Alternate title: I Want Some Pussy I don’t think the mods would appreciate it though)
OK, after living alone for a few months now I am starting to feel the sting of loneliness and want to get a pet. A dog is out of the question because I will be selling my house soon and moving into a small apartment. I don’t want something like fish or birds because I want to be able to play and interact with my pet.
Want I really want to get is a cat. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I am allergic to them. If I am around a cat for more than an hour my eyes will start to itch. After that I will start to get flu like symptons and feel like crap until I get away from the animal.
Is there some sort of medicine, OTC or prescription, that will get rid of this? Is there a hypo-allergenic cat that doesn’t give people allergies?
A short-haired cat kept indoors and taken to the groomer’s occaisionally will cause less trouble.
Sensitivity to cat dander is subject to degrees. Some people seem to be able to build up a kind of resistance with time. When I first got two cats about six years ago my eyes burned something awful for a couple of weeks, and then I found I had next to no trouble.
Since you are describing major allergy symptoms, it would be very unwise for you to get a cat - there’s too great a chance that any allergy treatments you try won’t work, and you would then be forced to get rid of the animal, which is not fair to the poor cat. And it’s not easy to find a new home for any “second-hand” pet - most people prefer cuddly kittens to full-grown cats.
If you don’t have asthma or any other serious lung problems, you could consider a bird. Many of the smaller parrot species (especially cockatiels, Pionus parrots, African parrots of the genus Poicephalus, and conures of the genus Pyrrhura) are every bit as friendly as a cat or dog, longer-lived, and very much enjoy playing and interacting with their owners (in fact, they require such attention if they are to thrive). And the species I’ve listed typically have quiet voices and make good apartment pets. Most landlords don’t object to them, either, while finding an apartment that will allow a cat can sometimes be a challenge (although it’s not the nightmare that finding one that allows dogs can be.)
So don’t write birds off your list so quickly! A nice hand-fed parrot may in fact be the perfect companion animal for your situation.
Artemis, who’s lovingly owned by a very bratty Sun Conure
What about a hedgehog? Thats what we considered for my extremely allergic to everything roommate, until my landlord put his foot down on the idea. Everything I’ve read suggests that they cause little to no allergic reaction.
There is NO SUCH THING as a quiet parrot. Poicephalus species are probably less prone to shredding your ear drums than many other parrots, but they are still not in any way a quiet animal. Also, if you’re not absolutely, completely, totally, and in every other way thrilled about living with a Very Noisy Animal ™ than DO not get a conure.
Birds are uhm… they are… possibly the most difficult animal to take care of, short of a monkey, for the average pet owner. Living with a bird is really akin to living with a perpetual toddler for the next thirty to hundred and twenty or so years. They’re the most incredible companions imaginable–for the right people.
Most people aren’t. Some people find out after thousands of dollars and years of a very unhappy situation for all involved. The average psittacine parrot goes through SIX homes in their lifetime.
I went to an allergist to find out what measures I could take to control my allergies enough to have a cat. He kept repeating, “You could die.” until I left his office.
Are you allergic to rats? I’m tod they make great pets - quite affectionate, trainable, and playful. And they won’t shred your furniture or shed all over everything. And not noisy like birds.
I’m allergic to cats. I was told however that what I am actually allergic to is the flea feces that is found in cat dander, not the cat itself. If that’s correct, then I suppose a completely flea free cat should be OK for me. YMMV, and of course good luck keeping a cat totally flealess.
Hand-fed parrots of the genera I listed are typically NOT prone to extended bouts of shrieking. (Note in particular that I specifically said Pyrrhua conures - the more common Aratinga species certainly DO qualify as very noisy, especially if mishandled by an owner who unwittingly encourages the bad behavior of prolonged screaming).
The larger species (Amazons, African Greys, cockatoos, macaws) certainly are extremely challenging pets, completely unsuitable for most homes. The smaller species I mentioned, on the other hand, are a much better fit for the average pet owner, provided that the owner takes the time to educate himself about the animal’s needs prior to purchasing one, and learns how to properly handle and care for his bird. A Senegal parrot or a cockatiel is certainly more work than a cat would be - but much LESS work than a dog (although they do need daily care).
