Expert: Ali - 8/29/2008

Question
QUESTION: First of all I have had cats 20 yrs. recently adopted 2 cats from a woman highly allergic. well guess what my eyes are watering, itching, face, neck, never had problem. roommate SAME, always had cats first time she is experiencing, what is the best rememdy? also how do I introduce these 2 4 yr old male nuetered cats well adjusted to my older 15 yr old male siamese no claws, VERY
jealous, roared when they were in my room so I moved them to my roommates room and he is much happier but I am not sure how to do this 5th day now.. both cats bonded with us both very sweet. one is scared the other curious. But I can't really introduce them till I find out  what to do about this reaction we are having to them help

ANSWER: Catherine,

Honestly I can't offer a "best remedy" for dealing with the reactions that you and your roommate are having to these cats. Sometimes allergic reactions can be related to flea droppings/saliva in a cat's coat. I normally recommend that you have the new cats assessed by your family vet. This assessment should include having a thorough physical exam done on both cats which would likely spot any flea droppings. The cats should also have routine blood work done to assess their entire systems to ensure that they are functioning within normal parameters. Having a urine sample analyzed to check for minor bladder infections and crystals in their urinary tract is a good idea as well. It can't hurt to bathe the cats using a mild soap-free shampoo designed for cats to minimize the dander that is in their coats. I would recommend using a shampoo meant for cats made by a company called Earthbath as their products are cruelty free, environmentally responsible and very mild on the cats' skin and coats. People with cat allergies can react to cat saliva, dander or parasite feces. It's possible that you and your roommate have become accustomed to your Siamese cat's dander, but that in the time that he has lived with you your immune systems have changed and are now reacting to cats. I know people who react only to outdoor cats or those who have recently had fleas. As for recommending the most appropriate allergy treatment for you and your roommate I can't offer much beyond suggesting over the counter allergy eye drops and antihistamines, for more specific advice I think that it would be best for you to see your family physician. If the reactions to your new cats persists then I would recommend speaking to your doctor about allergy testing/shots to help you deal with the severity of the reaction. Finally if you and/or your roommate are unable to reduce the severity of the reactions to the cats then you may have to consider re-homing them with someone who doesn't have a reaction to them.

As for introducing your resident cat (15 year old Siamese) to your new cats (neutered 4 year old boys) it's important to ensure that your Siamese is neutered prior to the introductions if he hasn't yet been altered as this will reduce the likelihood of a severe negative reaction to the new kitties. I have answered numerous e-mails related to proper new cat introductions so, please feel free to look through my past answers to find helpful tips and information about introducing new cats to one another.

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QUESTION: the cats are all neutered,my cat is noting his territory by puting little turd down, peed where their litter box was. I need to know do i let one out at a time in living room, for a short period of time? the cats just had physicals shots, before they came. had some fleas so I treated them. gave them both a bath, what do you think of wipes?? they advertise. My cat is 15, kidney disease, is eating less even though I rea sure the him. the new cats have had shots and well taken care of. Is it good to brush
cats to eliminate dander? any other information .specific to my situation would help. these are 2 four yr old nuetered males( with claws) mine of course is nuetered 15, no front claws, very territorial, If you are not willing
to answer mine specifically please pass it on o someone else thanks

ANSWER: Catherine,

According to my understanding bath wipes aren't really very effective for controlling dander. I have heard some people say that the bath wipes are useful for daily maintenance in between weekly baths with water and mild soap free shampoo meant for cats. You can either bathe your cats at home every week or pay a professional groomer to bathe the cats weekly with a soap free shampoo intended for use on cats. In my household I don't actually use the bath wipes for anything beyond giving my cats a quick wipe down if they have become slightly soiled or they have tracked used kitty litter, urine, feces out of the litter box or they have brought up a hairball and ended up with some on their coat. I recommend products made by Earthbath. The products that are made by these folks are high quality, mild pet shampoos. None of the products made or used by Earthbath are tested on animals so they are cruelty free. These grooming products are made with the environment in mind, they are biodegradable and packaged in recyclable containers. These shampoos and other grooming products are also soap free and mild enough to use on the cats on an ongoing basis.

