NMMR: Question for those with allergies

TravelJunkie1234 · May 2015

So I have a question that you guys might be able to help with. My in-laws are coming to stay with us for a month (and it could quite possibly become a full-time thing by the end of summer). They have stayed with us before but usually for only a week or so. The thing that I'm concerned about is that my mother-in-law is allergic to cats and we have 4 of them (for what it's worth, she does love cats!). When they've stayed with us in the past her allergies haven't been too bad, but those stays have always been fairly short and I'm just wondering if there are things that we can do to help out with her allergies if this becomes permanent.

So far we have declared our guest bedroom a cat-free zone, painted it and bought a new mattress and linens (it needed a little makeover anyway--the previous owners had painted the room lime green, not my style!). I've also been trying to get in the habit of vacuuming daily (our house is all hardwood and tile, so any pet fur tends to just roll around like tumbleweeds), and brushing the cats at least every other day. The cats will also be getting a bath before the in-laws arrive. I'm considering buying an air purifier as well if it might help.

Can you think of anything else that might be helpful to keep her allergies under control? I've never had allergies so I feel like a fish out of water and I just want to make things as comfortable as possible for my in-laws, especially if they do end up moving in with us permanently.

TL;DR My MIL is coming to stay with us for at least a month, maybe longer. She is allergic to cats, and we have several of them. Any recommendations for helping keep her allergies under control/make her more comfortable?

Thanks guys!

maple2 · May 2015

Your ideas all sound great. Keeping a cat free bedroom is probably the very best thing you can do so she always has a place she can go and know she won't have to worry about allergies. Increased hand washing will also help keep the allergens from spreading after people touch the cats or furniture they have been on. She will probably take care of it herself, but you could ask if she takes any particular allergy medication that she would appreciate you having on hand.

abrewer5 · May 2015

I would also check with MIL to see that she on allergy medicine... If not maybe have her contact her doctor to get put on some or she can pick up some OTC medicine. I think all the other steps you're taking will help a lot!

Side note: I have a friend that is SEVERLY allergic to cats. She ended up in the hosptial for 3 days for an asthma attack brought on by allergies after I visited her right after leaving my MIL's who has two cats. It was awful. I hope MIL's allergies are not that bad.

formerlyGDaisy09 · May 2015

a HEPA filter in the guest room might also help, you could potentially move it around the house if she begins finding some rooms particularly bothersome. I grew up with a brother with severe allergies (cats, dust, mold, pollen...) we had cats, keeping them out of his bedroom made a huge difference. if you have the time to brush the cats outside or in a part of the house MIL won't go once a week that may also help.

Xstatic3333 · May 2015

I have very bad cat allergies, and think all of the steps you've taken are great! The one thing I'd add is that if she's sniffly, don't nag her about it. OTC allergy mess don't make me feel great, and when I visit my inlaws they constantly nag me to take them, when I'd prefer to just be alert and use tissues. You could also hang out outside a lot if the weather is nice.

kmurphy2131 · May 2015

I know that growing up we had a neighbor who had cats and someone in the house was allergic. They gave their cats a special bath to manage the allergies and it really helped. Might be worth looking into if it will be a long term thing.

The tough part may be that her allergies become worse as time goes on. My husband is allergic to cats and we visited some friends who have cats (we stayed in a hotel because of the allergy). The first night he had minor allergies when we were hanging out at their apartment. The second afternoon he had worse allergies and couldn't (didn't want to) stay in their apartment. The following morning we met them for breakfast and just being around them (them being the humans who live with cats) triggered his allergies.

short+sassy · May 2015

I've heard, it is actually not cat fur that people are generally allergic to, it is an enzyme in a cat's saliva. But, since they are self cleaners, that saliva gets on their fur.

I actually had an opposite experience with cats and an allergy. Years ago, my H and I had a problem with mice in a historic home we were renting. We trepidatiously got a cat, even though I had a mild allergy to them. With my plan being I just wouldn't pet her (yeah right!). I had mild allergy symptoms for two weeks and then they disappeared completely. We still have that loveable little imp!

Of course, we would have kept her either way, but she did turn out to be an outstanding huntress. Word must have gotten around to the local mouse population because, after a couple months, they were totally gone.

