Cats and allergies
Cats and Allergies: The
Surprising Truth:
I
couldn't even estimate the number of cats we've had brought to us for rehoming
because their owner was pregnant and believed that their cat would be dangerous
to have around a baby. Now the latest research tells us that a child brought up
with a dog or cat is less likely to grow up with allergies and asthma than one
who isn't.
The study done in America looked at over 400 babies born between 1987 and 1989,
about half had lived with cats or dogs from their first year of life and the
other half had no contact with pets in the home. Significantly few of those
brought up with pets developed asthma when compared to those with no pets.
Children raised with two or more cats or dogs had 45% less hyper-reactivity to
common allergens which caused sneezing and other breathing problems such as hay
fever and asthma. By the age of six the children raised with pets were about
75% less likely to get hay fever or an allergic reaction to dust mites.
Another finding challenges the claim that cats and dogs pass on harmful germs to
children and babies. In fact the study found that youngsters who were licked by
dogs or cats and who kissed them regularly would be protected by early exposure
to germs, their immune system would develop resistance and help them combat
harmful germs in later life, causing them to get fewer illnesses. This follows
on from the long held idea that the rise in allergies today is a result of a
"too clean" lifestyle.
Add all this evidence to the fact that children growing up with a pet cat or dog
will grow up respecting and caring for animals and it's clear that there is no
reason at all to abandon your pet just because a baby is on the way, in fact
it's more reason to go and adopt one! And speaking as one who was brought up
with cats from birth I can say it's done no harm at all. I failed to inherit
asthma or hay fever from my mother, who suffers from both, and I have been
working actively in animal rescue for many years. I also rarely suffer from
colds and have been given immeasurable happiness by the relationships with the
pets I've had in my life.