Bathing cats is generally fairly simple. The best way to bathe a cat is to prepare everything beforehand. I usually bathe my cats in my kitchen sink because it's much easier on your back and you have more control over the cats actions. You will need a minimum of two fair sized towels for each cat, plus a hand towel that will be placed into the bottom of the sink so that your cats have something other than you to hold onto which will help the whole process to be much less traumatic. You should be sure that the A/C is off and the house is a bit on the warm side because wet cats can become quite cold very quickly. If you use a heating pad to warm the towels up the cats will be much more comfortable. The water used to bath the cats in should be pleasantly warm when tested on the inside of your wrist. You may also want to have a couple of pitchers with warm water inside of them to help rinse your cats as some cats aren't comfortable with the tap running while they're under it. You will need to start off by plugging a heating pad meant for wet/dry heat in and turn it onto the medium setting, place two towels under the heating pad and on top of it. While the towels are being warmed you can start to prepare the kitchen counter and sink for the baths. Once your towels are warmed you can start to run the bath water. Remove any food, appliances, breakable items and other objects from the counter. Start running water that is comfortably warm when tested on the inside of your wrist into two plastic pitchers. Once the pitchers are filled you can place the plug into the sink and start running the bath water into the sink on top of the hand towel. Once the sink is about 1/3 to 1/2 full you should shut the water off. Don't wear anything that the dye runs in or you would prefer doesn't get wet while bathing the cats. I have found that shorts and a tank top is the smartest choice as you may end up getting just as wet as the cats are. Placing towels onto the floor in the kitchen is certainly a smart idea that can prevent accidental slips and falls. Before bringing the first cat to the kitchen for his bath you will want to make sure that you have the shampoo on the counter so that it's easily accessible for you. The best way to hold a cat during bath time is to place his hind end into the water and hold his front paws firmly, but be gentle or you could hurt him. Slowly and gently get the kitty wet and apply a small amount of shampoo to wash the cat starting from the head and working backwards in case there are any leftover fleas. The goal is to discourage any fleas that may be sitting on your cat from seeking refuge in his eyes, ears, nose or mouth. Try to avoid using excessive quantities of soap as any soap that is applied to the cat's coat must be rinsed away. Once your cat has been comfortably lathered from the neck to the tail(don't wash your cat's head unless it's absolutely necessary as their eyes and ears are very sensitive and you want to avoid getting soap or water into either place) then you will need to rinse his coat well. Once you have rinsed the cat completely and you are sure that no soap remains rinse him thoroughly 3 more times because any shampoo left in the coat can cause irritation and discomfort for the cats. Once the cat is ready to come out of the bath you will need to use your hand to gently remove any excess water from his coat, kind of like a very gentle version of wringing out the cat. It's best to have two people at home during bath time because one person can bathe the cats while the other person keeps them warm, dries them off and offers cuddles and kind words. Once the cat comes out of the bath you will need to get him into the first warm towel promptly to avoid the possibility of a cold kitty. The first towel is essentially to take as much excess water off of the cats as possible while the other is meant to keep them warm and finish drying them as much as possible. If your cats are "bomb-proof" you can try drying them with a hair dryer set on the lowest setting, but most cats aren't fond of that idea. I would recommend that you wait until one cat is dry before bathing the other. Once your first cat has been bathed and is dry you will want to wash all of the bedding in the isolation room thoroughly in your regular laundry detergent and the hottest water that can be safely used to wash the bedding. With clean, dry cats and fresh bedding you should both feel substantially better if your allergies are related to flea dirt or dander.

You may still be reacting to leftover flea saliva or droppings in the new cats' coats so a single bath for each cat may be all that's required to alleviate your symptoms. Your physician or veterinarian may be able to offer more specific advice as to whether or not brushing is a useful way of eliminating dander, but based on pure speculation I would say that the brushing wouldn't eliminate the dander, but that it may well spread it throughout the air. Once the cats have been bathed on a regular basis brushing them is a great way to ensure that their coats stay healthy and to encourage the production of natural oils to keep the cats' coats soft and facilitate a strong bond between the cats' and the people in the household.

