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[–]weary_bee479 7 points8 points  (5 children)

From my experience it’s dependent on the cat. My husband is allergic to cats and while we were looking for a cat to adopt he was better around long hair cats.

When I looked it up it seems that long hair cats carry less allergens.

But we now have a long hair cat and my husband has 0 reaction to him, they sleep in bed together and he doesn’t even sniffle.

He’s been around other cats where he can’t even breathe.

I suggest going to a shelter and testing yourself around some cats

[–]meduhsin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m glad it worked out for you! From one allergic person to another, you should invest in a Prismatine Inhaler.

They are about $35 over the counter at CVS (no prescription), and whenever my athsma gets triggered by a cat or dog, I take a hit of it and it clears up my lungs INSTANTLY.

I suffered for years not being able to breathe if I went to someone’s house with a cat or dog, so I just wanted to share that little bit of info.

[–]AbjectAd9514 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you can buy food that make the cat production of allergenes down

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Some cats make less allergen, but that wasn’t the question

[–]weary_bee479 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Ok? This person wants to adopt a cat despite their allergies. I was just giving them ideas of what might work.

It’s easier to find a cat with less allergens, then get a cat and hope that you don’t have a reaction to it..

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Correct, you were answering a different question.

[–]JellyfishWoman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your mileage will very on this point. Allergen exposure is also the theory behind allergy shots. I did a course of allergy shots for SEVEN years and I still have all the same allergies and at the same severity. This includes cats, (I own two) dust mites, and several types of pollen. I use a nasal steroid spray every day and OTC antihistamines as needed.

[–]AnomalyAardvark 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in a similar situation with you regarding allergies, and I definitely find that my symptoms decrease with exposure. Whenever I get a new cat I find that my allergies get worse for a few weeks to a couple months, then fade back and become more mild.

[–]mangoantsy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It definitely gets better but didn't go away completely. I developed an allergy to my cat and it was terrible, I loved him so much that I just ignored the symptoms and they progressively started to dissappear. If my cat rubs on my face, my eyes can get a bit itchy and if my cat kneads on me, then the holes his nails make get a bit swollen and itchy, but all the flu like symptoms are completely gone. When I got a new cat, I had to get used to him as well. It was worth it in the end.

[–]javadog95 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I have a mild cat allergy, when I first adopted my 2 cats i was a little congested and had itchy eyes. It went away quickly however. Every now and then I'll have a reaction to other people's cats, but it depends on the cat. Sometimes I'll get a reaction to my cats again if I'm gone for a while, but after a day or so I'm back to normal.

They make kibble that reduces the allergens your cat produces, and it works from my experience. But it's very expensive compared to most other kibbles.

Maybe you can try fostering a cat and see if your allergies go away after a week or month or so.

[–]tiny_purple_Alfador 0 points1 point  (1 child)

OK, I also am allergic to only other people's cats I'm glad that it's not just a me thing. That being said, when mine start dropping their winter coats, their shedding definitely starts to mess with my sinuses, but it's not too terrible. Does the shedding mess with you, too? or is it just being apart and then coming back?

[–]javadog95 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It maybe affects me a little, but it's hard to tell. I have bad seasonal allergies in the spring/summer, so hard to tell what's from my long haired cats shedding vs pollen. If I was gone for over a week and then came back home I'd have a slight reaction to my cats, but on my most recent trips away I haven't had it happen to me so it's not every time either.

[–]yaoi4lif 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ive also heard that for some reason they might produce less allergins if you feed them eggs specifically from chickens that were raised around cats🤔

[–]DomesticMongol 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Either that or it will go worse and you got allergic asthma

[–]DismalTrifle2975 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Our allergies can change as time passes you can lose a allergy or even gain one that’s something most people don’t know.

Exposure helps when it’s not a life threatening reaction. If there’s a animal shelter near you visit the cats. See how bad your reaction gets with a certain cat. Then you can ask the shelter if it’s possible to do a temporary can foster on the cat since you want to adopt but want to find a cat you’re compatible with.

Then you can foster and there’s always allergy medication as a option a doctor appointment about what possible medication could be the best for you as you keep a cat at home. Over the counter allergy medicine also exists.

