Welcome to Club Sniffles! Yes, you can develop allergies later in life; and chances are you've been slightly allergic to cats for a long time but didn't know it, it just took 15 of them to send you into overload.

The allergen you're reacting to is a protien or enyzme (I forget which) in cat spit. Males produce more than females, unneutered males produce the most. Also dark colored cats produce more than light colored cats. It's a sticky little bugger which adheres to fur, bedding, whatever the cats are on.

I recommend you talk with your doctor about which drugs to take and when. Bouncing your histimine levels up and down can actually make you feel worse, so they might set you up on a steady intake of allergy meds rather then waiting until you start to sniffle. OTC Claritin is a great drug - look for the generic version, Loratadine 10 mg, you'll save a bundle. But if this isn't the best choice for you, there are other prescription drugs and nasal sprays (zyrtec was great for my animal allergies) which will do wonders. And if your eyes are really bad, there are drops, both prescription and OTC - ask your doctor.

To remove the allergens, use machine wash bedding only and clean weekly. If you can, remove the carpeting in your bedroom since you sleep with furballs. When I was an apartment dweller and had no say in my flooring, I bought a small carpet cleaner and ran it every two weeks. The Bissell carpet cleanser formula actually worked better then the allergen reducing formula for me (?!) I also ran a HEPA air filter in the bedroom 24/7. Look for a model that produces little ozone and price out replacement filters before you make your final selection.

Cat washing also works, but with 15 of them...my 3 girls are grey, grey and black so I bathe two of them. (The third would murder me without a thought before I could dunk her)

Allergies build on one another - you could have a slight reaction to something which raise your histimine levels but you don't notice until the next allergen is added in, sending you over the top. In my case, one turned out to be many laundry soaps. Switching to All Free and Clear made a noticable difference in my sniffles. What else beyond cats might be irritating you?

There are several of us here with cat allergies and a thousand and one tips and tricks for keeping it all in control. You just need to be willing to keep trying things until you find a routine that works for you.

Best of luck,
Elizabeth

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]