Is it possible for a person with a cat allergy to comfortably own a cat?

It depends.

Get a hairless cat. Damn those things are ugl… I mean cool

@reacting_acid No thanks. I can’t stand to look at those things

What about a bunny rabbit? Some people are allergic to cats, but not bunnies… Hahah.. I’m outta ideas…

I’m allergic to cats as well. I personally would not be able to comfortably live with a cat around. It’d just feel eerie, especially knowing that there’s something walking around that I’m allergic to. What’s he got to say about it though?

@curiouscat A cat or dog or nothing. We haven’t discussed it in depth since if we got a pet, it’d be many months from now.

Yes, it definitely is possible, and without hairless cats. Many of my friends and relatives are allergic to cats, so, when we got cats, my family did some research on hypoallergenic cats(those that do have hair, but don’t cause a reaction). We have two cats, and all of our allergic friends are fine around them.
Still, it would be a bad idea to just go out and get a hypoallergenic cat, make sure that you don’t have a reaction to whatever specific at you might get. Also, they cost more than other cats and are less likely to be in a shelter.

There is also the option of going to an immunologist for allergy shots to cure yourself of the allergy. I did it (for dust and red cedar pollen) and have felt so much better ever since! I’ll never regret it. Of course, I’m not a needle-phobe.

@ekans Ok, I’ll take a look at those

@juwhite1 I read thread on here about that before I asked this question. Most said the shots did nothing for them.

Depends on what his allergic reaction is.

I’ve been allergic to cats pretty much all my life (I actually never really realized it, I had an allergy test done..the arm prick test. That’s how I learned) I always keep allergy meds on hand, be it OTC or prescription (I prefer Singulair)

There are pretty simple rules to having a cat when you have allergies.
Don’t let them sleep in bed with you. Don’t let them on the bed at all…it’s best to keep them out of the bedroom, since it can really irritate the allergies.
Vacuum often, to get up any loose cat hair or dander.

I do just fine with being able to cuddle or sleep with my cats. It seems I only have issues when my seasonal allergies act up, and I usually end up with a sinus infection but easily treated.

I also feel that certain cats can irritate people with allergies, but then again…it depends on the person. My mother and I always seem to be allergic to the same type of cat (the one we had for 17 years was one of the only ones to really bother my allergies)
I stick to black and white cats, or black cats. For some reason, they don’t seem to bug me as much. A cat with a shinier, sleeker coat is usually what bugs my allergies. The soft, fuzzy ones don’t…but, you can’t really tell what their fur will be like when they are kittens, you can get an idea though.

If his allergic reaction is hives and trouble breathing, then I’m afraid you most likely cannot get a cat. But, if it’s just sneezing and congestion, the following the rules of keeping the cat out of the bedroom and vacuuming often, should make it quite possible to have a cat.
Good luck!

If you are willing to commit to some regular maintenance procedures, it’s entirely possible.

There is one caveat to my statement above before I discuss those procedures. If he is severely allergic to the point of an anaphylactic reaction which could be life threatening then that would not be wise.

The vast majority of people are not that bad so here are several things to do.

Be meticulous about vacuuming OFTEN.

The bedroom should be absoutely off limits to the cat at ALL times.

A hairless cat still produces dander. THIS is what people are allergic to. Not the hair.

Bathe the cat at least once a week and wipe it down all over with a damp washcloth. For some just the daily wipedown is sufficient. Experiment.

Get a good quality air filter.

Consult with an allergist regarding de-sensitization shots. If he tells you to get rid of the cat, find a more competent allergist.

All of these measures are designed to mitigate the total allergen load. For some people a few measures will suffice. For others, all of them need to be combined.

The main point is to keep down the level of dander floating around. This is what causes the symptoms. The dander is a protein substance which is produced when the cat grooms itself. The saliva dries on the coat and sloughs off in tiny particles. The less around in the environment, the less the exposure. Hence the cleaning, washing and air filtration.

Please consider fostering a cat temporarily rather than adopting one and then returning it. This lessens it’s chances for adoption and increases the possibility of it’s euthanasia.

Shelters welcome people willing to foster a cat temporarily. Many times it’s due to a cat recovering from an illness or a pregnant MOM with kittens. Don’t worry. She does all the work. All they need is a temporary space till they are old enough to be adopted. And if it works out for you, you could adopt one of the kittens.

Does it have to be a cat? People with allergies to animal dander do well with Bichon Frises because they don’t shed, and are pretty hypoallergenic. Plus they are really adorable!

Casheroo types faster than I do.

;)

Ya I’m dreadfully allergic to cats. So much that I can’t even visit my brother because he has a cat. I get terribly teary-eyed and have to blow my nose every few seconds after a half hour of just being in the house, even if the cat is off mousing.

@scamp I’d rather a cat than a dog

My girlfriend had two cats when I met her, and I was allergic. After a short while in close proximity to a cat my face would be red, puffy, and itchy; my eyes would be red, itchy, and watering; my nose running like a faucet, complete and utter misery.

