The title says it all. I’ve heard about shots you can get to help, but she is not good with needles and it seems like you have to get a lot of shots for it to work. I hear rumors of Hypoallergenic cats, but I dont particularly want to get Mr. Bigglesworth. What do the dopers recommend?
If you’re unwilling to get one of the hypoallergenic cats, then get a new SO, one who better fulfills your need to have a cat.
My sister got some Siberian Cats-suppossed to be low allergy. She turned out to be allergic to them too and is now taking shots because she won’t get rid of cats. (cats bought by her husband, who died before she found out she was allergic to the cats)
Since there is no correct factual answer to the OP, let’s move this to IMHO.
samclem General Questions Moderator
I’d say the most important question is, does your SO want a cat? No matter what you do, she’s going to have some amount of allergy symptoms. If she doesn’t really want a cat, it will probably not go well. I’d say she also needs to check with her doc if she’s very allergic.
I’ve got one friend who couldn’t possibly live with a cat. Anything that touches her skin that’s been touched by cats results in a bad rash. She also gets all the classic symptoms (swollen eyes, stuffy nose, etc.) when she’s around cats for long. She’ll pet cats occasionally (she loves animals), but only when she can wash immediately.
I did used to know someone who was allergic to cats (primarily a hay-fever type allergy) but wanted one badly. She discussed it with her doctors and came up with a plan that worked for her. She still had some symptoms, but nothing she wasn’t willing to live with. She may have also taken shots or other meds for her allergies, I don’t remember.
First and absolutely critical: cat is never allowed in the bedroom. Ever, under any circumstances. That gives the allergy sufferer a “clean room” to retreat to when needed, and an allergy-free sleeping zone.
Second: thoroughly brush the cat daily and wipe it down with a damp washcloth. (This would be YOUR job, as the non-allergic person.) Once weekly, wash the cat. (If you start with a very small kitten, they get used to it. Not exactly happy, but resigned.) This is all to prevent dander and hair in the environment, thereby drastically reducing allergy symptoms. You’d want to get a short-hair, for the same reasons.
A cautionary tale: I used to have a rat for a pet, but developed an allergy which didn’t show until a year after she died; the next rat I came into contact with sent me into anafylactic shock. After that I moved into a flat with three cats, and within a year went from almost no reaction to full-blown allergy. Nowadays I get severe allergy symptoms around cats (difficulty breathing, runny nose, red eyes etc), whereas before I would sneeze at most.
If I were you, I’d play it safe and get a ferret instead. But in any case, definitely talk to a doctor about the possibility of her allergy getting worse if you do get a kitty.
What Qadgop said. Dump her and find a new SO.
She loves cats, and knows I really want one so she told me to go for it. Washing the cat sounds like a good idea assuming I can get the cat to play along…
Not legal in my state.
Damn, my first moved thread. I thought it was pretty factual too but i understand. My dreams of being the Cal Ripken of unmoved threads are finished <sob>.
I am slightly allergic, and have a cat. Flonase (one a day nasal spray) works great for me. Also, it’s best to not let the cat in the bedroom, as mentioned previously (although I let mine in).
I know someone who has a hypoallergenic cat and it’s just a normal cat, pretty much. I’m not sure what they do to remove whatever it is that makes people allergic, but it certainly didn’t affect that cat’s physical appearance. It was pretty expensive, though.
Could you find out what kind it was?
I don’t know what kind they had, but Cornish Rex and Devon Rex are supposed to be less allergy-inducing for those with cat allergies. Besides that, they are lovable as hell and freakin’ adorable.
Another breed said to be somewhat hypo-allergenic is the Korat
i am very allergic to cats. i am also allergic to a huge amount of non-cat things. i take a bunch of allergy med.s for the non-cat things so having cats in the house doesn’t matter, the med.s cover my cats.
sometimes i will react to cats i’m cat sitting for. mostly during heavy pollen/mold/dust times, when one more thing will break the nose’s back. then i have to zip home, throw the cloths in a plastic bag, and shower like i’ve been within a mile of poison ivy. the clothes go into a mini wash after things settle down.
does your so take med.s for other allergies? dust? pollen? mold? etc?
Got $5,950 to $30,000 to spare? If so, try this.
Barring that, maybe you should road test a Maine Coon cat. Not only are they absolutely wonderful cats (intelligent, affectionate, trainable), they are relatively hypoallergenic despite their long hair. Note that I say relatively. I had my Maine Coon, the recently departed Red, for over 13 years with nothing more than a very slight wheeze to mark his presence. My new kitty, a furry short-haired tortie, on the other hand, is absolutely KILLING my asthma.
Edited to add: DAMNIT! I can’t figure out what’s wrong with my link, but I am trying to direct you to Allerca.com.
Related thread, with an article how a LA company was developing an allergy free cat in 2004..
Edited to add critical Wike article.
Dump the SO and get two or three cats.
They did. See Allerca.com.
So in addition to getting a cat with all the cat food and kitty litter and vet bills, you’re going to subject your SO to expensive and ongoing allergy treatment? :dubious:
Sorry, I agree with Qadgop…you get one or the other but not both. Decide which you want more. Plus, there’s plenty of kitty pictures floating around here.
Hey, if allergic SO is a willing, nay, eager participant in cat co-habiting, who am I to object?
But if SO is less than enthused due to health concerns, then I advocate choosing between one or the other.