I've also heard there is a shot people can take once a week if they have severe allergies (it can be self administered). I know a lot of people freak out with shots, but this one does not go into a muscle or the bloodstream or anything like that...which is very different from what a typical doctor's shot is like.

formerlyGDaisy09 · May 2015

short+sassy said:

I've heard, it is actually not cat fur that people are generally allergic to, it is an enzyme in a cat's saliva. But, since they are self cleaners, that saliva gets on their fur.
I actually had an opposite experience with cats and an allergy. Years ago, my H and I had a problem with mice in a historic home we were renting. We trepidatiously got a cat, even though I had a mild allergy to them. With my plan being I just wouldn't pet her (yeah right!). I had mild allergy symptoms for two weeks and then they disappeared completely. We still have that loveable little imp!
Of course, we would have kept her either way, but she did turn out to be an outstanding huntress. Word must have gotten around to the local mouse population because, after a couple months, they were totally gone.
I've also heard there is a shot people can take once a week if they have severe allergies (it can be self administered). I know a lot of people freak out with shots, but this one does not go into a muscle or the bloodstream or anything like that...which is very different from what a typical doctor's shot is like.

There are allergy shots! we're actually looking at sub-lingually administerd allergy "shots" for our dog, which are actually drops administered under the tounge, so it take the needles out of it, I don't know if they make something similar for people.

I assume this is the same in people, but the vet explained to me that the allergy shots act like a vaccine, and they are actually retraining your body's immune system to deal with the allergin, so many people find that allergy shots are not something they end-up needing forever, eventually their bodies get better at dealing with the allergin.

maple2 · May 2015

I got allergy shots for several years. When I got them (many years ago at this point), there was not an option to self administer them. I had to wait at the dr.'s office for 30 minutes after every shot to make sure I didn't go into anaphylactic shock, which turned out to be a good thing because I did go into shock at one appointment and needed an emergency epinephrin injection. They gradually increased the amount of allergen in the shot over time to build up an immunity like @formerlyGDaisy09 said. I'm not familiar with the types of shots @short+sassy mentioned, but the ones I got were meant for people whose allergies were bad enough that they were willing to go to the doctor every week for several years and get a shot. Not something most people would choose do to for mild allergies. If there are self-administered options available now, that would be great for a lot of allergy sufferers!

TravelJunkie1234 · May 2015

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Some of these stories about major allergic reactions are what worry me, but I'm hoping all will work out ok. I do know that MIL used to have a cat when DH was little and she had allergies then but they weren't too bad--I'm just hoping they haven't gotten worse and that this all works out!

Is it sort of weird that I'm kind of looking forward to the chance that my in-laws might move in with us? lol

Xstatic3333 · May 2015

TravelJunkie1234 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Some of these stories about major allergic reactions are what worry me, but I'm hoping all will work out ok. I do know that MIL used to have a cat when DH was little and she had allergies then but they weren't too bad--I'm just hoping they haven't gotten worse and that this all works out!

Is it sort of weird that I'm kind of looking forward to the chance that my in-laws might move in with us? lol

Honestly, even though my allergies are bad, and I could never live with a cat, I find I really do fine in houses that are very tidy and frequently vacuumed. I used to babysit at houses that had cats but also hired cleaners and I would only have a problem if an especially cute cat suckered me into petting it. Once in grad school, however, I crashed at friend's place who had a cat that usually slept in the guest room, and when I woke up I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I wouldn't really want to get shots just for the sake of visiting people, but that could be an option if she moves in with you.

My inlaws tend to do the thing that drives me crazy where girls hang out in one room and boys hang out in the other. In their case, boys hang out outside and smoke (not H) and since the smoke bothers me less than the cats I just go out with the guys. Their house is usually not super vacuumed when I'm there. I'm already dreading what I'll do on those visits someday when I'm pregnant or have kids and can't be around the smoke, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

short+sassy · May 2015

@maple2, my one and only experience with self administered allergy shots was one of my sorority sisters in college. I don't think they are recommended for mild allergies, so I apologize if I gave that impression. I was talking about my (previous) mild allergies with cats, but I didn't take shots for that. I can see where I might have been confusing!

