Air Purifier Truth: Air Purifiers for Cat Dander: Why You Don’t Want to Be Without One if You Have a Cat.

Cats, in general, are great pets. They’re smart, playful, loving and often less trouble than other animals—or are they? Granted, cats don’t typically get into things as much or chew up your favorite slippers, but their dander (hair, skin oils, litter/fecal matter, etc) do tend to be more of a health hazard for a lot of people, and not just allergies. If your cat stays indoors, and you don’t have a pet air cleaner with a good HEPA filter and activated carbon, you’re being regularly exposed to a lot of air pollutants that not only make allergy and asthma symptoms worse, but also carry bacteria and viruses that cause us to get sick several times a year for apparently no reason. Wonder why cat odor is just a little tougher to get rid of? It’s because there is more dander and it’s usually more ‘concentrated’—and that means greater chances for chronic allergies and illness.

Though so lovable and majestic, what makes cats more of a ‘health hazard’ is the types and amounts of dander regularly produced and some of their ‘marking’ and other habits. Indoor cats not only clean and preen themselves, which releases skin flakes, hair, and skin oils (which contribute to odors), but also do a lot of ‘marking’, such as rubbing various parts of their bodies on furniture, walls, etc. This marking habit is more of a territorial thing, but for our purposes, it helps spread all kinds of cat dander—and when air blows across this dander, the hair, skin flakes, skin oil molecules all become airborne. Dogs and birds don't do this kind of marking. And without a HEPA filter to trap the hair and particles, and carbon to remove the odors, all of these pollutants are free to enter our noses and lungs, creating or increasing allergy symptoms and other ailments. Second, cats spread feces-laden cat litter particles everywhere, too, and some particles are too small to see or vacuum up. This litter is another big health hazard that cats bring to the table that other animals, dogs, birds, etc., do not.

The other main issue is that even though some people aren’t sensitive or reactive to it, cat dander is one of the strongest allergens known to man. And if your cat sleeps with you, the potential for allergies is increased about ten fold as you’re deeply breathing in cat dander for 7-8 hours, straight from the source. Even in this situation, if you have an air cleaner designed for pets, that will dramatically reduce the amount of airborne cat dander and definitely lessen any respiratory problems related to poor air quality.

But take care when looking for the best air purifier for cat dander , as manufacturer claims are all over the board and some just aren’t true. The best pet air purifiers will have several key features: 1) a true HEPA filter, and 2) a significant amount of activated carbon to remove odors, at a minimum. The more carbon, the more odors will be absorbed. Some of the best pet air cleaners will also provide healthy negative ions with further purify the air by destroying bacteria and making it easier for particles to be trapped. Some air cleaners even feature anti-bacterial plastic or filter ingredients as well as an extra layer of protection. Winix and Austin Air are two brands that we highly recommend for pets—i.e. cats. The Winix 9500 has all of the features listed above and it’s a great value. The Austin Pet Machine is actually more effective for odors simply due to its 15 pound carbon / zeolite odor killing filter. So if cat urine or dander odors are a big issue, we recommend the Austin Pet Machine. The point is, however, don’t skimp on features when it comes to pet air cleaners—if the purifier doesn’t have all of the features above, don’t buy it because it may be ‘low cost’ but it won’t do a proper air cleaning job, will likely cause more problems, and will end up costing you more money when you have to replace it.

At Air Purifiers and Cleaners.com, we sell only the best air purifiers for pet odor and dander, replacement filters, test kits, and other items you need to make sure the air in your home is clean for you and your pets. And since we’re an online store, we don’t have the overhead of traditional stores so we pass those savings on to you with cheap, discount prices, and free shipping every day. Call us toll-free today with any questions at 1-800-701-2513. Our indoor air quality experts are standing by to help!