Cats are adored by their owners throughout the world because they are curious, affectionate and low maintenance animals but what happens when a cat lover is allergic to their pet? Even the most devoted cat owner may consider putting their feline up for adoption if they suspect their pet is the source of their misery in the form of sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes and other allergy symptoms.

Your first step if you suspect you are allergic to your cat should not be finding a new home but rather trying some simple remedies to see if they reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Start by visiting a doctor for allergy testing to determine if cats are really the source of your problem. Often, individuals with allergies are sensitive to more than one environmental allergen. Reducing your overall allergen load could help make you less sensitive to cats. Antihistamines to help control your symptoms and/or allergy shots (immunotherapy) to help make you less sensitive may be recommended by your doctor.

If you are allergic to cats, the cause of your sensitivity is a protein called Fe d 1, found in their saliva. This cat allergen is transferred to the cats’ hair and skin every time they groom themselves. You can reduce your exposure to cat allergen with a number of remedies including:

•Have your pet spayed or neutered as altered cats produce lower amounts of Fe d 1 than unaltered animals.
•Brush your cat daily to prevent an accumulation of dandruff.
•Bathe your pet, if you dare, regularly with a specially formulated cat shampoo. This will help reduce the build up of dandruff, containing cat allergen, the culprit of your allergy. Read “How to Wash a Cat” at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art41069.asp on the allergies and colds site for step by step instructions.
•Get rid of carpets and fabric surfaces which are places for allergens to accumulate.
•Vacuum regularly with a machine with a good filter.
•Wash bed linens, blankets, pillows, etc. often.
•Use an air purifier to filter out many airborne irritants.
•Keep your cat out of your bedroom since that is where you spend a lot of time.

Forget about replacing your feline with one that is hairless. This won’t improve your allergies. Hairless cats still product Fe d 1 and transfer it to their skin during grooming.

Don’t give up on keeping a cat until you have tried these strategies. After all, your cat is dependent on you, and our animal shelters are already full of pets that have been discarded.