Regular brushing helps reduce the amount of loose dander on your pet's skin. In order to reduce the amount of dander in the home it's often useful to do this task outside or in a designated cat area. You should use both a fine bristle soft brush and a regular hair brush.
Regular brushing can help reduce allergic reactions because it lessens shedding — and your kitty will appreciate the reduction in hairballs! You can brush her more often in the spring when she's shedding her winter coat.
Brush Your Pet(s) at Least Once a Week
Brushing is not only a way for you to further bond with your pet but also keeps the fur from flying and is how to reduce pet dander.
☐ Vacuum regularly, at least once a week, with a good vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter to prevent outflow of the contents (including pet allergens) that have been swept up. ☐ Avoid “dry” cleaning (brooms and feather dusters) which can aerosolize pet allergens.
Tips for people who are allergic but living with a cat
Clean aggressively, especially in your bedroom. Consider an air purifier. Keep surfaces throughout the home clean and uncluttered. Consider having bare floors and walls to minimize allergens.
While there is no “cure” that will make you immune to cat allergens, there are several actions you can take to significantly reduce cat allergens in your home and alleviate your symptoms.
To efficiently collect loose hair and dander, a brush with dense bristles, like our pick for Best Overall, Mars Coat King Bristle Cat Hair Brush, can be used on short and long hair cats.
Brushing should be done daily with a soft slicker brush. Deshedding brushes can also help but should never be used more than once a week, as they can damage your cats' skin and pull out healthy hair.
When it comes to removing pet dander, an air purifier with a HEPA filter is your best choice. It filters the air and can remove tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns. 1 For reference, pet dander is usually between 5 to 10 microns, so HEPA filters are good at clearing it from the air.
“The causes of dandruff in cats can range from relatively simple—such as obesity that limits a cat's ability to groom, allergies, or the build-up of the undercoat—to more serious issues—such as fleas or a skin infection—to very serious issues—such as cancers like cutaneous lymphoma,” Teller said.
Vacuuming can be considered a crucial tool in removing pet dander from your home. A vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is the most effective way to capture pet dander and other allergens.
A: Unfortunately the best course of action is probably to give away your cat, especially if you find out you have severely allergies. There is no such things as an allergy-free cat, and the main cat allergen [actually their dried saliva] is particularly resistant to clean up even after the cats have left your home.
Saltwater rinse
When a person with cat allergies comes into contact with cat dander, their body produces an immune response, which can cause symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. Saltwater rinse involves using a solution of salt and water to rinse out the nasal passages.
Typically pet dander can stay in a house for four to six months after a pet leaves home. Cat dander lasts longer than dog dander as it's more airborne.
"Daily brushing will reduce the amount of hair a cat swallows during self-grooming with her tongue, therefore helping to reduce the number of hairballs your cat may develop." In addition to benefiting your cat, daily brushing will dramatically reduce the amount of loose hair and cat dander floating around the home.
Bathe your pet on a weekly basis to reduce the level of allergy-causing dander (shed old skin cells). Cats can get used to being bathed, but it's critical to only use products labeled for them; kittens may need a shampoo safe for kittens.
One form of treatment to reduce such allergic reactions has long been allergen immunotherapy, or allergy shots. Allergy shots gradually expose the body to increased doses of cat antigens. This causes the immune system to eventually tolerate the harmless cat proteins.
High-shedding cat breeds tend to be worse for people with allergies because the allergens get trapped in their coats and spread wherever they lose their fur. Some of these high-shedders include the Persian, Maine coon, Norwegian forest cat, Himalayan, Manx, and Cymric.
Although cat allergy symptoms may never go away completely, they are manageable. Remember this basic fact about cat allergens. They need to be airborne and you need to breathe them in for you to have an allergic reaction to them.
Cat Allergy Symptoms
Highly sensitive people can develop symptoms, including breathing problems or a rash, within minutes of touching a cat or entering a house with a cat. Cat allergy symptoms may include: Sneezing or a runny or stuffy nose. Facial pain (from nasal congestion)
It's possible for your allergies to worsen with time, especially if you're allergic to cats. When you do see your allergist, you should discuss your symptoms, including when they began and when they seemed to get worse.
High-shedding cat breeds tend to be worse for people with allergies because the allergens get trapped in their coats and spread wherever they lose their fur. Some of these high-shedders include the Persian, Maine coon, Norwegian forest cat, Himalayan, Manx, and Cymric.
Dyson purifiers capture 99.97% of allergens as small as 0.3 microns. A sealed HEPA filter captures particles as small as allergens and viruses, while activated carbon removes gases and odors.
Pet dander and other pet allergens may linger in the air for a longer time than other allergens. This is because they are microscopic and jagged in shape, making it easy for them to become airborne and stick to furniture, bedding, fabrics and even be carried on items into and out of the home.