The Quest for the hypoallergenic cat

Back in 2006 I had a MySpace profile.  This profile was set up for Ashley, it was a non-threatening way for her to know what kind of person I am.  A girlfriend of mine recommended I only post about current things happening with me and leave out anything adoption related and anything with my kept daughter.  While I was looking for something on my computer I ran across this post I published originally on MySpace the summer of 2006.

This story is funnier when I tell it in person, I'm a very animated person, what can I say? 

The Quest for the hypoallergenic cat

A few summers back, before DH and I got married, we were looking for a cat that I wasn’t allergic too.  I have always loved cats.  I used to have this orange tabby named Carnegie.  I loved Carnegie, he was the best cat!!  Unfortunately, I would sit there and pet him and slowly my arm would start to get covered with hives.  I wouldn’t stop petting him so the hives would spread and I would start having asthma attacks.  It finally got to the point that I had to give Carnegie away.

I missed having a cat terribly.  The dogs couldn’t exactly take the place of a cat.  My husband started researching “hypoallergenic” cats.  He found a couple of breeds so we went to the Fort Worth cat show to check them out.  I was armed with my Children’s Liquid Benedryl…just in case.  Well, I was okay, no problems.

The following Saturday we drove out to this little town to this Cat Breeders house.  My hair was a lot longer back then, I had it pulled back.  I was wearing a tank top with spaghetti straps and shorts.  If I was going to get a reaction it would be noticed.  Anyway, we get out there.  We get a little nervous when we see the place, we decided to continue on.  We are taken into this room where all of the cats are.  The smell of ammonia just about knocked us over.  The cats would scatter when the breeder would try to pick one up, not a good sign.  He had claw marks all over him!!  Another bad sign.  He picked up this one cat and handed it to me.  He was a sweet cat; he would let me rub his belly.  I was loving it!!  I noticed this poor sweet cat had watering eyes, he was drooling and sneezing.  Poor thing had a respiratory infection, another bad sign.  As I am petting this cat he would throw his head into my jaw, purring.  Well, DH gave me a funny look and told me we needed to get going.  Sadly, I give the cat back and we left.

We get into the truck.  I’m guessing the poor cat had mites because I was itching…like bug bite itching.  When we got on the highway DH asked if I had a mirror.  I pulled one out and OMG!!!  My face was swollen, big puffy bumps all over my face and neck.  I looked over at DH and he was trying not to laugh.  I looked again and told him “Hey Look!  I have lips for the first time ever!!”  Turns out I forgot to bring the benedryl and we were at least an hour away from the house.  We get off the highway to find a Walgreen’s. 

We get into Walgreen’s and I head straight for the pharmacy.  There was a Pharmacist on duty.  I leaned over and asked him if these bumps were hives or bug bites.  He gets a terrified look on his face and starts backing up.  He asked where have I been and I told him that didn’t matter, I wanted to know if these were hives or bug bites.  He backs up more and asked if I was around cats.  Again, I ask are these hives or bug bites!  He starts hollering “I’m deathly allergic to cats”, I looked at him a bit irritated now and yelled back “Well DUH!  So am I, that’s why I’m asking!!”  This man was acting like I had some horrible disfiguring disease.  He ran out of the pharmacy. I found my DH and told him where the benedryl was.  That man was absolutely no help!!  He never answered my question!!

DH tosses the bottle at me cracking up and told me to start drinking it.  I had half of the bottle down by the time we checked out.  We leave and get back into the truck.  We looked over and the pharmacist had scurried out.  He stopped in his tracks when he saw us; I thought he was going to scream!  DH and I were cracking up all the way home…I think that Pharmacist has lost his mind!!  

Buster in 2008.  My chunky monkey.

We ended up at the Richardson Animal Shelter and picked up a 6 week old Seal Point Siamese for $3.  I’ve never really had a reaction to Siamese so we knew I was good to go!!  And we saved about $797.00 getting our female cat that I named Buster.