DEBORAH CROMBIE: Some of you may remember that when my friend Gigi passed away suddenly early last September, she left two cats and three dogs that needed rehoming. We volunteered to take Ella, her fifteen-year-old tabby, thinking we would give this elderly girl a nice calm place to wind out her years. Boy, we were in for a surprise!
Although we have certainly given Ella a relatively calm and very comfortable new home, she is in no way ready to snooze away her twilight days--or at least only part of them.
She is a devil cat! Those of you who are cat owners will know that introducing a cat into a household with two resident cats can be tough. We took it very slowly, first keeping Ella in our guest room in the big dog crate, then giving her the run of the room, and then out into the house. There is no going back at that point! We plugged in pheramone diffusers that are supposted to help calm cats, and we think those did help. There was some hissing and spitting but the three tabbies never came to actual blows, and now seem to pretty much ignore each other. (Ella and Jasmine the German shepherd were just fine from day one.)
What we didn't expect was that fifteen-year-old Ella has the energy of a kitten, and that she is into EVERYTHING in the house. And from the moment she was free to roam, she decided that she is queen, no argument allowed. Our cat Yasu always had the spot between Rick and me on the sofa at night--no longer. Ella has the house schedule down pat and will there waiting for us. Poor Yasu can't get a paw in!
Here is Ella napping in her favorite spot on the sunporch sofa while I write, a kitty muse. Lucy usually takes the basket chair, and Yasu will be upstairs on our bed.
But the thing that we really didn't expect was that Ella is the DANDER CAT. We've lived with cats for years, and although I'd read that some cats caused more allergies than others, we'd never had an issue with it. (If our Hallie ever comes to visit, we'll have to put her up at our daughter's catless house!)
If you pet Ella, or let her get in your lap (her prime objective in life) it's time to get out the allergy eyedrops and the anihistamine.
Have any of you who are cat owners ever experienced this?
Excuse my while I go and rub my eyes...
Dear Reds and readers, do you have any success stories with taking in cats or dogs that needed new forever homes? (I think I could safely say that Ella considers her story a success!)
You were wonderful to give Ella a home, but oh, my . . . . we had cats when the girls were younger and rescued three cats, but they were the exact opposite of Ella so we had no real problems . . . .
ReplyDeleteElla is really not a problem. She's a sweetheart. We just have to be careful not to get too much cat hair in our faces.
DeleteBless you for taking Ella in.
ReplyDeleteMy rescue Birdy was a kitten until he died at eleven. Greener grass was always on the other side of any closed door (and he figured out how to open a few).
As a person mildly allergic to my own cats (thus the closed doors to places like bedrooms), I know never to rub my eyes with my fingers. I've learned to pull down a sleeve or grab a tissue, and I wash my hands after petting cats. But while our long-hairs certainly leave more fur around, I can't say any have had more virulent dander than others. Good luck with her!
I've actually heard that the long-hairs have less dander, but I don't know if that's true. We've had long haired cats but not for years and years.
DeleteHow sweet of you to give Ella a new furever home. Most of the cats we've had in multiples were bonded before they moved in. Kensi, however, was a drop-off when we already had Skye, who as it turned out, very much wanted to be an only child. Skye never did bond with Kensi and pretty much despised her until the day she died.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's too bad, Annette. Our Yasu was quite bonded to Bram, our tuxedo kitty who died a couple of years ago. Yasu was still young when we adopted Bram as a tiny kitten and I think that makes a difference. But while I don't think the current three are ever going to be grooming and cuddling buddies, we're just happy that they're coexisting fairly peacefully!
DeleteI was so happy to see all of Gigi's pets safely rehomed. It's a shame that you are allergic to Ella. My daughter-in-law was very allergic to the big German Shepherd we had before Kenai. I think she started to itch on the drive from Boston. I do not seem to be allergic to any cats or dogs so I never think about it being possible. With your many fuzzy pets, it is surprising that you haven't had this happen before.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update. I hope that all of Gigi's pets have acclimated and are happy in their new homes.
