Dealing with the seasonal sniffles is never fun - especially if you've got a cat pollen allergy at hand! Here's why it happens & what to do - including tracking where your cat's coming in contact with pollen in the first place.
As the springtime sniffles rear their heads, you might find yourself reaching out for the tissues…only to find your cat reaching out for them too! Turns out, it’s not too uncommon dealing with a cat pollen allergy – though unfortunately, there isn’t a permanent cure for it.
It’s not entirely known why some of us get allergies while others don’t. But what’s certain is that an allergy causes the body to react to certain substances in the same way it reacts to diseases. (Applying to cats and humans alike.)
So when your cat comes in contact with an allergy-triggering substance, their immune system produces antibodies as a defensive reaction.
This includes a substance called histamine, which helps fight disease – but unfortunately, also might turn up as:
Swelling
Itching
Watery eyes
Runny nose
For some cats, you might find them sniffling and itching more often around springtime – when pollen is in the air. This fine, powdery substance gets secreted by seed-producing plants for reproduction around this time.
What plants might trigger an allergic reaction in cats?
Cats do tend to be rather careful around plants – but that doesn’t stop them from nibbling on grass every so often either! Besides, any amount of pollen or even parts of certain plants might end up brushing against their fur or paws. (And can make them sick while grooming.)
Which is why it makes sense to stay aware of what plants are poisonous to cats – and keep them well away from your buddy. Some include:
What areas have a higher pollen count than others?
In the US alone, different states may be more likely to be “allergy zones” – others less so. So it makes sense to check whether yours counts as a high-pollen zone or not.
High-pollen US states
Low-pollen US states
Kansas
Utah
Texas
Arizona
Missouri
Colorado
Iowa
California
Oklahoma
Washington
Pennsylvania
New York
Florida
Ohio
South Carolina
Michigan
North Carolina
New Mexico
💡So if you’re planning on moving states or visiting one with your cat, keep an eye out for its pollen count this spring – and plan ahead how you’re going to prevent and/or treat it.
Does my cat have a pollen allergy?
Just like humans, a cat pollen allergy may also turn up with symptoms similar to ours. Get in touch with your vet, if your cat shows signs of:
Hair loss due to overgrooming, or excessive rubbing or scratching at their fur, skin, or ears
Chewing on their paws
Vomiting or throwing up hairballs
Sores on their skin
Just remember: it’s important to give your vet a full history of these symptoms. So keep track of how long they’ve been persisting and whether it’s a seasonal occurrence.
What to expect at your vet
Now before you head over to your vet’s, you’ll find it helpful going prepared to answer:
When did your cat’s symptoms first appear?
Has your cat had them before?
Did you make any changes to the cat’s food, outdoor privileges or other routines recently?
Is your cat primarily an indoor or outdoor cat? How often do they head outdoors?
Besides thoroughly examining your cat to rule out pests like ticks or mites, your vet might also check for symptoms like a cold or food allergies.
Once your vet has ruled out these causes, they might also conduct a blood test to check for antibodies, just like in a human allergy test. From this, they should be able to not only tell you if your cat has a pollen allergy but also what specific types of pollen your cat is allergic to.
Based on what’s causing your cat’s pollen allergy, your vet might prescribe you specific medications to help reduce the histamines in their body. (And reduce the itching, sneezing, and swelling.)
Make sure to follow their instructions to the T through the full course of medication (even if your cat seems to be getting better early on)
Avoid giving your cat any medication built for humans. These may contain harmful substances that might poison them instead.
Figure out what’s triggering your cat’s pollen allergy
Now you vet’s allergy test might show up some interesting results. Like, for example, if your cat is allergic to a plant that doesn’t grow anywhere near you – but your poor buddy is still sneezing up a storm.
💡Here’s where tracking your cat’s daily trips and adventures outdoors can be a lifesaver.
Your outdoor cat might be wandering in a mile-long radius – likely coming in contact with your neighbors’ pollen-riddled backyards, the local park, or even a patch of woodland nearby.
Even your indoor cat might come in contact with allergy-inducing pollen, ticks, or mites from your very own backyard!
Besides, not all places are safe for your cat – especially one that’s used to wandering (or sneaking) outdoors. Some may even put them in danger – including places where they might come in contact with:
💡Now rather than monitoring your cat’s wanderings 24/7, why not let a cat GPS tracker do all the work for you?
