I find this REALLY annoying - Pet Lovers will "get" it

princessbear

princessbear

Cathlete
I've been diagnosed with atypical asthma (last week) which is caused either by an infection or an allergy to something. We are treating it as an infection with antibiotics and an inhaler 2x a day and I'm honestly hoping that is what it is - rather than an allergy to my furbaby kitty, Princess (the other thing it could be is mold - the wacko next door flooded her townhouse out last September and they may not have dried it out completely).

So I'm reading my emails, and I get emails from Womens Health and the latest is how to reduce indoor allergens so I thought it would be an interesting read. In the section "How to reduce allergens", one of the items is:
Find pets a new home. In the case of animal dander allergies, consider removing a pet from the home or keeping the pet outdoors. And keep pets out of the bedroom.


UMMMM, ARE YOU CRAZY? There is no way in heck that I would ever consider giving Princess away - when the doctor asked if I had a pet, I said yes, but I would never EVER give her up so I would learn to live with it if I were, in fact allergic to her. This is why we have so many abandoned pets, and pets in shelters - they become INCONVENIENT and the people who have them look for the easy way out, not taking into account the animal.

Sorry, it just burned me to read this and I had to vent!
 
Oh I absolutely get why you are annoyed! It really amazes me how common it is for people to treat their pets like they are disposable when they become inconvenient. I'd write a letter to them letting them know that the article was insensitive and just plain wrong!
 
princessbear said:
This is why we have so many abandoned pets, and pets in shelters - they become INCONVENIENT and the people who have them look for the easy way out, not taking into account the animal.

Sorry, it just burned me to read this and I had to vent!
Click to expand...

BINGO! I think this is in one of the top 5 excuses people use to abandon pets.
It really gets my goat:mad::mad:

Vent away!
 
It makes me furious when the health community writes junk like that!!!!

When my husband and I decided to be married 17 years ago, he had two kittens that we had rescued who were living in his apartment.

I went to an allergist and discovered I was - in his words - "allergic to the world." He told me to tell my husband (then fiance) to get rid of the cats. I told him there was no way we would even consider doing that!!!!!!!!!

What a hateful thing for anyone to say when it can so easily be taken care of! I took allergy shots for several years and they worked fine! After a while I got tired of taking them and just used over the counter allergy medicine. By then I had built up an immunity to cat dander so I never had any problems.

We lost our dear Thomasina last spring at age 18 and we grieve for her every day. We still have Mr. Cat who is now 19. I can't imagine what our lives would have been like without them.
 
"get rid of them" or "put them outside" "not in the bedroom"? My cats are laughing in derision at these suggestions.

By the way: I had an allergy test done for common allergens (they now do it with blood samples rather than poking your back with needles) and I am allergic to: ragweed, another common weed (I don't know why they don't say which one it is?), a common mold and CATS!

I knew I was allergic to cats, and I used to have a lot more problems when I ate dairy products (like others I have heard about, removiing dairy from my diet decreased my other allergies).

The doctor said I could get some nasal steroid spray to help with symptoms (since she said it would be hard to avoid the allergens!), and I know there are suggestions to wipe down cats with a damp washcloth to reduce allergens(supposedly bathing them isn't necessary, nor even using those anti-allergy sprays that you can wipe on their fur). I've just been too lazy to try that. Though with 4 cats here (and the dozen or so I visit at the shelter) it might be a good idea.
 
Telling animal lovers to get rid of their pets because of allergies is like telling parents to give away their children to reduce stress. Yeah - right, like that'll happen (although I know some of you may have thought about it - heehee!)

Here's something interesting to refute that story - when I first started dating DH, he was terribly allergic to my cat. After living with her for a few months, he no longer had any reactions to cats or other animals. He still doesn't right up to this day.

Makes you wonder, no?

Susan L.G.
 
