Hi. I’ve had my cat since August. He sleeps in my bed every night and has done so since I’ve got him. I’ve always had an incredibly mild allergy to cats…mostly when they scratch me I sometimes get very itchy (but not always), or if there are a metric buttload of them in the room (as in a shelter), my throat and eyes will be a bit scratchy. Otherwise I’m fine.
In the past several weeks, I have been sneezing a fuckton and when go to bed and wake up in the morning my nose is entirely stuffed up and runny. It goes away once I’m up and moving, but I’m still periodically sneezing whenever I’m at home. The litter boxes are NOT in my bedroom.
Any tips??? I don’t want to kick him out of the bed. :(((
The toxicity is in the dose. If you’re actually allergic to your cat, it could be a seasonal change in his grooming regimen resulting in more saliva on his fur, which means more allergen proteins in the dander.
Another possibility: seasonal change has resulted in something blooming to which you’re mildly allergic. The combination of things might have tipped you over the edge of allergic response.
There are a ton of factors that could be in play, and only an allergist can tell you for sure what’s going on.
Brushing him could help, as could vacuuming and changing bed sheets more often.
Do you have good air filters to filter the cat dander and cat hair? What about how often you brush the cat or wash bedding?
It could be that you’ve finally gotten enough cat hair building up at home that it is starting to be a lot.
Making sure you have and change the air filter on your HVAC system or getting auxiliary air filters can help remove airborne cat dander or cat hair. This will also help if it’s a combination of cat and pollen or other things, air filtration is great.
If the cat is shedding all over your bedding at night then washing it regularly will likely help with that aspect. Get a furminator comb and use that to help remove loose hair from your cat and be able to dispose of it without needing them to shed it wherever, that can also help reduce hairballs.
First of all, wash your sheets if you aren’t doing it regularly. Then have a quick look around fo mould. Lastly, minimise laundry left on the floor and vacuum more if they’re carpeted. A third of our time is in our bedroom, so things can get blocked up if stuff is in the air.
If that’s all good, okay, time to start considering the cat 🥺 The most common allergy is from their saliva on themselves from cleaning, or skin falling off from cleaning. If they’re cleaning themselves in your bed or shortly before coming into bed, that’s most likely it.
Has the cat’s diet changed at all? My understanding is that the allergy has to do with a protein that some cats produce, and it ends up on their fur through the saliva. Certain diets can reduce or eliminate the protein.
I don’t have any brands to recommend, but here is the study if it gives you something to go off of
Brushing, trimming their hair. I also have air filters going with specific animal filters.
Joke: bois the plague is back
