Today, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions in my life. You see that cat up there on my banner? That’s Mitten. She have been a wonderful cat. She is very independent, not comfortable with intimate contact, but loves to sleep on your lap if you don’t pet her. She would appreciate the outdoors, hunting bugs, and lounging under the bushes.
I am allergic to her.
When I travel a lot, the effect is not as bad. A zyrtec a day, and breathe right nasal thingy at night. I also banished the cats from my bedroom in an effort to minimize the allergies in that room. I installed HEPA air filters in the litter box room, and my bedroom. I brush them frequently. I use the anti allergian wet naps on them. I tried many brushes, some to their vocal objections. I change shirts after handling them. I tried so many different things, and yet the nose get clogged by Saturday, and I would sometimes get a series of sneezing fits.
They are not the only thing I’m allergic with.
A doctor mentioned a few years back, that we all have a reservoir of tolerance toward things we may be allergic to. Over time, this tank empties. But when it overflows, we would go bonkers with our immune system fighting against the weird thing affecting us.
Phoenix is full of pollens, thanks to the transplanted immigrants from the cold north bringing their pretty plants with them, ignoring the fact that this is a desert, and their water bills will be insane if they try to keep those plants alive and blooming year-round. That, on top of the dust, smog, and more, the area does not give much for me to bear. However, I am able to tolerate them because my reservoir is just big enough to contain the allergies around us.
The cats were just simply a tipping point. Where before I would enjoy the environment with great pleasure but a sniffle or two — now I am unable to breathe easily through my nose, and I would go through boxes of tissues on such terrifying rates.
I gave it almost a year. But a couple weeks ago, I just gave up. It was just horrible to live this way. Like any marriage where you love each other, but is so unhappy with other things to a point where you just can not be together — this is what happens.
So with a heavy heart, I had to return Mitten back to the Arizona Humane Society. They do have the right of first refusal for the cat, so I was not allowed to find friends who would be more than happy to adopt them. As of right now, she is not listed on the website, although they may not list her until they test her for all of the common cat infections (which is doubtful, as she have not met other cats other than Cash while she’s with us.) I also made a sizeable donation in hope that they’ll use it to promote her a bit more, because she is so deserving of a fantastic home.
Man, I already miss her.
