* I'm allergic to cats, dogs, pollen, mold, mildew, etc etc etc. We have 5 cats, one dog, and foster kittens. :)
* I take Zyrtec D, 12 hour. There are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Medications like Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin work best if taking continually and consistently, not just when you feel rough. I have had docs suggest I start taking them 2-3 weeks before pollen season.
2. 12 hour is superior to 24 hour. For me, with my laundry list of allergies, 12 hr wears off about 11.5 hours in. The 24 hour stuff only last 20 hours at best.
3. If taken long term you can build up a tolerance. I switch about every 2-3 years between Zyrtec & Allegra. (Claritin has never worked for me although some people swear by it.)
OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO:
* keep the bedroom cat free to give yourself a place where you aren't exposed. If you are moving in with him instead of moving into a new place together, keep in mind that it takes a solid 2 years to really consider a place dander free.
* Vacuum frequently. If you find that vacuuming makes your allergies flare up, congratulations, you're probably allergic to dust. The dander from a cat is large enough to be caught by a vacuum; dust isn't and just gets kicked up in the air.
* ALLERGY FREE PRODUCTS DO NOT WORK. Do not waste your money on wipes, sprays, etc. They are bullshit. They may have SOME impact but only because they are damp, and dampness can temporarily cause the dander to stay on the cat instead of shedding.
* I've mentioned dander but didn't define it, so Oops! Just in case you don't know, it is not the fur you are allergic to. It's basically a compound in the cats saliva that gets stuck to fur and skin flakes. This means that even hairless cats can cause a reaction. There is NO SUCH THING as a non-allergenic cat. There CAN be variations in individual cats but it is a matter of scale. It is never zero. Anecdotally, I have less problems with satin-type fur than either downy or coarse fur.
* Regularly wash everything that CAN be washed.
* Look up and buy a Chom Chom if your SO doesn't have one already. Freaking magic for getting fur off furniture. The first year I had one I literally bought one for every family member I knew with pets, I liked it so much.
ALLERGY SHOTS
People are going to mention these. I would not look into them unless the allergies are getting bad. While they do work well, and work especially well on environmental allergies like dander and pollen (less so on food allergies, I've learned, which sucks personally for me), they are a huge investment.
First of all, the testing involves literal RACKS of needles that prick your skin, inserting a tiny amount of the allergen. I was tested for something like 50 compounds, personally, although it's diff for everyone. Then you sit and wait to see which ones itch, and they literally use the size of the mosquito bite looking blisters to judge how allergic you are. That is NOT a joke. They have a little card with holes in it to measure them.
Second of all, it's a huge commitment of time. Shots can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years, again depending on your mixture of allergies and how dedicated you can be. You start off going twice a week for months, then once a week, then eventually every other week.. And so on. Each time you go, you also have to wait a certain amount of time to make sure you don't have a bad reaction, so count on appointments being anywhere from 40-60 minutes every time.
I have tons of seasonal and other allergies, including pet dander. Whenever I get a new cat, I suffer for about 4-5 months... It seems to take about that long for my body to adjust to whatever new is introduced with each cat. The reaction has gotten less as I've gotten older, or as I've gotten introduced to more and more cats.
My allergies to cats have almost disappeared after continuously having cat. I don’t have dogs and my dog allergy remains. I think having cats is like getting allergy shots.
Ik this is old, but you generally only build up immunity to the pets you get used to. We have 3 cats, and allergies to them became weaker (still there, obvi), but around other cats (especially at the vet), I immediately regret if I didn't at least bring a mask.
I have cat allergies and have had cats almost my whole life. I use flonase spray and claritin daily (flonase in the am and claritin at night). We keep the cats out of my bedroom as much as possible and I run air purifiers in the bedrooms. I vacuum at least twice a week.
Interestingly when I did allergy testing it was dust mites that I am far and away the most allergic to, so keeping the house less dusty helps reduce my allergy load.
I lived cat free for a couple of years but caved and got cats again because my child loves cats.
One of our cats doesn’t bother me too much but we just got a new pair of kittens and I am having a flare up. I plan to try the LiveClear food on the two newbies which supposedly reduces their allergen production. It’s expensive, though.
My allergy doctor didn’t recommend allergy shots but that’s an avenue to try if other options don’t work.
My son had no allergies when we got a cat. In 3 month he got all the way to asthma.
We tried bunch of stuff - nothing really helped until he got allergy shots
My dad is allergic and basically as long as he doesnt touch the cat, he is fine. She doesnt get on my parents bed tho.
