How to Manage Cat Allergies—Experts Weigh In (2025)

The net is rife pinch tips for surviving pinch pet allergies, and much specifically, feline allergies. From subreddits to veterinary journals, everyone seems to person proposal connected really to suffer little while being astir cats and dogs.

As nan pet tech writer present connected nan WIRED Reviews squad pinch 2 cats (and arsenic a vegan), I'm people a immense animal lover. It's benignant of my occupation to cognize really to make our pets lives—and ours—easier, and that includes recommending nan champion tech I've tested that tin thief alleviate nan uncomfortable symptoms that travel pinch sharing abstraction pinch a furry, perpetually shedding animal.

After surviving pinch personification who has mild feline allergies, I thought it'd beryllium bully to stock my hard-won knowledge connected really to alleviate pet aliases feline allergies successful your home. I besides talked to experts and my friends who unrecorded pinch pet allergies, conducted my ain research, and rounded up immoderate of my favourite tech I've tested that tin thief alleviate pet allergens successful your home.

What Are Pet Allergies and How Are They Caused?

Pet allergies successful humans are really caused by nan proteins recovered successful nan saliva, dander, urine, aliases sebum secretions of nan animal, which origin symptoms for illustration sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, coughing, and moreover asthma.

“The quality immune strategy mistakes these harmless proteins arsenic vulnerable invaders and induces an immune consequence against them, causing allergy symptoms,” says James Lyons, an ER expert astatine Synergy. However, fur tin transportation different airborne allergens for illustration pollen, particulate mites, and mold, which tin besides origin allergic symptoms.

Both dogs and cats tin origin allergies, and according to a report by the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, astir 15 to 30 percent of group person an allergic guidance to cats and dogs, pinch feline allergies being astir doubly arsenic communal arsenic canine allergies.

The irritants that cause cat allergies are from a macromolecule called Fel d 1, which is produced successful a cat's saliva and by its sebaceous glands. “[It's a] potent, lightweight, sticky macromolecule that lingers successful nan environment, sticking to walls, furniture, and clothing,” says Lyons. Because cats groom truthful frequently, saliva spreads to nan hairsbreadth and skin, which successful move sheds, leaving fur and dander pinch nan allergen-causing macromolecule successful nan environment (aka your home). Plus, galore cats are kept indoors and walk a batch of clip adjacent their humans. Cat dander is smaller and lighter than canine dander, making it easier to inhale, embed, and accumulate successful carpets aliases fabrics.