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We all (hopefully) have someone in our lives who sticks with us through thick and thin, through bad times and good times and who loves us unconditionally. For me, that person is not really a person (but I love to pretend she is), but a cat. Her name is Chloe and she’s been faithfully by my side for 6 years. She sometimes acts more like a dog, coming when I call her, giving me kisses and preferring cuddling (but only with me!) over food. She’s been there for me through a divorce, through the ends of other relationships and four homes. She knows when I’m sick or upset and is even more affectionate during those times. She never talks back, questions me or argues with me. Sometimes she annoys the hell out of me, but I can never stay mad at her. And likewise, sometimes I make her mad (like when I take her to the vet or try to harness-train her) but she quickly forgives me. Call me a crazy cat lady, but that’s love.
But unfortunately, I’m allergic to her.
As a child, I was severely allergic to cats (as well as dogs), and I remember a car ride that involved taking our two cats to a shelter because I was too sick with them around. As a teenager, my parents got a couple dogs and then a few cats. I did experience allergic reactions to them, but they were tolerable and it was mostly sneezing and sinus issues. I can visit some houses with a cat and feel completely fine and then I go into others and am wheezing, my eyes are swollen and I’m just totally miserable. It doesn’t seem to be related to the number of cats or the breed.
Six years ago, I made the decision to adopt Chloe. Some may say it was irresponsible to get a cat, knowing that I have an allergy to them and I can’t say I disagree. My first few weeks with Chloe were awful. 
For my allergies, the first couple weeks were the worst. We spent a lot of time researching to see what we could do to keep Chloe and keep my allergies and asthma at bay. These are the steps we took:
1. We purchased Allerpet-C and wiped Chloe down with a warm wash cloth and the Allerpet-C solution. According to the website, “Allerpet/C gently cleanses your cat’s hair of saliva, dander and sebaceous gland secretions which contain Fel d1, the prime cause of allergic reactions.â€
2. We vacuumed non-stop. Having a vacuum with a HEPA filter is best for allergies because it can trap even smaller particles than regular vacuum.
3. We used an air purifier with a HEPA filter. These work wonders for reducing or eliminating allergens in the air especially if you have sinus or asthma problems. This is the one I have. It’s reasonably priced, perfect for a small room and has a permanent filter which is easily cleaned with a vacuum.
4. I took a daily allergy pill. While it doesn’t help for my seasonal allergies AT ALL, taking Claritin every day for the first month reduced my symptoms.I now take Singulair, which helps even more (with my asthma and all of my environmental allergies).
5. We tried not to let her into the bedroom. This is an important tip than any allergist will give you. It’s easier said than done, and I can’t say we always won this battle (as you can see from the above picture). It’s important to have at least one room with as little amount of pet dander as possible and the best place to do this is the bedroom. When you have allergies and there is pet dander all over the place, it’s impossible to have restorative sleep and you will wake up feeling un-rested, stuffy, allergic or worse.
Even though allergy tests still show that I’m highly allergic to cats, it seems that over time, I’ve developed a tolerance to Chloe, if that’s even possible. Occasionally, I get congested or my eyes gets itchy and swollen, but for the most part, it’s nothing some Benadryl won’t fix. Even when my allergies do bother me, the unconditional love and companionship she provide me outweigh the negatives of a stuffy nose and itchy eyes.
Do you have allergies to pets? Do you have them anyway, or do you avoid them?
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