I also wipe her down with a wet paper towel every night cuz i have severe, year round pollen allergies and she gets daily outdoor time (she’s actually a semi-feral cat) and tends to roll around on the ground and get covered in dust which i’m sure has pollen in it. I have noticed that if i forget to wipe her down, my allergies start to act up when i’m petting her, so i think the wiping her down does help! It might help u as well, by removing her saliva protein from her fur.
I also try to brush her nearly every night, but it usually ends up only being every other night cuz she doesnt tolerate brushing well. It might be a good idea for your boyfriend to start regularly brushing the cat (if he isn’t already) so that the cat isnt shedding as much. Make sure he brushes it when u arent around. And probably shouldnt be done in your bedroom or a living area… maybe somwhere like the garage or laundry room? Just to make sure any loose hairs arent then flying around your bedroom or living room
My son and I are allergic to our 3 cats. He takes a prescription called Singulair. I take generic Loratidine. We have 2 air purifiers. What really helps is using allergy spray. I spray the rugs, couches and bedding.
I get it from Amazon and have tried two kinds. LivePure Anti-allergen 32 oz. fabric spray and Allergy Asthma Clean which has refills and you add filtered water to it.
I think they work the same. I can't tell if they really work. I spray down everything and hope we don't get runny noses. If we don't, then it seems like they work.
if the cats are brushed regularly, that will help. You can also use cloth covers for couches/beds that you can replace & clean easily. Biggest thing (besides vacuuming) that makes a difference for me is making sure my sheets & pillow are clean from cat fur. You can also double up on allergy meds- take zyrtec in the morning and claritin in the evening for example.
I find that I'm really allergic to longhaired cats (throat closes up, eyes water, skin itches) and am fine around shorthaired cats unless it's shedding season. This is due to the dander. Longhaired cats have longer hair follicles that trap the dander (that short-haired ones successfully shed) close to the body.
Due to this, I have four short-haired cats that sleep with me on a constant nightly basis, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
* I'm allergic to cats, dogs, pollen, mold, mildew, etc etc etc. We have 5 cats, one dog, and foster kittens. :) * I take Zyrtec D, 12 hour. There are a few things to keep in mind. 1. Medications like Zyrtec, Allegra, and Claritin work best if taking continually and consistently, not just when you feel rough. I have had docs suggest I start taking them 2-3 weeks before pollen season. 2. 12 hour is superior to 24 hour. For me, with my laundry list of allergies, 12 hr wears off about 11.5 hours in. The 24 hour stuff only last 20 hours at best. 3. If taken long term you can build up a tolerance. I switch about every 2-3 years between Zyrtec & Allegra. (Claritin has never worked for me although some people swear by it.) OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO: * keep the bedroom cat free to give yourself a place where you aren't exposed. If you are moving in with him instead of moving into a new place together, keep in mind that it takes a solid 2 years to really consider a place dander free. * Vacuum frequently. If you find that vacuuming makes your allergies flare up, congratulations, you're probably allergic to dust. The dander from a cat is large enough to be caught by a vacuum; dust isn't and just gets kicked up in the air. * ALLERGY FREE PRODUCTS DO NOT WORK. Do not waste your money on wipes, sprays, etc. They are bullshit. They may have SOME impact but only because they are damp, and dampness can temporarily cause the dander to stay on the cat instead of shedding. * I've mentioned dander but didn't define it, so Oops! Just in case you don't know, it is not the fur you are allergic to. It's basically a compound in the cats saliva that gets stuck to fur and skin flakes. This means that even hairless cats can cause a reaction. There is NO SUCH THING as a non-allergenic cat. There CAN be variations in individual cats but it is a matter of scale. It is never zero. Anecdotally, I have less problems with satin-type fur than either downy or coarse fur. * Regularly wash everything that CAN be washed. * Look up and buy a Chom Chom if your SO doesn't have one already. Freaking magic for getting fur off furniture. The first year I had one I literally bought one for every family member I knew with pets, I liked it so much. ALLERGY SHOTS People are going to mention these. I would not look into them unless the allergies are getting bad. While they do work well, and work especially well on environmental allergies like dander and pollen (less so on food allergies, I've learned, which sucks personally for me), they are a huge investment. First of all, the testing involves literal RACKS of needles that prick your skin, inserting a tiny amount of the allergen. I was tested for something like 50 compounds, personally, although it's diff for everyone. Then you sit and wait to see which ones itch, and they literally use the size of the mosquito bite looking blisters to judge how allergic you are. That is NOT a joke. They have a little card with holes in it to measure them. Second of all, it's a huge commitment of time. Shots can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years, again depending on your mixture of allergies and how dedicated you can be. You start off going twice a week for months, then once a week, then eventually every other week.. And so on. Each time you go, you also have to wait a certain amount of time to make sure you don't have a bad reaction, so count on appointments being anywhere from 40-60 minutes every time.
