So my girlfriend rescued a cat a few weeks ago and ever since, everytime i am around it, i am sneezing, stuffy, sometimes a sore throat, which leads me to believe i am allergic to the cat.

she says she will get rid of it if i am allergic, but he is a really good cat for the most part.

are there any remedies out there that could lessen some of the symptoms i face when around the cat?

3/14/2009 9:21:55 PM

yes you are allergic. get rid of the cat.

3/14/2009 9:23:46 PM

try taking some anti-histamine. Worth a shot.

3/14/2009 9:24:29 PM

on here people would rather you get divorced from your wife than put a cat outside, so be careful who you listen to.

3/14/2009 9:24:51 PM

dont want to get rid of the cat if i can help it..cause like i say it was a cat she rescued from getting put down and he is a good guy

3/14/2009 9:25:27 PM

you are allergic to it. man up and get rid of the cat. cat's don't belong indoors anyway.

the cat is not a good guy. it is a fucking cat. it will probably piss on your clothes.

[Edited on March 14, 2009 at 9:27 PM. Reason : ]

3/14/2009 9:26:37 PM

Allergy meds really help some people. Try it.

Some people have also stated on these boards that their allergies improve after repeated exposures.

3/14/2009 9:34:58 PM

3/14/2009 9:57:43 PM

Quote :

"the cat is not a good guy. it is a fucking cat. it will probably piss on your clothes."

3/14/2009 10:01:32 PM

Quote :

"Section and Description Topics Last Post Moderator(s) The Lounge discuss news, life, and other fun stuff! 8310 Post to "Allergic to gf..." at 3/14/2009 10:01:32 PM by kiljadn CrazyJ, OmarBadu, CassTheSass "

3/14/2009 10:22:07 PM

it's a damn cat. get rid of it.

do you really want a shit factory, that you are allergic to, shitting in a box of sand stinking up the whole place?

3/14/2009 10:31:14 PM

so i hear you're allergic to your gf and you want help replacing her with a new cat.

3/14/2009 10:31:29 PM

surprised it took you guys that long to pick up on it

3/14/2009 10:33:18 PM

i just showed up

3/14/2009 10:46:03 PM

Growing up, I was pretty damn allergic to horses, cats, dogs, dust and pollen, but with some medication and some common sense, I was able to function and now am only mildly allergic to foreign long-haired dogs and long-haired cats. As the dander and hair are the worst problems, these remedies focus around cleanliness and avoidance.

1) Every time you touch the cat, wash areas of contact immediately afterwards. This will prevent hives, and you from rubbing cat allergen into your mucous membranes, which will make the allergies worse.

2) Do not let the cat in/on areas you will be (chairs, counters, etc.) Definitely not on the bed!

3) Take an otc allergy medicine a few hours before you expect to see the cat.

4) Implement a good grooming and housecare routine-your gf should brush the cat regularly, vacuum carpet and upholstery, and sweep and mop hardwood floors to limit the hair and dander. Also, the more non-carpet/non-upholstery your gf has in her apt. or house, the better for you. Carpet always makes my allergies 5x worse.

3/14/2009 11:02:43 PM

3/14/2009 11:54:53 PM

She, She's got what you need.
but her cat is just a friend...
her cat is just a friend...


I'm Big Business and i approved this message.

3/15/2009 12:19:22 AM

how much do you want to spend?

allergy shots work wonders.

over the counter stuff works a little bit.

3/15/2009 12:47:13 AM

eh an amount within reason.

more specifically is there anything that you can do to the cat (OTC products, stuff available at petsmart) to reduce the amount of allergens that they tend to omit through dander, saliva, etc

3/15/2009 12:52:59 AM

http://www.furminator.com/

You're likely allergic to dander. Reduce the dander, and chances are your symptoms will diminish.

Also, get her to vacuum fastidiously. One of my old roommates was very allergic to our friend's cats, but when he'd vacuum before we came over, generally his symptoms were much more mild.

3/15/2009 1:18:54 AM

benadryl ftmfw

3/15/2009 2:06:47 AM

yes, spend money to see if you can stand being around the cat...that'll work out well and I'm sure you'll never resent the cat when you're making an emergency stop at the drug store late one night to pick up some drugs to put into your body that you would otherwise never have to take

3/15/2009 8:11:25 AM

like others have already mentioned, you are allergic and therefore you should try taking an allergy medicine. didn't think it was that hard to make that connection.

benadryl makes a lot of people sleepy, although it works well.

zyrtec
claritin
clarinex (prescrip only)
singulair (prescrip only)

here are some explanations of the differences in these medications

Quote :

"-First-generation antihistamines. These are the original medicines developed to treat allergy symptoms and are available over the counter. These medications are generally effective, but have some bothersome side effects, especially drowsiness, which makes it difficult to take them on a regular basis. Examples are Benadryl and Chlortrimeton. -Second-generation antihistmines. These medicines don't cause the same level of drowsiness as their predecessors, though some of them can still cause mild sedation in some people. However, they are all highly effective and can be taken on a regular basis with very few side effects. They also come in long-lasting versions, so you only need to take them once a day. Examples are Allegra, Zyrtec, and Claritin. Claritin has been sold over the counter for a couple of years, and also has a number of generic versions (loratidine). -Leukotriene modifiers. Singulair falls into this category and it is used for both allergies and asthma. It blocks leukotrienes, another body chemical that is involved in the allergic response. -Homeopathic medicines. This is an alternative treatment for allergies, whereby you take tiny amounts of allergens by mouth to slowly de-sensitize you over time to allergens (it's also known as sublingual immunotherapy). "

you can also get shots of steroids, but i wouldn't go that far unless you really loved her, going to get married, and she was intent on keeping the cat and you really love it and want to keep it also. still don't think i'd go that far.

or put it outside

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 9:13 AM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 9:11:50 AM

Quote :

"more specifically is there anything that you can do to the cat"

One big thing you can do is feed the cat non-shitty cat food. It really can effect how much dander the cat produces. We switched our cats to Purina One and they have less dander problems now. Also, if you have a walk-in shower like ours, and if the cat is retarded likes ours , you can have them follow you into the shower, then close the glass door and let them take a shower with you. We do this about twice a month which helps a lot with keeping the dander down.

