Of Kitties and Leather Sofas

This goes out to all you kitty-savy people out there! Help me decide if it would be OK for us to get one....

I've had lots of kitties in the past...growing up. And two when my hubby and I first got married (about 100 years ago or so :P ). But we have not had the warmth and love of a furry mammal in the house for going on eight years now. :(

The primary reason is that my hubby is mildly allergic to cats...and he's an aviator in the Air Force. "Flyers" are not "allowed" to have allergies and if it were ever diagnosed as such, he would lose his flight status. But we had our two kitties for about 8 years without any troubles, until the very end. One kitty was killed...and shortly after that, we moved...and the remaining kitty sort of went nuts and my hubby's allergies went haywire. We had to find a new home for her. :rainon:

Now...so many years later...I do believe I can control the allergy issues, and he's willing to give it a shot because he loves cats, too. Although we do run the risk of having to re-home it if it causes a serious reaction.

Other than the allergies...my main concern about bringing a new kitty into the home is that we recently bought some new leather sofas. Spent a lot of money on 100% Italian leather. How dangerous are kitty claws to quality leather??? I have no idea...

Kitty would be strictly an indoor cat. I do not believe in de-clawing. Kitty would be spayed/neutered as early as safely possible.

Our other kitties stopped clawing on the furniture as soon as we got them one of those carpeted cat-trees to call their own. So I'm hoping a new Kitty would also be so easily trained. But even so...they love to run and leap and dash across the backs of furniture. Would the leather hold up to that? Or can I expect tons of tiny punctures? Would regular claw trimmings help?

Any experience folks have with cats and leather furniture would be greatly appreciated! (And tips at reducing allergy risks without using drugs are always welcome!)

we've always had cats and kittens... and we got this wonderful "butter chair" as we lovingly referred to it. the softest most wonderful butter leather.... ohhhhhhhhh it was heaven to sit in.

anyway... within weeks it was completely destroyed. not from scratching but because the cats/kittens loved the chair as well and their claws just went right thru when they would stretch after a nap...

:( i would never have leather and cats myself...

I think weekly nail trims and Soft Paws(the little silicone covers that you glue on) would work just fine.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I think weekly nail trims and Soft Paws(the little silicone covers that you glue on) would work just fine.

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I've never heard of such a thing! How hard are they to get on? How long do they last?

I've seen advertisements for Soft Paws at my previous-2-vets-ago vet...but that was years ago, so I'm guessing you might be available to find them from an online pet- or vet-store...?

My cats destroyed my upholstered seats in my dining room chairs, but never attacked my various sofas or recliners - but then I don't have leather and the sofas/recliners have all been quality Lazboys (which I think use pretty tough fabric). Oh, I guess they did also attack the corners of the carpeted stairs as well. =P

I have regularly trimmed their (now just Nicky :() paws and the addition of a regularly cat-nipped scratching post definitely help entice to that instead of the chairs...

To be honest, I just never got around to trying the Soft Paws, but I had always meant to. I did also use some mild and wide double-stick tape stuff designed to deter clawing for while, but I'm guessing that'd be bad to attach to leather.

*edit*
I <3 teh interweb: Soft Paws

First I have to say that I'd hate to see a kitten brought into a house and then have to be rehomed because your hubby had allergy issues after all. So if that may be the case I'd suggest not getting a cat.

Secondly, Soft Paws are fabulous!! I don't personally use them because I trim nails all the time between the cats and the ferrets but my sister has used them and loved them. You can buy them at Petco or other pet stores.

Lastly.. even with trimming or having scratching posts if you cat does decide to claw at your couch, again, I'd hate to see it rehomed for scratching a couch. I'm glad declawing isn't an option for you. I'm extremely against that myself.

So I guess I'd like to know what you'd do if you had a problem with allergies/scratching after all?

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Originally Posted by cassandra

*edit*
I <3 teh interweb: Soft Paws

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Ooh Sheree! Check out the FAQ - it says folks use these on bun-buns too...

Coolios....thanks for the link, Cass! Looks promising!!

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

So I guess I'd like to know what you'd do if you had a problem with allergies/scratching after all?

