Cat allergy

Cat allergy in humans is an allergic reaction to cat glycoprotein Fel d 1 secreted by the cat's sebaceous glands. Fel d 1 is mostly found in the cat's skin and saliva.

An allergic reaction is a histamine reaction that is usually characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, itching, nasal congestion, rash, watering eyes, sneezing and similar symptoms.

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Symptoms of allergies

These include red, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion; itchy nose; sneezing; difficulty breathing (dyspnea); chronic sore throat and/or scratchy throat; coughing, wheezing, or itchy skin.

Lessening reactions

Allergic reaction to cats can be lessened most successfully by minimizing exposure to the animals. If living with a cat is unavoidable, 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. Finally, some allergy sufferers find relief in periodic injection therapy designed to stimulate the body's natural immune responses to the cat allergen. Although this is not usually 100% successful, it can reduce reactions to tolerable levels for many individuals.

Coping With Allergies

Having pets has been shown to be emotionally healthy. However, if you have anything other than a mild allergy, your allergies should be addressed first.

Allergies are Cumulative

This means that everything you are allergic to (e.g. dust, mold, pollen) will add to your reaction. If you then add a cat your total allergic reaction will be worse than any one allergy on its own. This is because people have a threshold; reducing all allergens will reduce your cumulative total and hence possibly reduce your 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. Do not rely on this when deciding to get a cat as a pet, as your allergy may become worse, not better, with time.

Lower Exposure

Allergens are airborne and survive for months or even years by themselves, hence remove anything that can trap and hold the allergens (carpet, rugs, pillows) and clean regularly and thoroughly with HEPA filters and Air purifier systems. 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%, not only is it beneficial for you but also for the cat's skin and hair; including a reduction in hair-balls. A cat's saliva is not a substitution for a soap and water bath, though it may be "clean" it is not healthy to rely on that as its bathing source.

Medications

Allergy medications

Allergy Shots

Immunotherapy more specifically known as Hyposensibilization for cats can provide immunisation to allergies.

Synthetic Epitope Vaccine

This is an in-development vaccine to provide a long term vaccine for allergies.

Hypoallergenic cats

A hypoallergenic cat is a cat which is less likely to provoke an allergic reaction in humans. There are claims, but no scientific evidence, that the Siberian and Russian Blue breeds are naturally hypoallergenic. Similarly, cat breeds such as the Sphinx, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex, which lack some of the normal layers of cat fur, are generally held by mild allergy sufferers to be significantly less likely than other breeds to provoke an allergic reaction. However as more people are allergic to the cat's saliva rather than the fur itself, the benefit of a hairless breed may be limited.

In 2006 the Allerca company announced the successful breeding of a line of hypoallergenic cats. However, no peer-reviewed studies have confirmed their claims and many scientists are skeptical of the company's assertions.^[1] They are currently accepting orders for hypoallergenic kittens.^[2] Another company, Felix Pets, also claims to be developing a breed of hypoallergenic cat.

Interesting Results

It appears that female cats shed substantially lower amounts of allergen than males, and a neutered male sheds significantly less than a full male tom.^{[citation needed]} In 2000, researchers at the Long Island College Hospital found that cat owners with dark-colored cats were more likely to report allergy symptoms than those with light-colored cats.^[3][4] Interestingly, a later study by the Wellington Asthma Research Group indicates that hair color has no effect on how much allergen a cat produces.^[5][6]

Many people who believe they have animal or cat allergies are actually tested to find they are not allergic to the animal but to the dust they hold. However most the methods listed above will help even if it is an allergy to the dust.

References

1. ^ Felis Enigmaticus
2. ^ 'Hypoallergenic cats' go on sale
3. ^ preliminary results, cited in Prevention (magazine)
4. ^ full study, cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association
5. ^ cited by Allergy New Zealand
6. ^ Siebers, R.; Healy, B., Holt, S., Peters, S., Crane, J., and Fitzharris, P (October 2001). "Fel d 1 levels in domestic living rooms are not related to cat color or hair length". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 108 (4): 652-653. Elsevier. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.