Is anyone kid here allergic to cats? How did you find out? My 5-month-old had RSV & it’s been over a month… Still wheezing, sneezing, red/swollen cheeks, still congested. His pediatrician said the RSV should’ve run it’s a course by now & he shouldn’t be this irritated still… I told her about my cats & she thinks it’s the cats. Which if I have to re-home them to help him, I will, without a doubt, I’m just curious if anyone here has had a child this young show early signs of being allergic to cats/animals?
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Give them allergy meds. If it helps it’s the cat
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You can have the child tested. 
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I went to an allergist and had testing. Allergic to dogs but not cats. They do the skin prick
Go to an allergy doctor & get a allergy test done.
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I’m allergic to cats and your symptoms can be mild to severe but include itchy water eyes, congestion, runny nose, inability to breathe
Allergy meds can help but for me they never really corrected the issue, or eased symptoms.
He’s too young for skin testing but they can draw blood and do a RAST panel.
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We found out when my kid put his face all over a cat 
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See an allergist/immunologist
allergy test that’s how I found out that my youngest was , continue allergy meds.
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Allergy testing on babies is not pleasant. Test things out at home first. Try getting an air purifier. Try separating your cat from your baby for a while and see if things improve. He could possibly just have a cold. I thought my baby was allergic but i separated my cats from him and things didnt improve for a while. When he finally cleared up completely i allowed the cats in his space again and he had no reaction.
I was not allergic to anything until I picked up a cat and gave it a big cuddle one day and got a huge rash all over my body. Now I get hey fever every year and allergic to cats and long haired animals. Take child to do a patch test by a doctor and you will know if it’s the cats or not.
My little boy did the exact thing when he was a baby I got rid of the cat and he cleared up he is 7 yrs old and still is allergic to cats
Is your baby better when you leave the house ? Of course cats have to sleep on everything, so all the babies clothes ,blankets ,bedding. Some kids are allergic to long hair but not short . Your Dr. Can test , but if you can take her away from cats for a day or two may be telling.good luck.
Yup, its the cats!! I was the same way and still am. I can be around cats, but if I live with them no matter how clean the cat is, I get so sick it leads to Pneumonia and hospitalization. It started when I was 7/8 months old my mom said, and it was the people living with us at the time with the cat. I was sick for 2 months. The cats and roommates went, 2 weeks later and after a good scrub of the house I eventually got better. Fast forward to age 10, we got a cat to try again because my mom told me what happened when we i was a infant. We didnt get an allergy test done(small town, NL) so we tried again, 6 months later I had Pneumonia and we had to get rid of the cat!
You can have bloods and/or skin prick testing done. Both are not very accurate before the age of one as their immune systems are not fully developed.
You can give antihistamines and see if that helps.
Is bub on any solids? All those symptoms can be from a food intolerance/allergy - just something else to consider.
I am and so is my oldest son per allergy testing
I would start by restricting the cats to a part of the house the baby doesnt go frequently. Deeply clean the floor, dust everything, vacuum off furniture. Wipe down and wash everything baby touches. See if it improves the next few days. I’ve been told allergy tests on children this small arent always accurate. The baby is too small for the prick test. You may need to start trying your cats groomed to remove a lot of the dandruff. There are many solutions to co-living even if allergic unless it’s a deadly allergy. I would also recommend a good rated air purifier. That will help tremendously.
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It’s not likely if he’s been around them since birth.
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My grandaughter just walks in my house and is only here 5 minutes until her eyes are watering ,she cannot stop sneezing !
They usually don’t do allergy tests until at least 6 months of age, and it is awful. My 8 year old had an extremely hard time with it and went into anaphylaxis.
I would try sanitizing everything and restricting cats to one room for a couple of weeks and see if that helps.
My daughter is allergic to cats and thats why she was always so sickly as a toddler and preschooler. She also has asthma (I feel horrible now that I didn’t catch the signs).
Hope your little one feels better asap!
Do you have someone in your life that would temporarily take your cats for a few days to a week? I would try that and do a deep clean of the house as well as an air purifier, see if his condition seems to improve. If so then it might be time to think about rehoming. I hate to see a baby that young go through allergy testing
I’m allergic so are 2 of my kids.