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Thanks for your concerns. First off...we consider it a huge commitment to bring any pet into the home, and would not lightly make this decision. Which is why I'm fishing for information here...because I'd like to know how valid my concerns are about the leather and if there are viable ways around that issue. (Such as Soft Paws, which I'd never heard of!)

I'd never get rid of a cat because it clawed the sofa. I'd just be VERY sad that my beautiful sofa was messed up. And if I'm gonna be constantly stressed about the cat ever coming near them....well...then obviously its not worth bringing it home to begin with. But I'm very willing to put in the effort to make it possible to have a happy cat in a home with leather furniture. (Such as regular trimmings and these funky little nail caps) So...we'll see....but no...I wouldn't toss an animal out just because I didn't like something it did.

As for the allergy issue....again...the decision (if/when we make it) will be made only after closely examing all the issues and possible solutions. I don't think it would be so horrible to rehome a kitten if there turns out to be a problem. Not like I'd be tossing it out onto the street. Lots of animals go through multiple homes before finding their "forever" home...foster care, for instance, for rescued animals. Not to mention pet stores and other transient "homes" between the place where they were born and their final family. This is not to say that I consider cats (or any animal for that matter) to be "throw away" pets that it is ok to just take in and get rid of if it "doesn't work out".....but I'm saying that if there is a slight risk of having to re-home the animal for reasons beyond our control...I don't consider that abusive or neglectful of the animal's well being. And I would personally assure that the animal went to a good home.

With all due respect I'd have to say that allergies are not 'beyond your control' because you already know it's a problem prior to getting a cat. It would be different if this was your first cat and you didn't know about the allergies.

I'm not trying to be the preachy person but any rehoming that can be avoided I think is a good thing. I see far to much of it.

Jenn,

I was horribly allergic to cats for years... couldn't even go into a home with them. But... as long as I don't rub my face in our cats, I'm totally fine and over time... I've completely lost my allergy.

Judy did mention in her first post:

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Now...so many years later...I do believe I can control the allergy issues, and he's willing to give it a shot because he loves cats, too. Although we do run the risk of having to re-home it if it causes a serious reaction.

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She feels she can control the allergy issues. Things like keeping your bedroom door closed so the cat doesn't lay on your bed, vacuuming often and brushing your cat all aides in lessening an allergy.

That said, you've been on this forum for over 7 months now... do you not know Judy at all??? Would you honestly think for a moment that she'd just 'get rid' of a new addition because it clawed her couch?

Everyone needs to try out a pet to see if it works for them. We've had pets which just don't work for our home... so we rehome them to a loving, knowledgeable person who will love them.

It seems to me that it's now your "place on here" to criticize people whenever they choose to rehome to pet... how about supporting people instead? Cause support feels so much better than criticism.

/rant over/

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

It seems to me that it's now your "place on here" to criticize people whenever they choose to rehome to pet... how about supporting people instead? Cause support feels so much better than criticism.

/rant over/

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I did not criticize her. I asked what she would do. Which is a very valid question.

I guess I missed where she said she would rehome in the very first post. My mistake, sorry.

I will support anyone that is going to bring in a animal and have it be a forever home. Again, sorry but I can not support someone who wants to get an animal that they know may need to be rehomed before they even get it. (snakes excluded)

Pets are not disposable. If I'm considered a rehoming nazi because I feel this way then so be it.

If I were Judy I'd offer to foster a cat from a shelter or offer to cat sit someone elses cat to see if there are any allergy problems before commiting a forever home to a cat.

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

With all due respect I'd have to say that allergies are not 'beyond your control' because you already know it's a problem prior to getting a cat. It would be different if this was your first cat and you didn't know about the allergies.

I'm not trying to be the preachy person but any rehoming that can be avoided I think is a good thing. I see far to much of it.

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You are entitled to your opinion.




:oops: Thanks Aleesha.

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

I did not criticize her. I asked what she would do. Which is a very valid question.

I guess I missed where she said she would rehome in the very first post. My mistake, sorry.

