Below we have listed some routine household changes that will decrease buildup of cat allergens in the home, and will help reduce allergic reactions. Please note: these will not be sufficient to prevent asthmatic attacks, hives, or other severe reactions.
Moisten the kitten with Allerpet Grooming Solution prior to daily combing. This will reduce allergens released into the air during combing, remove excess oils and deactivate allergens. Frequent grooming with a moistening solution is very helpful in reducing reactions to your kitten. Allerpet Solution can be purchased on Amazon or from National Allergy Supply.
Bathe your kitten twice a month. This washes allergens and irritants out of the coat. Use a fragrance-free cat-specific shampoos. Dry with a towel and comb. If kitten will allow it, use a hair dryer to warm and fully dry the fur.
Use washable fleece throws on places that your kitten likes to sleep. This includes couches and chairs as well as climbing stations and cat beds. Wash throws weekly in hot water with detergent and borax to deactivate allergens.
Maintain a calm environment. Cats under stress increase production of Fel d1 allergen. Typical causes of stress include having too many cats in the house, sudden noises and commotion, and a lack of gentle daily attention and grooming.
Reactions to young kittens from litterbox dust are fairly common. Small kittens tend to play or scratch quite a bit in the litterbox and get dust on their fur. Use a dust free non-scented litter such as Green Tea Litter, Feline Pine Litter, or Dr. Elseys Precious Cat.
Clean and change litterboxes frequently, as Fel-d1 and other allergens are found in urine and feces. Green Tea Litter has ground tea leaves that help eliminate odors and allergens. Do not use herbal teas in the litterbox, as some are harmful to cats.
Place the litterbox in a bathroom or laundry room that can be vented to the outdoors. Best is to add a cat door through a wall into an outside cat run or a secure area in the garage. Rigid wire panels are inexpensive and available at www.revivalanimal.com
Keep cats out of the bedrooms of highly allergic individuals, especially children. This allows the immune system time to recuperate and will reduce daytime reactions. Run a HEPA filter in the bedroom.
Frequent vacuuming reduces allergen levels. Remember to clean upholstered furniture at the same time. Air out the house after vacuuming when possible. Hepa filters on forced air systems are excellent at trapping allergens. Regularly damp-mop hard floors to remove allergens from the rooms. Routinely wipe counters and other hard surfaces to eliminate dust buildup.
Detailed articles about cat allergies:
- Are Siberians Hypoallergenic – questions about Siberians and cat allergies
- Reducing Household allergens – ideas to reduce reactions to your pets
- Cross-Reactive Allergens – are you allergic to horses, rabbits, eggs or meat
- Testing with Fur Samples – using low-allergen fur samples to assess allergies
- Testing with Kittens – allergic but wanting to buy an untested kitty
- On The Horizon – quacks, cures, and GMO