The protein in cat dander can be a huge problem for those who are allergic to it. Though invisible, this airborne allergen can cause unpleasant symptoms that often signal the onset of asthma and allergy flare-ups. Here are 5 things you can do to reduce the amount of cat dander in your home. 1. Wipe Down Surfaces-Because of its sticky nature, it can cling to walls and other surfaces for long periods of time. Using a damp cloth to wipe walls, windows, doors and other vertical surfaces is a good idea. Wash the cloth that you used immediately so that the dander is eliminated for good.

2. Groom Your Cat-Many people think that cat hair is the problem when really the millions of pieces of shedding hair help the dander spread. So controlling the amount of hair loose hair will help.

Talk with your veterinarian to create a bath schedule that is the right frequency for your cat. Bathing to often can dry out the skin and ultimately create even more dander production. Brush your cat regularly to remove excess hair, and if possible do it outside of your living space for obvious reasons.

3. Choose Easy-To-Clean Accessories--Fabrics have lots of pockets for dander to accumulate and they are tougher to clean. Wood or plastic window covering such as blinds, shades, or shutters make it easier for you to clean. Likewise washable slip covers, leather, or other fabrics that wipe down easier make living with a cat and its dander easier to deal with.

Vinyl, linoleum, or tiled flooring rather than carpet is easier to damp mop as well. And while this shift in decor may need to be a gradual one, it's much more doable if you keep these cleaning solutions in mind.

4. Vacuum Frequently-Removing the dander with a vacuum that has a filter that is capable of trapping the dander without releasing them into the air again will help remove it from horizontal surfaces such as upholstered furniture, hardwood or carpeted floors. One with a HEPA filter will yield the best results.

5. Filter Your Air-Some cat dander will still go into your air even you follow all of the suggestions above. Using a purifier with a high efficiency particle arresting (abbreviated as HEPA) filter will work 24 hours a day.

Constantly removing the dander that your cat will continue to produce for as long as you have it will help immediately. Dander cannot be eliminated 100 percent, but this systematic and varied approach can mean the difference between being able to live with a cat or not.

Cat dander is often the stuff that allergies are made of. The protein in dander can cause those with allergies and asthma to experience mild all the way to disrupting symptoms, so having the facts about dander is crucial. Here are 5 facts that will clarify many myths about your cat's dander.

There is much discussion out there about cat dander, and there are also some misunderstandings about it, which in this article we will call myths. Here are 5 truths that will dispel common misunderstandings about cat dander. Myth #1. Cat Dander Is Visible. Cat dander is only visible to humans with magnification, but is invisible to the naked human eye. This is because the majority of it is approximately 12 to 100 microns, and the rest of it can be as small as 2.5 microns or less.

To give you some idea of the size of a micron--one inch contains 25,400 microns! And officially a micron is one millionth of a meter. Bottom line, cat dander isn't something you can see in your air.

Myth #2. I only have dander if I have a cat. Unfortunately, dander has the ability to stick to other larger substances such as dust, lint, fabrics, clothing, and carpet even after a cat no longer lives in your space.

In fact many office buildings and spaces that have never housed cats have been found to have dander because it has been transported on clothing, bags, and other articles that have been brought from homes with cats.

Myth #3. There are cats that don't produce dander. Dander is produced by every warm-blooded animal. So every cat produces dander.

Myth #4. Vacuuming will get rid of cat dander. While vacuuming will remove dander that is big enough and heavy enough to fall out of the air and onto the furniture or floors, it will not remove the dander that is smaller, lighter and thus able to remain airborne and be inhaled.

Nothing will entirely eliminate dander but vacuuming it from surfaces can keep it from going airborne again with daily movement throughout your home. However, a HEPA vacuum is best at bagging it rather than sending it airborne again.

Myth #5. Bathing my cat will get rid of the dander. Giving your cat a bath may be a bit of a challenge, but it will certainly reduce the dander count,with emphasis on the word 'reduce'.

Anything you can do to keep the skin healthy including a healthy diet will cut down dander in your cat's fur. Keep in mind that the dander can be rubbed off on you, your sofa, carpets, and rugs and then sent airborne again with daily activities. A happy, healthy cat will also send it airborne with its daily antics.

While we have explored 5 myths that are not true in this article, what is true is that there are a number of steps that you can take to reduce cat dander.

One of the best ways to reduce dander that is airborne (which you will have as long as you have your cat) is to use a high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) air purifier that is specifically designed to remove particulates like cat dander with 99.97% efficiency.