Allergies

Sammi, a neighborhood cat's face

There are plenty of people with allergies. Quite a few of us are allergic to "cats". Actually, people allergic to cats usually have problems with cat dander and saliva. Like most mammals, cats have some dandruff. Some have more than others. A couple of breeds have no dander at all. These are the rarities.

The problem allergen is a glyco protein ( fel d1). This is a molecule consisting of two polypeptide chains. Cats lick themselves clean and leave the saliva on their fur. This dries to an aerosol powder. Of course, petting the cat picks up the fel d1 on your hands.

Neutered male cats produce less fel d1 than those left "intact". In fact there is a possible link between the allergen and kitty testosterone. It may even play some in scent markers.

There are a few things you can do if you want cats at home and have that particular allergy. You can, of course, head for the doctor's office and get shots to deal with your allergy. You can keep an artificial cat, like one of those cute Japanese robot toys.

Another way to reduce allergic symptoms is washing. Wash your hands after playing with the cat. Certainly do not touch your face before washing up. But that is a little one sided, don't you think? Why not democratize the washing process?

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis discovered that washing a cat with distilled water markedly reduced the amount of fel d1 and subsequent allergic symptoms. I wouldn't suggest that you immerse kitty in water unless you are a masochist or have access to full body armor and armored gloves. But using a wash cloth soaked in distilled water to bathe your cat works too. My cats don't seem to mind that kind of washing so long as the cloth is not too wet.

Be nice. Be respectful. Remember that your cats are related to an Egyptian goddess. (Her name is Bast or Bastet. She has a second aspect as a lion, so that respect is not only for her, but a little self serving.)

statue of Bast by Trent Talley