Cat Allergy Test

Why test for cat allergy?

Cats are the most commonly kept pets. These four-legged friends live together with humans in many households all over the world – and they regularly trigger pet hair allergy symptoms.

If you are interested in getting a cat, it is worthwhile checking beforehand whether you are allergic to cat hair. Even if you already live with a cat, allergies can reemerge. It makes sense to get to the bottom of any allergy symptoms so that you can do something about them. Untreated pet hair allergies that continue to trigger symptoms can increase the risk of allergic asthma.

How does the Cat Allergy Test work?

To do the cat hair allergy test, take a few drops of blood from your fingertip with a lancet. You then send the sample on the dried blood spot card provided via a return envelope to our partner medical laboratory.

The laboratory will analyse your blood to see how high the number of IgE antibodies for feline epithelium is. Epithelia are cells in the upper layer of the skin that contain cat allergens.

Please note that the most meaningful results will only be obtained if you have had contact with the allergen in the two weeks or so prior to sampling. Some medications, for example antihistamines, can also influence the result.

What do the allergy test results tell you?

The results indicate whether you are sensitised to cat dander and to what degree. Sensitisation is when your immune system overreacts when it encounters an allergen such as cat hair epithelium..

This does not automatically mean that you have an allergy. However, if you have additional symptoms when you are in a room with these animals, you probably have a cat hair allergy

How long does the analysis take in the laboratory?

Once your sample has arrived at the laboratory, it will be analyzed there by specialists. How long the analysis takes depends on the exact measuring method and the processes in the laboratory.

If the sample is sent on the correct days (Sunday to Tuesday), this makes it easier for the laboratory to adhere to the times.

For the Cat Allergy Test, the laboratory analysis is usually completed within 5 working days after the sample is received in the laboratory.  

What recommendations do you receive after the Cat Allergy Test?

If you are allergic to cat dander, you are likely to have a similar reaction to all cats – there are no specific breeds or individual animals that trigger fewer allergy symptoms, as there are with dogs.

The results report will give you more advice on how to deal with a cat hair allergy. For example, if you suffer from allergies, your first priority should be to avoid cat hair in your bedroom.

What happens when you have a cat allergy?

With an allergy, your immune system reacts to substances that are actually harmless that enter your body. This immune reaction then leads to typical allergy symptoms, such as sniffling, an itchy throat and skin rashes.

In the case of cat hair allergy, the substance responsible is cat’s epithelium – these are cells in the top layer of a cat’s skin. These allergens spread very quickly when cat hair is dispersed in the air and also on clothing.

How can you diagnose a cat allergy?

Cat hair allergy is considered an respiratory allergy. It therefore mainly affects the respiratory tract. As a rule, reactions are immediate. You will experience symptoms shortly after inhaling cat hair or getting it on your skin.

Typical symptoms of cat hair allergy are:

• Cow’s milk and eggs
• sneezing, runny nose and itchy throat
• red, itchy and watery eyes
• Wheat
• swelling and redness of the skin

In the long term, an allergy to cat dander can develop into allergic asthma. The risk increases if you often feel unwell because of cat allergens.

How do you treat a cat allergy?

Antihistamine tablets can suppress allergic reactions. But you should only use them for a short time. These medicines are therefore only a solution to take occassionally when you spend time around cats.

Cat hair allergy can only be treated by hyposensitisation (specific immunotherapy). Doctors administer the allergen several times over a period of two to three years. Immunotherapy is not always successful. If successful, your immune system gets used to cat hair. The animal hair then causes very few, if any, allergic symptoms.

For whom is the Cat Allergy Test not appropriate?

The blood test is not or only partially suitable for certain groups of people:

• People with infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV should not perform the blood test.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should only perform the Cat Allergy Test under medical supervision. Reference values and recommendations do not apply. You should therefore obtain recommendations on the test result from your doctor.
• The test is not suitable for children under the age of 18.

It is not intended to diagnose illness. If, for example, you suffer from severe pain, consult a doctor.

Why are children under 18 not allowed to take the test?

Our tests are not suitable for underage children and adolescents under the age of 18. Under 18s cannot activate the tests online and therefore cannot receive a test result. We ask that you do not administer the tests to your children either.

Children and adolescents need much closer supervision and counselling regarding medical tests and their interpretation. Testing with lancets and chemicals is not without risk and would need to be closely supervised by guardians. In addition, the reference values we give are always based on adult data. In the case of children, the risk of misinterpreting the results would be very high.

We want to fulfil our responsibility as a provider of medical products and ensure that children and adolescents are not unsettled by measurement results that are difficult for them to interpret. Since we cannot control whether the minors' legal guardians actually consent to the test being carried out and supervise them, we exclude tests for under 18s altogether.

If you are under 18 and have purchased a test, please contact our customer support.

Why does it take up to a week for the sample to reach the lab?

Please bear in mind that your results will not be analyzed in the UK but in Germany. For that reason, it can take up to a week for the sample to arrive at the lab. This does not affect the stability of the samples, as the method we are using is optimized for long transports.

Initially, your sample is sent to our collection center in the UK. From there, it is shipped to our central sample sorting facility in Germany, which then distributes samples to our partner laboratories. Once your sample is analyzed there, you will receive a notification and can access your result online.

Please check your mailbox regularly. We will notify you as soon as your sample is sent, arrives, or is analyzed.