The Development of Cat Allergies

Cat allergies are very common. At least 15 percent of all cats have some form of allergy. Symptoms can range from mild (coughing) to severe (death). As a responsible cat owner you need to acquire knowledge of the types of allergies, their causes, what reaction signs to watch for, what treatment actions to take and what can be done in the future to help prevent your cat from suffering from an allergy or having a severe reaction to its treatment.

  1. Age Occurrence of Allergies

    • Approximately 80 percent of allergies begin to appear in young cats, usually between the ages of 1 to 3. However, they may start as late as 8 years old. Also, as your cat gets older he may acquire new allergies and because he is older will suffer more severe reactions. It takes a certain time period of exposure between your cat and the allergen (irritant) before the allergy develops. A unique genetic feature occurs when the immune system learns to react to the allergen and then passes this trait to offspring. The exception could be an insect bite, which could have a reaction within a few minutes. Usually, by the age of 8 years, most allergies are established.

    Causes of Allergies

    • Most of your cat's allergies will be caused by a food element. Research has shown that there are one to five ingredients in cat food that could cause an allergic response. Another cause is an insect, the most common being a flea, whose bite will cause your cat to scratch immediately. The itching will continue even after the fleas are removed. There are also airborne allergens such as grass, pollen or mold. Lastly, drugs, such as vaccinations, can cause immediate, life-threatening allergic reactions.

    Mild Symptoms of Allergies

    • Your cat may have a mild reaction to an allergy. This can happen immediately or after a delayed time period. The most common reaction to all allergies is itching of the skin. Examples of mild allergy symptoms are constant paw licking, face rubbing, belly licking and ear infections. In addition, the cat may have raised hair patches. Also, as in humans, your cat may cough or sneeze, have nasal or eye discharge and have difficulty breathing. Hives are at the high end of mild reactions to insect bites, drugs, insecticides or new food.

    Advanced Symptoms of Allergies

    • When cats suffer from advanced allergies, the majority of symptoms appear on the skin surface and cause intensive itching. Examples of advanced skin symptoms are cat miliary dermatitis, which creates groups of red lesions that are usually found on the back; feline alopecia, which creates patches of hair loss; and eosinophile granuloma-complex, which causes dryness or cracking of the lips. Other examples include eosinophilic-granuloma, which causes patches of itchy skin to appear on rear legs or the stomach area and pruritus, which are patches of itching on the face or neck.

    Cat Food Allergy Treatment

    • A cat's allergy is usually caused by a food ingredient. However, it is hard to diagnose a food allergy from a seasonal allergy, such as pollen. Once it is determined that the allergy is year-round, other common allergies need to be eliminated, such as fleas or mites. The next step to accurately diagnose a food allergy is to use an elimination diet. This is done through a simple, home-cooked recipe that gradually (once a week) adds a new ingredient until the irritant is observed by a reaction. The removal of this ingredient from your cat's diet should relieve his discomfort.