Hello, my name is Ashes.
I am a male, brown tabby domestic short hair cat. I am extremely handsome and have a very old spirit. My favorite activities are eating and sleeping. I also love being brushed and spending time on my scratching post. I am very affectionate and enjoy being petted and hanging out on laps, but sometimes like my own space too. Here is my family's story.
I was adopted by Carlie and her husband Keith in 2001. Like all passionate lifelong cat lovers, my family treated me like a big baby. Then in 2009, they adopted their precious daughter Grace. We were one big happy family and our new family member and I were adjusting surprisingly wonderful together.
Then the nightmare began. Grace started developing coughing, sneezing, wheezing and a skin rash, which progressed very quickly to a head to toe rash, and she was diagnosed with eczema. They made numerous trips to her pediatrician, saw three dermatologists and an allergy/Asthma doctor trying to get the eczema comfortable and manageable. She was treated daily with oral antihistamines and/or eczema/steroid creams (lotions, ointments, oils, and shampoos), for at least 6 months - with minimal response. So Carlie and Keith decided to have pediatric serum and skin allergy testing done. Grace had positive antibodies to cats. Everyone was devastated. These cat allergies not only cause the typical allergy symptoms Grace was experiencing, but could also cause eczema and in the future trigger Asthma (which she would now be at risk for because of the allergy and the eczema).
Life at this point changed greatly for me. I was confined to the downstairs main living area (only hardwood/vinyl floor), to try to eliminate the spread of dander in the bedrooms and the carpeted areas. My family interactions were limited as much as daily living would allow - this action directly decreased the amount of time that my parents and I could spend together. Incidentally, Carlie has a cat allergy and had already been practicing dander lessening techniques (bathing me regularly with an anti-dander shampoo, using Allerpert and giving me vitamins--as per the veterinarian--daily brushing, etc...) for years.
I was very attached to my family and up until this point had slept with Carlie and Keith every night, in addition to being able to freely roam the house. Now, I was so unhappy, I would cry for hours at night and continuously during the days when my family was home and upstairs. Everyone hoped I would adjust but instead, my stress symptoms got progressively worse. I started not eating, was vomiting and having bloody loose stool. I was miserable. Whatever could be done?
Pet allergies are a very real problem. Some people may only have "minor" reactions such as sneezing while others react as Grace did with rashes and eczema. Regardless of the type(s) of reaction one may suffer from due to pets, the fact remains that it is a very real problem. Sad to say, in a number of situations, the resolution is to put the animal down.
Of course, in situations such as this one, it is not uncommon for the pet to react to any changes in routine, just as Ashes did. From uncharacteristic behavior to extreme physical responses, animals often show their feelings through their actions and the wise pet owner will do whatever it takes to see that both the pet and the people affected are happy and healthy.
Having a pet brings pleasure to life. After all, pets can provide friendship, protection, give you reasons to smile and they show unconditional love and loyalty. However, just wanting to own a pet doesn't mean that every pet is the perfect fit for your family. And in some cases, such as Ashes', having a pet can have very dire results on a family member or the pet. In such situations, difficult decisions have to be made. Next month, we will share the rest of Ashes' story, so be sure to check out Sleep EasZZ to learn how we were able to help Ashes and his family.
