Preparing for (allergic) overnight guest

[Juniper_Junebug]

I'm having an overnight guest for the first time since I adopted Juno (thanks, Covid), and it happens to be my brother who is allergic to cats. I would appreciate any advice on making the place more comfortable for him, given his allergies, and also for my kitty, since she's never had anyone sleep in her space.

I plan to let my brother sleep in my room, since Juno is not allowed in there and so hopefully the dander is much lower (plus it's not really Juno's territory). I will also vacuum the whole place. And he'll bring allergy meds, of course. What else?

What about kitty? She came to me as a very bold kitten but with Covid and not being exposed to others, she's become more shy around strangers (as I've posted elsewhere). She usually hides at first but seems to come around after a bit, so I'm not terribly worried but want to have this be a positive part of her socialization.

 

[Kieka]

Fresh sheets, clean any curtains, couches, chairs, pillows or throws you have on furniture. If if you can leave windows open, that helps. If he doesn't already, he should take allergy pills for a few days leafing up to it.

Usually when I visit friends with animals the best I can do is sit between two windows for a cross breeze and on a wood chair that doesn't hold dander.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Fresh sheets, clean any curtains, couches, chairs, pillows or throws you have on furniture. If if you can leave windows open, that helps. If he doesn't already, he should take allergy pills for a few days leafing up to it.

Usually when I visit friends with animals the best I can do is sit between two windows for a cross breeze and on a wood chair that doesn't hold dander.

I stunt think I can feasibly clean all of my throws in time, because some are dry clean only, and that would take a while, and I don't want to have my cat's favorite biscuit-blankies out to clean while she's potentially stressed by a new visitor. But none of them are in the bedroom, so hopefully it will be ok?

The bedroom has plenty of windows, so hopefully it will be like he has his own separate ecosystem.

If my cat has not been in the bedroom in a couple months, how much dander should be left? I've already washed bedding multiple times since then, although maybe not the actual duvet (but to include the cover).

 

[Kieka]

I don't think the bedroom will be a major issue. If you are planning to watch movies, eat dinner or anything in the rest of the house that's the issue. If you can just clear off a spot and move throws off that spot it would help.y biggest problems with my allergies visiting people is just sitting around talking because the dander sinks into cloth so I can't sit on couches. But if the couch is vacuumed and a spot without throws or pillows I could probably stay for maybe an hour without problems.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Brush your cat daily. Short story- it will reduce cat dander, make your cat's skin healthier and fur sleeker

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I don't think the bedroom will be a major issue. If you are planning to watch movies, eat dinner or anything in the rest of the house that's the issue. If you can just clear off a spot and move throws off that spot it would help.y biggest problems with my allergies visiting people is just sitting around talking because the dander sinks into cloth so I can't sit on couches. But if the couch is vacuumed and a spot without throws or pillows I could probably stay for maybe an hour without problems.

So moving throws (say, to a closet) will help? I just remember from when we were kids and he was miserable the whole time we were at a relative's house who had a cat. So I wouldn't have imagined that moving pillows or blankets around would help. I do have a leather chair in my living room covered by a sheepskin rug (that I'm sure kitty's dander is all over), that i could remove, if dander doesn't sink into leather.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Brush your cat daily. Short story- it will reduce cat dander, make your cat's skin healthier and fur sleeker

I brush her once a week, which involves an Inabu Churu bribe administered in the face of increasing tale flicking (and without the bribe, eventual biting). She doesn't tolerate brushing well at all, even though I started in on her as a kitten and tried at least half a dozen different brushes, probably more. I even bought grooming gloves recently, with no success.

 

[Kieka]

So moving throws (say, to a closet) will help? I just remember from when we were kids and he was miserable the whole time we were at a relative's house who had a cat. So I wouldn't have imagined that moving pillows or blankets around would help. I do have a leather chair in my living room covered by a sheepskin rug (that I'm sure kitty's dander is all over), that i could remove, if dander doesn't sink into leather.

Leather furniture won't hold dander. You can move the sheepskin and give the chair a good wipe down. That should give him a spot to sit while he is there that is more comfortable. That plus good ventilation can make a world of difference when hanging out.

And yeah, with my allergies (which are all animals and dust) when I go to others houses, having a spot to sit that isn't coated in dander makes a big difference. It's hard to relax when the furniture is triggering a reaction.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

What helps my mom is using cat wipes. They're like baby wipes but are made for cats. They even have ones that are suppose to reduce dander. You can buy them at most pet supply stores.