Pet Allergies - open invitation

Person_one

I've noticed it cropping up a lot in recent threads that people don't seem to believe pet allergies are real or think that they can't possibly be severe enough to necessitate giving up a pet.

To anybody who feels this way, I hereby issue an open invitation to come to my home with a cat and watch my reaction in progress. You could also bring a shedding breed of dog but it will take longer, you might have to bring a sleeping bag.

As long as you're happy to stand by with my inhaler and the phone to call 999 I'd even be happy to be filmed.

I'm increasingly sick of the assumption that people 'claiming' pet allergies must be faking for their own ends, maybe some are, people lie about all sorts of things, but please spare a thought for the genuine ones who are truly heartbroken about having to give up their beloved pets. Do you think knowing that people don't believe them, that people think they are heartless liars who just want to dump the animal, makes that moment any easier?

People who are allergic do not enjoy it, trust me. We will never be able to just enjoy animals in the way you can, we can't just go to the local pound and help a staffie in need, we can't spend time at the homes of our friends who have pets that make us ill. We can't help out at local rescues, foster, or even offer to look after friends' animals when they go away at the weekend. We can however be responsible pet owners and true animal lovers just like you. Maybe even more so.

Please give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they aren't liars. You might want the same courtesy back one day for whatever reason.



<steps off soapbox>

rita-rabbit

I don't know who upset you regarding allergies but all animals can suffer from allergies. From personal experience I think house pets are more liable however - my youngest cat is v sensitive I think from not going out.

Person_one

rita-rabbit wrote: »

I don't know who upset you regarding allergies but all animals can suffer from allergies. From personal experience I think house pets are more liable however - my youngest cat is v sensitive I think from not going out.

I'm talking about humans being allergic to pets, but yes you're right!

A lot of pets do suffer allergies, nobody thinks they're making them up or expects them to continue being exposed to their allergen, we have endless sympathy and treat them however best we can.

bagginslover

Person-one is referring to people being allergic to animals, not animals who have allergies

I am allergic to cats and guinea-pigs. Guinea-pigs give me a terrible reaction-severe irritation of my mucus membranes, so streaming eyes and nose, sneezing etc, I also itch like crazy. The whites of my eyes swell after 10 mins, to the point that I cannot close my eyes as the membrane pokes out between my lids. I have to actually touch them to provoke a severe reaction, but enough time in their presence will result in the same reaction.

Cats is a similar reaction, but less severe, more like bad hayfever. Again, I have to touch them. I have had cats all my life, and find I become 'immune' to my own cats after a little while, but other peoples still make me react.

rita-rabbit

whoops - my mistake!

Guess it's good to bring children up with a furry pet - no allergies to animals then!

There are some ignorant/stupid people and I find it's best to ignore comments they make

Kinski

My youngest daughter is allergic to the dander that comes of animals coats. like you she's asthmatic, she's married now and has her own brat with another one on the way but she's here nearly every day so I have to be careful as to what pets I have. I adopted a Bichon and on her first day here Claire asked what would happen if I have a reaction, I told her that Ellie would be returned to the rescue, three days later she asked me again and was told tough Ellie is going nowhere, luckily she's fine with Ellie and also my sheltie. My daughter knew what my answer was going to be the second time she asked, she also said that even if she'd had a reaction there was no way she would have asked me to get rid of Ellie, she would have found a way to cope with it. People do seem to be jumping on the allergies bandwagon as an easy way to get rid of unwanted pets, it does sound ''better'' than saying you just don't want the animal any more.
rita my daughter was brought up with cats and was fine with them, she always had asthma but it was when she moved out and into an animal free zone that it kicked in.

Person_one

rita-rabbit wrote: »

whoops - my mistake!

Guess it's good to bring children up with a furry pet - no allergies to animals then!

There are some ignorant/stupid people and I find it's best to ignore comments they make

Living with a pet as a young child can reduce the incidence of asthma, but I was diagnosed as a toddler, less than 2 years old, my mum is allergic to so for some people its a genetic thing and there isn't anyway to prevent the allergy.

The problem here rita, is that the people making the stupid comments aren't actually ignorant stupid people, they just seem to have a very prejudicial attitude to this one topic, which is why I try to explain to them how hurtful their comments are. If they really were just idiots I'd be happier ignoring them!

Person_one

Kinski wrote: »

My youngest daughter is allergic to the dander that comes of animals coats. like you she's asthmatic, she's married now and has her own brat with another one on the way but she's here nearly every day so I have to be careful as to what pets I have. I adopted a Bichon and on her first day here Claire asked what would happen if I have a reaction, I told her that Ellie would be returned to the rescue, three days later she asked me again and was told tough Ellie is going nowhere, luckily she's fine with Ellie and also my sheltie. My daughter knew what my answer was going to be the second time she asked, she also said that even if she'd had a reaction there was no way she would have asked me to get rid of Ellie, she would have found a way to cope with it. People do seem to be jumping on the allergies bandwagon as an easy way to get rid of unwanted pets, it does sound ''better'' than saying you just don't want the animal any more.
rita my daughter was brought up with cats and was fine with them, she always had asthma but it was when she moved out and into an animal free zone that it kicked in.

Bichons are great for people with allergies, I have one myself.

Do you understand my point though that even if there are some people making the allergies up you have to try and assume the best otherwise you're punishing the genuinely allergic people twice over. Once that they can't keep their pet as it makes them too ill, and twice that when they go for help to the rescues they are met with cynicism and disbelief. I can only imagine how distressing that must be.

Kinski

Person_one wrote: »

Bichons are great for people with allergies, I have one myself.

Do you understand my point though that even if there are some people making the allergies up you have to try and assume the best otherwise you're punishing the genuinely allergic people twice over. Once that they can't keep their pet as it makes them too ill, and twice that when they go for help to the rescues they are met with cynicism and disbelief. I can only imagine how distressing that must be.

I didn't know they were like that when I first got her but I'm really glad I do now as I'm so tempted to get another one ( oh would kill me ). I do know what you mean though, it's just people get so suspicious nowadays. My eldest son has the dreaded peanut allergy and he's also allergic to peas and all pulses, he's gone into anaphylactic shock a few times in his 32 years, if he goes out to eat he has to be careful when he orders but it's amazing how often restaurants shove peas on his plate even after he tells them :mad:, the last time was at my daughters wedding when the idiot chef told us that mange tout wasn't a pea, and the time a restaurant took the peas of his plate but left the water they were cooked on on it, that caused an ambulance to be called for him.

Tiddlywinks

Yes, allergies are a real danger to some and must be taken seriously - I think the vast, vast majority of us here acknowledge that.

HOWEVER, there is no denying the fact that some people use this as a convenient explanation to cover the need to get rid of an animal. Rather than confess that they made a mistake (didn't know how much care or expense was required, didn't know how big it would get etc) they find it less embarrassing to just say "allergies".

People should be encouraged to sit for a while around the breed of dog or cat they are interested in before making a decision to adopt - there should also be a kind of cooling off period for adopting from a rescue or buying from a shop or breeder. Some rescues make you wait for a week after making the decision so that you don't go in on a whim and take the animal away within the hour.

I accept that this is a very real danger for you but I would ask you to accept that others may use "allergies" as a throw away remark - when this is mentioned on threads it is not a "pop" directed at the real sufferers but at the inconsiderate lot that think that animals can be tried out and then taken back if they "don't fit" - just like they would any other lifestyle accessory - that's where our concerns lie. Please do not take offence - as, I would hope, none is intended.

Toothfairy4

Exactly what tiddlywinks said. Great post!