Have any of you been in this situation? You move in with someone new and all of a sudden you both realize your roommate is allergic to your pet? This happened to me last year. I have an amazing, sweet, and gentle cat. His only flaw is actually my fault, I spoil my pets. All my friends love him and he is very friendly. Sounds like the best pet, right?!? It turns out my new roommate did not seem to agree. Immediately after moving in together my roommate’s eyes started being perpetually watery and he seemed to never stop sneezing. To be honest I hoped it was the flu (not very nice of me, I know). Turns out, he is allergic to cats. And at this point in time is where the arguments between the two of us started.

His family never had any pets so I guess he did not understand what my pet means to me. He kept asking me to get rid of it like it was nothing. He said I could give him to my parents to look after, or a friend, or my sister. Would you give your baby up?! No, I did not think so, and neither would I. Obviously I could not just sit there doing nothing so the two of us started doing research online to try and fix our little problem. We found quite a bit of information on the topic and this is what I will be sharing with you in my next few blogs. This first blog is more of a pet allergy overview and another one will follow shortly with treatment options and advice from my personal story.

Prior to my research I thought that allergies to pets were not at all common. Most of my friends have pets and I had never heard of one of them being allergic to any animals. Turns out allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common especially for those people who suffer from other allergies or asthma. Up to 30% of people who suffer from allergies have a reaction to cats and dogs. As I found out car allergies are about twice as common as allergies to puppies. Another interesting fact is that people who are allergic to dogs can be allergic to all dogs or just certain breeds.

When one person says they are allergic to cats or dogs, they are reacting to allergens found in the pet’s dander and secreted fluids. The pet’s hair does not cause allergic reactions but the dander in it does. The allergens from the pet collect on fur, carpets, furniture, clothes, and more. It is pretty much impossible to live in an apartment with a pet if you are allergic since even sitting on a couch that the pet sat on can make you sick. Not to mention that if you pet or groom a pet its allergens will be transferred to your skin, clothes and hair. But you are not safe from allergens even in houses without pets if the members of the household spend a lot of time around pets. Allergens can be easily transferred into a pet-free home.

For symptoms, diagnostics, and treatment read my next blog by clicking below.

When Your Roommate Is Allergic To Your Pet… Part 2

http://www.medichatmd.com/blogs/when-your-roommate-is-allergic-to-your-pet-part-2.html