Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Anyone Here Allergic To Cats?


Armae

Recommended Posts

Armae Newbie

Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could get your opinions?

Being sick and at home all the time except for Thursdays when I go to university, I'm getting kinda lonely and would love a pet.

However... I'm allergic to all pets. I have had a labradoodle dog since I was a child and had no problems. She passed away last year. But I can't have a dog where I live because I rent, but I can have a cat.

My allergist has recommened immunotherapy allergy shots to desensitize me to cats.

Does anyone here suffer from cat allergies but still lives with their cat? Or has anyone had success with immunotherapy shots? Or does anyone here have a Cornish Rex cat or similar lower allergy cat and could share their experiences?

Thank you for you help!

-Armae


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Jestgar Rising Star

I am allergic to cats and have three of them. I get kind of desensitized to my own beasts, so it's not a problem unless I haven't cleaned for a while.

My brother and his wife have Rex's, Devon, think, but I'm not positive. They got them because my brother is very allergic to cats. He has minimal problems with his (not so) hairy little critters.

And they're a wild pair (the cats, not my bro and his wife :P )

psawyer Proficient

So much depends on your individual sensitivity level. Responses differ.

I test as allergic to cats, and years ago I would develop a reaction when exposed.

I underwent sensitization therapy via injections many, may years ago, and it helped with some of my seasonal environmental allergies. That therapy did not include cats.

A stray cat adopted us one day, and we have had cats ever since. I have developed a tolerance, and do not usually have problems. I used to have a job where I would frequently travel for may days at a time. I found that the first 24 hours back, after having been cat-free for a week or so, triggered a reaction. I made it a habit to take an antihistamine while traveling home--about four hours before arriving home--and things were good. I haven't traveled much in the last three years. Your results may differ.

jerseyangel Proficient

Hi Armae,

Welcome :) I tested positive to cat allergy via skin prick twice, about 10 years apart. I do have a cat, whom I've had for the last 17 years. The first test came back positive shortly after we got him, and I was not about to give him up.

I used to have sinus issues, but I don't attribute them to the cat--I have seasonal allergies and once I went gluten-free, my sinus problems got much better. I now have no need for antihistimines or steroid nasal sprays.

The thing is, we all react differently--it would be impossible to say how you'd do with a cat. Can you possibly spend time around a friend's cat to see how that would affect you? Also, we can react to one cat and not to another. Just some food for thought.....

At any rate, good luck and I hope you can get yourself a furry friend :D

debmidge Rising Star

I am severely allergic to cats to the point that they trigger my asthma.

I do not own a cat - I can't be in the room long enough - 20 minutes is my limit - so I

can't even try self-desensitization.

I asked allergist for the shots to desensitize (forgive my spelling) and her response was

she was not going to put that into my body unless I already had a cat which I had to

live around. She was not going to give me shots just because the people I visit (my friends and

relatives) have cats. She insisted that for those instances I use my asthma medicines AND

anti-histimine.

ang1e0251 Contributor

Sorry this isn't exactly an answer to your question. I watched about 15 minutes of Martha Stewart yesterday and her vet was telling about what great pets rabbits make. They interviewed a staff member who had a rabbit in her New York apartment for 5 years. They said you give them free run of the place as they are litter trained and they are as smart as dogs and cats. Can even be taught tricks. And get this, they are related to deer!! I did not know that. I guess for an apartment it might be a good choice as they would never have a barking problem!

sbj Rookie
Being sick and at home all the time except for Thursdays when I go to university, I'm getting kinda lonely and would love a pet.

Why are you sick all of the time?

Please note that the Cornish Rex cat is not really hypo-allergenic. It's the cat saliva people are typically allergic to - not the fur/hair:

Despite some belief to the contrary, the Cornish Rex's short hair does not make it non- or hypo-allergenic. Allergic reactions from cats are not the result of hair length, the true culprit is a glyco-protein known as Fel d1, produced in the sebaceous glands of the skin, saliva, and urine. Most people who have cat allergies are reacting to this protein in cat saliva and cat dander: when the cat cleans its fur, the saliva dries and is transformed into dust which people breathe in. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more than ordinary cats, a Cornish Rex cat will still produce a reaction in people who are allergic to cats. Note that, for more serious allergies, there are several breeds theorized to lack or produce less of the offending protein, see Cat allergy.

