Managing Allergies to Cats (for less than $5000)

Who says money can't buy you love? Now, cat lovers who are affected by allergies can buy a designer, "hypoallergenic" cat to the tune of $3,950 plus $900 for shipping and handling. For some this could be their dream come true. For the thousands of homeless cats in animal shelters this doesn't sound like very good news.

I don't have pet allergies but I do suffer from seasonal allergies and manage them, just like millions of people do each year. My point is that it is possible to still adopt one of the thousands of sweet, adorable homeless cats in our shelters and rescues and manage your allergies without having to fork over thousands of dollars for a designer cat.

You can start by keeping your feline companion out of your bed and out of your bedroom altogther. How about purchasing special air filters? These may cost a bit but may also help to manage other allergens such as dust mites. These are just a few of the steps you can take to make living with Fluffy a pleasure. (See links below for more tips on managing pet allergies.)

While some say there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat, most animal shelters and rescues will help you find an animal that may have less of an effect on you. It is not unusual, when you have met a cat or dog in a shelter, to ask shelter staff to take a towel and rub it over the pet, then take the towel home and spend some time with the pet's scent and dander. Some even opt to test drive the dander by sleeping with the towel.

Of course, this is not a guarantee that you will not suffer from allergies when you take this pet home, but, as with all animals, even these new designer cats, there is never any guarantee of anything, from allergies to behavior to health.

And once you have adopted your furry feline friend, if you still want to part with your savings, please consider a donation to your local animal shelter, where $5000 could spay or neuter almost 100 cats or purchase 16,000 pounds of pet food to feed hungry, homeless animals.

Visit the following sites for further reading on how to manage your pet allergies:

Keep the cat but reduce those allergy symptoms

Quick tips for minimizing cat dander

Coping With Pets in the Home