Some kitten talk

Purring
Kittens can purr from when they are one week old and it is a sign of pleasure, usually when they are being petted or are totally contented and relaxed.

Meowing
This sound is made when the cat wants attention, for example, when he is hungry.

Hissing
If your kitten hisses softly at you, this is a warning to leave him alone. If you ignore this, he will hiss more loudly, and swing his tail from side to side aggressively. Pay attention to this, otherwise you may get scratched and bitten!

Kneading
Your kitten may stand on your lap or a soft surface and gently knead with his front paws. His claws may be out. This is a sign of contentment and goes back to the days when he was feeding from his mother.

Choose the right kitten

Before you get your first kitten it is important to find out as much as you can about them from books, friends, breeders or your vet. There are lots of different breeds of cats, pedigree and non-pedigree, and you should try to get one that suits the whole family.

Choose a kitten who is outgoing, friendly and playful. Also make sure he is healthy with no obvious signs of problems. Mum and Dad will help with this. Non-pedigree kittens can be taken away from their mothers at 6 weeks old but if they are pedigrees they must be fully vaccinated before they can leave the breeder which means they will be at least 13 weeks old.

Preparation for the arrival of your kitten

Get everything ready in advance of collecting your new kitten. Remember if he is very young, he will find everything very strange from the minute he leaves his mother and home. He will be lonely and will miss his mother, brothers and sisters. If you take a little time to prepare for his arrival, you will make it easier for him to settle in.

Bringing a New Kitten Home

The time may come when you will need all the help you can find on kitten care. This could be by chance: discovering a box of dumped kittens along the road, or by intent: bringing home a litter of feral kittens to socialize them for adoption, or adopting a young kitten yourself.

In any case, unless you are an old hand at kitten care, you'll need all the assistance you can get. This article touches on the basics, with plenty of links to more thorough discussions of the elements of caring for kittens.

Cat-Proofing Your Home

Kittens are inveterate snoops and their favorite toys might be harmful to them: things like the cords on blinds, electrical cords, or yummy (and toxic) plants to nibble. They can also do a certain amount of damage with their little needle claws by climbing curtains or your good furniture.

Cats make super pets for a number of reasons:

* Cats are affectionate (when they want to be!)
* Cats like to play (again when they want to!)
* They are very clean.
* They are very quiet.
* They do not need taken for walks.
* Cats can be left on their own for long periods.

Cats can live for fourteen years or more and so it is a big commitment and should not be made without serious discussions between all members of the family.

Caring for your Kitten

Kitten Shopping List

• Bed
• Litter Tray
• Cat Litter
• Food and water dishes
• Cat food
• Scratching post
• Comb and brush
• Toys

First Steps

When you collect your kitten for the first time, there are a number of items you will need to purchase in order to care for the kitten properly. Below is a list of items you should buy before you bring your kitten home.

Cat Bed

Your kitten's bed can either be a box or basket with a blanket for him to snuggle into. Keep his bed away from draughts and in a warm area, preferably in a quiet place in the house, for example, a quiet corner in the kitchen. Do not be surprised, however, if he does not like your chosen area and picks one for himself!

Your kitten will need a bed so he/she has their own space to sleep and a comforting area just for them (however, be prepared that your kitten will probably find his/her ow n spot or want to sleep on your bed!). It is a good idea to place the bed in a room with a door away from draughts so the kitten gets used to a small space before being let loose in the whole house. The bed should be big enough to allow your kitten room to grow and cosy so they feel comfortable in your home.

Food and water dishes/Cat food

The dishes for food an d wate r should be fairly heavy to keep them from tipping over. Remember to change the water daily. Kittens do not need milk and, in fact, some kittens can be very ill if given any. This is because milk from a cow is made up differently to that of his mother's milk.

The kitten will need these immediately in case he/she is thirst y or hungry on arrival. The dishes should be quite heavy so the kitten doesn't end up pushing them around and so they don't tip over! The water will need changing eve ry day and the kitten will need to be fed small amounts about 4 times per day. Once the kitten reaches 6 months this can be changed to larger portions twice a day. The breeder should have given you information about th e kittens diet requirements and the types of foods they are used to.

Litter Tray & Cat Litter

The litter tray is made of plastic with a raised rim and should be placed where the kitten will have access to it at all times. The cat litter will reduce the smell and clumps together with the piddles and poos which makes it easier to clean out.

