Get Rid of Cat?

Definitely have him allergy tested (you can do this at any age). He could be allergic to dust or mold and might be fine with cats. You can also have food allergies ruled out while you are there.

My daughter is asthmatic as well as her brothers. We have a cat here and her brother has two at his home. His is more severe so as long as the hair is kept under control then you shouldn't have to get rid of the cat.

My son also has allergy induced asthma. I would get rid of the cat or at least keep it out of his "space". A good hepa air filter works well. Also see an ENT (Dr. Keamy is good at MEEI and Dr. Wilson at University ENT in providence). My son had tonsils and adnoids out and it made a HUGE difference, off most of the meds ( he was maxed out on meds before)

Are you sure it is the cat? My daughter, who has down syndrome, was getting pneumonia quite frequently. She also had fairly constant sinus infections. Her ENT doctor remembered that when she was a baby she was on reflux medication. We started giving her a prilosec. The sinus infections stopped occurring, and she stopped getting pneumonia. Dr. Volk indicated that all you have to do is reflux a couple times a week, and it can cause havoc with your throat and nose. A lot of kids seem to have asthmatic symptoms when they are sick with a cold, sore throat, etc.

Maybe you should have your son tested for allergies to cats and check with his doctor. Good luck.

I would suggest cutting way back on milk products. This is what we did for my daughter and she is now fine. All my children are prone to asthma and it really hits them when they drink too much milk or have too much of any dairy product in one day.

Yes allergies can trigger asthma. It could only help to remove the cat from your house. The kids are so young they wont miss the cat for long. Few days at the most. Have your son allergy tested before you do.

Common allergy triggers are dust, animal dander, pollen and mold. The only thing you can do to remove allergy triggers is to clean often and thoroughly.

Use a hepa filtered vacuum or remove all carpeting from the house & keep kitty out (ha ha like thats going to happen) of all rooms your son sleeps or plays on the floor in. Don't just dust but wash surfaces that are dusty. Use bleach solution in the bathroom or any place that gets steamy/damp. Just because its not black doesn't mean that mold isn't growing.

Another thing to remember is your child gets a cold from touching a germy surface and the putting their hands on their eyes, nose or mouth. So hand washing goes a long way in preventing illness.

Hope this helped

Hi M., My suggestion is simple... Did you ask your son's doctor whether you should find another home for your cat? Have him tested to see if he's allergic. I would put my son ahead of any pet, and I'm an absolute pet lover! It may not be the cat at all, first start there. Another place to think about is... your home, do you have proper ventilation, any issues with mold, what are you using for household cleaners. Most of the products we use in our home are TOXIC. My son has had issues which lead his doctor to believe he's got allergies, and I found by changing what I use to clean my home, clean our clothes, and clean him made a big difference. Check out my website and write to me if you want more information. I wish you the best of luck, and your son. www.MommasGreenBiz.com or my email at ____@____.com. Blessings to you and your family :)

Is the asthma related to the cat? I would confirm that link before getting rid of the cat.

Don't get rid of the cat! If your kid has had pneumonia 3 times, the cat isn't the cause! Put your kids on Reliv's kids' product - it's patented nutrition, it supports the immune system, and you'll probably get rid of the asthma and the cold/flu/pneumonia cycle. I have a lot of friends who use it - got their kids of nebulizers, eliminated allergies (which are really an immune response to something), and so on. It's food, not drugs, and there aren't even any warning labels on it (most kids' vitamins and Tylenol even have warnings!). It was formulated by a team headed the same scientist who developed Enfamil and ProSoBee infant formulas, and who worked on the nutritional aspect of Weight Watchers Foods, so you know they "know their stuff". It is in a highly absorbable form (a powder you mix in liquid) so there's no waste, and it comes in vanilla and chocolate. You can mix it with water, milk, soy milk, yogurt, or whip into a smoothie with fruit - whatever the kids enjoy. Some people mix it with a small amount of milk and let the kids lick it off a spoon like frosting! It's really delicious and the results speak for themselves. It will also replace any other vitamins or supplements you might be thinking of. If you want, I will take you thru the company's website in a 10-minute phone call - there is a lot of stuff on the website with many products for adults too so if you just want to concentrate on the kids' product, I can help steer you thru that. You can show the labels to your pediatrician - there's nothing in it that is not safe! Let me know! I'd love to help you get some relief for your little ones.

