Cats And Allergies

Allergies can hit any of us even our feline companions. This is Kiki a Seal Point Siamese with a  allergy condition. You may be asking yourself, "Why is this cat bald around the eyes?"

This "baldness" is from scratching. A few days before this picture was taken Kiki could barely even see. His eyes were swelled shut and he had bloody hair line cuts under the eyes.

Kiki unfortunately has lived this way for most of his adult life, the state of his condition does not happen overnight. It is very important as a cat owner to pay attention to your cats habits and grooming. If you notice your cat is always scratching or excessive grooming in the same location, you should get it checked as soon as possible.

What could your cat possibly be allergic to? Can you believe anything and everything including themselves. That's right even pet dander can cause them to have a sneezing frenzy. Most allergy's are caused by food and or sensitivity to litter dust. 

Allergy testing can be as simple as taking blood or as extreme as a skin sample. Not all vet practices do allergy testing. It is important to ask your vet what they suggest and what testing they do preform. Blood testing is typically less expensive but is only used to test for certain allergies. The same goes with skin samples. I like to suggest to those that are on a limited budget to start off with what they can afford at the moment. Now please keep in mind that just because the blood test tells you something your cat is allergic to doesn't mean he or she wont test positive on a skin test for other allergens. But it is a good start. 

We all would love to avoid the vet office if we could and sometimes we can. It is extremely important to keep a eye on your cats behavior. For example, Kiki has just went to the litter box and about 15 minutes later Kiki starts to cough. The first question to ask yourself is, " Has this happened before?" If you answered Yes, when did it occur and what was he doing before he starting coughing? Look for patterns in your cats behavior, they will help tell you the story of what the problem might be. 

When or if you do find your cat has allergy's, it is important to treat and take it very seriously. What i mean by this is have your pets tag changed to include its allergy's. You will also need to include this anytime you may board with a pets hotel or even flying on a airline. 

Even if your cat does not have a allergy you can improve its way of life because your cat will get older and become more sensitive. I like to recommend owners use natural cat litters because they contain less dust and no perfumes, most have unscented or a natural pine scent. Your homes filtration, have you ever thought about this? Using a high grade filter can work wonders for you and your pets. Depending on size they can be costly but the effects and what it could tell you about your home are worth it. When you first use these filters please make sure you check it at the 3 week mark. Why? You may be shocked that your filter is already full and black. That's right all those pollen spores, dust spores and your pet dander floating around can make you go through a filter super fast. If this is the case you need to reevaluate your home and cleaning schedule involving your pets grooming and home dusting and vacuuming. 

Allergies can come as basic as i described above or as harsh as food allergy's and flea allergy's.

In Conclusion, always monitor your pets and never put off a issue you see that is escalating. Let Kiki serve as a reminder that pet abuse doesn't always have to mean physical abuse.

https://www.internationalhouseofcats.com