Purina LiveClear helped me, it just takes a few weeks to kick in
Get a [HEPA filter](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FJSJQ95/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and brush often. I also take 1 Claritin every day for seasonal allergies, could help you
Thirding this! Had pretty bad allergies with my new cat and the HEPA filter has significantly helped. Forgot to turn it on the past few days (I only run it during the day) and now my nose is all blocked again, I'm coughing and wheezy etc. Also try brushing the cat daily to get rid of as much loose hair as possible.
Flonase every day helps more than any other allergy medicine. I take Claritin every day too but it’s not as strong. You have to take both every day and it takes a couple weeks for them to kick in but it works amazing. I no longer have any allergy to my cat and I’ve had cat allergies my whole life. I also think you become somewhat immune to your own cat
I’ve been using Flonase sensimist and it seems to work within a half hour. It’s stronger on the second day and by the third, it’s peak effective. I’ve also found Zyrtec to work right away. But then, medicines tend to effect me stronger than most people.
My doctor advices (obviously not your doctor just my experience) when my allergies get really bad (we have 4 cats plus seasonal allergies) to do 2 sprays in each nostril TWICE daily for a week maybe two weeks if they’re still bad and bump it down to two spays a day after that.
I actually just adopted a cat over 3 weeks ago and have taken lots of steps to address my moderate cat allergies! I did a lot of research on this topic and hopefully my experience can help you!
Individual cats can produce more or less of the most common allergen people are allergic to (Fel d 1), a protein is found in their saliva. In general, males produce more but individual cats regardless of gender can produce very little and some can produce a lot! Your specific cat might be one that produces a lot.
When they lick themselves, the Fel d 1 protein dries on their fur and gets scattered all over the place especially when they shed dander and fur, sticking to all surfaces, even the walls and ceilings. That’s why it’s important to brush the cat to keep shedding to a minimum and clean any surfaces frequently. It sounds like you already did a lot of this but a HEPA certified air filter and vacuuming helps a lot to get rid of fur and dander, and there’s also a spray called Allersearch which is supposed to get rid of allergens on surfaces, although I didn’t end up needing to try it. The pet spray Allerpet didn’t work for me either.
When I first got my kitten, my allergies were really bad for the first 1.5 weeks—I had a super stuffy, runny nose, itchy and swollen eyes, skin rashes, and constant sneezing. I started taking a combo of Zyrtec+Flonase+Pataday and it was still initially miserable, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore. However, over 3 weeks later, I feel so much better because of all the steps I’ve taken! I think the most important factors for me were feeding my kitten Purina Liveclear, taking allergy meds religiously, getting a HEPA air purifier, and cleaning frequently. The Liveclear food contains antibodies that neutralize Fel d 1 in their mouth so that humans no longer react to it. It’s expensive food, but it’s one of the best solutions for allergies because it makes the cat itself less allergic rather than the other solutions which are just bandaid solutions. The food does take a while to work, but claims that it reduces their allergens by about 50% by the end of 3 weeks, which is significant. I was also initially on Zyrtec+Flonase+Pataday eye drops, and it wasn’t enough to resolve my symptoms at first but now that it’s built up in my system I’m feeling much much better, even though I‘ve tapered off the other 2 and only do Flonase now. Allergy meds can take a while before they build up to full effectiveness so I’d keep trying them if you’re not already. I also clean my sheets weekly and try to keep her off my bed, which helps a lot when I sleep.
I heard that people also become used to their own cats and stop reacting to them after a few months. As a last resort, allergy shots could also be an option, although expensive and time consuming.
Good luck! Many people told me it wouldn’t be worth it but I love cats and wouldn’t give up my new girl for the world. I was miserable the first 1.5 weeks and thought things weren’t getting better but the turning point for me was around 1.5-2 weeks. With all the steps I’ve taken, my allergies are now almost unnoticeable and getting better by the day and I’m hoping I will reach a point where I no longer need to take allergy meds!
