Cat allergies

Question
I was tested by an allergist and the result was a substantial allergy to cats.  A friend of ours had kittens so I did a trial with the kitten for a few days and there were no allergic reactions.  I even rubbed my eyes and nose to make sure.  We have since adopted the kitten, but I have heard that cat dander is different than kitten dander.  Is this true?  Even if I am not allergic to the kitten now, will that likely change as the cat gets older?

Answer
Katie,

Most people who have cat allergies are allergic not to the fur nor the dander.  What they seem to be allergic to is a protein in the saliva. So, it may be possible, if the kitten is not cleaning itself as well as it should that you are not getting the full impact of its saliva (but I doubt  it).  So, you may have to just wait to see what happens as the kitten ages. On the other hand, there is a product (Allerpet shampoo) that you can bathe the cat in once a week which seems to keep allergic reactions to a minimum.  You just have to get the kitten used to getting a bath as soon as you get it.  If started young, baths are not difficult to do for cats.

Best regards... Norm.