I will support anyone that is going to bring in a animal and have it be a forever home. Again, sorry but I can not support someone who wants to get an animal that they know may need to be rehomed before they even get it. (snakes excluded)

Pets are not disposable. If I'm considered a rehoming nazi because I feel this way then so be it.

If I were Judy I'd offer to foster a cat from a shelter or offer to cat sit someone elses cat to see if there are any allergy problems before commiting a forever home to a cat.

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Jenn,

Your post could have been written like this:

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Hi Judy,

Great to hear you are contemplating adding a kitten to your home. Since you are unsure about allergies, have you thought about cat sitting for a friend or asking a rescue organization if you could foster a kitten for a few weeks. That way you would know whether or not your hubby's allergies would still be affected.

Jenn.

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But I think you like the drama... you like to criticize rather than shine some love and light to others. Too bad really, cause honestly, people respond so much better to love than they do hate. I bet Judy would have loved your suggestion... but often we miss those suggestions when they are wrapped in negativity.

And... you are welcome to your opinion Jenn... just as I am to mine.

in light,
Aleesha

Why not find a cat at the humane society that had been previously declawed? The cat is already declawed, so you don't have the guilt of personally knowing that you did it to them, but it is still a cat that needs a home..

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Why not find a cat at the humane society that had been previously declawed? The cat is already declawed, so you don't have the guilt of personally knowing that you did it to them, but it is still a cat that needs a home..

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That's an awesome idea! I'll remember that if we get to the point where we actually start looking.

and judy... i saw a cat with those soft claws on... they looked like they wore nail polish LOL - so you'll have to get a female cat... any self-respecting male cat would not be caught dead with them on :rofl: unless of course... he liked that sort of thing :P

*just teasing*

Well I sure hope no one would put fluorescent pink covers on a male cat! Lordy... What would the squirrels outside think?! He'd be the laughing stock.

But anyway, they do make clear covers ;)

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Why not find a cat at the humane society that had been previously declawed? The cat is already declawed, so you don't have the guilt of personally knowing that you did it to them, but it is still a cat that needs a home..

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good idea

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

But I think you like the drama... you like to criticize rather than shine some love and light to others.

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again, I did not criticize
this is a forum for discussion and I gave my opinion
I don't care if you happen to not like it

I think you're the one starting drama. If Judy was so offended my be "criticizing'" her then let her tell me.

Well, as for the allergies: they can be dealt with. I know someone who takes Allegra, and he would be deathly allergic to the cats/dogs/horses/cows/everything that his family has, but it helps. Then there's Mark; he was deathly allergic to cats, but we got one, and now he has gotten used to it. We tried a trial period.. it might be worth it to at least give it a chance. Maybe borrow a cat from someone and see how the hubby gets along? However, I am not sure if you could build up an immunity from one particular cat while still being harmed by other cats' dander..

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

again, I did not criticize
this is a forum for discussion and I gave my opinion
I don't care if you happen to not like it

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i completely 100% agree with you jenn. i was just attempting to enlighten you to the fact that you can do it with grace and you can do it with malice.

i think you had some nice suggestions in your posts... but the harshness of your words tend to make the reader miss the information cause their feeling defensive from your words.

you may find, your information is more welcomed by others when you present it more politely https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../4/7/heart.gif

and i would think... judy's lack of response to you would let you know how much you may have hurt her with your posts. personally i prefer to bring a warm smile to people's lips instead of hearing them swear under their breath when they read my posts. perhaps you could try that next time and see if your suggestions are better received. :confuzd:

Good luck, Judy!! I hoep you find a nice cat! I can see Jenn's point here. You wouldn't have a kid to see if having a child is for you, and then give him away just because they are not for you, would you? IMO, it would be a good idea if you went out and fostered a cat for alittle bit, just in case. I don't want your husband loosing his wings over a silly cat allergie, and I don't want to see a cat go into a home then back out of it because of an allergie either. So fostering or babie sitting a cat would be your best idea, so you don't end up loosing a pair of wings and a pet all in the same do-hickey.

I hope you understand!:carrot: Good luck, Judy.