By the time you get your kitten, there is every chance that he will be litter trained by his mother and so the most you will have to do is clean it out every day, replace the litter and wash the tray out thoroughly at least once a week. If the tray is not kept clean, your kitten, being a clea

n animal, will stop using it and you will have no-one to blame but yourself! However, if your kitten has not learned to use a litter tray, it is not too difficult to teach him as long as you have the time and patience to do so. Put him in his tray regularly especially after eating, when he wakens up and after playing and he will soon catch on to the idea.

Hopefully your kitten will have already been litter trained by the breeder, if so, it will be a case of emptying the litter into the tray, leaving it in a certain area of your house (usually the

kitchen) and guiding the kitten to the tray until they get the idea! If your kitten has not beenlitter trained this may be a little more difficult and you will have to be patient and persistent

while your kitty learns. The tray will need emptying regularly, some people place a litter tray bag inside the tray before tipping in the litter to make this easier.

Scratching post

Introduce the scratching post in the early days so that your kitten gets used to it and hopefully it will stop him from attacking the furniture and carpets. Make sure it is at the right height: he should be able to use it standing on his hind legs, at full stretch.

Kitten claws grow quickly and need to be worn down. Scratching posts are ideal for this and are available at most larger pet s tores. If you do not get your kitten something to scratch their claws on they could catch the m on curtains or furniture and hurt themselves. Also the scratches on you will be much worse!

Comb and brush

Combing your kittens' fur is particularly important if he/she is a long hair breed such as Persian. Regular grooming is important to prevent the fur from becom ing tangled and to make sure your kitty looks g reat! Some cats do not require constant grooming, it all depends on the type of fur they have. It is best to keep a comb or brush handy in case the kitten gets something stuck in its fur or rolls in something! Regular stroking will help remove dirt and dead hair.

Toys

Kittens love to play so it is important that you get him some toys.

Kittens need toys to stimulate their minds and help keep them active throughout the day. There are loads of different varieties available; balls, bells, mice or string, remember cats love to chase thing so anything that involves them running or looking for something is good. You can even make your own toys, one of the best I know of is to tie a piece of paper to the end of some string and run around letting the kitten chase after it - trust me they'll love it!

Vaccinations

If you have got a pedigree kitten they have to be vaccinated before you can get them home. If, however he is a non-pedigree, you should have him vaccinated, at least, against cat flu and feline enteritis. These are even more important if you are letting him outside. Boosters need to be given every year thereafter. And you have bought him/her from a trusted breeder, the kitten should have already been vaccinated. If you are unsure ask the breeder for the vaccination records. Kittens are vaccinated against flu, Enteritis and Leukaemia virus, vaccinations should be repeated at 9 and 11 weeks then annually. If your kitten is non-pedigree you may have to arrange the initial vaccinations with a vet yourself, your kitten should not be let outside until he/she had had the vaccinations. Aks your vet about worming as well, they will be able to recommend the best products for your kitten.

Exercise

It is important that your kitten gets lots of exercise in order to stay fit and healthy and to stimulate their curious minds. If you have decided your cat can go outside they will love hunting and exploring in a garden and this will give them plenty of exercise. If your kitten will be a house cat you need to play lots of games with them so they get as much exercise as possible. You may also want to consider tagging or microchipping (an injection with a unique identifier therefore no need for a collar) in case your kitty goes astray.

Cat and Animations

Hello Kitty


Hello Kitty is the best-known of many fictional characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Hello Kitty was created in 1974 by the Sanrio Company in Tokyo, Japan. Registered in 1976, Hello Kitty is now a globally known trademark.


Doraemon



is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio (the pen name of Hiroshi Fujimoto) which later became an anime series and Asian franchise. The series is about a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a schoolboy, Nobita Nobi.

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Cat

The Cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the Domestic Cat or House Catfelines, is a small carnivorous species of crepuscularmammal that is often valued by humansvermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years. to distinguish it from other for its companionship and its ability to hunt

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It is intelligent and can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. Cats are popular pets and are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "Cat Fancy".

A study by the National Cancer Institute published in the journal Science says that all house cats are descended from a group of self-domesticating desert wildcats Felis silvestris lybica circa 10,000 years ago, in the Near East. All wildcat subspecies can interbreed, but domestic cats are all genetically contained within F. s. lybica.

