Do cats have allergies?

[llella]

I have a 6 yr old male cat who I beleive has allergies. He is eating and drinking normally but for the past 2 days he has been sneezing alot and appears to be breathing through his mouth. He also is licking his paw and rubbing his face constantly which makes him sneeze even more. My mother is a nurse and listened to his lungs w/ a stethascope and said that his lungs sound clear. Is there anything that I can do for him at home, or should I bring him to the vet?

[Prin]

I say bring him to the vet. It may very well be allergies but it could be something way more serious. Better safe than really sorry.

[Lucky Rescue]

Allergies in animals manifest with itching, not sneezing and watery eyes as they do in humans.

Your cat should go to the vet now.

[llella]

I brought my cat to the vet this morning and thankfully it turned out to be an upper respiratory infection and conjunctivitis. They gave him medication and he's looking better already.

[anniebananie]

Well I am glad that you know what it is now. Yes cats and dogs suffer from allegies. I once had a cat that lost most of it's fur leaving it's tail and head with fur and that was all. Poor animal was so embarrassed Must say I was as well. Our vet diagnosed it as being to a certain grass that we had in the garden and the fur took a whole season to grow back. He went onto steriods in the end to stop the itching - and was also put onto some antihistamines for a time. Plus baths - then came flea season (this was b4 topical flea treatments were avaiable) and things went down hill from there again. By winter he had grown half his fur back - but still looked like a cat that had to be shaved for a matted coat. It took him two years to recover fully - and even after that he showed signs of allegies, but not nearly so bad.