Thanks, Judy, and they are all doing fine as far as I know. We're not that allergic to Ella, we've just had to learn not to let her climb in our laps. She still gets lots of petting, just not where the hair is going to fly up in our faces.
DeleteWhen my sister got divorced from #2, she took the two dogs with her fearing that he'd just kill the two of them (even though one was his from before they got married). But she ended up in a no-pets apartment so she asked my mother to take them in. Of course, she came to my job to ask me too since I lived at home. I laughed and said, "If Mom wants them there, my answer doesn't really matter, does it?"
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, I didn't want any more pets. I love dogs but I was fine being done taking care of them. But they moved in. The first day, I come home from work and the two dogs run to the door barking at me like I was an intruder. I looked them dead in the eye and said, "Hey! I live here, you're the guests!" And they shut right up with the yapping.
Archie and Coco were now roommates with us. Archie was a yellow lab. A big dumb goofy bull-in-a-china-shop dog if there ever was one. He died first and Coco was left on her own. My mom mainly took care of the dogs. I kept both of them at arm's length mainly.
But then one night during People Are A-Holes Season aka Fireworks, the explosions were going off illegally in my neighborhood. I turned from my computer screen to see Coco poking her head into my room. She didn't cross the border of the doorway otherwise because she knew she wasn't allowed. But she had this damn look on her face like, "I'm scared of the fireworks, save me". And me being the soft-hearted grump said, "Okay, come on in"...and she stuck with me like glue from that point on. Of course, it has been years now that she's gone too but they got to live out their years in a good home, so I'd say that was a successful taking-in of pets.
What a wonderful story Jay.
DeleteJay, you are really a softy, and we all know it. That's wonderful that you gave Coco companionship in her last years. And I am totally with you on the A-holes and fireworks. Our Jasmine is terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms, so any fireworks-type holiday is a big stress around here.
DeleteWhew. Glad to hear I am not the only one who does not like fireworks. It seems everyone in my life thinks they are fun and beautiful. I hate the loud sounds and the stress they undoubtably cause our veterans (I used to work for the VA-this is a real issue for many of them), as well as wildlife. Sigh… humanity (or lack-thereof) sure disappoints me sometimes… I have been a dog lover and owner my entire life and am now down to my last 15-year-old gal (who is finally living her best life as an only dog! I ended up with three at one time with the most recent crew). I am surprised with myself in that I am looking forward to becoming an empty-nester after she is gone. It’s been rewarding for sure, but also very stressful with doggie health issues and deaths, finding appropriate care for them when I want to travel, planning my days around their feeding/outdoor trips/medication schedules. Looking forward to a break from all of that. And will be curious to see if I find myself yearning for the companionship again one day… I have a couple of names chosen just in case…
DeleteElla hit the jackpot--and she is gorgeous Debs! I think she could put even Lottie in her place...
ReplyDeleteElla and Jasmine get along famously!
DeleteWhat a wonderful life Ella has had with first Gigi and then you.
ReplyDeleteWe had a five year old standard poodle when my mother died. We inherited her toothless sixteen year old miniature poodle. Toby was good with the little guy. They slept together on the same dog bed and Toby would patiently watch Pippy gum his soft food. Eighteen months later, after Pippy crossed the rainbow bridge, Toby went into mourning. The breeder told us another dog was the only cure, which is why we've had two standard poodles since 2007.
I love your dogs, Margaret, and always keep an eye out for your photos on Facebook. Since we lost our older German sheperd in August last year, we are a single dog family for the first in maybe twenty-five years. I've told Rick I'd really like to have a standard poodle but no luck convincing him so far.
