I got a kitten about 6 days ago. The first three days everything was fine. On the fourth day both my sons (2 and 4) and myself began to sneeze and sniffle. It's getting worse daily...sore throat, headache, sniffles, sneezing, coughing. Does anyone think this is the cat, or just a coincidence...HELP, I feel like crap and love the new kitty. I am a dog owner and have been for quite some time, never had any problems. Owned many cats as a child but not for about 15 years. THANKS!

If you and your kids are prone to seasonal or other allergies, then it could be that a higher allergen count coincided with the arrival of your new kitty. The combination may have been enough to set off an allergic response.

Kitties tend to be very active. So if the kitten is bouncing between upholstered furniture and the carpet - more dust gets sent into the air.

Check the type of litter you're using; some types send up a dust cloud with the slightest movement. The covered litter boxes can help keep this dust contained. BTW, remind your kids to wash their hands immediately if they go near or clean the litter box.

Has your kitten been checked by a vet?

Could also be a 'bug' in your area - check if the neighbors' kids have similar symptoms.

Jay [also a cat owner]

As a child we always had cats and I never had any problems. Every time I returned to my parents home I would suffer from itching eyes, My kids were also effected. We found that we only suffered if we had touched the cats. I hope it's not your cats but they can definitely effect your health.

If it happens to be the litter that's bugging you, I'm in the process of trying this all natural pine litter. It looks like big hamster food pellets. No dust. I can't even remember what it's called, but so far so good. I'm using it in combination with clumping at the moment so the kitties can get used to it. Anyway, when it gets wet, it just smells like a pine tree. It does turn into what looks like saw dust when it's time to change it, but it doesn't seem to 'float' and get up your nose like clay litter dust. So far so good... I found it at a non-profit no-kill shelter here in Memphis. Don't know if I've ever seen it anywhere else.
Nat