Allergies are something a lot of people deal with on a regular basis and there are various causes for allergy symptoms. One cause of having allergies might be your cat, and it can really make your life miserable. If you know your cat is causing you allergies, there are ways you can manage the symptoms without getting rid of your cat. Here are some of the best ways you can manage your cat allergy symptoms without having to give up that extra member of your family.
1. The first thing you want to do is make sure your cat is not sleeping with you in your bed. The sheets on your bed are probably covered with large amounts of cat hair, which is not helping your allergy symptoms. If you are trying to get rid of your allergies, then you need to make sure your cat does not join you in bed for a while. A lot of people sleep with their cat on their bed and are unaware that this is making allergies worse. It could be hard to keep your cat away from your bed, so you might need to keep your door shut at all times. Washing your sheets will only help your allergy symptoms so much, so you need to keep the cat off of your bed.
2. Speaking of bedding, you should wash your sheets at least twice a month to help with cat allergies. When you wash your bedding you should use hot water because this will help eliminate both pet odor and pet allergens that are found on the bedding fibers. Hot water is a natural cleanser so this should help rid the sheets of nasty allergens you are inhaling at night. A lot of people might hate to wash their sheets because it can be annoying and a hassle, but it is really a sure way to help cut down cat allergies.
3. If you have a cat allergy, you should also be practicing proper hygiene such as washing your hands. You should wash your hands after each time you play with your cat or pet your cat. Make sure you are using a good anti-bacterial soap to wash your hands and also use warm water to help eliminate bacteria. It is also important that you do not touch your eyes or rub your eyes during the time you are petting your cat. Rubbing your eye after petting your cat could irritate your eye and cause swelling or redness. It is always a good idea to wash your hands before and after you rub or touch your eyes to prevent allergens or dust from irritating them.
4. Vacuuming your house is also very important if you love your cats but you have an allergy to them. You want to vacuum your house at least two times a week and make sure your vacuum has a high-quality HEPA filter attached. The particles that are responsible for cat allergies are very small, so you need to constantly vacuum to get rid of them. These particles will appear on everything including your sofa, chair, bed and any other furniture you might have. Make sure you are vacuuming everywhere you can and use the crevice tools and furniture tools that come with the vacuum for more allergen control. HEPA filters are very good at controlling various allergies and are common in most vacuum cleaners these days. For best allergy relief, you should replace your HEPA filter about two or three times a year.
5. Cleaning your cat is also an option, although cats are often not excited about getting a bath. A bath once a month is a good way to cut down on the cat allergens and dander that is released from their fur. Bathing a cat can be a challenge and during the winter months, is probably something they would resent. If you do not want to give your cat a bath that often you can get a special liquid medication from your local veterinarian which you could use on your cat. The liquid medication, known as Allerpet, will decrease the amount of dander your cat releases from their fur and it is safe. You would just put a drop of this on their back and it will help reduce the allergens in your house. Giving your cat a decent brushing once a week might also help reduce the allergens. If you have a good brush that can rid the cat of dead undercoat, then you could help reduce the fur and allergens associated with it.
The most important thing about reducing your cat allergy is to clean constantly and thoroughly. You will need to clean your house more often if you have cats and also have an allergy, which might be hard if you are busy. If you are a cat lover then you know you will do whatever it takes in order to keep them in your house, even if it means staying home on a Friday night to clean. These are just some of the things you can do to help decrease the cat allergens in your house and you need to find what works for you. If none of these options seem to help you then you might want to see a doctor who could prescribe you an allergy medication to help get rid of the annoying symptoms.
Jonathan L Gelfand, MD, “Information on Cat Allergies”, WebMD
Personal Experience
