How to Prevent Cat Allergies

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Pin ItArticle EditDiscussCat allergy reactions can range from mild symptoms such as sneezing and coughing to more severe allergic reactions such as asthma attacks. While it is possible to minimize allergic reactions using medication, this doesn't suit everyone and it's a good idea to take a multi-pronged approach to trying to lessen your allergic reactions to cats.

Edit Steps

Getting Medical Advice First1Consult with your doctor. Doctors usually prescribe the following types of drugs that can usually be bought over the counter to avoid cat allergies.

Antihistamines: Some common names include Allegra, Astelin, Benadryl and Claritin. You may need to experiment with different ones to find the one that works best for you––speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.Decongestants: These can be used to treat or prevent nasal or throat congestions. Popular names include Allegra-D and Sudafed.Steroids: Most steroids require prescription for purchasing. They include sprays such as Flonase and Nasonex.2Consider having specific allergy-reducing injections. Having a series of anti-allergy injections can reduce reactions to allergy in the long run. However, these injections can take years to achieve their full effect and should only be taken by people over 5 years old. This option may be desirable where you really want to own cats but can't find any other way to get around your allergy.

Keeping the Air Clean

If you live in or visit a household where a cat resides, air cleanliness will be essential for you.

1Wear an air filter mask. The mask will filter out any allergens from entering your breathing canals, hence reducing the chances of asthma attacks as well as coughing and sneezing problems.2Vent your home properly. Open doors and windows to allow cross-ventilation so allergens can escape from the indoor atmosphere.

3Use a HEPA vacuum filter. This filter is of a finer quality so it can collect allergens to help prevent cat allergies. Ideally, vacuum daily.

If possible, use a quality vacuum cleaner that is guaranteed to collect pet hair and dander.4Clean your home frequently. Dust, wash linens and sofa surfaces, etc. at least weekly. Use pet hair brushes or duct tape to collect hairs from areas where cats rest. Discard all hair immediately.

Use damp dusting to help keep down the amount of allergens blown into the air.Sweep the floors where pets frequent daily. Allergens on the floor will blow into the air when disturbed by walking or sitting.

Keeping the Cat Clean1Where possible, own a cat that has less fur. A cat with less fur will have less dust and saliva residue on it (which are the major causes of cat allergies). The Devon Rex cat may be a good pick, as it has very short or even no fur. It is considered to be one of, if not the most, hypo-allergenic cats available.[1] Other things to consider before buying a cat as a pet include:

A Devon Rex.Males tend to produce more allergenic secretions than females.[2]Neutered males produce less allergens than intact male cats[2]Dark cats produce more allergens than lighter cats.[2]2Have the cat bathed regularly.

Have a household member who isn't allergic perform this action, or pay for a cat groomer to do it weekly, in your home.While this may be unrealistic for you (especially since most cats detest baths), bathing a cat 2-3 times a week has been shown to considerably reduce its allergens.[2]Some cat owners advise using distilled water for bathing, to provide thorough and sanitized cleaning.You may like to consider spraying the cat with allergen reduction sprays after it has been bathed so it attracts less allergens.3Groom the cat daily. Brush or comb the cat's fur thoroughly each day and discard the fur in the brush. Again, this may need to be done by a non-allergic member of the household.

Grooming improves the texture of the cat's coat and will help to remove all sources of allergens from cat spittle, outdoor pollen and dirt and anything else the cat has brushed up against.

Taking Household Precautions

Take extra precautions if you or a family member owns a pet cat. Here are some tips that you can follow.

1Keep the cat out of the house. This will limit your exposure to the cat. Some people keep their cats in a cattery or cat house, located in the garden, with freedom to roam outdoors during the day a possibility.

2Designate cat-free zones. Don't allow the cat to enter your bedroom or other areas where you spend most of your time.

Keep the doors shut to rooms you don't want cats to enter. This must be done at all times, to prevent access; the more everyone does it, the more it'll become an ingrained habit.3Keep all cat toys and bedding very clean. Wash these regularly in hot water. This will reduce the allergens floating around your home.

Minimizing Contact with Cats

For many sufferers, staying away from cats is a daily reality. If you can't reduce the allergen causes by the methods suggested above, you'll need to considerably reduce the chances of coming into contact with cats at all.

1Avoid visiting households that own cats. Ask the people in advance if they own cats and let them know that you won't be able to come if this is the case, due to your allergy.

Don't frequent places with too many cats.2Take care being around people who own cats. The dander left on their clothing may spark an allergic reaction. Without making a big deal out of it, simply let such people know that you have a bad allergy to cats and that even their fur on clothing can set off your allergy.

This stuff clings!In the workplace, this may necessitate sitting a good distance from someone who owns a cat and isn't able to keep their clothes free of cat dander.Don't be rude. You may have an allergy but the cat owner also has feelings. Explain things kindly, in the spirit of compromise.3Don't bring cats close to you. This may seem like common sense but a love of cats mixed with an allergy can lead many cat fans to do some rather unhelpful things. Yet, avoiding direct contact with any cat will minimize the chances of setting off your allergy. The following things will help alleviate your allergy:

Leave cat kisses to the cats.Don't pet cats. There is a protein in the saliva of cats (Fel D1) that seems to trigger many of the human allergic reactions.[2] By not stroking the cat, you avoid picking up this allergen. If you must pet the cat, wash your hands immediately with soap and warm water (a good practice for every cat owner regardless of allergies).Don't bring a cat close to your face.Never try to kiss a cat.

Edit TipsThere is ongoing research to breed cats that can be genetically altered to become allergy-free. More people who are allergic to cats may be able to have a pet cat in future because they will not cause allergic reactions.Read The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner by Diane Morgan for more ideas and help.

Edit Sources and Citations? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_Rex? 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Catster, http://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/hypoallergenic-cat-breedshttp://www.webmd.com/allergies/cat-allergies?page=2 – research sourcehttp://www.messybeast.com/allergy.htm - research sourcehttp://www.catsofaustralia.com/allergy_to_cats.htm – research sourceArticle Info Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Allergies and Immunization

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