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

i completely 100% agree with you jenn. i was just attempting to enlighten you to the fact that you can do it with grace and you can do it with malice.

i think you had some nice suggestions in your posts... but the harshness of your words tend to make the reader miss the information cause their feeling defensive from your words.

you may find, your information is more welcomed by others when you present it more politely https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../4/7/heart.gif

and i would think... judy's lack of response to you would let you know how much you may have hurt her with your posts. personally i prefer to bring a warm smile to people's lips instead of hearing them swear under their breath when they read my posts. perhaps you could try that next time and see if your suggestions are better received. :confuzd:

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I understand what you're saying.
I don't feel I was harsh at all considering how upset I actually get over the topic of rehoming. I've been harsh in the past but this time I was only voicing my concern.

I volunteer at shelters and I've taken in a lot of animals needing homes over the years. I know the effect it can have on the animals.

that's all..

I wish Judy luck finding a cat and that her husbands allergies are able to be controlled.

me too :hug:

the idea of looking for a previously declawed cat is awesome. i have seen the soft paws tips at the petsmart near me but never tried them. i clip my kitties nails pretty regularly but they do still snag on the (new!) sofas. they don't claw the furniture because they know they aren't allowed to, but just in regular play and leaping around they do snag a thread from time to time.

the idea of fostering is good but i'm not sure how effective that would be. i have a friend that was severely allergic to cats but was able to get used to hers or keep it under control, yet she still has a reaction to other people's cats. maybe they aren't as clean or the dander isn't the same exactly. as for borrowing a cat--i tend to think that is not the best idea. cats freak out at change and new places and i would think that most cats would hate being "borrowed." save yourself and kitty the stress!

there are so many things you can do to help with the allergies i think this is totally feasible for you judy. don't let kitty sleep with your husband. groom kitty, dust and vacuum regularly, bathe kitty, etc. they make some kitty wipes too that are supposed to help keep allergies down--the friend i mentioned uses these on her cat (maybe that is the reason she is still allergic to other people's cats?).

keep us updated on what you decide. cats are the best! :)

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks!


Fostering random cats is not a viable idea because different cats bring up different reactions in him. He can be in the house with his brother's cat and not have any problems at all. He spent some time in the house with my sister's cat and had a very strong reaction. (Heck, even ~I~ had a reaction to my sister's cat and I never considered myself allergic to them!)

So...why is it OK FOSTER a kitty with the intent to give it a temporary home before sending it on to a permanent home....but it's not ok for us to temporarily have a kitty in our home, and then find it a permanent home IF we have no choice. (And this would only happen if the steps of choosing the RIGHT kitty and keep it in the home in the right way to mitigate as much allergy reactions as possible all failed.) Not just because we didn't feel like keeping it.

Jenn...I sort of understand your point...except for my questions mentioned above. Why is one ok and the other isn't? I would never just dump a cat off at a shelter to get rid of it. I appreciate your passion for animals, but what offended me with your original post was the tone of your question demanding answers for how I will deal with these situations...as if you had some say in the matter to begin with.

I appreciate Aleesha's vehement defense...but my feelings aren't terribly hurt or anything. But do please listen to her advice and realize that your own passions will be more easily accepted by those you try to impress them upon if you do it with a bit more thought to how your words may come across.

Foster cats are usually cats that have special needs that can not be attended to at a shelter (needing medication, ect). A lot of the time kitties may need fostering if they are brought in to a shelter really young and are not able to be adopted out yet.

Fostering cats is necessary to enable them to find a home at some point.

Getting a cat and re-homing because it didn't work out is totally different. Your not helping a cat find a home you're adding to the already thousands of other cats that need homes.

Not all foster cats will be 'special' cases. Many will just be overflow that just exceed the housing capabilities of that facility.

I think that only Judy can decide what is best for her situation, and giving a cat a shot at a wonderful permanent is awesome! I know she will not make this decision lightly. Nothing in this life can be guaranteed 100%.

Just a thought--I saw an interview with a woman on the news months ago. She was talking about genetically-engineered "dander free" cats. They're expensive, the article I'm linking says $3500 in the US. And the first litters weren't supposed to be born until early this year.

