During the years before we were married, Kevin made several visits from his home in Washington State to mine here in Indiana. He was, of course, introduced to my animals and got to know them as part of this process. One problem arose early in his first visit. He had a violent allergy to cats; and at the time he was not taking any medication. During that visit, he wheezed, his eyes became red and puffy, and he slept a great amount. I felt awful for making him so sick; and I asked him a very painful question. Did I need to think about finding new homes for my cats?
This was a terrifying question for me to ask. For much of my life, doctors had encouraged me to do this because of my own allergies, and I had refused. On a much deeper level, I was afraid that he might say yes.
He insisted that I should not get rid of my cats. He took note of his lack of medication, and we began to discuss strategies for our next visit. We were determined to find a way to handle the situation.
At our next visit, he came armed with an inhaler and antihistamines; and I treated the cats.
>Allerpet C is a liquid product that is applied to the cat’s coat and controls the production of dander. I applied a small amount of product to a dry cloth and gently massaged the cats opposite the way the hair grows, then brushed the cats. At first, the cats were not happy about the treatment at all and would not allow brushing; so I allowed them to dry on their own. These were all elderly cats; and it took time to make them comfortable with “treatment”. I have since used this on kittens weighing three pounds. The treatment worked so well that after Kevin and I were married and he was exposed to the cats every day, he stopped having reactions to the cats. When I bring a new one into the house, I treat for the first few weeks, but eventually the treatment is a benefit rather than a necessity.
A side note for people who try this product: If your cat is not tolerant to the liquid and you want to be able to work quickly, you might try Earthbath All Natural Hypo-Allergenic and Fragrance-Free Cat Wipes. These wipes come in a container with a lid. Note that if you leave the lid open, the wipes will dry out and be useless.
Kevin was placed on a stronger set of medications for asthma and allergies after moving to Indiana, and he follows it faithfully. We are also aggressive about treating the home for allergens. If we continued to treat the cats more regularly, he would probably experience additional relief. I should note here that since cats are not the only source of allergic discomfort for him, we have lightened up after noticing that he is not reacting to having his face on a cat.
I have had problems of my own. My problems were related to dog allergies and not to cat allergies. Since my dog was a guide dog, finding a solution was important to me.
I did not have far to look. For people with dogs, there is Allerpet/D Solution for Dogs. I began using this while working with my fourth dog guide, when my asthma symptoms became severe. I also learned that dogs with their own allergies tend to produce more dander. Two of my dogs battled skin irritations, and I tried a solution for them as well. I do not have proof that it benefitted me; but they seemed to enjoy the application and to be calmer after grooming. My golden retriever would leap in the air when she saw me with the bottle of skin conditioner. Try Lillian Ruff leav-in conditioner. I doubt there was anything so miraculous about her vision, but she sure knew what I had in my hand.
Next post: what we did about allergens in the environment…
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Thanks for the tips! I may be getting the wipes for my new kitten, (getting her Sunday), because although I love cats, I may be allergic. Notsure but possible.
Enjoy your new kitten! The wipes worked very well for me. I had three cats at the time, and I wiped each cat down once a week. I have a different group of cats with thicker fur now, and I will be trying out the Sheapet product for cats this week and posting my results since their fall coats are coming in.