FWIW, my son is allergic to cats, though we have one and he does okay with him. We recently inherited three more, crazy I know. He is fine with them too. However, when he was just three he was helping my Dh in the basement and Dh had him sit in the cats chair. Only the cat used that chair and it was full of hair and surely dander.

We didn't know about his allergies then but we got a clue that day! He had hives, red eyes, itching, wheezing, vomiting, and runny nose. I gave him Benadryl and he felt better enough to play, but still vomited some. I don't know if that was an ana reaction for sure, but I think it was. He is not diagnosed with asthma, but has an inhaler for rare wheezing. He is 8 now and does fine so far with all the felines; though they are on probation and if he has any sign of a problem the three newbies are out.

One of our favourite quotes.

Though ds did point out....you don't have much choice...the hair ends up in your mouth and nose.  Especially if you are allergic to cats.

QuoteIf you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats.  ~Lemony Snicket

There.  On-topic.   

... adding to the above observation, it's a very feline thing, when you get right down to it. 

You have a mean streak in you.   

Sorry. Had to post this somewhere.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=510116422396944&set=a.214471578628098.51056.212834848791771&type=1&theater

My DS reacts severely to dogs - hives, swelling, coughing, wheezing.  HE doesn't even have to touch them, just be in the house where they are.  I think it was Rebekah who mentioned sleek coated cats being worse - when DS first started reacting to dogs, it was the short, oily-coated ones that got him the worst.  Boxers, labs, beagles, etc.  Eventually, it became all dogs, but his two worst reactions were to a poodle and a Yorkie.  Go figure. 

SL, your DS is on to something with his "color coding", but he's slightly off base.  There is a link between color and allergen shedding.  According to recent research, light cats are less allergenic than dark, female less than male.

I used to have a pair of female cats, Oreo and Inca.  Oreo was white with black splotches, Inca jet black.  I was really not a particularly fussy housekeeper in those days, and nobody realized I had a cat until they strolled out to greet their adoring public.  People who swore they had horrible cat allergies never even sniffled around them.

Little Foot, an orange male, was an allergy bomb.  Even I would react with a slight cough at times when nuzzling him; that's when I knew it was time for him to have a bath - which really helped.

I feel for your DS.   My DS had to stop going to certain houses, among them was one of his best buddies from birth.  But now that he's on the other side of puberty, I'm seeing some hopeful signs.  He can tolerate one friend's dog - a beagle, of all things.  Yes, he has to wash his hands if he touches her, but he can touch her.  And be near her.  And be in the house with no problems.  I'm hoping his doggie horizons will continue to expand.

The fel d1 protein is in saliva and sebum . . . since they groom themselves, it sticks to every single hair, too.  And it's super sticky and gets carried everywhere by cat owners.  Your kid might need to shower immediately upon coming home (with a detour to the laundry room).  Nasal irrigation wouldn't be a bad idea.

Living in a home with a cat (hardwood floors, leather/wood furniture, cleaning lady, radiators--no ducts, cat never allowed in my room) is probably a major factor in my developing asthma.  Apparently repeat exposure to cats for those who are allergic can lead to asthma.

I can tolerate cats slightly longer when my allergy bucket isn't overfull.  Right now I'm beyond overfull with ragweed and grass and just having coffee with a catty ( ) friend at my home or a coffee shop is enough to make me break out in hives and need my inhaler.  Cats are evil that way.    I pre-medicate with antihistamines and caffeine.

I know someone who swells massively from cat exposure.  It's his only allergy.  Once I was around him when he had a reaction.  His whole face swelled horribly.  I didn't know about anaphylaxis then, but he told me that it had gotten bad and he'd now have his mom take him to the hospital.  IDK exactly what they did, but they probably gave him epi.  Afterwards, he was on a course of steroids. 

DS was convinced it was the colour that he was allergic to.  Black & white cat = allergic reaction.  orange cat = no reaction.  Even just a year ago, he was going to a friend's home and he said he didn't need benedryl because her cat is orange.  Guess what.  He's allergic the THAT orange cat.  It was actually a more logical thought then it may seem.  This is the same child who would vomit when he saw a specific shade of green.  Anyway, if seems fluff balls don't cause a reaction.

And MC, I know it's the dander, but I think more falls off when they are shedding.

Although...a stray cat hair lodged in ds' clothing has seemed to cause a reaction.

Fluffy cats are always better for me allergy-wise.  The shorter and slickier the fur the worse.  I've had allergic reactions to cats that had it been peanuts, I would have epi'd.  With cats, I just leave the environment.  Once I've showered and washed clothes, etc., I'm usually ok with elevated "hayfever" type symptoms for a few days afterward.

I love it when people turn their cats into angry naked satellite dishes. The look of murderous rage on them is adorable.

Well, that goes without saying.

But that is because I live with cats, and I understand that their very nature calls out for that kind of shaming.  They'll have deserved it for SOMETHING, after all.   



(JK.  Kinda.  Not about the deserving it part... but definitely about the shaving.  Cats just don't appreciate handknits the way that they should.  Well, they don't really appreciate ANYTHING quite the way that they should, come to that... and now, we're right back to shaming...)

I vote for naked cats.