Hi M.,

My daughter has asthma also, I dont have a cat but you really do have to get rid of it. The cat will continue to aggrevate the asthma. Your child should be any where near a cat.

S.

Let me apologize beforehand, this is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. I grew up in a house with two cats and a dog, I was HIGHLY allergic to both cats and dogs. My parents thought it was best to not upset us and keep the animals and try to keep them out of my space. While this idea was nice in theory, it proved to be near impossible. I was sick constantly (runny nose, itchy, red eyes, sore throat, tired, etc). Looking back I have to say that I felt (and still do) that I came second to the animals. Now that I am grown I have no animals and I don't have any problems with allergies. The asthma I had as a child is completely gone and I don't take medications for allergies. It all comes back though if I am around animals!

My advice is if your child is allergic to cats --- GET RID OF THE CAT!!!! I wouldn't even think twice about it. It is an animal. He is your child - his health should come far before the family pet!

HI there!

Although cat allergies are common, do you know for a fact that your son is allergic? Until you knew for sure, I wouldn't get rid of the cat. I would seek assistance from an allergist who works with children. Depending on what the specific allergic trigger for the asthma is, there can be many things you may be able to change in your home. I have lots of allergies, some life-threatening, and I know what it is like to lose a favorite pet. Get the info first, then make a decision. You could also try a naturalpath to look at ways to help boost his immune system naturally. Best of luck! You'll know what the right decision is for your family!

I would also agree that you could try a pulmonologist too but I think I'd try the allergist first since often the breathing difficulties (and respiratory infections, pneumonias etc can be the end result, rather than the actual problem. An allergist looks at the autoimmune responses in people.

Sorry, but my advice to find a new home for the cat. Cats definitely exacerbated breathing problems. My son has a cat allergy and we had two cats (or first babies) before he was born. He had a blocked tear duct and during probubly 6mos of his life we thought his constant red eye was from that. At 8mos he had a food reaction and went to the allergist. Since we had two cats in the house we agreed to also have him tested for cat...positive. The allergist said straight out this is your flesh and blood and should he be comfortable in his own home and that if we didn't it could lead to him developing asthma. I cried thinking about having to give them up, like I said earlier they were our babies. As a nurse also I knew this was the right thing to do. But we first started our son on claritin(his very allergic nose during the exam showed that cats weren't the only problem) and put a Hepa filter in his room and Living room, they helped but not completely. One day I saw my son suffer as the spring was coming and his enviromental allergies were peaking, that I had to do what I could to make it better. By that time one of the cats we suspect lost his life doing what he loved to do..hunt. The other I posted on Petfinder.com, within a week we found him a new home with a loving child who is not allergic. There are other cats in the family and we make sure our son has his claritin on board and is not to touch.. He loves dogs and from as far a we can see he can "breathe" around them...maybe for christams :)

I agree that you should have the allergy tests done before you make any decisions regarding your cat.
We, as a society today get pets, and are willing to throw them away at the slightest hint of something off key. The kids are young enough to forget the cat after a few days, as another mother offered, but what about the cat? Animals should be part of the family, there are medications out there (if it is the cat afterall)to stop the allergins from affecting him as drastically.
I have a friend, whose son had asthma so bad, that he was hosiptalized numerous times as a young child, sometimes for days, even getting pneumonia a couple times...he grew up with cats all around him, his mother cleaned a lot, (alot..lol), vacuumed all the time, but topday he is a very healthy,happy, 15 yr old!!
I have worked with animals my whole life, and having seen so many that ended up at pounds because of children (whether "not enough time", or "having baby, can't have cat or dog around baby"..you name it, I've heard it),please give it a second thought before getting rid of your cat, it's not his fault...please feel free to email me off list if you want, and I can let you know anything about cats and dogs (well, maybe not EVERYTHING...lol...).
(I hope I didn't come across as condesending or rude, that wasn't my intention...)
:(
Good luck with everything and I'll keep my fingers crossed!!

