Make Some Rooms Off Limits
Fact:
Airborne cat allergen levels have been found to be much higher in rooms where cats are physically present.
Do you see where were going with this?
Designate cat-free spaces in your home.
In other words: keep your furry friend out of the bedroom or other areas where you spend a lot of time.
According to Allergist Dr. Dana Wallace:
The ideal situation is one where the cat has its private room where it lives most of the time. This really significantly reduces the exposure of dander to the rest of the house.
To top it off:
Restricting kitty to a certain room or area will also make it easier to keep up with cleaning efforts.
In one word: great!
How To Live With Allergies And Pets
Millions of people enjoy sharing their homes and their lives with pets, even those who are allergic to animals. Unfortunately, some people believe that once they are diagnosed with a pet allergy, they have no choice but to remove their pets from their family.
Thankfully, there are many solutions that can be explored that would allow an allergy sufferer to keep their beloved pets while successfully managing their allergies. You’d be surprised to know how many people with allergies that aren’t life-threatening are able to live happily with their pets.
In many cases, the benefits of having a pet outweigh the drawbacks of pet allergies.
Rid Your Home Of Other Allergens
If you’re considering bringing a new pet into your home, first rid your home of as many other allergens as possible, including mites, dust, and mold. Most airborne allergens cling to soft material such as curtains and drapes, upholstery, and floor coverings. Here are common ways to clear your home of allergens:
- Substitute blinds for window coverings. If you rent, and can’t get permission to switch them, keep the curtains washed and frequently vacuum the drapes.
- If possible, replace overstuffed upholstered furniture with leather.
- Eliminate decorative scented candles, potpourri, and plug-in air fresheners, all of which can exacerbate allergy symptoms.
- Consider replacing wall-to-wall carpeting with wood or tile floors. Otherwise, thoroughly vacuum carpeting regularly.
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Offer A Balanced Diet
Believe it or not, but what your cat eats is also important.
Why is that?
Animals that eat a balanced diet
will have healthier skin.
This can prevent dry skin and excess shedding, resulting in fewer allergens.
Great!
Go ahead and speak with your veterinarian about feeding your feline friend the right food.
Verify The Cause Of Your Symptoms With An Allergy Test
The first step in treating allergies should always be an allergy test. Knowing the cause of your allergy symptoms will help you and your doctor develop a treatment plan that will help you live a healthier and happier life.
If you experience allergy symptoms after being around cats, you might reasonably suspect that youre allergic to cats. However, several other environmental factors could be triggering your symptoms. Before following any of the steps listed below, verify the cause of your symptoms by scheduling an allergy test. At AFC Willowbrook, our allergy tests are capable of detecting up to 60 different allergens with a simple 15-minute skin test.
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Why Do You Have A Cat Allergy
Contrary to popular belief, the main culprit behind your allergies isnt your pets fur, its their dander. When you feel that familiar tickle in your throat, its the reaction of your immune system playing things safe and trying to fight off allergens. Every cat produces dander, so having a non-shedding cat or one deemed hypoallergenic will offer little relief for your allergy symptoms.
Smooth Floors And Walls
Want to know a dirty little secret?
Carpets are the primary reservoir of allergens in a home!
To put it another way:
They can contain 13 times more cat allergens than smooth floors.
But if youre serious about reducing cat allergies:
Replace carpet for wood, tile or linoleum flooring. Especially try to get rid of wall-to-wall carpets as its almost impossible to clean them.
If you must have carpets
what can you do about it?
Pick out a type with a low pile.
Beyond that make sure you steam clean them regularly.
Or even better, use washable area rugs and clean them in hot water.
All in all:
Get rid of your carpets!
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What Are Cat Allergies
Your eyes itch, you start sneezing and your nose runs after a few short minutes in the company of a cat. That could be cat allergies. Spending time with someone who has a cat may trigger a reaction too. Or there might be no obvious cat connection at all. You keep getting allergy symptoms indoors and have no idea why. Read on to find out about cat allergies, what causes the symptoms and ways to manage your condition.
Choose The Right Furniture
Big news:
You are possibly sitting on a hotbed of allergens while reading this post!
Let me explain:
Fabric sofas or armchairs trap a lot of allergens.
To top it off they are difficult to thoroughly clean.
So what can you do about it?
Well, keep kitty off the furniture
Sounds easy enough, right?
But if that doesnt work:
Cover upholstered chairs with towels and sheets so you can wash them on a regular basis.
Or even better, go for leather and vinyl as upholstery choice.
