Conference misery::feline_v1

    You might see if Seldane helps.  Perhaps you could explain the
    situation to your doctor and get a prescription for a "trial run" with
    a neighbor or friend's kitty.  And then if you can adopt, do it with
    the understanding that it will be initially on a trial basis to see if
    you can tolerate the cat.  perhaps Priscilla at the Pat Brody shelter
    would be willing to set up an adoption like this?
    

    Nancy -
    
    I have a niece who year ago was allergic to our cats and had the
    very symptoms you described. She finally did get shots so she
    could come and visit us without the terrible reaction. As the years
    passed she stopped talking the shots and was fine but then a year
    ago we added another cat and now poor Elizabeth is so miserable when
    she comes to visit us. 
    
    I have given her one of my seldane tablets to help with the runing
    nose and watery eyes but she still sneezes awful. The doctor said
    the answer would to go back on the shots but she said, I will take
    my chances and make my visits shorter. They have a dog and she has
    no problem so it is definately the cat/cats.
    
    I wonder how the allergy shampoo would work. I guess you need to
    know if it's the hair/fur your allergic to or the saliva deposits
    they get on their coats from washing themselves.
    
    Maybe visit an animal shelter and see if they would let you take
    an animal with the stipulation if it didn't work out you could
    bring it back and get your money back.
    
    Barbara

    Did you just start having a reaction to cats?  I have lived with cats
    for 47 years, but for some reason this year I have started to react. 
    For me, it's the rag weed and goldenrod pollen that catches in their
    fur when they are out hunting.  They bring it back home and I'm one big
    Achooooooo.  (I get the same problem from my own hair if I walk through
    a patch of offending weeds, unless I wash my hair right away.)
    
    I'm going to have to find a way to live with it though, I couldn't give
    up my babies.  
    
    Hope you find a solution--best of luck.

    Some people build up immunity to an allergen that is always present in
    their environment.  This is true with Ken.  He used to be allergic to
    cats, but has been tested for them again lately and is not allergic to
    them anymore.  (this happened over 10 years of living with them, not
    overnight)
    
    This is the reason why some people are not allergic to their own cat,
    but have reactions when they visit cat owning friends.
    
    Having an indoor cat would reduce the allergen since the cat wouldn't
    be bringing in pollen and other allergens on it's fur.  Also, keeping
    the cat bathed would help reduce the dander and hence the allergen.
    
    To find other topics on allergies, type "show key/full allergy" at the
    notes prompt.
    
    Jo

    I had never had allergy problems with cats, and even lived with them
    on occasion, until one day, when my then-inlaws got a new kitten, which
    I cuddled all Christmas Eve.  I had to stay home Christmas Day in
    terrible agony :-(.  Ever since then, I've had problems.  When we
    adopted Bill's mother's cat, it was a trial arrangement; if my
    allergies were too bad, we would try to place him through FELINE.
    
    Since then, I've suffered quite a bit.  I took over the counter stuff
    until I finally broke down and saw an allergist; it turns out I'm
    allergic to lots of things, including cats, and have been on medication
    (and more recently allergy shots) ever since.  I'm still not perfect,
    (everyone who knows me knows about my coughing :-)) but at least I can
    breathe (especially at night, which is always; worst).  And it's not
    just at home, so I can't just blame the feline population.
    
    It comes down to "what are you willing to do in order to live with your
    cat(s)?", and that's not meant to imply a right and wrong answer.  If I
    have children, I hope they take after Bill!! :-)
    
    Jill

    Oh, a couple of other things:
    
    As others have indicated, there are things you can do (better house-
    keeping, indoor pets, etc) that can lessen the affects of the allergen.
    
    And, by the way, .0 (Nancy Bowers), you aren't from NJ, are you?
    
    Jill

    In in house air filter (somthing like the Alpine described in the
    note keyworded CONSUMER_REPORTS) might help. I'm not allergic to cats,
    but am horrably allergic to certain kinds of pollen, and I've found
    that during "pollen season" I feel a lot better since I got the air
    cleaner.
    
    Deb

    I have read that people who develop an allergy to their cat(s) should
    try bathing them once a week, minimum.  Easier said than done,
    probably, unless you start this routine when the cat is still young. 
    Do not use any soap, just lukewarm water. They seem to think that it's
    the cat's saliva that people are most often allergic to, rather than
     the dander.  The saliva accumulates on the coat as the cat washes
    itself, so a lukewarm rinse sounds like a good idea.  Also, do not
    allow the cat to lick you.

    
    I just entered a note about this a minute ago and now I can't find
    it... Anyway, like I said in the last note, I'm horribly allergic to
    cats as well..  
    
