Cat Allergy Issues

Updated on December 08, 2009
D.B. asks from Strongsville, OH
13 answers

Our daughter and son-in-law just got a terrific deal on a beautiful home that is 5 minutes from where they both work, a definite plus. Only drawback is the previous owners had a cat and our son-in-law is allergic to them. They had some new carpeting replaced and ducts cleaned and the home is immaculate, but he seems to still be having allergy issues. Does anyone know some other suggestions to get the house dander free, or how long it will take to remove the remainder of the cat's residency? Is there a commercial product we can use to clean the walls? They are moving in next week, so we need some advice pretty quick. Thank you everyone.

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C.S.

answers from Columbus on

I think you probably have to repaint as well.. just like when a smoker has lived in the house. It gets into everything cat hair and dander. :-(

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K.V.

answers from Columbus on

Remove all the carpets and window treatments. If he has allergies he should know that carpeting and drapes are highly discouraged. I assume that the took all the furnature. But anything left behind by the previous owner needs to go. After a though cleaning then the allergies should subside.

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

There are paints out there that cover up mold, so surely they would cover up cat! Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

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C.F.

answers from Columbus on

It takes 6 months for homes to become "dander free". If you can't wash or paint anything that was left it will take 6 months.

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S.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Dear D.:

Cat Dander is not the entire issue when you’re dealing with allergies. The saliva of the cat has an enzyme in it that causes more allergies than the dander itself. This is very difficult to resolve within the home without changing the carpet and painting the house.

What is usually done is treat the people that have the allergies so they can live anywhere without the suffering.

The following items will resolve the issue:

Animal Antigens - 1 OZ: http://ndinutraceuticals.com/product81.html

Oralmat Drops - 10 ML: http://www.healingedge.net/store/more_all_oralmat.html

Good Luck

S. L.

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C.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

I saw this on HGTV. To get rid of cat smell, dander, etc. you have to remove carpet and pad, get it all the way down to wood floor and put Kilz on it then replace it all. Same for the walls, put that stuff on it then repaint.

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S.S.

answers from Lafayette on

My suggestion is to air the house extensively. Open
all doors and windows and to put fans in front of the
openings pulling air through the house. Since fabrics
seem to harbor most allergins, have clean any carpets
professionally. And of course, swiffers are always
great for cleaning over doors and under built-ins, in
closet corners and any place dandruff can hide.

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K.Y.

answers from Canton on

dear delores it may not be cat allergy at all that is now causing him problems..please have the house checked for unseen mold.there are sometimes mold where you cant see it and can cause you unusual health issues or others in the house unusual health issues..please check for mold..also here is something that is cheap and easy.DOES work ..use a solution of 50/50 listerine and water or make a paste out of borax 20 mule team and lemons/lemonjuice and scrub down everything with this and then rinse clean..

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S.E.

answers from Cleveland on

I also have severe cat allergies, and when I was going to move in with my now husband he had just had a cat in his home. We washed down EVERYTHING with lysol and hot water, the walls, woodwork cabinets, ceiling fans etc. Cat dander is very sticky, and does get into everything. Replacing the carpets and cleaning the duct work is an excellent idea! Maybe also try running air purifiers in each room for a day or so. Any remaining carpet in the home should be shampooed with an allergen reducer shampoo, and also have them get febreeze allergy reducer.Maybe even crack some windows for a few hours since they haven't moved in yet. Allergies are so miserable! Good luck!!

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L.S.

answers from Evansville on

Cat allergen can persist in a cat free environmant for as long as 20 or more months after the cat has been removed. The allergen is thought to be electrostatically charged so that it ahderes to surfaces such as walls, furniture, clothing, etc. It can be transfered to hands and other materials.
I would recommend wiping down all the walls and shampooing the carpets and any upholdstry in the house. Frequent handwashing might help. Your son-in-law could take Zyrtec or Claritin to releave any symptoms he has until the allergens are gone. Hope this helps, good luck!!!

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M.G.

answers from Cleveland on

It is not so much as cleaning the walls but having the duct work with the heating and air conditioning cleaned. You should be able to find someone in the yellow pages or call a local furnace repair contractor, they should be able to help or know someone who can. All of the dander from the pets settles in the ducts as the air circulates in the house and by having them vaccumed out it should help. You can also buy allergin furnace filters that help too.

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

Yes. There are products out there, but I'd ALSO like you to consider an additional solution. Where do you live? There is a chiropractor in Brownsburg who deals w/ allergies. She does treatments that get rid of most all allergies. One of my clients has a grandson who no longer has a dog allergy. I think it was three treatments.

N.V.

answers from Columbus on

message me and I can give you my info to have him contact me for more info, but there are many many ppl that have been helped through the patented nutrition that my company offers, and I've known several with pet allergies that no longer suffer w/ those allergy symptoms.
Hopefully they can get the house in order before moving in; however, might as well find out how he could possibly not have to deal with that issue in the future...nothing like visiting a friend and having an allergy attack b/c they have a cat!

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