How to Treat a Cat Dander Allergy

A pet cat can be an excellent addition to your home. Cats offer companionship and affection and typically require less time and maintenance than dogs. For example, cats don't need to be walked on a daily basis. However, you do need to return your cat's affection with daily play time and love. It can be difficult to give your cat the attention she deserves if you're constantly suffering from allergy attacks due to cat dander. Before adopting a cat, you should learn how to treat your cat dander allergy and if possible, make sure those treatments are working before bringing a cat into your home.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep your cat out of your bedroom. Keep that door closed at all times. This will give you one place in the house to retreat and get away from the cat dander; it will also help you sleep better.

• 2

  Avoid hugging and kissing your cat. Your cat deserves daily attention and affection, so if there is someone else in your home who can give it the companionship it needs, then you should also avoid petting it. If no one else is available for your cat, you should consider finding it a new home.

• 3

  Place the litter box in an isolated area where you rarely go, and make sure it's not near an air vent. If possible, ask someone else in your home to clean the litter box daily. Keep it out of the way, but be sure your cat can find it and access it easily.

• 4

  Wear a mask and gloves if you're responsible for grooming your cat. To minimize exposure to cat dander, ask someone else to groom your cat or take it to a professional groomer. Make bathing part of the grooming process. Keeping your cat well groomed will help reduce dander in your home as it will shed less.

• 5

  Use a room air purifier for up to four hours a day in rooms where you and your cat spend a lot of time, such as the living room or kitchen. This will help keep dander out of the air.

• 6

  Vacuum your carpets and furniture regularly with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. The more often you vacuum, the less dander will be in your home.

• 7

  Treat your allergies medically by receiving desensitization shots, or immunotherapy, or by taking over-the-counter allergy medications. Talk with your doctor about receiving shots to treat your cat dander allergy before taking over-the-counter medications.