Are you allergic to pets? Living with pet allergies can be a great misfortune, especially if you already have several furry friends living with you.
Pet allergies can range from a minor annoyance to severe pain. The cat dander, saliva, and skin cells from only a single cat can trigger some irritating reactions.
However, you don’t have to keep living with that. Learn how to get rid of cat dander and go back to fully enjoying company with your favorite feline friends. Furthermore, getting rid of cat dander in your home will make your house more friendly to guests and comfortable for everyone.
What Is Cat Dander?
Cat dander refers to the microscopic pieces of dead cat skin that become airborne when it gets to curtains, beddings, carpets, and other surfaces, such as clothing and human skin. These dead skin particles from the cat contain the primary allergen known as Fel d 1.
Fe1 d 1 is a glycoprotein found in a cat’s saliva and sebaceous glands under the skin. When a cat rubs its coat, the Fe1 d 1 present in its saliva drops on the cat’s fur and skin. Therefore, cat dander can be a problem for sensitive people, as the Fel d 1 might cause an asthmatic or an allergic response.
The 9 Ways to Remove Cat Dander
Here is a comprehensive walk-through of 9 practical ways of removing cat dander.
1. Clean Your Cat Often
When cleaning your home, it is easy to overlook keeping your cat clean. However, this is one of the perfect ways to manage pet dander.
Even if your cat doesn’t love bathing, it is essential to prevent allergies and keep everyone in your house healthy. A weekly bath can greatly reduce the dander in your cat’s fur, so make it a habit to keep your feline companion clean.
Some of the products you can use on your cat include Burt’s Bees Dander Reducing Cat Spray and TropiClean Waterless Dander Reducing Cat Shampoo.
2. Keep Your House Clean
Cat dander can latch on to any surface, such as curtains, carpeting, or countertops. And once the dander has settled, it becomes tough to remove. Luckily, you can take steps to prevent it from latching on too firmly.
For strong surfaces, such as walls, tables, and baseboards, use a soft cloth and natural cleaning products to clean routinely.
Getting rid of dander from a soft surface can be a challenge. However, you can easily remove it with a lint roller. Roll the gluey side over your clothing or curtains to trap the dander without causing discoloration or damage.
Another option is to shampoo your upholstery. Carpet fiber tends to catch pet dander, and every time you walk across the floor, the particles may get winded up in the air.
Examples of products you can invest in to help remove cat dander from your home include Burt’s Bees Dander Reducing Wipes and Bissell ProHeat Carpet Cleaner.
3. Feed Your Cat a Healthy Diet
Proper feeding keeps your pet happy and healthy and reduces the amount of dander shed. Good nutrition in cats gives them healthy skin with powerful hair follicles.
Stronger follicles lead to fewer dead skin and alleviate shedding. Talk to your vet to learn how best to care for your cat for healthy skin and fewer shed.
4. Keep Your Cat Parasite-Free
Mites, ticks, and fleas are common parasites on pets, especially cats. These parasites can make the life of your pets irritating.
They not only cause itching but also negatively affect the skin health of your pets. Mites, for instance, make your cat shake its head while scratching at the ears.
Although ticks don’t always cause itching, they will make your pet scratch when they attack the area around the ears.
Furthermore, if your cat has fleas, it will scratch excessively. The pet might also lick or chew their skin. All this scratching can lead to the accumulation of cat dander in your home.
So, when you notice skin chewing, licking, or scratching with your cat, get a vet and have them diagnosed for the problem. A parasite-free cat licks and scratches less than a parasite-infected pet. And that would mean fewer dead skin cells in your house.
5. Keep Your Air Ducts Clean
Your air ducts contain loads of pet food, dust, and construction debris. However, that is just what your eyes can see.
There are heaps of microscopic air contaminants there, and that should concern you. That is because when you turn on your heater or air conditioner, they often blow these pollutants back out into your house.
Your HVAC unit is a great component when it comes to trapping allergen triggers. And to make it an effective whole-house air filtration system, you need to fit it with superior air filters. In addition, it is essential to schedule a professional duct cleaning service after every 2-4 years.
6. Reduce Your Exposure to Cat Dander
Sometimes it can be okay to have your furry friend in your bedroom. But if you are allergic to cat dander, it is perhaps not a good idea.
However, that doesn’t mean you should get rid of your cat. The idea is you need to reduce the amount of time your pet spends in your bedroom. If you want nights free of wheezing and coughing, then stop letting cats in your sleeping room.
7. Brush Your Cat Regularly
Routinely brushing your cat can help spread natural oils throughout its skin and coat. These oils prevent dander and shedding and keep your cat’s skin and coat healthy.
In addition, brushing your cat routinely can help eliminate the dead fur from its coat and flakes of dead cells that cause dander. It also helps facilitate blood flow and enhances your cat’s skin condition. Rubbing the dead hair minimizes the amount of dander your cat shed to the floor.
8. Clean The Litter Box
Your cat’s litter box can be a rich source of allergens. Therefore, be more careful when cleaning it out. And if possible, keep your pet’s litter box in an area of the house that you don’t frequent, such as a basement or garage.
So how do you clean a litter box? To clean a litter box, rub it with baking soda or regular detergent and then rinse it with warm water. But make sure to get rid of any remaining soap residue thoroughly.
9. Do Laundry
One of the most effective ways to get rid of cat allergies or any other allergic reactions to other pests is doing the laundry.
Pet dander can stick to everything. So, regularly washing pet beds, blankets, curtains, and couch pillows can remove the cat dander trapped in the fabric.
To eliminate most of the particles, make sure to clean these items in hot water routinely every month to get rid of as much dander as possible. It is also crucial to note that some dander might remain in your laundry machine, so it is advisable to run an empty cycle between several laundries to help get rid of it.
Final Thoughts
If you have pet allergies, weigh up before considering having and caring for a cat. Your allergies might impact them too.
Perhaps, you want to limit contact with them or keep them separate in small areas of your house to keep your or your family’s allergies at bay. However, you may not be able to offer them the attention and conducive environment they require and deserve when you do this.
Not everyone has this affluence, as allergies may develop soon after a cat has been welcomed into your family. That can mean making a tragic decision to rehouse your cat because of cat dander. Luckily, these tips can help to prevent this.
Featured Image Credit by Nau Nau,Shutterstock
