Minnesota resident Mary Tan travels frequently with her outgoing “adventure cat,” Franklin, a rescued orange tabby. But a couple of years ago when she was traveling solo and her sister was pet sitting for her, she received a phone call that changed daily life.
“My sister called me and said, ‘I think Franklin has ear mites.’ And I’m like, ‘What? There’s no way,’” she said. “I was freaking out.”
As soon as Tan got home, she rushed her cat to the veterinarian, who determined Franklin didn’t have ear mites: he had severe allergies. The “black crud” in the cat’s ears turned out to be bacteria and yeast.
Tan, a longtime animal foster, adopter and founder of Whisker Media, learned through testing that Franklin is allergic to just about everything outdoors — particularly pollen and grass. Though he’s an indoor cat, he does take leashed walks in the neighborhood with Tan and travels to tradeshows as a brand ambassador and to a nursing home to offer comfort to residents.
After about six months of trial-and-error treatments with different medications and dosages, Franklin’s veterinarian referred him to a board-certified veterinary dermatologist. He’s much better, but he doesn’t take leashed walks in the springtime when pollen levels are high, and his condition will need to be carefully managed for the rest of his life.
Tan is committed to doing whatever it takes to help her cat with his severe seasonal allergies because it was “distressing” to see him so uncomfortable and itchy, often scratching his ears until they turned red.
“I had to do something. My pets are my children,” she said. “I’ve never encountered anything like this.”
A Veterinarian’s Perspective On Seasonal Allergies In Cats
Cats can have mild to severe symptoms from season allergies — just like humans, according to Gary Richter, DVM, owner of Holistic Veterinary Care and Rehabilitation Center in Oakland, California and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide.
“With cats, it’s either skin or it can also be respiratory,” he said. “Just like with people, cats can be very sensitive in their respiratory tracts. So coughing, wheezing, even asthma, things of that nature.”
Cats can react to the common allergens that affect humans, such as pollen, mold and dust, he noted. When allergies affect feline skin, symptoms include scratching at their face and ears, scabs on their skin and fur loss.
“Cats being cats, they do a lot of grooming,” he said. “So sometimes what will happen is cats will start overgrooming and licking off fur. It can manifest in any number of ways.”
Prevention Tips For Seasonal Allergies
Dr. Richter’s top tip for helping cats with seasonal allergies — and to boost their overall health and longevity — is to keep them indoors.
“Statistically speaking, cats live dramatically longer if they’re indoors than if they’re going outside,” he said. “It’s safer for the cat, it’s safer for the environment because cats are sort of relentless predators, so they’re always hunting things like birds and other small animals. It’s not impossible for a cat to have seasonal allergies indoors, but clearly their exposure is going to be dramatically lower if they’re not outside in the grass.”
Indoor cats can also benefit from homes that run the air conditioner instead of opening windows. Dr. Richter recommends regularly changing or cleaning the filters in the air conditioner and possibly investing in a HEPA air purifier to help decrease exposure to dust and pollen.
Additionally, he feels good nutrition can bolster a cat’s immune system. His preference is to feed pets whole foods, though he noted people concerned about bird flu in cats should avoid feeing them raw poultry.
Treatment Options For Cats With Seasonal Allergies
Treatment options run for cats with seasonal allergies run the gamut depending on the severity of symptoms, according to Dr. Richter. On the mild end of the spectrum, he suggests trying fish oil supplements and natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, such as quercetin and astaxanthin and herbal extracts like nettle extract. (Dr. Richter formulated a combination product called Feline Renew with omega fats and antioxidants.)
Zimox, an over-the-counter enzymatic product, can help with some skin and ear infections without the potential side effects of pharmaceutical antibiotics and antifungals, he noted.
“My preference as an integrative and holistic doctor is always to try and avoid the really strong immunomodulating immunosuppressive pharmaceuticals if we can get away with it,” he said.
But if natural approaches don’t work, he “absolutely” recommends calling your veterinarian. Treatment for more serious allergies includes oral and injectable medications and medicated shampoos.
Seeking Help For Seasonal Allergies
Based on personal experience, Rachel Geller, Ed.D., founder of the nonprofit All Cats All the Time, recommends calling your veterinarian as soon as you notice any unusual symptoms in cats. Several years ago, she was concerned when her rescue cat, Sosil (a Yiddish word for “sweet”), appeared to have scabs on her face.
She initially assumed the Maine Coon mix had tussled with one of her other cats. But when Sosil didn’t seem to be getting better, veterinary testing revealed she didn’t have a skin infection or cancer, but allergies.
Prescription food for cats with sensitive skin and stomachs kept symptoms at bay for a couple of years, but one dry winter, “these allergies reared their ugly head again,” according to Dr. Geller.
“She will get these skin allergies and it can range from some raw lesions on her face to really bad lesions around her mouth and nose and even on her gums,” she said. “It can very easily become infected, which has happened before. Then it spreads.”
During allergy flares, Sosil rubs her face on table corners to try to scratch the itchiness. So now at the first sign of any redness or rawness, Dr. Geller takes her cat straight to the animal hospital for a shot of steroids and the antibiotic injection Convenia.
Sosil suffered abuse in her former home and mistrusted people when Dr. Geller adopted her six years ago, but she’s transformed into “the sweetest, wonderful cat” who is now part of the family. So Dr. Geller does whatever she can to help the 12-year-old cat — just as she would for any beloved family member.
“She’s worth every penny,” she said. “I would do anything for this little baby to keep her healthy and happy. That’s what we sign up for.”