help with reducing dander

i posted this in another thread but thought i'd post as a specific question ....
as a kid i was very allergic to cats and it's been years since i've been exposed to kitties. . i'm afraid i'm beginning to have a couple of problems, itchy eyes (yes i wash my hands after playing), sinus headache and am getting quite clogged up even tho i take an antihistimin every day. louie's intent on cuddling up on my chest spread out like a dog and i just can't resist. i brush him, wiped him down with a damp cloth for the first time this a.m. - he didn't mind it too much :) but i'm still sneezing.
i think i recall reading something about putting a little touch of vinegar in cat's drinking water to help reduce dander production. can anyone verify or am i totally off the wall on this one? i'm already totally head over heels over this little guy but need to get ahead of the problem, before i end up in worse shape than normal. i'm not the healthiest individual (disability) and because of fatigue have trouble vaccuuming everyday. i do have hard wood floors and area rugs which help but yikes. there's noone around that can help me with a little of the extra attention.
i also read about cat food making a difference. i know it may break the rules but can anyone recommend dry food that may help? my sisters neighbour gave her purina cat food to feed louie so that's what i bought since i thought the continuity would be comforting to him. since finding this forum, i'v read some info that it's not the best quality even tho it does fit in with my budget. i suspect he needs kitten food, up to what age i do not know. any help from the 'experts' (that is anyone who's owned by a cat here on the forum ) would be so much appreciated.
thanks for the responses, i like it here ... so much better than some 'people' forums

The allergens come from the cat's saliva, dander and top skin layer and are spread around when the cat grooms itself and not from the hair itself. In fact, long haired cats produce less allergens than short haired!

Do not put vinegar in his water. That won't do any good, and he probably won't drink it.

Keep him out of your bedroom at all times and if you can get him used to it, try and give him a weekly or twice monthly bath in a shampoo formulated to cut allergens.

Can you get a really good air filter, the kind that filters out dander, pollen and other allergens? That would probably help quite a bit.

Hope some of this helps!!

I am an allergy sufferer and have 4 cats :eek: ....two long hair and two short, for me the key is dusting and vacuuming (because we have an all carpet apartment), and I only allow the two long haired girls (the two oldest) to sleep on the bed with me. I also take a half tablet of the 24 hour claritin every night before bed and that seems to be enough to keep me from sneezing. :)
I have seen a pkg of wipes that you can buy at the pet store that if used once a week on the cat are supposed to reduce dander. Also higher quality food is definitely beneficial, for your cat's health, your allergies and even your pocketbook as they tend to eat less when they are getting more nutrition. I have recently switched over to Wellness (its about $26 Canadian for a big bag), and with 4 cats it lasts me almost a month (they also get wet food every morning). With the wellness I have seen much improvement, they shed less, they have more energy, I am doing better because they are shedding less, and even their poo doesn't stink as bad! :thumbs up
Anyhow I hope this is a bit helpful, and good luck....oh and an allergy sufferers best friend is a SOFT box of kleenex, I spend the Xtra dough and get Kleenex Ultra Soft, that way I don't look like Rudolph all winter!!!! :rolleyes:

I am also an extreme allergy sufferer...about 2 weeks ago i ran out of my allergic meds and thought maybe i would do ok even without them...WRONG!!! i couldn't even open my eyes because they were so itchy that I want to scratch them out!!! :eek: Anyway, it took a week for me to get an appointment with my doctor for my meds...but now i vaccum every day and took a Clartin each day to avoid being "blind" again!!! Allergy is so scary but the cats are worth it...hehe :crazy:

YOu guys are lucky. Sounds like you only get ichty watery eyes and stuffy nose. I have a sever cat allergy and even with alergy medication, I end up not being able to breath. I wish they made a medication that helped the lungs as well so I could consider a cat.

I can say that this is NOT the best thing for overall health but I have asthma directly related to my 2 cats. I use 1 inhaler to control overall breathing and another to control actual breathing difficulty.

I also have an air purifyer which helps.

I would say 100% of doctors would frown upon this and most have suggested getting rid of the cats which i just cannot do.

I guess that just makes me a crazy cat lover. :crazy:

The risk for most people is just too high though and MANY MANY cats that are adopted by allergy sufferers get sent back to the shelter, so overall it's not something that I'd recommend.