Cat Allergy
There are quite a few people who are allergic to cats. For all the talk about being allergic to dogs the truth is that far more people are allergic to cats than to dogs. This is mainly because the amount of dander that a cat produces is so much larger. A cat’s dander is also lighter and floats in the air for a lot longer which means that it is far more likely that it will be inhaled.
A cat allergy is very common, much more common than allergies to dogs in fact. A lot of people who own a cat prefer them to dogs because they are cleaner, but that apparently won’t prevent people from having allergies to them. Cat allergies are caused by the hormones in the dander, urine and saliva. The reason that cat allergies are more common than dog allergies seems to be based largely on the fact that cats produce more dander than dogs, they also aren’t bathed. The most common symptom of a cat allergy is asthma. You don’t even have to own a cat to suffer from cat allergies. There is so much cat dander in public places that you can have a reaction even when there is no cat around. People who do own cats inevitably get the dander on their clothes and spread it wherever they go.
The most common way to treat a cat allergy is to avoid being around cats. This isn’t a fool proof plan since it is entirely possible to have a reaction even when there is no cat around but it will reduce the likelihood and the severity. It is also fairly common to treat the allergy with medication. This tends to work best if you are not normally around cats and you only suffer from the allergies infrequently. If you have an allergy and you are around cats all the time the best option is to get an allergy shot. Again this isn’t fool proof but it will help to reduce the likelihood that you will have symptoms.
A lot of people with cat allergies will choose to own cats anyway. They have decided it is worth the discomfort to have a cat. If you do have a cat allergy and you decide that you want to have a cat there are some things that you can do to reduce the severity of your allergy. The best thing that you can do is make sure that your cat is neutered. Hormones play a large part in how much allergen a cat produces; having the cat neutered will reduce these allergens dramatically. It is also a good idea to give your cat a bath every week. This will help to reduce the amount of dander that they produce. Having the cat live outside would also be a huge help, if that isn’t an option at least keep the cat out of your bedroom. This will at least reduce your exposure while you sleep.