Many cats are prone to allergies, and most of the time a cat has not only one, but several. About 20% of all cats in American households suffer from allergies. Allergies fall into different categories.

Inhalant allergies: Cat litter is a main allergy trigger in some cats. Our advice is to stay with one that your cat tolerates and not necessarily buy every new product on the market. Clumping cat litter is a big problem for some cats. We will discuss this issue in the very near future in a separate article. Perfumes, hair spray, household sprays/air fresheners, cigarette/cigar smoke, pollen and household dust are some of the more common triggers of inhalant allergies.

Contact allergies: Fleas are the most common cause of all allergies (in dogs also). Older cats experience more sensitivity to fleabites than kittens or young cats. If you cat has a bad reaction due to fleabites, ask your veterinarian for oral medication or an injection and use topical medication, such as Frontline, Advantage or K9-Advantix to prevent flea infection all together!

Symptoms for contact allergies are skin eruptions or pigmentary changes and dermatitis. These symptoms are most visible on the chin, ears, abdomen, armpits, inner thighs and underside of the tail. Some plants (rubber plants), carpet cleaners, carpet fresheners, cleansers, wool, and some topical medication can also cause contact allergies.
To determine the cause, skin patches are applied to the animal. Treatment: antihistamines, in some severe cases steroids. To prevent re-appearance make sure to that your cat is not exposed again to items that haven been proven to cause it’s allergies.

Food allergies: It is estimated that 10 to 15% of all allergies are caused by food. The symptoms, severe itching and dermatitis are the same as for contact allergies, but accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. In addition the cat might experience hair loss, ear infection and very oily skin. Food allergies can take as long as several years to build up; most cats don’t show symptoms for at least 2 years. Treatment for food allergies is normally a bland, hypoallergenic diet containing boiled chicken, lamb, rice and distilled water only. It will take 1 to 2 weeks for the diet to improve the animal’s symptoms.

See also our article about >> Dog Allergies

If you or anyone in your family has pet allergies, we recommend trying Nature’s Miracle Dander Remover & Body Deodorizer. It keeps dogs and cats clean, odor and dander-free without shampooing. Just spray on pet and wipe off with a paper towel. This eliminates the dander and other organic elements that may contribute to human pet allergies. To freshen coat and eliminate odors, spray on pet and allow evaporating naturally. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe to use around children and pets.