Allergies

*Note that this text applies to dogs, cats and bunnies, and even perhaps other furry pets... Some things may not apply to your specific case!

In dogs and most other furry animals [but NOT cats], it is thought that the allergen [for most people allergic to the animal] is found in the dander of the animal. In the case of cats, it is believed to be a protein or enzyme that is found in either the saliva, or that is released by the pores of the skin. Regardless, through grooming, etc., the allergen ends up adhered to the hair of the animal, the dander, sometimes in their saliva, etc..

Fortunately, being allergic to one furry animal does NOT mean you will be allergic to others :) In many cases, someone moderately allergic to dogs may be severely [anaphylactically] allergic to cats, but only very mildly allergic to rabbits.

There area variety of methods one can take to reduce the amount of allergen present, however, for *some* people there is literally nothing you can do except

(1) find a new home for the animal and possibly

(2) move to a non-allergen-infested dwelling, or at least

(3) thoroughly clean the present dwelling; this "however" should be kept in mind whenever dealing with someone allergic to animals.

Also, in some people, the strength of the allergic reaction will grow more severe with continued or subsequent exposure to the allergen/animal.
In many cases, what as a child was a fairly mild reaction to cats [itchy eyes, stuffed up nose] turns into a life-threatening reaction as an adult; fortunately, this doesn't happen to everyone, but it's something to keep in mind as being possible...

That said...

The #1 way to significantly reduce pet allergen exposure is to limit where in the house the pet is allowed to go... I'll expand more on that below.

The first steps I would suggest taking, assuming the allergy symptoms are mild, would be to {in combination}:

ban the animal from the bedroom of the allergic person at ALL times.
make sure the allergic person is careful with their exposure and handling of the animal.
bathe the animal on a weekly or biweekly basis; the allergic person should NOT be doing the bathing. Brushing is also included in here, although it may need to be done on a daily basis for something like a dog or cat.
vacuum and dust with an effective vacuum at LEAST weekly. Again, allergic person shouldn't do this, nor should they even be present while it is done or for at least, ideally, a few hours afterwards.
damp-towel-down the pet when it comes in from outside [if applicable].
If those work, great! If not, or if the allergy symptoms are moderate, consider {again, in combination}, in *addition to the above*:
getting a HEPA filter for the allergic person's bedroom, and perhaps for other rooms as well, such as those where the animal frequently is, as well as where the allergic human frequently is; also possibly an electostatic filter for the central air supply of the house itself.
something like Allerpet applied according to the label's or vets directions.
A *weekly* bath [and even more frequent brush.
more frequent vacuuming, perhaps with a HEPA vacuum.
further limiting what rooms the animal is allowed in; and perhaps also limiting what furniture it is allowed on.

There is a product made for dogs and cats [I have no idea if it is safe for buns] called "AllerPet" which is a liquid and/or spray that is applied to the pet's fur on a regular basis and which at least partially neutralize the allergen. There is a related product called "Allersearch ADS" which is intended to be applied to the carpeting in a house where the animal lives or has lived. The Allersearch ADS is a low molecular weight solution of tannic acid, and I think the AllerPet is as well.
Note: both products are rather expensive. For some people, they are very effective, for others, those who are more sensitive to the allergen, they do moderate to no good.

****For most, use of the product *alone* is not sufficient to provide complete or near complete relief.*****

If the above does not work well enough, or the symptoms are severe [especially when life-threatening or potentially so], one is going to have to seriously consider either

(1) making the pet an outdoors only pet, or
(2) finding a new, loving, home for it.

Of course, depending on what the human's symptoms are, medication for the human may also be practical, especially if some of the basic steps [no pet in bedroom, carefullness about pet handling, and regular bathing] aren't enough. Some of the newer antihistamines are non-sedating for most people, and some are intended for long-term use; there are also a variety of inhaled medications such as corticosteroids and some others which may be suitable in individual cases -- speaking with one's MD about possible medication options should be considered as well.

For some allergies and for some people, allergy [desensitization] shots may be an option.

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