Try leaving the house for like a day and see of he starts improving.
You see the Allergist. I have very allergic children.
Allergic sounds like my babies that are allergic to cats.
Doctor can check him. People dont know.
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If you live in older house, also could be mold. But yes, see if someone who take the cats & deep clean everything. If there is still a problem It’s something in the house/walls. If you get a dehumidifier, make sure you clean it every wk as per instructions
When we had RSV we were sick for almost 6 weeks. I’d give him time to get well before assuming he’s got allergies.
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I went to the doctor for my son and decided to get tested and found out that way. But I was continually sneezing and had itchy eyes and nose at home.
Went to am allergy specialist and had the test to see what all my kids were allergic too. One,nothing the other, almost everything cats, grass, mill, AMD even ladybug’s
Just have the doc do an allergy test. They take blood, which is the hardest part, but then run it against a list of things.
Allergy test if you’ve had them since hes been born I don’t see that as the issue. My sons RSV took months for him to get 100%well again. He had the wheezing for a long while after.
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Try allergy meds. If it clears up then it is probably an allergy but it could be anything. Sometimes a severe illness can trigger an allergy you didn’t have before. I am allergic to short haired cats but not the long haired cats. It seems like it should be all cats but it’s not. My allergy popped up after I had H1N1.
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It took my son about 2 months to get back to normal from RSV
Take them to see an allergist. You don’t have to get rid of the cats… Your kids can take allergy meds and don’t let the cats in their bedroom. We did it with two cats until they passed away.
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My youngest daughter is highly allergic to cats. We found out after being at my brothers house with their cats and she was puffy, red, congested, etc.
Try going somewhere for a night or 2 away from all cats. And wash anything you take with you to be sure there is no lingering pet dander.
It took more than a month after having RSV for my son to be better. He used an inhaler for 2 months after coming home from the hospital. May be he needs more time to get better. But you can get him tested for allergies to be sure.
try taking him away from the cats to see the difference
My daughter can walk in the house of someone who has cat and it immediately starts sneezing, coughing. She doesn’t even have to touch the cat itself. The pet dander. Hope your baby is better soon!!
Ummm bring the kid to get tested ?,
I have seen so many doctors blame the cat(s) right off the bat like they have a complete disdain to them but they are still members of your family. Have an allergy test and if so talk with a couple of different doctors for optional treatments. I know of two men who would become congested and one would have asthma attacks brought on by exposure to cats and now after conditioning and meds, they are both cat lovers. One even adopted one from a shelter that he loves and sleeps and cuddles with him.
When I was in the second grade I was coughing nonstop for 2-3 months, I’ve seen all different doctors one doctor even diagnosed me with asthma. My parents finally found a pediatrician who figured out the issue. We had a canary and it turns out I was allergic to the oil in the birds skin. I’m 27 and not allergic to anything else. The baby could be allergic to anything, ask for an allergy test.
Its likely the cats. She might qualify for allergy shots to help lessen the allergy over time. When I was doing them I noticed a huge difference in how i reacted with my cats
It is too early for allergy testing. The blood test is not reliable. I have suffered from allergies since I was little and so do my kids. Ask if you can give your little one allegra. I cant remember what age you can start it at but I prefer that medicine to claritin and zyrtec.
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Rsv would be resolved by now. Could definitely be an allergy. Check the home for mold.
Allergy meds, and allergy testing
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have allergy testing to verify what childs allergic to so you know.
Dr can run a allergies test but I’m pretty sure it’s not that he would have been like that since he was born or did he start like that since you gotten your cats
I’m allergic and I’ve got several of my kids who are allergic as well. Allergy testing is truly the only way to find out for sure but more than likely not old enough to do the testing. Check to see if an allergy med can be given to see if that helps. Keep pushing to get answers. Do you have carpeting in your home? I was told to get rid of all carpets in my home because it can harbor all kinds of things.
