Cat/pets allergy?

[Memoc]

Hello, how do I know if I have a cat/pets allergy ? My Gp told me is no use to make a test as it would not be accurate.i have a cat but doesn’t look to trigger my asthma..could It be the reason why I make chest infection more often or has nothing to do ? I love my cat , my son as well loves it and I don’t shan’t to relocate it just because a presumption .thank you!

[Frin9e]

hi, I understand how you feel, my son is 15, he was diagnosed with asthma when he was a year old, after repeated hospital admittances, we have a dog, he's 12 yrs old, the last 3yrs on and off, my sons as had a dry nonproductive cough, GP said hard to control asthma, no meds are touching it, referred back to respiratory, as they don't know what else to do, he's been coughing since November, so unfair just to leave him like this, we love our dog, if it an allergy to dogs / cats, wouldn't allergy tablets help plus, wouldn't it have affected sooner ? How long have you had the cat ? thanks for reading lol

[Memoc in reply to Frin9e]

All my life I’ve lived with cats.I bought my cat inside few months after I had pneumonia and found out I have asthma(two years ago), because I never thought asthma is making so many problems and also I was feeling very low , anxious and the cat helped me a lot ..

[Memoc in reply to Memoc]

All the best for your son as I have as well a 4 years old son who covers his years when I cough a lot because he doesn’t like when mommy is feeling sick

[Wheezycat in reply to Memoc]

As a family we are also cat lovers. Our daughter ( now in her thirties) did not seem to react to cats, so we had three. But she herself has realised she reacts, both allergic rhinitis and a bit of asthma.

However, she was not willing to give up on them, so instead she eventually got a Siberian, as they are low/non allergenic, and that works well for her.

My cousin took to giving her cat a bath once a fortnight and that reduced the allergens and worked for her. She has quite reactive asthma.

Unfortunately the allergens get into furnishings and such, and can linger for a very long time so I suppose the less upholstered and carpeted stuff you have the easier it would be to control your environment, but I am not sure that has been proven.

Like so much else I think this is individual. The cough could have other reasons, the only way to be sure is for your son to spend a little time away from the cat to see if it helps, ideally also away from home, as there may be many allergens left in the environment.

[hypercat54]

Hi you would know coz you would cough and wheeze a lot more when you are near your cat. I have a cat and he doesn't trigger my asthma. They do for some but not for others. x

[PMRPete]

Your GP is wrong!

"Identifying causes of asthma is essential, as correct recognition and avoidance, where possible, could help improve your asthma management and your quality of life."

allergicasthma.allergyuk.org/

[Memoc]

My go told me better to stay away of cat few weeks which is not possible...I would make allergy test even paid but I have no idea where..

[DaniVKT]

Can you go to another GP and insist on the allergy test? I am baffled by your GP’s response... I had allergy tests first about 30 years ago! As a child I had pretty bad asthma and frequent chest infections. The house cat had nothing to do with it but she wasn’t allowed on the bed out of precaution and has a special chair at the kitchen table where she was allowed to rest. All upholstery (carpets and cushions) were removed from the house instead as the allergy tests indicated that my problem was with dust mites. I would recommend: identifying if cats are an issue at all (this is essential), and then manage the situation (take precautions such as a not letting the cat in certain rooms such as the bedroom and maybe the lounge if you have an upholstered sofa and get the cat professionally groomed (if that’s possible)).