I'm not really sure what to think of it--but you might find it interesting, even if it's not a viable option :)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/10/27/b...ats/index.html

EDIT: Here's the company's actual website: http://www.allerca.com/html/pricingreserve.html

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Not all foster cats will be 'special' cases. Many will just be overflow that just exceed the housing capabilities of that facility.

I think that only Judy can decide what is best for her situation, and giving a cat a shot at a wonderful permanent is awesome! I know she will not make this decision lightly. Nothing in this life can be guaranteed 100%.

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right.. not all will be.. some could be overflow (which is even more sad.. homeless kitties without even a shelter to go to)

I agree that only she can make the decision but the first line of her post was asking to help her make it

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

I agree that only she can make the decision but the first line of her post was asking to help her make it

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Yes..which doesn't mean "Tell me what to do"....it means...help me find all the information I need to make this desicion on my own. The issue isn't up for vote or even debate.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Yes..which doesn't mean "Tell me what to do"....it means...help me find all the information I need to make this desicion on my own. The issue isn't up for vote or even debate.

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I didn't once 'tell you what to do'
I said 'I suggest' not getting one if you would possibly rehome and then I said IF I WERE YOU I'd try fostering

I never once said ' DO NOT GET ONE'

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

I didn't once 'tell you what to do'
I said 'I suggest' not getting one if you would possibly rehome and then I said IF I WERE YOU I'd try fostering

I never once said ' DO NOT GET ONE'

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Alright. I stand corrected. Thank you for your input, time, and attention to my questions.

The problem I see most frequently with allergies and cats is that the nice people exhaust every option trying to cope with the cat and once they reach that point, the cat needs to be gone ASAP because the people have reached their absolute limit.

Many people assume that it's so easy to just find them another home, and the depressing reality is that there are faaaaar more cats than there are homes. It can take weeks or months to find a good home....I'm worried about what will happen if the owners are sneezing and wheezing and unable to cope, forcing them into a hasty decision. I see this a lot, and the outcome is never good.

Speaking personally, I have two perfectly healthy well socialized, fully vetted kittens who are now swiftly approaching adulthood. They've been in my home for the last 8 months, and available for adoption for the last 6. I've got them listed through a rescue group on Petfinder, advertised them on Craigslist (that was a disaster and a half) and put up fliers at vets, pet stores, etc.
Out of all of that, I've gotten a handful serious inquiries (Hi Entropy! :) ), and nearly everybody wanted babies. The adoption market for adult cats is almost zero. I couldn't even find homes for them when they were 6 or 7 months...everybody that inquired wanted them under 2 months.

So saying "Oh, we'll just find it another home" is pretty unrealistic...it will take far longer than you may think, unless of course you give it to the first person who wants a free cat, which I'm quite sure you're educated enough not to do.

I also notice that you say some cats trigger the allergies more than others...How do you plan to evaluate the candidates? If it turns out be particularly allergenic, how much time will it have?

At least with fostering, you can explain your situation to the group, and they can try to work with you. Many of the groups I work with keep the cats in cages, and the kitties get pretty stir-crazy...they would be thrilled to go to a home, even if it's just for a week or two on a trial basis. This seems to me to be far more responsible than getting one and then worrying about how to get rid of it down the road. Ask your local cat rescues if they have a foster-to-adopt program; explain the situation and see what they say. Some will be more receptive than others. Personally, I'd love to see a caged cat get a chance to stretch its legs in a home, even if it's short-term....at least it's a break from being cooped up all the time. Also, this may allow you to try different cats and see if some are less irritating than others.

I disagree with the statement that foster cats are necessarily special-needs. Most cats in rescues are there through no fault of their own...and no-kill rescues are often especially wary of taking in cats who have problems and may be hard to place. I personally turn away anything with a history of inapropriate urination, agression, or excessive fear...it's rough, but it means that I don't wind up with a freaky cat who will never find a home and who is doomed to shelter life forever.

joyful_girl may have been confrontational and less than tactful, but her information is 100% correct.

Dang, I also forgot to mention that the claws aren't the only thing likely to punture a lovely leather sofa. My kitty was a chewer, but then she found my dog and nursed on her. :rolleyes: If you do decide to go with a kitty, that water bottle is a wonderfully useful tool.

