Cat Exposure Not Linked to Asthma Severity, Exacerbations in Children

WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Cat exposure is not associated with asthma severity or exacerbations among children with asthma and allergy, according to a study published online June 10 in Frontiers in Allergy.

Resthie R. Putri, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the association between cat exposure and asthma outcomes in children with established asthma and allergy in a population-based cohort study using Swedish national registers. A total of 30,277 children aged 4 to 17 years with validated diagnoses of asthma and allergy were included. Asthma outcomes were assessed during 2023 to 2024 and included asthma exacerbation and moderate-to-severe asthma. In a subset of 1,428 children, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) and the asthma control test (ACT) were assessed.

The researchers found that 2,862 children (9.4 percent) had cat exposure. The cat-exposed and nonexposed groups had comparable initial asthma severity (19.5 versus 20.6 percent with moderate-to-severe asthma). Asthma exacerbation occurred in 3.3 and 3.5 percent of the cat-exposed and nonexposed groups, respectively (adjusted odds ratio, 1.12; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.39); moderate-to-severe asthma occurred in 9.6 and 10.1 percent, respectively (adjusted odds ratio, 0.96; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.84 to 1.10). ACT and FEV₁ z-scores did not differ significantly between the groups. No association was seen between the number of cats, cat sex, or cat age with asthma outcomes in the cat-exposed group.

“Here we show in a nationwide cohort of children in Sweden with asthma and allergies, that children living with a cat had similar asthma severity, exacerbation, asthma control, and lung function to children living without cats in the short term,” Putri said in a statement.

One author disclosed ties to the biotechnology industry.

Abstract/Full Text