Hey guys,
So awhile ago (almost 2 months ago) my boyfriend and I decided to adopt a second kitten. We went to the same shelter we got our first one, fell in love, and took him home a week later. Once we had him home and in our house he started sneezing up a storm. He would run around our bedroom and in no time his nose and eyes were all runny. He also was scratching himself none stop - which made us even more worried. We at once thought he had a URI and called the shelter back to tell them. They suggested we bring him back to the shelter so they could bring him to their vet to get him checked out. It turned out he had ringworm (woopie, we all ended up getting it here.) and he needed to stay with them for a month to treat it. This was fine, we still loved the cat and wanted to bring him home when he was better. I had told her about his sneezing, watery eyes, etc. but she said he was fine both at her house and at the vets - the vet saying the only thing he could find wrong was the ringworm.
So after a month (and a few more delays) we brought him home two days ago. When we went to pick him up at the shelter he was as sweet and friendly as ever, and no watery eyes. Yet, in the first hour we had him home, his eyes started to water and he began to sneeze every now and then. I'm skeptical that he could have a URI for 2 months and have no one at the shelter, including the vet during his multiple visits, not notice it. My boyfriend, who sleeps next to the cat, noticed he is congested the worst in the morning or if he wakes up late at night. He found it interesting that the cat was clogged up and sneezing whenever he is - my boyfriend has very bad allergies to a lot of things (cats not included.)
So now we're suspecting he may be allergic to something in our apartment - is this possible? What are the most common allergens in cats? How can I help my poor boy deal with it? We're planning on getting an air purifier soon, as my boyfriend has needed one for his own allergies for awhile, but we are a bit tight on money this month with our first kitten, Ares, medical bills. I finally broke down and dug $400 out of my savings to get him xrays and worm testing for his rapid breathing, so it will be next month till we can get the purifier.
So awhile ago (almost 2 months ago) my boyfriend and I decided to adopt a second kitten. We went to the same shelter we got our first one, fell in love, and took him home a week later. Once we had him home and in our house he started sneezing up a storm. He would run around our bedroom and in no time his nose and eyes were all runny. He also was scratching himself none stop - which made us even more worried. We at once thought he had a URI and called the shelter back to tell them. They suggested we bring him back to the shelter so they could bring him to their vet to get him checked out. It turned out he had ringworm (woopie, we all ended up getting it here.) and he needed to stay with them for a month to treat it. This was fine, we still loved the cat and wanted to bring him home when he was better. I had told her about his sneezing, watery eyes, etc. but she said he was fine both at her house and at the vets - the vet saying the only thing he could find wrong was the ringworm.
So after a month (and a few more delays) we brought him home two days ago. When we went to pick him up at the shelter he was as sweet and friendly as ever, and no watery eyes. Yet, in the first hour we had him home, his eyes started to water and he began to sneeze every now and then. I'm skeptical that he could have a URI for 2 months and have no one at the shelter, including the vet during his multiple visits, not notice it. My boyfriend, who sleeps next to the cat, noticed he is congested the worst in the morning or if he wakes up late at night. He found it interesting that the cat was clogged up and sneezing whenever he is - my boyfriend has very bad allergies to a lot of things (cats not included.)
So now we're suspecting he may be allergic to something in our apartment - is this possible? What are the most common allergens in cats? How can I help my poor boy deal with it? We're planning on getting an air purifier soon, as my boyfriend has needed one for his own allergies for awhile, but we are a bit tight on money this month with our first kitten, Ares, medical bills. I finally broke down and dug $400 out of my savings to get him xrays and worm testing for his rapid breathing, so it will be next month till we can get the purifier.