Baby allergic to our cats - what would you do?

[Layla's Mum]

Help! I need advice from other parents. My 10 month old baby boy who is the most delightful happy contented little thing ever has just had a skin prick test on the NHS which showed that he is allergic to our cats. We have two wonderful, gentle, loving cats, a brother and sister aged 5 years. Our little boy has had a constantly streaming nose since birth which cleared up on a holiday earlier in the year, which aroused our suspicions of an allergy. The consultant at St Thomas' Hospital said that cat allergies in babies is very rare indeed (just our luck!) but that once it has been activated (like this has) there is an 80% chance he will develop asthma. If he gets asthma, having the cats in the house will exacerbate it. Another key point he made is that getting rid of the cats now will not decrease the chance of him getting asthma, he is already preconditioned with the 80% chance whether or not he is around cats from now on.

My first instinct was to rehouse the cats. But the consultant said that getting rid of the cats now would not immediately solve the problem as it takes up to a year for all of the cat allergen to disappear. He said we could give him a daily antihystamine but we are not keen on medicating our baby on a daily basis just because we are not keen to give away our cats. The other problem we have is our lovely fantastic childminder who has our boy three days per week also has a cat!

His symptoms are just the snotty nose. He does have the occasional cough but then most babies do so I'm not sure if that is related to the cats. So our dilemma is this. Do we rehouse the cats now or wait to see if he develops asthma? Is it okay to leave your baby with a dribbly nose when he otherwise is a very happy boy and doesn't have any trouble sleeping etc? As a parent, would you get rid of the cats? I guess you also have to be an animal lover to answer this one as people who have never had a pet will not understand why we are not taking the cats down to the Cat Protection League today! I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks so much in advance.

[cate]

I once had a flatmate who appeared to have a constant cold for the first few weeks after she moved into my flat. She also had asthma and used an inhaler. Much later she told me that she was allergic to my cats but didn't want to tell me as she really wanted to move in and had decided to tough it out. Her cold symptoms eventually disappeared and everything was fine. However she wasn't a baby so I don't know if that would make a difference. She stayed for 2 years, moved away for work for a few months and then moved back in again for another year before eventually moving in with a boyfriend.

Did you ask the consultant about the fact that you have a childminder with cats and what that means?

There is also that stuff called Petal Cleanse which helps get rid of cat allergens/dander.

What about trying something homeopathic for your baby?

[The Nappy Lady]

Horrible predicament, but as someone who is allergic to cats & asthmatic I'd say rehome the cats, and get the house really well cleaned - all carpets, soft furnishings & mattresses washed by professional company & damp dust all surfaces & Walls to clear as much of the allergens as you can.

When I'm away from home and visiting cat households I get the symptoms you describe & they make me feel rotten. I know he is coping, but you may find he's a very different child when not having to live with the allergy 24/7.

If you don't rehome then I think you should give him the anti histamine & see how much difference it makes (if any). If no cas at home you could give meds on days he is with Childminder, but symptoms may lessen once he is in less overall contact anyway.

Re post above, it's true my symptoms do lessen if I'm somewhere for long enough, but I don't think this applies here, where he's stayed the same since birth.

So sorry you are faced with the dilemma, .

[The Nappy Lady]

P.S. Can highly recommend Dayon on 07956 512362 for carpets, mattresses etc - he was recommended via a friend & is very good.

Molly

[nymom]

I have to add that I am allergic to cats and have asthma and it has gotten progressively worse as I have gotten older. I too had minor symptoms as a baby around cats but by age three had some full blown asthma attacks when near them. I still have this today. I am a pet lover but would have to advise to rehome the cats now and have your home professionally cleaned if possible.

[Yak]

Gosh, this is such a difficult decision. All I have to offer is my own personal experience - I was allergic to all types of pet hair and to dust mites, pollen etc when I was young. We didn't keep pets but I constantly had coughs, colds and asthma attacks even though my Mum was assiduous in keeping our house clean. After 15 years or so I grew out of it all, but would flare up massively when staying with friends with cats - to such an extent that I took to camping in their gardens rather than sleep indoors!

But now, I have to say, having cats and having a constant low level exposure to them has really reduced my flare ups. When we first got them (courtesy of EDF I should add) they did get worse. They peaked when the cats were about a year old, but after that they settled down. I still get occasional asthma when they are shedding but on the whole it's manageable. This is mostly down to our excellent cleaner and a very good hoover with a pet attachment. I can PM you the details if you like.

So one thing you might like to check is whether it's just cats your little boy is allergic to, or whether there are other factors that are also in play. I can only imagine the heartbreak of sending the cats away and changing childcare arrangements yet discovering his symptoms don't get any better. For me, I'm prepared to put up with the relative discomfort and could not imagine parting with our two - but that's my own health and not that of my small and very young child. I don't really know what I would do if the yaklet (when it arrives) has similar allergies . Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Curmudgeon]

get rid of the cats and changing child-minder is a bit of a no-brainer isn't it? Your child has a medical condition and allergies are not fun.

