When it comes to living with a cat allergen sensitivity, it’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Some of the practices and advice you may find suggested online aren’t feline-friendly and can negatively affect your relationship with your cat. For example, bathing your cat can be a really stressful experience, for both of you.

Although bathing will lower the levels of allergens present on your cat's hair, the effect is short-lived with the levels returning to baseline within 24 hours of bathing. Similarly, keeping a cat outside, particularly one that has been used to living indoors or keeping them restricted to a certain part of the house, can also result in increased levels of stress for them.

Love finds a way and there are safe, easy and feline-friendly steps you can take to help manage cat allergies in your home, while also maintaining your close bond with your cat.

What causes cat allergies? 

Up to 95% of people sensitised to cat allergens are affected by Fel d 1, a protein produced by cats mainly in their salivary and sebaceous glands.

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Every cat produces Fel d 1, regardless of breed, age and gender and there are no such thing as truly ‘hypoallergenic’ cats. As all feline lovers know, every cat is unique, and the levels of Fel d 1 they produce varies – just as every person's sensitivity level to these allergens is different.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ way to manage exposure to cat allergens. Every little bit helps so a combination of management tools often works best to help reduce allergens in your home. The key is maintaining consistency with your routine.  

Symptoms of cat allergies 

Cat allergies can manifest in various ways so symptoms might vary from person to person. Here are some of the most common symptoms of cat allergies that someone might experience:

• A flare up in asthma symptoms including wheezing and difficulty breathing
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Itchy, swollen eyes
• Hives
• Worsening eczema

Keep in mind that while some people may experience all of these symptoms, some might only develop a few, depending on the person’s sensitivity and the level of exposure. It’s possible for highly sensitive people to notice these symptoms within a few minutes of being in contact with a cat.

Minimise cat allergies with Pro Plan LiveClear 

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Pro Plan LiveClear is a new tool offering extra help in minimising the cat allergens in your home – it is not intended to replace other management practices but complement existing routines. It’s also available over the counter so you don’t need a prescription from a doctor or vet to buy it.

8 simple steps for managing cat allergens at home 

Here are 8 simple steps to help introduce Pro Plan LiveClear into your overall management routine and make it more feline-friendly.

If you need any further help, please feel free to contact our friendly Pet Care team.