Having pets in your life means you've got a lot of love in your home. But with a warm blooded pets such as dogs, cats, birds, ferrets (to name a few) comes hair, dander, and sometimes even odor.

An air purifier designed with pets in mind should be effective without sacrificing their safety. Here are 5 features to look for that will make your air purifier safe for the pets and humans who live in your home.

Tough As Nails--The safest air purifiers are made of steel. Young animals (older ones too) can be curious and chewy. Steel is virtually impossible to chew for even the most tenacious pet. This eliminates the possibility of choking or other injuries that can result when small pieces are able to be broken off from the unit.

You should also be able to place your unit within 6 inches of any wall without losing effectiveness. Minimizing the cord helps avoid tripping and discourages chewing.

Does Not Off-Gas -- When the motor heats up the outer casing of the purifier, if it is made of plastic, the heated plastic will often send unpleasant and unhealthy fumes into the air.

You certainly don't want to spend money on a purifier that adds to the problems rather than taking those you already have away. A steel casing eliminates the possibility of off gassing.

Lead Free Paint -- Many air purifiers available on the market that are made in other countries may in fact still use some percentage of lead in the paint. If the product is made in the United States, manufacturers must comply with using paint that does not contain lead and that is safe for both humans and pets. A powder coat finish on the purifier that is lead free assures the safety of all.

Runs Safely 24 Hours a Day -- Since pet hair, dander, and odor don't take a break, your air cleaner can't afford to either. If it is to keep ahead of your pet, it needs to run 24 hours a day every day.

It is important that the motor be able to run continuously. The technical specifications for the unit should specify a split capacitor motor which is a type of motor that is able to run 24 hours without sacrificing safety.

Fresh Air is the Only By-Product -- Make sure that the only by product the unit sends into your home is fresh, clean smelling air. Those cleaners that use ionizers and ozone should be avoided at all costs. Not only are they unsafe, but they are not as effective as purifiers that have high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) filters plus carbon-based filters that remove odor.