# Can you recommend a good humidifier to treat feline asthma?



## StrangeMagic (Feb 1, 2011)

I suspect my kitty has asthma. The vet recommended a humidifier. I know nothing about humidifiers. I live in a studio apartment...only about 400 sq. feet. I don't have much money. Can anyone recommend a decent, economical humidifier?

Thanks.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

My hubby and I have one of those 'Vicks' brand humidifiers...sold in the colds and flu remedys department of most stores...you put water in it and out comes steam, we have it sitting on the kitchen counter facing our living room, it definitely helps put some moisture in the air and helps with the static electricity that dry air causes. 
They're not very expensive.


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## StrangeMagic (Feb 1, 2011)

*Humidity and cat allergic symptoms (sneezing, labored breathing)*

My kitty has been sick for a while. She actually started a few years ago and I thought it was allergies. It recently got worse, I took her to the vet who has had her on two antibiotics (clavemox, doxycylcline) and given her two shots of depo medrol. Her respiratory symptoms wax and wane. Some days she's normal, other days she's sneezing. I started trying to find patterns.

The vet suggested I get a humidifier which I did. I only used it a few times and suspected that it was making my cat worse. I noticed that on days that I ran the humidifier a) condensation formed on my windows (a symptom of too much humidity in the house); and b) my kitty sneezed. This prompted me to go out and buy a hygrometer to measure the humidity in the house. It's 65% which is rather high (and I have not run the humidifier in two days and have been purifying the air and running a space heater. I"m starting to wonder if my cat's symptoms are actually related to the humidity. 

If you know anything about humidity as it relates to allergies/asthma, please share it. My place gets really cold in Fall/Winter and I believe that her symptoms started getting worse in the Fall and weren't so bad in the spring/summer (when mine were off the charts because of pollen). I believe summer has lower internal humidity and winter has higher indoor humidity. Using heaters can change the humidity if I'm not mistaken. I'm in Northern California if that makes a difference.

Thanks,


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

65% humidity in the house in the winter is crazy high. Heat usually dries the house out unless you have steam heat, so humidity indoors is low in the winter. With that much moisture in the house, I'm thinking there may be a mold problem...but I would think that you would be having issues as well. But I would still recommend investigating.


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

My humidifier measures the humidity in the air, and allow you to set a limit, so it will automatically shut off once it hits that limit. I really only run mine in the winter time because the air gets so dry and dries out my sinuses and skin. I set mine to 40% (the recommended humidity level for a house is between 35 and 45), and I don't think it's ever automatically shut off, so it never gets that humid. If yours is 65%, that's pretty high. That could certainly cause mold, mildew, and bacteria growth. That could certainly be worsening your cats allergies/asthma depending on what your cat is allergic to (I happen to be allergic to mold and mildew - along with a million other things - so mold/mildew will definitely induce asthma in me). First, I'd try to get the humidity down in your apartment as you've been doing and see if that improves your cat's condition (didn't you say in previous post that she was fine previous to you moving there?. Secondly, are you renting? Maybe talk to your landlord about a potential mold/mildew issue. There are home test kits you can buy, but I personally would leave that to professionals unless you know specifically what to look for and where to test.


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## tgwillard (Oct 18, 2012)

Make sure you have an accurate hydrometer to measure relative humidity. In winter 35 to 40 percent relative humidity is a good range.


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## StrangeMagic (Feb 1, 2011)

I have a hygrometer and my humidity was at 65% but I opened all the windows and doors about ten minutes ago and it's now at 60. Aside from opening windows and getting a de-humidifier, how else can I lower the humidity in here?

Would not be surprised if it's mold/mildew. I have wanted to get out of here for a very long time because my landlord lives in another country and does (barely) nothing more than collect his rent check every month. I won't waste any more time going into all the things wrong with where I live. Suffice it to say that I'm outta here as fast as I can make it happen.

I'm really curious as to why my vet told me to get a humidifier (which, incidentally, cost me $60). Seems like it is not helping but having the opposite effect.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

My TCM doc advised me against using a humidifier, it will aggravate my sinus problem. I should be using a dehumidifier instead, but that is really costly, so TCM doc actually told me to use charcoal. I have been using charcoal in the kitchen, bathroom and my bedroom. It does help with controlling odor, humidity and my running nose problem. I place a whole sack of charcoal in my bedroom and kitchen, 1/2 a bag in the bathroom. I also have a bag in ET's room in a pail and I placed another pail on top of it, so ET never reaches into it.

But I would think a dehumidifier works best.


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

My allergist recommends a humidifier in the winter because my sinuses get so dry and irritated (my nose has bled in the past from it), and when everything gets dried up, the mucus doesn't get cleared as easily, so I'm more prone to sinus infections. But, there's a fine line between having too much moisture in the air. For me, ideal is 40%, which my house does not stay at in the winter time without a humidifier. I think it depends on the conditions (humidity levels year-round in your area, etc.) So your vet probably just recommended it because your cat's been congested and it's dry in your area. It sounds like your apartment is unusually humid/damp and there coudl be something else going on there.


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