The cat is a very independent pet that does not require much care and we often forget to pay enough attention to it.The strong survival instinct of these feline pets means that they hardly show any symptoms of illness, and often by the time symptoms are visible the disease is already well advanced.

It is especially important to be aware of anychange in the cat's behaviour, as a decrease in activity or a tendency to isolation can be a sign that something is wrong. One of the problems that can be difficult to detect and treat are allergies . Cats, like other animals, can develop allergies to different substances. These allergies are a response of the cat's immune system.Some of these substances are relatively easy to detect, while others can be really tricky to identify. We will detail here some of the most common allergies that can affect our cat.

Flea allergy

Flea allergy is a reaction to fleas

Flea allergy is a reaction to fleas.The body reacts to the flea's saliva with a skin irritation that occurs every time a flea bites. If your cat is allergic, there will be inflammation of the skin, with associated hair loss and scabbing. The reaction is usually most visible on the neck, although the legs, head or abdomen may also be affected.

Theallergy can appear in cats with good health and hygiene, and can begin to manifest itself at any time in the life of the cat. The treatment is clear, we must completely eliminate the presence of fleas, paying special attention to the usual resting areas of our cat.

In cases where the symptoms are more severe and produce discomfort to our pet, the veterinarianwill assess the possibility of administering a complementary treatment to relieve itching, thus helping the recovery of the most irritated areas.

Food allergy

This type of allergy usually appears suddenly, often in adult cats that have been following the same diet for years. It is manifested by a hypersensitivity that causes inflammation of the skin.In this case, the diagnosis is not as easy as in flea allergy, and there is no test that can confirm it.

If we suspect that our cat may have developed a food allergy, we should look for the substance that causes it, changing food for a minimum of 10 days to check its effect.

It is advisable to completely change the diet and check.If we see that in a few days the symptoms begin to subside, we can try to introduce the previous food gradually until we identify the cause of the allergy. The treatment is simple, simply eliminate this food from your usual diet and continue to monitor your health.

Allergies to household products

There is a certainpercentage of cats that can develop some kind of more or less severe allergy to common household products. This can be tobacco smoke, perfume or even dust.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify the cause, as the symptoms can vary greatly, from mild irritation of the airways to severe asthma attacks. Treatment involves identifying the cause of the allergy.the agent responsible and minimize the exposure that our cat receives.

In any case, we must always be very attentive to any change in the behavior of our pet, and if we suspect that it may be developing some kind of allergy, we must always go to our veterinarian.

Many of the allergies are easily avoidable, either by eliminating fleas, watching your.diet or changing our perfume, so it is our responsibility to make sure that our cat enjoys good health.