possible way to keep him. At the time it felt awful to let him go back. A couple days later, another kitten became available. For no obvious reason, the allergy problems were negligible with her. She had a long, wonderful life and was every bit as delightful as her brief predecessor.

If there's any doubt at all about whether you can provide her a lifetime home, and the breeder is still willing to find her a good home elsewhere, for her sake and yours let that kitten go now. There's another cat out there, waiting for your love. And without allergies standing in the way, you'll both be able to spoil him or her soooo much better.

Also, cats have an freakish attraction to whoever needs to stay farthest away from them. The more your husband needs to protect himself from dander, the more she'll get up in his face with it.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 10:41 PM on August 8, 2007

Immunotherapy? (aka the "cat vaccine", lol. made with real cat extract.)
posted by trevyn at 1:10 AM on August 9, 2007

I am allergic to cats but have at various times acclimated myself to other people's cats such that I can house sit or even pet them with almost no effects. At it's peak, my allergies would produce redness and swelling of the eyes and copious tear production in addition to sniffles and itchiness. The biggest factor for me is the cleanliness of the house but the ability to spend time in the environment without interacting directly with the cat helps too. As time went on I very slowly increased my contact until gentle petting didn't bother me. Sort of a poor man's immunotherapy.
posted by hindmost at 1:54 AM on August 9, 2007

I'm allergic to cats, and I got a kitten about 5 years ago. I've acclimated to him, although I also use antihistamines regularly. I don't need the meds when I travel, but I do have a "rebound" of more noticeable symptoms when I return, even from a short trip, and I always get moderate swelling and itchiness with even the slightest scratch or claw mark.

My allergist has recommended clean-water rinsing of the cat on a regular basis to reduce the allergen load on the fur, and that's definitely been helpful when I've done it. No shampoo, just a clean water soak, working the fur a bit - to reduce the load of allergen left by the cat's self-grooming. (I've had a groomer do it rather than doing it myself.)
posted by caitlinb at 11:35 AM on August 9, 2007

I'm incredibly allergic to both cats and dogs. I own two indoor cats and two outdoor dogs. After a few days of my first cat living with me, the sneezing and choking up stopped. And now after 13 years with one of the cats, I'm pretty much okay. I wash my hands after petting the cats, try not to touch my eyes or scratch until after handwashing occurs. The contact allergies persist but now it's only if the cats scratch me or if the dogs drool on me. I'm still not gonna put my face in the cat's belly and inhale...cause that's just nuts. But overall, my experience has been rather positive.

Teaching the cats not to rub my face with theirs has been difficult but now they both understand "NO head love". Although my older cat still likes to sniff my eyelids in my sleep.

It's really about what you are willing to handle. My allergies were through the roof when the dogs were inside. It was just too much. So moving the dogs outside was an option. They seem to like it and it helps out.

Good luck.
posted by teleri025 at 11:54 AM on August 9, 2007

I lived with my cats ad was mostly fine most of the time (unless other allergies started bothering me) over the counter meds (antihistamines?) worked when I was exposed to other's furry beasts of nose doom, but they often seemed to loose effectiveness during week+ long stays
posted by Jacen at 9:09 PM on August 9, 2007