How To Get Rid Of Cat Allergies: What Worked For Me

Anyone who knows me is typically shocked when they learn that I now have – and sleep next to! – an actual real-life cat. Even I can’t believe it. Because I definitely have had a lifelong cat allergy that is not mild. I’d actually describe it as “pretty severe” (once, while pregnant, it almost sent me to the emergency room). But if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we now have an indoor cat. And due to trying a whole slew of natural remedies and thanks to some cutting edge science, I no longer have any allergy symptoms at all!

Sherry petting Jenny Cat On Couch Vertical Crop

So today I’ll share my personal experience about managing and essentially eliminating my cat allergy – including the products that have (and haven’t) helped. I’m not a doctor or a scientist, but I definitely tried a ton of solutions and I’m sharing exactly what worked, and what didn’t.

How Bad Is My Cat Allergy?

Just walking into a house with a cat would trigger extremely itchy eyes, full congestion, incessant sneezing, and sometimes even actual hives on my skin. Literally within minutes, I’d often become a puffy sniffly mess. It’s such an annoying allergy to have because it feels like allergens are everywhere (cats can reach so many surfaces! their microscopic dander is everywhere!) and I always felt like the weakest link. I’ve even had allergic reactions to hugging someone who has a cat while being out to dinner with them, or being in the car of someone who has a cat when the cat hasn’t ever been in that car.

But now, thanks to implementing a few changes (for me, the cat, and our house), I don’t have any discernible symptoms to living with a cat who sleeps on my head or neck every night. Wild, right? Let me be clear: my allergy is not cured. It is not gone. In fact, I’ve recently been in a house with other cats and still had mildly itchy eyes and a bit of congestion (you’ll see why I have allergies to other cats and not my own anymore a but further into this post).

John grew up with a cat and when we met, his parents and older sister still had one each. I wouldn’t touch the cats at all, but with cats, it’s often the house itself that I’d react to. So we have several stories from our courtship when I was trying to fend off a drippy congested nose with bloodshot itchy eyes AND the drowsiness of a Benadryl while trying to make a good impression on my future in-laws.

For years, I’ve just tried to avoid homes with cats when I can. And if I can’t, I usually don’t bother with allergy medications because they tend to make me weirdly drowsy. Instead, I wash my hands frequently while there, avoid touching my face, and call it a night if I’m getting too uncomfortable. I can’t recall a time I didn’t leave a house where a cat lived with very itchy eyes and congestion – except at one friend’s house, which I’ll get to in a second.

Mostly, I was just happily living my life as a dog person. Until recently…

Why Tempt Fate Now?

Cats have grown on me in recent years. Partly because of the stray kittens that found their way into our yard a few summers ago (who remembers Nickel and Dime?). Partly because of two charming outdoor cats that greet me at the same spot on my daily neighborhood walks (and literally walk with me – someone once asked if I had them on an invisible leash). And partly – no, mostly – thanks to the stray cat that decided to call our porch home a few months ago. Spoiler: it was Jennifur (aka Jenny from the Block).

On top of that, our daughter has had a couple of neighborhood cat-sitting jobs and is shaping up to be a cat person like her father. So when Jennifur seemed to “pick us” earlier this year (she slept on the egg chair on our front porch every night and sat by our glass door every morning, just waiting to be let in), it felt like a natural opportunity to have an actual pet cat. And as our family’s affection for Jenny grew, so did our desire to have her indoors.

How Do Cat Allergies Work?

Again, I’m no scientist, but I’ve learned that most cat allergies are triggered not by cat hair, but by a protein found in their saliva & skin called Fel d 1. This protein is transferred to fur during grooming, which can then become airborne eventually sticking to fabrics, walls, and even just lingering in the air.

That’s why preventing allergies isn’t as simple as “just vacuum up the cat hair” or “get one of those creepy-but-cute hairless cats.” So this is not a post where I tell you to clean your house more. Nope. That’s not going to do it.

5 Things That Helped My Cat Allergy

Before I dive into the five things that helped me go to virtually zero allergy symptoms with our cat, let me preface it by saying:

I don’t think everything on this list will work for everyone
I think it’s the combination of these tips that got me to my complete result
This doesn’t eliminate your allergy for all cats. It helps you to live with one specific cat… who just might change your life and turn you into a crazy cat lady

1. Pacagen Powder (For The Cat)

My top tip comes from that one friend whose house I could go into with two cats and not have a giant reaction. HOW? WHY? WHAT?!? So I probed… were her cats special allergenic breeds? Nope, her husband had a cat allergy, so she added this chicken flavored powder food topper and it made him a lot less reactive. What?! I was even able to sit on her sofa – in a house with TWO CATS for hours! – and only got slightly itchy eyes.