we sound like we are living the same life. I would take your son to an allergist to get tested for a variety of different things such as cats, dogs, molds, dust, and other environmental allergens that can set off asthma. They make air purifiers and make sure you are using a vacuum with a good filter also vacuum everyday, get a humidifier for his bedroom especially bc the cold weather is coming the asthma medication will dry out his nose and possibly lead to bloody noses. My oldest has had asthma since he was 8 months and winters are terrible for us I can say that with taking singulair and pulmicort daily it keeps it relatively under control these days. I can tell you that my son is terrible everytime he gets a cold so get ready for a long one. If you've had the cat since he was a baby chances are its not the cat it would've bothered him way before now.
Good luck.

M.,
I would recommend getting him tested to see if he's allergic to the cat before finding it a new home. There's no sense in doing so if he's not allergic. But I've heard it can be a big part of asthma. If you do end up having to find it a new home I think you should explain to your kids that it's important for your sons health and the cat will be missed. Good luck!

M.,

Please, I urge you if you have not done so already, go see a pulmonologist and have the allergy testing done. I learned later than I would have liked from another mom how important seeing a specialist could be. I have a son with asthma that has been perfectly managed by the pediatrician, and by eliminating his triggers which in this case was horses (his sister rides). The allergy test was a quick blood test and NOT the scratch test that I was dreading.

Last year my daughter developed asthma and we could not get it under control. A few days prior to a pediatrician’s appointment I happened to be talking to another mom whose child also has asthma and she mentioned that she sees a pulmonologist. It made sense since a pulmonologist specializes in breathing and the lungs. At the subsequent pediatricians’ appointment, I asked for the referral.

Good news and bad news.

Bad News first:
The pulmonologist ran some test and found that my daughter was highly allergic to the cat we had and that as a result she only had a 52% lung capacity. She was put on singulair, steroids, Advair and albuterol. The cat was my daughter’s love. She was the cat’s “human”, they slept together and were always together. George is a terrific and loving cat whom we owned for three years. The day of the appointment we came home and through loving tears explained that George had to have a new home. That afternoon we brought George to my mother-in-law’s who had agreed to keep him until we found a loving and permanent home (which we did). It was sad for us and very hard for our daughter but the choice was clear: healthy (temporarily sad) daughter, or a happy (sick-- life threatened) daughter. We cleaned our house for days, washing toys, blankets sheets and carpets. This was in April and we all still miss him and are sad at the prospect of never owning another cat, but we all know it is for the best.

Good News:
At our last pulmonary appointment, my daughter’s lung capacity was up to 80%. It is not perfect (yet) but she is on the road to recovery. She is still on Advair and Singulair and we limit her visits to friends who have cats at their houses. She still misses George, but she can breath and that is a gift.

I was shocked to learn from the pulmonologist that only 20% of his patients actually get rid of their pets when they find they are allergic. Finding a new home for our cat quite possibly saved my daughter’s life.

I urge you to see a pulmonologist and to have the allergy blood work. Then whatever the trigger is, do your best to remove it.

Hope this helps,

Kariña

Hi M. - I have 2 ideas.... Why not foster the cat elsewhere for a few weeks and see what happens?? And also, sorry to state the obvious, but how about getting your son tested for allergies?

And remember, asking for advice from other Moms is great, but your experience may be totally different...

Hi
That same thing happened to my youngest son. His allergist said that if we had carpets to get rid of the cats we had but we had hardwood floors. We eventually got rid of the cats bacause my middle son was far more allergic to the cats than him.

I agree with the mom that said you should try fostering the cat for awhile and see if things get better...also allergy testing is a great idea.