You might find some of the info at below link helpful if dealing with cat allergies:

Open Original Shared Link

frequent handwashing and avoiding touching eyes or other sensitive areas is advisable. Minimizing upholstery, rugs and draperies in which the allergen can accumulate in the home is another strategy. Barring the cat from certain rooms (in particular the bedroom or other rooms where much time is spent) or limiting it to the outdoors is also partially successful. . .

Allergies are Cumulative, this means that every allergen (e.g. dust, mold, pollen) will add to the reaction . . . reducing all allergens will reduce the cumulative total and hence possibly reduce the reaction below the threshold.

Desensitizing

Many people originally allergic to cats have, over time, become "immune" to allergic symptoms from their own cats; however, they may still have allergic reactions, of varying intensity, to other cats. This is not reliable when deciding to get a cat as a pet, as allergy may become worse, not better, with time.[citation needed]

Lower Exposure

Allergens are airborne and survive for months or even years by themselves, hence removing anything that can trap and hold the allergens (carpet, rugs, pillows) and cleaning regularly and thoroughly with HEPA filters and Air purifier systems reduces risk. Furthermore, regularly brushing the cat will reduce the amount of loose fur (and its attached saliva) in the air. Regularly bathing will reduce allergens by 85%.

Medications

Generally, hay fever medication or over-the-counter antihistamines have positive effects on cat allergy.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Jestgar Rising Star

Despite some belief to the contrary, the Cornish Rex's short hair does not make it non- or hypo-allergenic. Allergic reactions from cats are not the result of hair length, the true culprit is a glyco-protein known as Fel d1, produced in the sebaceous glands of the skin, saliva, and urine. Most people who have cat allergies are reacting to this protein in cat saliva and cat dander: when the cat cleans its fur, the saliva dries and is transformed into dust which people breathe in. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more than ordinary cats, a Cornish Rex cat will still produce a reaction in people who are allergic to cats. Note that, for more serious allergies, there are several breeds theorized to lack or produce less of the offending protein, see Cat allergy.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I forgot to mention that my brother's a hypochondriac! And not allergic to his "hypoallergenic" Rexs....

Juliebove Rising Star

I am allergic to both cats and dogs. Currently have one cat. Over the years have had two other cats and two dogs. No problem with any of them. Can visit the pet stores that have shelter cats. No problem.

But I visited my nephew who had one cat and three kittens. My eyes and nose began itching, I broke out in hives all over and I couldn't quit sneezing. Same thing happened to me when I went to our local pet store's Howl-o-ween party. There were tons of dogs there. I didn't even touch any dogs. I just reacted.

Judyin Philly Enthusiast

Great thread and learning alot

our son is so allergic but only visits from out of state on a rare occasion and he has great difficulty even with meds he takes while here.

Just wanted to get on the list for alerts as i'm sure I'll learn alot here

Judy

  • 2 weeks later...
samcarter Contributor

I'm severely allergic to cats. Didn't know it until I ended up in the hospital with an anaphylactic reaction--the doctor said living with two cats (one who was longhaired) for so long had just made my body "overflow" with allergens. :huh:

Anyway, we have two cats--kind of by accident, one was the kitten of a cat we owned a while back, and the other one, we adopted when a neighbor was moving to where she couldn't have outdoor cats.

Both cats live outdoors/indoors. The indoor part is a separate, brick shed which is fairly large; it has two stories and we use it for a playhouse. The cats go in there when it is cold or bad weather. I can go out and play with the kids and be around the cats for about an hour at a time; I make sure to take my Claritin, and never, ever touch my eyes, nose or mouth until I've come inside and washed my hands.

I do adore cats. They're the only animal I feel a connection to. It's sad that I'm so allergic. But--I will say it's nice not to have the cat hair in the house. There's a little baby chair that my girl cat likes to sleep in, out in the playhouse, and it is just COVERED in fur. Just looking at it makes my eyes itch!

