I have bad allergies to cats and want to be prepared for Greece - I wasn't when I traveled to Rome (I arrived and my breathing quality dipped within hours from the air there).
I'll be talking to my doctor about all the things within my control, but I am curious about tips from other travelers, as I am sure I am far from the only one who has been in this position.
Is there an island that is recommended where we can expect fewer cats than others?
Looking forward to feedback. Thanks!
Having no clue how to answer your question, I Googled it and found this: https://traveling-cats.com/2013/04/which-greek-island-has-the-most-cats/. Alas, it doesn't seem helpful to me.
There are many other links that are mostly equally useless for your purposes. I skimmed several of them and noticed Mykonos was often mentioned, so perhaps that's one you'd want to avoid. No great loss, I suspect (I haven't been there for decades), because it currently has a reputation as a very expensive, overrun party island.
If meds are unable to counteract the reaction, then perhaps a 'blast from the past' ( N95 mask) may help when outdoors.
Is there an island that is recommended where we can expect fewer cats
than others?
No, there are cats, whether stray or not, on all the islands, as well as on the mainland, in both cities and the countryside. While you can avoid direct contact most of the time, it will be difficult to avoid their presence. Knowing whether a particular island or area has fewer cats is, in my opinion, irrelevant if you are allergic.
This brings back memories of one lunch on Hydra.
I was having lunch outside with a group of friends and the cats were hovering around the table waiting for someone to feed them.
And they were bold. They would come up to you, tap your leg as you were eating, meow, and look up at you as if to say..."Hey, how about sharing."
If one table wasn't responsive, they'd move on to another.
I agree, I think they are virtually unavoidable.
I am a cat lover, but on Naxos last month the cats even started to annoy me, especially if we were trying to eat breakfast outside.
I can't see how anyone with an serious allergy could enjoy a holiday to Greece.
There were nowhere near as many cats in Rome or Istanbul in my opinion, compared to Greece.
Agreed that Google hasn't had much beyond people worried about at phobias...
And I definitely have N95s on my list to help combat the problem.
It seems silly, but within the same size area the difference between 10k and 50k cats is huge, as it directly relates to the amount of dander in the air. I have been in very clean homes with air purifiers and not had major issues, so I'm optimistic if I pick the right hotels I'll have a safe space in the evening to neti pot and reset for the next day.
With cats in Greece, the most important thing is finding a place to sit. :)
The thing is though Vita that even if there aren’t many cats relatively speaking, they will still be near you and that’s a problem if you have a serious allergy. The cats in Greece do like to be where people are as they want food. There’s no way of getting rid of them.
Yes, cats are everywhere and some can be annoying especially at restaurants.
Most are safe and won't be aggressive. In fact while walking around they'll usually walk away or keep a safe distance but others may be overly friendly.
If you have medication that may work with your allergy but it would be a shame if you don't go to Greece as it's a lovely country.
Someone recommended a face mask and that may work. Talk to your doctor to see if that would be a way to keep your allergy flare up.
I’m allergic to cats but have never had a problem on any Greek island.
Virtually all meals are eaten outside, and cats do wander around looking for handouts, but not in huge gangs that could affect the air quality.
The air in Rome is polluted from many sources other than cats. I don’t think you’ll have a problem.
Hi Charlene, thank you so much for sharing that. I needed to hear an experience from someone who has had success and I feel much better knowing that you didn't have issues.
I don't have a severe allergy to cats but I am allergic to some degree and so is my wife. My eyes will start to itch if I stroke a cat but if I don't touch one then I'm usually fine. My wife's breathing is affected if she spends too long in a room with a cat however neither of us experienced any issues when we were in Crete recently despite being surrounded by cats especially when eating outside.
OTC antihistamines usually counter the symptoms and a blast on my wife's asthma inhaler typically works for her.
Now I am only somewhat allergic to cats, and never ha a problem in Greece since all cat encounters were outdoors - which leaves the genuine question, seconding Charlene, whether your problems in Rome were actually caused by cats (absolutely possible, do not get me wrong) or something else you just did not know about, like pollen from plants you were never exposed to or whatever.
