We all know someone who is allergic to cats — a family member, a significant other, a roommate or even yourself! But allergies are no reason to avoid adopting a cat. They are also no reason to get rid of your cat either. In fact, there are many ways to remedy pet allergies before you consider such extreme measures. Below are the top 9 ways to reduce cat dander in your home.
- Don’t allow your cats to sleep on your bed. This is a small price to pay for allergy relief. It allows you to give yourself a break while you try to abate your symptoms.
- Keep them out of the bedroom altogether. Reducing the amount of dander in the bedroom will allow your room to be a sanctuary from allergens. So tempt your cats to sleep elsewhere during the day/night.
- Wash all bedding in 140-degree hot water at least twice monthly. This eliminates dust mite and cat allergen embedded in your linens.
- Invest in HEPA air filters in rooms where your cats frequent. Cat allergen is difficult to remove. HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) air purifier will do the trick. For them to work, they need continued filter replacement, but they can reduce your symptoms substantially!
- Vacuum your home with a HEPA vacuum cleaner twice weekly. Walls, carpet, flooring, chairs, furniture — wherever your cats dwells, vacuum!
- Use a vapor steam cleaner to clean your home. In addition to vacuuming, vapor steam cleaners are proven by research to be helpful in killing cat dander that may be imbedded in your carpet and upholstery.
- Wash your hands immediately and don’t rub your eyes. Use a strong anti-bacterial soap to kill all cat dander after you have interaction with your cat.
- Clean your cat. Some people wash their cats to reduce the amount of dander. Allerpet (sold at the Angel’s Wish retail store!), a well-known brand of liquid, reduces cat dander and can easily be applied to your cats’ coat.
- Confine your cats to one area of the house. This can be difficult, but it controls the cat dander to a separate place where you can concentrate your air purifier and cleaning efforts.
Following these steps will decrease your allergies significantly and make a happier environment for all. If these steps don’t work, consider talking with your veterinarian about additional advice he/she may suggest.
Source: about.com
Great suggestion. I'd like to point out also that allergies can lessen over time, or even go away altogether. I used to be highly allergic to cats, but now live with 3 of them. Increasing my exposure to cats was like getting allergy shots for me. My allergist confirmed that this can indeed happen in some cases. I use claritin and flonase but that's all I need. I've also heard that exposing kids to a variety of animals while they're young can lessen their chances for developing allergies to animals. Good luck everybody!
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