Anyone Have Cat Allergies?

[Shaneajanderson]

So here's the scoop. I was in a house last night (looking to buy it) and the people there used to have a cat. The first time I viewed the house the cat smell was very strong, especially for the cat not having been there for a few years. It had just rained the day before which is probably a part of why it was so strong. Yesterday the smell didn't seem to be there, and it appeared that someone had done a lot of cleaning, including shampooing the carpets.

Yesterday after about an hour in the house I was getting light-headed, and later that night my hands got red and blotchy, then changed to an almost jaundiced yellow (this is how I look when most people would look white like from low blood pressure, I have very yellow undertones in my skin). Also through this time I got very congested in the upper sinuses, though no sneezing or runny nose. This morning I'm still somewhat congested, and get a little dizzy if I'm on my feet for a long while.

So here is the question: these symptoms don't really seem to match what I found online for cat allergy reaction (possibly aside from the red blotchy skin, but I had no hives.) Does this sound like a cat allergy, or maybe related to one of the cleaners they have in there? It's worth noting that on the first visit I had no issues at all, and I've never noticed a problem related to cats before, though my dad was allergic to them.

If anyone who is allergic and has a similar reaction would chime in that would be helpful. Once everything clears up I plan to go to visit my mom as she has a cat, and the smell is light but noticeable, and see if I get a similar reaction.

If this is a cat allergy reaction, would pulling out the carpet and wallpaper (the second is a must regardless, cursed wallpaper) and painting everything, along with a good duct cleaning sufficient to alleviate the issue, or is this house a hard pass? Thanks!

[Gasoline Fumes]

Doesn't sound like a cat allergy to me. I've always had cats and when someone allergic visits, they just sneeze a lot. I'd suspect the cleaning products.

[oil pan 4]

That sounds way more serious than a cat allergies.
Better avoid the house before you have to find the real cause.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Also, I'm pretty sure cat allergies are from dander, which seems unlikely to be an issue after a few years. If you're smelling cat urine, you'll probably want to remove/replace the carpet to get rid of the smell. Or furniture in my case!

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Doesn't sound like a cat allergy to me. I've always had cats and when someone allergic visits, they just sneeze a lot. I'd suspect the cleaning products.

I didn't think the symptoms lined up. Like I said I'll test it by going and hanging out with my mom's nasty outdoor cat, that pees in her garage all the time. If I don't go hog wild from that, I'll know I'm fine.

I didn't see anything extreme in terms of the cleaning stuff though, that's what gets me. My only known allergy is cechlor, an old (and I think largely antiquated) eczema steroid cream. I've been around/used a lot of relatively nasty stuff, and never had a reaction like that before.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Also, I'm pretty sure cat allergies are from dander, which seems unlikely to be an issue after a few years. If you're smelling cat urine, you'll probably want to remove/replace the carpet to get rid of the smell. Or furniture in my case!

Yes there was a urine smell, so for that reason the carpet would have to go regardless. It's a shame cause it's fairly new and in good shape. The rest of the house is linoleum/tile from the 50's and needs to go purely on aesthetics, let alone anything else.