Cat allergies question.

I was just wondering if its possible to be allergic to one of my cats but not the other?

I have 2 cats currently. One Ive had for 2.5 yrs and the other is her kitten, a male born Jan 4th. This was her second litter since I got her as a kitten and Ive always been around animals off all sorts and just recently moved from a farm. Never in my life have I ever had any allergic reaction to any animal.

But for some reason everytime I pet the kitten, my eyes get all itchy and the spots on my face where he nudges and rubs ( hes very loving ) get all irritated and itchy as well.

Is it posdible hes carrying something new to me or is it something else??

I am not a doctor but will say it is possible that it may be just this kitten. My husband is deathly allergic to cats. Like my throat is closing call 911 allergic. When we were first married I had a cat that had been born in the back of one of the cars my dad was fixing up at the time. The mom abandoned them. I took one in and dropper fed it until it could eat and kept it thereafter. This cat was the only cat that my husband could be around. EVER.

We did try to add one on occasion and all failed. The only answer the doctor could give was that this particular cat had never been outside.... as in things like grass, weeds, etc. so the allergens were not as extreme. He had an anaphylactic attack with a deer one time and he had handled plenty before that as well. The doctor gave the same reason.... He said it was most likely something the deer had laid in at some point.

I am not saying this is the case for you, but in my personal experience.... you can be allergic to one and not the other.

And maybe you are allergic to the others but the allergy is so slight that you do not register it. They can do tests at your doctors office for specific allergies, but they do tend to get costly.

Maybe take Benadryl and see if it goes away after a while?

a reply to: Chickensalad

Just a reminder ( as you already know ) that kittens are much more active-n-nosey than adult cats.

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SUSPICION: Kitten is getting somewhere and something on his fur that you are allergic to.

( i.e. kitchen cabinet, bathroom cabinet, attic space, garage, basement/under house, etc. )

Perhaps be a "meany" and control/limit the area that the kitten has EQUAL to that of the mother for several days.
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a reply to: Chickensalad

as I understand it, the allergy is to something in the saliva of the cats, so yes I think the saliva of one cat, could be different from its mothers.

a reply to: Chickensalad

It does sound like you're having an allergic reaction to Monsieur Kitten. It's possible to have an allergic reaction to one kitty and not the other. Depends on the kitty really. I've been allergic to cats and a cat owner all of my life so I can attest to their being a difference. Cats that I've had allergy problems with get regular baths (use a kitty shampoo) and those that I'm not get spared the tyranny of the kitchen sink. Since the kitten is still a kitten, it's a perfect time to get it used to bathing. Trying to bathe an adult cat can be a life threatening activity. Trust me, I know....lol

Regular bathing should knock down the reaction that you're having to a pretty good level, regardless of whether the kitten has gotten into something or it's the kitten, itself. Here's a question for you though--when you get scratched by a cat, does the wound burn, swell, and welt up? If any cat scratch does that, you're allergic to cats. When that happens, just wash the wound free of allergens. Bathing a cat isn't going to change that one.

Thanks guys, great answers. Yea the scratches do swell n itch but only when he scratches me. I can just wash with cold water and it goes away. Ive had a cat all my life and never had a reaction so its a suprise to me.

Never bathed a cat in my life but I suppose Im about to learn.


Ill let everyone know how it goes.
Thanks again.

As a life-long cat owner, I too was/am allergic to cats, but what I noticed is that the more I am in contact with cats the less allergic I become, so I assume it's a developing a tolerance thing. I now do not have any cats and find that I have a stronger reaction to my mother's cat (lots of long thick fur) and a much lesser reaction to my son's cat (shorter and less fur). They say it's the dander, so bathing the cat would certainly help with that - or just good thorough brushings every day.