A pet owner who is allergic to their pets

I am one of those people who has pets but I am also allergic to our cats. I am not allergic to the dogs or horses but the cats will trigger allergic reactions. I am really thankful for modern allergy medicine. Claritin has become my savior on more than one occasion. Years ago I would have to resort to constant hand washing since my allergic reactions would be triggered by me touching my face with my fingers after touching the cat. That in turn would make my eyes water and itch. When I was young we did not have pets since I grew up in apartment buildings and it was not until I was in my late teens that I found out I was allergic to cats. After seeing one of my allergic reactions to a cat my mom bought me one of those allergy mattress covers thinking that would help. She never caught on that my mattress was not the cause of my allergies. I moved out before she had the chance to rip out all the carpets and replace them with wood floors because of my “allergy problem.”

I love my cats and with the help of my allergy meds, I will have them until they or I die.