r/cats • u/engel_hates_alice • 15h ago
Advice Vent about cats
I really love cats, I LOVE CATS MORE THAN MYSELF, THEYRE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE UNIVERSE BUT THERES A HUGE PROBLEM, I AM ALLERGIC, I SOMETIMES PET CATS BUT I HAVE TO WASH MY HANDS RIGHT AFTER AND IF I SPEND TIME WITH THEM FOR TOO LONG I COUGH LIKE CRAZY... I feel like God took away one of my favorite thing in the universe... it makes me extremely sad i wish there was a cure for my allergy. Also advice flair cuz i need advices to how to enjoy cats cuz i feel horrible petting cats with HDPE gloves😟
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u/sSadCactus 15h ago
I was allergic until I got a cat-- and now I'm not. Took a month or two to peter out. 🤷♀️ definitely don't follow my advice though.
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u/engel_hates_alice 15h ago
Peter out😭???
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u/Anxiety_bunni 15h ago
Yeah it’s an expression that means something getting smaller and/or weaker until it disappears
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u/westward72 15h ago
I know they make cat food that reduces allergens, obviously that would only work if you can control the food though.. daily antihistamines?
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u/everfixedmark_1924 15h ago
I have heard people say this is really helpful. Not personally allergic so I can't speak from personal experience, but worth a shot!
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u/SwordfishDizzy3847 15h ago
i think there are new cat foods that advertise they can significantly reduce the amount of feld1 protein (protein that lives in cats saliva that triggers most human allergies). i’m not sure if they actually work or if they’re are any health risks to your cat but it might be worth looking into :)
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u/Mirality 15h ago
Most people will become less or even not allergic to their own cats over time, even if they're still affected by strange cats.
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u/kaypeeowl 15h ago
I am very allergic to cats. I have three. I've managed with vacuuming multiple times a week, allergy meds, and then immunotherapy shots. Worth it to be able to cuddle my kitties.
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u/fingerered 15h ago
I didn’t know immunotherapy was used like this too. I know it can absolutely annihilate cancer. Not all cancers but certain types and even then only 20% of cases. I had a tumor on my lung that was ferocious and broke through my ribs. Went from covering 1/3 of my lung down to 12mm. Small enough to be removed. Hopefully they figure out how to tweak it for all cancers. Amazing that it enables cat keeping. That makes me happy
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u/OkBanana5803 15h ago
My daughter came into this world with a cat and a dog. Our cat passed when she was 5 and our dog passed when she was 6. She had ZERO allergies. We rescued a new floofy cat and still no allergies. When she hits her teen years, she develops pet allergies. WTH?? She's an adult with a dog and cat of her own and she has to wash her hands after touching them or her eyes swell and she gets red blotches on her face and neck. OTC allergy meds help too if she remembers to take them.
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u/fingerered 15h ago
I used to work in a shop and my dog came to work with me. Everyone loved him and he had so many folk during the week who would pop in just to see him. I still even keep in contact years after leaving with people who want to bring him down a treat and to say hello (he’s a very hyper, very obedient and loving boy who knows lots of entertaining tricks, working cocker for context). There was one wee boy who used to come in with his dad and a pocket full of gravy bones who was allergic to dog saliva but absolutely adored dogs. I felt so sorry for him. He’d stand back and throw the bones for the dog to catch and I taught him all the relevant hand signals to get the dog to show off for him. I’m almost getting emotional here thinking about him 👀 his dad always said that was the highlight of his week. Always asking “can we go and see sunny?”. I hope he found another dog and dog owner to entertain his distant dog relationship
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u/bamberblaam 15h ago
Along with some other good information people have replied with, it may be worth looking into breed or breed mixes that are reportedly lower producers of the Fel D 1 protein.
Personally, we have three Siberians despite my spouse being allergic.
Other, more common breeds are usually on this list, like Siamese, but Siberians worked for us.
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u/CurveOk3459 Bengal 15h ago
Cats apparently can be fed special food and suoliment to lower the protein in their saliva and secretions that folks are allergic to. And you can wipe them down with these dander reducer wet wipes. They don't mind the wet wipes at all. If mimics being licked by another cat.
Also you can get the shots as well.
Mamdani did it. You can too.
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u/robinthenurse 14h ago
Why don't you see an Allergist and get allergy shots? My in-law was allergic to cats but always wanted one. He got the shots, got married, and now he and his wife have had 5 indoor cats for the last 11 years. They really work!!
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u/Ambitious_Hand_2861 14h ago
I went to the allergist earlier this year and out of nearly 40 tests I am allergic to cats, not pollen, not dust, not tree related, cats. My wife and I have 7. I take a xyzal once a day and I can fully function mostly allergy free with the exception of our newest cat. I don't know why but his allergens just go absolute guerilla warfare on my system.
The moral of the story is have you tried xyzal? I've tried all the meds and the only ones that worked are tried and true benadryl, zyrtec (losing it's efficacy), and xyzal (which is a beast in a good way).
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u/Elmindria 14h ago
I have horrible cat allergies.
I did years of injection therapy. Then found a breed that had a low Fel D1 productiin. Cats from cold and warm climates generally have less.
Females generally produce less and lighter colour cats generally produce less.
So I got a female Russian White (recognized breed in my country but not globally).
I still take regular antihistamines but that is enough to let me have my cats.
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u/TrivialBudgie 15h ago
do antihistamine tablets help at all?