Cat Allergies and Top 10 Tips to Reduce Your Symptoms!

Cat Allergies and Top 10 Tips to Reduce Your Symptoms!

Even if you are allergic to your cat, these top 10 tips can greatly reduce or eliminate your cat allergy!

Many people are allergic to cats. Or, worse yet, they are allergic to their own cats, and feel like they have no choice other than to give their cat away. But, there are mitigation practices that can reduce or even eliminate allergic reactions and symptoms. And yet, the medical community often ignores these and push expensive testing protocols and medications. Sounds a lot like COVID doesn't it? 

Let's look at what causes allergic reactions to cats and how to address them... without medications.

What and where are the cat allergens produced and how are they spread.

Cat allergens, specifically the primary Allergan, called Fel d 1, a protein produced in cats’ salivary, sebaceous (skin), and perianal glands. Over 90% of cat-allergic individuals react to Fel d 1, according to studies from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This allergen is small (about 35 kDa), sticky, and easily airborne.  This allergen is found particularly in their saliva, skin, and urine. It is also spread to its fur when the cat licks itself. The dead skin flakes, called dander becomes airborne or settles on surfaces, entering the human respiratory system or skin. Fel d 1 is also found in cat urine and can aerosolize in litter boxes.

More details about cat allergies and symptoms

•  All cats produce Fel d 1, but levels vary. No breed is truly “hypoallergenic,” despite claims about breeds like Siberians or Sphynx.
•  Indoor cats concentrate the allergens as they are inside 24x7.
• Male cats (especially unneutered) produce more Fel d 1 due to hormonal influences.
• Neutered/Spayed cats (both male and female) produce less of the allergens.
• The sensitivity varies among humans, even among those who are allergic to cats, some react more strongly than others. Genetic predisposition and prior exposure commonly determine the severity of reaction.
• Typical allergic reactions include sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, itchy/watery eyes, throat irritation, skin rashes (contact dermatitis), or asthma exacerbation in severe cases.
  

How to reduce the amount and/or strength of allergens a cat produces

Bet you didn't know that not all cats produce the same strength or amount of allergens?  In other words, people can be less allergic to one cat than another. But generally, you w won't know until after the exposure.

Neutering males and spaying females helps to reduce the amount of allergen the cat produces substantially. Some authorities claim that some specific cat foods can also reduce the amount of allergen a cat produces.

 

Top 10 tips to reduce the load of allergens in the household

OK, you've done all you can to reduce the amount of allergens your cat produces by neutering.  Now, let's look at ways to reduce the amount of cat allergens in the home.

I find it peculiar that no other authority or website points out that, by far, the fastest, easiest and most inexpensive way to reduce the allergens in the home is to ... open the windows!