The powder is called Pacagen Cat Food Topper (this isn’t sponsored or gifted, I just ordered it as soon as my friend recommended it). The idea behind this food topper is that it reduces the cat’s production of that Fel d 1 protein that causes your allergies. And it’s safe and vet recommended with tons of five star reviews from other people who used to be allergic to their cats.

Shaking Pacagen Cat Food Topper on Dry Cat Food

This is the same concept behind allergen-reducing food like Purina LiveClear. The only reason we picked the topper over the food was that it was specifically what my friend used and loved. I also like that it can be added to any food – wet or dry – so it is nice and flexible without requiring a diet change for your cat.

Gray Girl Cat Eating Food Near Decorative Floating Shelves

2. Quercetin Supplements (For Me)

I first heard of quercetin (I use this exact one) as a treatment for regular congestion allergies a few years ago, but had never tried it until a few months ago when Jenny moved inside. Quercetin comes from natural pigments found in plants and vegetables and is supposed to boost immunity and alleviate congestion. I was skeptical, but I’m convinced it’s the one-two punch of this & Jenny’s food powder that’s reducing my allergies the most. In fact I’m unwilling to stop one or the other to “test which one is working more” because my allergies alleviated fully when I started using them in combination.

Again, I’m not a doctor, so consult with one before you take anything new. I just take 2 quercetin supplements every morning with the rest of my vitamins and it helped resolve the last of my lingering allergy symptoms. For instance, I no longer get hives when Jennifur “bunts” me with her face (which still occurred a bit after starting the Pacagen). And some lingering occasional slightly itchy eyes dissipated too.

3. A Quality Air Purifier

I’m also sure our air purifiers help A LOT. I’ve heard from so many other cat owners who say they significantly help with their pet allergies. We got ours many years ago to help with my seasonal allergies, and they were a game-changer for that – so I shouldn’t be surprised that they also help filter pet allergies out of the air too.

BlueAir Air Purifier On Floor Next to Cat Scratching Post

We have a whole post about why we love them and how to use them. We currently have 4 in our house – 1 large one in our upstairs living room, 1 large one in our bedroom, and 2 smaller ones in each of our kids’ rooms.

4. Regular Vacuuming

Now, I said above that preventing an allergy isn’t as simple as “vacuum up the cat hair.” But I still think it can’t hurt that we run our favorite robot vacuum every single morning for a few hours on our first floor, which is where Jenny spends most of her time. I think that, in combination with our air purifiers, are existing routines in our house that help minimize my reaction for sure. But that being said, I was highly allergic to Jenny even with those two things going strong (the purifiers and the Eufy). It wasn’t until the Pacagen and the Quercetin that things began to shift to “zero symptom” territory.

5. Gradual Exposure

I have also heard that sometimes people can reduce their reaction to a specific cat by increasing contact gradullay over a long span of time. Our family did this with Jennifur – not just for allergy reasons – but also to give her time to get comfortable with us. It certainly could have also helped me acclimate to her and find the line of how much my allergy could handle, which typically can build up over time, just like being exposed to anything else very gradually over time.

Sherry Putting Jenny Cat Outside Under Her Chin

Broadly, my slow exposure over many months looked like this:

Spending time outdoors (on our porch) with the cat nearby, no contact
Other family members make contact, washing hands immediately after
Letting Jennifur rub against my clothing, changing clothes right after
Making skin contact myself, washing hands immediately after
Letting Jennifur inside for brief exploratory visits
Inviting Jennifur inside for longer periods
Jennifur inside overnight, not in our bedroom
Jenny inside overnight, in our bedroom
Living inside full time, sleeping in our bed at my feet
Living inside full time, sleeping on my neck or head

Sherry Sleeping In Bed With Dog and Cat At Her Feet

John took the photo above a few months ago, before Jenny was brave enough to sleep on my head or neck like she does now. But even her first instincts of sleeping on a chair near our bed, which gradually led to her sleeping by my feet, and now has her sleeping on my head or neck = gradual exposure.

This slow and steady process was as good for Jenny’s comfort as it was for mine (she had run the streets for at least a year prior to adopting us and was pretty skittish around humans). I’d like to think it helped my body grow accustomed to her over time, almost like I was building up an immunity. It also created time for things like her food supplement to take effect.