BTW, I am allergic to my cats. After Adrian passed on (my previous cat) of 19 years, my allergies went wild after I adopted Seville and Madrid. They are family to me. Spoiled rotten and control the house but they are mine. A gift from GOD.
 
Very annoying indeed. I hate the excuses people use for giving up a pet. When I used to foster cats for a local shelter we had one that had been given up because his owners had a baby. He was one of the coolest cats I've ever met. And the irony, while I had him a friend of mine visited for a few days with her two year old. My cats steered clear of the child (like most cats would) but Zach (the foster cat) loved the kid! He would come running when he heard her get up in the morning. The two of them would play with this one cat toy that had a ball that spun around. He followed her everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. Even the kid's mother couldn't believe that a cat would like hanging out with a toddler. I always think of that family that gave him up and denied their child the chance to have an amazing pet.
 
I suppose if I had specific pet allergies and did NOT have a pet at the time I would think long and hard about GETTING a pet of any kind with the knowledge that I might have more troubles with symptoms... however, with that said, I had recently been confirmed with non-allergy allergies (not allergic to anything they tested me with but still have sinus symptoms that respond to anti-allergy meds)... even if I were allergic to my puppy there would be NO WAY IN HELL I would ever give her up now... There are very FEW reasons that I atually can understand anyone willingly abandoning their pets!
 
Jaffas said:
I hate the excuses people use for giving up a pet.
Click to expand...
Tell me about it!
I volunteer at my local shelter, and I've heard all sorts of dumb&$$ reasons for getting rid of cats:
1) I'm allergic (this was a woman who had two cats---both around 18 years old--that she 'suddenly' became allergic to.:confused: I didn't buy it. And unfortunately ,the cats were euthanized pretty quickly, because no one goes to adopt 'grandma' or 'grandpa')

2) we're having a baby (and what, the cat was a substitute for a baby, and now that you're having a real one, s/he's disposable? Or do you believe the old wives tale that cats try to steal the breath from newborns?)

3) our barely-able-to-walk child is abusing the cats (let me see, if the kid is pulling their tails, etc. I think the cats would get away from him, and the parents should teach him to be nice to animals.)

4) the cat doesn't get along with our other pets (this, after one week!)

5) We're moving (to what planet that doesn't allow pets? Put the effort in to find a place to live that does allow pets. On a related topic, my generally nice but sometimes clueless former department chair, when I told him that I had a hard tiime finding an appartment to rent when I first came to town that would accept my cats---but I kept looking until I found one--he said "why not get rid of your cats?" WTF? Obviously, he's from a different planet from me!)

6) he won't use the litter box (this from a %(#$@ woman who had some disease that made it risky for her to be scratched, so she adopted an adorable, wonderful cat, had him declawed on all four paws, and brought him back within the week, in obvious pain--the look in his eyes just broke my heart, and animals try to hide pain. Let's see, if I had my fingers nad toes amputated at the first joint, would I want to dig in sand? Why didn't she get a fish?! :mad:)
 
Mary - I'm so sorry. First of all, that you are sick but also because you are dealing with such frustration...people just don't think about their furr babies like they should and indeed, too many give up on them. I have 6 cats. I did not know when I was rescuing them over a period of years that I was allergic to cats. It took years to figure out what was wrong with me but finally, a doctor figured it out when I was almost bad enough to be put straight into the emergency room! I cannot imagine that you have suddenly become allergic to your cat. In my view, being around cats, if you aren't originally allergic, is sort of like getting allergy shots - you build up your immunity. Most likely is the option of mold. I actually will break out into a nasty rash from mold (found that out in a vacation home at the beach). Mold can make you really sick and its effects build up over time. Back to cats though - I told my doctor that I was not getting rid of my cats and we was ok with that as long as they did not sleep in my bed. We enclosed the patio, had heat and air piped in there, and they live in a castle in there - it is like a cat heaven for them. If you are afraid it could be your cat, try a Furminator if you don't have one, and a spray or rub for your cat to help with allergies. I'm tired - hope something here makes sense!
 
