OT: Advice requested regarding possible furbaby adoption

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's such a hard thing to do. And it's true, they really do help us cope with our stresses in so many ways. Maybe it's time to start thinking about whether you want a new companion.

I found myself, after I put Satin to sleep, intensely missing, not the dog he had been the last two years of his life, but the dog he had been as a youngster. It was really intense for a long time. Even now, two years later, I find myself checking behind my computer chair before I roll back, even though he rarely left the kitchen in the last year of his life. I love my new babies (Harry was around before Satin went, but Cash is only 19 months old), but I still miss my little black monster boy. As you say, 17 years of habit takes a long time to break.

Elizabeth

The pulmonologist I took DD to recently emphasized "early" childhood...as in, right at birth and the first couple of months of life.

And it *may* lessen later-onset allergies/asthma, but it won't necessarily erase it entirely. We always had cats growing up, and I'm still allergic to them.

My family's experience with allergies and animals is strange. We've been adopted by a long-hair cat who doesn't seem to be too troublesome to DH and DD, who have severe cat allergies. (Of course, their exposure is intentionally controlled. No bedroom access for cat.) But put either of them near a short-haired cat, and DH's eyes swell shut and DD is on her inhaler before you can say "boo".

My allergies are normally mild, but I can't pet the spot where he's just groomed himself - the saliva gives me hives in the area of contact (but normally resolve themselves in just a few minutes).

There's SO much we *don't* know about allergies/asthma! Everything is so hit and miss.

Sue

-- Susan Hartman/Dirty Linen The Magazine of Folk and World Music

LOL! I grew up w/several furry critters. My family always had dogs, and there was a cat in the house from before I was born to ~18 mo. old. Neither of these prevented my various and sundry allergies! Some of which have developed in the last couple of years, well after I've become an adult.

I just wanted to point out that even good medical studies provide statistics that don't necessarily apply to the person in question. And as several other posters have pointed out, allergies are not the same in every person.

The original poster said she was sneezing, etc., after visiting the kitties *AND* after taking an OTC antihistamine. This fact alone would give me pause in adopting a kitty. After all, I would hate to bring home an animal, become bonded to it, then have to give it up for health reasons. (And in my case, this is exactly what would happen if I brough home a cat.)

There are plenty of other companion animals that don't cause allergies - lizards and hedgehogs are two I've had that spring to mind.

Just my two cents.

--Mickey Mansfield, MA

to reply: mickey18385 at yahoo dot com

I brought my cat (kitten, at that time) home after my roommate moved out to get married and before I met my future DH - all in the space of a weekend, as it turned out. :-)) Three years after that, DH went to his ENT for sinus trouble. The first suggestion to come out of the Dr's mouth was: "Get rid of the cat". DH: "It's my wife's cat". Dr: "OK, we won't go there, just keep the cat out of the bedroom". I loved the Dr. from then on and we did, indeed, keep the cat out of the bedroom from then on. She did sneak in occasionally but, for all practical purposes, DH had a place he could go & especially sleep for a long stretch of hours that was free of cat hair. His allergies were kept under control & the only real asthma attack I remember in all the years Annie was alive was unrelated to her & due to his handling of a load of oat hay instead of regular "grass" hay.

I would recomment trying the cats, being aware that you should keep them out of your bedroom from the beginning. You could always look into the possibility of allergy shots. It's nice to have a pet that you can cuddle. A friend has little hedgehogs that she loves, but she agrees that it's not the same as having something to cuddle. We have an iguana now & while Jeff is an interesting pet and tolerates holding, he doesn't really enjoy being cuddled. If I need to cuddle something (and DH isn't home) I go out onto the deck & the dog is there immediately to sit on my feet to prevent me from blowing away. :-))) I am also allergic to animals so the dog lives outside, but not having animals at all is not an option. DH NEVER entertained the possibility of doing without pets and has even mentioned getting another cat every once in a while. Go for it. Liz from Humbug

"Dr. Brat" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

It definitely is. I was waiting until after the end of the semester, since it would allow me to spend some time with them (I want to adopt two kittens so they have company) to acclimate them before leaving them alone all day. However, since my vacation to Cancun is now off, I might take a few extra days at Thanksgiving instead of waiting an extra month. But yes, it's time to bring a couple of furballs back into my life. It's just not the same without one.