With a Tractive Cat MINI strapped to their collar, your cat can now wander past your neighborhood into the next one – or even further – and all you need to do is check where they’re at with a glance at your phone.
Because with a cat GPS tracker, you now have a whole sky full of satellites tracking your cat’s movements in real-time – plus over an unlimited range.
Now once you know for sure what kind of allergy your cat has, you know how to help them feel better.
Here are a few tips:
Prevent contact to allergen source
Just like with humans, the most effective way to protect your cat from an allergic reaction is to prevent contact with the allergens in question.
Get informed
Check out your local pollen calendar to figure out what time of year which plants usually bloom.
Besides, many meteorological societies measure the pollen in the air daily and provide accurate live information on how much of which allergen is currently in the air at your location.
Make a choice
Knowing when your cat is in danger of an allergic reaction, you have the choice of:
Keeping your cat indoors during that time or
Using medication to alleviate their symptoms
Keep your cat inside
If you choose to keep your cat inside while the pollen they are allergic to is outside, take extra care when airing your home.
Get fresh air
Most seed and pollen producing plants bloom during the day, so you can significantly help your cat by only opening windows after sunset.
⚠️ At the same time, keeping your cat indoors 24/7 might not be the best option.
Besides stressing them out (especially if they’re used to wandering outdoors), your cat might grow bored, restless, and anxious cooped up all day at home.
Stuck at home, your cat might grow less active than before. Which may lead to weight gain and other health problems down the line.
On top of that, most female cats tend to go into heat as early as February all the way through November! (So they’re more likely to escape to try and find a partner outdoors.)
💡 But with your trusty Tractive device, you could set up a “safe zone” around your home or backyard – and get an escape alert within minutes if your cat tries sneaking past it.
Or widen your safe zone, but mark out specific spots around town as “no go zones”. (Especially if you’ve noticed they’re high-pollen areas.) So you can intervene if your tracker alerts you they’re leaving a safe zone and entering a no go zone.
Peace of mind for you, one more extra layer of safety for your cat.
How tracking your cat’s favorite spots can help you prevent an allergy
Besides real-time tracking or Virtual Fencing, your trusty Tractive device can actually help you understand your cat’s behavior that much better.
How? Well, much like us, cats also tend to have their favorite spots – to hide, hunt, or just hang out. Which could be:
That one patch of pollen-riddled woodland nearby
Your dandelion-infested local park
Your neighbors’ backyards, which may include plants poisonous to your cat
All of which you can track over 24 hours with your tracker’s Heat Map and Location History. (Or 365 days if you’re on a Premium subscription.)
Pictured here are the outdoor wanderings of Parsley the Maine Coon. Whose disappearing acts made his mom, Fiona Campbell-Smith, invest in a Tractive tracker.
“(It’s) a lifesaver – he goes everywhere! His confidence knows no bounds. He has been in lots of different shops…he visits pubs, hotels and even churches…”
“He regularly goes to other people’s houses, whether he knows them or not, and he doesn’t care if they have another cat. He just walks past and makes himself at home. He even crashed a party once…
“Sometimes I’m at my wits’ end with him as he causes so much worry, not to mention them midnight visits dragging him out of a pub – sometimes in my pyjamas! But there’s no doubt he’s special. He’s completely abnormal, but in a good way.”
And the best part? Any risky areas you run into, you can mark as “danger zones” via your Tractive app. Like if you notice poison bait, mushrooms, wild animals, traps – and more.
💡Your danger report also gets broadcast to fellow cat parents around you – helping you keep their buddies safe and do your role as a responsible cat parent.
So why risk your cat wandering off & picking up something infectious?
Rather, with a Tractive device, you now have peace of mind at your fingertips – and your cat’s safety just a glance at your phone away.
Know everywhere your cat goes
See where they are in real-time, no matter how far they go. Get alerts if they roam too far home. Find out where they’ve been and discover their favorite spots. Let others track with you.
Still wondering how seasonal allergies in cats might show up? Here’s Dr. Christian Broadhurst from the Clay Humane Society sharing his take:
And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a friend or a loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.
Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.
This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.
Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).
Approved by Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM 
