Cats Get Allergies, Too DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My cat, Tushy, sneezes several times a day, and her eyes water almost nonstop. This has been happening for a couple of weeks. She didn’t seem to have this issue before. My local veterinarian’s office is booked up for another two months, so I’m not sure what I can do in the meantime. Can you help? — Harriet G., Roanoke, Virginia

DEAR HARRIET: It sounds like your cat is suffering from an allergy to something in her environment. That could be airborne irritants like pollen, dust or molds. Or, it could be a reaction to something in her food.

You can try to figure out what’s causing her reaction in a couple of ways. First, dust and clean your home thoroughly, and consider adding an air purifier with a HEPA filter in the room that Tushy spends the most time in.

Next, try a different brand of pet food for a couple of weeks to see if that makes any difference. Some cats are sensitive to certain ingredients in pet foods, and because those ingredients vary from brand to brand, it’s difficult to figure out which one is causing the allergy.

When Tushy is able to see the veterinarian, bring along your notes about her symptoms and what effect, if any, the environmental and dietary changes above had on improving her condition. The vet can offer additional treatment and support, such as adding essential fatty acids to her diet or prescribing a steroid to help with her symptoms.

In the meantime, monitor Tushy’s symptoms closely. If they suddenly get much worse, or if she becomes lethargic, vomits frequently or shows other signs of serious illness, take her to an emergency vet immediately.