Help For Parents and Children Dealing With a Child Cat Allergy

The symptoms shown by the child affected by a child cat allergy is similar to any other allergic reactions. The exact nature and cause of allergy can be determined only by an iterative process of elimination, treatment and allergy testing wherever necessary. In case of allergic reactions such as an itchy or runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, wheezing, redness, rash, or hives it is advisable to investigate the reasons for such symptoms. If these symptoms relate to the time spent by the child with the family cat then there is good enough reason to suspect the pet as the root cause for this allergy.

The Cause of Cat Allergies

There has been a misconception in people that the origin for child cat allergies is due to the cat’s hair; many people still continue to hold this opinion and in reality this is not true. Cat allergy in children is an allergic reaction to cat glycoprotein Fel d 1 secreted by the cat's sebaceous glands. Fel d 1 is mostly found in the cat's skin, saliva, blood, urine, hair and anal glands. If the child is licked by a cat it can cause a reaction in a child with a cat allergy. 

The cat allergies are much worse compared to all other allergies. The cat dander and substances secreted by the cats are quite sticky as compared to other animals. This is because the cat dander travels all over the clothing and are harder to clean; this results in prolonged exposure of the child to Fel d 1 protein. Further the cats produce large quantity of Fel d 1 protein and shed it regularly while grooming. This worsens the situation.

The cat allergens proliferate quite a bit since the quantum of allergens shed is quite high and travel easily on people. They can be anywhere in public wherever cat lovers are. The cat dander is difficult to eliminate from home and they remain in the house even after months of evacuation of the cat. Because of these reasons it is quite difficult to diagnose the child cat allergy by the process of elimination. Cat dander sticks to people’s clothing and travel with them; this contaminates houses which do not have cats.

Life with a Child Cat Allergy

As in any other case of allergic reactions, child cat allergy can best be treated by preventing the attack through trigger avoidance. However, this may not be easy for children and their families.

For relieving the child from the child cat allergy symptoms one can use allergy medications; however in homes where more than one cat exist as pets these allergy medications are not useful. In such cases allergy shots are good alternative for a child with a cat allergy in case the doctor desires that this treatment is in the interest of the child.

A combination of medical therapies and medications, reduction in cat allergens and minimizing of exposure of the child to cat allergens are some of the steps that the family should take if it wants to keep the cat in the home. Some of these measures are:

	Spaying (removing the ovaries of the cat) or neutering the cat will affect the Fel d 1 production
	Wash/bathe the cat once or twice a week
	Wipe the cat down with a wet cloth daily
	Using a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner vacuum daily
	Treat any other allergies to reduce symptoms to a tolerable level
	Encase mattresses and upholstered furniture with dust covers
	Do not allow the cat into the child's room and do not let the cat sleep with the child!
	Use household air filters/purifiers
	Do not ask the child to change the litter box or otherwise be responsible for regular cat care
	Have the child thoroughly wash hands and face after playing with the cat
	Dust regularly either with a cleaner or spray
	Steam clean upholstery, furniture, and carpets
	Remove carpeting
	Wash bedding weekly in hot water
	Replace filters on heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment regularly

There is a very close relationship between the child cat allergy and severe breathing problems in the child; one has to keep a close watch on the child with cat allergy experiencing breathing problems. The probability of getting asthma is quite high for a child having cat allergy. Occurrences of breathing problems should be thoroughly discussed with the child’s doctor and the necessity for keeping the cat at home should be reevaluated. The child with cat allergy and the cat can live together with good control measures.