If your cat is showing signs of an allergic reaction to dust or mold or some other irritants in your home, you might be tempted to give them a Claritin, and then stop to wonder if it’s okay or not.
Claritin is pretty much prescription strength allergy medication that was even the green light to be sold over-the-counter only a short time ago, relatively speaking. That’s why is not recommended to give it to your cat because these sort of drugs were created to alter a human body, not a feline one.
Unless your cat is showing severe reactions, it is most likely something that will just blow over. If you notice that over the course of several days they just can’t seem to shake it, then it is time to start considering outside help. But until then, you should try to figure out what is causing the allergies, and see if you can remove the elements from the environment to see if their condition improves.
Can I Give My Cat Claritin? Answer: Not Recommended
Your cat most likely does not need any help in the matter, and if they are suffering from allergies, they will just deal with it. It’s actually rather refreshing to know that you don’t have to make a big fuss about every little thing that happens to your cat. The best thing you can do is monitor their behavior, and note any instance of allergies so that you can get a good picture of how bad their condition is, and if it worsens. If it does get worse, then it’s time to consult with your vet to see what your next steps are.
Watch for Bad Advice
You’ll find well-intentioned owners online saying that they give their cats all sorts of things, but really you have to check your sources on this one, and wonder if it’s a good idea to listen to someone with absolutely no veterinary training. You can also find vets that will say it’s okay to give your pet over-the-counter medications. The opinion of one vet doesn’t necessarily make something okay, in fact you can find people to back up almost every claim made about pets what’s okay for them to have.
But the simple fact is you didn’t just give them the Claritin, you went online to see if it is okay, and that means that in your gut you know that it probably isn’t OK. So it’s not a good idea to just go with the first forum you see that has one owner saying it is okay so you can feel better about giving it to your pet. You have no idea what kind of breed of cat they have, or what they have given their cat in the past, or what size they have, or what dose they gave. This information would be vital to be able to use their advice in any way.
Also, it is not really a matter of can you give it to your cat, but should you give it your cat. Even if everyone said it was okay, including every veterinarian that you asked, you should still think to yourself that this is not something that your cat should be having. It’s an OTC medication that is made for humans, and dosed for humans.
Rationale
The main reason for not getting into them is that us humans tend to bellyache over even the smallest, slightest threat to feeling good all the time. When we sneeze or cough we start looking for a drug to make a top. When a cat sneezes or coughs they just get on with their life it’s not a big deal. We shouldn’t try to make them more like us, because they are very close to nature and do not need you to intervene in most cases.
Of course if this is a dire situation your cat is having trouble breathing or is sneezing so many times that you are concerned for their health, you should bring them into the vet rather than trying to self medicate at home, using whatever drugs you have on hand.
What Your Vet Will Do
If your pet is having a chronic allergic reaction to household irritants, it is time to bring him into the vet so they can figure out exactly what your cat is allergic to, and then prescribe medication that is specifically designed for a cat’s system.
Please tell me there is something OTC that is safe for cats. My cat has a chronic respiratory problem that still exists after 7 trips to the vet and nearly $1,500 in vet bills. I need something to thin mucous or dry it up a bit. It could be short term or not to be given every day, just to give her a break. She is otherwise a healthy animal.
Hi Lynne. I am so sorry to hear this about your cat. One thing that really helped my cat with this was putting her in bathroom with the shower running hot and closing the door for a few minutes. I have also heard of some recommending a vaporizer. I hope that is helpful. Good luck to you!