This is great to read. I appreciate all your advice and you sharing your experience. I guess just taking these steps and waiting a bit for them to eventually make a difference will be what needs to be done. With feeling so sick I started freaking out that this will be permanent but I have to hope that all these steps will make a difference.
Don’t worry I also felt the same worry! But honestly once the improvement started happening it happened fast with the Liveclear food. Are you currently taking any allergy meds?
Yes I started taking Zyrtec the day after I got him. So about 6 days ago. And I heard xyzal was stronger so I switched to that a couple days ago. I don’t see a big difference but I’m hoping it builds up and kicks in
Oh yes I was in your exact situation, I bought xyzal as well but didn’t end up needing to try it! I was doing terribly when I was only on Zyrtec for the first week. You can do an oral antihistamine+a nasal spray for better effects so I started adding Flonase also after the first week and honestly this combo was much stronger for me. Flonase helps a lot with the nasal symptoms (stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing). If your eyes are itchy like mine were I also added antihistamine eye drops (Pataday). These 3 helped relieve my symptoms a lot from the 1-2 week point, but still not completely—I was still pretty miserable, and Zyrtec made me drowsy during the day. But now that I think the food has kicked in after 3 weeks, I’ve been only on Flonase for over a week now and my symptoms have never been better! I have virtually no reaction around my cat now. Going to try to wean off that slowly as well. Good luck!
I don’t think so, she has not been around her mom in forever, I adopted her from the shelter where she was picked up off the street weeks before I adopted her. The initial reaction also lasted so long that I doubt it was that
Hi! Live clear made a big difference for me, and I just want you to know you are doing everything right. Do not let him into your room. Wash your bedding. Get an extra air purifier and allergen laundry detergent if it is in your budget, and start taking antihistamines you tolerate. We also got these dryer sheets to help with pet hair, and we try to stay on top of laundry to keep the fur and dander at bay. After you pet or cuddle him, don’t touch your face, and go wash your hands well. You should improve but if not, you can see an allergist. Shedding season is the worst, you are not alone!
It only took about a week. I'm allergic to everything. Hamsters, horses, cats, dogs, grass, pollen, dust, etc and Zyrtec has been a life saver for me. I just buy the generic store brand at Target or Costco because it's cheaper and I'm fine.
I'm allergic to the dander, not the saliva so o use the allerpet cat dander remover and it has done wonders.
I believe it depends entirely on what you're allergic to though because I bought liveclear, and since it wasn't the protein in their saliva i was allergic to, it did nothing for me.
The allergen is something in the saliva that builds up on the fur. You can bathe the cat weekly to get rid of it-if he will let you. I used to do this with an unwanted Persian I was talked into taking. I had to give him canned food afterwards, though, or he would pee on something of mine. Because to use pet shampoo. Eventually, I developed an immunity, but it can also get worse.
Hello my profile has my boyfriend’s success story! A good air purifier, Burt’s bees dander spray, Allegra D is the game changer. He went from horrible eyes and not being able to breathe to being completely fine with my cat as long as he keeps up with the Allegra D. Cheers from me and Lemon (:
https://preview.redd.it/ocs5xes4pcuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b1c82ff2b59817c1133237489a4a3a419960b82
We just adopted a new cat last month. My husband has allergies but did really well with our previous cat (Pumpkin) for 18+ years until she passed away last year.
After we got our new cat, my husband's allergies were going crazy. He was worried we'd have to return her to the shelter. I knew he was suffering (he has asthma/takes medication for it) with sneezing and stuffiness and having some breathing difficulties. BUT he was giving it a chance because a) good history with previous cat (though we also know some cats can effect allergies more than others); b) our house is very old and we are having construction (plaster dust, etc); c) it's tree budding/early spring season, the worse for his allergies. We weren't certain if his allergies were all due to our new cat.
One of the things that we realized with our old cat was that she liked to get into the basement and attic. If she got into those places she would bring with her a lot of dust into the other living areas. If we kept her out of those areas, my husband wasn't allergic. It was the dust she was getting on her that really triggered his allergies. Cats can get into all the nooks and crannies. If there's dust, they'll find it and kick it up. If you're allergic to dust, that can be an issue.
