Home for a sweet and smart cat (EDIT: no longer) needed
Update: Our neighbor has adopted Stormy, which is the best solution I can imagine. Thanks Tony! Original post continues below.
Two Fridays ago I took Sammy in for an appointment with an allergist. His eczema was really bad and he was waking up frequently with itch attacks. We knew about his nut, peanut and salmon allergies (which I share), but wanted to find out what else was causing him trouble. He was very brave during the scratch test, which I’m sure was uncomfortable for him.
The results surprised me: Strong reactions to wheat, rice, corn, sesame, shrimp, cats, grass, and one of the tree groups.
On the doctor’s advice, we started an elimination diet, and for 11 days Sammy focused on avoiding the foods on the list, which meant he ate a lot of meat and potatoes and vegetables but not a lot of starch. (Breakfast was the hardest.)
Thing was, he was still breaking out. Kimi took him in today for a follow-up test, and the allergist suggested his reaction to these foods was mild. She suggested the most likely cause for his eczema flare-ups and midnight itch attacks was the cat.
Stormy is 9 years old and a beloved part of the family. But if it’s her or Sammy, there’s no choice. She has to go.
She’s soft, clean, sweet and patient, affectionate but independent, and (in my opinion) very beautiful. She loves being an indoor-outdoor cat but could probably adjust to one or the other. She used to have a brother, Mourny, who she would fight with a bit, so she’s probably happiest as a single cat. She’s also a bit of a genius: When she wants to come in, she rings the doorbell. (Video to follow.)
It breaks my heart to kick her out, but maybe we can find a home for her nearby. Anyone want a doorbell-ringing cat?
April 14th, 2010 at 6:49 am
When I was young, I would get seasonal allergies, hay fever. One year my allergies was really bad and I went to get tested for allergens like Sammy. I tested positive for cat and dog, grasses and juniper.This amazed me because I have had pets all my life and never had a problem. They also told me to get rid of my cat. What ended up happening was the cat who is indoor/outdoor was bringing in a mold on his coat that I was highly allergic to. Aggressive cleaning of the house, the cat along with allergen injections helped me get this under control. I use Earth Bath shampoo for the cat. You can get it at Petsmart. The Aloe and Oatmeal seemed to clean up the cat well. Note they often label shampoos as cat or dog but really that is marketing to over charge cat owners. I hope you find a solution.
April 14th, 2010 at 8:23 am
I so wish I had the room to take her! But with 3 cats, a tank full of fish and a snake there’s just no more room.
April 14th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Elsa, that’s very interesting. We can certainly give that a try. Stormy hates baths though!
April 14th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Oh no…poor Stormy and Sammy…I hope you find a home for her nearby. It would be horrible to get rid of her and it turns out not to be her causing his skin issues. Doctors aren’t always right even though they think that they are
April 14th, 2010 at 1:10 am
Have you tried converting her to an outdoor only cat to see if Sammy’s attacks reduce?
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April 13th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
That’s what we’ve been trying since the appointment, but it’s hard with all the rain and the neighborhood cats who steal her food. The allergist says it takes about six months before your home has no significant cat traces left.
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April 13th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I would just hate to have you give away your kitty and then find out that wasn’t the cause. Regardless of what happens in the long run with your kitty, I would suggest have your house steam cleaned. Should drastically reduce the time till the house is allergen free. You are welcome bring him here and see if he gets worse around all the cats, course that wouldn’t be very comfy and a step backwards.I wish I could take stormy, but I can’t. Nym doesn’t do well with other adult cats (at least not ones she hasn’t known since they were tiny).
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April 14th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Also, Stormy is VERY smart. She can ring the doorbell!!
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April 14th, 2010 at 1:40 am
I would take her except my beagles would terrorize her. The only thing they seem to love more than a meaty bone is chasing after cats. The crazy lady at the end of the block seriously hates me because of it. I agree with Rachel though, it would be awful to give her away and then find out that it’s not the cause. You should try getting someone to cat sit for a few weeks and see if the allergies stop.
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April 14th, 2010 at 3:26 am
Thanks for thinking about it, Rachel and Davis. Georgia is right, this is the doorbell-ringing cat (which is another reason why it’s hard to convert her to outdoor-only — she rings the doorbell all the time!). What you both say makes sense. We could board her for a few weeks I suppose. If you click through to the blog post you can see a picture of Sammy taking the scratch test. The great big splotchy bit was from the cat. The allergist is very sure that a big part of Sammy’s skin problems come from Stormy.
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