We have always had dogs in our house, despite the fact one of our sons is allergic to them. We simply found a hypoallergenic dog that would not aggravate my son’s allergies as much as other breeds of dogs. However, his grandmother and his two aunts have always had cats and love them. My son loves cats, too, but his allergies to cats are through the roof! It’s frustrating to him that his immune system has made the decision to ensure he sneezes and sniffles whenever the word cat is even mentioned! Further, once he touches a cat and then touches his face or any other part of his body, a rash develops. It is definitely not fun for him. However, if you or someone you love reacts to cats in a similar fashion, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the allergens that affect you.
Consult an allergy specialist.
That is what we did for our son. With certain medications and immunotherapy approaches, our specialist was an integral part of ensuring our son could interact with cats, if only on a limited basis.
Consider the sleeping arrangements.
Sure, your cat has a favorite spot in which to nap. But if you let your cat take over the sleeping quarters of the allergic person, you are in for an epic battle. As we all know, cats typically groom before napping. When cats groom, those allergens can easily make themselves at home in the bedding, the carpet, and the fabric. And once they are airborne, then you really have a problem. Make sure the allergy sufferer has a cat-free place in which to sleep.
Make a few changes around your home.
First of all, if you can afford to do so, switch out the carpeting for hardwood flooring. Because hardwood (or even tile and laminate) are easier to clean, you are more likely to get rid of the offending allergens. And you should replace the heating and air conditioning filters on a regular basis – perhaps every three months. This is something we all should do – allergic or not. Also, invest in having all of your air ducts cleaned every few years. For the carpeted areas in our home, we use a HEPA filter on our vacuum cleaner and also have a HEPA filter in our furnace.
Clean the litter box often.
We get it. Cleaning the litter box is one of those jobs we don’t enjoy but it comes with the territory of owning a cat. And when you have a cat residing in close quarters with an allergic person, it is even more important to clean the litter box on a regular basis. The cat poo and urine found in litter boxes are filled with allergens. Therefore, it is suggested that you clean the litter boxes daily and change the filter once a week. Also, be sure to keep the litter box in a highly-ventilated area.
These are just a few suggestions to employ when you have a cat (or two!) co-existing with an allergic person. It is possible to enjoy your feline friend(s) even if your nasal passages suggest otherwise.
Source: catster.com
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
