Thanks for the comments and suggestions, guys. 
I should clarify – I have been having no symptoms beyond getting extremely out of breath at my martial arts classes. I don’t mean to downplay that by any means, but I also want to mention that I am not having any trouble the rest of the time, including when I am smooshing my kitten’s belly with kisses. I’m hoping that if it turns out to be a cat allergy that I will be able to manage it using some or all of the suggestions you guys came up with.
PS. Yvonne, I agree. Who doesn’t wash their sheets and stuff more than once a month? *blech*
Posted on February 13th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Confession: I used to only wash my sheets & such roughly once a month. The lack of love in coin operated laundry is the bane of my existence. (I had about four sets of sheets, so I’d generally usually have a giant pile of dirty sheets, and then wash ‘em all every 4 months or so.) More if I had Boys over, but I don’t do that much.
And then I got a dog. Who sheds. And sleeps in my bed.
Yeah, there’s a limit to how much black hair I can handle sleeping with. It’s a pretty high limit, but it’s still a once-a-week wash minimum. Thank god I don’t pay for laundry anymore…
Posted on February 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I’m spoiled because I’ve had my very own washing machine and dryer for the past three years. I forget what it’s like to have to take laundry somewhere else to deal with it. When I lived in my old apartment and took all my laundry home to do in my parents’ machines, I used to do sheets etc every two weeks. Now I’m in the habit of doing them every week.
Posted on February 13th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
One of my favourite things is the smell and feel of crisp sheets and a duvet cover hot out of the dryer. Mmmmmmmm.
I change my sheets every week, more often if the cats have been on the bed or if we’ve had a party.
You should definitely change your pillow cases every week or more often if you can do it. If you’ve got problem skin, this will help reduce breakouts.