Dealing with your cats allergies
When your cat begins to exhibit allergic reactions, it can be very confusing when trying to deal with the source of the irritation – taking your cat to the vet for a minor irritation can sometimes be time consuming and seem like a waste of money when you can easily solve and treat the problem at home. Here at Animal Friends we understand that the different types of cat allergies can leave you feeling lost, so today we’re looking into exactly what the different types of allergy are and how you can help your cat.
Different allergies?
Just like humans, cats can have allergic reactions to a great deal of things, so we’ve compacted all of these down to four categories that will help you understand exactly what is upsetting your faithful feline. The categories are; Contact, Flea, Inhalation and Food. The sections below will go into greater detail about the individual allergies and the allergens which cause them below, whilst also providing some helpful advice on how to prevent or treat them.
Contact Allergies
Contact allergies are the least common to occur in cats, and are also the easiest to solve. These allergies occur when the cat comes into contact with a substance it is allergic to – this can be either synthetic or naturally occurring material, so if your cat does start showing signs of localised itching, keep an eye on them until you can work out what caused it. Contact allergies are the easiest to prevent as well – simply remove the offending material and the symptoms will clear up.
Cat Flea Allergies
Flea allergies are quite common in cats, but can manifest in many different ways. A normal, non-allergic cat will only experience minor irritation from a flea bite; however the allergic cat will suffer from a severe itch producing reaction when the flea’s saliva comes into contact with the skin. This reaction can be so severe that the cat may seriously scratch or chew at itself, removing large patches of fur, often on the rump by the tail.
Obviously the best way to treat this is to remove the cat from any place it can contract fleas, and to use complete flea control in order to maintain your cats health. If regular flea control is not an option, then the use of corticosteroids (also known as Cortisone or just Steroids) is possible, as cats are more resistant to the side effects than other species – obviously it is advisable to seek veterinary advice before following this course of treatment.
Fleas and ticks can commonly carry diseases, or cause infections through their bites. It is wise to use regular prevention treatment on your cat to stop the possibility of anything worse being contracted during a small flea infestation.
Inhalant Cat Allergies
Inhalant allergies are the most common in cats, and are widely linked to respiratory problems, as cats can be allergic to all of the allergens that humans react to, such as the various tree and grass pollens, dust mites, moulds and mildew, amongst others. We usually react with respiratory problems, known commonly as ‘hay fever’, but cats react with severe and generalised itching.
The two categories for this kind of allergy are seasonal and year round. Hay fever, caused commonly by grass and tree pollen, is a seasonal allergy and cats will be affected only during this period. This can be easily treated by keeping your cat indoors when pollen counts are higher, however as the itching/reaction will only last for a few weeks at a time, and the cat is not in too much discomfort, then such measures may not need to be taken. Year round allergies are caused by dust and mould most commonly, and as such it is harder to prevent this kind of allergy. You can buy hypoallergenic shampoos to help keep your cat clean from the allergens, preventing the cat from ingesting the substances that will cause a reaction when grooming.
Food Allergies
Cats are not commonly born with food allergies, but they can contract them over time, usually with food products they have eaten for a long time. The symptoms can be any of the previously mentioned signs, as well as digestive disorders and respiratory distress. We’ve gone into more detail on this common problem before at Animal Friends, so follow this link to read more on how to deal with your cat’s food allergy, and what can be done to help.
And remember…
Keeping an eye on your cats and checking them over every day will help you recognise any symptoms well before your cat is in too much distress, and should any symptoms arise that you cannot solve using our tips above then seek a vets advice as soon as possible.
Don’t forget that Animal Friends offers a wide range of comprehensive cat insurance products to help with veterinary bills, so visit our quote engine or phone 0845 55 70 300 and ask our friendly team how we can help you today. Alterantively Animal Friends also offers Multi Pet Insurance if you own more than one cat or dog, or both.
