To those who have always wanted a cat but found themselves barred by sneezing, watery eyes or other sundry allergy symptoms: take heart. A solution is on the horizon.

New research from the University of Colorado at Boulder points to safe UV light as a means of neutralizing allergens in minutes. This includes dust mites and mold, too.

A “passive” UV light treatment can inactivate airborne allergens, according to the study. The key word here is “inactivate,” as you can’t “kill” an allergen, researchers explained. When you sneeze in response to an allergen, it’s not the “source” you are reacting to, but one of its byproducts.

For example, a person allergic to a cat isn’t allergic to Mr. Whiskers, but to a protein produced in his saliva. These hang in the air, flung during a spirited grooming session or from dander. Once these particles get into our nose, our immune system mounts a response via antibodies that attach themselves to the protein’s signature structure. Mice, dogs and plants all emit their own unique protein structures.

The safe UV light doesn’t eliminate the structures. Instead, it mounts a disguise — crumpling the protein’s structure in a way that makes it unrecognizable to your immune system.

Other UV wavelengths used for disinfection, like those in hospitals, airports and elsewhere, are a little stronger than those used in the study (typically 254 nanometers) and require protective equipment to prevent damage to skin and eyes. For at-home use, like this study tested, “safe” UV light, at a wavelength of 222-nanometers, was sufficient.

Maybe there’s a reason cats like to soak up sunbeams after all…