Cat asthma allergy trigger?

Hi everyone! I posted last year about my cat having asthma attacks.

We changed his food and forced our downstairs neighbor to stop smoking in his house (it was seeping into our house and was pretty gross notwithstanding it triggering the cat's asthma) and that all really helped.

He now only has an asthma attack about once every three months.  If his breathing is still raspy a few hours later I give him a dose of prednisone which we keep on hand for the purpose.

But he's had two attacks in two days!  And at the same time I'm having a lot of allergy symptoms despite not normally having much trouble with allergies.  My eyes are really itchy and my nose keeps running, blegh.  So I'm wondering if, even though he's an indoor cat, if there's a particularly bad seasonal allergy that could be setting him off.

Can cats get, like, hayfever?  We have a central air conditioning unit which we have been using, and we change the filters every three months, so I would have thought that enough outside triggers were staying out of the air.

And.... can cats be allergic to other cats?? We've had the foster kitten for two weeks now. I assume this would be ridiculous, but may as well ask.

Cats can have seasonal environmental allergies, and if you're experiencing some symptoms, he could be too.

I don't think cats can be allergic to other cats, but the foster kitten could have exposed him to something.

I have an asthmatic cat, too!  Royce is seven years old, and has been treated with asthma since he was around two.  He gets seasonal allergies. usually on the same schedule I do - beginning of spring, for example.  He is also allergic to household items, like cleaners, aerosol sprays, etc.  Does your kitty take a preventive medicine?  The best thing I did to regulate Royce's asthma was to get a cat inhaler & adapter, but it sounds like your cat's attacks are less frequent.

That's great that you persuaded your neighbor to quit smoking. If you haven't already done it, removing any scented items, candles, and so from the house could be helpful. I would also highly recommend one or more(depending on how big your home is) HEPA filters and a dust-free/scent-free litter(if you don't already use one). Cats can definitely be affected by seasonal allergies; one of mine who has asthma was first diagnosed as having seasonal allergies back when he was still a kitten. I'd also ask your vet about getting a Flovent inhaler with an Aerokat chamber. My cat doesn't currently use his but I have it and Albuterol on hand. The Flovent is an inhaled steroid so it doesn't have a systemic effect like the oral prednisone, it goes right into the lungs.

SpiderPlant said:

That's great that you persuaded your neighbor to quit smoking.

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:lol3: Pretty awesome and must be a very nice neighbor at that!!

My cat, Wendall, has been diagnosed with asthma. His lungs are a bit cloudy and the latest X-ray show worsening from a year ago. It is worrisome for me. He usually coughs (phlegm/raspy) a few times a week. He is on 2.5 Pred twice weekly and we may go to 5 mg. twice weekly. I also think it is part from allergies too. We recently moved and I have them for the first time in my life!

One thing the vet recommended was getting a HEPA filter on the furnace. Also, I do a lot of vacuuming, as I have six cats. We are also getting rid of most of the carpeting in the house and installing hardwood. Easier to keep dust down that way. I don't think there is much we can do about our kitties and asthma other than treating the symptoms and try to keep their lungs as healthy as possible for as long as possible. for your kitty.