:ohmygod: you don't have to say the words exactly (DO NOT GET ONE) to get your point across... and trust us, jenn :whisper: you've gotten your point across. :disbelief

:bleh: i think you've helped enough today :peace:

now... back to our regularity scheduled question... so judy... if he's allergic to some and not others... how quickly does he know? could he spend an hour with a new cat/kitten and know if he'll be okay or does it take longer? :reading:

Hey, Judy--I don't know if you noticed the post I made at the bottom of page 3--it kinda got caught up in the other stuff going on...but it could be work checking out. :) Like I said, I don't know if it's something that's an option for you guys (it's pricey), but it's an interesting idea.

Ooo...I totally forgot to address the Soft Paws, which I've actually used quite a bit.

They cost about $15 - $17 dollars for a packet of 40 nail covers, plus adhesive.
I found that they give you waaaay more adhesive (which is really just superglue) than you actually need. I have half a dozen unopened tubes of it lying around, and I wish they'd just sell the nail covers alone.

You can purchase them in basic colours (red, blue, clear) for the lower price from assorted online pet stores; PM me if you want names of some I've purchased from.
The fancy colours (a wide variety, including two-tone) are availabe from the company website at http://www.softpaws.com .

They are reasonably easy to apply with a little practice, and if the cat is cooperative. If you have one that flips out and claws and bites when you trim its nails, then Soft Paws may not be a viable option. The cat also has to become accustomed to them; several of my cats promptly used their teeth to pry the caps off (an expensive 30 seconds). I think part of that is the feeling of the glue drying, as well as irritation if you get glue on the actual fur. I loitered around with a water bottle, and squirted them if they tried to chew on the nail. Most of the cats acquiesced after 5-10 minutes. Once on, the nails stayed pretty well. Hind toes are not quite the right shape, and these shed faster. Also, the more commonly use digits (3 & 4) shed faster than 1, 2, & 5. I found that I needed to replace the primary digits every couple of weeks, but that the peripheral ones sometimes lasted more than a month.

They are cute as can be, yes, even on boy cats. In fact, I did put hot pink on my particularly obstreperous male. If nothing else, it made me giggle instead of wanting to swat him when he's being especially bratty. Blue goes fabulously with Siamese eyes, and the orange ones are awesome on black cats at Halloween. You can also do them in team colours if you're a sports nut.

The only drawback is that you don't always notice them when they first fall off, leaving a window of opportunity for the cat to cause damage.

I eventually quit using them becaue it was simply to expensive to keep 5-6 cats in them, but for just one or two, it would be pretty awesome. They worked great and were just adorable.

Just my opinions after having many cats growing up and currently having 3 of my own. I have had 2 declawed in the past (3 if you count my boy that passed away) and I have one that is not declawed. I never got the fourth one done because my sisters somehow convinced me at the time that declawing was cruel. Even though all our indoor cats had always been declawed, I let them influence me into believing something that I felt in my heart was not true. By the time I sorted things out, Cooper was too old to declaw. I regret it every day. Aside from using couches as a scratching post, she tears my hands and arms up quite often. She is the poorest behaved of any of my cats, ever. Regardless of the short period of pain caused by declawing, I think for an indoor cat it is fine to do and has no long term effects. I didn't want to turn this thread into a debate on declawing, just give my opinions.

As far as allergies, I have always been allergic to cats. I just live with it. Its not horrible and I can live with a little sneezing and itchy eyes sometimes. I would never give my cats up. Good luck with whatever you decide Judy!

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

The problem I see most frequently with allergies and cats is that the nice people exhaust every option trying to cope with the cat and once they reach that point, the cat needs to be gone ASAP because the people have reached their absolute limit.

Many people assume that it's so easy to just find them another home, and the depressing reality is that there are faaaaar more cats than there are homes. It can take weeks or months to find a good home....I'm worried about what will happen if the owners are sneezing and wheezing and unable to cope, forcing them into a hasty decision. I see this a lot, and the outcome is never good.

