Our kids desperately wanted a pet, but my wife is allergic to cats. She isn't as allergic to dogs, but we felt a cat fit our lifestyle better (you don't have to walk a cat). I researched cats and allergies a bit, so hopefully this blog entry will save you some time if you are in the same boat.
First of all, there is no such thing as a non-allergenic cat. Recent news reports describe a company claiming to offer genetically modified cats (3 years from now) that are hypo-allergenic for $3000. We were looking for something more in the $0 range.
Individual cats vary, and we hoped to find one that was less allergenic to my wife. We weren't interested in so-called hairless cats, because they cost money, we don't like how they look, and they are still allergenic. (If you're considering a dog, apparently poodles are a less allergenic breed.) What is the point of a cat if the kids can't pet its soft fur? We found a local animal rescue group that places cats in foster care while waiting for a permanent home, which presented a perfect opportunity to test drive a cat. If my wife isn't too allergic, we'll keep the cat. Otherwise, we can return it to the rescue group. If you can't find such a group, consider visiting the place where a prospective cat lives to see if you are extremely allergic to it.
Apparently, it is the protein in a cat's saliva that causes allergic reactions in some people. Cat dander (shed from their skin) is another possible allergen, which also might be due to the saliva. Cat hair apparently isn't an allergen, but since it is likely to have dander or saliva on it (from the cat cleaning itself), the cat hair is at least a proxy/vector for the allergens.
Most animal advocates recommend strongly against allowing cats outside, as many get killed by cars and other animals. We decided to manage my wife's allergy as a chronic disease rather than try to cure it. Those with severe allergies should either avoid pets or consult an allergist. We've heard of mixed results from allergy shots. An alleged British cat allergy vaccine developed in the late 90s doesn't seem to be available on the market, but traditional allergy shots have improved over time and offer some people relief. Of course, there are also prescription and non-prescription anti-allergy medicines. Consult your doctor.
It wasn't worth it to us for my wife to be on allergy medicine the rest of her life, so we chose a non-medicinal approach.
Further research led us to discover the following tips:
1. HEPA filters really help. Place them where your cat spends most of its time and perhaps where the allergic person spends his/her time. Consider a whole-house filtration system. Consumer Reports says not to bother with an ionic breeze filter, as they're ineffective.
2. Brush the cat to remove excess hair and reduce random shedding. Consider "pet wipes" to remove the allergenic saliva from the cat's fur.
3. Make sure the cat's skin is in good health so it isn't too dry or flaky. Consult your vet. We have a whole-house humidifier which is great to keep the people's skin from getting too dry in the winter, so it probably helps with the cat's skin too.
4. Close the bedroom doors to keep cats out of the sleeping areas. This goes for both the allergic person's room and other bedrooms too if at all possible.
5. I don't think it is realistic to tear out your rugs and curtains to keep allergens down, but be sensible about it. Keep the cat's bed in a tiled or wood-floored room. Consider a leather sofa instead of an upholtered one.
6. Cat's like to be off the ground, so set aside a place for them that is at least couch height. Otherwise, they'll pick your couch or window seat. You can buy or build a small platform that is two or three feet high for this purpose. Place it somewhere that the cat likes to be, especially some place with sun in the winter.
7. Train your cat. Whenever the cat goes somewhere you don't want it to be, firmly say "No" then move it to the preferred location. After removing the cat 8 or 10 times from my window seat, and placing it in it's cat bed, the cat no longer jumps up on the window seat.
8. Wash your hands after handling the cat, especially for tasks like setting the table or doing the laundry. Although hot water should remove most allergens from laundry, cold water may not.
9. Use a lint brush or packing tape to remove cat hair from upholstery.
10. Open the windows when weather permits, and give the cat access to an open-air room, such as a screened in porch, taking care not to let it outside if it is an indoor cat. I have a harness and I'll walk the cat to see how she likes it, but most indoor cats learn to ignore the outside.
We've had the cat almost a week and so far, so good. My wife's allergies have been minimal and manageable. I'm told it may take up to three months for the allergens to accumulate in your house, so don't take a week as a precise indicator. That said, my friends at the animal rescue group tell me that people generally return cats within the first week (if it is due to allergies) or not at all.
If necessary, we may consider more extreme measures such as bathing the cat or using various products alleged to reduce dander or shedding.
posted on Thu, 17 Mar 2005 at 09:54 | path: /pets | perma link
