Dealing with Cat Allergies

A Cat Lover's Nightmare

I'd hate to say that cats are my life.  But in a way, they kind of are.  Don't get me wrong - I absolutely adore my family and friends and the entire rest of the life I've been blessed with, but I really, really love my cats too.  There's just one problem - I also happen to be quite allergic to most cats.  And over half of my (rather large) immediate family is as well.

That said, I've loved cats and had them around me pretty much always.  One of my earliest memories is of helping to pick out a kitten for my family.  Her name morphed into Kiki, because I was too young to even pronounce the word kitten yet - and I absolutely adored her.  Much later on, though, I was diagnosed with migraine-causing cat allergies - and that was no fun at all.  My family didn't know a thing yet about all the natural and alternative medicines that I have in my arsenal  today, so I received the typical allergy shots in hopes of relief (no way I was giving up our cat!)  And when I got my first apartment after college?  I went (literally the next day) to a shelter and adopted my very own kitten/best-furriend.

Long story short, eventually I had to stop those allergy shots after they became dangerous to me (anaphylaxis).   And over the past 20 years my cat allergies gradually became worse and worse.  It was pure torture, because I found myself pushing away our cat much of the time, or instantly scrubbing face, hands, clothing after giving in to enjoying a cuddle with him.  And unfortunately, during that same time span, some of my (human) kids were starting to show allergy problems too.
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Some Pawsible Solutions

So, what did I do?  For allergic cat lover's around the world (and there are a surprisingly high number of us), how to fix those tragic allergies is the sixty million dollar question. 

Once I was (forced) to admit that our cat allergies were getting completely out of hand, I began researching like mad!  Information is power, and I was absolutely determined to win the cat allergy war.  And then I started implementing everything that I could, slowly over time changing both our habits and our habitat. 

I prefer to tackle things in bits and pieces with any project like this that may involve a lot of changes for either myself or my family.  If I try to jump in whole-cat (so to speak) all at once, I'm far more likely to just give up and find the whole thing too overwhelming.  In this case, though, the benefits (of millions of cat cuddles) were a huge motivation for me.

Knowing the enemy ( not my furry loves!) is really helpful dealing with cat allergies in the most successful and natural way possible.  The predominant cause  is a protein that the cats produce called Fel d 1.  It excretes primarily through their skin's oil glands and their anal glands, and also through their saliva and their fur.  The bulk of it, however, really does come from those skin and anal glands.  (Yup - that's why changing litterboxes and kitty kisses/head bumps can really set off allergic reactions.)  All of the information can be really confusing - there's a lot of it, but it's not always the most accurate stuff.  Much a what is floating around on the internet these days is actually based on older myths and defunct research - for instance, all those statements that cat saliva is the main problem.   (Check out the Fel d 1 Fact List and Resources at the bottom of this page 👇)

I work hard to keep everything to do with my cats clean.  Anywhere my little darlings like to hang out needs to be either wipe-able or easily washable.  And carpeted cat trees are a huge no-no!  They just can't be cleaned of allergens properly.  Fortunately, ShiShi and Haku adore our Armarkat Solid Wood Cat Tree  - they love it for the hiding cave, great perches (it's also where I feed Haku), and the best kitty hammock ever.   (If you notice fuzzies in the photos of our cat tree,  it's because I cut up a bathroom rug to fit on the perches - super easy to wash, and the kitties like the fluff.)  I also keep my cats extra healthy with their raw diet and lots of exercise, and keep their fur clean with daily wipe downs.   And, while it isn't the right choice for everyone, this time around when it was time to adopt cats, I very carefully chose a cat breed (Siberian) that naturally produces significantly less of that darned Fel d 1 protein.  

