If you have always been a cat-lover, that could mean fewer allergies.
Researchers have known for several years that having a cat as a child may offer some protection.
But they've never known what happens allergy-wise for adults who acquire cats for the first time.
Now, they know it can bring on a reaction, especially if you have other allergies.
Italian doctors who followed 6-thousand adults for 9 years say those who acquired a cat during that time as adults were twice as likely to develop antibodies to cat dander than those who didn't have a cat.
Antibodies don't necessarily mean allergy symptoms, but they can set the stage.