I think it’s very unlikely to be the cat it your baby was around the cat from birth now if the cats weren’t around since day one it very well could be allergic reaction to the cats
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My son suffers from allergy and he also have an asthma… His pedia said we have to get rid of everything that triggers his allergy and asthma and she gave us the list of the things we should avoid… Smoke, Baby powder, fabric conditioners, curtains, stuff toys and furry pets… As much as we want to adopt a pet in our house, we just avoided it because the pet’s fur will only trigger my sons allergy and asthma… With all that being said and by taking the meds she gave us, my son is now coping up and never had an allergy and asthma attack as of now
It’s the RSV, my son had it almost a year ago, and it takes a while for the virus to leave the body. Only bad thing now is when it gets really cold or hot out my wee guy can’t go out without coughing so hard. My cats actually stayed at my doorway making sure no one came in when I finally got him to sleep (it took waaaayyyy longer when he had RSV than when he was a newborn) and none of the cats went near him.
Someone else said get the dr. To heve him tested. My grandson has asthma and he was tested for his allergies that triggered his asthma.
My son breaks out in hives immediately around cats (usually on his face and on his butt for some reason). If he is around them for more than a couple hours he starts wheezing.
We got our kids allergy tested… come to find out they were allergic to cats and dogs…
My baby had rsv and ended up in the hospital it took about 2 months to finally stop coughing and the pulmonologist even said that’s about how long to fully recover
Yes but it got better after awhile and now no issue. Their bodies are always growing.
Keep the cats out of her room. Vacuum often (don’t forget to change the bag). My oldest is probably allergic to cats and does better since his room is a cat free zone with no carpet
You don’t have to get rid of the cats. My husband was allergic to cats his whole life but had them anyway, and is a huge cat person even today. There are allergy meds he can take, but it could change in the future so he won’t be.
My son had RSV as an infant. The doctors and all the research even say it can last longg periods of time. Can’t count on RSV being “over” . Research a little.
Keep him away from the cats for a month have no contact for a month see if there is any improvement its very simple to find out no contact with cats no cats in the house I am elergic to cats.
Allergy testing asap
Can you stay somewhere that there are no cats for a week and see if he gets bettter
My daughter is allergic to cats and dogs, she had her first reaction to dogs at 12 months old but at that time it was just hives and a horrible skin reaction but it can get worse with multiple exposures and with her last exposure it was everything you described - it starts with just a runny nose and some sneezing but by a couple hours later her face is all swollen and red and puffy and she’s clawing at it like it’s itching or burning. So miserable. And she even keeps reacting into the next day or so while her body tries to “purge” the allergen. Then she’s left with a horrid eczema flare up after that’s so bad she looks like a burn victim until it subsided. 
You could have allergy testing done but unfortunately sometimes it won’t show up positive that young, it has to build up in their system enough for it to test positive. My daughter didn’t test positive at 12 months old after her first reaction but she did after her most recent reaction a few months ago (she’s 3 now).
My daughter is currently on allergy drops so that may be an option for you in the future if it is! My daughters allergies are classified as severe so the drops may not eliminate them completely but we are hoping they will at least minimize her symptoms. The initial sneezing and runny nose is something I could deal with, but the delayed severe reaction breaks my heart to see and unfortunately pretty much everyone we know has dogs so it’s difficult.
You can take your child to get an allergy test or you can get rid of the cat, clean up all hair and remnants and see if it goes away. It’s simple.
The only sure way to know is skin testing for allergies-your child is very young and allergy patterns will be changing- most healthcare people do not recommend testing for infants until they are old enough for the allergies to stabilize- there are many things your child could be allergic to - danders, dust etc…your pediatrician should recommend eliminating suspected animals, dust, carpet in the babies room, frequent wiping down the walls and cleaning floors, etc-do these things one at a time so you can tell what eliminated item is the culprit! Your baby’s symptoms make one think the allergy at present is something the baby is inhaling- your ped may suggest an allergy specialist-respiratory allergies can become life threatening very quickly so persist until you find answers!
My son is very allergic to cats. If he pets them he gets hives around his eyes and face. He starts constantly sneezing, watery eyes., and itching.
My Husband and Daughter can’t be in a home long with cats, my Daughter was since I can remember, it sounds like your baby is, good luck I’m sure time will tell. I suggest getting away from your home for a few days with no cats and see if you can tell a difference in your baby.
