allergic husband

My Husband is extreamly allergic to my 3 cats. I had them the entire time we were dating and we got married and moved in together about a 1 and a half years ago. I had hoped that over time with exposure to the cats his allergic reaction would decrease but its only gotten worse! I vacuum with a really good vacuum cleaner 2 times a week, we have an air purifier and I bathe the cats about once a month but it doesn't seem to help him at all. He doesn't want me to give the cats away because he loves them too and knows that I love them sooooo much! I've had two of them for 10 years and one of them for 5, my husband gave me the one that is 5. They are indoor cats but i do let them outside if I'm out there to watch them. My question is Can I make my indoor cats outdoor cats? They have never been outside for longer than an hour at a time. Im so afraid that they will get hurt because they arnt "street smart". I despetley want to keep my cats, but my husband is suffering.

An outdoor cat enclosure.

Has your husband considered getting allergy shots? Many people go to an Allergist and receive a series of shots for cat allergies, lots of times with good effect. Something you and your hubby should look into.

Have you ever heard of a product called Allerpet-C? It's a liquid you wipe on your cat's fur. People who are allergic to cats are allergic to their dander. This stuff does something to their dander, to help. I tried this years ago, for my brother inlaw who's very allergic and it made a huge difference. Here's the main page:

http://www.allerpet.com/

Here's the page specifically related to the product for those w/ cat allergies (Allerpet/C):

http://www.allerpet.com/products/product3.htm

Here's where to buy it: http://www.allerpet.com/sources/suppliers_a.html

It says that finer pet stores in Canada & the U.S. may carry it, also. For some reason when I bought it years ago, I thought I got it at PetsMart (Canada) but I could be wrong. Try calling around to see if you can find it locally.

Growing up I developed severe cat allergies, so bad that if I were to talk into a home with a cat and touch ANYTHING a cat (or cat hair) had been in contact with, I'd get hives on my face, I'd cough, be wheezy, itchy eyes, sneezing. But when I was 25 I decided I had to have a cat and I was hopeful that if I lived on anti-histamines for a while, maybe I'd build up an immunity. Chlortripolon Non Drowsy was what I took. I dealt with the itchy water eyes for a couple of months but I endured LOL. I now have 5 cats...including my first, the one I had when I was trying to deal with the allergies (16 yrs ago).

Do you live in a house or apartment?

Is there anyway you could at least keep the cats on one level of your home?

Be sure to always keep them out of your bedroom.................always. And keep all bedding washed well. A person with allergies needs to have one room in the house where nothing will bother them.

I'd sure try looking at all other options before making them 'outside cats.' the idea of a cat enclosure is great (for warmer months). As you know, in terms of just letting them roam loose outside, yes - there are lots of dangers that's for sure.

Most importantly, I'd say keep the cats out of the bedroom. If you like having the bedroom door open for airflow, you could look into a screen door for the bedroom. (You can find nicer ones that are wood instead of metal and don't look like they go on the outside of your house.) If you can't get a good night sleep you're always going to be miserable, ya know?

Also, covering the furniture so that the covers can be removed and washed frequently to eliminate more hair and dander might be a good idea.

With my asthma, my doctor always told us to use as little fabric in the house as possible. Curtains, carpet, etc. as they collect the things in the air that trigger an attack. I also always slept with an air filter in the room.

Good luck!

I understand the allergy problem. My daughter is severely allergic to cats. Eyes swell closed, asthma, etc. She takes allergy shots specifically for cats. She lives with two cats and one insists on sleeping on her chest!!

The point is she got her allergies under control with the shots, takes occasional medication and uses an inhaler.

The best advice is to keep your bedroom 'cat free'. Cover the furniture. This can work following all the advice given.

An enclosure may help during the warmer months. Not so good for the winter in an enclosure OR as an outside cat. They are too old, in my opinion, to be made to live outside. They have to learn to use instincts that they have never used. Even if you think they will stay 'close by'. They will stress and may develop illnesses that they have not had before. Tough for a cat that has approached the senior years.

Wishing you all the best to keep your family intact.

First I want to say thank you for helping me, I am really glad that I can find help here.
My husband said that he got the shots when we first got married but that they didn't help. I didn't know that he was getting them. Now he lives off of claritin and benadryl. I have never heard of allerpet but I'm going to get it right away. I will try everything I can to help my husband and keep my cats

Wipe them down with distilled water on a cloth every day. Comb/brush daily. Keep the cats out of the bedroom.

Making indoor cats outdoor cats can be done - but the odds of them surviving much longer are greatly decreased, esp. given their ages. If you build an enclosure they cannot escape they could spend more time outdoors - but I don't know that would be fantastic for (2) 10 year olds who've never been outdoors much.

The thing with taking shots is that you have to keep taking them. There are also specific cat serums that are used to desensitize the allergy. It is a process of building up the immunity. So, if you stop the shots, you stop the process. They should help greatly if you keep them up.

I have heard about using distilled water also.

Is your bedroom "cat free"? That will help.

This is something that many work around. My family included.

Thanks for all the advice. I will not let the cats in the bedroom anymore, hopefully that will help my husband. Lots of people are saying that over time they have built up an immunity to their cats. How long will this take? Years maybe? I am beginning to wonder if my husband will ever build up this immunity or if he just makes himself allergic by thinking about it.

LOL--I know of several people who are "allergic by convenience." In fact, my neighbor who is a breeder/shows/judges CFA events was once traveling on a plane and told her seatmate where she was going and he went on and on about how he couldn't STAND cats...would go into spasms if he ever got within 50 feet of one, blah blah blah. My neighbor just smiled.

At the end of the several hour flight, she removed the soft carrier from under the seat and said, "Would you like to see who has been flying with us?" She unzipped the carrier slightly. First an incredulous look came over his face, followed by some half-hearted coughing and sneezing.

The mind can do many powerful things.

Good luck---please don't put the babies outside!

Cally