I put up with it. Even house sat for them early on. On had a habit of climbing on your chest and rubbing its face on yours. Couldn’t really be stopped. It was miserable for a while, then just stopped bothering me. I’ve lived with two or three cats ever since, and I don’t have the reactions any more.

So sometimes apparently, you can just get over it.

That, by the way, is love.

@Snarp Yes, it is!

My sister’s allergic to cats, I think she always has been, but we had cats while growing up. She always kept some simple over the counter allergy meds around the house.
Whenever she visits my parents house (where they still have 2 cats), she’s obviously sniffling and sneezing because of them.

I’m in a slightly similar boat, in that my asthma is really flared up by pet dander. I dealt with this for 19 years, not even knowing it was caused by the cats. Till, of course, I moved out, and instead of using my inhaler 2 times a week, I’ve used it 2 times in the past 3 months.
Cats weren’t the only cause of asthma, but they were the most prominent at home (e.g. I still had issues if I had to run a lot for P.E. or something). Living with it made me miserable. Waking up in the middle of the night because you can’t breathe is something I don’t wish on anyone.

If your man tells you he’s allergic, this probably doesn’t mean that he just gets the sniffles around cats. If that were the case, it’s probably something he wouldn’t bring up. More likely, it’s a real problem. Don’t get a cat.

@Sarcasm It is just just the sniffles, runny nose, etc. He wouldn’t die from it.

I actually just watched a show on Animal Planet, Cats 101, the other night and they had a breed that produced less of the protein that’s thought to cause allergic reactions in humans: the Siberian. They said there’s no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic cat, but this breed is better for those who do have allergies. You can check out video on the animal planet website from the show.

@SheWasAll_ Those look too feminine. That was another one of his complaints…

How about a Russian Blue?

@Supacase Hmm, perhaps…

I was never allergic to cats until about 4 years after my two Ragdolls (Sasha and Frasier) came to live with me. I have been suffering since and feel that my allergies have only gotten worse. More than 11 years later, Sash and Frasier are my children and they sleep with me every day… follow me everywhere. I am prescribed 4 medications (two pills, nose spray and eye drops). I take 2 pills a day and they certainly help, and I will use the eye drops when I feel necessary. It’s a little bit of an annoyance but totally worth it. Have your man go to an allergist if possible and see exactly how allergic he is and what his options may be.

@Samantha_Rae That’s a good idea. I’m pretty sure his allergies aren’t severe because we stayed with a relative of his for a few days who has a dog, and he was all over that dog lol. He loved it =)

@Facade: unfortunately, dog and cat allergies are SO different, I’m not the slightest bit allergic to dogs but as soon my cats are around I can’t breathe and want to rip my eyes out

I think that some cats may not cause an allergic reaction. When the neighbour’s cat was around (snuggly and all that), no reaction at all. But when we got our own cat, I started sneezing like crazy.

@Samantha_Rae @ragingloli Yea, I wish it was more cut and dry. We shall see!

@Facade: good luck! also… do your research, when I got my cats (from a breeder) we were told they were hypoallergenic (and that they didn’t shed) ... neither of those are true. Butttt I feel like I’ve heard about others that are hypoallergenic, so look into it!

@Samantha_Rae Mhm. I’ve been “researching” ever since the thought of owning a cat popped in my head :)

A lot depends on how much the cat washes himself, since, as Button mentioned, it’s the dried saliva flakes coming off their coats that we’re allergic to. That’s why casheroo noticed that cats with shinier coats irritate her allergies more – these are the kitties who groom themselves more.

@Supacase One of my hypoallergenic cats is a russian blue! No breed at least, any that have hair is completely hypoallergenic, but none of my friends have had a reaction to my russian blue.

I am allergic to cats. When I get around cats that are not my own, or when I bring a new cat in, I get sneezy and sniffly and my eyes water. But after a week or so in close proximity I’m fine. However, some people have severe allergic reactions. If this is the case, it’s best not to keep a cat.

Maybe I’ll go to the local shelter and bring home a kitty with a box of Claritin tied to it haha!

And I want to name him Paul

A friend of mine recommended Febreeze Allergen Reducer fabric spray. I haven’t yet tried it myself, but it may help.

@shadling21 GA! He loves cleaning products lol

I am supposedly very allergic to cats. But by following all the ideas the people above already said (vacuuming every other day… keeping the cat clean and free of dander and dust and fleas and loose fur, etc) I am able to live with my cat, with no allergy symptoms at all.

I used to have terrible reactions (itchy throat, itchy ears, watery eyes, sneezing, etc) but I got allergy shots for a year… long time ago now, and I keep my house clean and my cat clean, and I have no allergy symptoms at all anymore, usually.

@Facade An ex had a siberian, and I guarantee, they’re not girly. They’re large, large cats.

Yes, it’s possible. You could pay $20,000 for an allergy-free LaPerm, Sphynx, Devon Rex or Cornish Rex cat.