Living With Cat Allergies: ‘For Me, This Is All Very Personal’
Key takeaways:
Kathy Przywara never leaves the house without her asthma inhaler.
She is severely allergic to cats and being around cats can trigger an asthma attack.
She’s found ways to prepare for and manage her symptoms.
Kathy Przywara can usually sense when there’s a cat nearby.
Kathy, who lives in Mountain View, California, starts to feel itchy, especially all around her eyes.
Then, comes the sneezing and coughing. And if her asthma kicks in, she may feel tightness in her chest.
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Severe reactions to cats are fairly common, according to Kathy’s employer, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), where she is vice president of community.
Contact with a cat can trigger a severe asthma attack in up to 30% of people with asthma. Cat allergies also can lead to chronic asthma. They are nearly twice as common as dog allergies.
Kathy is somewhat allergic to dogs, but she doesn’t have as many issues being in the same room with dogs. She is also allergic to trees, weeds, grass, and dust mites.
“I've always had problems being around cats, even when I was a kid,” she says. “My eyes itch and stuff like that. But as an adult, after my asthma diagnosis, I realized that cats are also an asthma trigger for me. It's not just an allergy.”
Before there were more restrictions on cats as comfort animals on airplanes, Kathy says, she never knew if a flight could mean flare-ups of her allergies if there was a cat in a carrier on board.
Busting myths about cat allergies
Kathy likes to clear up myths about cat allergies.
One myth is that it’s the cat’s fur that causes allergic symptoms. That’s not the case. Cat allergens are present in saliva, urine, and dander (dead skin cells).
“A lot of people think if the cat's not in the room, then you shouldn't have a problem with it,” Kathy says. “But cat dander is pretty sticky. So it gets everywhere, and it can last on surfaces for about 6 months.”
Also, there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat, or dog for that matter, though they are often advertised as such, she says. It doesn’t matter whether cats are hairless or what kind of fur they have. Since all cats groom themselves, they can spread saliva and skin cells all over.
“If you're allergic to cats, you're allergic to cats,” she says. “Some may cause more problems than others.”
The benefits of being prepared
When Kathy visits friends or relatives with cats, she knows she has to pump up her protection.
She never leaves the house without her medications.
“I always carry my inhaler with me,” she says.
Having her quick-relief asthma inhaler on hand helps to keep her symptoms from progressing to an asthma attack if there is a cat around. She also uses antihistamine eye drops and takes an antihistamine for pre-treatment.
Pet allergens can collect on surfaces, and Kathy says she’s learned some strategies for choosing a chair in a home with cats. She knows which chairs the cats sit on in her brother and daughter’s houses. But at other people’s homes, she can guess. She’s more likely to pick a wooden dining room chair than a cushy one.
After she’s been in a house with cats, Kathy makes sure to change her clothes before she touches furniture or surfaces in her own house.
Tips for people who are allergic but living with a cat
Though Kathy’s house is cat-free, she offers tips from AAFA for people who are allergic but living with a cat:
Keep the cat out of the bedroom, since you spend so much time there.
Clean aggressively, especially in your bedroom.
Consider an air purifier.
Keep surfaces throughout the home clean and uncluttered.
Consider having bare floors and walls to minimize allergens.
Pick carpeting with a low pile.
Use throw rugs that you can wash in hot water.
Although anyone can develop an allergy at any time, some families are more prone to them. Allergies are common in Kathy’s family. In fact, both her mom and grandmother had significant allergies. Now, both of her kids have allergies as well.
For Kathy, allergy shots are effective
Kathy also treats her allergy with immunotherapy allergy shots. The treatment helps build up tolerance to particles that can cause reactions.
Injections help by exposing the body to a very small amount of an allergen and then by gradually increasing the amount every week or so to build up tolerance. Time between shots slowly increases, too.
“Right now, I'm on what's called maintenance dose, which is my highest dose. And I only go every 3 to 4 weeks to get the shots,” Kathy says.
She says she’s already seen improvement. Now, she can stay longer in a house with cats and not have as many problems.
Becoming an advocate for people with allergies and asthma
Kathy got involved with the AAFA in 2005 as a volunteer when her kids (now “grown and flown”) were small. They both had food allergies and asthma. Kathy was diagnosed with a severe cat allergy as an adult.
Now, her job involves sharing information that can help. That includes what she has learned about managing her own allergies.
“For me, this is all very personal — supporting patients and families who are dealing with these conditions and the challenges that they bring,” she says.
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