The household cat(s) has really started to leave a lasting effect in your home, with cat hair and dander slowly building up inside the home on both the surfaces and the air. The pet dander can progress allergy symptoms and an overall dirty, dusty environment in the home which will only strengthen the allergy symptoms in those individuals exposed to this personal indoor environment. Additionally, cat dander is a classified allergen that can turn indoor air from clean to tainted, and in some cases making the overall IAQ (indoor air quality) poor in the home. According to the EPA, most Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors and the indoor pollutant levels in these indoor environments can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air – and cat dander may be a contributing factor to indoor air quality problems. The combination of cat hair and their skin will all be considered cat dander that will infiltrate the personal environment of a home. If you start to experience problems with allergies, particularly when you are exposed to your cat or in your home, then it may be time to look for strategies and solutions to removing and minimizing the excess cat dander in the indoor space. What can help cat dander in a home and how can you remove this irritating allergen from the air in your home. In this article we are going to learn more about cat dander, how long does the cat dander stay in a house, and the best way to remove cat dander from the surfaces and air of your personal indoor environment. 

What is Cat Dander

The dander that is released from your pets in your home is often mistaken for the hair that they shed from their body; however, dander is not the fur but the skin that is shed off the body that may be stuck on the fur. According to PetMD cat dander is microscopic dead skin cells that are regularly shed off and replaced by new skin cells on your household cat. The cat skin that is classified as dander will contain proteins that are produced by cats called Fel d 1 that are contained in skin cells, urine, and saliva that are known for triggering an allergic reaction in humans exposed. When a cat grooms themselves, they will lick their skin and coat which will help to keep dander to a minimum. The cat dander on the skin of a cat has layered structures much like a brick wall, at the base are baby skin cells which mature over time and then travel upwards to shed off the surface of the cat. Many times, cat dander can be identified as a flea egg in the environment due to its structure, look, and size. These tiny, small white skin flakes are usually oval and will travel in the air of your home and overtime settle onto surfaces. When you start to see these tiny white flakes, it could mean that cat dander may be a problem in your home.

Cat Dander vs Dandruff

The difference between cat dander and cat dandruff can be difficult to determine for most homeowners. As we discussed previously, dander is a material that is shed from the body of an animal such as a cat. These microscopic skin cells can be transported through the air in house dust where it will form the diet of dust mites present in the environment. When dander travels in the air it can easily enter into the mucous membranes in the nose and lungs and provoke allergies in those individuals who are susceptible to this allergen. Ultimately, dander will tend to build up in carpeting, mattresses, pillows, and other smooth surfaces where these allergens are predisposed to in the environment. Whereas, cat dandruff is produced from a skin condition that is composed of dead skin cells that are shed off of their body and appear as white flakes. A cat can get dandruff during certain times of the year, especially season changes or dry environments. It is also important to look out for hair loss and skin redness on your cat as this can be another key sign of cat dandruff on your household cat.

Does Cat Dander Smell?

The smell that is produced from a cat can be significant depending on the conditions in the home, the number of cats in this indoor environment, and the ventilation and air flow within this space. All pets will produce a distinct odor into a home, especially dogs, and the pet dander that is released from their body is one of the main causes to this odor problem. Whether or not the cat dander has a smell will depend on the cat, their dander type, and a variety of other conditions that can lead to smelly proteins in the dander. Cat dander smell can develop on a variety of surfaces in a home such as upholstery, carpeting, bed sheets, blankets, etc. Additionally, the air will also become tainted by a pet odor in the environment, which is why many homeowners will try to use masking fragrances like air fresheners, candles, and oil diffusers. However, when it comes to removing the odors in the air these options are often not the best solution, rather an air purifier may be the best option to use to remove airborne odors like cat dander.

How Long Do Cat Allergy Symptoms Last After Exposure?

The introduction of cat allergens in your confined indoor environment can be a potentially difficult allergen source to remove from your personal indoor space. Unfortunately, as long as you are exposed to the cat allergen in the environment, this will lead to persisting cat allergy symptoms in those individuals who have allergies to household cats. One issue that is a major problem for those people with cat allergies is having allergy symptoms even after the cat is no longer in the environment, such as buying a new house. When you buy a new home, often times there will be several contaminants in the environment that are settled into the surfaces and in the air. Cat allergens can be one of these contaminants still lingering and present in the environment, even after many cleanings in the space. Cat dander can easily settle onto furniture and rugs, which are furniture that will not be washed regularly or cleaned. This will lead to the dander becoming intertwined in the material making it difficult to remove from the surface, therefore further exacerbating cat allergy symptoms in those who suffer from cat allergies.

Does Cat Dander Go Away

The mitigation process of removing cat dander from your home including from surfaces and in the air is a time consuming, long process. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) cat allergens such as dander can take up to 20 to 30 weeks before the concentration is reduced to the levels of a home without animals. The cat dander will last for this long because they dander is so small, which makes it hard to see and therefore hard to remove when it is traveling throughout the environment of your home. If you are having a problem with cat dander and trying to get the dander to go away in your home than it may be necessary to start utilizing solutions to help speed up the reduction time of cat allergens in a controlled indoor space such as replacing carpeting with hard surface flooring, removing upholstered furniture and drapes, and cleaning the walls. Also, many people will also turn to additional measures such as air purification to help eradicate cat dander that is traveling in the indoor air.

How to Get Rid of Cat Dander in House

Cat dander specifically can last for months in an indoor environment, and thus doing frequent cleanings of your home will be beneficial to minimizing the impact of dandruff and dander on this environment. When it comes to cleaning your home, often times homeowners will fail in keeping up with regular cleaning routines, which can drastically impact the buildup of cat dander and dandruff on both the surfaces of the home and in the air. As we discussed earlier, cat dander and dandruff can become airborne in your home, and it can stay trapped in the air of your home if poor ventilation and airflow is present in this environment. Therefore, the utilization of an air purifier in your home may be beneficial to getting rid of cat dander in house that occupants are breathing into their bodies. The OdorKlenz Mobile Air System is your solution to removing odors and allergens in a home by eliminating odors caused by pets, household chemicals, cooking, perfumes, and other miscellaneous odors. This portable unit contains two stages of filtration, the (1st) is a proprietary earth mineral technology implemented into the OdorKlenz Air Cartridge that is capable of capturing, containing, and neutralizing both noxious and toxic chemicals and odors from the air including pet odors, chemical odors, and VOCs from the air. The (2nd) stage filtration is a hospital-grade HEPA filter that is designed to capture and remove fine particulate matters from the air that are larger than 0.3 microns in size at a 99.99 percent efficiency – this will include allergens like pet dander and dandruff from the air.

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