Age Does Make A Difference

When adopting a cat, whether to choose an adult or a kitten is a big question. Many people go for kittens because they are so cute, however, kittens are just like human babies -- you have to give them extra attention, extra care, and most importantly, extra patience.

Kittens are so energetic and vigorous that sometimes they can be destructive of your furniture and appliances. You'll need to train them to scatch on appropriate things, not your furniture.

Kittens can be nice pets for kids as they can play with each other. Having said that, I must add that you need to really watch them when they play together. Make sure that your child, if old enough, knows how to pick up or hold the cat properly -- NOT by the neck! You may laugh, but I've seen it many times.

Adult cats are usually already trained when you get them. They can also adjust easily to a new environment. Just give them enough food, shelter, and love, and they will make great pets.

White cats

True albinism (a mutation of the tyrosinase gene) is quite rare in cats. Much more common is the appearance of white coat color due to a lack of melanocytes in the skin. A higher frequency of deafness in white cats is due to a reduction in the population and survival of melanoblast stem cells, which in addition to creating pigment producing cells, develop into a variety of neurological cell types. White cats with one or two blue eyes have a particularly high liklihood of being deaf.

History and mythology

Cats have been kept by humans since at least ancient Egypt, where the mythical cat Bast was goddess of the home, the domesticated cat, protector of the fields and home from vermin infestations, and sometimes took on the warlike aspect of a lioness. The first domesticated cats may have saved early Egyptians from many rodent infestations and likewise, Bast developed from the adoration for her feline companions. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and played significant role in Ancient Egyptian religion. It has been speculated that cats resident in Kenya's Islands in the Lamu Archipelago may be the last living direct descendants of the cats of ancient Egypt.

Several ancient religions believed that cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that they are all-knowing but are mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the Maneki Neko is a cat that is a symbol of "good fortune". While in Islam there is not a sacred species, it is said by some writers that Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza.It is said he loved cats so much that "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".

Nine Lives

It is common lore that cats have nine lives. This is a tribute to their perceived durability, their

occasional apparent lack of instinct for self-preservation, and their seeming ability to survive falls that would be fatal to other animals.

This disregard for safety is common in animals of cats' size and smaller. A cat is about the largest animal that can fall from any height with a significant chance of survival. Their surface area to volume ratio is generally large, and consequently their terminal velocity when falling is fairly small. Their bones are less calcified than in larger animals, so they can elastically absorb more energy.

Black cat

Many cultures have superstitions about black cats, often ascribing either "good luck" or "bad luck" to them.

The black cat is a feline whose fur is uniformly black.

It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The all-black

pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and

female cats. The black color is of obvious benefit to a cat hunting at night.

In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens: in other cultures, they are considered to be good omens. Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared

to other colors (except brown).

Witchcraft

Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches. Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as purported participants, other times as sacrifices. In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as "evidence" of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished or burned alive along with humans during these trials.

Both historically and today, some religious and spiritual groups purportedly engage in ritualistic sacrifice of cats, though studies have mainly found that such reports belong squarely in the province of urban legend. Many modern witches keep black cats as pets, and view them as sacred.

Cat senses

Cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors, making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. Although a cat's senses of smell may not be as keen as, say, that of a mouse, it is superior in many ways to those of humans.

Measuring the senses of any animal can be difficult because there is usually no explicit communication (e.g., reading aloud the letters of a Snellen chart) between the subject and the tester.

Sight

Testing indicates that a cat's vision is superior at night in comparison to humans, and inferior in daylight. Cats, like dogs and many other animals, have a tapetum lucidum that reflects extra light to the retina. While this enhances the ability to see in low light, it appears to reduce net visual acuity, thus detracting when light is abundant. In very bright light, the slit-like iris closes very narrowly over the eye, reducing the amount of light on the sensitive retina, and improving depth of field. The tapetum and other mechanisms give the cat a minimum light detection threshold up to seven times lower than that of humans. Variation in color of cats' eyes in flash photographs is largely due to the interaction of the flash with the tapetum.

