Posted by:
MaryNY
at Sat Oct 14 09:02:49 2006 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by MaryNY ]
Welcome to the allergy club. All six of us (hubby, me, and four kids) have asthma and allergies. We currently own 3 cats and are fostering 16 and we have other pets as well. Your fiance's immune system may or may not adjust to the kitten. And even if it does, there will be other allergens that will trigger him. It's one of those things--allergic people tend to develop allergies. Allergies will shift without notice. It's very annoying. However, there are some basic steps that will help. First--bathe the kitten. Many people are allergic to the saliva, not the dander. Bathing the kit gets the saliva off the fur. You can follow up with the pet wipes to keep the kit clean without needing to constantly bathe the kit. Second--get rid of the carpet. Nothing triggers allergies/asthma like carpetting. It's filthy stuff. If the carpet came with your home, there's no telling what's in it. Your fiance might not even be reacting to the kitten, but to the carpet. (This is the single best thing that allergic people can do.) Other things--don't let the kitten into the room where you sleep. Once you marry this man, you'll need to do this anyway, so you might as well start now. Wash hands frequently to get the allergens off them. Don't rub eyes or nose until hands have been washed. (talk about giving yourself a direct dose of allergen!) If you have forced air heat make sure that the furnace filters are replaced frequently. Have the dust, dirt and dander vacuumed out of the air ducts, too. If this isn't your house, when you go house shopping look for hot water heat and hardwood floors. Both are wonderful for keeping allergens to a minimum. Good luck!
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