I KNEW you guys would understand my frustration with the article - and maybe I WILL write a letter/email conveying my disappointment in that suggestion in the article.
 
Hi Princessbear,

I think that is a great idea! If you post the contact info for the company, I will write a letter too!

Carolyn
 
People who are not animal people just don't understand - they are just more kids to us. I would never give up my babies or send them outdoors. They would bark until I let them in.
Although my family does not have allergies some of my daycare kids do. One school age girl I have only comesin the summer, good thing because one day here with the house closed up in winter & she is miserable. Ifeel bad for her but they were here first.
We did rip out our carpet several yrs ago in the area of our home where the animals reside put down hard wood plus they don't sleep inour bedrooms, they have their own.
I do hope your allergies get better ! Good luck
 
I used to be allergic to cats, but then I got one and have built up a tolerance. Don't get rid of Princess. I think it's more likely something new in your environment...I just don't see how you can spontaneously become allergic to something that's been there all along.

With the first cat I had, the allergy was pretty bad for a month or so. Then I got used to her. She got out of the apartment and I lost her, then I got a new cat. The allergy came back, but less intense and didn't last as long. I think by the 3rd cat I had, all allergies went away.
 
"Telling animal lovers to get rid of their pets because of allergies is like telling parents to give away their children to reduce stress. Yeah - right, like that'll happen"

AMEN!!! Some people do not understand the bond we have w/our pets ... they are our babies. and these people are missing out on a true gift of unconditional love .. their hearts have got to be a little colder ... ya know??

IA I would write a letter showing your disgust and point our their recklessness in giving such advice as a possible solution to allergies!! GMAB!!!!
 
dss62467 said:
I used to be allergic to cats, but then I got one and have built up a tolerance. Don't get rid of Princess. I think it's more likely something new in your environment...I just don't see how you can spontaneously become allergic to something that's been there all along.

With the first cat I had, the allergy was pretty bad for a month or so. Then I got used to her. She got out of the apartment and I lost her, then I got a new cat. The allergy came back, but less intense and didn't last as long. I think by the 3rd cat I had, all allergies went away.
Click to expand...


Actually, you CAN develop allergies to animals, even if you've always had one. I've always had a cat (or two or three) - at least for the past 20 years. I've had Princess for 5 years next month. I don't even know yet if it is allergies - I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor on Thursday morning. The good news is I am feeling better with the antibiotic and the inhaler, although my nose/sinuses are CONSTANTLY clogged up!

I want to be clear on this - GIVING UP PRINCESS WAS NEVER, AND WILL NEVER BE, AN OPTION. That is why the article got me so riled up - thinking that whoever wrote that article actually considered it an okay thing to do ...
 
I definitely "get" it Mary! I am allergic to basically everything and get shots every few weeks to control my allergies. Luckily, I am not allergic (yet) to my wiener dogs, but even if I ever developed an allergy, "getting rid of the animals" would NOT be an option. I am unfortunately REALLY allergic to my guinea pigs though and their hay! I'll be giving the girls hair cuts (they are LONG haired g-pigs) tonight and wearing a mask. ;)
 
princessbear said:
Find pets a new home. In the case of animal dander allergies, consider removing a pet from the home or keeping the pet outdoors. And keep pets out of the bedroom.
Click to expand...

Mary - That fries me too! Do they ever recommend getting rid of carpet??!! I'd bet that holds way more allergy inducing crap! :mad:
 
My golden Ripken is sitting right next to me huffing and puffing with indignation. "Get rid of your pets." You've got to be kidding. Might as well tell me to voluntarily cut off all my appendages.

Of course, health care providers are not consistent either because they'll also advise people that having a dog is psychologically beneficial and the cardio benefit from all those walks is a real plus. So go figure.

I think I'll pet my pup now.
~michelle
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top