The Pet Thread

[Damien]

Well... my wife likes cats but would prefer not having them, and that intensified when we learned my son is seriously allergic. He got really good about washing his hands after petting any, and it's not as bad as it used to be, but better to not.

Aaah. My wife is also severely allergic to cats. Her body just like... forced itself to get used to them, I guess. Because she has no willpower.

You do pronounce that with a hard "on", right?

First of all, I pronounce everything with a hard on. It's a medical condition and I'm a little upset you brought it up so publicly.

Second of all... Anders was very destructive as a kitten. My wife is a big fan of Dragon Age II, where the destructive asshole character is named 'Anders.' And he was annoying in the game so my wife was always yelling 'damn it, Anders.' Seemed to fit the new cat so here we are.


The NEW new one is named Cleo - presumably because my wife and daughter are big Monster High fans.

 

[AceofKnaves]

My wife is also severely allergic to cats

So is mine!
Her sweet love affair with Oliver is extra special because she was NOT a cat person AT ALL before moving in with me, although by the time she actually moved in she was already hooked on Ols.

 

[Damien]

My wife has always loved all animals - especially cats. She basically willed her allergy away because there was no way she wasn't going to have cats in the house. I keep trying to encourage her to at least go easy by not continuing to add cats, but that has been a losing battle for me.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

We adopted a Siamese almost three years ago. He's wonderful. He's sweet, smart, and has a big personality. I think of him almost like a collie or a working dog. He needs a job. He's our lookout, package inspector, and hall monitor. We fostered two kittens last year, and he made it his duty to keep them in line. Whenever they were acting crazy or tearing up the house, he'd grab them by the scruff of the neck and ostensibly bark at them.

My wife keeps trying to tell me we need this one, but I ignore it.

My mom has a litter robot and swears by it. I've thought about it, but they're so goddamned expensive.

As psychotic as this sounds, I don't mind the daily routine of cleaning the box. It's therapeutic in a gross way.

 

[joshsquash729]

I was/am allergic to dogs and cats too, but for the most part, at least with cats, my body has gotten over it. I had cats all my life; my Mom is too much of a cat lover to not have them, allergies be damned, so my body just didn't have a choice. It's mostly just the saliva/dander now, so as long as I keep my lil guy's shedding in check, and wipe myself off any time he decides to boop me or sneeze on me, I'm generally good. Whatever itchiness I have is worth it! Pop an allergy tablet and I'm good.

Dogs, on the other hand, are a totally different story. I'm allergic to grass and lots of different pollens too, so I become a swollen, itchy, wheezy mess around dogs, especially bigger ones.


As for litterboxes, I don't mind cleaning them either, in a weird way. It is oddly therapeutic, and can help me hopefully catch any weird abnormalities a little earlier. My kitty is a literal scaredy-cat (but also my big brave guy), so I don't think he'd go anywhere near the litterbox if he heard it cleaning.

 

[JakeEkiss]

We adopted a Siamese almost three years ago. He's wonderful. He's sweet, smart, and has a big personality. I think of him almost like a collie or a working dog. He needs a job. He's our lookout, package inspector, and hall monitor. We fostered two kittens last year, and he made it his duty to keep them in line. Whenever they were acting crazy or tearing up the house, he'd grab them by the scruff of the neck and ostensibly bark at them.

Yeah, I think often about getting a younger cat for mine to play with/keep in line. The collie analogy is very apt. I had a shelty as a wee lad and my Siamese is personality wise not too dissimilar. He's too smart to be bored, but he's the sweetest guy.

 

[RunestoneCowboy]

Allergies are weird. Some allergies follow you for life, some can be outgrown, and you can even form new ones as you age. Doctors aren't totally sure why they start or stop, but they can. Sometimes constant exposure in small doses can lessen the reaction or make it go away entirely, and sometimes even mild exposure will put you into anaphylaxis every single time.

I was mildly allergic to cats when I was young, but it never stopped me from petting them. I eventually outgrew it in my 20s because I can and frequently will rub my face on my black cat with zero allergic reaction.

 

[Ru1977]

This is Sophie through the years, and today she is four!

 

[TheGillMan]

I'd love to have cat, but my s/o is deathly allergic...like EPI-Pen allergic. Her face swells up and her airways become constricted. Fortunately, I can go visit my cat who still lives with my ex (and frequently she stays with one of my kids when the ex is out of town, so I can visit without dealing with the ex). I also have lots of friends with kitties, so I get my fix of feline affection when I need it.

I'm not a "dog person" or a "cat person". I just love animals of all kinds. My dog is my best buddy...she is always at the door to greet me, and she is constantly making me laugh. I have to have at least one four legged critter living with me...can't imagine not having beasties around