A woman had to get her cat allergy tested following months of unusual symptoms, and naturally she had a few thoughts on what the triggers might be. But, when the results came back, nothing could have prepared her for the reality.
When Julie Newkirk, 29, moved in with her boyfriend last year, she thought the biggest hurdle would be getting her 6-year-old cat, named Beau, to get along with her partner’s Labrador retriever, Mango. As it turned out, that wasn’t the problem after all, as the duo developed an enviable friendship, putting the animosity between their species to one side.
Yet, that didn’t explain why Beau became “extremely itchy.” Newkirk, of Chicago, Illinois, told Newsweek that her cat “started to lick all the hair off his stomach” and back legs, licking the skin completely raw. Beau even had to wear a large “goofy disc” around his neck to prevent any further irritation.
“For the longest time, we thought he had anxiety from moving in with our dog,” Newkirk said. “None of it added up, since Beau and Mango became friends.”
As the symptoms showed no signs of diminishing, Newkirk conducted countless tests and tried Beau on several medications. Eventually, earlier this year, she was referred to a pet dermatologist, who recommended an allergy test.
By this point, Newkirk believed that Beau “must be allergic” to Mango the dog. The allergy test was done in March, and it took approximately a month for the results to come back. To Newkirk’s surprise, Beau isn’t allergic to Mango after all, but, rather, to human dander.
“We were shocked as we thought he was allergic to the dog; we never thought he could be allergic to us. I think he was used to my dander, since we lived alone together for almost five years, but, when my fiancé’s dander was added to the mix, that sparked all his licking,” Newkirk said.
She added: “It turns out he’s also allergic to a few Illinois native weeds, some grasses, sheep’s wool, house dust mites, common mold, and feathers.”
The results of the allergy test are on a scale of zero to six, with zero meaning no allergy and six being extremely allergic. Beau’s results show a four next to human dander and a zero beside canine dander.
After learning the unexpected results, Newkirk couldn’t resist sharing them on TikTok (@julienewkirk). Alongside the video, she joked in the caption: “I have to laugh so I don’t cry.” Internet users have lauded the cat’s unfortunately allergy results, leading to more than 685,000 views and over 69,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
While Beau’s allergy may have caught his owner by surprise, thankfully there are actions Newkirk can take to help. There are various allergy medications Beau can try, as well as an option to start immunotherapy shots. Newkirk is awaiting further appointments before deciding which option to choose, but she has already made several household changes to help Beau in the meantime.
“We have taken a ton of steps to help reduce the allergens in our home,” Newkirk said. “I had to get rid of all his feather toys, we got air purifiers, I got rid of our down comforters and pillows. I’m also working on selling our wool rugs and swapping them with something more allergy-friendly. We also vacuum and dust way more. It’s a change for sure, but I’d do anything to help my little guy.”
Newkirk never imagined her TikTok video would go viral, but she has been heartened by so many of the supportive responses. In only a matter of days, the post has generated more than 410 comments so far.
One comment reads: “Well that’s a hell of an Uno reverse by the cat.”
Another TikTok user joked: “Well well well, how the turntables….”
A third person wrote: “I recommend getting a hypoallergenic mom next time.”
One commenter added: “Meanwhile your cat out here looking like he’s the main character in a Shakespearean play.”
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