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"There’s your real problem", he said. "What you’re allergic to is
dander produced by your cats. When a cat sleeps on your bed, dander ends up in sheets and duvet and you breathe it in deeply at night when you’re asleep. Not good. That’s what causes your wheeziness. Stop cats sleeping in your bedroom for two or three weeks and see if that eases your symptoms. If not, you’ll probably need to use an inhaler for rest of your life."
Ok, that last sentence kinda hit me between eyes. Much as I love my two furballs, I didn’t want to suffer a long-lasting health problem that could possibly be avoided.
So why is dander such a problem? It's layer of dead skin that's rich in animal protein, which is continuously shed by animals. Sebaceous (oil producing) glands in skin also produce these protein allergens. Male cats have, on average, greater amounts of sebaceous secretions and therefore are more allergenic than female or neutered male cats. This is a result of testosterone hormone effects on sebaceous glands.
So, with that information and prospect of an enduring health problem, I banned my cats from bedroom, threw out duvet (on advice of doctor), bought a new one and changed everything on bed (including getting new pillows). I didn’t get too much sleep first few nights with cats meowing and scratching on door to get in but they got used to idea, finally. After three weeks in a cat free bedroom, my wheeziness had all but disappeared. The cats haven’t been allowed back in since.
Should you find yourself with a similar cat allergy problem, banning cat from your bedroom is one possible course of action. Alternatively, you can get your cat his own cat bed and put that somewhere out of harm's way (yours and cat's).
Since finding out I was mildly allergic to my cats, I've spoken to other cat owners about it and quite a number also suffer some mild form of allergic reaction - sneezing, wheezing, watering eyes, blocked sinuses and so on. Owners appear to become at least somewhat immune to their own cats insofar as symptoms are not as pronounced as they become when they're around other people's cats.
But, having said that, none of us would ever part with our feline companions and would exhort others to adopt a cat as a pet, as benefits far outweigh any minor inconveniences.
Animal dander allergy can significantly contribute to respiratory problems involving sinuses, nasal passages, and eyes, as well as causing upper respiratory tract problems that can result in asthma (as in my case). These problems can significantly diminish your quality of life despite various medical treatments. For some people, it can be even more serious, leading to recurrent acute asthmatic attacks that can be life threatening, requiring emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The good news is that most people who are allergic to their pets can keep their symptoms under control if they know facts.
Gary Nugent has been a life-long animal lover, especially of cats and is the webmaster of http://www.just-pet-cats.com - a site that helps you make the best choices to keep your cat healthy, happy and long-lived. Information about cats in general, health issues, behavior patterns and their history. And, not to forget about you...there are a few things on the site to keep cat owners amused as well.