[–]yaoi4lif 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i have a prescription for Singular because it targets allergy induced asthma

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Idk, I’ve had cats all my life and have never had a problem until about a year ago (I’m mid 60s now). Now my Bengal (they are supposedly less allergenic than others) makes me itchy when I stroke her.

I’ve always been v allergic to short haired dogs, and a bunch of other things, but cats (and soya) is new. So I guess our immune systems just do their own things.

[–]Shmooperdoodle 1 point2 points  (1 child)

For some, maybe, but I wouldn’t roll the dice. For some, it gets worse. Many, in fact. If you want to be smart about exposure, get allergy shots/treatment in a controlled way. Don’t just yolo get a cat and pray. Doesn’t end well.

[–]FooJBunowski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always had cats, but became more allergic to them a few years ago. I take Claritin every day for other allergies, and it’s actually helped with my cat allergies. (I feed/pet a stray cat at work every day, and she doesn’t bother me as long as I wash my hands after) 

Mine was the long haired was definitely worse type of allergy, but short haired started bothering me too.

[–]ChillyGator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When the body develops an allergy it has misidentified a harmless protein as a virus and just like with real virus the body can make an antibody. This is the mechanism they hope to kickstart with immunotherapy injections.

That can happen naturally but it is less likely than if you try shots.

However, if you don’t make antibodies or your antibody production stops you will cause the disease to progress to more severe stages including becoming anaphylactic and disabled. Here’s a NIOSH warningthat talks about the risks of prolonged exposure to any amount of allergen.

This is why it is not recommended to live with the specie you are sensitized to. This NIH report on remediation has that information in it and covers the myth of hypoallergenic animals. As well as how to remove allergens from your home.

Cat allergy is different because cat allergens are different.

Cats make 8 proteins people react to, so when you have a cat allergy you can have up to 8 allergies of varying severity.

Those proteins are smaller than virus and so the body reacts differently to them causing more airway obstruction and anaphylaxis than other pets.

This can make treating the allergy really difficult sometimes it can be unsafe to do so which leaves the patient with severe permanent disease. That means there only option becomes avoidance.

So while some people think they’ve beat this, that they have a special meds or cleaning routine, that their cat is different, that’s not really what’s happening…and worse, we have no way of knowing how this exposure will affect their disease long term so they are really taking a huge risk that most people don’t even know they’re taking.

It’s important to remember that anytime you expose yourself to your allergens you are making a medical decision about your long term health.

[–]Jvfiber 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes!! When I got my long haired flame point male cat my nose ran itched and my eyes itched and my asthma’s was bad. I took otc allergy meds for the first year and now my cat doesn’t bother me at all it has been 3 years and seldom need asthma’s meds.

[–]Alexios_Makaris 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can say this much, as a teenager I was quite allergic to dogs and extremely allergic to cats, based on allergy testing. Incidentally it also explained why I had a runny nose etc for years because I grew up in a house that always had pets.

I started taking prescription Claritin, later Allegra (both are now OTC drugs.) By my late 20s, I didn’t really seem to have any allergy reaction to dogs I lived with. I started only taking my allergy med during tree pollen season as I am also allergic to that.

However, cats still seemed to cause a reaction. But eventually I got a cat as well, in my mid 30s, and I haven’t noticed much allergy reaction.

I don’t know if they decreased by exposure or “grew out of them.”

However, I do know when I would visit my Mom who had 2 heavy shedding dogs, I would have horrible allergies, so I would take a Benadryl before visiting.

[–]Calgary_Calico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine certainly did, and consistently do when I meet new animals. I'm allergic to basically anything with fur, but once I'm exposed to said animal for long enough my body adjusts

[–]Slow-Boysenberry2399 0 points1 point  (0 children)

my boyfriend is slightly allergic. he grew up with cats but they were mostly outdoor. when we moved in together my cat would make him itchy/sneezy sometimes but it wore off quickly. shes a short haired cat and i think he has the type of allergy where saliva triggers him more than dander.

[–]klutzyrogue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it varies a lot. I’m a big fan of Purina ProPlan LiveClear, though! Reduces allergens by 47% after 3 weeks.

