PET ALLERGIES: ASK THE DOCTOR: CAN WE KEEP THE FAMILY CAT WHEN OUR TODDLER IS ALLERGIC?
Q: Our toddler seems to be developing an allergy to our family cat. We’ve been told that the best solution is to get rid of the animal, but our pet is a part of our family. We cannot bear the thought of finding her a new home. What other options are there? Is there a way to keep our pet with us and keep the allergies under control? A: I share your concern about finding a new home for a member of your family. As a pet owner myself, I understand that dogs and cats are members of the family. First, the good news: Your toddler is actually too young to have developed an allergy to things in the air like cat allergen. Most experts agree that it takes a child’s immune system two to three years of continuous exposure to an allergen to provoke the immune system to make allergic antibodies, and the immune system is too immature to respond to allergens in a child less than 6 months old. Based on your question, I’ll assume your toddler is experiencing symptoms of nasal allergies (such as sneezing
