My husband has wanted a cat for literally the entire time we've been together. I'm sure we would have a whole clowder of them (I bet you didn't know that was the name for a group of cats) except that my husband has pretty bad pet allergies. He gets itchy and breaks out in a rash around any pet that sheds hair. I don't have bad allergies, although I definitely have gotten stuffed up when I visited an animal shelter before.
But recently, we decided that we wanted to get a cat. Actually, my husband asked me if we could get a cat, and promised that he would feed it every day and change its litter box.
Anyway, because of his allergies, I thought maybe we should spring for one of those hypoallergenic cats. My husband doesn't want to do that though, partially because of the cost, partially because he would rather rescue an animal, and partially because he'd rather have an adult cat than a kitten. (I agree about the kitten part. The last thing I want is a needy kitten. I've already got at least two needy children.) Also, the closest cat breeder to us won't have kittens until the spring.
However, I'm worried that we're going to get a cat from the shelter and my husband will be so uncomfortable that we'll have no choice but to return it. Which will be really heartbreaking.
I don't know if there's some other option that we are missing. For a person with cat allergies, is the only choice to buy a snooty hypoallergenic cat?
Yes, that may be your onlu choice. Or he can start going to allergist now for injections to build immunity--does it wor that way?. Either way you will have to weight.
ReplyDeleteYou could try fostering a cat from a shelter first as a temporary allergy trial run.
ReplyDeleteShelters have purebred animals. Petfinder will let you narrow search results by breed. You may, esp considering you are open to an older cat, be able to foster a cat to try it out. I have heard ragamuffins (we have one, from a shelter) tend to have less of an impact on allergies.
ReplyDeleteI was VERY allergic to cats (and just about every other enviromental allergy). I was skin tested and got allergy shots and now have NO issues anymore. I know have three kitties, 2 of which sleep with me every night. Have see an allergist first before you adopt.
ReplyDeleteI was VERY allergic to cats (and just about every other enviromental allergy). I was skin tested and got allergy shots and now have NO issues anymore. I know have three kitties, 2 of which sleep with me every night. Have see an allergist first before you adopt.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of breed-specific rescues, including ones for Sphynx (hairless) cats. I'd try contacting them, especially since you want an adult cat.
ReplyDeleteA little googling suggests that other breeds may also be good candidates as well (eg, Rex), and even that there's variation in allergen production between individual cats of the same breed. So maybe it would be a good idea to visit your possible future cat and see how your husband reacts to that individual. This would be easiest if the cat is being fostered (most likely through a rescue or maybe shelter). Or a trial period, if the rescue will let you (shelters will not).
Good luck!
I was treated for allergic asthma with the BAX 3000 several years ago, and I've been off asthma medication ever since. I understand that there is a newer version out there; he might find it helpful
ReplyDeleteI'm allergic to cats, weeds, trees, and grass. I have 5 cats that live in our house. and a dog. I take over the counter allergy medicine. The new clumping litter is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteLook into fostering a cat to see how your husband reacts?
ReplyDeleteMeet w/ an allergist b/f rescuing or fostering a cat to see what if anything he can do to make having a feline in your home tolerable!
Purchase an air purifier & keep the cat out of the bedroom especially the bed/pillows!
Good luck!
klenex
ReplyDeleteYes! :)
DeleteI agree with the idea of fostering, if you can. I have reasonably significant cat allergies (pretty bad congestion with a smattering of hives), but when I moved in with a roommate for several months who had a cat, I found that my system got used to it - basically the low-tech version version of allergy shots. But I know that doesn't work for everyone, thus trying it out temporarily might be best.
ReplyDeleteHere's another vote for low-tech allergy shots. I am allergic to cats, but love them and own them. My system got used to them and my allergies lessened. Whatever is occasionally left over a Claritin manages.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea about the scientific basis for this next comment, but here goes. My sister (who works for vets and has cats of her own) sneezes around my cats. I think allergies may be pet-related rather than breed-related, so you may just have to get a cat and wait out the allergy stage.
If your husband is allergic isn't there a good chance your kids could develop allergies too? That said, having a cat or dog in the family can be so very comforting. It's a lot of work and expense though.
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best on whatever you decide. I could not imagine living without my 2 Labs.
Pet allergies can definitely be animal specific, even in the same breed. I have three cats and react consistently to one of them but not the other two. Definitely start with a pet free bedroom, and expect the allergies to lessen with time. Fostering is a great idea to test the waters.
ReplyDeleteNo breed is truly hypoallergenic. And there is cat-to-cat variation as far as allergies with people go, from my experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with fostering a cat. Or just be up front with the rescue about a trial period. Most places have more animals than they can find homes for, and I imagine there are plenty that would be willing to do a foster or trial first.And there are more rescues than simple animal shelters, keep that in mind.
People have had a significant decrease in allergies using the allergies shots or drops.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I would recommend that you call around to each rescue group / shelter and ask them if they have any adult cats that are hypoallergenic (and most public shelters do have pure breed cats - and if not they may be willing to put you on a looking-for list).
Secondly, you may be allergic to certain types of fur (some cats have a downy fur which can be very allergic, others the hair is more human-like). I have had people say that the Japanese Bobtail (whose fur is more rabbit-like) was good for people with allergies. I would do more research, and test visit a few different breeds to see which works best.
My only advise against fostering is please use caution: any change is highly traumatic to a cat, and having to return the cat may be hard on you as a family as well as a cat that thought it found a home for good.
