Everything you need to know about cats with allergies

Is your cat sneezing or scratching a lot? Odds are your housemate has an allergy. Below an overview of symptoms and causes of allergies among cats.

Symptoms of allergies

The most frequent symptoms of an allergy are:

Sneezing, coughing
Skin irritation
Dirty eyes
Itchy ears/ear infections
Vomiting
Snoring due to irritated throat
Biting its paws/ swollen paws
Diarrhoea

Causes of allergies by cats

Cats can be allergic for the most unusual things:

Nutrients (e.g. gluten)
Trees, grass, fungi and pollen
Fleas and flea pesticides
Medication
Perfume/ fragrances
Cleaning agents
Cigarette smoke
Materials like rubber and plastic

cat and allergies

Dealing with allergies

Of course, you want your cat to get healthy as soon as possible which means you’ll need to eliminate the cause. Then again, chopping down a tree just because your cat doesn’t respond well to it, might be a bit on the draconian side. Some other tips:

Use dust-free, unscented litter. Your cat may be allergic to the fragrance.
When dust mites are causing the allergy, make sure you clean your cat’s sleeping spot thoroughly at least once a week. Vacuum clean your home at least twice a week.
Sometimes it’s simply impossible to remove a certain allergen from the cat’s environment (like the tree) or the allergy persists for an extended period of time. In that case, consult your vet. If your cat is itching a lot, try omega 3 & 6; fish-based cat food tends to be packed with these omegas.
Prevent your cat from getting fleas by inspecting it regularly. Consult your vet to test what pesticide it can handle.

Food allergy

Food allergy is a regular occurrence among cats. Usually the cat is allergic to proteins (animal or plant-based products). And yet, proteins are vital nutrients for cats. That’s why it is important to figure out what protein your cat is allergic to. This may vary: from beef, lamb or chicken to fish or eggs. Plant-based products can contain proteins as well. Pay attention to how your cat responds to certain types of food. If it is vomiting a lot, suffers from irregular bowel movement or excessive wind? This may be a sign of allergy, just like excessive scratching. Remove the usual food from its diet for a while and replace it by another product with a different composition. This will help you find out what food is triggering your cat’s allergy. Consult your vet for advice and to discover whether your cat is suffering from food allergy.

Special food

Once a specific allergy has been found, you can opt for special food. For example, if your cat can’t tolerate grains, choose Yarrah Grain-Free food. Check out the complete assortment of various types of food to discover what food is best for your cat.