What do I do for any remaining allergies?  They do still crop up once in a while, especially if my immune system is down because of fatigue or having a cold.  Heartbreakingly, I had to stop volunteering at our local no-kill cat shelter.  And I still do a crazy wash my face, rinse my eyes, rinse my sinuses, wash my hands, change my clothes routine whenever I love up somebody else's furry darling.  But, in my own home, with my (mostly hypoallergenic) Siberian cats, I do extremely well.  Check out my self care tips below for more info on my personal anti-allergy regime, and also for the rest of the fabulous protocols that allow me to be a happy and healthy cat owner.  And yes - I happily and healthily face-plant and rub noses with ShiShi and Haku at least a billion times a day now. ❤

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Round-up of Allergy Tips

1.  Easy to clean surfaces in are key.  All of my furniture is either leather or has a throw cover that is easy to wash.  And we are now working toward having all laminate or tile floors in our house - no more of the evil carpeting that harbors allergens.  That also includes all of our cat furniture - no carpeting allowed on them either, especially since ShiShi and Haku spend so much time on them! 

***Can't find carpet-free cat trees?  We LOVE our Armarkat Solid Wood Cat Tree - the comfy hammock at the top is in constant use by both ShiShi and Haku.  Another great  cat tree is the Vesper V-Base. ***

2.  Raw Diet.  It's definitely a pain, definitely expensive.  However, I've seen a difference in what remained of my cat allergies since we switched to the raw diet that the kitties are on now for their own health reasons.  I'm definitely not the only allergic cat owner who has seen that kind of improvement either - there are tons of stories out there about how much a raw diet can help.  Raw diets should be based on a cat's specific needs  and the availability of appropriate raw foods, and with a veterinarian's supervision.

3.  Daily wiping with a (very) wet washcloth.  I don't use soap or baby wipes because that could make my cats sick if they licked themselves afterward.  (See Facts and Resources below for info on cat bathing and Fel d 1.)  In order to reduce as much of the airborne allergens as possible, I vigorously rub them down from head to tail with the washcloth, paying special attention to the areas around their faces, necks and furry bums, spots where they produce the highest concentrations of the protein.  And I hand out lots of treats in the process - they honestly don't mind it at all thanks to those treats!

4.  Self care.  I try to keep my immune system healthy and in as quiet a state as possible with frequent exercise, daily doses of real sunlight, a low sugar/ low lectin diet, drink kombucha for a healthy biome, and sinus rinses with salt solution, a little MCT oil and essential oil drops a few times a week.  And, if things get bad because of exposure to other cats, then LOTS of washing of face, hands, eyes, everything...

5.  Breed of cat.  When our last family cat passed away, I began researching to find out if there were any types of cats that might be less allergenic for us.    What I found is that there are three cat breeds which are documented to produce lower levels of the dreaded Fel d 1 protein - Siberians, Russian Blues and Balinese.  Siberian cats were most available to us here in Florida, and we were eventually blessed with ShiShi and Haku - and the miracle of cuddling with cats again.   I'm an avid supporter of cat rescues, but I'm also very grateful for breeding that allows us to continue having cats in our allergic household.

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Fel d 1 Facts and Good Stuff to Know:

1.  On average, intact males produce more Fel d 1 than females, although they produce less (still more than most females) if neutered.

2.  Not all cats shed their Fel d 1 into the air at the same rate, and different parts of the body excrete more of it.  For instance, the neck and head have much higher concentrations and shedding rates than the chest area.

3.  Length of fur has no  affect on production of Fel d 1 - that seems to have more to do with certain breeds of cats and certain cat individuals who genetically have lower production levels.  

4.  Immersion bathing of cats does reduce reduce the levels of Fel d 1 that become airborne.  However, levels return to normal within even a few days.  That's why I recommend the alternative of daily wiping with a wet wash cloth (no soap!) instead.  No cat should be bathed more than every two weeks for skin health reasons, but a daily wipe down can help to keep those proteins out of the air.

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Help with my sinus rinse!

Treats at Bath Time □

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Some Helpful Resources

An Update on Molecular Cat Allergens
Study about cat allergens, and possible medical solutions for the future.  Lots of great background info.

Myths About Siberians
Article about myths and facts pertaining to low Fel d 1 in Siberian cats.

Kitten Saliva Testing for Fel d 1
Explains saliva testing, accuracy, and sources of current testing.

Jackson Galaxy Cat Allergy Blog
I don't agree with absolutely everything in this article, but Jackson offers some great tips and solutions for people who  own a cat that they are allergic to.

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