I've never had the allergy shots, but my cousin did. She was allergic to everything green, as well as cats, rabbits and dogs. I guess the shots worked because now she is married and on her own and has two cats and two dogs.

ksymonds84 Enthusiast

Armae,

I am allergic to cats and have two. I developed a tolerance to them and only have problems if I go away on vacation for awhile. When I come back I have to take allergy medicine again to tolerate them. I have a friend with 3 cats who is very allergic. She bathes them (started doing so as kittens) and swears this helps. This gets rid of extra saliva in their fur (cats are big time groomers). When my two cats are gone, I plan to go back to birds. I loved having them, so social and smart and bird feathers didn't bother me at all!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to tiffanygosci's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      13

      New Celiac Mama in My 30s

    2. - tiffanygosci replied to tiffanygosci's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      13

      New Celiac Mama in My 30s

    3. - RMJ replied to Riley.'s topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      Outgrow celiac?

    4. - knitty kitty replied to Riley.'s topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      4

      Outgrow celiac?

    5. - knitty kitty replied to tiffanygosci's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      13

      New Celiac Mama in My 30s


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,980
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Cathal Brugha
    Newest Member
    Cathal Brugha
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @tiffanygosci, Thiamine deficiency is a thing in pregnancy for "normal" people, so it's exponentially more important for those with celiac disease and malabsorption issues. I studied nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology because I was curious what the vitamins were doing inside the body.  See my blog.  Click on my name to go to my page, scroll to drop down menu "activities" and select blog.   So glad you're motivated to see the dietician!  We're always happy to help with questions.  Keep us posted on your progress! 
    • tiffanygosci
      Thank you for sharing all of this, Knitty Kitty! I did just want someone to share some commonality with. I did not know This one Deficiency was a thing and that it's common for Celiac Disease. It makes sense since this is a disorder that causes malabsorption. I will have to keep this in mind for my next appointments. You also just spurred me on to make that Dietician appointment. There's a lot of information online but I do need to see a professional. There is too much to juggle on my own with this condition.<3
    • RMJ
      I think your initial idea, eat gluten and be tested, was excellent. Now you have fear of that testing, but isn’t there also a fear each time you eat gluten that you’re injuring your body? Possibly affecting future fertility, bone health and more? Wouldn’t it be better to know for sure one way or the other? If you test negative, then you celebrate and get tested occasionally to make sure the tests don’t turn positive again. If you test positive, of course the recommendation from me and others is to stop gluten entirely.  But if you’re unable to convince yourself to do that, could a positive test at least convince you to minimize your gluten consumption?  Immune reactions are generally what is called dose response, the bigger the dose, the bigger the response (in this case, damage to your intestines and body). So while I am NOT saying you should eat any gluten with a positive test, the less the better.  
    • knitty kitty
      @Riley., Welcome to the forum, but don't do it!  Don't continue to eat gluten!  The health problems that will come if you continue to eat gluten are not worth it.  Problems may not show up for years, but the constant inflammation and nutritional losses will manifest eventually.  There's many of us oldsters on the forum who wish they'd been diagnosed as early.    Fertility problems, gallbladder removal, diabetes, osteoporosis and mental health challenges are future health issues you are toying with.   To dispel fear, learn more about what you are afraid of.  Be proactive.  Start or join a Celiac group in your area.  Learn about vitamins and nutrition.   Has your mother been checked for Celiac?  It's inherited.  She may be influencing you to eat gluten as a denial of her own symptoms.  Don't let friends and family sway you away from the gluten-free diet.  You know your path.  Stick to it.  Be brave. 
    • knitty kitty
