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If you are like most pet
lovers, your pet is a part of your family. As a result, nothing is worse than having
allergies to your pets. The problem is that often times pet allergies do not develop until
many months or years - yes, years! - after bringing home your new companion. Unfortunately,
by the time your pet allergies (i.e., cat asthma) rear their ugly heads, your pet has become part
of the family. Many allergic pet owners conclude that the only way to solve the problem is to
get rid of the pet causing the allergies. Luckily, this extreme remedy is not the only viable
solution!
Once you have lived with pet
allergies for any substantial length of time, the condition becomes a chronic allergic
reaction. As a result, it usually takes leaving your home for a long period of time (such as
two weeks or longer) before you experience allergy relief. However, as soon as you return
home from such extended stay, your symptoms of allergies return.
When thinking about cat
asthma and other household pet allergies, it is important to know that allergies are usually not
caused by pet fur. Instead, pet allergies are caused by dander, which is the protein from the
pet skin that flakes like human dandruff.
However, not all pet dander
is created equal. Dog dander, which lightweight, is heavier than cat dander. It is
unique in the animal owners can develop sensitivities to certain breeds of dogs while remaining
relatively unaffected by other breeds. Cat dander, on the other hand, usually causes a
similar reaction, regardless of the breed. It is very lightweight. In fact, cat dander
weighs less than dust mites. As a result, it stays in the air for a long time and is usually
carried around on cat owners' clothes from place to place, and can remain in the house long after
the cat leaves the house. Notwithstanding, there is good news for cat lovers. Research
has shown that the longer you are exposed to cat dander, the more likely you will become immune to
it.
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