Guest post by Nic Tatano
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My wife and I both love cats. Unfortunately, she’s severely allergic. She’s done the allergy shots, the meds. Nothing really works. And regularly bathing the cat isn’t a fun solution for anyone.
During our 33 years of marriage we’ve managed to have several cats by keeping most of the house “cat free” or having an outdoor cat. Our last cat, a tortoiseshell tabby named Gypsy, was a stray that showed up one day looking hungry. She was about five when she arrived and was with us for seven years, enjoying the outdoors during the day but smart enough to come in when the sun was setting. We’d keep her in the sunroom overnight to keep her safe, so that was the one room my wife avoided.
Still, my wife loved Gypsy and would play with her and hold her when she was outside gardening. But as soon as she came in the clothes would go in the washer and she’d immediately hit the shower.
Last summer my wife was gardening when she heard a meow. She looked everywhere and didn’t see a cat until she realized the cry was coming from above. A beautiful gray (dilute) tortoiseshell kitten was in a tree. She called to the kitten, and she came down immediately. She was starving and dehydrated from the 95 degree heat. So we took her in, got her fed and watered, and once again, the sunroom belonged to a cat.
As it turned out, someone had dumped a litter of kittens on our street. Other neighbors took in the rest of the litter. We adopted our little kitten and named her Rosie. She loved being outside with us during the day, running across the yard and climbing trees. I assumed we’d have the same routine as we did with Gypsy, taking her in at night. Still, it’s always preferable to keep a cat indoors full time.
I took Rosie to the vet to get a checkup and shots and mentioned my wife was severely allergic. He told me I might want to try an over-the-counter product called Allerpet. It wasn’t a medicine, but a liquid used to get the dander off a cat. If you can control that, you can control allergies. In theory, anyway.
The product comes in a spray bottle along with a microfiber mitt. So I gave the mitt a healthy spray of Allerpet and began wiping Rosie’s fur against the grain, making sure the mitt touched her skin. Surprisingly, she seemed to love the process. It left her coat clean and shiny. I rinsed the mitt and hung it up to dry.
Now the real test… would this stuff work? Would my wife be able to coexist with Rosie in the same room?
She started slow, petting Rosie and holding her for a short time. Then she gradually extended the time she spent with Rosie. Again, no allergic reaction. Meanwhile, Rosie really bonded with my wife. (Right now, I’m just the giver of treats.)
Months later you’d never know my wife has cat allergies. Rosie sits in her lap for hours, reaching up with one paw to touch her face. It’s wonderful to see them together. We “wipe down the cat” with Allerpet once a week.
And as a bonus, Rosie is now a full time indoor cat. While she’s begging to go outside, there are simply too many dangers out there, and we’d prefer to keep her safe. Besides, she now has the run of the entire house with her own cat tree to climb.
As for Allerpet, it’s a miracle product as far as we’re concerned. Will it work for everyone? There’s no way of knowing until you try it. And of course, check with your veterinarian and/or doctor first. But for my wife, it’s been a real gift letting her enjoy the love of a cat without any restrictions.
Allerpet is available from Chewy.com and from Amazon.
Nic Tatano is the author of Confessions of an Angel Cat, available from Amazon.
What if cats were sent on missions to fix broken human lives? What if, once they’ve successfully accomplished their missions, they establish a “heart lock” with a human, a bond so strong that it will last forever? And what if there is no such thing as linear time at the Rainbow Bridge? “No waiting, no sense of missing someone, no broken hearts.” This wonderful book is entertaining, heartwarming and inspirational, and it will stay with you long after you turned the final page.
*Purrs of Wisdom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purrs of Wisdom is an affiliate partner of Chewy.com. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
Wow! This product sounds like a game changer for people with cat allergies.