So is the author of this FAQ. So are many cat owners. Depending on the severity of your allergy and your love of cats, an allergy is not necessarily a barrier to cat ownership, it just means you will have to make some adjustments to living with your cat.

If you haven't got a cat yet, you may want to consider a cat that has little or no fur. Although most people who are allergic to cats aren't literally allergic to the fur, but rather the "dander" and cat saliva that is on the fur, a "hairless" variety of cat will help stop the allergens spreading around the home via shedded fur. Such breeds are the sphinx which is almost entirely hairless, and the "rex" breeds of cat, who have a short curly coat of "underfur" only (ie, the longer, sheddable guard hairs aren't present)

If you are like most allergy sufferers, you probably have allergies to quite a few allergens. The trick with allergies is to slow down the overall reaction to all allergens, so that your body can deal with the ones that aren't avoidable. I this regard, decreasing exposure to things such as dust and certain food additives will decrease you overall allergies and allow you to deal with the cat a little better.

However, even with a fully haired cat and no other allergies present you can:

• Always wash your hands immediately after handling your cat, and most definitely before you touch your face
• Vacuum regularly to keep the place free from fur. Wear a dust mask when emptying the bag, and don't place the contents of the bag into an inside bin
• Use an air filter
• Do not allow the cat into you bedroom
• Brush the cat regularly so that kitty doesn't shed so much. Make sure you brush away from you face and dispose of the fur quickly.
• Gently wipe down the cat each day with a damp cloth. This will remove some of the allergens in the cat fur
• If you can convince the cat to have a bath without the cat trying killing you, bathe the cat regularly (under advice from your vet - about frequency, technique and shampoo). Most cats won't like being bathed but you can get them used to it if you start early enough.
• You may also find that different sorts of cat food makes affects your allergy to the cat. Use a quality food source that is free from lots of artificial additives.
• If you have a choice when selecting a cat, try to pick one that does not set off your allergies a lot. Some cats are more "allergic" than others.

Having said all that however, I don't take any of my own advice and I learnt to survive. Eventually you will become partially used to your cat and your allergy should decrease, just as you are less allergic to your own domestic dust than you are to other people's domestic dust.

The small sacrifice I have to pay with an occasional wheeze and needing shares in the tissue company are well worth the company of my cat with all his allergens included. I have been even known to stuff my whole face into his belly and kiss him just because kitty tummies are wonderful things. I pay for it later, but it doesn't stop me trying to do it again and again. You know how bad your allergies are, and only you can judge whether the company of a furry friend is worth the symptoms you will suffer because of your kitty's presence. I think a sniffly nose and occasional mild attacks of asthma are a small price to pay for the magickal thing that feline company is.