For many people, cats are the best four-legged companions. It is said that the world is divided into dog lovers and cat lovers. Regardless of who prefers what, the most common problem with owning a cat is an allergy to its protein sebaceous secretion. Allergy symptoms are, of course, most noticeable in people who have a feline friend. How can you deal with it? Should people with allergies not have cats?
At the beginning, it should be noted that very often the symptoms of cat allergy are confused with the symptoms of allergy to dust mites. These two sensitivities are difficult to distinguish from each other. This is because the symptoms appear both during contact with the cat and while staying with it in the same room. What’s more interesting, the allergy manifests itself even if the pet is not in a given home – it is enough that it has been in it before. It is caused by the animal’s exfoliating epidermis and protein secretion from the sebaceous and salivary glands.
How to reduce allergy symptoms?
Of course, the easiest way to deal with allergy symptoms is to avoid homes where cats live and direct contact with them. However, life does not always make it possible to avoid such places, when, for example, someone close to us has a pet, or we are the owners ourselves and it is difficult to part with the pet.
If we have a cat with an allergy to it, it is recommended to clean it frequently (especially taking into account wiping the dust, vacuuming the floors, etc.), and not letting it into some rooms, such as the bedroom.
Cats for allergy sufferers?
There is a misconception that some breeds – such as rexes or sphinxes – that have a specific hair structure or no hair at all, are ideal for allergy sufferers and do not cause allergy symptoms. However, this comes from the opinion that the hair is the cause of the problem, which of course is not true. The reason is the proteins found in the cat’s epidermis. What’s more, it is cleanliness and keeping the house in order that is the key to success – the more often we clean, the more often we remove the harmful allergen.
Can this be remedied?
In addition to avoiding contact with the allergen and keeping the house clean (which, of course, will not always work for everyone), you can use prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as desensitizing injections that are effective in reducing allergic reactions to cats. Consult your doctor to find out which treatment method is best for you. Thanks to this, you can fight allergies without destroying your bond with your cat.
Allergy symptoms include:
- Qatar,
- Rash,
- watery eyes,
- Sneezing,
- itching,
- Sometimes coughing and difficulty breathing.