Miss my cat

[an98f]

I moved out of my parent's house about 6 months ago. And when I lived with them we had a beautiful white persian cat for 6 years so when I moved they kept her. The problem is, I love cats very much but my boyfriend almost suffocated when he slept over my parents house. Yesterday, we went to a Petco store and they had cats for adoption. One particular one was very amiable. It was purring to me and licking and was so affectionate but unfortunately my boyfriend's health is important and I cant make him go on allergy drugs. One thing I heard was that there is a new breed on the market that is completely allergy free. It was a mutation that happened and the cat's hair is curly. If you have any information let me know.

Thank you
Stacy

[Jenny]

I think the cat breed you're thinking about is the Cornish or Devon Rex. I'm not sure how new it is, but they are very short & curly-haired cats and lack the guardhairs like most cats have. These cats have a reputation for being allergy free but that's not necessarily true. Some people who have allergies to cats do fine with the rex's, then others are just as allergic to them. The only way to know is to have one and see if your boyfriend can tolerate it better! Most allergies people have to cats came from the protein in the cat's saliva as they groom themselves, then shed the hairs and have them lying around. The other thing about these cats is that you're not going to find one "free to a good home" in the Classifieds, or be able to get one as cheap as a shelter kitty. They're just not that common, and don't happen by "accident" like most domestic cats do! Also, I would be very careful bringing home a cat while you have your two budgies. A young kitten could possibly be trained to respect your 'keets and leave them alone, though you can't guarantee that. And my last comment, cats require just as much if not more vet care than birds, and that is not going to be cheap! Sorry I don't have any encouraging news for youk! ;)

[an98f]

No, that's not the breed I was talking about. I saw the pictures before and the cat had longer hair. I think the storry goes that some one found this cat on some farm and they noticed that the hair was curly and began breeding them.

[Redstorm1721]

I have never heard of that type of cat? Glad I stopped by! Gail

[Love Bird B]

Stacy, do you need another whooping from us? Don't get a cat.

[Love Bird B]

Perhaps you like riling us up? Could you be a little gadfly? Had you thought this site was too boring and thought it needed some heated discussions to spruce it up? Could we be on some reality show here, or is this some CIA test?

I'm suspicious.
B

[an98f]

Yes, imagine that I hate my parakeets and I want to get rid of them by getting a cat and having him eat my parakeets. People like you are reading too much into my posts. All I wanted was to find out a breed of a cat, not to get one. I can't afford to get one with parakeets and stuff. So relax and give me a break.

[schavon2]

this site gets more mean spirited by the day.

i don't have any cats now, but in the past, have had cats and birds without any problem what-so-ever. the birds were there when i got the cats, and i think the cats knew the birds had first territorial rites or something. my birds would be out when the cats were around, never unsupervisd of course, but neither are my current dogs and birds. i've seen many homogeneous households with birds and cats and dogs.

[Love Bird B]

Stacy, I don't know about anyone else, but I find this hysterical! Thanks for the entertainment.

[Jenny]

Stacy~ I'm pretty sure "Auntie B" was just joking, like always. =) Back to your main question though, I wouldn't trust anyone who says such & such a breed of animal will NOT cause allergies. Sure, some are more likely to cause allergies than others, but overall any animal can cause an allergic reaction in humans. In cats, the main allergen is this one called "Fel d1" which is secreted through certain glands (sebaceous glands) in the cat's skin. Eventually it'll flake off into the air, and that's when it causes the problem. Urine from animals including cats also can trigger allergic reactions, as well as their saliva like I already said. So really, the cat's fur type has little to do with anything, and any cat that urinates or has skin or a mouth full of saliva has a chance of making certain humans allergic to it. I just looked through one of my "cat books" and I didnt' see a single curly-haired cat besides the Rex cats. So if you do find out what breed it is you're thinking of, let me know! For now the only recommendation I have for you is to just keep visiting your parents and spoiling their beautiful white persian. :)

[Love Bird B]

Jenny, you cutie. I'm still laughing because Stacy noted that she isn't planning on getting a cat. Please read Stacy's note on the eighth post. It's true I was really confused about what Stacy's intentions were but I've let that go and moved on to the very positive things that are happening here.

All the best to everyone!
B

[Jenny]

Actually, I did notice that she wasn't planning on getting a cat any day soon but thought I'd still post the information for future reference when someday she maybe will decide to get a cat. :)

[seulitt]

Stacy -

Well, I sympathize with your problem, and think I may have some good news. I used to be terribly allergic to cats and think that I have now gotten it to the point where it is manageable. From an environmental standpoint, keeping the home CLEAN will go a long way. Cover furniture with sheets and wash them at least weekly in HOT water. Put a sheet over your bedspread and change it every other day or so, again washing in HOT water. Change the sheets on your bed no less than weekly, washed in HOT water. Get one of those fancy furnace filters that filter really small particulate matter out of the air, and clean it often. Learn to love your vacuum, and have him wear a dust/painter's mask while you are running the vacuum. Wash all the clothes that you can in HOT water, as this temp is the only temp that will kill dust mites and the stuff that is in cat hair. Dust your home often, and make sure he wears the mask when you do. Also, and I know this sounds weird, but I am convinced that the reason I can now have 4 cats in my home is that I got rid of a lot of the stress in my life, which dramatically reduced my allergies. I'm not saying my allergies are completely gone, but they are nowhere near what they used to be. So, have him work on stressors and see if that helps, too. I have other suggestions for managing allergy symptons, but this email is getting long. Try this and let me know how it works. Then we can take it to the next step.

Good luck,
Sandy

[an98f]

Thanks for the advice.