# Allergic to cats



## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

A friend of mine is allergic to her cat. If she pets him, she breaks out in hives. She doesn't want to rehome him and is hoping to find some way of coping with the allergies. Are there any allergy meds, either rx or OTC that may help? She's been taking benadryl and it doesn't completely work for her. I've also heard a little something about some kind of wipes that she can wipe the cat down with daily that are supposed to cut down on allergens. Does anybody know about a product like that? Or a spray? Anything?


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

There is a huge range of antihistamines that you can get, and there is also a range of doses that you can use. My favourite is cetirizine, followed by - mizolastine, loratadine. These are generic names rather than brands as I don't know the names for them in the states.

The first thing that to identify is what part of the cat the are allergic to. If it is the hair, or the dander. If it is the dander then there are ways to limit the amount the cat produces. I think this is what the wipes really do. 

I would also ask if she has always been allergic or if she has just developed this?


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

I use allegra + clean often, clean deeply, and have hardwood floors. Although some people recommend a HEPA air filter, the studies show that the effects are marginal (at best) in a clean, well ventilated home.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

my sister in law uses zyrtec. she has two very high dander cats with long hair.....plus a chi dog and she's allergic to her, too....

zyrtec helps her....


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Thank you! I relayed all the info to her!


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Hi. I hope she is able to cope with the allergies. I started out like her--I even owned 4 cats. I used to get stuffy and get a scratchy throat/itchy eyes. Then I started getting hives several years later along w/allergy-induced asthma. When I go to a relative's house w/cats, I have to take Zyrtec, Benadryl, and use an inhaler--before and after. It helps, but I usually leave coughing/wheezing. So..I hope your friend doesn't get worse. Some people do just fine w/Zyrtec or Claritin. Allegra is now available w/out a prescription, so maybe that would work. We had 3 guinea pigs, and looking back--I'm sure those were the reason my son's allergies were so bad. None of the drugs I listed above really helped him. 

I can just walk into a house w/cats and have symptoms. I sat on a sofa one time and started getting symptoms--found out the person got it from someone who owned cats. Anyhow, tell your friend that if she belongs to Sam's or Costco, she can save a fortune on the generics of Claritin and Zyrtec (I buy 350 of the Zyrtec generic for $15...Claritin generic is even less there). Sam's also carries Allegra way cheaper than the other stores. Tell her to be consistent w/whatever she decides to try. I start having problems w/regular allergies if a I skip a dose or two. I hope something works for her.


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