Feline Allergies and Treatments

Cats can suffer from feline allergies that make them feel just as miserable as people with allergies feel. Don't expect sneezing, watery eyes and a runny nose to be the primary symptoms, though. If your cat has severe, prolonged itching, scabs or sores, hair loss from excessive scratching or is wheezing or coughing, he may have allergies. The most common types of feline allergies are food allergies, contact allergies, flea allergies and seasonal allergies. Determining what kind of allergy your cat has can be tricky, but it will help improve your cat's health and quality of life.

Food Allergies
Cats can sometimes develop food allergies to things they have eaten regularly, or to a new food. Non-seasonal itching around the head and neck, ear infections and digestive symptoms are common reactions to food allergies. Hair loss can result from frequent scratching. If you suspect food allergies, the vet may perform skin tests, or restrict the cat's diet and add new foods gradually over a period of weeks to discover which foods are causing the problem.

Contact Allergies
These are the least-common cat allergies. They occur when the cat has a reaction to something she touches, such as new bedding or a collar. The itching is local, in the area that had direct contact with the allergen. The trick is to identify what has caused this allergy, and then eliminate it from the cat's surroundings.

Inhalant Allergies
Inhalant allergies may result from dust, pollen, mildew or animal dander. This causes itching, wheezing or sneezing. The areas of reaction will most often be around the feet, chest, belly and face. The veterinarian can help you determine the cause of the allergy, and then your job is to do your best to remove the cause. If a cat has a pollen allergy, you may need to keep him indoors during the spring and summer.

Flea Allergies
This is the most common allergy in cats. Most cats who contract fleas will have a little itching or irritation. But if a cat is allergic to fleas, even one or two fleas biting can cause an extreme amount of self-biting, itching, sores and scabs that could lead to infection. The area above the tail is most typically affected. If your cat is allergic to fleas, it is important to remove all existing fleas, use preventative medicine to keep fleas from coming back and treat all sores until they heal.