Most of that is due to uneducated people (often with no previous bird-care experience, and acting on impulse) purchasing one of the larger parrot species (such as a macaw) or one of the extremely noisy ones (such as my own sun conure) - and then discovering after the fact that they don’t know how to handle their bird, or that they object to the animal’s natural behaviors (which they didn’t bother to learn anything about before they brought it home). And often, through mishandling, they spoil the bird - and then the next owner can’t deal with the bird’s misbehavior, and so passes it on to yet another person, in a vicious cycle. Behavior problems in birds, as in most other animals, are easier to prevent than to cure after they develop; most spoiled birds never wind up in the hands of a person knowledgeable enough to re-educate them successfully.
But an owner who takes the time to learn about bird behavior, carefully selects a lovingly hand-fed chick from small parrot species with a personality and behaviors that will fit into his living situation, and who cares for and handles his bird properly and consistently, can have a very rewarding relationship. If Amp isn’t willing to do those things, then he definitely shouldn’t get a parrot (or, in my opinion, any other animal!). If he investigates parrot ownership and decides that a small parrot isn’t the right animal for his lifestyle, that’s fine. But he shouldn’t automatically write all birds off his list of possible pets on the mistaken assumption that “I want a pet I can interact with, and birds don’t fit that description”.
This is just an anectotal story and not intended to be professional medical advice, but a former roommate of mine was terribly allergic to cats. Just being in the same room with one would cause his eyes to water and nose to get sniffly and who knows whatelse (actually, he knows fully well whatelse, it’s me that never paid attention).
He became involved with a woman who had or wanted cats, so she convinced him to go to an allergist.
He got some sort of shots, and he has been fine ever since. They have since married, and he lives with several cats along with his wife, and as far as I know, suffers no ill effects from any of them (well I’m not sure about his wife, but his cats no longer affect him medically in any way).
I don’t know if the shots were a one-time thing or a one-time series of shots or if he has to continue with them regularly or periodically or not.
Of course YMMV, but it can’t hurt to get professional advice from an expert allergist.
Well, thanks everyone. I posted this here as an informal fact finding mission. I didn’t want to get a cat and then have to pass it off because of my allergies. I figured if there was a miracle cure out there someone here would know.
It looks like I’m not getting a cat but my interest has been peaked by the hedgehog suggestion. I’ll be researching them before I decide to get one or not. Thanks everyone.
All of that is absolutely true. However, like I said, the vast majority of people are NOT prepared for the time and energy and financial cost of keeping psittacine parrots. 99% of people (in my experience) walk into a pet store and say “Hey, thats pretty. Does it talk?” lay down the cash, walk out with the bird, and experience a hellish six months.
Also, simply because a poicephalus might not engage in prolonged bouts of screaming does not mean it is not a vocal, noisy animal, heh.
Parrots are the most amazing companions imaginable… for the right person. If you’re prepared, you’ll have a loving, affectionate, VERY intelligent member of your family for the next thirty years. If you’re not, you wind up with shredded furniture, angry neighbors, a divorice*, sleepless nights, constant screaming… etc etc.
I have to say, I have never (nor will I ever) had a parrot as a pet. I say this because I know I would never be able to devote the time and energy needed to keep one happy. They’re amazing critters, though. I managed a pet store for years, we had an avian specialist, a vet student with a degree in avian science, who hand raised all our psittacines with an amazing amount of love and patience. We had to screen our potential buyers very carefully, we wanted to ensure they knew exactly what they were getting into, and clearly made the offer to take the bird in if the owner ever could not keep it. We never once had a bird returned. I have to say though, that we turned down a lot of people.
Allergy to cats normally centres around the outer coat.
There are two breeds that do not have outer coats, just the inner one, these are the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex.
Many people who are allergic to cats find that they are ok with these.
