Pet Dander:
Did you know?
According to the American Lung Association, pet dander is composed of tiny flecks of skin shed by cats, dogs, rodents, birds and other animals with fur or feathers.
While pet dander is so small it's sometimes microscopic, it can still cause reactions in people who are allergic to pet dander. But skin is not the only potential allergen associated with pets. Pets may cause allergic reactions in some people thanks to various proteins found in the
saliva, urine and feces from cats, dogs and other pets.
Dried saliva containing allergens may flake off from animal fur and enter the air, where it can be inhaled by people and trigger an allergic reaction. That might be one reason why, according to the ALA, nearly twice as many people report allergies to cats compared to dogs.
Cats often clean themselves by licking their own fur. Any dried saliva left on cats after these cleaning sessions may contain allergens that eventually flake off of that fur before entering the air and being inhaled by people who are allergic. While it might seem odd that a tiny cat can trigger a reaction that causes such significant discomfort, the amount of allergens necessary to trigger allergic reactions varies greatly from individual to individual, with some being capable of handling small amounts and others experiencing reactions almost instantly upon inhalation.