      @tiffanygosci, Hello.  I apologize for your thread being hijacked.   I recognize your symptoms as being similar to what I experienced, the migraines, food and chemical sensitivities, hives, nausea, the numbness and tingling, joint pain, tummy problems, sleep problems, emotional lability, and the mom brain.  My cycle returned early after I had my son, and I became pregnant again with all my symptoms worsening.  Unfortunately, I lost that baby.  In hindsight, I recognized that I was suffering so much from Thiamine deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies that I was not able to carry it.   Celiac Disease affects the absorption of nutrients from our food.  There's eight B vitamins that must be replenished every day.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 becomes depleted first because it cannot be stored very long, less than two weeks.  Other B vitamins can be stored for two months or so.  But Thiamine can get low enough to produce symptoms in as little as three days.  As the thiamine level gets lower, symptoms worsen.  Early symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are often attributed to life situations, and so frequently go unrecognized by medical professionals who "have a pill for that".   I used to get severe migraines and vomiting after gluten consumption.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins are needed to turn carbohydrates, fats and proteins into fuel for our bodies.  With a large influx of carbohydrates from gluten containing foods, the demand for Thiamine increases greatly.  Available thiamine can be depleted quickly, resulting in suddenly worsening symptoms.  Emotional stress or trauma, physical activity (athletes and laborers) and physiological stresses like pregnancy or injury (even surgery or infection) increase the need for Thiamine and can precipitate a thiamine insufficiency. Pregnancy requires more thiamine, not just for the mother, but for the child as well.  The mother's Thiamine stores are often depleted trying to meet the higher demand of a growing fetus.  Thiamine insufficiency can affect babies in utero and after birth (autism, ADHD).  Having babies close together doesn't allow time for the mother to replenish thiamine stores sufficiently.   Thiamine insufficiency can cause migraines, pins and needles (paresthesia), and gastrointestinal Beriberi (gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, back pain).   Thiamine deficiency can cause blurry vision, difficulty focusing, and affect the eyes in other ways.  Thiamine deficiency can damage the optic nerves.  I have permanent vision problems.  High histamine levels can make your brain feel like it's on fire or swelling inside your cranium.  High histamine levels can affect behavior and mood.  Histamine is released by Mast Cells as part of the immune system response to gluten.  Mast Cells need Thiamine to regulate histamine release.  Mast Cells without sufficient thiamine release histamine at the slightest provocation.  This shows up as sensitivities to foods, smelly chemicals, plants, and dust mites.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins are needed to lower histamine levels.  Vitamin D is needed to calm the immune system and to regulate our hormones.  Menstrual irregularities can be caused by low Vitamin D.   Celiac Disease is a disease if Malabsorption of Nutrients.  We must take great care to eat a nutritionally dense diet.  Our bodies cannot make vitamins.  We must get them from what we eat.  Supplementation with essential vitamins and minerals is warranted while we are healing and to ensure we don't become deficient over time.  Our bodies will not function properly without essential vitamins and minerals.  Doctors have swept their importance under the rug in favor of a pill that covers the symptoms but doesn't resolve the underlying issue of malnutrition. Do talk to your doctor and dietician about checking for nutritional deficiencies.  Most blood tests for the eight B vitamins do not reflect how much is available or stored inside cells.  Blood tests reflect how much is circulating in the blood stream, the transportation system.  Blood levels can be "normal" while a deficiency exists inside cells where the vitamins are actually used.  The best way to see if you're low in B vitamins is to take a B Complex, and additional Thiamine and look for improvement.   Most vitamin supplements contain Thiamine Mononitrate, which is not easily absorbed nor utilized by the body.  Only thirty percent of thiamine mononitrate listed on the label is absorbed, less is actually utilized.  This is because thiamine mononitrate is shelf stable, it won't breakdown sitting on a shelf in the grocery store.  It's so hard to breakdown, our bodies don't absorb it and can't turn it into a form the body can use.  Take Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine or TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which the body can utilize much better.  (Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for Thiamine level.  Though not accurate, this test does better picking up on a thiamine deficiency than a blood test.) Are you keeping your babies on a gluten free diet?  This can prevent genetically susceptible children from developing Celiac Disease.   P. S. Interesting Reading  Thiamine deficiency in pregnancy and lactation: implications and present perspectives https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10158844/ Descriptive spectrum of thiamine deficiency in pregnancy: A potentially preventable condition https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37458305/ B vitamins and their combination could reduce migraine headaches: A randomized double-blind controlled trial https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9860208/
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.