Has anyone overcome a cat allergy?

[Katielady]

(Cross-posted in allergies.)

I grew up with cats my whole life. I haven't had one for a few years but have been around others' cats with no problem. We adopted a cat, Bodhi, a week and a half ago and I seem to be allergic to him. I get itchy eyes, sudden severe congestion, and when he gets saliva on me my skin itches. My symptoms are (mostly) relieved by claritin but that's not a good long-term solution. I've done a lot of reading about it and I did read that testosterone greatly increases the level of allergen the cat produced. Our Bodhi was only neutered two weeks before we got him, and he's 2, so it will take a while for his testosterone levels to go down. I'm hoping that will lessen my allergies. We have stopped letting him in our bedroom and I cleaned our sheets and blanket. I don't let him rub his face on my face anymore (not easy to stop him, he is so cuddly!)

I suppose my next step is to see an allergist. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone out there has developed a cat allergy later in life (I'm 37 for goodness sake!) and if you were able to overcome it enough to make it possible to live with a cat. I'll do the shots if I need to. Is there other stuff I can do, maybe to boost my own immune system? Help!

[starrlamia]

i am allergic to cats but I find that after I am around one for a length of time my allergies lessen. I would give it a lot longer than a few weeks, I would think it could take a few months. Definitely see an allergist.

[Asiago]

Bathing Bohdi should remove a lot of the urine, dander and saliva that are allergenic. A vet reccomended this to me (my husband has pet allergies). It's very effective for dogs and cats.

No need for any special shampoo, the rinsing is the primary part. Once Bohdi is clean, rinsing daily or weekly should suffice, otherwise use shampoo but dilute it. You can also spray the damp coat with sesame oil/water or some other oil dilution to keep down the dander.

I knew a women once with several cats, lived in an apartment and this bathing made it possible for her to live comfortably. It helped immensely with my husband's allergy to our dog.

[Katielady]

thanks all. I saw an allergist who confirmed the cat allergy. I'm going in for shots. Meanwhile, I'll try bathing him. He's still pretty skittish so I'm not sure it'll be possible to do a full bath, but I may be able to wipe him down with a wet cloth. And I'm hoping time and a better diet will decrease the amount of the allergen his body is producing.

He's a sweet boy and I'm glad to have him, allergy or no. :)