Chances are, you know at least one person with a cat or dog allergy; roughly 10–20 percent of people worldwide exhibit some form of allergic symptoms to these common household pets.
Given how common allergies to other species are, you may wonder: Can the opposite be true? Could a cat or dog have an allergic reaction to their owner, or to humans in general?
Can Cats and Dogs Be Allergic to Humans?
Maybe, says Douglas Deboer, a dermatologist at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There have been some research and experiments that suggest the possibility that pets can be allergic to humans, but nothing conclusive.