DeleteDebs, my husband was exactly the same. We had had labs for thirty years -- I'd even raised a puppy for Guiding Eyes -- but while I love them I could not cope with the dog hair any longer. When our last lab died I overruled my husband and got a standard poodle. (I promised never to clip him like topiary.) My husband ignored him as a puppy but later suddenly realized he was the perfect hiking, running, and xc skiing partner. That was ten years ago. Today Stash is my husband's Velcro dog, and my husband is an absolute fool over him. (Selden)
DeleteI take back my above statement! I would love to have another poodle/mix again. They are so smart, don’t shed, and so lovable! My little poodle-mix dog was the love of my life! (And my husband knows it!)
DeleteElla is gorgeous and seems to be very smart as well. How wonderful that you've been able to give her a wonderful home.
ReplyDeleteShe is a blessing.
DeleteLucky Ella! Sorry about the dander, which I have had to experience with and I hope to keep it that way. When I moved into this house I had one pup and one kitty. I had had 2 other cats that had died not long before and my remaining one, Gizzy, seemed lonely. One rainy Sunday night my five year old granddaughter called to tell me they found a kitten for me. I tried to explain that I really didn't need or want another pet, especially since it would be in indoor/outdoor pet. But of course, in just a little while over they came.
ReplyDeleteI wish you could have seen what happened next. Gizzy was all black and 13 years old at that time. The new kitty was all white. I don't know how Gizzy communicated with Swee'pea, as she came to be known, but he took charge of her and the only word I can think of is he mothered her. First she showed her the litter box which must have been a new experience for her since she had lived in the wild. She turned out to be the best thing Gizzy could have and they were always together from that day on, in or out. I find it interesting that my indoor/outdoor cats lived much longer than the strictly indoor cats. I don't have a theory for that. Gizzy had been born on a farm and he was an outdoor kitty but I wanted him to be only inside, which must have been very frustrating for him and he was always on the lookout for a chance to escape. Finally, after a few years and a lot of thought, I decided he could live the life he wanted, although I was aware that so many bad things can happen to a cat outside. By that time, I also had another kitty who was scared to death to go outside, no matter how hard Gizzy tried to convince her. So he would bring in dead mice and so on for her. Apparently he thought it was his job to provide if she wasn't going to go out and hunt for herself. Years later he and Swee'pea were such good hunters I never had a mouse problem. Then on her own, Swee'pea also dispatched rabbits and chipmunks when she found them. I have a picture of her confronting a turkey in our driveway, but it must have been a standoff, no harm was done to either.
Our current (solo) shorthair, Martin, is a master mouser and is content to stay inside and keep the kitchen and house free of critters. He jumped up and caught a Daddy-long-legs the other day and looked so satisfied swallowing the tiny bits.
DeleteMartin is a lovely boy, Edith! Our Lucy is a great mouser, and she is the only indoor/outdoor cat here. She came to us as a neighborhood wanderer, so there was no way we could keep her inside all the time. Fortunately, as she gets older, she seems more content to spend more time inside, and when she does go out she seems to pretty much stay in our back yard.
DeleteLately, though, Ella has been trying to shoot out the door and we're having to really watch her.
Judi, what a lovely story! Older cats seem to tolerate kittens much more easily that adult intruders!
DeleteElla is one lucky girl. Growing up we had cats and I had no problems living with them. Once I moved to my own place, cat allergies reared its ugly face and I couldn't have a cat.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't seem to be uncommong, Dru. My best friend always had cats, no problem, then suddenly as an adult became allergic. She still talks about trying with another cat and I keep discouraging her because I'm afraid the cat would just end up in the shelter. My friend has to take benedryl when she stays with us, and we keep our house (at least most of the time) really clean.
DeleteUncommon! Can't type today.
DeleteHow could you resist those gorgeous green eyes? I'm quite taken with the idea of this "old lady" being the most energetic pet in the household!
ReplyDeleteI would have to be at your daughter's, too. I am violently allergic to cats, and just the thought of one that sheds excessively makes me wheeze. Which I did not know until I was a new mom and visiting my own mom and younger siblings. They had gotten a kitten, which had the run of the house. We were only there for an hour or two, but I had to leave because of hives and a massive respiratory reaction, throat closing up, etc. Like Edith, I learned about keeping my hands away from my face, but I can only be in the same environment with a cat if they stay away from (naturally, my lap is the one they want to jump into), and the owner has kept the house scrupulously clean.
