Rachel Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 We got two kittens a couple months back and now our house is considerably more dusty. I went from weekly to daily vacuuming. We are also changing our furnace filters more often. I think I am developing an allergy to the cats as well. It isn't severe at all but if I have been away from home a couple days I get itchy, watery eyes and sneeze a lot upon my return. This never happened pre-cats. I was looking at HEPA filters online, do they really work? Will they cut down on the dust? Our first floor is open so we would need one that filters at least 1000 sqft, and it looks like that won't be cheap. The cats sleep upstairs with the kids, I don't spend a lot if time up there, do we need filters throughout the house for it to be most effective? What about the noise? I find a lot of white noises irritating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I can't speak to cats, as we are severely allergic (DS has had anaphylaxis as a result of cat dander), but we use HEPA filters to help with diagnosed dog allergies that are made manageable with some effort. We use a Blue Air Filter - and we use the one with the charcoal filter (they call it a Smoke Stop filter, as I think it helps with cigarette smoke, but we don't smoke - we use that one because it filters VOCs. I think if you are going for cat dander, you might be able to get away with their regular filters instead of the more expensive charcoal filter, but if you read up about the particle size of cat dander that would probably be helpful, so you'll know for sure if the filter you choose will catch the appropriate particle size.) We have filters on 2 floors. One is the main floor where the dogs hang out. The other floor is upstairs - the dogs do not go up there, but DS sleeps there, and our doc thinks it's important for him to have filtered air where he sleeps, so he has at least 8 hours in very clean air. You might consider putting a filter in the room where you sleep, even if the cats don't go in there. The other things that help, and I think are essential for us: frequent vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum; all curtains are washed frequently in hot water (I try for weekly, but that doesn't happen, really); we have minimized carpets and throw rugs; we have switched to leather furniture; all bedding is washed weekly on hot; knick knacks are minimized. DS also has to take daily allergy meds, but he takes those with or without the dogs in the house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 Thanks for the input. We have hardwood on the first floor but there are two area rugs. I do sweep daily. Our vacuum does have a HEPA filter. The dust is crazy, it used to be that I never needed to dust really, now there is a dusty film on everything daily. It's driving me nuts. I'll check into the filter you mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Thanks for the input. We have hardwood on the first floor but there are two area rugs. I do sweep daily. Our vacuum does have a HEPA filter. The dust is crazy, it used to be that I never needed to dust really, now there is a dusty film on everything daily. It's driving me nuts. I'll check into the filter you mentioned. Could it be from the cat litter you're using? Some of them are incredibly dusty. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Could it be from the cat litter you're using? Some of them are incredibly dusty. Possibly? The litter box is in the laundry room and it's the living/dining room, where the cats hang out the most during the day, that seems to be getting so dusty. I haven't noticed more dust in the laundry room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrafirma Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Clay litter is incredibly dusty! I switched to pine litter years ago and can't say enough good things about it. It is expensive if you pick it up somewhere like PetSmart. I buy this: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/equine-fresh-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb ...It's the same thing, just marketed for horses and much cheaper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I use wheat litter or those litter crystals, no dust. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 If you want to use clay then I highly recommend Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat. There is almost no dust and the odor control is very good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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