Cat dander consists of microscopic pieces of dry cat skin which becomes airborne, landing on bedding, curtains, carpeting, and other surfaces, including humans' skin and clothing. Cat dander particles are tiny, about 1/10th the size of dust mites. Dry skin particles wouldn't be particularly allergenic except for this factor:
Fel D1(Fel d-1, Fel d 1)
Fel D1 may come from the Latin Felis Domestica. It is a glycoprotein found in the cat's sebaceous glands under the skin, to a lesser degree in cats' saliva, and in cats' urine. When a cat grooms his coat, the Fel D1 present in his saliva lands on the cats' skin and hairs, and combined with the Fel D1 from the sebaceous glands, creates a sort of "double whammy" to allergy sufferers.
Interestingly, the production of Fel D1 appears to be more or less prolific in different types of cats:
Whole cats produce more Fel D1 than neutered cats
Male cats, particularly unaltered, produce more allergens than female cats.
Some cat breeds produce substantially less Fel D1 than others. (Read the independent lab fur analysis results on this site.)
Thanks lindasa - very informative. I have two tuxedo cats (B&W). Compared to the Siamese I had growing up, I wouldn't even notice these cats shedding, except for Ms. Boo who just started shedding at age 5, during July and August. An aquaintance told me Tuxedo's shed little to none, but that just sounds too mysterious for me to swallow, though that has been my personal experience.
More good thoughts your way, Blue. Congratulations to Ray on his new job and wow, your kids love you a lot! Woo Woo! I'm allergic to cats and lots of dogs because of the dander. The curly haired dogs seem t be okay. We had a wire fox terrier when I was growing up, and when my kids were young we had a poodle for 13 years and a fox terrier for another 13. After my "Angel" passed a couple of years ago, I decided no more pets. I hated leaving her alone so much when I worked. My daughter constantly talks about me having another dog but I want to be able to travel without leaving my baby in a kennel.
BLUE-----Love and PRAYERS to you. Congrats to that Ray of Sunshine. How are the wedding plans coming along? It is closing in.
Cats not only have dander they have CLAWS like their great ancestors. Ive had 5 dogs and 11 cats and this last one is a tuxedo that sheds and danders like crazy. I have several people in my family that are allergic. One Christmas I ended up passing out Benedryl like dinner mints. Not much visiting from family anymore.
I've always joked that my mother ensured that I would never move back home after I left by getting a cat. I am so allergic. I can only visit her for an hour or 2 before my eyes start to swell. And that's without even touching the cat. My very best friend growing up always had a cat, and everytime I spent the night at her house, I left the next morning looking like I had been crying all night.
Of course, cats can sense that I am allergic to them, and they pay more attention to me than the people who want to get their attention. Why is that??
kad2kar-"passing out the benadryl like dinner mints"! Ha! That really made me laugh!
My mother was not allergic to cats but didn't really like or trust them. They did the same thing to her. I think it's because cats consider staring at them to be aggressive behavior. People who like them tend to do that too much sometimes. People like you who ignore them are practicing good cat manners so they feel safe to come visit with you. Next time try staring at the cat and see if that will make them go elsewhere. Or maybe they are just contrary creatures who like to mess with our minds
Dogs do tie you down more that's for sure. Just let mine out for their last potty stop of the night and we're all heading off to bed. Good-night all ...
Mary, my theory is that cats interpret a direct look as intimidating, and will gravitate to the one person who is politely (in their mind) not staring straight at them.
Riley - you are right, Staring = Intimidation for a cat. My Ms. Boo uses it on Emma all of the time. It works! I've also read this in cat behavior books; ignore a cat and they will come find you.
Yorkie, I had a herniated disc DXed right before the cancer. Are you treating yours in some way? I was told PT, but then the whole cancer thing got rolling instead and I never got around to it.
Momine, I'm going to see a spine doc in a few weeks. I suspect he'll prescribe PT. My daughter is a yoga instructor and she insists that's what I need. I have heard yoga is a good treatment for it.
Thanks Yorkie - she was quite small when we got her - now very plump. British Blues don't mature until 5 years, so I guess she is now fully grown. You can see why I couldn't resist.
Time for bed, going on a long trip tomorrow - taking a consultant who is visiting from the US on a trip up to the Sunshine Coast. She comes from Atlanta. I want her to see our fab beaches while she's here.
Steve due home god knows when tomorrow, so I've written him a note pointing out left overs if he's hungry. I also remembered to buy fresh milk for him for his cuppa.
I must admit I did miss him, still strange being here alone.
