Allergies can often be triggered by cats, but sometimes they’re not. There are hundreds of causes, and hundreds of ways to combat them too. Don’t give up yet!
If you or a family member develops allergies, visit a reputable allergist. Scratch tests are no longer considered conclusive. Perhaps your cat isn’t directly responsible. If your cat roams free, he may bring home foreign substances like pollen, plant juices, and poison ivy.
If you’re allergic to your cat, it’s dander, not fur, that causes an allergic reaction. It’s fairly easy to get around this. Both people and animals shed dead skin, and excessive dander can be remedied. To avoid excess dander from dry skin, keep your cat’s skin in good condition. To avoid dry skin and excess dander, buy a coat conditioner to add to his food. One of the least expensive and readily available coat conditioners is Linatone. Use daily.
Why are so many people allergic to cats? Because most people don’t groom their cats, and their homes collect more dander. Brush your cat regularly to help avoid problems.
A note on allergic babies: When they are first born, all babies sneeze. It’s their body’s natural reaction to environmental stimulants. After all, they were living in water for 9 months and now have to get used to breathing air! Many people mistake sneezing as an allergic reaction to their cats. “Because it takes at least 6 months of regular exposure to an allergen for a child to develop a reaction to it, allergies in babies are not as common as people think,” says Jose Carro, an allergist and immunologist at Miami Children’s Hospital. However, if a child has any chronic nasal or breathing issues, many doctors recommend re-homing a cat.
It is unlikely your child will have an allergic reaction to your cat until he is a little older. Recent studies indicate a child who grows up with a cat is likely to have a strong immune system, and less likely to develop allergies in the future.