Average cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus 180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from each eye) narrower than that of humans. As with most predators, their eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field of view. Field of view is largely dependent upon the placement of the eyes, but may also be related to the eye's construction. Instead of the fovea which gives humans sharp central vision, cats have a central band known as the visual streak. Cats can apparently differentiate among colors, especially at close range, but without appreciable subtlety.

Cats have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, which is a thin cover that closes from the side and appears when the cat's eyelid opens. This membrane partially closes if the cat is sick; although in a sleepy, content cat this membrane is often visible. If a cat chronically shows the third eyelid, it should be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation.

Unlike humans, cats do not need to blink their eyes on a regular basis to keep their eyes lubricated (with tears). Unblinking eyes are probably an advantage when hunting. Cats will, however, "squint" their eyes, usually as a form of communication. Cat owners can often entice their pets to squint or even fully close their eyes just by talking to them in a soothing or pleasing manner. Many cats will also squint in response to seeing their owners squint.

Cats have a wide variation in eye color, the most typical colors being golden, green and orange. Blue eyes are usually associated with the Siamese breed, but they are also found in white cats and kittens. If a white cat has two blue eyes, it is often deaf; however, orange eyes usually indicate the cat is free of hearing problems. White cats having one blue and one other-colored eye are called "odd-eyed" and may be deaf on the same side as the blue eye. This is the result of the yellow iris pigmentation rising to the surface of only one eye, as blue eyes are normal at birth before the adult pigmentation has had a chance to express itself in the eyes.

Hearing

Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, up to 70 kHz, which is 1.6 octaves above the range of a human, and even 1 octave above the range of a dog. When listening for something, a cat's ears will swivel in that direction; a cat's ear flaps (pinnae) can independently point backwards as well as forwards and sideways to pinpoint the source of the sound. Cats can judge within three inches (7.5 cm) the location of a sound being made one yard (approximately 91 cm) away—this can be useful for localizing prey, etc.

Smell

A domestic cat's sense of smell is about fourteen times as strong as a human's. Cats have twice as many smell-sensitive cells in their noses as people do, which means they can smell things we are not even aware of. Cats also have a scent organ in the roof of their mouths called the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's organ. When a cat wrinkles its muzzle, lowers its chin, and lets its tongue hang a bit, it is opening the passage to the vomeronasal. This is called gaping, "sneering", or "flehming". Gaping is the equivalent of the Flehmen response in other animals, such as dogs, horses and big cats.

Touch

A cat has about twenty-four movable vibrissae ("whiskers"), in four rows on each upper lip on each side of its nose (some cats may have more), in addition to a few on each cheek, tufts over the eyes, bristles on the chin, the cat's inner "wrists", and at the back of the legs. The Sphynx (a nearly hairless breed) may have full length, short, or no whiskers at all.

Vibrissae aid navigation and sensation. The upper two rows of whiskers can move independently from the lower two rows for even more precise measuring. Whiskers are more than twice as thick as ordinary hairs, and their roots are set three times deeper than hairs in a cat's tissue. Richly supplied with nerve endings at their base, whiskers give cats extraordinarily detailed information about air movements, air pressure and anything they touch. Vibrissae possess exquisite sensitivity to vibrations in air currents. As air swirls and eddies around objects, whiskers vibrate too. Whiskers may detect very small shifts in air currents, enabling a cat to know it is near obstructions without actually seeing them. Cats use messages in these vibrations to sense the presence, size, and shape of obstacles without seeing or touching them.

Whiskers are also good hunting tools. The structure of the brain region which receives information from the vibrissae is similar to that found in the visual cortex, suggesting that the nature of the cat's perception through its whiskers is similar to that via its vision. Stop motion photography reveals that at the moment a cat's prey is so close to its mouth to be too near for accurate vision, its whiskers move so as to form a basket shape around its muzzle in order to precisely detect the prey's location. A cat whose whiskers have been damaged may bite the wrong part of a mouse it's attacking, indicating that signals from these delicate structures provide cats with vital information about the shape and activity of its prey — interestingly, whiskers also help cats detect scents.

It is thought that a cat may choose to rely on the whiskers in dim light where fully dilating the pupils would reduce its ability to focus on close objects. The whiskers also spread out roughly as wide as the cat's body making it able to judge if it can fit through an opening.

Whiskers are also an indication of the cat's attitude. Whiskers point forward when the cat is inquisitive and friendly, and lie flat on the face when the cat is being defensive or aggressive.

