Cat allergy shots and drops: treat the allergy, keep the cat
Antihistamines get you through a visit. Immunotherapy, by shot or by drop, is how you react less to cats over time. How each works, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Cat allergy shots are allergen immunotherapy: regular injections of cat allergen extract that build tolerance over 3–5 years, so you react less to cats instead of just masking symptoms. Allergy drops do the same thing with a daily dose under the tongue at home. There is no FDA-approved tablet for cat allergy, so the choice is allergy shots, given in a clinic or at home under a supervised protocol, or personalized allergy drops, which are compounded and prescribed off-label. Curex treats cat allergy with Single Pet Allergy Drops at $39/month plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation, and offers at-home allergy shots for environmental allergies at $129/month plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation — no weekly clinic visits.
Written by Curex Editorial Team · Medical oversight: Dr. Chet Tharpe, MD, Medical Director
The basics
Why cats cause allergies, and why avoidance rarely works
The main cat allergen is a protein called Fel d 1, made in cats’ skin glands and saliva and spread on dander and fur. It is tiny, sticky and stays airborne, so it builds up on furniture, carpets and clothing and turns up in homes, schools and offices without cats. No breed is allergen-free (ACAAI: pet allergy).
That is why avoiding cats is hard even for people who do not own one, and why many people who do own one look for a treatment that lasts. Antihistamines and nasal sprays control symptoms for as long as you take them. Immunotherapy is the only treatment that changes the allergy itself.
Your options
Cat allergy shots vs allergy drops
All three options are immunotherapy with cat allergen extract. They differ in where, how often, and how they are paid for.
| Allergy shots in a clinic | At-home allergy shots (Curex) | Allergy drops (Curex) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | Injection at the clinic | Injection at home under a protocol designed for self-administration | Drops under the tongue, daily |
| Schedule | Usually weekly or twice weekly for 3–6 months, then every 2–4 weeks | On a shot schedule at home; no clinic visits | Every day at home, about a minute |
| Supervision | 30-minute observation after each shot | Physician and care manager supervise online; epinephrine kept on hand | Physician and care manager supervise online |
| Other allergens | Can be combined in one treatment set | Environmental allergens | Single-pet plan for one pet allergen, or an environmental mix for pets plus pollens, dust mites and mold |
| Regulatory | FDA-licensed extract, labelled route | FDA-licensed extract, prepared by a specialty pharmacy | Compounded and prescribed off-label |
| Price | Billed to medical insurance; copay or coinsurance per visit | $129/month plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation, or $149/month self-pay | $39/month plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation; environmental mix $79/month |
| Course | 3–5 years | 3–5 years | 3–5 years |
Curex prices as of October 12, 2026. Clinic schedule from the AAAAI/ACAAI practice parameter. See Curex pricing.
Evidence
Do cat allergy shots and drops work?
Cat is one of the allergens with the strongest evidence for allergy shots, and cat extracts are standardized in the U.S., which makes doses consistent from batch to batch (AAAAI/ACAAI practice parameter; FDA: allergenics). Across allergens, a Cochrane review of 51 trials found allergy shots effective against placebo (CalderĂłn 2007).
Sublingual treatment works through the same mechanism. A Cochrane review of 60 trials found sublingual immunotherapy reduces symptoms and medication use (Radulovic 2010); the trial base for cat specifically is smaller than for grass, ragweed and dust mite, and there is no FDA-approved cat tablet. Allergists and ENT allergists prescribe personalized drops for pet allergies because they can be taken at home, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology included allergy drops in the standard of care (AAO-HNS guideline).
Expect gradual change: most people notice fewer symptoms within 3–6 months, and a full course of 3–5 years is what produces lasting relief after you stop.
Ready to skip the surprise bills?
See if at-home sublingual allergy drops fit your allergies — a 2-minute quiz, designed by board-certified allergists, with no needles, no clinic visits, and shipped to your door.
- MD-ledBoard-certified allergists
- Plan-specificConfirm current quote
- 50K+Patients treated
- HSA/FSAEligible
How to choose
Shots or drops for a cat allergy?
- Your allergist recommends themfor your history, or you are already on shots that are working.
- You can keep a regular schedule,in a clinic, or at home with Curex at-home allergy shots for environmental allergies.