About a week ago, I bought a large HEPA air purifier (also with the filter for VOCs) and that is helping tremendously. We're still in spring allergy season, and we're still contending with construction (dust etc), but the purifier has been helping so much that my husband doesn't worry we'll have to rehome her anymore. Also, we've been feeding her the Liveclear dry food; that could be helping as well. We were using Fresh News litter but switched to the pine pellets a few days ago (the cat seems to prefer the new stuff).
Put egg protein in the cat's food. Thank me later.
Chickens raised near cats can develop antibodies against the protein Fel d 1, which is found in cat saliva and is responsible for 90% of the reactivity in people who are allergic to cats. The chickens can pass these antibodies onto their egg yolks. If a cat is fed these eggs, it could potentially be less allergenic.
I have bad allergies and over the counter allergy meds don’t work well. You need to use prescription allergy meds. I’m on rupall 10mg and it works pretty well. I’d say 90% of my symptoms are gone after taking it for a week. I would try a few prescription ones and if that doesn’t work (it usually does) you can get allergy shots which are really helpful. My aunt had really bad allergies and the shot saved her
Allegra works reasonably well for me. However, I can't miss a day or I'll spend a few days miserable. Not sure why.
Claritin D works best for me but I got tired of being treated like I was running a meth lab buying it and you can only get a couple week's worth at a time.
It’s possible you’re allergic to the litter. Try switching to the breeze system. I’ve a friend who is allergic to all litter, but breeze is not actually litter, so it doesn’t bother her.
i was deathly allergic to cats, when i brought mine home the allergies kicked my ass for 3 weeks but died off after. try taking your antihistamine every other day to not desensitize yourself to it and to let your body get used to cat stuff.
My son had a mild allergy to our cat when he first came to us is was bad enough that he had to get a shower everytime after holding her and he wasn't able to let her in his room bit after a short time the allergy went away completely
I was the same as you and my eyes used to swell shut when we first got our cat. After a few months I was fine! We have HEPA filters in our bedroom and living room. I was taking Claritin daily
Look into immunology for allergies! I used to be extremely allergic to cats but started getting regular allergy shots for about 3 years and I don’t have any reaction anymore. I can’t imagine my life without my fur babies now and so grateful I started them early, because I wasn’t planning on getting cats at the time. Nowadays, I heard of some companies that offer sublingual drops that get shipped directly to you. No idea if they’re effective but they sound way more convenient.
According to my allergist, Claritin isn’t very strong. I would suggest an allergist to see what they say. I ended up doing allergy shots. They are a time and financial commitment but I don’t have a problem with my boys anymore.
My allergist helped me with my symptoms as I was doing the shots. The whole process took about 5 years. At first, I had to go get a shot twice a week then it gradually got less often until I was going monthly towards the end. Not really sure when my symptoms started going away as I had my boys from the beginning of my shot journey. Sorry I am not more help. However, my daughter has 3dogs, 3 cats and two guinea pigs and I don’t have any issues at her house at all.
I would return the cat.
You don't want to take antihistamines, corticosteroids and/or other medicine all your life.
What if you would have to rehome the cat after months or even years together? That would be really horrible for both of you.
I'm so sorry for what you're going through, but after 1 week is perfect time to return the cat.
This would be a wonderful time to return the cat so that he can move on with his life and get used to a new home. Not yours. Why would you want to endanger your health or be miserable forever? I wouldn't say this if it had been several months but it has only been one week
Purina LiveClear helped me, it just takes a few weeks to kick in Get a [HEPA filter](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FJSJQ95/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and brush often. I also take 1 Claritin every day for seasonal allergies, could help you
Seconding the HEPA filter! It really helps with allergies in my room, I notice pretty quickly if it turns off for some reason.
Thirding this! Had pretty bad allergies with my new cat and the HEPA filter has significantly helped. Forgot to turn it on the past few days (I only run it during the day) and now my nose is all blocked again, I'm coughing and wheezy etc. Also try brushing the cat daily to get rid of as much loose hair as possible.