Whiskers can also be a bother to a cat, especially when the cat tries to eat food out of a bowl. The end of the whiskers touching the side of the bowl transfer irritating sensations to its brain, making it hard for it to continue eating.

Taste

The cat family was shown in 2005 to lack the T1R2 protein, one of two required for function of the sweetness sensory receptor; a deletion in the relevant gene (Tas1r2) causes a shift in the genetic reading frame, leading to transcription stopping early and no detectable mRNA or protein produced. The other protein, T1R3, is present and identical to that of other animals, and the relevant taste buds are still present but inactive. Such a genetic marker found in the entire family and not other animals must be the result of a mutation in an early ancestor; as a deletion mutation it could not revert, and thus would be inherited by all descendants, as the evolutionary tree branched out. Most scientists now believe this is the root of the cat family's extremely specialized evolutionary niche as a hunter and carnivore. Their modified sense of taste would cause them to some degree to ignore plants, a large part of whose taste appeal derives from their high sugar content, in favor of a high-protein carnivorous diet, which would still stimulate their remaining taste receptors.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_senses

Top Mistakes by New Cat Owners

Adopting your first cat is a huge step, not to be taken lightly. Although cats have a reputation for taking care of themselves, that fact does not equal "no care is necessary." Before rushing in to buy that darling kitten in the pet store window, take the time to do your homework, so you can avoid these common mistakes made by new cat owners. The result will be a happier and healthier cat and a long-term companionship with another living being, the like of which you never dreamed.

Adopting in Haste

If you "impulse-buy" a new purse or a new t-shirt, you can almost always return it if it turns out to be the wrong color or the fit isn't right. No harm, no foul; the purse certainly doesn't suffer from its rejection. But adopting a living, sentient creature such as a cat and kitten, to become a family member, is entirely a different matter.

Adopting a new cat should be for keeps, so consider carefully before you make that decision.

Ignorance of the Costs of Responsible Cat Care

Adopting a cat can almost be compared with adopting a child. No responsible adoption agency would release a precious child to someone who was not financially prepared to give him or her the best possible care.

While some shelters and cat adoption groups make no such investigation, you owe it to your new cat to take care of his basic needs, as well as being prepared for emergencies.

Failure to Spay or Neuter a New Cat

Every day I read pleas for help from people who failed to spay or neuter their cats: male cats spraying every available surface of the house or escaping outdoors to fight other male cats; female cats who keep the household awake with their loud yowling during estrus; and worse yet, "surprise" litters of unwanted kittens. The overwhelming cat population problem society faces is reason alone to spay and neuter. Add the medical problems averted by S/N and there is no reason not to do so.

Neglecting Needed Veterinary Treatment

Although cats may quickly recover from minor illnesses, they can just as quickly die if an emergency isn't recognized. Cats need certain vaccinations, they need annual examinations, and they definitely need and deserve immediate veterinary care when they become sick or injured.

Don't delay in choosing (and using) a good veterinarian.

False Economy in Cat Food Choices

Money saved by buying cheap cat food will be spent hundreds of times over on veterinary care. Cats are obligate carnivores, and need a good source of meat protein. They do not need large amounts of grain fillers, especially corn, which is a cheap source of protein used by many cat food manufacturers. Learn how to choose cat food and select the best brands you can afford. You'll find your cat may eat less of the high quality food because they don't have to gorge to get the nutrients they need.

Declawing Without All the Facts

Many an innocent new cat owner has been led down the declaw path when a veterinarian asks, "Do you want your kitten declawed when we spay her?" Some veterinarians consider declawing a "routine" surgery, while cat advocates consider it cruel, inhumane, and unnecessary in almost every case. Learn the facts so that you can make an informed decision.

Allowing a Cat to Roam Free Outdoors

Many people believe cats deserve the freedom, fresh air, and sunshine of an outdoor life, while many others can offer proof that cats can be very happy and healthy living totally indoors. That the outdoors offers dangers not found inside simply cannot be debated. Fortunately, there are a number of compromises that will give you and your cat the best of both worlds, while keeping him safe and happy.

Neglecting Litter Box Maintenance

Cats will consistently use a litter box, if it is kept scrupulously clean, and if the litter is not scented or unpleasant to the cats' feet. Carefully maintaining your cat's litter box will almost guarantee you that you will not be faced with litter box avoidance problems.