3/15/2009 9:29:58 AM

yeah, high quality food with added oils/supplements for skin health (omega 3s, formulas using fish as the main ingredient, etc) will help.

look for real meat as the #1 ingredient (not a fish meal), and if the next 2 ingredients are meat protein products that's good too. the wellness brand is great. definitely NOT purina, any grocery/walmart/target foods, meow mix, alley cat, etc. horrible.

baths are great ideas, if you can do it.

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:34 AM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 10:32:54 AM

yeah I didn't know until two years ago that Purina has different tiers of cat food. Most of the Purina One has real meat as a top ingredient (still, read the bag because not all of them do) but the regular Purina is total crap.

3/15/2009 10:41:02 AM

i meant ALL purina.

these are the ingredients in ProPlan, their top "premium" formula (before you get the ones with chemical names):
Salmon, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, dried egg product, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), wheat flour, soy protein concentrate, fish meal, animal liver flavor, salt...

Brewers rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. (AAFCO definition). Brewers rice is a processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice thus reducing the quality.

corn gluten meal is horrible. it's a major cause of allergies in pets and i would avoid it at all costs if you're trying to avoid skin problems, and i wouldn't feet it to ANY of my pets ever.

the animal fat is just what they spray on the kibble to make it taste better. it serves virtually no other purpose. the extruded kibble is otherwise flavorless and tastes nothing like meat.

you're looking for formulas in the ultrapremium section b/c those in the premium section are not really "premium".

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:51 AM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 10:49:56 AM

i buy kroger brand "Cat Food"

3/15/2009 11:01:43 AM

^^ Looking at the bag I have now the first four ingredients are meats of varying forms before you get to the fillers. If I wasn't feeding them that my other choices would be crap like Friskies or putting them on some sort of raw diet that would completely bankrupt me

3/15/2009 11:05:20 AM

zyrtec

expensive tho. you'll probably build up a tolerance to the cat

3/15/2009 11:09:17 AM

zyrtec otc is mad expensive

Quote :

"shitting in a box of sand stinking up the whole place"

They shit in boxes of clay you idiot.

3/15/2009 11:37:46 AM

washing a cat too often causes skin problems too, as you take away the oils in their fur.

zyrtec causes headaches akin to migraines in more people than the other OTC medicines.

it works slightly better than claritin, but has more pronounced side effects.

* get a cat brush or glove - brush the thing, give it a bath, brush it again, take some claritin, vacuum REALLY well using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, dust, wash your sheets, change the air filter with one that filters better (the mid priced ~$7 3m gold a/c filter is an excellent choice).

you should notice your allergies a lot less after that. it takes a lot of upkeep to keep a cat.

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 1:07 PM. Reason : wash your hands after touching the cat, for the love of zeus don't touch your face.]

3/15/2009 12:52:34 PM

you don't need any pills - the allergy will just go away after 6 months or so

also most people have pretty filthy homes - make sure she actually cleans often

3/15/2009 1:08:40 PM

Quote :

"They shit in boxes of clay you idiot."

3/15/2009 1:19:59 PM

you can get 75 pills of zyrtec for around $30 at costco, sam's club, or bj's. plus, costco this month has a $5 off coupon. for $20, you can get 30 pills at cvs.

just fyi for all you zyrtec users like myself!

3/15/2009 2:18:56 PM

or you can get a bottle of 300 loratidine (claritin) for 9.99 at costco.

3/15/2009 2:25:52 PM

Quote :

"yes you are allergic. get rid of the cat."

3/15/2009 3:39:44 PM

Dont let the cat into the bedroom. It can at least be your safe haven.

You may get over the allergies eventually.

My vote is for zirtec

3/15/2009 3:41:25 PM

if you're a guy
single
alone
but have a cat

you're one step closer to being gay....

Quote :

"You may get over the allergies your girlfriend eventually. "

3/15/2009 3:43:50 PM

Quote :

"the cat is not a good guy. it is a fucking cat. it will probably piss on your clothes."

and

you will be miserable until the cat is gone. sooner or later you'll find yourself not wanting to stay at your gf's place and it's all downhill from there. tell her to get rid of the fucking cat. there's 1009138740987 of them put down everyday..one more won't hurt.

3/15/2009 3:44:18 PM

your best post ever

3/15/2009 3:45:52 PM

lol. me?

3/15/2009 3:48:15 PM

yes

3/15/2009 3:48:37 PM

haha..I've been in the situation more than once

3/15/2009 3:50:26 PM

what if you're single, alone, and have 3 cats?

3/15/2009 3:57:58 PM

I avoid girls with cats.

3/15/2009 3:59:36 PM

i will take your cat.

3/15/2009 11:05:36 PM

Don't start taking meds just because of this cat.

Tell her the cat goes or you do.

3/16/2009 12:20:13 AM

maybe you should accidentally do something harmful to it, just kidding.

3/16/2009 12:23:59 AM

set em up

3/16/2009 1:02:50 AM