Cat allergy is relatively common in the UK and other parts of the world. It’s also the most common type of allergy to animals, affecting about 20% of the general population. This also means that it is significantly more common than allergy to dogs. Getting a cat allergy test is therefore straightforward and can be either requested by your GP through an IgE blood test or done more accurately at an allergy clinic.
Although about 1 in 5 people have some kind of cat allergy, the severity of the reactions varies. Most of these allergies are mild and more of an annoyance than anything serious. This could include a slightly runny or stuffy nose when exposed to cat dander. On the opposite end of the scale, others may have more severe reactions that can significantly impact their quality of life.
The majority of cat allergens are actually present in their dander (when dead skin is flaking off). Particles of saliva and urine can also become airborn and easily inhaled, but dander is by far the most problematic. This explains why simply having a cat in the same room as you, could trigger an allergic reaction if you are sensitive to it.
What are the cat allergy symptoms?
Although most sensitive individuals will only have mild symptoms, cat allergy can also cause more serious breathing difficulties or rashes. Here is a list of the various symptoms sensitive individuals may experience.
- Mild Symptoms:
- Sneezing
- Runny or Blocked Nose
- Itchy Eyes
- Skin Rash
- Moderate Symptoms:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of Breath
- Severe Symptoms:
- Asthma Attack (in asthmatics)
- Anaphylaxis (rare)
Did you know?
Testing negative in a cat allergy test BEFORE getting a cat is unhelpful. This is because you can get sensitised and become allergic to cats after repeated exposure, even if the initial test is negative.
How can I get a cat allergy test?
Getting a cat allergy test is straightforward.
Once we book you in to our clinic, we would normally perform a skin prick test to cat dander.
A skin prick test is the gold standard in allergy diagnostic, also used in the NHS and other leading private hospitals. The process involves placing a drop of cat dander extract on your forearm, which is then gently pricked with a small needle. The prick is just enough to let the allergen seep into the dermal layer of the skin. You should barely feel this, and it doesn’t have any risk of infection or bleeding. It is therefore tolerated even by those who have a needle phobia or have reacted badly to having blood tests in the past.
We also use a positive and negative control at the same time, to ensure the accuracy of our results.
After about 15-20 minutes, we can now check to see if there is any skin reaction.
If you have a positive reaction, the size of the rash or red ‘lump’ can now be measured. If you are not allergic to cat dander, then there will be nothing to see on the skin.
Ultimately, the larger the diameter of the red bump, the stronger the reaction.
How do I manage a cat allergy?
If you have been diagnosed with a cat allergy, the management depends on its severity.
If possible, avoiding cats usually does the trick in stopping you from having the symptoms. However, if this is not possible, then we must learn to live with the allergy and focus on symptom control.
Symptom control can usually be achieved by adjusting your environment and lifestyle, or by certain medication.
Environmental and Lifestyle Adaptations
- Keeping your cat out of certain areas in your home, such as the bedroom. You should try to keep a symptom diary. Are your symptoms worse at night or when laying in bed? If so, this might be because cat dander gets trapped in your bedding, carpet or curtains if you have them in your bedroom.
- Use an air purifier. Using an air purifier can be an effective way in reducing the amount of airborne allergens. This applies to other allergens such as pollen and dust as well. Although an air purifier will not completely eliminate the allergens from the air, it will reduce their density. This could correlate with a gradual improvement in your symptoms.
- Regular cleaning in the popular areas and bedroom. Regular cleaning of the areas most frequented by your cat can ensure the amount of dander is kept to a minimum. This also applies to frequent cleaning of your bedroom, and regular washing of the bedding if your cat usually has access to this.
- Choosing a hypoallergenic cat breed. Although there is no such thing as an allergen-free cat breed, some are more hypoallergenic than others. Some breeds are known to produce less of the Fel d1 protein, which is the causative agent in cat allergies. Such breeds include:
- Sphynx
- Russian Blue
- Bengal
- Oriental Shorthair
- Siberian
The Russian Blue cat (left) has short fur and doesn’t shed as much. The Sphynx (right) is hairless and it’s considered one of the most hypoallergenic cats.
Medications
- Antihistamines. If environmental adaptations have failed or are not possible, then you can use anti allergy medication for symptom control. This includes popular antihistamines such as Cetirizine, Loratadine, Fexofenadine or Chlorphenamine. These work by preventing the release of histamines by your immune system, and thus in return can reduce your allergy symptoms
- Steroid nasal sprays. Sometimes if the cat allergy is causing you a blocked nose and the oral antihistamine is not enough, you may require a nasal spray such as Beconase or Flixonase. This acts locally and can help with such symptoms.
- Allergy Eye drops. If you often come into contact with cats and you get itchy or red eyes, you may benefit from anti allergy eye drops. This includes sodium cromoglicate that you can buy over the counter or you can get them prescribed by your GP.
- Cat Immunotherapy. There are currently no MHRA approved immunotherapy agents in the UK. In late 2023, immunotherapy firm Angany launched the first cat vaccine trial in humans, which appears to be promising. We are due to have results from this over the next 2 years.
Getting an allergy test
If you are wondering whether you might be allergic to cats, get in touch with us. We are happy to schedule you into our allergy clinic in Bournemouth and perform an allergy test straight away. Dr Salagean can also see you to discuss your symptoms and suggest further management strategies if cat allergies are getting you down. Although immunotherapy is not currently available, we are hopeful that this will change in the near future.