Like I said upfront, I didn’t eliminate my allergy, I just have zero symptoms to this specific cat. I’m honestly pretty shocked that I no longer have any trouble with surfaces like upholstery or bedding that she lays on or grooms herself on. Even 3 months ago that would have led to a giant reaction that would last at least a full day.

What Didn’t Help My Cat Allergy

I also tried a few things to reduce my cat allergy that didn’t work for me at all… and two that even made it worse! I’m mentioning them below in case it’s helpful, although I fully acknowledge that something that didn’t work for me might work well for someone else. These are the three things I gave up on:

1. Dander Drops (For Me)

Someone had recommended these allergen drops to me. The reviews are very compelling (“it got rid of my cat allergy!“) and they just go under your tongue. They’re supposed to include mircrodoses of the allergen so that your body can acclimate to them. For me, unfortunately, they were counterproductive. After starting the drops, I started having bigger allergic reactions – even on days I had no contact with Jenny (she was still outside at this point). So like… to have a full cat allergy reaction without touching the cat who was outside… that felt bad. So I stopped. Maybe I needed to acclimate to them longer? Maybe they just didn’t work for me personally? Either way, I switched to the Pacagen and the quercetin and never looked back.

2. Dander Remover Wipes (For The Cat)

We also bought a pack of these dander remover wipes that are kind of like a wet wipe you use on your pet’s coat. These did help – especially when I was getting hives after face-to-face contact with Jennifur. But she didn’t always take kindly to being wiped down (especially on her face) and it wasn’t easy to make a routine of it. So we stopped using these mostly because they were too much trouble and other things I had added in were working well.

3. Dander Neutralizing Spray (For The House)

Pacagen also sells a companion spray that can be spritzed into the air or onto surfaces like furniture every 2-3 days. We bought it and the food topper as part of a “starter bundle” on their website, assuming it was a 2-part “system” that had to be used together. But since she was outdoors only for a while, we started her on the topper and saved the spray for the eventual day she’d come inside. Well, the topper worked so well… and when I eventually used the spray… I had a reaction to it. Stuffy nose, congestion. For sure it was the spray and not the cat. I tried it a few more times and it happened every time I used it. So it may work perfectly fine for others (who knows what I’m allergic to in the spray – it could just be a fragrance that irritates my nose), but for me the food powder is perfect and the spray is a no go.

Do I Still Have Allergic Reactions?

It feels insane to say no, because my greatest hope at the start of this process of trying to address my cat allergy was to “lessen it by maybe 50%” – but I can truly tell you that I’m very in tune with my allergy, and I’d definitely notice if I still had itchy eyes, hives, congestion, etc. There are 8 hour spans of sleeping with this cat basically on my face and… it’s wild: no symptoms at all. For sure I expect I’d have big and noticeable reactions to petting other cats though. Or even to being in houses with cats who aren’t on Pacagen powder, don’t have air purifiers, etc – even without touching them.

As a funny aside, throughout this process John has realized that he may have a small cat allergy as well. He noticed his eyes were itchy a couple of times after petting Jenny and then touching his face before her Pacagen powder kicked in. But now he has zero symptoms as well.

Bonus: How Has The Dog Adapted?

This isn’t an allergy question, but I know some of you are curious about how our chihuahua mix Penny has adapted to having a cat in the house. We describe their relationship so far as “awkward roommates.” Penny is definitely much more interested in trying to touch Jenny, but Jenny remains unconvinced. They love to keep an eye on each other, so they’re often in the same room or following each other around – but so far, there is definitely no snuggling.

Gray Cat and Chihuahua Sitting On Couch Together

We’re hoping someday we’ll get those cute pics of them curled up together, but for now we’re thrilled with their relationship. Penny has always expressed, let’s say, energetic curiosity towards the stray cats outside on walks. So we wouldn’t have been surprised if she chased Jenny or got in the cat’s face with more enthusiasm than the cat wanted. Obviously, we didn’t want Jenny spooked or Penny scratched, so we took things slow.

Gray cat and chihuahua mix dog next to each other on steps

Luckily, their “courtship” went smoothly. They had several “supervised visitations” (Penny being held) both inside and out where they had a chance to sniff and just exist together. They ate near each other a few times (again, with Penny being held to make sure her enthusiasm didn’t get her in trouble) because we heard that’s a good way to introduce new pets to each other.

And now they happily hop up onto the couch or the bed on either side of me to hang out nearby (they do this to John and the kids too).