My middle daughter has a lovely little Siamese, but I haven't spent enough time in her space to know if I would react as violently to her.
And the Siamese is also named Ella.
DeleteIt's a good cat name! So sorry you are allergic to cats, Karen. They are such a pleasure and endlessly fascinating.
DeleteAnd Ella has the most amazing green eyes!
DeletePlease forgive this if you have already tried these remedies. 1. I don't remember Gigi mentioning dandruff problems with Ella. But she is aging now so, could the flaking skin have to do with humidity in your home? Winter can be dry in TX. Is she allergic to anything that might cause skin problems?
ReplyDeleteMaybe fish oil would help? //On Nome Street, we have always adopted special needs kitties from the no Kill shelter. Two strays adopted us, Major who now lives inside is about 15-18 and Myst is around and not around outside and is about 2-3.
I have to share about Roshi, our latest shelter boy. He replaced Ginger. He was abandoned at the door of the shelter before they opened. He was filthy and covered in mange. When I saw his photo I thought oh the poor guy, that is the ugliest cat I have ever seen. By the time we saw him in person he was just a big lump of sadness. Amy fell in love instantly. It took me a while, several visits, to finally say okay. It turned out Roshi (who was known as Pepper) had been at the shelter for over a year. As we carried him out, the staff lined up to say good bye and thank us. He is such a treasure, now weighs in at 14 pounds of quiet masculinity. Every night when most of us are sleeping he does the rounds, When he does do cat typing his paws are so big we sometimes get almost words : (hujnbvggggggggggggggggggggggggg bb10njhm~~ he had something to say) This morning when I watched the video from last night he watched it intently too. So good morning from Roshi & I on Nome St.
I don't think Ella's skin is flakey, Coralee, and we are giving her good quality wet food. We will try putting in some fish oil (which the dog gets twice a day and loves.)
DeleteAs most of you know, we have 9 cats (and a dog, and goldfish, and chickens…) so I am probably immune to our own potential animal allergy. I have been known to get itchy eyes in the presence of some people’s pets, so probably it is a get-used-to-it-thing.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all our cats are second hand. Our last 3 were chosen, but most of our life what we shared our home with were cast-offs from someone or other, and those most often were just tossed and we found them, tamed them, and took them in. Out last stray was Willie the feral cat – as in never had a home and so wild. He lives with us – that is all. He comes when called, eats if you don’t look at him, sleeps in a box in the living room with 8 of the 9 cats in the evening, but do not touch him, or even look him in the eye. I think he likes us in his own way. He always comes to meet us when we come home from being away, nods and then goes out, so that must be cat love. He was the only one who was caged when he came – for his own sake as he bounced off everything in fear. (We had to live trap him as he was scraping by in an unheated part of the cottage in December.) It was at least 2 months before we dared to let him out of the cage (a big dog cage kept in the living room, so life and everyone else went on around him). He accepts and joins in and plays with all the rest of the animals now. He joins everyone in the morning game of smell-my-bum and then he joins the line as they all go out, and they follow Jack on the constitutional around the driveway and then back to breakfast. Last summer he regularly would kill a mouse or a bird (not approved of, but) and brought them back to give to Prue the new kitten – she thinks he is great! I would say they are all accepting of one another.
As for the allergy bit, I have heard, but never needed to use this idea, that adding more or giving all wet food might cut down on the dander problem. Also avoid cheap cat food. Our cats all go out, so most times dander is not an issue, just hair-balls. They can eat the grass outside, but apparently it is required that they come inside so we can see the evidence that they are now rid of it!
Good luck with her. In spite of the distance amongst your 3 cats now, our experience has shown that even if one cat is not respected when alive, the others will mourn its loss for days later – weird.