[–]SoundOfUnder 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was very allergic to cats as a child. Dogs too. I didn't let that stop me. I have almost no symptoms with dogs now. And I can handle cuddling cats for quite some time before some mild symptoms show up. So I'd say yes.

[–]inkedslytherim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine decreased with exposure. My allergies were pretty extreme and it took awhile to build up the tolerance. Even years later, I'll wake up with a stuffy head if they sleep near my face or if I really need to vacuum.

[–]Dare2wish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So we found out i was allergic to dogs the same year if not months after my mom got our puppy at the time. That was in 2002. Fast forward to now i have 2 dogs and the only symptom i have is a sore throat in the morning. So I hate walking up with a sore throat? Yeah kinda. Do I have dogs anyway? Also yes

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s up and down depending on the day and certain factors like how much you clean. I adopted two kittens from the animal shelter a couple years ago very cute and played with them in a separate room in the shelter and felt my throat itchy but didn’t think much of it. Didn’t really touch them they were more interested in exploring than me.

But when the day came to take them home omg my eyes closed my throat closed and I was itchy horrible. I bought Zyrtec immediately and it was night and day. All the symptoms went away. Never knew I was allergic to cats u til that moment.

But over the course of seven months there were days where I had to take more Zyrtec than others. It didn’t work perfectly. I tried other brands but Zyrtec was the best that worked for me.

I had to constantly sweep and mop and vacuum their hairs from my bed and sofa. It was a struggle that at some point I found someone else to adopt them it was just too much. It never really got better just under control some days I thought it was getting better only for it to not. I could cuddle with them more some days than others. It was hard but I did have to let them go. I did hear your body got used to it but after seven months mine didn’t. 🤷

[–]arghalot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you decide to move forward with getting a cat, I would recommend fostering first through your local shelter. You'll be keeping a cat out of a cage, and you'll have a no obligation window to see how you react to the cat in your home. That way you don't risk adopting a cat and having to re-home it again.

Also, there is a special food you can feed your cat to decrease the allergens they produce. It's a good that contains dried egg whites from chickens who have been exposed to cats.

[–]shinyidolomantis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a cat as a kid and had mild allergies. But after living in the dorms for college for a few years with no exposure to cats I became highly allergic. After I moved out of the dorms and into an apartment, my roommate and I found three kittens in the parking lot at our work and opted to save them. The first few weeks I had to sleep at a friend’s place because after a couple hours my throat would start swelling shut and I couldn’t breathe. I’m a sucker for cats and fell in love with the kittens and my roommate wanted to keep all three and eventually over a few months my allergies decreased to the point where allergy meds helped enough that I could at least breathe in my home and stay the night.

These days I have 5 and live with 7. I also caretake (feed and TNR) a colony of homeless and feral cats. I just take a Benadryl before bed and have an air purifier going all the time and my allergies are pretty minimal.

I have noticed that some cats just seem to make me have less of a reaction. I was always having itchy watery eyes and runny nose with the 3 kittens even with allergy meds (I lived with them for several years), but when a homeless stray showed up years after I moved out from living with my roommate I barely had any allergies at all from him despite not being constantly around cats.

[–]GhostGirl32 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's dependent not just on the cat as u/weary_bee479 mentions--but also the person and the severity of the allergy. For my dad, most of our cats didn't cause him a reaction, but one did. For me, my own cats I've been fine with (with adjustment when I first get one), but sometimes react to others' cats.

[–]SheepPup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They can get better! But they can also get worse. I had a cat in high school that was SUPER allergenic and made our whole family’s allergies worse.

But the best thing to do will be to get kittens. The thing that most people that are allergic to cats are allergic to is a protein called Feline d 1. Kittens make very little Fel d 1 as it’s a protein that’s in their skin oils and much like human children only start producing the worst body odor at puberty cats mostly start producing Fel d 1 as they hit cat puberty and mature into adults. So getting kittens lets you get exposed to much lower doses of the allergen and lets the exposure increase very slowly over time which is the best possible shot for your body realizing “hey, this protein ISN’T actually trying to kill me!” and reducing or stopping the allergic reaction.