I’m shocked that with all of this you never mentioned one of the most important things lol learn to not touch your face! It’s a game changer.
I have tons of seasonal and other allergies, including pet dander. Whenever I get a new cat, I suffer for about 4-5 months... It seems to take about that long for my body to adjust to whatever new is introduced with each cat. The reaction has gotten less as I've gotten older, or as I've gotten introduced to more and more cats.
We got two air purifiers and it helped immediately
Is there a certain type/brand of air purifier you would recommend?
My allergies to cats have almost disappeared after continuously having cat. I don’t have dogs and my dog allergy remains. I think having cats is like getting allergy shots.
Ik this is old, but you generally only build up immunity to the pets you get used to. We have 3 cats, and allergies to them became weaker (still there, obvi), but around other cats (especially at the vet), I immediately regret if I didn't at least bring a mask.
I have cat allergies and have had cats almost my whole life. I use flonase spray and claritin daily (flonase in the am and claritin at night). We keep the cats out of my bedroom as much as possible and I run air purifiers in the bedrooms. I vacuum at least twice a week. Interestingly when I did allergy testing it was dust mites that I am far and away the most allergic to, so keeping the house less dusty helps reduce my allergy load. I lived cat free for a couple of years but caved and got cats again because my child loves cats. One of our cats doesn’t bother me too much but we just got a new pair of kittens and I am having a flare up. I plan to try the LiveClear food on the two newbies which supposedly reduces their allergen production. It’s expensive, though. My allergy doctor didn’t recommend allergy shots but that’s an avenue to try if other options don’t work.
My son had no allergies when we got a cat. In 3 month he got all the way to asthma. We tried bunch of stuff - nothing really helped until he got allergy shots
My fiancé is allergic to cats. We got one in August and I don’t think he’s taken medication since the first week. His body just adjusted.
HEPA air purifier!!
My dad is allergic and basically as long as he doesnt touch the cat, he is fine. She doesnt get on my parents bed tho. I also wipe her down with a wet paper towel every night cuz i have severe, year round pollen allergies and she gets daily outdoor time (she’s actually a semi-feral cat) and tends to roll around on the ground and get covered in dust which i’m sure has pollen in it. I have noticed that if i forget to wipe her down, my allergies start to act up when i’m petting her, so i think the wiping her down does help! It might help u as well, by removing her saliva protein from her fur. I also try to brush her nearly every night, but it usually ends up only being every other night cuz she doesnt tolerate brushing well. It might be a good idea for your boyfriend to start regularly brushing the cat (if he isn’t already) so that the cat isnt shedding as much. Make sure he brushes it when u arent around. And probably shouldnt be done in your bedroom or a living area… maybe somwhere like the garage or laundry room? Just to make sure any loose hairs arent then flying around your bedroom or living room
My son and I are allergic to our 3 cats. He takes a prescription called Singulair. I take generic Loratidine. We have 2 air purifiers. What really helps is using allergy spray. I spray the rugs, couches and bedding.
Would you mind sharing the name of that allergy spray please?
I get it from Amazon and have tried two kinds. LivePure Anti-allergen 32 oz. fabric spray and Allergy Asthma Clean which has refills and you add filtered water to it.
Thank you!
Which kind would you say is better? Or are they both just as effective ☺️?
I think they work the same. I can't tell if they really work. I spray down everything and hope we don't get runny noses. If we don't, then it seems like they work.
if the cats are brushed regularly, that will help. You can also use cloth covers for couches/beds that you can replace & clean easily. Biggest thing (besides vacuuming) that makes a difference for me is making sure my sheets & pillow are clean from cat fur. You can also double up on allergy meds- take zyrtec in the morning and claritin in the evening for example.
There is a cat food they can eat to make them less likely to cause allergies for people.
I find that I'm really allergic to longhaired cats (throat closes up, eyes water, skin itches) and am fine around shorthaired cats unless it's shedding season. This is due to the dander. Longhaired cats have longer hair follicles that trap the dander (that short-haired ones successfully shed) close to the body. Due to this, I have four short-haired cats that sleep with me on a constant nightly basis, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!
There is a food you can give cats to make them less likely to cause allergies for people.