Oh, that's interesting about the grieving, Margo. We didn't know if Ella would grieve, but she came from a pretty chaotic environment, and she seems to think our house is kitty heaven. As I write, she's curled up on top of the sofa, and Lucy is curled up in the basket chair behind me. I'm assuming Yasu, who has been the most displaced by Ella, is upstairs on the bed. (This is at least partly because Rick keeps a heating pad on one corner for her, lol. She has finally started to tolerate Ella sleeping on the other corner of the bed.)
DeleteElla is a lucky cat. Some cats are just queens of the world! I had a small black shorthair cat, Justin (female though I had been told it was a male kitten—I found out when I took him to be neutered). One night I was taking care of Sara, one of my son’s preschool friends. When her parents came to pick her up, we chatted for a little while. After 5 minutes in my house, the mom’s eye had swollen shut! Dander allergies can be severe.
ReplyDeleteMy Scottish ex-husband was severely allergic to horses, of all things. He didn't know this, not have been exposed to horses growing up, until our daughter started taking riding lessons. He couldn't even open the car windows when he picked her up at the stables or he'd start wheezing.
DeleteElla is living well. She is the dominant cat, not a devil cat!
ReplyDeleteTrue, Grace! We are really very fond of her.
DeleteWe adopted two rescue cats, supposedly bonded buddies from the streets of NYC. One was long-haired senior citizen and the is short haired kittenish orange tabby. Rocky, the old guy, was a real love bug. Unfortunately he also turned out to be a diabetic with several infected teeth. That meant some hefty vet bills and years of me administering twice daily insulin injections. Ginger, on the other hand, was healthy, but very feisty. Lots of scratching, clawing, and biting, including one bite that required a trip to the emergency room—for me, not her. They both got along well with our dog at the time, a puggle named Bo, who wisely kept a safe distance from Ginger. Since then, Ricky and Bo have bothe crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Ginger behind to rule the roost and terrorize our parakeet, cupcake. Ginger’s biggest fault is taking revenge when she is displeased with me by peeing in the basket of clean laundry. If she is really angry , she will climb in my lap and pee right there!
ReplyDeleteOh, gosh, Rhoda, we've never had a cat do that, although I've heard of it. You're very tolerant!
DeleteMy 15 year old grandson loves cats. His mom (my daughter) isn't a fan of pets because she ends up doing all the work. A compromise was to foster cats. Their first few rescues turned out very well. But then my grandson talked his mom into fostering 7 newborn kittens!! He loved taking care of them and when the cats were old enough to be adopted he pleaded with his mom to keep two of the cats. He just showed me pictures of the two cats and they are so adorable. I'm very proud of him.
ReplyDeleteAw, that is lovely! I always wanted a cat when I was growing up but my mom didn't like them--she'd never been around cats. Kudos to your grandson for his dedication! Do any of you follow the writer Jess Lourey? She fosters kittens and I love seeing her post about them.
DeleteYou are wonderful to give Elle the 15 year old cat a home, Debs. May I ask what happened to the second cat and the three dogs who needed to be rehoused?
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I was allergic to cats. Though I really loved cats. In high school, we adopted a short hair cat and my allergies disappeared. There is another strange story. I Never was allergic to dogs in my entire life. However, when I met a long haired golden retriever, I was allergic and this surprised me! Perhaps golden retriever dogs have more dander?
Thanks for asking, Diana. The youngest cat and the oldest dog went with Gigi's niece and sister to Kansas City. Slater, the border collie (who is now called something else) stayed with the boarder/trainer who was keeping them after Gigi's accident. Flynn, the husky, eventually was adopted by their next door neighbors, last I heard. We would like to have kept Flynn, he was a lovely dog, but we decided he was just too much for us to handle. It was Flynn slamming into Gigi from behind that broke both of Gigi's ankles, and he was so rough that we were afraid he'd injure our ten-year-old Jasmine.
