If you do suffer from cat allergies, you're far from alone. In fact, people are twice as likely to be allergic to cats than they are to dogs, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. But how do people develop cat allergies in the first place?

Your immune system works every day to find and destroy foreign substances (or eject them through a sneeze). Some people's immune systems are more sensitive than others and overreact to certain harmless foreign substances. The immune systems of cat allergy sufferers react to what are essentially harmless microscopic proteins that have been released by your cat in their dander (dead skin cells), saliva and urine.

Many people believe pet hair is to blame, but pet hair alone is not an allergen. Hair can, however, collect pet dander and allow it to be distributed willy-nilly throughout your house when your cat sheds. It can collect on furniture, bedding and carpets, and can even last a long time simply suspended in the air.

Your fur baby can't help that they suddenly make you sneeze, of course. You can, however, lessen your or a family member's allergic reactions starting with the cat you choose to bring home.

While there's no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat, allergy-prone pet parents may want to adopt a shorthaired cat over a longhaired cat. Shorthaired cats shed less, which means less cat hair around your home that dander can affix itself to.

Hairless cats shed even less than their shorthaired cousins, for obvious reasons. The sphynx is entirely hairless and extremely affectionate. A rarer breed, sphynx are typically quite expensive, and won't cut down on allergies altogether, since hairless cats still produce saliva and dander. Other good breeds for people living with cat allergies include the Balinese, Cornish rex, Devon rex and Siberian.

Other ways to lessen the effects of cat allergies include things you should already be doing to take care of your pet. Regular brushing can help reduce allergic reactions because it lessens shedding — and your kitty will appreciate the reduction in hairballs! You can brush her more often in the spring when they're shedding their winter coat. It's best to have someone who is not allergic take on the responsibility and to brush the cat near a window or outdoors on a leash, if possible.

Cleaning the litter box regularly will also help reduce allergies, as the same proteins found in saliva, hair and dander are also found in cat urine. Again, it's best to have someone who is not allergic to cats take on this responsibility. (What a great way to get out of cleaning the litter box!)

Finally, you can try bathing your cat in warm water and pet-safe soap. This might be nearly impossible with some cats, but others don't mind. Giving your cat regular baths can help reduce their dander, though brushing them is more effective.

Have you taken these precautions and are still constantly sneezing? Talk to your doctor to see whether a cat allergy remedy like antihistamines or allergy shots is right for you.

Living with cat allergies is possible for many people as long as you take the right precautions. Keep allergies in mind while choosing a cat, reduce allergens in your house, and groom and clean up after your pet, and you and your cat will be set up for many sneeze-free years together.