I was a very allergic child. We had a cat when I was young and I refused to be the reason we had to get rid of her, so I ended up having weekly allergy shots to help boost my immune system. When I was in my late 20's I was diagnosed with late-onset asthma, and found that since I have my asthma under control, my allergies are much less severe than they used to be. Asthma and allergies are not the same thing, but they can often go hand-in-hand, so you should certainly get your son tested. In addition to the typical allergens (plants, pets) ask to have your son tested for foods. There are some studies that suggest that asthma can be caused by a latent food allergy-- especially dairy or wheat. Testing is the easiest way to identify what triggers you need to avoid or eliminate.

I love the idea of boarding your cat elsewhere for a while. But note that cat dander gets in every fiber of your house, so even if the cat is gone, the allergy-causing dander will stick around for a while. And never, ever let the cat sleep in the same room with your kids or on their beds. When you sleep, your body needs to rest and regenerate, so fighting a particular allergic is especially difficult at that time.

While some people with asthma do not have a particular allergy, my experience has been that the less allergens you have in the home, the better. That may mean getting rid of all pets. You may want to get an air purifier for the bedroom and eliminate carpets where you can-- wood floors are easier to keep clean and carpets (new ones especially) let off chemicals into the air that are quite nasty. Try ridding your house of as many chemicals as possible-- use organic cleaners, no antibacterial soap, etc.-- and nix any chemicals on the yard. I would bet my eye teeth that in 10 years, we will find out that the efforts we took to keep our homes uber dirt- and germ-free and our lawns green will be the number one reason our kids are so sick.

I have two toddlers and pray that they never suffer what I have; I nursed them both for over a year to help pass on as many antibodies as possible. We will see...

Good luck to you and I wish you much good health.

You may want to have him tested for allergies..not just getting rid of the cat as there oculd be somethin else he is allergic to..talk to your doctor..becasue what if you get rid fo the cat and everything stays the same for him? and he feels liek it is his fault his kitty is gone? look into it all before you do anything

My nephew has asthma and they have a dog and 2 cats..he takes his meds and uses the nebulisers (I do not know how to spell that!)

Perhaps you could have the cat stay at the other person's house for a weekend and see how it affects your son? If it seems to help you might want to give the cat to a new home. Also, in my experience certain types of cats seem to trigger more allergies/asthma. Black cats being one kind. Also, not knowing the conditions of your house, checking for mold, obviously the cleaner it is it will be a better place to live/breathe. Perhaps an air purifier?

allergy to a cat would not cause pneumonia. If your child is not allergic to the cat getting rid of the cat won't help his asthma. I agree that I would request to see a pulmonologist.

As one who is allergic to cats, my first response would be to get rid of the cat. But it may not be the cat. I also have problems with food as do other members of my family. When we eliminated the foods that caused us problems, we became more healthy. The chronic conditions that bothered us either went away or were greatly decreased. I think those that lag would probably go away with exercise. We don't get enough. Healthy food and exercise is the way to go. The less stress on the immune system, the stronger it will be to combat disease.
Below are some web links that I suggest.

Good luck,
: ) Maureen

http://www.wptz.com/health/17776920/detail.html?treets=pl...
3 Million Kids Sick From Some Kind Of Food
More Food Allergies, Or Just More Awareness?

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

My sister's grandson had the same problem. So many scientist and doctors are now finding cleaning and personal care products we use in our homes can cause many illnesses. My sister had her daughter replace her cleaning products with safer green products and they found his symptom where no longer severe and when there was a problem it was minor. Instead of getting rid of the cat first, because it was part of the family, they begin clearing the home of toxic cleaning products, replacing with the safer products. They still have their cat.

I also have a friend who has 2 asthmatic children (no animals in the home) and she also changed to the safer products and her children are now off all their meds. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at ____@____.com

Have you taken him to a doc for allergy tests? Sometimes allergies can be a cause of his problems. I do not know how old a child needs to be for the allergy tests.
Just a thought.
Good luck.