Try a programme of steam cleaning the house to shorten the amount of time allergens are around.

[pommie]

try the product petal cleanse, it is a brilliant product and definitely worth trying if you seriously do not want to rehome your cats

[peckhamboy]

Either rehome the cats or rehome the baby, I guess. You'll just have to decide which of the two you want to keep more.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

LOL at Peckhamboy! I would definitely rehome the cats, allergies are no fun.

[The Nappy Lady]

Layla's Mum, just to say I also sounded out my sister (who like me is allergic to cats and asthmatic) on your post to see what her view was. I'm afraid she agreed with me re ideally getting rid of the cats and doing a deep clean of the house. We both feel that doing this will improve your little ones condition very quickly, whatever the Doctors/Consultants may be saying.

As my sister said, to those who don't suffer it can appear to be 'just a runny nose' but in truth allergies are much more miserable than this, and unless you have suffered personally it is hard to appreciate just what it can be like. When ours flare up we are both truly unhappy - with a runny nose & sore throat at the very least, and often it can also cause shortness of breath, a headache, and sore nose from the constant wiping. Also itchy or weeping eyes. Within an hour of leaving the place of exposure I will be feeling 50-100% better without fail. I'm not saying any of this to make you feel bad, but I do want to help you to understand what it is really like to be allergic, so you can maybe have a better understanding of how your little one might be feeling. He's never really lived without the allergies, so doesn't know any different, but when he does it could be like a whole new world for him (just remembered you saying he was better when on holiday, so I guess that maybe gives you a clue to this).

I am an animal lover, though more a dog person as cats cause me issues clearly, they are lovely at a distance....BUT I have to say I would never put a pet over my children, and much as I hate to say it I believe most animals are pretty shallow and will be perfectly happy in a new home as long as they are fed, watered and given a bit of love. I really would think seriously about rehoming them if I were in your shoes.

I am sorry though, it must all feel pretty miserable for you.

[berryberry]

Get rid of the cats, steam the house and get a vac cleaner with a hepa filter. You can start of with one allergy and watch it turn into a dozen as your system is constantly under attack. Nappy Lady is right, don't dismiss the visual symptoms as being as bad as it is. It feels like a symptom less heavy cold and its hard work day after day. It is horrible. I'm surprised you still have the cats, most people lose the cat before having the baby because cat allergies are very common.

[pommie]

dont just jump straight in with the "get rid of the cats" way out. Please try petal cleanse, it is a brilliant product and it works by you wiping it on the cats fur and it stops them releasing the pores which causes the allergies in the first place.

[peckhamboy]

Is it cat hair that causes the allergy? You could try waxing them, or using Veet.

[Smiler]

agree, the cats should go!

[The Nappy Lady]

I believe that the actual allergy is to cat saliva, which is all over their coat as a result of the way they lick their paws and groom themselves.......

WHAT CAUSES CAT-ALLERGY?

Older books on cats and cat care usually blame the allergy on cat fur e.g. breathing in small particles of the fur itself. Some blame it specifically on the cat?s guard hairs (the long hairs in the cat?s coat) and may recommend keeping a breed which lacks these guard hairs e.g. Devon/Cornish Rex or the hairless Sphynx. Referring to these breeds as hypoallergenic or allergen-free is incorrect as It is not the hair which causes the allergic reaction.

The real culprit appears to be cat saliva which contains an allergen; this allergen is a protein called Fel d 1. When a cat washes itself, saliva is deposited on its fur (or skin in the case of hairless cats). The saliva dries into dust (dander or dandruff) which is released when a cat scratches or moves and when humans stroke or brush a cat.

All cats wash, even those which lack guard hairs or which lack hair altogether. The dust forms on all types of cat hair or directly on the cat?s skin if it lacks fur. Hairless Sphynx cats produce dandruff directly on their skin and though they produce less of it than furred cats, they can still produce enough to trigger an allergic reaction. An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to a substance (allergen) and produces excessive amounts of histamine. Excessive histamine production leads to the irritating symptoms associated with cat-allergy - itchy eyes, sneezing, skin rash etc.

Although Fel d 1 is the protein most often associated with allergies, humans are very variable and there will be some people who develop allergies to other feline proteins. I have met people who are unaffected by Siamese cats, but allergic to other cats and I have a friend whose cat alergy is only triggered by male cats (even if the cats are neutered).

In general, it is not the cat hair which causes the allergy, it is the dandruff (dust) on the cat?s hair and skin. All cats produce dandruff, though some cats produce less than others. No cat is allergen-free, not even hairless cats.

[amyw]

as an allergy sufferer i would advise to give it a try without the cats.

also, allergy sufferers can go on to develop allergic rhinitis which will continue even after the original trigger is gone. it is not nice....

[pommie]

Petal Cleanse? is a surfactant based lotion that removes from the coats of cats, dogs and other pets the allergens that cause allergic reactions in humans.

These reactions include:

- Streaming puffy eyes

- Runny nose

- Inflamed throat

- Wheezing

- Sneezing

- Asthma

- Eczema

- Hives

It is estimated that 26% of the population in approximately 6 million households in the UK are allergic to pets. People who are allergic to pets are only too familiar with the awful symptoms.

