Living with a pet and pet allergies

Harley has been a great addition to our family, other than the fact that the warmth of my laptop seems to be a definite attraction, which makes typing a little difficult...

Harley wants to blog too!

Other than his tendency to hog the computer, Harley has one other little "issue" that I am learning to deal with. He makes me sneeze. And sniffle. And itch my eyes (ok...I know it is scratch my eyes, but that sounded too violent).

Who knew that a tiny little scratch from a cute little kitten claw could swell up in seconds and itch for forever?  Yep, it's true!

The funniest thing about all of this? I knew before I brought the cat home that I was allergic to cats. Ask me about the time I had a Petlane booth at a cat show...with 150 frisky felines in the room. Fun stuff!

So why, oh why allow Claire to have a cat? Well, they are both just so darn adorable!  I had been told by numerous people that they "knew someone" who had built up a tolerance to the pets they were allergic to. I hoped it was true, and it actually seems to be happening. I no longer swell when scratched. I'm down to 20 sneezes or so a day, and they are usually spaced pretty evenly...10 or so in the morning and another 10 or so late at night. When I'm in bed. Where the cat sleep. Hmmm...

On to the informative stuff. How can an allergic person live with the animal that makes them suffer?  Here we go. (I'm not a doctor. This is either stuff I read somewhere, heard somewhere, or seems to be working for me)

• Zyrtec-D.  Not Zyrtec...the "D" is critical. Not sure why, but it is, and it requires the signing of the "you can track me down in case I end up cooking meth with this stuff" at the pharmacy desk, but the stuff works.

• Maintain an allergy-free zone in your house. This was supposed to be our bedroom, but if you have been paying attention you already know we failed at this one.

• Frequent bathing of the pet. I've heard this alot. Haven't tried it yet. I'm scared. (and using Harley's recent neuter as my excuse)
• Try to keep the animal away from your face, and avoid touching your face after petting the animal.

• Some people choose to begin an allergy shot routine.

• A fellow "dance mom" says she has a "witch doctor" I can visit that will de-sensitize me. Um...not at this point!

Bottom line is this. A pet is a commitment. For YEARS. Claire will grow up and go to college, and I'd bet Harley will still be hanging with Mom and Dad. So this is not a decision to take lightly. Visit houses with pets, be exposed to them, etc before making the decision to bring one into your home. Pets are like kids. You can't give them back.

So, for now....every season is the season for sneezin' at the Watson house!