    Before we were married my wife had two long hair cats. I couldn't even
    go near her appartment. I would have the same reaction you had within a
    minute or two.. after five minutes I had to decide if I wanted to leave
    and live or stay and die..   I knew which people I worked with who had cats
    because I could smell cat on them...
    
    To make a long story short, I finally decided that cats where just too 
    cute to live without and that if I had to get shots I'd get them..  
    
    But as it turns out, I don't need shots.  All I have to do is take a
    little extra care when it comes to our two little demons and I'm all
    set..  I've even got one sitting on my shoulders purring her brains out
    as I write this.. 
    
    What you need to do is this:
    
    Decide on the kinda cat you want - preferably short hair.
    Find a breeder for that kinda cat
    Call them up and ask if you can come over and chat with a few 
    	cats for a bit.. preferably show cats cause they seem to get 
    	more baths than non-show cats.
    See what happens
    If it seems ok or you only have a mild reaction, see if you can 
    	take one home for a few days and try it out..
    
    If it works, then you have a kitty and you'll be happy.. if it doesn't
    you'll know..
    
    If you decide to keep the cat, do the following.  I just cut these out
    of my last note..   If you want the name of a breeder and some
    suggestions on breeds, send me mail..  
        
    1) Give your cat a bath often.  Once a week at least with a good baby
    	shampoo.
    
    2) Rub on Allerpet/C after you bathe them.  It isn't a shampoo but more
    	like a conditioner if you will..  It does help, quite a bit.
    
    3) Wipe their faces and paws once a day.  Cats, as you all know, have
    	their little noses in every corner of your house ever day and they
    	collect dust like mad! Wiping the dust off helps a lot.
    
    4) Toilet train the cat or keep the kitty litter someplace where your
    	allergic humans won't be around it.  A lot of the dust that will 
    	cause problems for them comes from kitty litter.  You could get one
    	of those no-dust litters, but the contents of all litter scares me.
    	Who knows how toxic the stuff might be.
    
    5) Have a room where the cats cannot go.  This will help if the
    	afflicted humans just have to get away.
    
    6) Have the afflicted humans wash their hands and possibly faces after
    	handling the cats.
    
    7) When someone starts sneezing, get out the allerpet/c.. It may just 
    	be a placebo(sp?) but it certainly helps me..
    

    I have a lovely shorthair scottish fold who was just neutered who is
    looking for a home.  I just want $50 to recover the cost of neutering.
    All my cats go on a trial basis.
    
    I wanted to comment on Seldane and Hismanal (the newer and stronger
    medication).  Barbara mentioned giving her relative a Seldane when
    she came over.  These medications require a constant blood level to
    be really effective.  And they don't work very well if taken once
    the symptoms start.  
    
    Seldane is very mild.  I suggest a trial run of a month on Seldane
    before you decide if it would work for you.
    

    See note 3851 for more help on allergies.
    
    Jo

    Hi All,
    
    Thanks for all the good ideas.  Reading the various notes, especially
    about cats bringing in pollen, made me realize that this allergic
    reaction seems much worse in the spring and late summer/early fall.  
    I believe those are the times when the pollen is at it's worst.  To
    answer someones' question...this just started up about two years ago.
    Both my parents cats (one is my former Quincy) are very outdoor cats, 
    and tromp through the brush all the time...I'm sure there are alot of
    ragweed and other nasty pollen-carrying weeds where they prowl.  Not
    only did the cat allergies start up two years ago, but pollen allergies
    as well.  At some point in the season here (Massachusetts) there is 
    heavy oak pollen which leaves the yellow dust on everything.  We have a
    very large old oak tree at the corner of the deck, and this spring I 
    was miserable until the yellow dust was gone....so I'll bet the two 
    types of allergies are related.
    
    Hmmmmm....more to think about.  
    
    And Jill, I'm not from NJ...Harvard, MA was my home town.
    
    Nancy

    It would be a good idea to find a cat sympathetic allergist and go in
    for some testing.  My husband avoided this for years, because he was
    afraid that he would be allergic to cats.  When he had a bad asthma
    attack and had to go to the hospital last year, I finally convinced him
    to go.  Turns out that his fear and hesitation were for nothing, as he
    is not allergic to cats or dogs...he is just allergic to everything
    else on the planet!!  So, finding new homes for our cats and dog would
    not affect his allergies in the least.
    
    If you have asthma, an allergy is much more serious and can be life
    theatening.  This is something we have learned in the course of the
    last year or so.  So, you should take it seriously.  Find a good
    doctor, get tested, and then go on from there.
    
    Jo