I seem to be allergic to long-hair cats. I had a long-hair for 17 years that I was allergic to, then got another one (how dumb am I!). I realized it was long-hairs when I got the second one. I have had short-hairs without problems, and (I did learn) have one now.
I found that my biggest problems occurred if I petted him, then my hands got anywhere near my face. Because of that, I had to wash my hands all the time. If I was petting him, I would wash my hands. If I didn't, I would have stinging, runny eyes and congestion. You will also have to dust a lot----that dust is a lot of dander, and they say that is what we are allergic to.
And you will not want to hear this, but I also just had to live with it to an extent. Benedryl works for nights (yes, it is a great sleep aid), but not for days. I used Zyrtec-D (12 hour) when it was particularly bad during the day. You may have to find what works for you, but Zyrtec-D gives me insomnia, so it worked only during the day and only when I took it early in the day. And if it isn't too bad, tolerate it. Sadly, I never got immune to it, but I would do anything to have my kitties back with me even with the allergies.
Good luck with finding answers.
= new reply since forum marked as read