Is An Hour Or 2 A Day Enough To Spend With A Cat?til

[Fatdream]

i feed her in the morning and then I leave for class . I then come back around late noon and feed her again .

Because of my allergy I can spend time with her for an hour before my throat constricts . She usually choose this time to lay next to me and have me pet her . She sees me throughout the day when I’m in the kitchen but that’s it since I need to spend my free time in the bedroom where I keep her out. I feed her again at night and maybe play laser with her for like 5 minutes

I was wondering if that’s good enough that she doesn’t feel neglected . She meows st my door a lot at night at certain time and then stop and go play and do stuff in the middle of the night because and hear her . And she meows some more at certain time in front of my door

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Sometimes it isn't the amount of time so much as what you do.
Does she have other toys; wand type with you, real fur mice, kickies, catnip or honeysuckle toys ,platter style electronic chase the ball, food puzzle toys, string style with you...pick and choose.
Do you brush her?
Does she have a cat tree? A couple styles of scratchers?
Also, one last thing aside from all that, do you have a water fountain for her?

 

[susanm9006]

It is a lonely life for a cat if their only contact with anyone or anything is for an hour a day. Have you considered allergy injectiond?

 

[Furballsmom]

Is she ok for her weight? If you can lightly feel her ribs with a thin layer of fat over them, she's ok.

 

[duckpond]

I am also afraid she may be lonely with this little time. My husband was very allergic when we first got a cat, his allergy Dr. recommended Flonase nasal spray, you can pick it up without a prescription, and it worked wonders. This was 3 years ago, and we now have 4 cats, and he doesn't even have to use the flonase now.
His allergy Dr. said that often slow exposure will do away with an allergy, just like treatments will. We did not add any of the cats on purpose, they were dumped on us, and adding them a bit apart he was able to build up his tolerance. Maybe this would work for you? Are you on any Allergy meds? You may want to ask your Dr. about this?

Our vet also recommended a high quality wet food, with fish oil in it, to help keep the skin in good condition. And a nice bath every few months with a moisturizing cat shampoo. not to often or you dry the skin. mine are indoor only so they only get a bath every 6 months or so. Best of luck to you and your cat!

 

[Fatdream]

Her weight is perfect according to the vet . She has a laser, cat dancer , catnip toy .... except catnip doesn’t work on her . She prefer chase toys . She’s great at drinking water and eat wet food twice a day .

I’m in college and can’t afford that kind of treatment without insurance .

I’ve bought standing and floor scratchers . She’s not a big scratcher but if she ever knead and sorta scratch it would be the carpet . And yes I brush her

 

[Fatdream]

I’m taking Flonase and Zyrtec and occasionally zaditor when my eyes act up .

But still have reactions if I’m with her too long

 

[Fatdream]

I tried the cat tower with the balls that’s popular as well . She’s afraid of it

 

[Furballsmom]

Sounds to me like you're doing quite a lot. Hang in there, you've gotten a lot of feedback.
You could try honeysuckle toys.

 

[MarmaladeMama]

I mean, I don't give my cats hours of attention, but they get to seek me or my husband out as they please. I got my older cat, Jethro, when I was in college. Being a shelter cat he had some behavior problems that didn't really get better until I gave him the attention he deserves and also brought my other cat home. Cats are social creatures, and often they are happier when there is more than one. We sometimes play with wand toys, but mostly they tussle and entertain themselves.

You can try to make it easier to give her attention by taking meds, but you may have to consider a longterm alternative. Rehoming is not a horrible option. You can surrender her to a rescue that would handle the adoption for you, or you can do it yourself. If you do, charge a small rehoming fee to ward off bad people. You can also ask for vet references and a home visit. You have to do what's best for you and the cat. Fish and reptiles are great low maintenance hypo-allergenic pets.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Honestly, I’d rehome her. An hour is not enough for her well being...

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I just came across an article here and one of the items mentioned to try and decrease/mitigate things was to wipe down your cat with distilled water.
Living With Cat Allergy
Here's hoping there's something here that helps!

 

[sabrinah]

You mentioned you're in college and without insurance. I'm I'm college too and can't afford insurance, but get it free through medi-cal. Perhaps that's something to consider? Most treatments are fully or partially covered. Also, sometimes the campus health center will work with you on things like that.

 

[Etarre]

Could you train her to stay in her own space in your bedroom (a box, or bed, for example) so that she's not so close that
she bothers your allergies, but you're still sort of spending that time together? My cat enjoys sitting in her cat tree while my husband and I watch TV and we talk to her pretty frequently to let her know that we notice her and enjoy her presence. It's not quite the same as petting, but I think she appreciates it as 'together time.'

It's possible your allergies will improve over time, as others have mentioned. My husband is allergic, but seems to get more and more tolerant of our kitty. If you can't spend more than an hour with her continuously, can you spend an hour in the morning, and an hour at night? Your body would have time in class and out of your home to reset a bit and work the toxins out of your system that way.

 

[epona]

I think your cat will probably be fine, a lot of cats don't need a huge amount of attention to be happy. Try to provide some environmental enrichment to keep her entertained and mentally/physically stimulated - puzzle feeders are great for this sort of thing. One thing some cats get a great deal of entertainment from is if you just bring home a cardboard box that they can play forts in every so often - keeping a cat entertained does not have to cost a fortune, and you can make your own puzzle feeders from the cardboard tube in the middle of toilet rolls, google for that.

What I worry about, is what would happen if your cat did turn out to be one that wanted attention, with your allergies? I have 3 cats, and all 3 of them are all over me every day, they want to sleep on my face if I am in bed, and if I am at my desk they want to be right near me or on my lap. I think it would be really unhappy for them if I didn't let them do that. But then my cats are extraordinarily affectionate, with a more aloof "I'll do my own thing" type cat, your setup could be ok with some cat entertainment enhancements to your living space.