Allergies to cat and dog hair

A few years back, I had a cat. After a while, I started dealing with a runny nose, coughing, and shortness of breath. Standard allergy tests and blood work all came back negative—they couldn't confirm if I was actually allergic. Once my cat passed away in a tragic accident, the symptoms finally cleared up.
About two or three months ago, I adopted two adorable kittens from a local shelter. Things were fine at first, but now the same pattern is repeating. Itchy nose, itchy eyes, but the worst part is that for the last few days, I haven't been able to breathe properly when I wake up in the morning. It feels like asthma or bronchitis. After a coughing fit—which sometimes lasts up to 45 minutes—my breathing eases up and returns to normal. Then, every morning, it starts all over again. I’m currently taking Zyrtec, but it isn't helping much.
I really don't want to get rid of these kittens; they bring me so much joy and happiness. But on the other hand, I can't live like this.
Is there any way to manage this allergy without having to give up my cats?😢
If anyone knows anything about this—literally anything—please let me know. I am open to everything, including homeopathy or alternative remedies.
Thanks.🙂

Andrew Wells44 said:A few years back, I had a cat. After a while, I started dealing with a runny nose, coughing, and shortness of breath. Standard allergy tests and blood work all came back negative, so I couldn't prove I was actually allergic. Once the cat committed suicide by jumping out a window, my symptoms miraculously vanished.
About 2-3 months ago, I adopted two adorable kittens from a local shelter. Everything was fine at first, but now history is repeating itself. Itching in my nose and eyes, but the worst part is that for the last few days, I can barely breathe when I wake up in the morning. It feels like asthma or bronchitis. After I finish coughing—which can take up to 45 minutes—my breathing finally stabilizes. Then, the next morning, it starts all over again. I'm currently taking Zyrtec, but it hasn't helped at all.
I absolutely do not want to get rid of these kittens because they bring me so much joy, but how am I supposed to live like this?
Is there any way to manage this allergy without giving up my cats?😢
If anyone knows anything about this—ANYTHING—I am begging for an answer. I am open to homeopathy or any alternative remedies.
Thanks.🙂

An allergy to cat dander would have surfaced immediately due to prior sensitization, so that is highly unlikely. As for me, my morning symptoms are triggered centrally, combined with smoking too many cigarettes. Even feather pillows—to which I am allergic—are enough to trigger a full-blown asthma attack within five minutes.
Are you allergic to something? Likely. Though, I personally experience those classic inhalant allergy symptoms whenever someone gives me a hard time or work gets stressful; but then again, I'm just a neurotic, high-strung mess.😬
I would suggest you redo your testing rather than blindly popping Zyrtec; those drugs mostly just mask respiratory symptoms and aren't particularly potent, so they fail many people. Allegra worked for me, but don't just guess—get tested again.
If you truly are allergic to cats, though I doubt it, look into immunotherapy (where they expose you to gradually increasing doses of the allergen over time; they do this for ragweed at Spirit World, so they might offer it for other things). Keep the cats out of the bedroom, keep a bowl of water on the radiator to maintain humidity (personally, I keep my bedroom heat at a minimum and crack the window frequently during the day), and consider a humidifier, though those can be quite expensive.

Andrew Wells44 said:A few years back, I had a cat. After a while, I started dealing with stuff like a runny nose, coughing, and trouble breathing. Standard allergy tests and blood work to see if I was actually allergic came back negative. Once my cat passed away—she jumped out a window—everything settled down.
About 2-3 months ago, I adopted two adorable kittens from a local shelter. Everything was fine at first, but lately, it's the same old story. Itchy nose, itchy eyes, but the worst part is that for the last few days, I haven't been able to breathe properly when I wake up in the morning. It feels like asthma or bronchitis. After I finish coughing (which sometimes takes up to 45 minutes!), my breathing gets easier and levels out. Then, the next morning, it starts all over again. Right now, I'm taking Zyrtec, but it isn't helping much.
I really don't want to get rid of the kittens because they bring me so much joy and happiness, but on the other hand, how can I live like this?
Is there any way to deal with this allergy without having to give up my cats?😢
If anyone knows anything about this—literally anything—I would be so grateful for an answer. I am open to homeopathy or any other alternative remedies.
Thanks.🙂

I'm not quite sure why those tests came back negative, because everything points to you definitely being allergic to cats.
The same thing happened to me, but it wasn't with regular cats, just specifically with Persian cats (the fluffier ones). One time I stayed with some relatives who had a Persian, and I immediately developed symptoms of severe bronchitis, especially in the mornings and evenings; I’d be coughing until I practically threw up. Honestly, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath the whole time. My mom immediately suspected it was the cat, but I didn't think so since I hadn't had those kinds of symptoms with "normal" cats before. When I got home, all the symptoms vanished, and I remained
convinced that I had just caught a bad case of bronchitis. A few years later, I went to visit a friend whose sister had just bought a Persian cat. As soon as I walked through the door, I started choking and sneezing uncontrollably, so there was no more doubt. Once the cat was taken out of the house and I took some Zyrtec, everything stopped.

I read recently that we aren't actually allergic to cat hair, but rather to their saliva. Since they groom themselves, the saliva stays on the fur, and those particles end up in the air we breathe.

Zyrtec works okay for me, but a friend of mine uses a natural nasal spray that helps her. It basically creates a barrier in the nose against allergens. Still, though, I honestly think it might be best for you to find these kittens a new home.