I believe that I have been quite clear in my first answer regarding specifics on how to deal with cat allergies. I have only been able to provide basic answers on this subject because as I said before I'm not a doctor and I haven't had any allergic reactions to cats. I can only offer general recommendations to try and help you deal with your allergies. You can certainly try any number of over the counter antihistamines, eye drops or homeopathic allergy remedies to see if they provide any relief from the significant reactions that you and your roommate are experiencing. The only other suggestion that I can offer you if you would like more detailed or specific advice on the best ways to treat allergy symptoms is to you may want to try checking with an expert in the health category. If you want to be sure that the recommendations you receive are specific to your health history and individual needs you need to see your family physician, or a specialist that deals with treating allergies.

If you find that your resident cat is anxious about the presence of the new cats in his territory I would suggest that you try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences that works well to calm cats and other animals down. I would suggest that you give each cat about 8 drops in fresh water each morning. You can generally find Rescue Remedy in natural health/health food stores. This remedy is very safe and has been used to treat anxiety and fear by some vets & some pet owners throughout the world. I use Rescue Remedy with my oldest cat. She is 9 1/2 years old and has ongoing renal issues that require supportive care in the form of subcutaneous fluids administered at home and a special low protein diet. With the new cats it's extremely important to be sure that they aren't carriers of viral infections that they may pass on to your older cat as his system is already compromised by the renal issues.

There are several of good indicators of your cat's health. Your vet most likely asks about your cat's litter box habits, eating, drinking, whether or not your cat has been vomiting or passing loose stool, and if your cat has been vomiting at every check up or exam. The reason for these routine questions is that changes in a cat's health status can often be caught earlier if a cat guardian pays close attention to the regular routines in their cat's life. Given the fact that your elderly cat has an ongoing health issue I am somewhat concerned about the fact that your Siamese has recently eliminated outside of the litter box. It would be best to clean any places where your cat has had accidents outside of the box by using an enzymatic cleaner. Enzymatic cleaners use beneficial bacterial to "digest" unpleasant odors/remove stains left behind by things like urine, vomit or feces. I have found that an enzymatic cleaner called Petzyme is well priced and quite effective. So far I have found that Petzyme is effective and safe for carpets and upholstery.  As with any new cleaners that you plan to use on carpet/upholstery/fabric in your home you should test this product in an inconspicuous area prior to cleaning a noticeable area. Territorial marking isn't the only reason that cats eliminate outside of the litter pan. Inappropriate elimination has a number of medical and behavioral causes. If your cat continues to urinate or defecate outside of the litter box after the areas that he has eliminated in have been thoroughly cleaned I would recommend that you have him examined by your family vet to rule out any possible health issues that may be showing up in addition to the ongoing renal issues that you are managing at home. Your vet may recommend blood and urine tests to confirm that no further medical issues are present because not all medical problems can be found by physical exam alone.

The fact that your resident cat is eating less than usual in spite of a bit of extra attention is a substantial concern as this can indicate that any number of new health concerns are developing. If your cat has recently been diagnosed with the renal issues and you have been instructed to feed a special low protein diet your cat may not like the new food. If this is the case you will need to speak with your vet about the possibility of gradually introducing the prescription food by mixing it with the brand of food that your cat usually eats or a source of high quality protein like pureed chicken breast to stimulate his interest. Your vet may instruct you to force feed the prescription food depending on the severity of your cat's condition and how long the renal issues have been ongoing. Essentially the concern that I am having is that weight loss can result from a decreased appetite and your cat's medical condition may suffer as a result of the weight loss. My recommendation would be that you try to get an appointment with your vet as soon as possible to assess your resident cat's health, in the meantime you will need to keep a close eye on the situation because it may be necessary to intervene to ensure that your cat remains as healthy as possible. It's quite possible that your cat's appetite may have changed as a result of stress in which case you will need to decide whether or not providing a permanent home for the two new cats is in your older cat's best interests.

The vast majority of new cat introductions are essentially the same. Cats are naturally quite territorial so they will often become anxious, fearful or aggressive with one another. Regardless of the situation most cat introductions are done the same way which is why I recommended that you look through previous answers on the subject. The only unique considerations in your case are the fact that your resident cat is elderly and he has ongoing health issues that are being managed by you and your vet. I would recommend that you keep the new cats in a room behind a closed door for a period of 2-3 weeks with all of the usual kitty necessities. Given that your resident cat is a senior citizen I think that it would be best to introduce one cat at a time into your household in order to minimize the stress on your older cat. If you are able to get the allergies under control and you can consider introducing the new cats to your older cat I would recommend that you introduce the more calm of the two cats first. If you find that your cat reacts badly to one or both of the new cats you may want to reconsider your options as your resident cat has ongoing health issues and he is getting up in age. After all, your resident cat is roughly equivalent to a 76 year old human being so it's important to realize that prior to committing to the new cat introductions. If the cats don't settle you may need to keep them apart for a slightly longer period of time. It's not a bad idea to feed the cats on opposite sides of the door from one another as this will pair the gradual introductions of the new cats to the resident cat with the positive association of food. Once your vet has given the new cats a clean bill of health you may find that using a hand towel and rub your new cats down, then your resident cat and to the new cats again once daily will help each of the cats become accustomed to one another's scents more quickly.

