The internet is rife with tips for living with pet allergies, and more specifically, cat allergies. From subreddits to veterinary journals, everyone seems to have advice on how to suffer less while being around cats and dogs. As the pet tech writer here on the WIRED Reviews team with two cats (and as a vegan), I'm naturally a huge animal lover. It's sort of my job to know how to make our pets lives—and ours—easier, and that includes recommending the best tech I've tested that can help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms that come with sharing space with a furry, constantly shedding animal. After living with someone who has mild cat allergies, I thought it'd be good to share my hard-won knowledge on how to alleviate pet or cat allergies in your home. I also talked to experts and my friends who live with pet allergies, conducted my own research, and rounded up some of my favorite tech I've tested that can help alleviate pet allergens in your home. What Are Pet Allergies and How Are They Caused? Pet allergies in humans are actually caused by the proteins found in the saliva, dander, urine, or sebum secretions of the animal, which cause symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, coughing, and even asthma. “The human immune system mistakes these harmless proteins as dangerous invaders and induces an immune response against them, causing allergy symptoms,” says James Lyons, an ER physician at Synergy. However, fur can carry other airborne allergens like pollen, dust mites, and mold, which can also cause allergic symptoms. Both dogs and cats can cause allergies, and according to a report by the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, about 15 to 30 percent of people have an allergic reaction to cats and dogs, with cat allergies being about twice as common as dog allergies. The irritants that cause cat allergies are from a protein called Fel d 1, which is produced in a cat's saliva and by its sebaceous glands. “[It's a] potent, lightweight, sticky protein that lingers in the environment, sticking to walls, furniture, and clothing,” says Lyons. Because cats groom so frequently, saliva spreads to the hair and skin, which in turn sheds, leaving fur and dander with the allergen-causing protein in the environment (aka your home). Plus, many cats are kept indoors and spend a lot of time near their humans. Cat dander is smaller and lighter than dog dander, making it easier to inhale, embed, and accumulate in carpets or fabrics.