A reminder to also keep out intense cat-hair-bearing things from your bedroom! My cat likes to have morning "lap time" while I'm in my robe. Consequently, that robe doesn't come into the bedroom; it hangs in the bathroom instead.

sue

I, too, had always declawed by kitties, until my new guy arrived in July. I did some research and decided I just didn't want to do it this time. However, I didn't want shredded furniture, either, and I also doubted by ability to "train" a cat. (Dear Abby quote: The next time you're feeling powerful, try ordering a cat around.) :) I happened upon an alternative that hasn't been mentioned here: Soft Claws, a vinyl cap that fits over each claw, so the cat can still scratch, but surfaces aren't damaged. The caps are glued on and fall off with the outer sheath of the claws when they are shedded naturally, every month or two, depending on the cat. They are painless and still allow retraction and extension. This has worked really well for my baby, who admittedly is not a huge scratcher. The only thing in the house he can still manage to mess up is mine and hubby's comforter on our bed, which has a soft, nubby texture that is eminently pickable. In fact, I wasn't at all upset by the cat's damage because the rough bottoms of hubby's feet had already pulled out many a thread. Otherwise, everything in the house is intact. If you want more information, you can check out the Web site,

Beth in Florida

Excellent idea for an indoor cat (although if I was that bothered about claws I wouldn`t get a cat!). Still not advisable for a cat who goes outside - which needs "REAL" claws for climbing and defence (or climbing de fence! Sorry!). MUCH better than de-clawing, though.

I can`t imagine any self respecting cat or dog who couldn`t chew them off, though! They`ll spend HOURS nibbling at anything foreign on their feet.

Pat P

I am going to try the Softclaws and see how they go. I was at Petco yesterday and they had an entire basket in various sizes on clearance! So I picked up a couple packages to try out. There are also hints on how to make application easier on the Softclaws website, which I'll definitely be trying. Worst case scenario is the kitties REALLY don't like them and I'm out about 30 bucks.

We've been spending a lot of time at the other house with the kitties lately, and the allergic reactions are definitely abating. I've stocked up on Benadryl and allergy eye drops, just in case, but my time visiting has been unmedicated (intentionally - to see how long it takes for me to begin reacting each time) and is going well.

At this point we're targeting Thanksgiving weekend as homecoming. They're eating some solid foods but still nursing occasionally, we think for comfort as much as anything. Claws are retracted and eyes are changing (or changed, I don't know how long it takes to know whether the hazel I see now is their final color) I'd rather give them a little extra time with Mommy than separate them sooner than is healthy. Next week I have a pre-adoption interview with a veterinarian to help me prepare for medical expectations, including alteration. She came recommended by a couple area moms (oddly, the human family who we're adopting from doesn't have a regular vet?) so I hope we like her.

Thank you all for your continuing suggestions and concerns. I've been taking lots of notes over here!

"Pat P" wrote>

My vet discourages declawing, but did my second kitty which was coming into a home with an already declawed cat which I picked up as a stray. FWIW, he says that back claws are more important for outdoor cats, so they can climb and escape. So he did only the front claws. I will ask about the Soft Claw option for front paws with any new kitties, but given the persistance my cats have shown in shedding collars (only the male still has his, since I told him it made him look like Mel Gibson in Braveheart), I imagine my hedges will be full of the little point protectors. Dawne

Mind you, if you watch a cat jump a high fence it uses ALL it`s claws! So they do for climbing trees.

Perhaps you would like to look at

If I were you, I wudn't subject myself to further trouble. What if further meds don't help? And what if you get too emotionally attached to them? Better to let someone else do the adopting.