1. Ventilate: Simply putting a $20 to $50 box fan blowing air in, in a downstairs window and another blowing air out in an upstairs window or window at the other end/side of the house gets rid of most of the allergen. Yes, you cannot do this 24/7 in most locales, but even in the Deep South in the summer or Minnesota in the winter, you can at least do it for a couple of hours a day (at night in a hot summer climate, middle of the day in a cold winter climate) and this will enormously reduce the load in the house!
   Pro tip: Put a furnace filter that has the ability to trap pollen and dust on the outside of the intake box fan to prevent dust and pollen from coming into the house. Look for a furnace filter that is the same size as the box fan and which will fit in the window (typically, you want a 20 inch by 20 inch filter). 
2. Cover furniture: Put blanket or other covering that can go into the laundry over any furniture that is used by either the cat or the affected human.  Then run those through the washing machine and dryer at least once per week
3. Air filtration: In the months of extreme weather, switch to air filtration. Specifically a HEPA Air Purifier: Invest in a purifier like the Levoit Core 300 (usually around $100) to remove airborne Fel d 1. Place it in areas where both the cat spends a lot of time and where the affected human sleeps or spends time. (e.g., living room, bedroom).
4. Personal Hygiene: Wash your hands and face after petting your cat to remove Fel d 1. This is IMPORTANT!
   Change clothes after prolonged contact to avoid spreading allergens.
5. Frequent Cleaning and Vacuuming: Use a vacuum that has HEPA filtration (~$100–$200) to trap dander. Vacuum carpets, furniture, and curtains 2 or 3 times weekly.
   Wash Bedding and Fabrics: Clean pet bedding, blankets, and your own bedding weekly in hot water (130°F/54°C) to denature (break down) Fel d 1 proteins.
   Wipe Surfaces: Use damp cloths to trap allergens on hard surfaces (e.g., countertops, shelves) daily.
6. Neuter: Have you cat neutered or spayed.
7. Brush your cat daily with a  self-cleaning cat brush to remove lose, dead fur, which otherwise become airborne.
8. Bathe Your Cat: Assuming your cat won't claw your face off, wash your cat weekly with a pet-safe shampoo (e.g., Allerpet-Cat) to reduce dander and Fel d 1 on fur. Studies show bathing can cut allergen levels by up to 80%. And wipe down the cat's fur with allergen-neutralizing wipes like, Allerpet Cat Dander Remover, Pet Dander Allergy Relief, Natural and Safe Allergy Relief for Cats and Humans, between baths.
9. Litter box changes: Make them frequent, but not done by the allergic individual. Use low-dust, unscented litter (e.g.,World’s Best Cat Litter) to minimize aerosolized Fel d 1.
   Related, enclose the litter box, but putting it inside a large clear plastic storage box with a hole (about 8 inches by 8 inches cut in the end for the cat to enter). See photo below. This approach is HIGHLY effective!
10. Flooring: If this is feasible for you, replace carpets with hardwood or tile to reduce allergen buildup. If not feasible, use washable rug
    

 

Conclusion

Over time, following the techniques above,  the affected person may become desensitized to the cat's allergens; this happened with my own son.  After a year or so, he could actually hold and pet the cat with no reaction at all.

 

Other allergens

Be sure to also see the page on dust mites, which also cause allergies. Control measures include enclosing the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover or other dust mite impervious cover (available here), thoroughly vacuuming mattress pillows and the base of the bed. Put an airtight plastic or polyurethane cover over your mattress. This tip is number one for a reason: it is in your bed that you are closest to the mites and their feces and enclosing the mattress and pillows in a dust mite cover virtually eliminates the mites here. Here are products that we recommend for allergy mitigation

References

1. Mayo Clinic. Pet Allergy: Symptoms and Causes.
2. Platts-Mills, T. A. E., and Woodfolk, J. A. (2011). Allergens and Their Role in the Allergic Immune Response. Immunological Reviews, 242(1), 51–68. doi:10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01021.x.
3. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). (n.d.). Pet Allergies.
4. Bastien, B. C., et al. (2019). Impact of Neutering on Fel d 1 Production in Domestic Cats. Veterinary Dermatology, 30(3), 245–250. doi:10.1111/vde.12745.
5. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). (n.d.). Pet Allergies.
6. Wood, R. A., et al. (2007). Environmental Control for Allergic Diseases. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 120(5), 1129–1135. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2007.07.024.
7. Consumer Reports. (n.d.). Best Air Purifiers for Pet Allergies. Available at: https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/air-purifiers/.
8. Avanzato, D., et al. (2018). Effect of Bathing on Fel d 1 Levels in Domestic Cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 20(10), 892–896. doi:10.1177/1098612X17735783.
9. Allerpet Cat Dander Remover, Pet Dander Allergy Relief, Natural and Safe Allergy Relief for Cats and Humans  
10. Purina Institute. (n.d.). Pro Plan LiveClear.
11. Satyaraj, E., et al. (2019). Reduction of Active Fel d 1 from Cats Using an Anti-Fel d 1 Egg IgY Antibody. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, 7(2), 68–73. doi:10.1002/iid3.244.
12. HypoPet AG. (n.d.). CatVax Development. Avail
13. WebMD. (n.d.). Cat Allergies: Treatments
14. AllergyMonitor. (n.d.). Allergy Tracking App.