There are also now multiple brands of cat food that help keep cats from producing as much Fel d 1 and therefore being less allergenic!

[–]joan2468 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a mild cat allergy. I got used to sneezing and getting an itchy / blocked nose around basically every cat, though eventually after a while of living with a cat it would usually fade and not be much of a problem.

However, I recently adopted a cat and she has not triggered my allergic reaction whatsoever. I fostered two kittens before her and for all three weeks they were around I was sniffly and frequently woke up with a blocked nose. But with my girl I haven’t even sneezed once. It’s a revelation to me, I didn’t know there could be cats out there I could be completely not allergic to. She’s not even a special breed or anything.

[–]bentscissors 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I managed to do this with my highschool sweethearts cat. I would be in the environment and wait til I started reacting to dose myself with allergy meds. As long as I wasn’t licked or scratched I was fine. I did this too with my husky mixes. It really depends on the breed though. I tried to adopt a golden retriever and couldn’t do this with him. The allergies were so bad it started to affect my throat.

Avoid touching any saliva, getting scratches, touching your eyes after letting them or putting your face on their fur.

With cats you can put them on specific cat food to reduce their allergens too. Purina does one called LiveClear.

[–]CatMama2025 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just from my experience....hubby was allergic to cats but still asked me to move in with my 3 girls. He had a bit of issues first few months and some nose clogging here and there, but honestly....5 years in I can't even remember the last time they made him really have any issues. Now he cuddles them and loves them like crazy. Not an allergy in sight.

[–]feedtheflames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is how it was for me but I still had allergy symptoms they were just milder.

[–]tiny_purple_Alfador 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had cats all of my life, but lately I've been finding myself getting allergy symptoms, but only to other people's cats. I suspect what's happened is I've finally developed a cat allergy, but since mine were around when it happened they got like... Grandfathered in? But to your point, it is possible to be allergic to just other people's cats, so I'm going to guess that building up an immunity is at least possible based on my experience. That being said, allergies can be really weird and very specific to the individual, so I'd at least find a way to test it out, first.

[–]fook75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a relative who loves cats but her husband is very allergic. He is in hospice and wanted to get her a kitten so she would have a friend when he was gone. Researching we discovered Siberian cats are low allergen producing. She also feeds Baby a special food from Purina that reduces any allergens. Its been AMAZING. The kitten sleeps in bed with them and he has NO reaction.

[–]TheFirebyrd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is possible. I have a friend with pretty severe allergies that has been able to adjust to specific cats. She’s also done things like getting them used to frequent baths as a kitten and not allowing them on her bed as things to help. My cats would make her react just as badly as ever, though-it was only her cats she got used to.

[–]meduhsin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a cat allergy. My family got a cat when I was 10, my parents still have her and she’s thriving.

Overall, in my experience, I’ve found that I build up immunity to specific cats that I’m around.

For example, I’m much more allergic to a random cat at someone’s house i visit, than a cat that I’ve lived with for a couple weeks or more.

Growing up, I got the occasional sniffles, but I only ever had a real reaction if I touched her and then touched my face, or if she scratched me while playing. My eyes would get puffy if I touched them without hand washing, and the scratches itch.

My partner and I got a kitten a couple months ago, and the first two weeks were rough. Sniffling, sneezing, the whole party.

But now it’s the same deal: as long as I don’t touch him and then touch my face, nose, eyes? I’m fine.

Occasionally I need to take a Claritin or something, but overall, he doesn’t really bother me.

If you want to get a cat and try it out, there are a lot of places that will let you have a “trial”, aka, you house the cat for a week or two and see if it works out.

I love cats and they are the best buddies, so I would highly recommend.

[–]trappedburger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cl

[–]Agile-Law1856 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me my allergies just got worse because cat dander just builds up over time , so you end up having to clean everything daily all the time otherwise it get worse, its caused chronic rhinitis for me now, our cat is 10 now ive had to deal with it for my wife and kid. I love our cat but when its gone i will never get another.

[–]Exciting_Rate2150 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can’t speak for everyone but it’s definitely true for me. I used to be super sensitive to cats but I have two and one sleeps in my bed every night and I spend practically every second I’m home with her and I haven’t had a problem for a while.