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Consider Medications For You
Talk to your doctor or allergist about medications to help relieve your allergy symptoms. Make sure to confirm with your doctor the nature of your allergy if you react to saliva more than dander, for example, this knowledge can help you mitigate the problem! If youve only recently developed symptoms, it may be worth making an appointment just to confirm youre reacting to your cat and not to something else entirely. Having or developing allergies can be challenging and uncomfortable, especially when its your cat causing the reaction. Trying these tactics will help you figure out how to care for you, your cat and your home so you can have many happy years together.
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How Do You Get Over Pet Allergies
Currently, allergy shots are the only potential cure for pet allergies. All other methods help to mask the symptoms. Simply getting over pet allergies would be akin to getting over cancer or getting over diabetes. While some people seem to outgrow their allergies, most people do not lose their allergies and need to plan accordingly.
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Cat Owners May Be Allergic To Their Feline Friends
To realize a cat allergy after living with a cat for a long period of time is not uncommon, according to Ronald Ferdman, MD, physician in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. This is something we see very commonly. Certain people with allergic tendencies can get desensitized to their own pets. As soon as they stop contact for a prolonged time the desensitization wears off and they get significant allergy symptoms upon re-contact with the animal, Ferdman explains.
The allergic reaction is caused by the proteins in cat dander , saliva and urine. Allergies to cats are the most commonmore so than dogs and other small animals. Both long- and short-haired cats can cause allergies. If you are curious of hypoallergenic cats, unfortunately those do not exist. Children may react to some cats and not others, to the fallout from other peoples family pets, or even when pets aren’t around, as the allergen sticks to clothes.
Can Cat Allergy Go Away
It depends on the persons individual case history and symptoms. Some people report that their allergies improve over time after undergoing various treatments, while others find that they remain allergic indefinitely.
It is also important to keep in mind that allergies can vary significantly from one person to the next, so the best approach is to speak with a doctor about your specific case.
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How Long Do Cat Allergy Symptoms Last After Exposure
Cat allergy symptoms will continue for as long as you are around an allergen. Once you are no longer near the allergen , symptoms of cat allergies should settle within a few hours.
But they can last for 2-3 days, depending on how severe the cat allergies are. For example, if you’ve experienced significant eye swelling, this might take a couple of days to go down. You might be able to use antihistamines or oral steroids to help swelling settle more quickly.
“It’s hard to say with 100% certainty whether symptoms will go away after exposure and whether you can grow out of allergies as such, so you must judge it on an individual basis. If you are struggling to breathe, you should avoid exposure for as long as possible, as having an animal around might not be the best idea, especially while you are awaiting diagnosis,” says Govind.
How To Treat Cat Allergies
The most effective way to prevent nasal allergies is to avoid the allergens. But if thats not possible, there are treatment options available including:
allergy shots known as immunotherapy
leukotriene inhibitors, such as montelukast
Due to the risk of severe mental health side effectsTrusted Source, montelukast should only be used when other allergy treatments arent available.
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Step : Make Sure Your Cat Is Healthy
If it seems like your cat is producing more dander than they should be, a trip to the vet may be in order. A skin test can help you find out whether your cat has problems like mites, yeast, or fleas that cause excess dander production. Obesity and diabetes are also conditions that will cause your pet to produce an abnormal amount of dander. Check with your vet to figure out the best treatment plan for your furry friend if they are suffering from any of these ailments.
You know what they say, you are what you eat. If your cat follows a healthy diet, their overall well-being will improve. Give your cat food that is packed with natural ingredients and especially high in omega 3 fatty acids. Meat should always be near the top of the ingredient list. A healthy cat means less dander in your home.
In addition to reducing dander, omega 3 fatty acids help keep your cats coat healthy, strengthen their immune system, reduce irritation and dryness of the skin, and prevent joint pain.
Ways To Get Rid Of Cat Dander
Before we get into our tips for cat dander treatment, we want to start with a disclaimer:
If your allergies are bad enough to be life-threatening, then we strongly urge you not to get a cat, or at the very least, to talk to your doctor about the risks. Even “hypoallergenic cats have dander and saliva that contain the proteins that can trigger allergic reactions. There is no guarantee that you wont react to a pet, even a hairless one.
That being said, milder allergy cases can sometimes be managed by dander control for cats and in your home. Some general cleaning practices are a good start, but sometimes more drastic measures need to be taken to protect yourself.
