telophase | (no subject)

this is unrelated to the post, but this article ("why wasn't i consulted?") seems like the kind of thing you'd find interesting, if you haven't seen it yet. :)

Quite interesting, thanks!

Is anyone ever looking for kittens? In my experience, they just show up.

They've never just shown up for me. :) I've always gone out to the shelter and adopted them.

The only time a kitten randomly showed up, it turned out to belong to our neighbors and had gotten lost.

Those are some fine looking kittens!

I know! If I weren't umpteen thousand miles away and already the owner of two cats, I'd be very tempted!

Likewise, except with just one cat (and a betta fish) and being in a different country.

Likewise! The black one looks a bit like my black one, only shorthaired and with a more pronounced white spot.

OMG SO CUTE.

If I didn't already have two of my own, I'd be all over that.

I know the feeling!

GODAMN IT my husband is allergic or I would do that.

Toby went to the allergist yesterday and the doc thinks he's allergic to the cats. :( (

Toby, however, does not consider getting rid of them an option, yay!)

A friend with a cat allergy used a damp-towel wipedown (once or twice a day---damp, not soggy) to keep cat hair and dander under control. Apparently for some people the pollen and dust a cat or dog brings in from outdoors can be as much of a problem as the pet itself, but your cats are indoor cats, I recall.

Just moisten the towel and give the cat a big, quick, nose-to-tail swooping firm stroke with it---99% of cats will put up with it with nothing more than an exasperated "Now what?" look.

Huh. I'll have to try that, thanks. (Sora definitely won't let Toby do that to him. He *might* let me.)

If they'll tolerate the damp wipedown, Allerpet C (http://www.amazon.com/Allerpet-Grooming-Emollient-Cats-12/dp/B000S0L0M4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294441149&sr=8-1) may help make that routine even more effective.

I use that and it does seem to work well.

Tav is allergic to cats, but also doesn't consider getting rid of Rufus to be an option.

He's also allergic to most trees and grasses and dusts and molds, so he takes a OTC allergy pill regularly anyway, which helps, and also washes his hands after cat petting, which really helps, and we don't let the cat sleep on his pillow or the near-face areas of his side of the blankets.

Yeah, I think Toby's allergic to quite a lot of other things, too. It's mostly that the cats seem to be his worst allergy. :/

Good reason to get off our duffs and clean more often, I guess!

I've also heard that the two most common cat allergies are allergy to cat dander, and allergy to cat saliva -- some people have both, but some have only one, or one worse than the other. If Toby can figure that out, might also help with managing it (such as not handling the cats' toys and bowls if he has the saliva allergy, or having you brush the cats more regularly, outside the house or in a room he doesn't use much).

Yeah, dusting frequently is generally good for allergies, but Tav and I kind of suck at it -- however, it is currently ~done~ in a bout of new year's cleaning! Go us!

Rufus desperately needs brushing, though...

Interesting, huh.

I took the opportunity today while Toby was out shopping to dust the hell out of his office and run the Roomba. Since he spends so much of his time there daily, I think we should keep it as clean as ever we can.

I'm allergic to all my pets. :/

In my experience, keeping the critters out of the bedroom can definitely help a bit, if that's feasible, even if it's just keeping them out during the day so the dander doesn't build up on the bedding quite so quickly can be better than nothing; if that's not an option, even just having an extra throw or bedspread to cover the bed during the day, and keep more of the dander from getting on the linens you actually sleep on, will also be a little helpful. (Unless the pets like to sleep with you in the bed ON YOUR FACE, of course! But I'm lucky in that both my dog and cat like to sleep further on down the bed, so if I can just manage to keep them off my pillows during the day that helps make my nightime symptoms more manageable.)

They like to sleep at the foot of the bed, and we have a padded bench where we put cat beds with microwaveable heating pads, so that keeps them off us for most of the night, at least. We'll have to put another throw on the bed during the day, as Nefer likes to sleep on the sheets during the day. :D

John's allergic to cats too- but we have three :)
We wash all bedding in HOT water (kills kitty stuff), his pillow has an allergen cover on it (between it and the case) so that the stuff doesn't get stuck in the pillow causing him issues. Air filters are the allergen kind and get changed monthly. Regular vacuuming and dusting. I've noticed since we started mopping on a regular basis, life is better. Plus, we had good results with BOTH our allergies by going to a crystal litter (no dust!).