Asthmatic cats may be allergic to people

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct 27, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Cats have long been blamed for causing human health problems, but now Scottish veterinarians say they've found humans can cause asthma attacks in cats.

The veterinarians say cigarette smoke, human dandruff, certain types of litter and even household dust can create inflammation in cats' airways and worsen asthma, National Geographic News reported.

Feline asthma is a common disease in cats 1 to 5 years of age, with symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, nationalgeographic.com reported.

Nicki Reed, a veterinarian at the University of Edinburgh's Hospital for Small Animals, says the overall incident rate of asthma is increasing because more cats are being kept solely indoors.

"We find that bringing asthmatic cats into the hospital here and removing them from the standard triggers, like dust and smoke, can improve their condition," she said.

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