- You want no needles and no clinic visits.One minute a day at home.
- Cat is your main allergy.Single Pet Allergy Drops cover one pet allergen from $39/month.
- You are treating a child.Drops are painless; Curex treats environmental allergies from age 5.
Day to day
Living with a cat while you treat the allergy
Immunotherapy takes months to build up. These steps help in the meantime.
- Keep the bedroom cat-free. It gives you eight hours a night of lower exposure.
- Run a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom and main living space.
- Choose hard floors and washable covers where you can; cat allergen collects in carpet and upholstery.
- Wash hands after petting and before touching your face.
- Keep taking your symptom medicines while immunotherapy builds; your clinician will tell you when to reduce them.
Safety
Who should be seen in person first
Anyone with a history of anaphylaxis, severe or poorly controlled asthma, a suspected food or drug allergy, a young child, or someone who is pregnant should be evaluated by an allergist in person before starting any at-home immunotherapy. If cats trigger your asthma, get the asthma under control before starting any immunotherapy.
More detail: allergy drops side effects and safety, allergy drops vs shots and allergy shots for cat allergy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cat is one of the allergens with the strongest evidence for allergy shots, and U.S. cat extracts are standardized. Shots build tolerance gradually over 3–5 years, so most people react less to cats rather than just masking symptoms.
Most people notice improvement within the first several months, once they approach the maintenance dose; drops are similar, with fewer symptoms within 3–6 months for most people. A full course of 3–5 years produces lasting relief.
In a clinic, shots are usually billed to medical insurance, with a copay or coinsurance at every visit. Curex at-home allergy shots for environmental allergies are $129/month plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation, or $149/month self-pay. Curex Single Pet Allergy Drops are $39/month or $390/year, plus a plan-dependent copay for each video consultation. Prices as of October 12, 2026.
Yes. Personalized allergy drops can treat cat allergy alone or with other allergens. They are compounded and prescribed off-label. Curex Single Pet Allergy Drops cover one pet allergen, such as cat, from $39/month.
No. The four FDA-approved sublingual tablets cover grass pollen, short ragweed and house dust mite only. For cat allergy, immunotherapy means allergy shots or personalized allergy drops.
Curex offers at-home allergy shots for environmental allergies: the same allergy shots an allergist’s office gives, prescribed by allergy physicians, prepared by a specialty pharmacy, with protocols designed for self-administration at home and a physician and care manager supervising online. Patients keep epinephrine on hand. Confirm eligibility and availability in your state with the care team.
Many people do. Immunotherapy is meant to let you react less to cats over time. While it builds, keep the bedroom cat-free, use a HEPA purifier and keep taking symptom medicines as your clinician advises.
No. All cats produce the main cat allergen, Fel d 1; some produce less than others, but no breed is allergen-free.
General information, not individualized medical advice. Your treating clinician decides eligibility, treatment and dosing. For trouble breathing, throat swelling, faintness or a suspected severe allergic reaction, use epinephrine if prescribed and call 911.
Curex prices as of October 12, 2026. General information, not a substitute for your clinician’s advice.
Sources
Where the facts come from
Sources
- ACAAI: Pet allergy
- Cox L et al. Allergen immunotherapy: a practice parameter third update. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011 (PMID 21122901)
- FDA: Allergenics (licensed allergen extracts)
- CalderĂłn MA et al. Cochrane review of allergy shots, 51 trials (PMID 17253469)
- Radulovic S et al. Cochrane review of sublingual immunotherapy, 60 trials (PMID 21154351)
- Seidman MD et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Allergic Rhinitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015 (PMID 25644617)
- Curex canonical pricing, client commercial terms as of 2026-10-12
- About Curex: services, testing options and how Curex works
Keep reading
- Allergy shots near meFind a clinic, compare at-home allergy shots and drops, and see state guides.Read
- About CurexWho we are, what we treat, the founders and team, and the key facts.Read
- Is Curex legit?The company, the evidence behind the treatment, and its regulatory record, with every document.Read
- Curex and the FDATwo separate matters: the 2021 allergy-drops questions and the 2025–2026 GLP-1 marketing letters, with what Curex changed.Read
- How Curex worksThe treatment process end to end, from at-home testing to daily drops.Read
- Curex reviewsWhat patients actually report — both clusters, including the complaints.Read