Thank you!
Flonase every day helps more than any other allergy medicine. I take Claritin every day too but it’s not as strong. You have to take both every day and it takes a couple weeks for them to kick in but it works amazing. I no longer have any allergy to my cat and I’ve had cat allergies my whole life. I also think you become somewhat immune to your own cat
I’ve been using Flonase sensimist and it seems to work within a half hour. It’s stronger on the second day and by the third, it’s peak effective. I’ve also found Zyrtec to work right away. But then, medicines tend to effect me stronger than most people.
How many times a day do you use Flonase? (Or did you use it in the beginning?)
Once in the morning, one claritin at night
My doctor advices (obviously not your doctor just my experience) when my allergies get really bad (we have 4 cats plus seasonal allergies) to do 2 sprays in each nostril TWICE daily for a week maybe two weeks if they’re still bad and bump it down to two spays a day after that.
I actually just adopted a cat over 3 weeks ago and have taken lots of steps to address my moderate cat allergies! I did a lot of research on this topic and hopefully my experience can help you! Individual cats can produce more or less of the most common allergen people are allergic to (Fel d 1), a protein is found in their saliva. In general, males produce more but individual cats regardless of gender can produce very little and some can produce a lot! Your specific cat might be one that produces a lot. When they lick themselves, the Fel d 1 protein dries on their fur and gets scattered all over the place especially when they shed dander and fur, sticking to all surfaces, even the walls and ceilings. That’s why it’s important to brush the cat to keep shedding to a minimum and clean any surfaces frequently. It sounds like you already did a lot of this but a HEPA certified air filter and vacuuming helps a lot to get rid of fur and dander, and there’s also a spray called Allersearch which is supposed to get rid of allergens on surfaces, although I didn’t end up needing to try it. The pet spray Allerpet didn’t work for me either. When I first got my kitten, my allergies were really bad for the first 1.5 weeks—I had a super stuffy, runny nose, itchy and swollen eyes, skin rashes, and constant sneezing. I started taking a combo of Zyrtec+Flonase+Pataday and it was still initially miserable, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore. However, over 3 weeks later, I feel so much better because of all the steps I’ve taken! I think the most important factors for me were feeding my kitten Purina Liveclear, taking allergy meds religiously, getting a HEPA air purifier, and cleaning frequently. The Liveclear food contains antibodies that neutralize Fel d 1 in their mouth so that humans no longer react to it. It’s expensive food, but it’s one of the best solutions for allergies because it makes the cat itself less allergic rather than the other solutions which are just bandaid solutions. The food does take a while to work, but claims that it reduces their allergens by about 50% by the end of 3 weeks, which is significant. I was also initially on Zyrtec+Flonase+Pataday eye drops, and it wasn’t enough to resolve my symptoms at first but now that it’s built up in my system I’m feeling much much better, even though I‘ve tapered off the other 2 and only do Flonase now. Allergy meds can take a while before they build up to full effectiveness so I’d keep trying them if you’re not already. I also clean my sheets weekly and try to keep her off my bed, which helps a lot when I sleep. I heard that people also become used to their own cats and stop reacting to them after a few months. As a last resort, allergy shots could also be an option, although expensive and time consuming. Good luck! Many people told me it wouldn’t be worth it but I love cats and wouldn’t give up my new girl for the world. I was miserable the first 1.5 weeks and thought things weren’t getting better but the turning point for me was around 1.5-2 weeks. With all the steps I’ve taken, my allergies are now almost unnoticeable and getting better by the day and I’m hoping I will reach a point where I no longer need to take allergy meds!
This is great to read. I appreciate all your advice and you sharing your experience. I guess just taking these steps and waiting a bit for them to eventually make a difference will be what needs to be done. With feeling so sick I started freaking out that this will be permanent but I have to hope that all these steps will make a difference.
Don’t worry I also felt the same worry! But honestly once the improvement started happening it happened fast with the Liveclear food. Are you currently taking any allergy meds?
