She has a hard time breathing and has relied on childrens allergy medicine and an inhaler for the past week or so, but the problem seems to get no better. Short of giving away my cats, what can I do to make things easier on her?
2006-12-12 03:05:34 · 34 answers · asked by wsdmskr825 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Allergies
I am allergic to cats. I have two (both with long hair).
One thing that has helped, in general, is to put cat beds ALL OVER. (PetSmart has some that have little removable cushions. Depending on the material they're made of they're washer-friendly or not. My cats love the fleecy material.) My cats will often choose to curl up there, confining lots of fur/dander to the bed itself. This makes cleaning easier.
Here are things that have helped me:
CLEAN (as everyone has said). Good vacuuming. You could try steam cleaning, too...
Brush your cats often. If they have long fur, you might want to try that cheesy-sounding (As Seen on TV) ShedEnder. On a whim, I picked one up at WalMart, and it has removed extra fur from one of my cats like nothing else. (I had no idea my cat's back was that flat...)
Bathe your cats once a month.
Sharper Image Ionic Breeze (can get one on their site under Auction for cheap).
You can also try:
Allerpet/C (something you put on cats' fur). I've never liked the idea of them licking it off and ingesting it so I don't bother with it anymore.
Your girlfriend can also get homeopathic pet allergy remedies from the health food store.
Good luck.
Don't get rid of your cats. Or your girlfriend.
2006-12-12 14:41:59 · answer #1 · answered by kes08 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My allergies are pretty bad and I was finally able to have a cat after waiting almost 15yrs because of one trick: bathing the cat.
Studies have shown that people like your girlfriend and I are allergic to the saliva and not the dander or the cat hair. It takes a week of acumination for it to trigger an allergic reaction. First, we vacuumed everything, and every surface. I mean everything. If cat hair can get there, you have to vacuum it. We got regular cat shampoo and a great treat. We would give the cat (his name is Spock) a taste of the treat before the bath, and give him the rest after. I did take allergy meds for the first week because while you're cleaning, you come in contact with hair. Every week. Don't forget the treat and don't make the water too hot. Remember, cats don't sweat. I really that helps.
2006-12-12 12:06:42 · answer #2 · answered by kitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Change the bag/filter and vaccum your place, then clean that out, I would do it a day before, so if you just kicked up any dust it will settle again. Get a good air filter that will pick up cat dander for your furnace/ac. Don't let your cats on your bed or even in your bedroom, so that it's more of a cat dander free zone for her. Get rid of curtains or anything that might be holding onto cat hair, or at least wash them. An air filter might help with the loose dander in the air as well.
There are also products you can buy for your cat, there is a allergy free shampoo to wash your cats with. if they hate baths, like most cats, there is a wipe version of the same allergy free product.
I have the same problem at my house and as long as you keep up with everything, she should do better at your place.
2006-12-12 03:27:45 · answer #3 · answered by Jyse 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, unfortunately giving away your cats would be the best solution, but there are things you can do to make it easier on her without doing that! The first thing would be to keep your bedding clean, and your bedroom cat free. Also buying a good room ionizer would help tremendously. I recommend the one made by Oreck, it would not be the cheapest purchase you ever make, but it will be worth it, not only for your girlfriend, but for everyone. Also changing your air filters on a regular basis would help, buy the ones with a high merv rating, the higher, the better. And one more thing, vacuum regularly, and using a vacuum with a hypoallergenic filter or bag in it would help.
2006-12-12 03:21:51 · answer #4 · answered by mixemup 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm extremely allergic to cats and dogs. It depends on a lot of things. Maybe try keeping the cats out of the room/s she spends the most time in. Before she comes over use a roller brush to get up any hairs from the couch/chairs. Make sure you vacuum the rooms or sweep them awhile before she gets there. All of that dusting and vacuuming can stir all that dander up and make it worse. If you live somewhere warm, try opening the windows to allow fresh air. If you can keep this up on a regular basis then it should help her.
2006-12-12 12:14:45 · answer #5 · answered by Go Cats 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After eating a few bites of it, get this pained look on your face, cover your mouth and rush to the bathroom. Pretend to throw up by making vomiting noises. You could devise a way to have some water or something to pour into the toilet to make it more effective. Maybe at first pretend you are just washing your face but fill a cup or something with water and pour that into the toilet as you are pretending to vomit. Do this a few times and tell your mother that eating meat upsets your stomach greatly. It would be impossible to prove this medically too - unlike allergies which they can test for. It is perfectly feasible to believe as well, because you could explain it that the enzymes in your stomach change when you eat less meat so that you can not process it and would be better off on a vegetarian diet.
2016-03-29 04:27:07 · answer #6 · answered by Diane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not that it will work, but you could vacuum daily using a vacuum with a hepa filter. Remove as much of the fabric from your place, such as curtains and throw pillows. Try using an air purification system. I have a couple Ionic Breezes from Sharper Image. I got them on ebay for about half the cost. You can get a much cheaper one using a hepa filter but it will make more noise than the Ionic Breeze.
In addition, you should brush your cats and possibly bathe them.
The link below has other suggestions.
2006-12-12 03:16:28 · answer #7 · answered by Pharm_DJ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well having one cat myself I can tell you cat fur and dander gets everywhere. My father is allergic to cats and he takes prescription allergy medicine when he visits. And we try to spend as much time in the back yard as possible. Perhaps if you designate one room of the house that you and your girlfriend spend time in, superclean it and make it off-limits to the cats even when she's not there, plus picking up an air purifier for that room might help too.
2006-12-12 03:15:22 · answer #8 · answered by CA DIVA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on how serious you are with her. You can bathe your cats often. People are usually allergic to the cats saliva. They lick themselves clean and then the dried saliva dust is what we are allergic to. If you are really serious, she could get allergy shots that will create an immunity to cats. This is a lengthy process though...I have been getting the shots for 2 years...I am on 1 shot a month. But bathing the cats does help along with keeping your place extra clean. Good luck!
2006-12-12 03:13:04 · answer #9 · answered by roxhart78 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You may not be able to...I'm VERY allergic to cats also and if she's had to resort to using an inhaler to breath, it's not just a mild allergy. I have friends that have cats and I have to eat Benadryl like candy just to go over there and watch a movie...I can't touch anything with my hands that the cats have touched, and even if I'm careful as can be AND take med, within an hour I'm wheezing and have to go outside...
It may be an issue of choosing between your girlfriend or the cats...or y'all may need to spend the majority of time together at her place...you just can't really enjoy someone's company when you're eyes are running, you're coughing/sneezing, and cannot breathe.
2006-12-12 03:09:54 · answer #10 · answered by . 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