I am a veterinarian. I am also allergic to cats. I'm reactive to Fel d1, the major cat allergen, and probably also Fel d4 because I am reactive to horse serum and there is some cross-reaction there. But anyway, under the care of my physician I have been getting allergy shots for years and I am doing great. I can see/examine six cats in a row before I start getting symptomatic which is amazing (I used to wheeze if I entered a home where a cat USED to live). I also, contrary to my physician's advice, have a cat in my home. I do not allow him in my bedroom. We have HEPA filters in our HVAC system and vacuum regularly. We also rinse the cat in distilled water once a week (he's not thrilled by it) which cuts down on dander. What I did when we got him was go to call a bunch of catteries and ask about allergies. I found a Norwegian Forest Cat breeder in Glassboro NJ (no longer active btw) who said her cats weren't very antigenic and she invited me to visit the cattery. I spent a few hours there and wasn't symptomatic so we got one of her cats and it worked out well. As a cat allergic person, I would NEVER take a shelter cat into my home without spending at least few hours with it at a shelter, including touching it and so forth, and then seeing how I felt in the next 24 hrs. And if I were getting another purebred, I would hang out in the cattery for a while first. Of course generally if I need a cat at this point I just wait til someone abandons a box of kittens at my office, and then hang out with it at work for a while and see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteHee, good luck with kitty. I learned the word "clowder" from "Sheldon" on the "Big Bang Theory", when he broke up with "Amy" and started collecting cats. He named them after the Openheimer Project "24 cats" Oh, yes, I'm sure this is fascinating :)
ReplyDeleteAllergies and cats are kind of a crapshoot. I have moderate cat allergies, and have experienced that cat hair, dander and saliva are all separate and distinct allergens. I am allergic to all three.
ReplyDeleteExposure does build up tolerance, but also can lead to a depressed immune system - I was way more likely to get colds and flus while I was already suffering.
Dander and saliva allergies is said to be related to the Fel D protein, and I can testify that I had much less of a reaction to FelD negative cats - i.e. Siberians, and that yes, light cats are much better than dark cats. However, loose hair, particularly on their favourite sleeps spots, i.e. the couch, still made me wheeze up. HEPA filters, air purifiers, regular brushing and vacuuming helped with the hair.
Living with Fel D positive cats, which includes "hairless" and "Rexs" cats, made me much more conscientious about their dander; I changed the way I dusted, using a wet cloth or a mister spray bottle to "trap" dust before I wiped it away, made a point of leaving the room after I vacuumed to let dust settle, and of course, keeping the kitties out of my bedroom until I had built up a tolerance. I also wiped the cats regularly with a damp cloth to remove dander.
I did find that kitten hair and dander did change as they aged, and that usually I had very little reactions to kittens, but needed to build tolerance again when they matured.
I think that any determined cat lover with any allergy can become accustomed to any cat; it just requires you to take stock of the situation and take steps to minimize reactions. When I start to have reactions again, I take note of why and what's changed, and usually find that I have been slacking, and need to step up and be more proactive - vacuum, dust, brush, wipe more.
Unfortunately for an allergy sufferer, cats will never be low-maintenance pets. But they're often less maintenance then you think.
I'd also suggest that you consider "handle-ability" the first criteria if you decide on a shelter cat. It is drastically easier to teach a kitten than a cat the basics of the "cat-allergy" routine - brush, wipe, etc. During shedding season, even indoor cats will make you consider the most dreaded of all cat words - Bath.
DeleteAs far as grooming goes, some cats love it, some tolerate it, and some hate even the idea of it. And it is terribly difficult to bond with a new cat while it's trying to take your arm off for daring to approach it with a wet cloth. IME females are often particularly offended by the idea - "what, do you think I'm DIRTY!?!", while males act like the hot nurse just offered them a sponge bath.
I would not get a cat until his allergies had been verifiable under control, your kids are older, and whether the question of do you have time for this animal with your life and 2 kids already are answered.
ReplyDeleteGood thing? Take the money that you have an put it to rescues, fosters, etc. They would LOVE the chance to be helped. That is also a tax write off.
Being with rescues, I've seen WAY too many that are overburdened because people found out months down the road they couldn't take care of the animal. Either that or we get the horrible stories when they are dumped.
Kittens trigger allergies MUCH more drastically than adult cats, so adopting an adult is the way to go. I had ten years of allergy shots to no avail. I am very allergic to cats and am on my second ocicat (Google them - they're beautiful!) with no problems. They are very smart, affectionate, and athletic. They will play fetch and are rather doglike in behaviors generally. I took a lovely nap on the sofa this afternoon with my oci snugged against my belly, in fact. They are expensive, but both of my girls have been worth the time it took for me to save up the money.
ReplyDeleteIt's really not the shedding (or hair length) that makes a cat more allergenic or not. Sphynxes are a good choice for a hypoallergenic breed, but they're also rather unique in requiring weekly baths and can have health problems. By contrast, my long-haired torbie probably has some (or all?) Norwegian forest cat in her and doesn't seem to produce an allergic response in anyone, even my dad who has literally decades of documented cat allergies.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone for your advice. We went to a shelter, and somehow my husband was fine and hasn't had any allergic response. So maybe he got over it? Anyway, we are getting a cat next week that we picked out.
ReplyDeleteI am allergic and much to my ENT's distress, I have a cat and he sleeps with me. He is all over me when I get home. I have found that the longer I have him, the less he bothers me. I find it important to wash your hands after doing a lot of petting. If I get scratched, I wash immediately or I have a itching fit for about 30 minutes. I really don't do anything but put up with it. I love my cat.
ReplyDelete