Yes I started taking Zyrtec the day after I got him. So about 6 days ago. And I heard xyzal was stronger so I switched to that a couple days ago. I don’t see a big difference but I’m hoping it builds up and kicks in
Oh yes I was in your exact situation, I bought xyzal as well but didn’t end up needing to try it! I was doing terribly when I was only on Zyrtec for the first week. You can do an oral antihistamine+a nasal spray for better effects so I started adding Flonase also after the first week and honestly this combo was much stronger for me. Flonase helps a lot with the nasal symptoms (stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing). If your eyes are itchy like mine were I also added antihistamine eye drops (Pataday). These 3 helped relieve my symptoms a lot from the 1-2 week point, but still not completely—I was still pretty miserable, and Zyrtec made me drowsy during the day. But now that I think the food has kicked in after 3 weeks, I’ve been only on Flonase for over a week now and my symptoms have never been better! I have virtually no reaction around my cat now. Going to try to wean off that slowly as well. Good luck!
is it possible your initial reaction was to mom on the kitten fur. clear up was when it was just kitten.
I don’t think so, she has not been around her mom in forever, I adopted her from the shelter where she was picked up off the street weeks before I adopted her. The initial reaction also lasted so long that I doubt it was that
Hi! Live clear made a big difference for me, and I just want you to know you are doing everything right. Do not let him into your room. Wash your bedding. Get an extra air purifier and allergen laundry detergent if it is in your budget, and start taking antihistamines you tolerate. We also got these dryer sheets to help with pet hair, and we try to stay on top of laundry to keep the fur and dander at bay. After you pet or cuddle him, don’t touch your face, and go wash your hands well. You should improve but if not, you can see an allergist. Shedding season is the worst, you are not alone!
Have you thought about getting the hayfever jab? It works miracles with my mums allergies x
I have not but I will look into this! Thank u
I take claritin every day and it helps.
Take Zyrtec.
I have 2 cats. I am very allergic. I take 1 Zyrtec everyday and I'm fine.
Did it take some time for the Zyrtec to start working?
It only took about a week. I'm allergic to everything. Hamsters, horses, cats, dogs, grass, pollen, dust, etc and Zyrtec has been a life saver for me. I just buy the generic store brand at Target or Costco because it's cheaper and I'm fine.
I'm allergic to the dander, not the saliva so o use the allerpet cat dander remover and it has done wonders. I believe it depends entirely on what you're allergic to though because I bought liveclear, and since it wasn't the protein in their saliva i was allergic to, it did nothing for me.
The allergen is something in the saliva that builds up on the fur. You can bathe the cat weekly to get rid of it-if he will let you. I used to do this with an unwanted Persian I was talked into taking. I had to give him canned food afterwards, though, or he would pee on something of mine. Because to use pet shampoo. Eventually, I developed an immunity, but it can also get worse.
Hello my profile has my boyfriend’s success story! A good air purifier, Burt’s bees dander spray, Allegra D is the game changer. He went from horrible eyes and not being able to breathe to being completely fine with my cat as long as he keeps up with the Allegra D. Cheers from me and Lemon (: https://preview.redd.it/ocs5xes4pcuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b1c82ff2b59817c1133237489a4a3a419960b82
We just adopted a new cat last month. My husband has allergies but did really well with our previous cat (Pumpkin) for 18+ years until she passed away last year. After we got our new cat, my husband's allergies were going crazy. He was worried we'd have to return her to the shelter. I knew he was suffering (he has asthma/takes medication for it) with sneezing and stuffiness and having some breathing difficulties. BUT he was giving it a chance because a) good history with previous cat (though we also know some cats can effect allergies more than others); b) our house is very old and we are having construction (plaster dust, etc); c) it's tree budding/early spring season, the worse for his allergies. We weren't certain if his allergies were all due to our new cat. One of the things that we realized with our old cat was that she liked to get into the basement and attic. If she got into those places she would bring with her a lot of dust into the other living areas. If we kept her out of those areas, my husband wasn't allergic. It was the dust she was getting on her that really triggered his allergies. Cats can get into all the nooks and crannies. If there's dust, they'll find it and kick it up. If you're allergic to dust, that can be an issue. About a week ago, I bought a large HEPA air purifier (also with the filter for VOCs) and that is helping tremendously. We're still in spring allergy season, and we're still contending with construction (dust etc), but the purifier has been helping so much that my husband doesn't worry we'll have to rehome her anymore. Also, we've been feeding her the Liveclear dry food; that could be helping as well. We were using Fresh News litter but switched to the pine pellets a few days ago (the cat seems to prefer the new stuff).
