Is this an allergic reaction, or something else?

stealthkitty

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Long story short, yesterday a kitten nuzzled my husband's chin and a few hour later the area started to have a burning sensation and was turning red and irritated. He then washed his face, and he says that the sensation stopped some time afterward. Today it's still a little red, but nothing more. Was it an allergic reaction?
 

ldg

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Sure could be. When a kitty I'm really allergic to drools on me, the area gets red and itchy, and I usually get hives. I've never experienced burning, but maybe the chin is more sensitive than my hands and arms? :dk:
 
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stealthkitty

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His chin might be more sensitive from shaving. This is the first time we've ever seen any sign of a reaction from being around cats. I just hope it's not a sign of things to come... If it does turn out to be allergies, any advice for dealing with that?

Let's say his skin was a little raw from shaving and was therefore more prone to getting infected. Is it possible that the kittens are carrying some type of germs that would cause it?
 

ldg

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Not that I'm aware of.

I've always been allergic to cats, but I did develop other allergies as I got older. Of course - even if it is allergies, it could simply be that he's normally not overly sensitive to it.

I take it this is a foster kitty? Because each cat has a different amount of the protein in their saliva that triggers the allergic response. Ming Loy only has to drop one little drop of drool on my hand, and that spot gets a rash and is insanely itchy. But I don't seem to be at all allergic to most of the boys - but Chumley also gets me itching pretty quickly.

I just keep a steroid cream on hand (prescription strength, from the Doc) for when it's really bad. And I keep visine around, for itchy/red eyes.

If this keeps happening and it turns out it's allergies, shoot me a PM, and I'll send you a link to a thread here where we discussed in detail overall allergy management. When we first had cats I was insanely allergic, and got allergy management down to a science. :lol3:
 
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stealthkitty

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It was one of my landlord's kittens, which I wrote about in this thread:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/253935/hissing-kittens

We've been visiting them for a couple of weeks now, and we've been around cats before too; so I was surprised that his skin would break out like that after being licked. I'll keep an eye out to see if it happens again. And I might take you up on your offer to PM you for more information. I really appreciate that. Thanks, LDG!
 
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