Confession: I'm Allergic to Cats

I do not manage pain well. As K. and I joke, I'm the opposite of Zoe. (She is the most stoic creature I've ever met). While I like to think I possess a degree of intellectual endurance, I can't say the same about my physical abilities. I was the kid in gym class who used to duck when someone threw a ball at me, and would let the other team score (floor) hockey goals because I simply couldn't understand why I should risk injury to block a silly puck. If something hurts, I complain. And if it really hurts, I faint. (All this does not bode well for K.'s plan for our future football star children). I recognize these limitations. For better or worse, they are part of who I am. That's why it's so funny that I live with two cats, despite the fact that I am allergic to them.

Photo Credit: A. of Two Pitties

It's true. When I was a kid, I used to have reactions with varying degrees of severity:  hives, swollen eyes, and even difficulty breathing. I'd only lived with dogs, and had no desire to own cats. So, I assumed that my life would be feline-free.

That is until my mom married someone who owned one. 

Ellie the cat, and Hugo the dog.

I wasn't sure what to make of this furry creature who suddenly inhabited my home. But I was only living there intermittently, and I just tried to avoid the cat when I was around. But here's the problem: she was cute. Before I knew it, my natural predilection for all things fluffy reasserted itself, and I was spending more and more time with Ellie. Sure, I'd get hives and itchy eyes, but they were a small price to pay for a new friend. Soon, an amazing thing happened -- my formerly acute allergies slowly lessened over time. 

When I graduated college, I decided that I was going to "overcome" my cat allergy for good. How does one do that? Well you can't. But systematic desensitization helps.

Photo Credit: A. of Two Pitties

This is certainly not something I am recommending for everyone. But for me, it worked. I was encouraged enough by my progress with Ellie that I felt I could live with a cat (or two) of my own. 

So, I began spending time at the local animal shelter to hang out with cats. (Yes, my friends thought I was nuts). But I ignored them, and when I felt I was ready, I adopted Stella. After a few uncomfortable weeks (Stella had a wicked case of ringworm, so both of us were itchy!), my allergies virtually disappeared. 

Photo Credit: A. of Two Pitties

And when Freddie came on the scene, I had no reaction to him at all. 

Photo Credit: A. of Two Pitties

This isn't to say that this was a magic cure. When I went to Berlin for six weeks, I came home allergic to my cats again. But within a week or two, I was back to normal. Some cats bother me more than others, and I always wash my hands after petting them -- even my own. I also try to Furminate Freddie and Stella as often as possible, and vacuum multiple times a week. 

Photo Credit: A. of Two Pitties.

Call me crazy, but for me, it's worth it.