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Allergic to kittens but not cats?...

post #1 of 8
7/2/10 at 6:00am
Thread Starter 
I have had adult cats all my life and never really had a problem with allergies with the exception of getting fur in my eyes which causes them to itch, swell and turn red. No issues with sneezing or congestion.

When I got Milo & Dexter almost 2 years ago as kittens I had really bad allergy symptoms. Constant sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, itchy throat. These symptoms lasted several months and were strongest when in direct contact with them. When they got older all my symptoms stopped.

I found Lola a little over 2 weeks ago and since bringing her home my allergies are back. Last night she slept in my bed for the first time and I woke up to a horrible sneezing attack and tightness in my chest. I have been sneezing all morning, my eyes are red and watery and my throat is itchy.

Milo & Dexter sleep on my bed all the time but since their transition to adulthood I haven't had any allergy symptoms (minus direct contact with fur in the eyes).

I realize that it is probably impossible to be allergic to kittens and not cats but it seems like this is the case... is it maybe that kitten dander is stronger? Does it have something to do with their saliva? Kittens bite and lick much more than adult cats. I spent all of last night being licked and bitten by her. I haven't been able to find anything about this on the internet. Does anyone have any idea as to why I seem to have bad allergic reactions to kittens and not adult cats?

Btw I plan on just dealing with the unpleasant symptoms with allergy meds.
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post #2 of 8
7/2/10 at 6:16am
When we first got Banshee, I was allergic to her. The doctor thinks it was something in her fur. I was never allergic to Hydrox or Whisper, so we're not sure why it happened. He put me on meds for awhile and the allergy eventually stopped. I stopped taking the meds after about a year or so and I was fine.

If you are allergic, maybe you'll "grow out" of the allergy as Lola gets bigger?
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post #3 of 8
7/2/10 at 6:36am
I have weird allergies..I had never owned a cat until I was about 16 and I thought I was allergic to them..I couldn't go into peoples homes with dogs or cats without sneezing and having horrible allergy symptoms...but at home with my dog I was fine, and eventually we got a cat and I was fine.
I think my personal allergy had to do with the amount of animal hair in the house...because when I had the cat and dog at my parents house, we swept their fur up often and kept them brushed. If I went into a home with animal hair around, I was a mess. Now my husband and I have 8 cats, and I am fine. I also sweep every day and dust a couple times a week to keep the hair down so I think thats part of it, for me atleast.
Allergies are weird! I would be once your kitten gets a little older you will be fine again.
(i am in no way trying to say your allergies are flaring up from animal hair in your house or trying to imply your house is dirty, just sharing my experience)
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post #4 of 8
7/2/10 at 9:08am
I was the opposite - when I was a kid I was severely allergic to cats, but kittens didn't bother me at all - so it DOES happen! When I finally decided I wanted to adopt, I went with a cat because I live in a condo with no yard. I adopted Holland as an older kitten (5 months) with the hopes that "getting used" to her would help my allergies. Well, she's the first cat I've been around in YEARS, so I don't know if it's something I just grew out of, but I have had exactly one allergic reaction since I brought her home - I got a few red bumps on my hand the first time she licked me. Since then, there's been nothing! But being licked and bitten a lot by Lola could certainly be why you are having problems.
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post #5 of 8
7/2/10 at 9:21am
^I've seen people mention that before. That kittens are fine but cats bother them. I always thought that would be because, if healthy, kittens don't shed their coats (and the dander on them doesn't go floating through the house on fur) yet. Young kittens groom a little less than adult cats, too.

d3sire86 - When was the last time you went to the doctor? If you can, you might consider going in for a check up and let the doc know that your current allergy med just isn't working very well. Don't mention cats if you don't have to. You might have some inflammation in your airways that a doc would notice and that needs more than just an allergy med. I don't know if you have anything else along with allergies, but you don't want damage to your airways at all.

And unfortunately, you should probably keep the kitten off the bed.
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post #6 of 8
7/2/10 at 2:43pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies.

I will definitley inquire about this with my doctor and perhaps the vet too.

When I first got Milo and Dexter I thought that maybe it was something specific to them, like some kind of shampoo that had been used on them in their foster home. When my allergies lasted several months I ruled this out and thought maybe I had developed an allergy to cats. My symptoms disappeared and I thought I was in the clear but I guess not...

I gave Lola a bath today. I will see if that helps. If not I guess I will just have to wait it out like I did with the boys.

Hmmm... could it be that I am allergic to all cats but I have gotten used to Milo & Dexter and not Lola... maybe not really age specific?...

Edit: I was doing some internet research and I found something that suggests that you can build a tolerance to cat allergies (antigens in saliva) and that each cat has slightly different antigens. So you can be allergic to one cat and not another due to having built up a tolerance for their antigens.... Interesting stuff!
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post #7 of 8
7/2/10 at 4:09pm
I know growing up for me, some cats bothered me and some didn't. My aunt's giant, fuzzy cat drove me crazy, as did a few of the barn cats, but most don't. I bet it is an antigen thing, simply because of that. Perhaps you will just grow accustomed to her, and it won't be a problem anymore!
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post #8 of 8
7/2/10 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by d3sire86 View Post
Edit: I was doing some internet research and I found something that suggests that you can build a tolerance to cat allergies (antigens in saliva) and that each cat has slightly different antigens. So you can be allergic to one cat and not another due to having built up a tolerance for their antigens.... Interesting stuff!
My SIL had a cat when she met my brother. He also has cat allergies, but once they moved in together, it took him about 2 months to get used to Gracey, and she doesn't bother him at all any more. I do believe you can build up a tolerance if you are exposed enough to a certain cat.

If things don't get better in a while, you might try this: I've got a friend who was very allergic to dairy. He went to an acupuncturist - acupuncture is supposed to be a great solution for allergies - and he can eat cheese now, no problem. I always laughed because he was allergic to dairy and his wife is a vegetarian, so when they ordered pizza, they got half with no meat and half with no cheese.

Good luck!
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