Cat dander is more allergenic than dogs. Environmental Control For several reasons, controlling the environment of a person allergic to cats is especially difficult. The allergen remains airborne in undisturbed conditions for extended periods of time. A significant portion is associated with particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Cat allergen adheres to walls and has been found in homes which have never had a cat as a pet.
Many patients report more severe allergic symptoms when exposed to certain cats.
As far as the amount of allergen shed, considerable variation exists between cats and from time to time in the same cat. For all of these reasons, for most patients avoidance can only be considered an adjunct to other forms of therapy. Even though avoidance represents the ideal form of therapy for the allergic patient, it is often impossible to accomplish. Patients are often reluctant to give up their pets and even when they do so, cat allergen is extremely difficult to remove from a patient's environment. The following steps can be taken, however to reduce the level of cat allergen in air and in house dust.