Allergies to only some cats?

[new2this]

I have a cat I've had since she was a tiny kitten. She's probably 7 or 8 now. DH has never had an issue with her - no allergies or anything. Yet DH is clearly allergic to a friends cat. He gets itchy, watery eyes and sneezes whenever he is in their house and it gets worse when he's playing with or petting the cat. Even if he just holds a blanket their cat has been on he gets an allergy attack. What gives? We would both like to get a kitten but we are worried about the allergy aspect. Why is he allergic to one cat but not another? Both cats have short hair.

[peachdragon]

My husband wasn't allergic to my cat, but when she died and we got another one, he was very allergic to it.

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[msmerymac]

People can get used to some cats.

He might want to talk to his doctor about allergy treatments, but most likely, if you get another cat, his body will adjust eventually.

[mala]

Totally possible. There are 5 different proteins that cat's can produce. A cat can produce just one, or all five (found in saliva, dander and urine). A person can be allergic to just one of the proteins, or all five.

So call the 5 protein strings A, B, C, D, and E.

Cat #1 produces A & B
Cat #2 produces B, C, D & E

Person #1 is allergic to B, and is therefore allergic to both cats
Person #2 is allergic to D, and is therefore only allergic to Cat #2.

If you want to get another cat, go for it, but you'll have to try to find one that doesn't trigger your H's allergies (or he'll just have to live with the symptoms.

[purrbox]

Jun 24, 2013 15:02:27 GMT -5 mala said:

Totally possible. There are 5 different proteins that cat's can produce. A cat can produce just one, or all five (found in saliva, dander and urine). A person can be allergic to just one of the proteins, or all five.

So call the 5 protein strings A, B, C, D, and E.

Cat #1 produces A & B
Cat #2 produces B, C, D & E

Person #1 is allergic to B, and is therefore allergic to both cats
Person #2 is allergic to D, and is therefore only allergic to Cat #2.

If you want to get another cat, go for it, but you'll have to try to find one that doesn't trigger your H's allergies (or he'll just have to live with the symptoms.

Interesting. Is there a way to test what type of proteins the cat produces before adopting it?

[mala]

Jun 27, 2013 14:55:07 GMT -5 purrbox said:

Jun 24, 2013 15:02:27 GMT -5 mala said:

Totally possible. There are 5 different proteins that cat's can produce. A cat can produce just one, or all five (found in saliva, dander and urine). A person can be allergic to just one of the proteins, or all five.

So call the 5 protein strings A, B, C, D, and E.

Cat #1 produces A & B
Cat #2 produces B, C, D & E

Person #1 is allergic to B, and is therefore allergic to both cats
Person #2 is allergic to D, and is therefore only allergic to Cat #2.

If you want to get another cat, go for it, but you'll have to try to find one that doesn't trigger your H's allergies (or he'll just have to live with the symptoms.

Interesting. Is there a way to test what type of proteins the cat produces before adopting it?

I have absolutely no idea.

[polarbearfans]

I would get an older cat. Kittens have more allergens. I had a bad reaction to a kitten and had allergy testing done before getting a cat. It came back negative but the allergy doctor explained that they test for the most common causes but it could be a combination of factors. I adopted a cat one year old and she is a sweetheart. I had awful allergy symptoms and would give her a shower, which helped me but she hated. Over time I went from weekly showers, to every other week, to month, to never.

I had the worst reactions when we adopted our last two cats, both as kittens year apart. I could barely breath. I have trouble with meeting new cats,but kittens close my throat.

Plus with an older cat you are out of the kitten crazies. They don't require as much training. If getting from a foster you know more about the cats personality and whether they like other cats.

[The Impossible Girl]

I never knew about the different proteins but I've noticed I have a slight allergic reaction to cats who have a lot of dander. Which your husband may be (plus, maybe a certain protein is just found in the dander?)