My sorority sister had really bad environmental types of allergies (pollen, ragweed, etc.). Her H usually gave her the weekly shots, but he was going to be out of town for a few weeks and she asked if I would give her the shot because she was too squeamish to give it to herself. I'm actually an insulin-dependent diabetic and give myself 2-4 shots a day, so I guess I was the obvious choice for her, lol.

My big concern was if it was a shot that needed to go into a vein, because that is a specialized skill I do not possess. But no, it was just like an insulin shot. No muscles, no veins, just into the top layers of skin. If I remember correctly, I think even the needle was the same. Very short, very thin...most of the time you don't even feel it.

vlagrl29 · May 2015

I'm surprised your MIL can stay in a house with 4 cats which she is allergic to even with your precautions. DH can't even stay in a house with 1 cat for more than 30 minutes. his is pretty severe though.

I think that vacuuming regularly and brushing there hair sounds like a great idea along with making the bedroom a cat free zone.

TravelJunkie1234 · May 2015

Yeah, MIL's allergies are fairly mild I think. I know she used to have a cat but that was years ago. She's done ok in the past so hopefully this all goes ok long-term. If not I'm not sure what we'll do. I did pick up an air purifier last night, grabbed some hypoallergenic pillows and her preferred OTC allergy medicine.

I do feel a little bad--our cats have been trying desperately to try and get into the guest room I think they know they aren't allowed to go in there anymore and they keep waiting by the door waiting for someone to open it so they can sneak in. Silly cats.

short+sassy · May 2015

TravelJunkie1234 said:

Yeah, MIL's allergies are fairly mild I think. I know she used to have a cat but that was years ago. She's done ok in the past so hopefully this all goes ok long-term. If not I'm not sure what we'll do. I did pick up an air purifier last night, grabbed some hypoallergenic pillows and her preferred OTC allergy medicine.

I do feel a little bad--our cats have been trying desperately to try and get into the guest room I think they know they aren't allowed to go in there anymore and they keep waiting by the door waiting for someone to open it so they can sneak in. Silly cats.

You know cats only want to be where they are not allowed to go

.

formerlyGDaisy09 · May 2015

short+sassy said:

TravelJunkie1234 said:

Yeah, MIL's allergies are fairly mild I think. I know she used to have a cat but that was years ago. She's done ok in the past so hopefully this all goes ok long-term. If not I'm not sure what we'll do. I did pick up an air purifier last night, grabbed some hypoallergenic pillows and her preferred OTC allergy medicine.

I do feel a little bad--our cats have been trying desperately to try and get into the guest room I think they know they aren't allowed to go in there anymore and they keep waiting by the door waiting for someone to open it so they can sneak in. Silly cats.

You know cats only want to be where they are not allowed to go .

this is so true! if there is a shut door in my house, I guarentee the cats are sitting on one side of it wanting to be on the other.

FirstMate06 · May 2015

TravelJunkie1234 said:

Yeah, MIL's allergies are fairly mild I think. I know she used to have a cat but that was years ago. She's done ok in the past so hopefully this all goes ok long-term. If not I'm not sure what we'll do. I did pick up an air purifier last night, grabbed some hypoallergenic pillows and her preferred OTC allergy medicine.

I do feel a little bad--our cats have been trying desperately to try and get into the guest room I think they know they aren't allowed to go in there anymore and they keep waiting by the door waiting for someone to open it so they can sneak in. Silly cats.

Just my two cents- I was pretty allergic to cats growing up In high school I'd have red, watery eyes and sneezing fits within minutes of entering a friend's home with cats and if I touched them I'd get an itchy rash within an hour or so. Flash forward to two years ago my roommate decided to move her cat in with us and I did a lot of the prep you mentioned (air filter, keeping my door shut) and then I maintained my usual daily Claritin for seasonal allergies and I never had a problem with her cat. I would play with her all the time and she had free reign into my room, she would even climb into bed with me sometimes at night and I never had a bad reaction. After a couple months I stopped taking my Claritin because the seasons changed and I didn't need it anymore and I still didn't react to the cat. It seemed like a gradual desensitization. I hope it goes the same for your MIL!

NMMR: Question for those with allergies

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