anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

i LOVE and adore cats. my husband is highly allergic.

he just agreed to go to an allergy doctor and begin shots. we're hoping to get a cat in a month or 2 after his shots begin to work.

anyone else get shots? how well does it work? any side effects?

any advice and help you can give would be great!

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

u have fm

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

I am severly allergic to cats. We were living with friends for a few months and they have 4 cats. I went for shots. I went weekly for a few months, then bi-weekly. They have tried to get me on monthly treatments but my body couldnt handle the high dosage.

So I go bi-weekly and the shots were the best thing for me. I could pet the cats, they would sit on me, and lick me. Nothing. No reaction from them.

No side effects from the shots either

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

I am very allergic to cats. In fact I almost wound up in the ER on Sunday from going to a party at my BF's house and she has 2 cats. I have a cat. Well my DH had a cat when I met him. It was HORRIBLE in the beginning but after 8 almost 9 years I am pretty immune to her. I can't touch my face after I have been cuddling with her but I can hug her and rub her. My Mom also got 2 cats when I first moved out. One was Mainecoon. That is the worst. I love those guys to death too. But they were almost the death of me. Everytime I went to visit her my throat would start closing. After 10 years I am pretty immune to her cats also. But like I said I still had a reaction this past Sunday.

Many 's to your DH. Just know that he can be with a cat but it will be rough in the beginning.

ETA I never went for shots

Message edited 8/29/2006 9:50:23 PM.

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

I am DEATHLY allergic to cats - I'm talking my throat will start to close within 5 minutes of being near cats. Almost all of our friends have cats, so going to their houses is usually out of the question for us. Even being in the same room as people who have cats at home really bothers me.

Point of the post - do you thik the shots will be potent enough to quell my allergy a bit and make it a little more bearable?

(Sorry to piggyback on your post, but I am curious....)

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

thanks everyone for the thoughts and FMs!

scarletbegonia...that's what i'm dying to know! i went to the vet the other day with my aunt's cat and asked her about it--she knows VETS who get shots because they're allergic! so i figure if it works for them, it will work for DH.

i would really love to hear more first hand experiences...their have to be more of you cat-allergic people out there!

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

I had allergy shots, 3 times a week for over 7 years...I still can't be around cats. I can't be in a home that has cats.

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

Our best man is highly allergic to cats and used to take benadryl when he came to visit us (we have two) or his fiancee's family (they have three).

Weird thing is that he has said that after a while he hasn't needed them benadryl (and he was considering the shots since his fiancee is a cat person). He says he can't touch his face after petting them but he used to tear up and sneeze just being in the same room.

Good luck! I hope you find a resolution and of course post pics if you get a cat.

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

My husband was HIGHLY allergic to cats when we first started dating. He would have to leave my house because he eyes would be so red and swollen. He slowly got used to them and now we have 2 in our own house. He just uses Nasonez every morning. Once in a while he will get a small attack, like when I brush them and kick up their dander, but other than that he is about 95% better then when we started dating

Re: anyone allergic to cats? need advice and help!

A good allergist can definitely help you. Whether it's shots or a good combo of antihistamines you should be ablke to get through most allergies. There are ways to prepare your home to make it easier to keep pet dander from settling . You can get an air cleaner, you can remove carpeting, you can clean bedding very often. Also there are special shampoos that you can wash the cats in that will reduce dander.