any ideas

[judi k]

I'm looking for some advice or just a sounding board. I was told by my dr the other day that I should get rid of my cat because of allergies. The problem is that I can't do that. The whole family is attached to her (even my husband, who didn't even like cats before she converted him to a cat lover).
The only time I have ever had any kind of reaction to her is if she scratches or bites and breaks the skin (which she rarely does). Even when she rubs her head in my face, I don't itch , break out in hives, or have trouble breathing.
We have had Kitty for four years now and she is my baby (my son is too old to let me call him that any more and she never objects). We have been through some rough times with her (surgery for a bladder stone, liver enzyme test, reaction to an antibiotic, she absolutely freaks out whenever we take her to the vet, special diet from the vet) but I have never even thought of giving her up.
We have tried to let the dr know how much Kitty means to us, and she's trying to understand but doesn't like my not following her advice. Does anyone have any suggestions? My baby isn't going anywhere if I can help it

 

[sandie]

Well, not to sound cold, but find a new doctor. We have someone who is a big part of the cat rescue. She is actually allergic to cats in the sense she gets a runny nose and the whole bunch. Yet she has 16 in her house right now. She is going to take allergy medication the rest of her life. In your case, it is only when skin breaks. I would really just try and avoid it if possible and treat the breakouts as needed.

 

[rene]

Doctors make me SO ANGRY when they tell people to get rid of their cats for allergies - I am allergic to cats - I have 21 and I did get shots for awhile and now I take allergy pills on the really bad days, but my body has basically gotten used to them. My friend Michele has 17 cats - she is much more allergic than I ever was. There are lots of things you can do to help overcome allergic reactions and cut down on the amount of allergens your cat sheds. So unless you have asthma or end up in the hospital because of your cat, DO NOT get rid of the baby! Go to my website: http://www.listnow.com/helpingpaws and click onto the newspaper columns - go to the column I wrote on allergies. Good luck. And tell your doctor that the option is not to get rid of the cat, but for her to help you find ways to keep your cat. If she is a cat person, she will work with you, otherwise, find another doctor.

 

[judi k]

Thank you Rene. The information you suggested was very helpful and we are checking into some of the websites your article suggested.
I am also allergic to dust and some pollens. Some of these allergens trigger asthma attacks. But Kitty never has!!! I guess I'm lucky that my husband agrees with me and supports my unwillingness to get rid of my baby. Some of my friends just looked at me like I was nuts when I told them I won't give her up. (These are the same people who told me to put her to sleep instead of getting her surgery when she needed it. They said it was just an animal and could be replaced.)
I guess some people just aren't animal lovers.
My husband's sister got rid of her husband's dog because she thought her son (about 1 month old at the time) was allergic to him. Didn't bother to check into it, just took the dog to a shelter. She never wanted her husband to get the dog anyway.

 

[debby]

Judi, I understand how you feel...when I first got my cats...they made my eyes itch and water, and sometimes they would swell up....but I refused to give my babies up, so I just dealt with it, and now I hardly ever have that reaction. Very rarely. I don't think you should give your baby up, I think everyone here has really given you some good advice, and I also would seek a second opinion if your doctor insists you give the cat up. Let us know how it goes, and good luck! We are rooting for you!

 

[judi k]

thanks everyone for your support and advice. I knew if I asked other cat lovers for advice I could find people who understood, but I wasn't sure how many others would be in the same boat. You are a great bunch of people and I'm glad I found this site!!

 

[debby]

Awwwww, what can I say? we're just all a bunch of cat lovin' fools!!!

Glad you have joined us!

 

[kaaren sander]

I have been tested allergic to cats but, still live with them and I truly believe I have become desensitized to them over the years. If you think about it, when you take shots, you are being injected with small amounts of the allergen in order to desensitize you so why wouldn't exposure work the same way? As an RN who has worked for an allergist in the past, I have read articles that state giving up a favorite pet is more upsetting than keeping it and treating the allergies. Animal lovers will never understand this so you might as well forget hoping they will!

 

[rene]

This site makes me feel SO GOOD to just spend ten or fifteen minutes a day for myself reading and sharing. I always get calls from people who want to "get ride" of their cat for all sorts of reasons - it makes me so happy to read about people who love their cats and won't give them up. My hats off to all of you!
Rene

 

[Anne]

We sometimes tell people that the worse thing that can happen is that we have a baby that is allergic to cats cause then we would have to get rid of the baby

Most people are shocked but I thought the joke would go well here...

Our local shelter has a poster that says: "The cat was allergic so we got rid of the kids" - always thought that was funny.