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Nearly one in ten (8 percent) homes with a pet has a family member who is allergic to it but wouldn’t consider giving up their pet as they love it too much (61 percent) and it’s part of the family (53 percent), according to research from Vorwerk*.
Adding to the impact, almost half of households with allergies (48 percent) don’t have any special cleaning measures to reduce the impact of their allergy.
Allergy expert and immunologist Dr Jill Warner said: “Pets are the second most important cause of domestic allergy, after the house dust mite. The allergens are found in the pet’s dander, hair, saliva and urine.
“The cat allergen is very small so can quickly and easily spread, often settling in dust from floors and soft furnishings, in the air and even on walls. Dog allergens are larger particles which may be the reason why fewer people show allergic symptoms to dogs than they do to cats.
“Allergen control must be aimed at areas in the home where people spend most of their time and where allergen exposure is heaviest. In practice this means applying special cleaning measures to the bedrooms and living room at a minimum.”
