Sneeze-Free Sanctuary

By Tonia Evans

The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner

Diane Morgan

Spring has sprung and Spring cleaning has begun, and it brings along with it the dust and allergies that were trapped by the winter lock up. My cats and I are sneezing because I’ve been stirring things up when I clean. Suddenly, I remembered a helpful book I had called The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner, by Diane Morgan. I wanted to be sneeze free and my cats said it was the purrfect time to brush up on my allergy management.

First, I found this cute little book in a Boston bookstore, having never seen it or anything like it before on the South Shore. Sometimes cat people have to roam around to find some good reads. The book covers everything a cat owner would want to know about allergies from an overview of the allergy world, to the vast variety of treatments-like medications, shots, inhalers, herbs, antihistamines, all the way to acupuncture, and homeopathy. They even share information about cat breeds that are more allergy safe than others.

If you’re looking for new ideas for battling your allergies then this book is a superb resource to take with you to your doctor. However, the reason I pulled it off the shelf in a mad rush was because of the household tips it has for the home.

Based in the book, and my past experience, here’s how to turn your pet home into a sneeze-free sanctuary.
The first step is to reduce dander catchers especially in the living room and bedroom. That means less rug, more wood floors and tile floors etc., trading your fabric curtains for vertical blinds or material that would be easy to clean with a cloth to remove any dust and dander. I know, Pottery Barn has you hooked on long fabric curtains-that’s ok, but make sure you choose a dream fabric that’s washable and you’ll be able to clean them often to remove dust and dander in a wash cycle. This can really help!

Second, on that first warm weekend, you’ll want to open the windows to freshen up the air in the house, (unless you also have allergies to grass and outdoor allergies) and then begin to dust in places you would never look-the tops of the fridge, tops of kitchen cabinets, behind furniture, under the couch, and they suggest using modern dusters and cleaners that contain a static charge so that is grabs the dust and contains it so it doesn’t float around in the air-causing more problems. The also suggest purchasing a magnetic cleaning fabric that can be used on wood, plastic, glass and of course your electronics! TV’s, DVD players and computers seem to collect a lot of dust.

My favorite place to focus in on the bedroom-because a solid nights sleep is so important. And we all know that the cats have to get 18 hours of sleep too! It’s hard to sleep when you’re all sneezing. Would you believe that your favorite downy comforter could be making your allergies worse? You don’t have to give up your comfort though-you can cover it with a plastic or cloth casing or simply replace it with a microfiber fill alternative. Look in your favorite bedroom accessory store for more choices on allergy reducing bedding options. Vacuuming regularly, and washing your bedroom curtains can also help keep the sneezing down.

A few years ago, one of my cats started getting allergies, so the veterinarian suggest that I buy an air filter, and it has been a great help for all of us. The toughest thing about air filters is that you have to replace the filters on a regular basis-yuck. The great thing is that you can now buy HEPA air filters for your home furnace. Ask about them at your local hardware store. If you would like more details on how filters work and which would be best for your situation, I recommend picking up a copy of this book, because it gives a lot of detail that can help sort it all out.

Also, as a cat owner, I love the fragrance of candles. However, some candles, actually make my allergies much worse. In my opinion, and not mentioned in the book, there are milder candles that give off a beautiful fragrance, and aren’t as harsh to my sinuses as some others I’ve tried. In addition, there are brands that are made with soy- which produce much less soot in the air. If you like having a fragrance in your pet home, try sampling a variety of brands.

Finally, washing all your pet’s bedding frequently can be a huge help in reducing kitty dander, but if you have severe allergies, try offering your cats plastic beds or alterative types of hiding places, and you can add a small towel or mini-throw blanket for your cat that can be cleaned easily. I know it sounds harsh replacing kitty’s soft snuggle bed with a plastic alternative-but if kitty is young and healthy enough they don’t mind. And isn’t it more important to find ways manage the allergies in your home, and to stay together, than having to be so overwhelmed with allergies that you’d have to face the alternative? I hope these tips help refresh your pet sanctuary. To read many, many more ways to deal with pet allergies read the book “The Sneeze-Free Cat Owner” by Diane Morgan.