Allergic to your cat? Rub some dirt on it

I have had several cats when I was in India and never had any allergies to them. So when we decided to get one here in the US allergies were the last thing on my mind. But as soon as we got the cat home, my nose started running and I couldn’t stop sneezing. We ruled out other things and quickly realized that I was in fact allergic to the kitty. I was also able to trace back similar outbreaks in the past to previous encounters with cats which I had earlier ignored.

We really wanted a cat, so giving it back was not an acceptable option. Nor could I go around popping a pill everyday or wearing a mask around home. So we started doing research into exactly what causes these allergies and what’s the best way to cope with them.

I was surprised to find out that cat hair has nothing directly to do with allergies. It’s actually the dander. And where does dander come from? It’s the cat’s saliva! When a cat licks itself, the saliva left behind on her body dries up into tiny microscopic particles and becomes airborne. These dander particles contain proteins that come from the saliva and it’s these proteins that cause an allergic reaction in people.

I found out different ways people cope with cat allergies. Some take monthly injections which help them suppress the allergic reactions. Some get air purifiers which remove allergens from the air. I also learnt that bathing a cat once a week keeps the dander low. Besides these, there seemed like not much one could do. I started looking at air purifiers which wouldn’t blow a hole in the pocket. We also bathed the cat. I was also beginning to look into anti-allergy treatments.

I don’t know how but I stumbled upon this product Earth’s Balance Dander Free for Cats. It claimed that all I needed to do was spray it on the cat once every few days and I should be allergy free. It sounded like snake oil and I was very skeptical. But before spending $100+ on an air purifier, it seemed reasonable to try out a $10 product and see it it worked.

And it worked! As soon as we sprayed it on our cat, I was allergy free. No more sneezing, no more runny nose, no watery eyes. It was happening, I could hold the cat and play with it and not worry about the disruptive reactions.

What’s really in the product? This brings us back to the original title of the post. Apparently, the only active ingredient in the spray is bacteria normally found in dirt. Yes, you heard that right. The product is nothing but a clear water suspension of dirt bacteria.

How does it work? Well, this bacteria can neutralize the protein found in the dander which removes the irritant in it making the dander harmless. A sharp reader will notice the opening statement in this post –  “I have had several cats when I was in India with no allergies”. Have you made the connection yet? There’s more dirt in India –  cats get exposed to more dirt and their dander is automatically neutralized! No wonder I was never allergic to any cats in India. It’s this sterile environment in the US which causes problems

I used it every few days on the cat for the first few times. Now it’s been two weeks since she was last sprayed and I still don’t have any allergic reactions to the cat.  So if you have been on the fence about getting a cat due to allergies, I highly recommend trying this product.