Dealing with cat allergies

 

In an earlier article I wrote about hypoallergenic cat breeds. And if you read that article you'll know that I'm allergic to cats fur, but this doesn't affect my attitude towards cats, as I've learned many ways of dealing with cat allergies.

If you are allergic to cats from the day you were born, then you most likely learned how to cope with it. But what if you just learned that you are allergic to cats?

Or maybe you never showed any symptoms of cat allergies, and suddenly, after purchasing a new pet to brighten your life, something changed. Obviously nothing happens "suddenly", and there are many factors that might have contributed to the development of an allergy.

But this article is not about medical details, it is about ways to deal with cat allergies on daily basis.

So how can you battle your cat allergies aside from using a wide variety of medications that aimed to treat them? I myself been using a variety of prescript medications with a mild success, and through trial and error (and a little research) learned to compliment them with practices listed below for a greater effect.

♦ Limit your contact with the cat as much as possible. This doesn't mean that you need to ignore your cat and always keep it at a distance. Just try not to bother your cat with unnecessary hugs. But taking care of the cat (especially cleaning the toilet) must be done by other members of the family.

♦ Don't let the cat in your bedroom if possible. If you live in a flat with an open floor plan - hide the bedding. If your cat prefers to sleep with you, it is time to carefully (as to not make him\her feel neglected and unwanted) teach it to sleep in its own bed (or other place, where your cat often sleeps).

♦ Do a wet cleaning of the room daily, to prevent cat's fur from accumulating on carpets and curtains and other textiles.

♦ Air conditioners and air purifiers are of great help when it comes to fighting allergies in general. If you don't have an opportunity to install such devices - ventilate the room by natural means, especially before the bedtime.

♦ Combing your cat every day can help reduce the amount of cat's fur that causes allergies. Ideally you should bathe the cat, but not all cats love water, and this is a very troublesome procedure.