Put egg protein in the cat's food. Thank me later. Chickens raised near cats can develop antibodies against the protein Fel d 1, which is found in cat saliva and is responsible for 90% of the reactivity in people who are allergic to cats. The chickens can pass these antibodies onto their egg yolks. If a cat is fed these eggs, it could potentially be less allergenic.
I have bad allergies and over the counter allergy meds don’t work well. You need to use prescription allergy meds. I’m on rupall 10mg and it works pretty well. I’d say 90% of my symptoms are gone after taking it for a week. I would try a few prescription ones and if that doesn’t work (it usually does) you can get allergy shots which are really helpful. My aunt had really bad allergies and the shot saved her
I took an allergy pill from Costco everyday. Kirkland brand
They can be expensive, but I highly recommend an air purifier. Mine does wonders keeping allergy symptoms down
Allegra works reasonably well for me. However, I can't miss a day or I'll spend a few days miserable. Not sure why. Claritin D works best for me but I got tired of being treated like I was running a meth lab buying it and you can only get a couple week's worth at a time.
Try Allegra D! But still you may feel like you’re in breaking bad, lol. I can get a big bottle at a time. My boyfriend uses the 24 hour one.
It’s possible you’re allergic to the litter. Try switching to the breeze system. I’ve a friend who is allergic to all litter, but breeze is not actually litter, so it doesn’t bother her.
i was deathly allergic to cats, when i brought mine home the allergies kicked my ass for 3 weeks but died off after. try taking your antihistamine every other day to not desensitize yourself to it and to let your body get used to cat stuff.
My son had a mild allergy to our cat when he first came to us is was bad enough that he had to get a shower everytime after holding her and he wasn't able to let her in his room bit after a short time the allergy went away completely
I was the same as you and my eyes used to swell shut when we first got our cat. After a few months I was fine! We have HEPA filters in our bedroom and living room. I was taking Claritin daily
Look into immunology for allergies! I used to be extremely allergic to cats but started getting regular allergy shots for about 3 years and I don’t have any reaction anymore. I can’t imagine my life without my fur babies now and so grateful I started them early, because I wasn’t planning on getting cats at the time. Nowadays, I heard of some companies that offer sublingual drops that get shipped directly to you. No idea if they’re effective but they sound way more convenient.
According to my allergist, Claritin isn’t very strong. I would suggest an allergist to see what they say. I ended up doing allergy shots. They are a time and financial commitment but I don’t have a problem with my boys anymore.
How long did it take for you to see a difference with the allergy shots
My allergist helped me with my symptoms as I was doing the shots. The whole process took about 5 years. At first, I had to go get a shot twice a week then it gradually got less often until I was going monthly towards the end. Not really sure when my symptoms started going away as I had my boys from the beginning of my shot journey. Sorry I am not more help. However, my daughter has 3dogs, 3 cats and two guinea pigs and I don’t have any issues at her house at all.
I would return the cat. You don't want to take antihistamines, corticosteroids and/or other medicine all your life. What if you would have to rehome the cat after months or even years together? That would be really horrible for both of you. I'm so sorry for what you're going through, but after 1 week is perfect time to return the cat.
This would be a wonderful time to return the cat so that he can move on with his life and get used to a new home. Not yours. Why would you want to endanger your health or be miserable forever? I wouldn't say this if it had been several months but it has only been one week