Can Cats Have Allergies?
Unfortunately, your four-legged pal can have allergies. Felines can develop three main types of allergies: environmental, food, and flea allergies. Cats may be born with certain allergies, but they can also develop over time. Some cat breeds are more susceptible to allergies than others.
What Are Cats Allergic To?
There are three main categories of allergies:
Food Allergies
The most common food allergy is in response to proteins like fish, beef, chicken, or turkey. Allergies to plant-based carbohydrates, like wheat and soy, also occur in cats. Fruit and vegetable allergies can develop, as well, but they are rare.
Environmental Allergies
This type of allergy is typically seasonal and involves organic substances like ragweed, cedar, and grass pollens. Seasonal allergies are usually easier to spot, as your cat may only be affected a few months out of the year.
Year-round allergies, like mold or mildew can be a little trickier to pinpoint.
Flea Allergies
Flea allergies are caused by a hypersensitivity to the flea’s saliva.
Signs and Symptoms of Cat Allergies
If your feline has allergies, they’ll probably experience one or more of these symptoms:
- Itchy skin
- Sneezing, coughing, wheezing
- Itchy and runny eyes
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Swollen face or paws
- Noisy breathing that sounds like snoring
Itchy skin around your cat’s face and neck, combined with vomiting and/or diarrhea, are common food allergy symptoms. If your cat's back or tail is irritated, it could be a sign of flea issues.
Respiratory problems and snoring because of an inflamed throat are typically caused by substances your feline inhales, such as smoke or perfume. No matter what symptoms your cat is displaying, see your veterinarian for a diagnosis and recommended treatment options.
Cat Allergy Treatments
The best way to reduce environmental cat allergies is to remove the allergen in question from your home. Maintaining a clean, dust-free home and occasionally bathing your cat can also help reduce allergy symptoms. Cats live in a world just a foot or so off the ground, and the type and amount of debris in the air is very different from what an adult or child experiences. Ask your veterinarian about the best feline shampoos to use and how often your cat's skin should be washed in addition to their own self-grooming. Too much bathing can cause your furry friend's skin to dry out.
You can also experiment with different diets to see which ingredients might be causing their irritated skin. It’s a good idea to keep your cat indoors when seasonal allergies strike, and prevent fleas by using flea control medication.
If your cat’s allergies are related to their litter, gradually shift to a natural litter.
For flea allergies, the best course of action is to give your cat, and any other pets in your house, regular flea and tick treatments.
It can take time to determine exactly what substance is causing your cat's allergies. Your veterinarian can run tests to narrow down the possible culprits, but if your cat’s allergies are food-related, you'll also have to monitor their reaction to certain ingredients to pinpoint which food is causing problems. Your veterinarian might recommend a limited-ingredient diet or prescription diet with either novel or hydrolyzed proteins indicated for cats with food allergies.
Allergy Tests for Cats
For cats suffering from environmental allergies, the good news is there are blood or skin tests to pinpoint the cause. Diagnosing food allergies, on the other hand, generally requires following a strict elimination diet and monitoring your cat's response over 8-12 weeks.
An elimination diet to detect a food allergy requires you to not feed your cat any of the ingredient(s) in question. It takes at least eight weeks for all of the previous ingredients to leave your cat’s system so it’s recommended you follow the elimination diet for 8-12 weeks. It’s important to know that even the tiniest amount of the potential allergen can throw off the test, so you have to be extremely strict with what your cat is eating, including treats.
If your cat’s symptoms resolve during the elimination diet, it’s assumed they were allergic to the ingredient in question and they will need to stay on a hypoallergenic diet to treat their food allergy.
You can check if your cat has an environmental allergy with a skin or a blood test. The skin test is typically performed by veterinary dermatologists, veterinarians with advanced degrees in skin conditions. Much like humans, the skin test involves injecting a small amount of the allergen in question under the skin to see if a reaction occurs, but unlike humans, this test requires sedation.
A blood test is a simpler, and less invasive option, as it can be done by your veterinarian and does not require sedation. However, the results may be less reliable, meaning both false positives and false negatives can occur.
With the help of your veterinarian, and some patience along the way, you can figure out the source of your feline’s allergies so both you and your furry best friend can find some relief.
