How to Determine Whether Your Newborn is Allergic to Your Cat

You've had your cat for a while and now you are bringing home baby. After a short while you know something isn't quite right and you wonder if the baby is experiencing an allergy. Unfortunately infants are too small for skin tests and your newborn can't relate their symptoms to you so you have to conduct your own investigation.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Vacuum
• Dusting cloths
• Washing machine

1. Don't allow your cat to sleep on the baby's bedding or in their crib. For many cats they can sense that this is a special place and will gravitate to it as their new sleeping zone. If there isn't a door to shut the cat out, do whatever you can to persuade the cat to find a new sleeping place. Keep baby's sleeping area feline free. You then can compare the infant's reaction in the free zone and the rest of the house.
2. Know the symptoms. Your baby may be allergic if it becomes more irritable in the rest of the house than in the free zone. Other symptoms include chronic diarrhea or loose stools, sleeping better in the free room or outside of the house as opposed to within the rooms that the cat frequently occupies or red or watery eyes whenever the cat is around. Also note if your infant becomes irritable around cats when you visit friends who keep the pets.
3. If you suspect that your baby may have a cat allergy, ask a friend to "sit" your cat or board the animal with a pet hotel for at least three days. See how your baby responds.
4. With the cat gone, dust and vacuuming all the cat dander. You will know within 48 hours if the cat is affecting your baby. The baby's stool should solidify and the infant should be less irritable. The infant also should sleep longer and deeper. If it seems like you have a calmer, happier baby, then the allergy is confirmed.

Tips & Warnings

• Once your entire home is cat free, keep the your child's exposure to cats at a minimum. If your baby is around a cat you will see an immediate reaction and it can take hours before your infant recovers.