In most cases, people may only experience a cat allergy as they grow older because they have repeatedly been in contact with the same allergen, and their immune system may have triggered some reaction. Symptoms of a cat allergy may develop in just a few minutes or take hours to appear.
Yes, it is possible to suddenly develop an allergy to cats. Doctors and scientists are not sure why allergies for animals can randomly pop up, but the treatment is the same for the sudden emergence of lifelong allergies.
Allergies to cats are primarily caused by a single protein which is found on the skin and in the saliva. There are at least seven other cat proteins that may cause cat allergies in humans. A combination of these allergy producing proteins accumulate on the fur and skin of the cat during grooming.
If you're wondering, "Can you develop an allergy to cats?" the answer is yes, even later in life as an adult. If you're allergic to cats but want one, there are things you can try to get rid of cat allergies naturally, like brushing, vacuuming, and using anti-allergen sprays.
The good news is that people with allergies don't always have to get rid of their pets — some people just need to make some changes in their house, such as keeping the pet out of their bedroom. Make an appointment with an allergist to find out for sure if you have an allergy and, if so, what's causing it.
There is no cure for allergy to cats (yet!), but immunotherapy may help increase your tolerance.
They may remain at high levels for several months. Pet allergens can cause symptoms up to six months after the animal is gone, especially cat allergens. Allergens can get into the air when you pet or groom an animal. Once allergens have settled, they can be stirred into the air again.
Cat dander is light and easily goes airborne, which means it can stick around for months if not properly removed. Since it's so lightweight, dander can be easily re-aerosolized, causing allergy symptoms and spreading around to other surfaces.
If pet dander is so easily spread, how do you get rid of it? You can get rid of pet dander by grooming the pet to reduce the amount of dander produced, vacuuming frequently, using a HEPA air filter, Austin Air makes an air purifier just for pets, use anti-allergen sprays, and limiting where the pet goes.
Cat allergies are just as unpredictable as cats too. They can become milder over time and they can also become worse. Consider carefully your health and well-being and that of your family. If it's only a mild allergy, then nothing to worry about.
While it may be true that some cats may show friendly behavior towards people that ignore them, there is no evidence that they specifically pick on the allergic.
Sometimes, when someone has lived with an allergen for a prolonged period (living with a cat as a child, perhaps), they become tolerant to that particular pet. Then, when they are re-exposed to a different cat as an adult, they develop symptoms.
Open windows to allow an exchange of air through the house, so that airborne dander allergen can escape. (This may be counterproductive, however, if the patient is also pollen-allergic.) With windows closed, HEPA air cleaners can remove significant amounts of animal allergen.
Keep your home ventilated. Maintaining fresh air throughout your home is one easy way to help house guests who have pet allergies. Open some windows, run a fan, or turn on the air conditioner to create an exit for the allergens. For guests with mild allergies, this one tip may do the trick.
Skin prick tests are commonly used, where a small substance of a cat allergen is placed on the skin, then pricked to see how you react to it (such as whether or not swelling, redness, or other signs occur).
Some of the best antihistamines for cat allergies include Curist Allergy Relief (levocetirizine), fexofenadine (brand Allegra), and cetirizine (brand Zyrtec).
A recent study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows that researchers at HypoPet have made a vaccine that could help people who are allergic to cats. The vaccine, which is called HypoCat, is not for people but for cats. It goes after a certain protein, or allergen called Fel d 1, which cats make.
There are several ways to build immunity to cat allergies. Some will naturally develop a tolerance over time. However, most people won't develop an immunity on their own. Allergy treatments such as immunotherapy can retrain their immune system to tolerate cat dander.
Pet allergy relief
When you can't live without your pet, a medicine for dog and cat allergies can help control your pet allergy symptoms. ZYRTEC® starts working at hour 1 and stays strong day after day, so you can reduce your cat and dog allergy symptoms.
Yes, some air purifiers effectively reduce pet dander. The Best air purifiers for pet dander have a high-efficiency air filter. Specifically, those that are equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air filter, or HEPA filter. HEPA filters remove 99.7% of pollutants that are 0.3 microns in size.
Skin Problems
Prolonged allergen exposure in cat or dog skin allergies causes skin inflammation and, if uncorrected, typically results in chronic skin irritation and inflammation. Environmental allergies are the most common pet allergy seen in our vet dermatology practice for cats and dogs.
Symptoms Of An Allergy To Cats
Within minutes of exposure to dander, or just seconds in some cases, sneezing may start, then a sudden runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Ongoing nasal stuffiness, sinus pressure over the eyes or cheeks and an itchy throat can follow.