You are never going to stop a cat from wandering outdoors if given the opportunity, and there is nothing that is ever going to stop flowers and plants from bursting with pollen every spring. It is a part of the cycle of life in nature and we would not change it even if we could, but for people who have pollen allergies May and June can be trying months. But what about felines and can cats have seasonal allergies? They can, and just like it is for humans it is their immune system making an honest mistake. 

This is how it goes for cats and pollen allergies too – the immune system thinks the pollen particles being inhaled are attacking the body, and so it goes into mobilization and all the sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and burning sinuses that result are what makes up a cat allergy attack. With cats they will not be sneezing, and instead the most common seasonal allergy symptom seen in cats is ongoing bouts of wheezing that last for a long time when they have been exposed to pollen.  

It is seeing them having adverse reactions this way that will convince you with can cats have seasonal allergies. They will get them at the same time every year, and that’s exactly when spring has sprung, and it will be time to start mowing the lawn soon. When grass is pollenating it is a huge source of airborne pollen in a lot of residential areas, and it is these homeowners who are more likely to have cats as pets. Cats that will be taking advantage of having a huge grassy backyard to play in.  

Allergy Treatment for Cats 

Moving on with our look at can cats have seasonal allergies, we need to discuss what are the best treatment approaches as allergies are never something you can ‘cure’. They can only be managed, and for most people that is done with antihistamine medication. For cats, the approach may need to be different, because long-term antihistamine use with cats may compromise their liver function. The only other option is avoidance, but again as we stated at the beginning here it is going to be a tall order to keep a cat indoors in springtime.  

One option is to use cromolyn sodium for cat allergy treatment, as this mast-cell stabilizer can be effective for reducing the severity of allergic rhinitis. It is administered nasally, and that may present its own challenge with trying to get a cat to go along with that. But if your veterinarian approves it this can be a course of allergy treatment and it will not have any of the risks associated with using antihistamines for cats. Another consideration with can cats have seasonal allergies is the way allergies can make eyes red. Interestingly cats do not experience red or itchy eyes to the same extent, and instead they get a lot of itchiness on their paws.  

If you see your cat chewing on their paws for relief you may want to use a topical anti-itch spray, but again this is something you should discuss with a veterinarian first. You have got everything you need to know with can cats have seasonal allergies, and a good thing as we are right in the middle of spring right now.