How To Make Your Cat Less Of A Problem For Allergy-Prone Childern

10 December 2018

Jaime Allen

A cat can be a great pet, but it can also be problematic if your child happens to have allergies. It can be very difficult to deal with a cat and all of the things that come with pet ownership, including cat dander, dust from kitty litter, hair shedding, and other issues that your child might have a reaction to. The approach should be one of research and action instead of just deciding to not to get a pet cat. There are lots of different ways you can cope with a child that might be allergic to cat hair and cat dander instead of simply choosing to forgo the joy of cat ownership. Here are a few ways to do just that:

Determine If Your Child Is Actually Allergic

The first and most important step is to determine whether or not your child is actually allergic to cats. There should be no guesswork involved in this, you need to be certain. The only way to do this is to go to a doctor or skilled professional who can do allergy testing and see if your child is in fact allergic to cats. If they are, then what you can do is make sure that you keep the apartment or home really clean. You can also proactively choose a cat that is more hypoallergenic; in fact, there are certain cat breeds that are favored by people who want hypoallergenic cats.

Pick Up A Good Pet Vacuum

Make sure you do your research and choose a really good vacuum that will pick up all of the cat dander and hair that will exacerbate your child's allergies. Some vacuums are designed better than others for this purpose (features you should look out for are things such as HEPA filters). It's also important that you get one that will allow you to hit all the parts of your home; this means the couch, the drapes, the cushions on your chair -- simply everything that your cat might come into contact with.

Choose Cat Litter Wisely

The next thing you will want to do is make sure that you get a cat litter that does not have a lot of dust. The dust that comes up from pouring out cat litter, or when your cat kicks it up into the air, can be a major problem for children with allergies. You will want to look for bags of cat litter that will not produce a lot of dust.

For more information about having your children tested for pet allergies, you can contact clinics like Oak Brook Allergists.

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