I spend at least an hour a day scrolling through my Instagram feed looking at pictures of cats. I send photos of cute rescue cats with names like ‘Moo’ and ‘Bathmat’ to my friends. I ask people about their cats a lot, too. “Does she shed a lot? Can you send me photos?”
The thing is—I’m severely allergic to cats. If I pet my friend Suvi’s cat, Graham, my eyes will swell shut. If I stay in a room with Graham too long, I’ll have trouble breathing.
I’d always wanted a cat, and very recently, felt resigned to an existence without my very own Graham. Is there anything you can do to cope with a cat allergy as a prospective owner? As it turns out, yes—but it’ll be a long road ahead.
Confirm your allergy with a doctor
According to David Erstein, an allergist at Allergy and Asthma Wellness, Advanced Dermatology, and NYC HHC, if you’re unsure if you’re allergic to cats, there are usually some pretty obvious symptoms.
“If you’re going into a home with cats, feeling ‘off,’ congested, or sneezing, chances are you’re allergic,” he said. “Some people can have other reactions including asthma issues. That’s where we fall into bigger problems.”
But if you want to be absolutely 100% positive, seeing a doctor is probably your best bet. “The easiest thing to do is to see an allergy doctor so you can do a quick allergy test,” he said. “The test can be performed in a couple of minutes, and after about 20-30 minutes, you get to figure out if you have any allergies. It’s a pretty safe test to do and is the most objective way to get a professional’s opinion.”
Once you’ve confirmed via an allergy test, it then becomes your decision whether or not to adopt and endure a life of sneezing. And if you choose to adopt anyway, there are strategies you can employ to lessen your nightmarish reactions.
Use preventative reduction strategies
So you’re allergic and you’ve just adopted a rescue cat. According to Erstein, your next few steps should be to begin to practice good allergy reduction strategies, which involves setting up your home appropriately.
First, you’ll have to set some ground rules with the cat, he said. You’ll want to make sure the cat doesn’t have free rein in the house. Keep them out of areas like your bedroom, so you won’t have to sleep in room filled with cat dander.
Your next step should be to purchase an air purifier with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. Devices with a HEPA filter help remove allergens in the air. “Cat dander is one of the smallest types of allergens out there. It’s very airborne and remains suspended in the air for a while,” Erstein said. “That air purifier will be able to filter out that dander. It should be running non-stop in [your] home.”
Lastly, if it’s possible, bathe your cat one to two times a week to reduce dander. Yes, for some cat-owners, baths are basically a death wish, so only do this if you aren’t at risk of getting injured. And of course, wash your hands whenever possible. “The things people are allergic to in cats could be in their skin, in their fur, [or in] their saliva,” he said. “Make sure you wash your hands and don’t touch your eyes or you’ll be suffering.”
Use over-the-counter medications
According to Erstein, your next step to try over-the-counter (OTC) medications. “People can take daily oral antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays,” he said. “Medications, all in all, are kind of just like band-aids to the symptoms, though. They’re not really doing anything to solve the sensitivity that people have.” If OTC medications aren’t cutting it, you can also visit an allergist who can prescribe you nasal sprays or other medication.
If you’re wondering if it’s bad to rely on some of these OTC medications long-term, you shouldn’t be too concerned: “These medications have been around a long time and they’re well-tolerated,” Erstein said. “There are rare side effects; sometimes people get very tired or it dries people out. But if you’re willing to put up with it, people can tolerate it—though you’re not going to be 100%.”
Get allergy shots
If you want to try something a little more drastic, Erstein recommended seeing a doctor to get allergy shots or immunotherapy. “In essence, we’re giving you shots of your allergies in very small amounts (or microdoses) and every time we give you a higher concentration, we’re building up the amount your body tolerates, almost like a vaccine,” he said. “We call it disease-modifying. It’s a very good way to build up the immune system, so people develop a tolerance to the thing they’re allergic to.”
These shots, however, come with a huge time commitment and aren’t always foolproof. “They take months before you start to feel benefits,” he said. “The standard way of treating is once a week for six to seven months or so. Eventually, you’re coming in once a month. It’s not a forever thing, but if you want long-lasting changes, we recommend people be on it for three to five years. I can’t say that it helps everybody, but we say it helps about 80% of people, [and] what’s nice is that it also helps things from getting worse.”
Don’t believe the “hypoallergenic cat” hype
Despite what you may have heard about certain cat breeds being better for your allergies, for the most part, it doesn’t make much of a difference. “Unfortunately, there’s really no such thing [as a hypoallergenic cat],” Erstein said. “There are reports that certain cats, like male cats, might release more allergens, but all in all, they’re all going to have that dander that you’re reacting to. Most allergists would just say ‘cross your fingers.’”
As for developing an immunity (or an allergy) to cats down the road, it is possible, though it’s mostly a gray area. Building up an immunity via allergy shots is a better solution than hoping you might develop one through exposure, however.
Do a test run before committing
If you’re still unsure about adopting a cat, the best way to figure out how you really feel is to spend more time with one. “You want to babysit a cat, if you can, for a couple of weeks, just to see how things are, “ Erstein said. “Take an antihistamine daily, have a nasal spray around, and see how you do. If it’s tolerable, then you can say to yourself ‘I’m okay with doing this.’ And if it’s not tolerable or your symptoms are more severe, at that point you’d really have to ask the question, ‘Do I want the cat enough?’”
At the end of your cat ownership trial period, you may find your allergies are a dealbreaker—but, according to Erstein, the opposite outcome is just as possible. “I have many patients that are willing to [adopt a cat anyway],” he said. “They love the cat that much and I get it, I completely do—it’s a tough decision.”
This article was originally published on April 12, 2019. It was updated on May 11, 2021 with a new photo, new links, and to reflect Lifehacker’s current style guidelines.