Coping With Cat Allergies

Before making any decision to get a cat, you should look into whether you and your family members are allergic to cats. Many people are allergic to cats, some more so than others. Too often, people bring home a pet only to find out later that they or their children are allergic to cats.

Although pet allergy symptoms can be keep under control, in many cases for some allergy sufferers, the various sneezing, stuffy nasal passages and itchy, watery eyes become too much to bear. Eventually, it becomes virtually impossible for them to stay with the cat.

As a result, many cats are sent to animal shelters each year as their allergic owners can no longer bear the severity of their allergy symptoms.

Even if you do not suffer from cat allergies, consider others close to you who may no longer feel comfortable visiting your home because they are allergic to cats. It would be very unfair to the cat later on if you had to give it away just because your social life declines.

For those who are mildly or sporadically allergic to cats, you can follow these strategies in order to have cats living in the same household. As you know, most allergies occurred due to the presence of danger particles in the air, and to control these danger particles, just follow the strategies below:

1) Apply cat safe, anti-allergy wipes or sprays to the cat's fur recommended by your vet

2) Use vinyl or leather furniture instead of upholstered

3) Replace carpets with hard floors

4) Prohibit your cat from entering your bedroom

5) Clean your air-con filters, furnace and ductwork regularly

6) Use an air purifier to eliminate the danger particles

7) Use hot water to wash your bed linens regularly

8) Wrap mattresses and pillows with plastic covers to prevent dander from settling in the bedding

9) Use distilled water to bathe the cat once a month

Allergies should be treated immediately to prevent weakening of your body's immune system. Prolonging your treatment will lead to other problems, such as bronchitis, asthma, or sinus or ear infections. It may even lead to life threatening cases if allergic responses are severe enough.

If you are experiencing symptoms that would not go away, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause. A test can then be perform on you to determine the exact allergens that are causing your symptoms so that an appropriate treatment can be administer on you.