Is it possible to be allergic to one cat and not another?

If his dander has very specific allergens then that’s what would happen. It’s a little odd, but not out of the question. The only thing I wonder is if he has played or sat in something that the others didn’t, and it’s not really a cat dander problem at all.

@pdworkin I don’t think he has been in anything. They are all three strictly indoor cats and it’s on ongoing thing. I hate it because I want to love him up but hate to itch!

Yeah, that sounds horrible! I love to cuddle with Cecil.

I think so, just from my own experiences.But when I had the allergy test done on my arms, they tested me and it said I was allergic to cats.
Example for me: I had two cats growing up Tigger and Buster. I was always very allergic to Tigger and so was my mother. We currently have two different cats, Henry and Spencer. Henry seems to aggravate my allergies more than Spencer. He has a shinier coat, it looks more oily than Spencer’s. Also, Henry is very hygienic..always giving himself a bath, while Spencer never really bothers. That’s how Buster was. Maybe it’s the excess saliva?

The allergens are contained in the saliva, not the fur so if one cat grooms more than the other he is creating more dander. That’s basically what the dander is. Dried cat saliva which flakes off and into the air and everywhere so that theory makes sense.

If you take a wet or damp washcloth once a day and go over the whole cat it may help.

Another thing I read about somewhere is that some allergists and laboratories are now creating the desensitization shots based upon an individual cat’s dander rather than the general one for cats which has been in use as the standard for so long.

I don’t know how difficult it may be to find a progressive allergist who favors this approach but it makes sense to me. If I were allergic to cats, I would definitely look into this approach. It seems quite logical.

@Buttonstc That’s kind of gross…dried cat spit is making me itch…ugh! But I will try washing him with a damp cloth..dunno if he’ll go for it or not, but it’s worth a try!

@knitfroggy

As gross as it sounds it unfortunately is accurate. Also some cats are face lickers so if he is one you can’t allow that either.

Generally speaking, the more you can lessen your total exposure load from whatever source(s) the less reactive you will be in time. Keeping the bedroom off limits to the cat will also lessen your exposure considerably due to the amount of time spent breathing the air in that one room. If you have not been doing this consistently then a thorough cleaning and washing of all bedding is also necessary.

Air filters will also help. Every bit of mitigation you do serves to decrease the total allergy load and if done consistently over time you should notice some decrease in symptoms.

It’s kind of a pain but it sure beats getting rid of those little furballs of love by a long shot.

@Buttonstc No I could never get rid of Tony. You know how cats usually have one person they are most attached to? Tony is most attached to my daughter, so I don’t have to worry about him getting on my lap too often. I’m glad I’m not allergic to Tabby, because he is my baby and it would break both of our hearts if he couldn’t sit with me!

I agree with you 100% and I wish there were more Doctors who would stop automatically advising to dump the family pets into shelters.

There are so many other things one can do instead which will do just as good or more.

Even if I developed an allergy to cats in addition to my other allergies, I would never get rid of my little Smoochie (even tho she’s not out of the nippy stage yet and persists in trying to use me as a chew toy :)

Yes. From Wikipedia: cat allergy in humans is an allergic reaction to one or more of the five known allergens produced by cats. The most common of these is cat glycoprotein Fel d 1.

Yes, because different breeds of cats have different types of fur. One type may off set an alergic reaction while another type may not. I know from talking to my doctor and from personal experiance. My aunt’s cats are a different breed than my cats and I can’t breathe with them around but at home I’m fine.

different breeds of cats, with their fur types, will NOT cause different reactions! ARGH! All cats groom similarly, and it is the dried saliva on their fur and skin that causes a cat allergy. If you react differently to different individuals, there are other environmental variants. Does one cat eat more of a particular food? Then you are reacting to food ingredients. Do the cats have different favorite haunts? Then you are reacting to what they pick up on their fur from the dust bunnies or fabrics. It is even possible that the cat you are sensitive with has fleas or mites and it is those critters causing your reaction.