Question:
I am going to speak from a cat allergy sufferer's perspective here and it might not be the most popular opinion.
When I am near a cat my symptoms start with itchy eyes then progress to redness and puffing, sneezing and even scratchy/closing throat (depends on how much dander I am exposed to) These are NOT fun symptoms to have and even if I DO take medication they are only reduced by a small margin. I am still very uncomfortable and could not live with these symptoms day in and day out.
Luckily, I found this out before I got a cat of my own so I have never been faced with the decision you mentioned. However, if I had been faced with it, I think I would have to say I'd give up the cat. It would most definitely break my heart to have to do this, but I also think it would be in the animal's best interest. Obviously I would have a tendancy (conscious or unconscious) to stay away from the cat if it was making me sick which means it would eventually get less attention and probably feel a bit abandoned. This to me is just as bad as abandoning the cat somewhere else. On the other hand, if I could make sure the cat was going to a friend or a good home where I could visit for a short while once in a while and know it was well taken care of, I think it would just be a better solution for both me and the animal.


Answer:
What would you do if you had a cat, developed allergies and your doctor told you in order to feel well you shouldn't have cats?
I've been there and been told almost exactly the same thing. But the cats stay. I think there is a difference between it compromising the way that you feel vs. compromising your health (ie. provoking asthma attacks). Even still, I would rather take meds (and I hate taking meds) than give up my cats. They are a part of the family.
However, that is just me.


Answer:
I couldn't give them up. I'd rather wear a respirator.


Answer:
I am allergic to our cat, so I can speak from experience. My allergies consisted (note: past tense) of watery itchy eyes and sneezing, not breathing problems except if I already had a cold, then my chest would be worse due to the added symptoms. I went to the allergist and am on my fourth year of getting allergy shots. I went weekly for the first year, every other week for the 2nd and every third week for the third year and now go once a month. I no longer need allergy medicine and only very rarely if I am petting her and forget to wash my hands and I touch my eyes do I have itchy eyes.
That said, I want to reiterate that I do not have asthma and that is a whole different story. I had asthma like reactions to our dog, wheezing all night long, couldn't sleep, coughing, etc. Plus I was pregnant and there were not allergy medicines available that there are these days. so I did choose not to live like that and found a wonderful home for our dog who I got to visit frequently. I also had a two year old to take care of and a full time job so it was the right choice. I still miss him, but I don't miss not being able to breathe.
It is a tough choice, but there are lots of factors to consider that are different for different people.....


Answer:
For me personally... THE CATS WOULD STAY!
I fortunately have never suffered from allergies so I don't relate but several people that work at our shelter do have allergies (usually to the cats) but they are big-time animal lovers so take their meds in the morning b4 coming to work... and usually we have them working with the dogs only (as much as possible)...
We also had a co-worker who had serious asthma (she passed away 1 1/2 yrs ago) due to an asthma attack. She never missed work and you'd see her taking puffs on her inhaler every once in awhile but she loved her job and I know that she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


Answer:
Personally I think theres a diffrence between the ADULT choosing to live with symptoms and on medications verses a child having to go through symptoms and live on medication.
If it was me personally id keep the animal, if it was one of my girls id have to say if it was making my child sick the animal would have to be found a new home.
When we had Melissa and after comming home they said she shouldnt be around animals at all, I arranged to do a slow reintroduction to the dog we had at the time as there wasnt anyway I was going to just GIVE him up without first seeing if it truly affected her breathing. We were very lucky that we took it slow and it worked out well. Would I have given him up? It would have killed me to do so but if it meant my daughters health and aside from dopping her up on meds all day I probably would have had to.


Answer:
I can understand what you're saying Christy... but unfortunately, MANY new parents DO give their pets up at the 1st sign of a sneeze. I truly believe kids need to build up an immunity to pet dander. In this over-sterile enviroment people want to live in, its no wonder we're seeing so much more allergies than we did years ago...


Answer:
Sue OH i agree Im not talking the occasional sneeze type thing. Im talking seriouse problems. Luckily by the time Melissa was born I wasnt a new parent, and our family dr who had been treating us and our older two knew how much we loved our Grizzly, the only reason he even said that it was a problem was her prematurity and lung problems. Melissa has asthma and as a matter of fact has to go back to the dr on Monday to see about going back on her medication because the trail of her off was going well but seems to be taking a nose dive. Luckily she dosent seem affected by critters.


Answer:
There are also more things that can be done, as opposed to just taking meds:
1. There are dander-reducing "shampoos" that can be used on cats. You don't actually have to bathe them: you can dampen a cloth with some of the shampoo (it's more like a liquid than a soap) and rub it on the cat.
2. Don't let the cat into the bedroom!
3. Avoid carpeting, and vacuum frequently. Make sure your vacuum cleaner bag is able to filter out cat dander! (Otherwise it will just blow it into the air.)
4. Have washable covers on the furniture. They should be washed at least once a week, with some bleach in the wash water. Bleach will neutralize or "destroy" cat dander.
5. Get a good hepa filter, if you can. If you can afford it, hook one up to your heating/air conditionning unit.
6. Once a month, you can wash down the walls and floors with one part bleach to thirty-two parts water. Dander is "sticky" and adheres itself to the walls and floor fairly well. The bleach will "destroy" the residual cat dander.
7. Wash hands after handing the cat!
8. Choose light-coloured cats. The darker the fur, the more dander produced by the cat!
9. Brush your cat frequently!


Answer:
This is definately a familiar topic for me. When I was young I had severe asthma. And I mean 'really' severe asthma. I lived with a constant wheeze for over 10 years. However, I had my cat and wouldn't let my parents get rid of her for anything.
My parents ripped up all the carpet in the house and put in hardwood floors. I wasn't allowed stuffed animals in my room. I had my entire bed washed on a weekly basis at least. My cat even had regular baths although she sure didn't enjoy them My parents tried everything and by the time they realized that the only option was to get rid of the cat it was to late. Of course, my parents didn't expect my cat to live for over 20 years (yes Kitty is 'still' alive )
However, my doctors and specialists told me asthmatics should not take allergy medicine. In my case my doctors told me it could be fatal. I wasn't even allowed to take cough medicine. I don't recall the exact reasoning why I wasn't allowed (I was to young to care) but it was something along the lines of the medicine being suppressing drugs and being an asthmatic you should always cough if you need to.
Now, over the years my allergies to my cat have gotten much better. I can pick her up, pet her and be fine (as long as I wash my hands after). Some cats I am fine with (like the barn cats) but other cats (like a a friend of mine's) make me horribly sick for days.
All of this to say I have to agree with Christy. If I was in my parents shoes I would have gotten rid of our cat. It was a horrible way to grow up and I only now realize how many things I couldn't do as a kid. I never knew what I was missing because it was the way I always lived (wheezing, coughing, sleeping only an hour before I would wake up with a sneezing attack).
I love my cat but I would never get another one. In a way it makes her even more special