There is a cat allergy solution that may enable you to keep your cat without suffering an allergic reaction, or significantly reduce an allergen reaction. Most people that are allergic to their feline pet have mild reactions such as runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. These are not serious reactions and in most cases they can be substantially eased or eliminated with a few precautions for allergen control in the house.
You must first understand that an allergy to cats is caused by airborne allergens. While most people believe cat hair is "the" allergen, it is now known that dander (which is dead skin flakes) and cat saliva on the hair are the real culprits. These two allergens can be controlled with some dedication and planning.
For starters, there are three things you can start doing now that will go a long way to getting dander and saliva allergens under control in your house or apartment. These three suggestions are the most important in any cat allergy solution.
1. Give your cat a bath regularly. Yes, they dislike the dreaded bath, but it is good for the them and good for you. With bathing, you remove dander and wash away saliva from their hair. Use a temperature water temperature and a shampoo. Afterwards, reward your cat with a treat and some praise for being so cooperative (just joking). Cats hate baths, but a treat and praise afterwards gives positive reinforcement and does not make the experience negative.
2. Many pet owners allow their cat to nap on their own bed during the day and will even sleep with their pet in their bedroom, or worse yet, with the cat on their bed. If you are allergic to cats, this is not a good idea.
It is far better to ban the cat permanently from your bedroom. It may be hard to do, but for your own sake it is a basic necessity. For you to be so directly exposed to dander and saliva allergens constantly for maybe eight-hours while sleeping just does not make good sense. So expel your feline pet and leave the bedroom door closed all the time.
3. Dander and hair drop off your cat permanently. It is in the air and dander will cling to everything. Hair gets into the rug and upholstery. All of this should be removed by vacuuming, often.
While any type of vacuum will do, it is far better to use a good quality HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaner. These vacuums have a filter that will collect dander very effectively.
I should mention that if you are the person with the allergy, it is always best to have someone else vacuum for you, preferably when you are not at home or in the apartment. However, assuming you do not have a severe allergy, it is better for you to do the vacuuming than for it not to be done.
These are starter suggestions that can be a cat allergy solution for you. Many people will find this is all they need to do to reduce their exposure to the allergens. Of course, there are other things you could do, but that's beyond the scope of this article. Rest assured, with care, most people can live with a cat even with a mild allergy.