Lets jump into the best ways of reducing cat dander:
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Change Your Cat’s Diet
On occasions, a cat allergy occurs because your pet sheds too much hair, and this, in turn, might be due to their diet. Though it’s uncommon, its worth monitoring to see if it can make a difference. Talk to your cat’s vet about your allergies, and try to see if it’s possible to change something in their diet to help. If you feed them food with more fatty acids and fish oil, for example, they might shed less. If a cat sheds less, it will decrease the amount of dander spread around your house.
Are There Herbal Remedies
If youre looking for a natural remedy, you can go to your local natural health store and ask for stinging nettle, butterbur, spirulina, or quercetin. Herbal remedies might help decrease some of your allergy symptoms, but they arent guaranteed to work.
Make sure you consult your doctor before trying any natural supplements. It is important to know what side effects to look out for and if there are any interactions between the supplement and any current medications you are taking.
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Step : Clean Your Home
Were talking leave no hardwood unswiffered, no carpeting unvacuumed, no counter unwiped, no filter unreplaced- you get the gist. Its time to bring out that all-purpose cleaner and get down to business.
Clean all fabric
Softer surfaces like bedding, couches, drapes, curtains, and rugs are all going to be hot-spots for dander. We recommend throwing your drapes, rugs, and couch covers in the washing machine a few times a month to get rid of as much of the allergen as possible. Lint rolling your drapes and couches at least once a week can also be effective if washing them is too much of a hassle.
Wipe down surfaces
The second step to cleaning your home is to eliminate as much dander as possible from every surface in sight. The best way to tackle this is with either a soapy rag or a natural all-purpose cleaner and towel. Counters, walls, doors, and cabinets are all fair game for prime dander hideouts, so a quick wipe down is extremely helpful in keeping your home as allergen-free as possible.
Make sure to pay special attention when cleaning the places your cat visits the most. This includes all of your cats toys, their bed, and on top of that one kitchen cabinet .
Dont let your cat into your bedroom
Vacuum the carpets
Clean the litter box
Clean The Litter Box Twice A Week
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What Exactly Is Cat Dander
Dander refers to the microscopic pieces of dead skin that animals with fur or feathers shed into their surrounding environment. Since its defining characteristics are being tiny and lightweight, dander has no problem remaining suspended in the air for long periods of time. Its rough edges allow it to easily latch onto the surfaces in your home, especially those that are softer like bedding and upholstery.
Since dander can glide through the air and hook onto clothing without much difficulty, it can even spread to places where no cat has been before.
One of the reasons that cat dander is a major allergen is because of a protein called Fel d 1, which is commonly found within the skin, urine, and saliva of cats. Research shows that male cats produce less of this protein than female cats, so if youre a first-time cat owner, it may be in your best interest to adopt a Mrs. Sparkles instead of a Mr. Sparkles.
Siberians, Balinese, and Russian Blues are low shedding cats that would all be good options for those with severe allergies because they produce less of the Fel d 1 protein.
My cat has dandruff
To treat dandruff, you can follow the same first two steps to reduce dander in your home, so keep on reading!
What Is Cat Dander
Dander is highly mobile in an enclosed environment, like a house. Even in a separate room, dander could still provoke a reaction. But what is pet dander?
Dander is tiny skin particles that fluff off of your cat. They end up on surfaces like furniture, carpet, and clothing. They also float in the air that you breathe in, which is one of the reasons that cat dander usually causes an immediate reaction from people with a cat dander allergy.
Shedding dead skin is a natural part of the skin cell cycle in healthy cats, but dander will worsen in cats with poor skin and coat health, those that reside in unhealthy environments, and those eating a poor quality diet.
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Do Pet Allergies Go Away
Allergies can vary greatly from person to person. Some people may experience a decrease in their allergic symptoms over time while others may not see any changes at all.
Some people may find that they need to take additional steps to manage their allergy symptoms, such as avoiding certain types of animals or taking specific medications, while others may find that their allergy symptoms disappear completely after a period of time. There is no single answer that applies to everyone, and the best way to determine if your allergies are going to improve or not is to consult with a doctor or allergy specialist.
Clean Out The Litter Box And Bedding Of Your Cat More Often
Not only keeping your bedding is necessary, but you should also keep your cats bedding neat and clean too.
Dusting and cleaning the bedding of your cat one to two times a week can prevent the allergen from spreading around the room.
Also, you should clean the litter box of your cat more often.
The litter box contains stools and urines of your cat with their allergens too.
So, you should clear out the litter box two to three times a week and keep it more clean to reduce the allergen contamination.
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