has anyone ever got poison ivy type symptoms from a cat?

Sounds a lot like ringworm. At least, I'm pretty sure you don't have leptospirosis, since you don't say there's a fever. I'm not a human doctor, but prednisone seems pretty aggressive for this.

but ringworm is pretty common from contact with animals and it spreads wherever it touches. It spreads faster when you scratch it and touch somewhere else on your body. It also likes to spread in defined "groups" (sound familiar?)

Your doctor doesn't think it's an allergic reaction otherwise he wouldn't have prescribed prednisone. Prednisone is an anti-inflammatory (specifically a corticosteroid), not an antihistamine. If that doesn't work and the condition doesn't clear up after you finish your prescription, your doctor will then most likely try cortisone or triamcinolone.

I am not saying that it is in fact poison ivy or one of its cousins. However it is very easy to get it from an animal that has been in contact with the plants.

The plants secrete a very light almost volitile oil that can not only be dispersed from one object to another but can even be wind born.

You do not say where you live. If you are somewhere where the poison ivy is still alive this time of year and you have it growing in your yard or nearby I think it is a likely culprit.

Could be ringworm but the reason I'm guessing not is that it is a fairly common skin disease and your doctor should have recognized it.

Another idea is that you are allergic to cats and have only the skin manifestations of the allergy - no sneezing, wheezing, running eyes. Have you ever exhibited signs of allergy from a cat before?

Well, I do not know but would put my money on poison ivy if your area is still warm.

Wash a few times a day with strong soap. Wash all the clothes that have come in contact with the cat. And post a new question about the correct, safe way to give a cat a bath.

If it is poison ivy there might still be a bit left on the cat.

If this doesn't clear up in a couple days go to a dermatologist.

Thanks for being kind and taking in a stray.

Nope, never got it.. was always taught to stay away from leaves of three. When I was a Cub, I heard a rumor of how a man got Poison Ivy all over his bum and transferred to his manhood. He was out in the woods and had to poop. When he completed the dead, he reached and grabbed a hand full leaves of three and wiped., a few days later, he was itching and had a nasty rash. He saw his Doctor and was told he had Poison Ivy down there. This is when the man told the Doctor what happened.

I am badly allergic to poison oak, I've been hospitalized twice case of my throat swelling and blocking my breathing passage my eyes swell shut. One summer it happened three times, I was no where near the stuff ! anyway to make a long story short after some detective work, we figured it out! My cat was going outside and sleeping in the stuff then coming back to me,my husband spotted her one day peacefully napping on our neighbors property lying in the stuff! sadly kitty was struck and killed by a car a couple weeks later and I havent had it since!

It sounds like an allergic reaction. Use benadryl every 4-6 hours (oral) and obviously you will need to get rid of the cat.

it is very possible that poison ivy oils were on the cat, and when you touched it, the oils rubbed off onto you, causing the rash. the oils last essentially forever, unless they are properly washed off, so its quite plausible

use some benedryl