Hey cat ladies!

As a Certified Asthma Educator, I often have people ask me if they can have a cat if they have asthma. 

Well, it's not up to me to give "permission."

And they may not be allergic to cats. But most people with asthma have allergies too. 

In fact, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) says that between 65% - 75% of adults with asthma also have allergies. And 60% - 80% of children with asthma also have allergies.

For that small percentage of you without allergies..... I am so jealous! All 5 in my family have allergies, and 4 have asthma. And allergies can make our life miserable.

For those of us with allergies and asthma, having a pet is difficult. Many parents may veto the kids pleading for a pet. Others may opt to have one. 

One of my friends wanted a dog to keep her company, so she had years of allergy shots so she could tolerate her dog. And the dog IS adorable and a lot of company, so well done Asthma Chef!  

For you cat lovers, hope is on the horizon. It's well known that cat dander is more "sticky" than dog dander.

Promising research shows:

"New research suggests that feeding cats an antibody to the major allergy-causing protein in cats renders some of the protein, called Fel d1, unrecognizable to the human immune system, reducing an allergic response."

 Sound weird? Since the Fel d1 protein comes from cat's salivary glands and sebaceous glands, it's spread when cats lick themselves. The hope is that by adding the antibody to cat food, it will neutralize the Fel d1 antibody. 

Why feed the antibody to cats instead of people? Well, our bodies will break it down when we swallow it, and it will never reach the target.

Preliminary research shows that people fared better being around cats who ate this particular cat food with the antibody. They had less itchy and scratchy eyes, and less nasal symptoms. 

The cat food isn't available for purchase yet.

But, for all you Cat Ladies, hope is on the horizon!