It's very important that both the resident cat and the new cats be given plenty of attention by you and your roommate especially during the introduction process. The first step of introducing any new cat to your household should be isolation which provides other benefits beyond gradually introducing your cats to one another. The isolation period also allows you & your roommate to get to know your new cats and any unique habits and personality traits. Isolating your cats also gives you the chance to provide a quarantine period for the new cats until they are examined by your own vet. The reason that you should always quarantine any new cats in your household is so that you can control the spread of any viral or bacterial infections that may not yet be apparent. There are a number of very serious chronic health issues like feline leukemia and FIV which resemble HIV and AIDS in people. These health problems are fairly common and not every vet routinely tests for the presence of these infections or vaccinates against them. Given the fact that your older cat already has ongoing renal issues it's probably quite wise to test the new cats for these viral infections as he is already in a weakened state when it comes to his health.

It's impossible to know whether or not any new cat that you introduce into your home has been exposed to or tested for these serious conditions so I would recommend that you assume that both cats have these infections and avoid sharing food/water bowls, litter pans or toys until your vet has given the new cats a clean bill of health. It's a good idea to you wash your hands thoroughly and sanitize them after handling the new cats and prior to touching your resident cat, playing with him or preparing his food. These viral infections can be passed from cat to cat via exposure to body fluids like saliva so sharing food and water bowls or litter boxes and bedding shouldn't be allowed prior to testing for these health problems as many cat owners aren't aware of these dangerous viruses. The presence of these viruses isn't linked to how well a cat has been cared for. You can disinfect food and water bowls with a 5:1 bleach solution (5 parts water to one part bleach). Cats can also have less serious infections that are contagious such as conjunctivitis which requires treatment with antibiotic eye drops. If any of the cats in your household contract any kind of eye infection you should be aware that these infections are highly contagious to other cats as well as people so it's essential to wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water after administering the medicine or cleaning any kind of discharge from a cat's eyes. Upper respiratory infections are also quite common and many are contagious to other cats. Treatment for upper respiratory infections ranges from supportive therapy to a course of antibiotics and careful monitoring by your family vet. An upper respiratory infection isn't related to allergies as many people believe. Cats react to allergens by becoming itchy rather than by showing upper respiratory infections like sneezing, coughing, nasal or eye discharge.

While I am glad to hear that your new cats have become fairly confident in their new surroundings and bonded well with you and your roommate there are a number of factors to consider prior to committing to providing a permanent home for one or both of these cats. Given that the cats have triggered relatively serious allergic reactions in you and your roommate you need to decide if extra medical costs for antihistamines, eye drops, skin creams or allergy shots are in your budget. The cats seem to have become quite comfortable in your home fairly quickly so you most likely have a pretty good idea of what their "normal" eating & litter box habits. You and your roommate may come to the decision that you are unable to provide a home for both cats if their presence creates unnecessary stress in your older cat or you are unable to afford the extra medical expenses that may be required to help cope with your allergic reactions. Given that questions about proper new cat introductions are extremely common, it's not a bad idea to check out any number of my past answers on the subject if you need further information.