DeleteI never realized that some cats have more dander than others. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to cats, though some dogs bother me. But I recently saw a special cat food advertised on TV that is supposed to reduce the cat’s dander to help with allergies. I don’t remember the brand but I’m sure a little research will find it.
ReplyDeleteI will check on that, Sylvia, thank you. We do feed her a good quality wet food, which is supposed to help.
DeleteIt was really good of you to take in one of Gigi’s pets!
ReplyDeleteI’ve never had a cat, and I’m a little afraid of them. Also, I generally have some sort of physical reaction to them; itching or sneezing or hives, etc, so I keep my distance from them.
DebRo
If you have a reaction, it is probably best to keep your distance, Deb. But as a long time cat person, I will say that they make great companions and most are extremely affectionate. All three our ours are real cuddle bugs.
DeleteIt's excellent that Ella is so happy with you, and it sounds like Lucy and Yasu have accepted her as the Big Boss. When my sister lived in a house on the edge of a woods in Western North Carolina, she periodically took in stray cats--I think she once had as many as four of all different ages--and each time she adopted a new one, the whole hierarchy in the household changed. Cat sociology! She used to tell me about it, and I was fascinated.
ReplyDeleteCat sociology is indeed fascinating, Kim. Before Gigi moved to McKinney, she lived in a much more rural house that had a colony of barn cats. Ella was the last of the barn kittens to be adopted. Apparently, cat colonies are martriarchal. So three female cats in a household is perhaps not the best situation, but they seem to be doing okay. And it is fascinating to watch them.
DeleteI love all these cat stories (dog stories too) and the kindness of adopters. Mine have always been strays or shelter cats too and in every case it was clear they were the decision makers who chose me, my kids, or the LOML. Debs, I have always had short hair cats but never the heavy dander problem. Would a vet be able to help, or even check her to see if there's a dietary deficiency that could be the cause? A friend of mine was Miss Nancy on Romper Room at one time and we all now say " You're a good doobie" at events like this!
ReplyDeleteRomper Room! That's blast from the past, Susan! How lovely. Ella's been thoroughly checked by the bet and had all her blood work done. Maybe this is just a genetic thing?
DeleteVet!
DeleteDebs, I wonder if brushing might help? And I give two thumbs up to the plug in pheromone device - I've used that twice when introducing new cats into the household and it really seems to help.
ReplyDeleteAll of our animals are rescues, and we've had a number of senior animals as well - most notably Virginia's sweet little Buddy, whose obituary is here on JRW. Senior pets can give so much love and companionship, and for those of us who are, shall we say, less athletic, they are a good match!
Yes, we should probably brush her, Julia, although I think we'd have to mask up to do it! And yes on the pheremone plugins. They are expensive but I do believe they helped us through the first few months of adjustment.
DeleteThank you so much for giving Ella a home. She looks so content. And in charge. All of my cats have been rescues and introduced at various times to each other. Our latest addition (two years ago) was an adoption from the local humane society. William had been taken in as part of a nineteen cat and dog surrender. He was in his cage when I saw him completely lethargic. His information said he was sixteen. He was the oldest of the lot and the oldest at the shelter. Of course, sucker than I am, I took him home. Turned out he had a horrific upper respiratory infection, wouldn't eat or drink, and was too sick to move. We nursed him through it, including feeding and hydrating until he was up and around. When he recovered, I took a good look at him and told my husband this was no sixteen year old cat. When his vet appointment came, the vet confirmed it. She estimated his age at six. My three sitting cats adopted him as soon as he was able to be in general population. William, however, has decided I'm his. If he can't see me, or isn't with me, he's seeking me out. He sleeps tucked under the covers next to me with his head on my pillow. He's a little love.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kait, what a great story. Bless you for taking William in!
DeleteGigi loved her furry family so much, so I'm glad to know that they all have found good homes. I know any pet you would take in, Debs, would have the best of homes. I think it's sweet that Jasmine and Ella got along fine from the beginning. Are you ever planning on getting another German Shepherd?