Caveat: If your cat suddenly starts urinating outside the box despite your careful maintenance, you should immediately suspect a urinary tract problem, which is a veterinary emergency.

Considering a Cat Property

When you join the ranks of cat lovers, you'll soon find that we commonly refer to our cats as family members, rather than "pets." While cats may legally be considered "property" in some jurisdictions, the term ends there. You can no more "own" a cat than you can own another human being. If you haven't figured out the distinction by now, your new cat will let you know in quick order. In fact, many cat lovers describe themselves as being owned by their cats!

Not Allowing a Cat to Be a Cat

A cat is not a child, and a cat is not a dog. Cats' unique ways make them the endearing creatures they are. On the other hand, some of their traits may cause frustration because we don't understand their needs. Cats instinctively seek out high places and sharpen their claws because they are cats, not because they are stubborn and disobedient. Our job is to accomodate those needs in acceptable ways.

Top 10 Ways to Decrease Your Allergies to Cats!

Allergic to Cats? Keep the cat but reduce those allergy symptoms

Naturally, if we were sane and rational about our allergies, we would stay away from anything that makes us sick. Many of us, however, are not sane and rational about pets, especially our cats. Although cat allergy symptoms may never go away completely, they are manageable.

Remember this basic fact about cat allergens. They need to be airborne and you need to breathe them in for you to have an allergic reaction to them. Cat allergen is very small so it remains suspended in the air longer. There is also a high rate of recontamination (because the cats are running around the house). Here are some recommended steps to decrease your (or your partner's) cat allergies.

1.No more cats sleeping on the bed.
Sorry, this is a small price to pay for allergy relief. If you get your symptoms under control by all means invite them back, but give yourself a break while you are trying to abate your symptoms.

2.Keep them out of the bedroom altogether.
Close the bedroom door to try and keep the cat allergen down in the bedroom. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary from allergens. So tempt your cats to sleep elsewhere during the day.

3.Wash all bedding in 140-degree hot water at least twice monthly.
This eliminates both dust mite and cat allergen (because we know some of you will still let them sneak up on the bed every now and then).

4.Use HEPA air filters in rooms where your cats frequent.
Since cat allergen is so difficult to remove, a good HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) air purifier is essential for cleaning the air in your home. HEPA air purifiers do require continued filter replacement, but when push comes to shove and you are in need of allergy relief, a good HEPA filter will do it for you.

5.Vacuum up cat allergen with a high grade HEPA vacuum cleaner twice weekly.
Vacuum walls, carpet, flooring, chairs, and furniture...everywhere. Use the hand tools on the vacuum. Cat allergen particles are very small and invasive so you really have to do a thorough job. Good hand tools on your vacuum cleaner are the answer here. Also, installing a central vacuum will help pick up the rest.

6.Use a vapor steam cleaner to clean your home.
In addition to vacuuming, vapor steam cleaners are now proven by research to be extremely helpful in killing off the cat proteins/dander, which are embedded in your carpets and upholstery. Steam cleaners provide a chemical-free way of cleaning and killing dust mites, bacteria, mold spores and cat allergen.

7.Wash your hands immediately after petting your cat and do not rub your eyes.
Rubbing your eyes can result in itchy eyes for hours. Use a strong anti-bacterial soap to avoid this problem.

8.Clean your cat.
Some people wash their cats to reduce the amount of cat allergen that is released from their cat into the air, but research seems to be conflicting about its effectiveness. Allerpet, a well-known brand of liquid that reduces cat allergen in the air, can be applied to your cats' coat and is available from your local veterinarian. Alternatively, you can get a micro fiber cloth and just damp rub down the cats' coats to rid it of visible dander. The majority of cats would prefer this to the highly dreaded bath.

9.Confine your cats to one area of the house.
I know this will be difficult for some people but this at least controls the cat allergens to a separate place where you can concentrate your air purifier and cleaning efforts.

10.You DO NOT have to get rid of your CAT!
If you do a good job with step numbers 1-9, your cat allergies should be significantly decreased. Keeping a cat when you have allergies takes a concerted effort, and is only for those who are nutty enough about their cats (like us), to go to all this trouble.