It's official. Brad and I are now responsible for a little life, other than our own. We now have a cat. :) Meet Dora...
A few days later, the nurse from my doctor's office called to give me some test results. So, for some reason I got really bold and asked her if they had ever written notes for companion pets. She said, "Sure! I'll have the note ready for you at 8am tomorrow." WOW! I also asked what she thought about my cat allergy. She said that I most likely have an allergy to all pet dander (I even get itchy sometimes after petting my parents dogs). She said that most likely, if I live with a pet, I will get used to and become immune to their dander. She thought it would be rough at first, but that I'd eventually get used to the cat.
After I got off the phone with her, I called Brad and he said, "Call your brother and tell him we want her!" So I did. That night, they brought Pandora over. Jessie had told us that she would probably hide for a few days, because she was in new surroundings. When she figured out that we were nice and that there weren't any other cats around to attack her, she'd probably warm up to us.
Well, it didn't take long and she was on the couch wanting to be cuddled! We have definitely fallen in love with her!
My allergies are doing great. I am careful and make sure to wash my hands before touching my face and I have taken a few doses of Benadryl to help with the itchy skin and itchy eyes, but other than that, I seem to be doing well. Oh, and it just so happens that Dora (as we call her) has a favorite spot on the couch. And it happens to be my favorite spot on the couch. :) We'll see how that pans out....
My brother and sister-in-law may as well be the cat whisperers. They have rescued many cats and Jessie, being a licensed vet-tech, has a HUGE heart for anything furry. Dora showed up on their doorstep a while back and after unsuccessfully trying to find her original owner, they took her in and gave her the name Pandora. Unfortunately, they already had three cats...and those other cats didn't take too kindly to her.
John had told me that they were trying to find a new home for her, because she was basically living in fear of the other cats and that she would probably do much better in another home. I thought about it, but wasn't a huge cat person, so I sort of brushed off the idea and tried to forget about her. On Halloween I went over to John and Jessie's house to see my nephew dressed up in his peanut costume. It was that night that I saw firsthand what Pandora's life was like. The other cats were very mean to her and she was one stressed out little kitty.
I went home that night and told Brad that my heart was just breaking for her. Brad, who has a HUGE heart for animals, suggested that we take her in. I wanted to, but we had two big hurdles to get over.
1) I am allergic to cats. Whenever I would touch a cat, my skin would break out in a rash. And I had never been around a cat long enough to know if I had any more allergies (sneezing, coughing, etc).
2) Our apartment complex doesn't allow animals, unless you have a note from a physician stating that you need a pet for companionship. Legally, they have to allow "companion pets." Since we don't NEED a companion pet for mental or emotional reasons, we sort of felt like it was wrong to ask our doctor to write a note.
A few days later, the nurse from my doctor's office called to give me some test results. So, for some reason I got really bold and asked her if they had ever written notes for companion pets. She said, "Sure! I'll have the note ready for you at 8am tomorrow." WOW! I also asked what she thought about my cat allergy. She said that I most likely have an allergy to all pet dander (I even get itchy sometimes after petting my parents dogs). She said that most likely, if I live with a pet, I will get used to and become immune to their dander. She thought it would be rough at first, but that I'd eventually get used to the cat.
After I got off the phone with her, I called Brad and he said, "Call your brother and tell him we want her!" So I did. That night, they brought Pandora over. Jessie had told us that she would probably hide for a few days, because she was in new surroundings. When she figured out that we were nice and that there weren't any other cats around to attack her, she'd probably warm up to us.
Well, it didn't take long and she was on the couch wanting to be cuddled! We have definitely fallen in love with her!
My allergies are doing great. I am careful and make sure to wash my hands before touching my face and I have taken a few doses of Benadryl to help with the itchy skin and itchy eyes, but other than that, I seem to be doing well. Oh, and it just so happens that Dora (as we call her) has a favorite spot on the couch. And it happens to be my favorite spot on the couch. :) We'll see how that pans out....
Oh my gosh, she is so cute! I love that first pic of her with her tongue sort of sticking out. :) Haha! By the way, I have pet allergies but had cats from the time I was born until our last kitty died about four years ago. You totally get used to it, the same way you did to your family dog. Now that we don't have any pets I have a hard time around them sometimes, but it's very true that if you spend a consistent amount of time around a specific animal, your body will adjust. You still might have reactions to other people's pets, but Dora will be fine! (That is my highly scientific diagnosis.)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you totally have lost your spot on the couch. ;)
Part of me is excited you got a cat... just cuz it's a pet. BUT I hate cats... so.... strike 1. 5 strikes... thats a home run... and then you're out. (that's from Dwight Schrutt.
ReplyDelete