ReplyDeleteI'm allergic enough to cats that I can't have one. After a short bit at my sister''s house, who had a cat, I was sniffling and sneezing, so I remain a dog person. We've only had one dog who wasn't a rescue, and that's because my husband some forty years ago bought a bird-dog pup, but Rascal was stolen after he was grown. We're sure this is what happened, and it's hard to believe someone would do that.
The rest of our dogs have been either rescue or show-up-in-our-yard dogs. Trooper was a big black mix who came along one day, and Fella stayed around for several days before we realized how scared he was to come up to anyone. Barry was a cocker spaniel who we got from Philip's sister after she found him wandering the streets of Louisville, and he was one of our most special dogs. Then came Abbie, a gift to our daughter from her boyfriend in high school. Abbie became ours when Ashley left for college. Patches was another stray who got pregnant before we got the fixing done. But, when the puppies came and kids were fascinated with them, I decided everyone with young children and a female dog should experience at least one litter of puppies. One of my favorite pics of Kevin is with the puppies (I think there were four or five). Abbie was the last one to die, and I said I wasn't getting another dog, at least for a while. Then, we decided we were going to adopt an older dog to give him/he some good last year. We liked what the Brittany Spaniels looked like, so we went through Nation Brittany Rescue and adopted Coco. He was already almost twelve when we got him, and we both loved him dearly, but he was more Philip's dog. Unfortunately, Coco only lived eight months, but my husband especially was torn up by his passing. We next adopted Lulu, eight years old, and we had her almost three years, passed last November. She was more my dog. We're taking a break right now. We might go for a bonded pa
Kathy, I somehow didn't realize that Lulu had died. I'm so sorry.
DeleteI don't know about another GSD. Rick isn't really interested in any other breed of dog. But Dax weighed almost a hundred pounds and was so crippled at the end that she had to be lifted, and I said we are getting to the age where I didn't want to go through that again. This is the first time since we lost our cocker spaniel (dog of my heart) Taffy twenty-five years ago that we haven't had two dogs. I would love another spaniel, and I adore standard poodles. (There is a good poodle/doodle rescue group here and I've kind of fallen in love with the doodles.) Rick is not enthusiastic, but I keep an eye on local rescue groups and we shall see. He's chosen the last four dogs (GSDs) so I think maybe I should have a turn.... Meanwhile, I think Jasmine is really enjoying being an only dog--among the cats. She loves all the cats, and vice versa.
The saliva, as well as the dander, can create an allergic reaction. I am a lifelong lover of animals and have many allergies, so this is a subject I have spent many years researching. The saliva and dander are different in all breeds and mixes, too. Siberian cats have the best ph of all cats. Many people with severe allergies can live with the Siberian breed. Siamese are the worst for my allergies. I love German Shepherds and Standard Poodles. My allergies to the GS breed are severe, but I am fine with the Standard Poodles and seem to be fine with the Golden Doodle mixes. The best information I received was from a good vet and my allergy doctors. Thanks to all of you who have adopted animals that need new homes.
DeleteI love that she's a sassy 15 - we had one like that who lived to 18 and sassy until the bitter end. No issues with dander here and we have 5 cats - maybe that's why our immune system had to man up or short out. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that darker colored cats tend to have more dander than lighter colored ones. She looks pretty dark as tabbies go.
ReplyDeleteDebs, Ella is beautiful! We have 5 cats and the eldest, PK, does not like any of the other cats and ignores the dog. The other female is a muted gray calico and she only likes Nemo, the elderly mini-dachshund. Munch is our longhair boy, he's been known to challenge the younger two boys if they curl up in his space. Jimmy, our ginger, is my nephew's special boy, while Baggy, our youngest cat, is a black short-hair who thinks he's my little boy. He demands pick-ups and being carried around like you would a toddler. I never had cats until I retired--too hard on the animals when you spend long hours in the field/lab/office. I'd add Ella to this bunch in a heartbeat! :-)
ReplyDelete