Cat dander/hair question....

[allana]

Dave just viewed a really nice house which, apart from being a tiny bit remote, has everything we're looking for. I could have my own office! The downside is that the owners have house-cats.

Now, I'm allergic to cats. Enough to need antihistamines if we stay overnight at our catty friends houses--itchy eyes, skin, and sneezing, but nothing extreme like throat swelling. Will a steam clean of carpets be enough to de-cat the house or... should we give it a miss?

I don't want to spend six months in a very nice house and be doped up on antihistamines, which would probably also prevent me from ttc. It's all so bloody complicated....

Oh. He's off to see another house tomorrow morning which is less big, but is in a more accessible area for transport around the city. Fingers crossed for that too.

Comments

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

Hmm. It's tricky. You can steam clean the rug, but some cat hair will always remain. A lot, considering the owners have more than one cat. So, going on that, I'd say wait to see if something just as nice or possible nicer [and cat hair free] will turn up. You're right, the last thing you need is a home where you'll have to be doped all the time.

Sorry to hear this... [hug]

[feelforfaith.livejournal.com]

You have your own furniture, right? So it would be only the carpet with the hair problem? If you really like the house, you could find a company that specializes in this kind of situations.

I don't have experience with allergies, but it seems to me that if you have the carpet cleaned throughly, possibly with some hard chemical stuff, it should be ok unless your allergies are severe.

[jessie-s-girl.livejournal.com]

Ang--

You could a)replace the carpet completely or b)take out the carpet and see what's underneath. Hardwood floors are much nicer than carpet (in my opinion) or you could put down linoleum (or other covering). Then you could add a couple of throw rugs as I know how cold it gets over there in winter. Dashing across the floor is not always fun when one is half-asleep. LOL.

I guess it really depends on how much work (time/money) you want to put into the house.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Alas, it's a rental property, otherwise I'd have no problem ripping out the carpets and stripping the wallpaper.

I'm going to ask tomorrow if the owner will be steam-cleaning the carpets before leaving the property and how many cats there were. I'm really, really keen on it, but if I'm going to be doped all the time, then that's bad. Especially as I'm planning on starting studying again once we move.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

All our own furniture is a very good point. On the plus side, Dave said that it didn't smell catty when he was in there, but then, they could always have run round with air-freshener beforehand.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

It gets everywhere, doesn't it? I bet the ceiling is covered with it too *sigh*

Thanks for your thoughts, Rick *hugs*

[dreammonkey.livejournal.com]

How nice is the house though? If the house feels right, it might be worth it :)
p.x

[stonefinder.livejournal.com]

Considering that you have you're own furniture, if the carpets are thoroughly cleaned and the walls as well, it might not be a problem. You also might want to consider getting a few air purifiers that have HEPA filters. Maybe an ionizer. If there is any dander left, that would take care of it and I would think, after awhile, the problem would cease to exist if it exists at all.

It's doable but it might just be easier to look for another house. Trouble is, is finding another house that easy?

[silentinflames.livejournal.com]

Aw, that sucks with the cats. You'll find the perfect match, Ang. I have my fingers crossed. :)

[aseer.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing an interview about pet dander and allergies, but couldn't remember too much of it, so I looked around and found this on the American Lung Association's website:

"Pet allergen (dander) may stay in the home for months after the pet is gone because it remains in house dust. Allergy and asthma symptoms may take some time to get better."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you'll probably be happier elsewhere.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Damn, I suspected as much. Thanks, Reesa.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

It's very, very nice. But with the cats (and rabbits too!) combined with the fact that it's on the other side of Bristol to friends and family, it's not looking good.

We've pretty much agreed that we'll take the other house if we can fit a bed into it. So, fingers crossed there once more. Very fucking stressful.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Mmm, cleaning the walls would be difficult. I'm told that it gets into the wallpaper and plasterboard (which just goes to show that cats are evil) and the info Reesa found just doesn't look promising.

Finding another house won't be easy. I have all my fingers crossed that we'll be able to fit our bed into the one that Dave is viewing tomorrow. King size beds are fab, until you need to move house.

All we want is a garage, space for the bed and a power shower. Oh, and a roof would be good too. Everything else can go into storage until we buy something....

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Brigitte!