Any animal with fur or feathers can cuase the reaction but cats tend to evoke the most severe response followed by dogs. Contrary to popular expectations, it is not the hair itself that causes the problem so the reactions are equally prevalent with breeds that do not shed their coats.

The reaction is caused by peoples' sensitivity to the potent allergen Fel d1 that is prevalent in cats, Can f1 in the dog and the microscopic dander, saliva and urine from both cats and dogs. Constant bathing of pets dries out the coat and is a source of stress to all concerned. The production of allergens also increases as the pet matures so kittens and puppies may be tolerated but mature cats and dogs may not.

The way it works

Petal Cleanse/CTM for cats and Petal Cleanse/DTM for dogs, are lotions composed of a delicate balance of cleansers and moisturiers. The cleansers gently remove the dander and saliva and encapsulate the Fel d1, Can f1 and microscopic allergens. The moisturisers condition the coat and skin to further reduce the amount of material shed.

[peckhamboy]

Wax them anyway, and put some photos on here. Then sell them as rare breeds - you might make a profit.

[Saffron]

Before you make any decisions, try to get as much info as you can. Have you read about 'allergen immunotherapy'? It works to treat the cause of the allergy by inducing immunological tolerance to the allergen. For example, children with peanut allergy are now given very small amounts of peanut to produce a tolerance to the peanut protein.

Also, you should know that if you clean your house and rehome the cats, there is a possibility that this will make your LO's condition worse the next time he comes into contact with cat allergens. This probably accounts for the reason that *some* people with asthma/cat allergy combo who don't own cats have such a profound reaction when they come into contact with cats.

The etiology of asthma is incredibly complex, and it's important to understand that cats are not the cause of asthma but are correlated to it. You might rehome your cats only to discover something else triggers the asthma. Immunology is a relatively young science, so there are still a lot of unknowns.

If it were me, I would see a private specialist before I made any decision. The NHS is very good, but they don't cover everything in my personal experience. If you do decide to rehome your cats, I bet someone lovely from the Forum will take them.

[The Nappy Lady]

"The etiology of asthma is incredibly complex, and it's important to understand that cats are not the cause of asthma but are correlated to it. You might rehome your cats only to discover something else triggers the asthma. Immunology is a relatively young science, so there are still a lot of unknowns. "

But OP stated baby has had skin prick tests which show cats as the problem, the testing would have included most of the other common allergens I would imagine.

Each to their own, I might be tempted to try the Petal Cleanse, but after that I'm afraid if no joy the cats would have to go.

[etta166]

This is really tricky. I wouldn't get rid of the cats, though. I'm allergic to dust and so are my Dad and siblings. We always had streaming noses and on and off asthma and it's not like you can get rid of dust... In the long run though, you can minimise the problem. If you get a vacuum with a pet-hair filter and vacuum daily, and also encourage you little one not to go near the cats and don't let them in his room, you could reduce the problem that way and still keep your cats.

[nymom]

I have to disagree. I have a bad dust allergy and a bad cat allergy. While I have constant issues with dust, the cat allergy affects me totally differently and i found it very hard as a child to cope. Also even keeping the cats out of the bedroom has minimal impact from personal experience. The allergan is in the home and gets on clothing etc. I am sure this is a hard decision, but based on my experience I would not put a child through the daily struggle. Plus the child will get attached to the cats as he gets older and then not want to part with them. I do love pets and tried to cope with a dog allergy as well. It can make daily life miserable, and my allergy did not get better with exposure. I know it impacts everyone differently. But why take the chance. The asthma attacks I have had due to cat exposure have scared me and even as an adult I will now never travel anywhere without my puffer on the off chance I am exposed to a cat.

edited to add that the cat i was exposed to was not in my house, but in grandparents house where I spent a significant amount of time each week.

[BEANIE1]

My husband is allergic to cat hair/saliva as well which I was not aware of when we first got together, some 13 or so years ago. At the time I had my lovely cat with me but we eventaully got to the stage where a decision had to be made - the cat had to go! I was very lucky that my mum was able to take in the cat and she stayed there until she passed away recently at the grand old age of 16. I was gutted at the time but in my opinion, a pet can not come before a person's health. Good luck with your decision.

[Marie81]

As a child I was allergic to animal hair, cats, dogs & horses to be specific. My eyes would stream around cats and when I would ride horses I would come out in hives. Although I wasn?t allowed to have any pets growing up I loved animals. I would have to wash my hands immediately after stroking a dog/cat and I used to take a piriton before riding and have to wear gloves. I now own two dogs and have no problem at all with allergies and am fine with cats aswell. For me the more time I spent around them I seemed to build up a tolerance to them. I have a couple of friends where this was also the case that the allergy just went away but I couldn?t be sure the same would happen for your baby. Personally I would exhaust every avenue in trying to find a way to keep the cats and perhaps see if there is something homeopathic that would help your baby. Good Luck.