Cats are more likely to provoke an allergic reaction than any other domestic animal. The allergen occurs from their saliva that has dried on their fur/skin and becomes widespread in homes containing cats. It can also be carried into a house without a cat on the clothing of people who have visited a house where there is one. Cat allergen can be found in a house even many months after the cat is no longer there.

People allergic to dogs are allergic to all dogs, long- or short-haired. “Short coats” are as allergenic as “long coats”! This is because it is the dander that causes the allergic reaction, not the hair.

Allergy to birds is often indirect. People are rarely allergic to the bird’s feathers but to the microscopic mites that live in them.

Even if the culprit animal has been removed you may still suffer attacks for 1-3 months after. This is because even with the animal gone, its allergens could still linger in the furniture, carpets, curtains, etc. The only solution is a thorough cleaning.