Solutions for allergies to cats

[mischevious21]

So, a friend of mines neibor just found my DREAM cat- female, pure white with lime green eyes, and about a year old and litter bo trained!! lol

The only problem is my step-dad is HIHGLY allergic to cats, and hes around alot. So is there anything I can give to the cat in her food or something so that I can keep her around? Because if theres not I dont think that Ill be able to keep her- or any other cat ever for that matter...

Some help, please!

[Sunny1]

Cat allergies are usually caused by the cat dander (their skin flakes) as well as sometimes from their saliva. If your step-dad is severely allergic to cats, there may not be all that much that you can do. There are some types of allergen shampoos for cats and dogs that can help bring down the amount of the dander/allergen, but I highly doubt that it would get rid of it all together (I have never used any of them honestly), so there would still be dander present (that is why I say if he is severely allergic even the slightest amount of dander could still trigger his allergies). Maybe one of the vet techs on here can help you out a little better, but from what I know, I don't believe that there is any way to rid the house completely of the dander other than by not having a cat present or to alleviate allergies by taking allergy meds (although these were not designed to be taken on a consistent basis of longer than maybe a couple of weeks at a time either).

[mischevious21]

Yea- he refuses to take anything, but I had heard of something before that you put into the cats food from a friend of mine whos dad loves cats (but was allergic), and he found something like that, but I'm no longer in contact with that person so I dont know..

[playBALL]

may sound uncat like but ..I put mine in the basement tub every other week and water them down..they get used to it..im very gentle..that helps wash the dander off of them..also instead of vacuuming furniture I bought a big sticky roller that way the hair and flakes are picked up and not put back into the air..I also found the longer I had the cats I became more tolerant of them.
I also heard a little vegatable oil on the food helps keep skin moist..hope it works out for you

[slartibartfast]

It's not so much the dander as the saliva.

There are shampoos you can use, and a daily wipe-down with a wet washcloth will help, but ultimately the cat will always be somewhat allergenic. There are no food supplements that work. You cannot change the essential protein structure of an animal, and it's the protiens in the saliva that people react to.

If you think there is -any- risk that you will not be able to keep the cat, I -strongly- recommend that you do not get it. It's not fair to the cat to get a home and then lose it, and it's not fair to your stepfather to bring a cat into his home if it will make him ill.

When you are living on your own, there will still be plenty of cats who need homes, and you'll find one who needs you just as much...maybe more. Wait until you can do so without risking the health and welfare of multiple individuals.

[lillyorchid]

Jess you hit that right on!!!

[mischevious21]

Well no, I dont live with my step-dad, but hes over all the time just to check up on me, make sure everythings goin good, etc. But yea, I though it was te saliva more then dander, but unfortunatly I am not a vet yet and dont know all that I would like.. But give it a few more years- and that will be differnt.

Anyway, I havent taken the cat home or really even said yes to her yet- I wanted to see if there was anything I could do about the allergies first.

There was ONE cat he never had a reaction to- when I was like 7 and he and my mom got together he lived with some guy, who ironicly enough had a cat named Magic, and he never had a problem with the cat.. Weird..

I think for now I just may pass but I dont know yet.. Well see

[Perry]

I believe it's all about finding the right medication. I'm highly allergic to cats and it took a few years but I found a good allergy medication that actually works against that stubborn cat allergy. Benydryl total extra strength is what I'm taking now but I would assume its different for everybody. Also, there's a very very effective brush called the furminator, it's quite pricey compared to other brushes however I use it on my lab and he sheds very little now.

Edit: Also, a short-haired cat would be a lot better than a long haired.