Rekna

My new girlfriend has allergies to cats and I own a cat. Is there any thing I can do about this other than get rid of the cat or not hang out at my place? Does anyone know of any good anti cat allergy medicine that doesn't have side effects?

Please help!

Cynthetiq

try some benadryl.. see if she's only lightly allergic.

there are some meds that can be prescribed by a dr, don't recall what the meds are but I do know someone who does take them but only for the random one off visits.

if the g/f is going to stay.. then maybe the cat might have to go.

I'm allergic to cats, and well my wife has had a cat since she was a kid, and I didn't want her to get rid of it. So long as I don't pet the cat and then touch my face I'm pretty okay. Once in a while I get a bit asthmatic when the cat decides that my pillow is the one she wants to sleep on for the day.

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Rekna

Do you use any air filters? do they help if so? Have you looked at immunization shots?

Cynthetiq

no air filters... some claim they do but I believe in regular cleaning over lazy choice let the air filter do all the work which is what most of the people I know who use air filters do.

just regular cleaning and vacuuming... meaning once every other week. used to have 2 cats and it was REALLY bad now only have the one.

no shots either...

been with her for almost 7 years now

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maleficent

As a kid, I was allergic to pretty much everything inside the house, and grass and pollen outside the house... I had regular allergy shots as a kid to make life bearable, the shots weren't fun and for someone who's just allergic to cats they really aren't a good solution.

Benedryl, even the over the counter variety, does a good job at alleviating some symptoms, but it makes me lethargic (then again, most medication even the non drowsy variety make me tired)

It's usually not the cat itself that the person is allergic to, it's the dander and the hair but mainly the dander. If you keep the house vacuummed, and brush the cat regularly, she should be ok.

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VitaminH

Benadryl is pretty good for stopping allergies. It's stronger than a lot of the prescription pills they can offer you. The downside? It makes most people drowsy as hell. If you want to avoid the drowsiness she can try popping a Claratin (or look for anything that the active ingredient is Loratadine and you'll have the same thing) an hour or so before coming over.

Also, if Claratin isn't strong enough and benadryl makes her to drowsy, look for Chlor-trimeton or its generic (chlorpheneramine) which still causes some drowsiness but tends to not be as bad as benadryl but is still stronger than claratin. It's a nice middle ground.

Don't take benadryl and drive though. I've seen some stuff that shows people who do that are just as likely as those who are drunk and driving to get into nasty accidents.

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Jim Kata

I was allergic to cats. My sister got one...and I was fine after about 2 months. It slept with me and everything. We ended up getting 2 more cats at the house over the next 7 years.
Finally I moved out and got two more cats of my own after a few months. Guess what? I'm allergic to them. And I'm allergic to the cats at my parents place again. Its very weird.

Anyhoo, I don't let them in my room, and use one of those ionic breezes as well as some clarinex. I still wheeze now and then, but not that bad. No way I'm giving my two crazy cats away though.

micah67

Despite my wife's allergies, we have two cats. I bathe them about once a month. They don't care for it but they have gotten used to it. It's a quick procedure that can be done efficiently in under five minutes. I can tell when it's bath-time because she starts to wake in the night to sneezing fits.

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Rodney

Allergies are very weird. Sometimes you're not allergic to something when you're first exposed to it, but later you develop the allergy. Sometimes you're allergic at first, but then you get used to it. This has been the case with cats in my experience.

My sister had cats in the house when I was a teenager, and I didn't have any reaction to them. In my 20's, I spent a lot of time over at one person's house, and she had a longhaired cat. One day I let it rub up against my neck, and I broke out itchy bumps from my chin down to my collarbone. For a few months my skin would react whenever it had contact with that cat. Then.... the reactions stopped. And I've never had an allergic reaction since to that cat or any other.

My sister the cat lady, on the other hand, developed an allergy to cats about 10 years back after having cats for 20 years.

thingstodo

No cat, no problem.

Get a poodle. They don't shed and have no dander. Plus, they're a lot smarter than cats. Actually the second most intelligent dog after the border collie. But I'm partial to poodles as I have a few of my own. But don't get an attitude...I bench 365, squat 490 and can ride a bike 100 miles (I loathe running!), so poodles aren't a pansy dog. Earl Morrell, previous back up QB of the undefeated Dolphins even has one.

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snowy

If she's not interested in being drowsy from Benadryl all the time...tell her to go talk to her doctor about getting some Zyrtec. Claritin is only approved by the FDA for seasonal allergies, while Zyrtec is for indoor/outdoor allergies. I take it for year-round mold problems and seasonal grass/tree pollen. I used to take a lot of Benadryl but it made me need a nap every time. With the Zyrtec there is minimal drowsiness by contrast.

As for controlling the dander: vacuum/dust often, bathe the cat with oatmeal colloid shampoo once a month/wipe the cat down once a week (some cats actually like bath time), and wash hands after touching the cat.

Good luck.

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Rekna

yeah but does your poodle poop in a litter box? can you leave your poodle at home alone for a day and come back and everything is still ok?

Jim Kata

Very true. My fiance has a poodle and her mom is allergic to everything...but she has never had a problem with allergies in the house.

Hmmmm....I think any animal that drinks its own urine and eats its own barf up can't be that smart

FngKestrel

Solution: Naked mole rat.