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QUESTION: Thanks the kittens have had annual shots and physicals and they had been groomed before I got them..Do you think is ok to let the kittens out in the living room and put my cat in my room with the door shut so they can get some fresh air and move around.. Gemini is guarding my room
like a guard dog.. He is much happier in my room but the cats are scared now. They are very healthy and have been given shots and physicals like I said. We bathed them and it is better I am going to get some more wipes too. I am wondering if letting them in the living room at night for a couple of hours without Gemini to attack them until they are able to move around is ok???? please respond thanks so much

Answer
Catherine,

I wouldn't recommend that you allow the two new cats to roam the house with Gemini locked up as he will know that they are out and you could potentially see some difficulty as a result in terms of a territorial response. It's much better to turn on a fan or open a window and make time to play with the new cats. If your roommate has a TV & DVD player in her room you can help the new cats remain stimulated by playing a DVD series called Cat Sitter DVDs. These DVDs are fairly reasonably priced at most pet supply stores and they are specifically designed to entertain cats. These videos have incredible footage of different prey animals (mice, hamsters, gerbils, song birds of various sizes, fish, some wildlife, etc)that usually appeals to most cats. It's still best to keep the new cats isolated for a period of 2-3 weeks in total, possibly longer depending on Gemini's response.

You have to understand that this house was Gemini's house first and given his age he may take some time to accept new cats in his territory. Be patient, after all, these cats are in a bedroom, not a cage at a shelter which is a substantially smaller and more stressful environment. If you take the time to integrate the new cats properly you will hopefully be rewarded with 3 cats that get along well with one another. It's extremely important that you consider Gemini in this whole decision. Territory is extremely important for all cats and in fairness to Gemini it certainly isn't fair for to lock him in your room and allow strange cats to roam his territory, spread their scent around, possibly eat and drink from his food and water bowls, use his litter box and play with his toys. If you do this you may find that Gemini's territorial behaviors become much more pronounced than they already are. For instance, Gemini may become very difficult to handle, he may begin to make a habit of house soiling to ensure that his territory is marked and there is always the possibility that he may become very upset with the whole process. Take the time to do this right as proper introductions are very important when dealing with cats of any breed. Again, just because the cats have had annual vaccines and physical exams doesn't mean that they are free of serious viruses that may become life threatening quite quickly. The new cats need to have blood tests to check their FIV/feline leukemia status and Gemini needs to be feeling more secure and infinitely less territorial. Territory is extremely important to cats which means that any changes in that territory must be made as gradually as possible, this includes adding new cats to the household. It's extremely important to take a step back and look at the situation more objectively. It's also important that you understand that when you take on a cat it's a lifetime commitment and your first commitment in this situation is to Gemini. This means that if he won't accept the new cats (which he might not) you may have to come to the decision to rehome these guys no matter how much you like them. Some cats simply refuse to share their territory, you need to realize that Gemini may be one of those cats. I am deeply concerned that this may be the case with Gemini, especially if he has been an only cat for much of his life. Given the bit of information that you have provided I am left to assume that Gemini's territorial behavior seems to have intensified rather than diminished. Due to the fact that any change in a cat's environment is very stressful and can cause certain illnesses I think that it's extremely important to have the new cats assessed by your family vet. Having these guys tested for potentially life threatening, contagious viral infections like feline leukemia and FIV prior to introducing them to Gemini is extremely important. After all, you mentioned that Gemini has ongoing renal issues which ultimately means that he can be more susceptible to illness. Not every vet's has a routine of testing for or vaccinating against these highly contagious and often life threatening viruses like feline leukemia. I have seen numerous people absolutely crushed when their cat becomes desperately ill as a result of feline leukemia or FIV. All too often pet owners believe that all vets routinely test for all illnesses or that every health issue is easily found during a thorough physical exam. Feline leukemia and FIV are very contagious and are easily passed from one cat to another by coming into contact with body fluids like saliva or blood. I strongly believe that it is in Gemini's best interests to find out whether or not the new cat are carrying these viral infections because failing to do so often results in heartbreaking situations. Some vets will actually vaccinate for feline leukemia without determining whether or not a cat is carrying this viral infection so just even if the cats were vaccinated against feline leukemia they could potentially pass it on. Feline leukemia and FIV are very cruel viral infections because you won't necessarily be able to tell if a cat has these viruses, cats can be asymptomatic for years and all of the sudden become deathly ill. If the cats test positive for feline leukemia or FIV you should probably consider rehoming them to avoid infecting Gemini and preserve his health for as long as possible. If the cats test positive for these viral infections it simply isn't feasible to lock the new cats away until Gemini passes away which could be years away if his renal issues are stable. As I mentioned in the last e-mail the wipes are really only useful as a stop gap measure in between weekly baths with water and shampoo if the cats' dander is the problem.