Cat allergies are airborne and therefore must be breathed in by you for you to be affected. Although airborne allergens are generally harder to control, nevertheless they are certainly controllable. There is an appropriate old saying, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
1. Wash or clean your cat regularly. Of course you already know that many cats dislike baths. Older cats not used to baths will likely have a frantic reaction to getting wet. However, if cats are bathed from a young age, they tend to tolerate the experience better.
Between regular baths and grooming, you may wish to consider these two options for better allergen control, especially for older cats that find baths difficult:
A) You can buy and use a micro fiber cloth. Dampen the cloth and rub-down the cat’s coat. This will wipe away the primary allergens (the causes of the allergy), which are 1) dander (dead skin flakes) and 2) saliva on the hair.
B) You can use a product called Allerpet. This is applied to the cat’s coat. This is a popular and effective product that is non-toxic and is even safe to use on kittens. (There is a version for dogs and puppies.) This product is available online, at some pet stores, and from your veterinarian. Allerpet shampoo and dust spray are also excellent products you may wish to use.
2. Grooming your cat is very healthy for your cat and should be done every time your cat is bathed. This helps to eliminate loose dander. In good weather, do the grooming outside. Or use an area of the house you normally do not use. You should wear a mask and gloves when grooming. When finished, remove your clothing and be careful to keep these clothes out of the bedroom until after a full laundering. Then wash your face, hands and arms.
3. It is important to keep your cat permanently out of your bedroom, so keep the door closed. Of course, this means the cat should never sleep on your bed. If your cat does sneak in and hop onto your bed, you should launder whatever bedding the cat touched, as soon as possible.
4. It is really best to restrict your cat to as few rooms in your house or apartment as possible. But cats do like to roam so get in the habit of closing doors.
5. Try to keep your cat off of upholstered furniture, as they are primary collection spots for dander. This can be difficult to do.
6. So, consider getting rid of under-used or unnecessary carpets and upholstered furniture from the rooms where your cat has regular access. I realize this may not be otherwise practical or especially desirable.
7. Use a low-dust kitty litter and place the litter box in an area as far away from you and your daily activities as possible. Also, it is important to place the litter box in an area away from outlets of the house air supply. Cat allergens are airborne and hindering airflow from the area of the litter box to the rest of the house is an important consideration.
8. Review your cat’s diet and make sure your cat is getting some natural animal fat or vegetable oil. This will help avoid dry skin, which will help hinder the creation of dander.
9. Be mindful that when you play or touch your cat you must wash your hands afterwards. Try not to hold your cat on your clothes. If you do, it’s laundry time.
10. If you touch your cat, it is very important that you do not touch your eyes until after you have washed your hands.
11. Vacuum the area where your cat is allowed to roam twice weekly with a very good quality HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaner. This includes the floors, carpet, walls, chairs, sofa, and other furniture in the room. This is often the single most important cat allergy solution you can do. Of course, it is better if the person with the allergy is not the one that does the vacuuming, but I realize this may not be possible.
12. Be aware that air currents from your central heating and air-conditioning system will spread allergens throughout the house. Many systems have some form of air filter. The filter should be replaced periodically. Buy a very good quality filter replacements for your system.
Some systems will have an HEPA air purifier. These are excellent, and they also have filters that need replacing as needed. If you do not have an air purifier, consider getting one as it will bring a major improvement to the air quality in your home.
13. If the above cat allergy solutions have not been enough, another step you may wish to consider is to get a vapor steam cleaner and then steam clean your carpets and upholstery on a regular basis. This will be effective in killing off cat proteins and washing out the dander and hair that is very likely embedded in your carpets and upholstery. In addition, steam cleaning is a chemical-free way to kill dust mites, bacteria, and mold spores.
14. If all else fails, you may wish to consider allergy medication or possibly an immunization program of shots. You will need to speak with your family physician.
Conclusion
A reaction to a cat allergy can be minor or major, depending upon the individual. If you do not have a serious allergenic reaction to cats, then with a determined effort to adhere to the above suggestions you can keep your cat while significantly decreasing your chances of having a troublesome allergenic reaction. Of course, this is not guaranteed, but most cat allergy sufferers will notice a drastic improvement by following some or all of these cat allergy solutions.