Speaking personally, I have two perfectly healthy well socialized, fully vetted kittens who are now swiftly approaching adulthood. They've been in my home for the last 8 months, and available for adoption for the last 6. I've got them listed through a rescue group on Petfinder, advertised them on Craigslist (that was a disaster and a half) and put up fliers at vets, pet stores, etc.
Out of all of that, I've gotten a handful serious inquiries (Hi Entropy! :) ), and nearly everybody wanted babies. The adoption market for adult cats is almost zero. I couldn't even find homes for them when they were 6 or 7 months...everybody that inquired wanted them under 2 months.

So saying "Oh, we'll just find it another home" is pretty unrealistic...it will take far longer than you may think, unless of course you give it to the first person who wants a free cat, which I'm quite sure you're educated enough not to do.

I also notice that you say some cats trigger the allergies more than others...How do you plan to evaluate the candidates? If it turns out be particularly allergenic, how much time will it have?

At least with fostering, you can explain your situation to the group, and they can try to work with you. Many of the groups I work with keep the cats in cages, and the kitties get pretty stir-crazy...they would be thrilled to go to a home, even if it's just for a week or two on a trial basis. This seems to me to be far more responsible than getting one and then worrying about how to get rid of it down the road. Ask your local cat rescues if they have a foster-to-adopt program; explain the situation and see what they say. Some will be more receptive than others. Personally, I'd love to see a caged cat get a chance to stretch its legs in a home, even if it's short-term....at least it's a break from being cooped up all the time. Also, this may allow you to try different cats and see if some are less irritating than others.

I disagree with the statement that foster cats are necessarily special-needs. Most cats in rescues are there through no fault of their own...and no-kill rescues are often especially wary of taking in cats who have problems and may be hard to place. I personally turn away anything with a history of inapropriate urination, agression, or excessive fear...it's rough, but it means that I don't wind up with a freaky cat who will never find a home and who is doomed to shelter life forever.

joyful_girl may have been confrontational and less than tactful, but her information is 100% correct.

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I was hoping you'd respond to this post because I knew you'd be a lot better at explaining then I am

I get too emotional to respond the way you do

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

so judy... if he's allergic to some and not others... how quickly does he know? could he spend an hour with a new cat/kitten and know if he'll be okay or does it take longer? :reading:

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It's usually something he knows pretty quick. He breaks out into a red rash along his neck and face. If the cat is "mild" then that would only happen if he picked it up and snuggled with it...which he never does. If the cat is "moderate" then he'll start getting itchy and looking red within an hour or so of being in the same room with it. And if it's a "high" allergen cat...he knows it the moment he steps into a room.

As I mentioned in my original post...we had our first two kitties for EIGHT YEARS with no issues whatsoever. And before we were married, he grew up with the same cat for about 15 years. So it's entirely probable to find a kitty that doesn't bother him.

I'm fully aware of how difficult and heartbreaking it can be to try and rehome a kitty. We had a sudden and unexpected deadline of three days for getting rid of Sugar. Dean had an outbreak in the skin around one of his eyes and it had gotten so bad he had to see the doctor about it...which was, of course, an Air Force doctor...who told him, "This looks to me like an allergic reaction to something. You've got three days to get it to clear up, or I will be forced to officially diagnose it as an allergy."

It was hearbreaking, to say the least....and it was a huge blessing that we DID find a new home for her. Trust me....I'm not naive enough to just blithely think there's a loving home just around the corner for every unwanted cat.

The two kitties we had were adopted kitties that came from a situation almost identical to what you're describing, Jess. And that is how we'd look for another kitty.

I'm entirely open to the idea of attempting to foster a kitty from a rescue....so long as we could KEEP the kitty if all works out well. But just "testing" him around some random cat won't really help, because, as I say, he reacts differently to different cats in different situations.

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Originally Posted by AzureN1ght

Just a thought--I saw an interview with a woman on the news months ago. She was talking about genetically-engineered "dander free" cats. They're expensive, the article I'm linking says $3500 in the US. And the first litters weren't supposed to be born until early this year.