My Grandson is and he was almost 2 when he showed signs. He hadnt been around any until then. He’s allergic to dogs too. Has to take daily allergy medicine. He also had rsv as a baby.
I adore cats and my whole family is highly allergic…the kit cat and caboodle.
An allergy doctor will definitely diagnose.
Sorry this is happening to you!
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I have always been alergic to cats. It’s the protein in their saliva. They clean themselves a lot which gets all over their fur. I wheeze, runny nose, itchy eyes, and even hives but the worst is the wheezing and tight chest. I already have mild asthma but if I’m at my parents I sometimes need to use a nebulizer to help open me up. An alergy pill will help for a couple hours but I can’t be around them too long and need to wash my hands right away after petting one.
RSV is extremely dangerous, and takes a while to get over. I had a preemie who caught it, and consulted with my vet and her doctors. My cat wasn’t the problem.
My oldest was always sick more than the other kids. Finally had her tested at age 8, here you have to be 5 to be tested. Besides a number of things she is allergic the most to dogs. We don’t have any (just cats) but when she is around dogs at her aunts or grandma’s her eye swells up and itches. She starts rubbing it and is just miserable.
Doesn’t sound like allergies to me. But keep the kitty out of his room, bedding anything the kitty might touch of the baby’s. Wash everything in hot water to get rid of the pet dander.
Set up an appointment with an Allergist or Immunologist . There are tests that can be done on babies and small children that can determine if it is actually an allergy or not . Find one that has a specialty in pediatrics also that way your child is getting proper care . And yes skin tests can be done on babies and blood tests can be also but skin tests are more reliable. Good luck .
Idk I’d have him tested instead because my cousins kids had RSV for like 3 months and their dr’s told them it was normal .they didnt have cats at the time but got 1 later
Our daughter has allergies that mimic RSV whenever she is around and animals with fur/hair. Rats. Guinea pigs. Bunnies. Dogs. Cats. We did scratch testing and the worse one was roaches 
they had to stop the test and give her antihistamines right away. Get scratch testing done figure out what is causing it exactly you might be able to get allergy shots to build up a tolerance
My daughter, now 20, stayed sick as a baby. We had cats that were inside outside cats. They said she was to young to test. We had tubes by 11 mths old after being on antibiotics every month of her little life. Turns out it was not the cats but mold and mildew. We lived in a house with a crawl space and old windows. I had to wipe them down with bleach water regularly. It wasn’t until we moved and brought the cats with us that she got better. Later when she was old enough to test it was severe allergies to mold and mildew spores, seen and unseen.
I’d try to clean your house and keep them out of her room. I also wiped my cats down with baby wipes cause my husband was allergic to cats.
Also, check your cleaning supplies. So many chemicals and fumes.
RSV is awful for them. Hope good health is on the way.
Another thought, how was your child before RSV? I assume cats were around previous to the virus.
they can do blood work and find out what hes allergic to if you take to allergy doctor they did my nephew he went to dermatologist
They can do a blood test now to see for sure. Even after you get rid of the cats it’s going to take a month to get the skin and hair out of the air…
Yes my son when he was small.Still allergic and he’s 36
can you put the cats in another room for a day and see how the baby reacts? That might give you a clue if the baby is allergic to cats.
Schedule an allergy test with an ENT.
My son’s eyes and face swell when he pets one. Not so much unless he touches it.
Take them to ENT doctor and get test done.
My daughter gets itchy, sneezes and her eyes water.
Siamese cats are hypoallergenic just an fyi. 
Get him tested by an allergist.
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Sorry but the health of my child give the cars to humane society stop letting your child suffer
I would see if someone could keep them just for a week or two and then vacuum and dust like crazy. If he gets better removed from as much cat dander as possible then you’ll know you have to rehome them
Go to an allergist, they’ll do a blood test to confirm what allergies your child has.
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My son is severely allergic to cats. Showed itself as chronic ear and sinus infections. Didn’t know for sure until took him to the allergist. Thats how you know.
You can also wash your cats. Temporary fix
My now one year old showed signs of allergies at 5 days old we had to take him to the er