Andrew Wells44 said:A few years back, I had a cat. After a while, I started dealing with typical issues—runny nose, coughing, shortness of breath. Standard allergy tests and blood work to see if I was actually allergic came back negative. Once my cat passed away unexpectedly, things finally settled down.
About 2 or 3 months ago, I adopted two adorable kittens from a local shelter. Everything was fine at first, but lately, it’s the same old story. My nose and eyes are constantly itchy, but the real nightmare is that for the last few days, I haven't been able to breathe properly when I wake up in the morning. It feels like asthma or bronchitis. After I cough it out (which sometimes takes up to 45 minutes), my breathing eases up and returns to normal. Then, the next morning, it starts all over again. Right now, I'm taking Zyrtec, but it hasn't helped much.
I really don't want to give up these kittens because they bring me so much joy and happiness, but on the other hand, I can't live like this.
Is there any way to manage this allergy without having to part with my cats?😢
If anyone knows anything about this—literally ANYTHING—I am eagerly awaiting your replies. I am open to homeopathy or any other alternative remedies.
Thank you.🙂

Maybe find a close friend to take them so you can still visit them often.

Ugh, I honestly don't envy you one bit. I have a Maine Coon myself and he is my absolute world—I don't think I could ever part with him if things got tough.
I'm actually not sure if they offer specific immunotherapy for cat dander allergies these days. That said, allergies can be pretty fickle; they flare up and then settle down, so sometimes just focusing on boosting your immune system or taking an antihistamine like Zyrtec proactively might help dial back those symptoms or even make them disappear entirely.
Either way, you should definitely go chat with an allergist to see what your options are.
Sending good vibes your way! 🙂

I wouldn't be so bold as to claim this is definitely a cat allergy. Why not just run some tests? 😉

Kate Garcia2 said:I mean, I couldn't say for sure that it’s definitely a cat allergy. Just go get some tests done. 😉

Maybe being allergic to bullshit is just a personality trait at this point. 🙂

Is there ANY way to keep my cats when it's obvious I'm allergic to them? Any medication at all??? FUCK IT!!! 😢 😢 😢 😢 😢

John Palmer4 said:Just let the cats wander off and send them texts instead... at least you can't get mad when they don't reply. 😬

I’d appreciate it if everyone could ignore John Palmer4's nonsense (he really should stick to his own business instead of following me around!!!😠 ) and provide a serious answer or some actual advice. I would be very grateful. 😘

Look, sorry, but there just isn't one. I've looked everywhere, tried every angle, everything. Just forget about it.

My cat allergy totally vanished once we brought our cat home. At first, I was sneezing my head off, my eyes were swollen, and I kept getting these weird rashes on my arms—not some actual disease from the cat, just skin irritation—but now? Nothing. Zero. It’s a miracle. Love wins. 🙂

Edward Green said:My cat allergy actually vanished once we brought our cat home. At first, I was sneezing constantly, my eyelids would swell, and I’d get these rashes on my hands—not some disease from the cat, just skin irritation—but now? Nothing. Zero. It's a miracle. 🙂

That gives me a bit of hope. I'm heading in tomorrow for those ridiculous allergy tests. Hopefully, I can finally enjoy something I love without struggling to breathe—literally. I'm tired of relying on Albuterol and all that junk. 😢 )

Don't mess around with your timing... I know what I'm talking about. That allergy to dogs and cats can get pretty nasty, especially if it triggers asthma... maybe just play it safe and call it. Good luck.

Andrew Wells44, listen
Back then, my mouse spent more time at the neighbor's place than ours. I’d just pop over to get a little petting session in, and then I'd be running around trying to wash my hands and face.
Eventually, the swelling around my eyes and all that other crap just stopped happening.
Afterwards, he’d sleep in bed with me and I never had an issue.
I have no clue if there’s any medical logic to it or if it was just about slowly building up a tolerance.
And seriously, don't mess around if you can't breathe.

Ugh... good luck, and I hope your allergies just vanish into thin air. 🙂 🙂

It’s possible for allergies to shift over time, I guess. Someone might start out allergic to dogs, then go back for a checkup later only to find out they’ve developed an allergy to cats too. It can happen even if you don't own any pets, just by being around people who do; they carry pet dander on their clothes, which eventually hits sensitive people. Food allergies can change like that as well—you stop eating something and maybe the reaction fades. Anything is possible, really. But honestly, the smartest move is probably just to follow the doctor's advice, regardless of how much you love animals or how badly you want a cat.

What does a dog hair allergy actually look like?

Is it contact or inhalation?

quiethound45 said:Is it contact or inhalation?

Honestly, I don't even know the difference or which one is which, so I can't really give you a straight answer,
but... what does it actually look like? Like, are we talking about some kind of blisters breaking out all over your body? I just have no clue.

My hands and feet are just itching incessantly
it’s actually making me feel physically ill and my eyes won't stop watering
I'm guessing it might be an allergy
but I honestly have no clue what's causing it?!

The thing is, I brought home a dog about ten days ago
I really hope that isn't the culprit
because I've grown so attached to him and the last thing I want is to have to give him away...
but I'm just stuck here wondering?!

p.s.
I totally forgot to mention that my face feels incredibly dry and looks bright red, too
my skin is peeling everywhere (though, mind you, I already deal with dermatitis)
I think I mentioned something about this yesterday...