I'm not really sure what to think of it--but you might find it interesting, even if it's not a viable option :)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/10/27/b...ats/index.html

EDIT: Here's the company's actual website: http://www.allerca.com/html/pricingreserve.html

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Certainly looks like an interesting alternative. But in addition to the huge price tag....it seems unlikely that such kitties would be available to some "average Jill" like myself for quite awhile yet. :P

we were very fortunate with our rescue kittens we fostered this fall. 2 of the kittens... the first ones who we caught from the litter (dumped at a farm) were females so we took them and gave them a forever home.

next were two males... and the foster home decided to keep them.

then a female and a male... i found a home for the female and the male went to the petstore and was sold.

the female came back and so we kept her... and gave her a forever home. which is why i now have 6 cats/kittens LOL

so ya... if he knows that quick judy... then a foster kitten situation should work well for you.

and hey... situations happen to everyone. whether it's an allergy, a death in the family... etc. just because you have to find a new home doesn't make you a bad person... just makes you human... and IMO gifting that kitten with a wonderful home for as long as possible is better than it living it's life in a rescue. https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../4/7/heart.gif

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Originally Posted by JLC

I'm entirely open to the idea of attempting to foster a kitty from a rescue....so long as we could KEEP the kitty if all works out well. But just "testing" him around some random cat won't really help, because, as I say, he reacts differently to different cats in different situations.

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I couldn't imagine a rescue not letting you adopt the cat. In fact I think they'd be thrilled that the cat would be able to stay in the same house and not be moved again. :)

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Originally Posted by jglass38

As far as allergies, I have always been allergic to cats. I just live with it. Its not horrible and I can live with a little sneezing and itchy eyes sometimes. I would never give my cats up. Good luck with whatever you decide Judy!

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Dean would happily live with the usual mildness of his allergies as well. It's just that 1/1000 chance that it flares up like it did that one time and threatens to derail his career....that's the only thing that's kept us from owning cats for this long.

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Originally Posted by JLC

I'm entirely open to the idea of attempting to foster a kitty from a rescue....so long as we could KEEP the kitty if all works out well. But just "testing" him around some random cat won't really help, because, as I say, he reacts differently to different cats in different situations.

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That's why foster-to-adopt works really well in situations like these. You normally still go through the application process, but it's understood that if an outside adopter applies for your foster-baby, you get the right to choose to adopt it yourself. If you go this route, make sure the group you are working with understands your concerns. It's good to have everything clearly laid out beforehand so that expectations are realistic.

If you were closer, I'd offer up any of my available ones on a trial (there are actually 7 out of this litter, divided between three homes), but I'm sure there is not shortage of needy kitties where you are either. :-)

One other thing to consider...the allergens are in the saliva (you probably know this already) and itty-bitty kittens have less surface area and also groom less meticulously, so a trial with an adult would probably provide you with more accurate data of the allergenic potential.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Certainly looks like an interesting alternative. But in addition to the huge price tag....it seems unlikely that such kitties would be available to some "average Jill" like myself for quite awhile yet. :P

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Yeah...I read their website some more. The price tag is not only huge (closer to $4,000 than $3500), but the wait period was 12-15 months for a kitten! Well, it COULD be 5-9 months if you're willing to cough up and additional $1900!! Those prices are CRAZY...but I guess it's no more crazy than spending thousands on a one-of-a-kind BP morph ;)

Sounds like the way your hubby's allergy works, you'd be able to find a kitty who works for you. :hug: Hope you can find your forever-kitty without too much trouble :)

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

If you were closer, I'd offer up any of my available ones on a trial (there are actually 7 out of this litter, divided between three homes), but I'm sure there is not shortage of needy kitties where you are either. :-)

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I did find myself tempted to PM you and ask for pictures. However, I really am just in the "big toe touching the water" stage and only seeking information. It will not be a quick or impulsive decision. I have family up in the D/FW area and will even be there next weekend...Tulsa isn't THAT much farther up the road. :P So...maybe someday. But yeah...there's tons of kitties here, too.

IF/when we get to that point...I'd like to make an effort to choose a breed of cat that is naturally laid back and adaptable to changes, because we move quite often. Is there a way to look for such traits in a kitty?

How about asking you friends to borow there cats for a week and see whitch ones he is allergic too? Like a smell test..lol. Good luck!

On the other hand..you could get a nice little dog.:carrot: