Thinking I'd like a cat...but, allergies

Marie5656

Marie5656

Well-known Member
Location
Batavia, NY
I am considering adopting a senior cat. My only issues are that the dander bothers me.. Not alot, just get sniffles. Am I making a mistake? Any ideas?? I do not want a Sphynx cat. A friend said I should consider fostering a cat, as the shelters will pay bills, for vet and all. Plus my friend said if it really bothered me, she would take it from me. Any one else dealing with this?
 

Fostering sounds like a good idea @Marie5656 especially as vet's fees tend to be expensive.

Are you able to safely bend to clean the litter tray and put out food and water? Would you be able to have supplies delivered to your door. I mention these two things because they became a problem for my aunt who had to rehome her cat. My aunt has mobility problems and there were concerns about her falling.

I don't know about allergies but, if you were to foster, I would imagine that it is one of the things a rescue centre would ask about and be best placed to advise. If you were fostering a cat, would it not go back to the rescue if, for any reason, you were unable to take care of it permanently?
 
Trish said:
Fostering sounds like a good idea @Marie5656 especially as vet's fees tend to be expensive.

Are you able to safely bend to clean the litter tray and put out food and water? Would you be able to have supplies delivered to your door. I mention these two things because they became a problem for my aunt who had to rehome her cat. My aunt has mobility problems and there were concerns about her falling.

I don't know about allergies but, if you were to foster, I would imagine that it is one of the things a rescue centre would ask about and be best placed to advise. If you were fostering a cat, would it not go back to the rescue if, for any reason, you were unable to take care of it permanently?
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Yes. A friend is going to help me......she comes three days a week to help me with cleaning and personal care. I can get Chewy delivered, but my friend. help so I am set. My friend also goes shopping with me
 
Back to the allergies. My wife loves animals. We had a cat for 4 years and we just loved it, even though.....she was miserable for the whole time.
When she finally gave the cat to the SIL, I set a large exhaust fan in a window and blew out the whole house with the air compressor to get rid of all the hair and dander. Not too many people have the ability to do a deep clean like this.
I would say, spend a day at someone's house that has a cat and see how you do.
 
Marie, have you had cats in the past?
SO and I are ridiculously allergic to cats and ended up with three including a very furry Maine Coon.
Fostering is a constant change of animals. Some may have been abused others know this is a pit stop. There will be very limited re!ationship between you and the furries. They are passing through.
Litter boxes need to be cleaned at least once a day. So do water and food dishes.
It takes time to establish a relationship. Please do not expect love as a given. It is a great feeling once it happens. Took almost seven years with Izzi.
 
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stretch5881 said:
Back to the allergies. My wife loves animals. We had a cat for 4 years and we just loved it, even though.....she was miserable for the whole time.
When she finally gave the cat to the SIL, I set a large exhaust fan in a window and blew out the whole house with the air compressor to get rid of all the hair and dander. Not too many people have the ability to do a deep clean like this.
I would say, spend a day at someone's house that has a cat and see how you do.
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You may be selling but I am not buying.
 
I think you can actually develop a tolerance to allergies. I was always allergic to cats as a kid, itchy eyes and all, but I found a stray in my 20s and didn't have any issues after a while. I can't even count how many cats I've had since with no issues.

We typically adopt adult cats because they are less likely to be adopted and because they are more calm. Our two boys now are love bugs. One is 10 y/o and the other is 7 y/o.
 
Marie5656 said:
I am considering adopting a senior cat. My only issues are that the dander bothers me.. Not alot, just get sniffles. Am I making a mistake? Any ideas?? I do not want a Sphynx cat. A friend said I should consider fostering a cat, as the shelters will pay bills, for vet and all. Plus my friend said if it really bothered me, she would take it from me. Any one else dealing with this?
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Since you have a friend who will take the cat if it really bothers you Marie, it's a perfect situation. I hope your allergy isn't too severe, and this cat's fur is not a problem for you. I love my cat, they are so sweet and such good company. Take your time to make the right decision for yourself, good luck. 🧡
 
Funny you should say this today as I was watching TV this morning and the local news always has a shelter person come in with adoptable pets on Monday. Well, today's pet was a mature male tabby cat with super soft fur and he was the most laid back cat I've seen in a long time. Understand, he's on TV with strangers all around and lights/cameras on him and there he is just stretching out on the couch as if to say, give my belly a rub please? The host and the shelter person were giving him a lot of rubs and he was just loving it! He would be the perfect cat for you ... absolutely perfect :love:

He's not far away from you; in Niagara Region, but importing an animal from another country would be a hassel for sure. Too bad because this cat would have been ideal for what you're looking for.

I hope you get one that suits your situation 🙏 They can be a real companion, just like dogs or any other pet. You end up relying on & appreciating each other. If you adopt one from a shelter, they do a pretty good job at matching the pet with a suitable owner these days. They really do take their time and dig pretty deep to understand what kind of match would be good.
 
Marie5656 said:
I am considering adopting a senior cat. My only issues are that the dander bothers me.. Not alot, just get sniffles. Am I making a mistake? Any ideas?? I do not want a Sphynx cat. A friend said I should consider fostering a cat, as the shelters will pay bills, for vet and all. Plus my friend said if it really bothered me, she would take it from me. Any one else dealing with this?
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During bad hay fever seasons, I take Nasonex, which works pretty well for pollen related allergies. I found that it also works well on my cat allergies. So if you find that you are allergic to the cat, try Nasonex. :)
 
Tommy said:
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Siamese cats tend to pose fewer allergy problems. Has anyone else heard that?
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Yes, I had several Siamese cats through the years and that was what I was told. Though I did not have allergies myself. Cat allergies does not come from their hair but a protein in their saliva that gets on their hair when they groom themselves.
 
I have pretty bad allergies in general. I take either generic claritin or zyrtec every night of the world. You could ask your physician if you could try that ….might fix you right up with your cat.
 
I would try it especially since you have a friend that will take it if it doesn't work out. If it doesn't, this way, you can tell yourself at least I tried and you'll know that it doesn't work for you and why.
 
Marie5656 said:
I am considering adopting a senior cat. My only issues are that the dander bothers me.. Not alot, just get sniffles. Am I making a mistake? Any ideas?? I do not want a Sphynx cat. A friend said I should consider fostering a cat, as the shelters will pay bills, for vet and all. Plus my friend said if it really bothered me, she would take it from me. Any one else dealing with this?
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Get the cat, pet it, love on it, enjoy it. Allergies be damned...you only live once!
 
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