Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
OK, you may remember that my Carly died a year ago in November. For the longest time I just couldn't even look around; it felt disloyal somehow (I know, I know...)
Then I began looking online, but the felines who were appealing to me were usually 50-200 miles away, somehow, and I just never made it to see them in person ~ something would always come up to make the trip unlikely.
Today for some reason I called my county's animal control unit and asked if they had any senior, female cats on the smaller end of the scale. They said Yes, so I said OK, I'll come up there, and. . . .here's the first cat I saw: (these are actually thumbnails: click on them if you want the Big image!)
And the best thing of all: she chose ME! We had a wonderful visit and I am smitten! She burrowed her head into my hand so I could scratch the sweet spots and began purring and even drooled a bit! She arched her back and slowly stretched and came up very close to me. And she let me pet the top of her front paws, which have been declawed. All good signs. She wouldn't yet let me pick her up, but nearly did roll over on her back for me; only changing her mind at the last minute.
God willing I'll go bring her home tomorrow. What *is* it about these Calicos??
She was a "relinquishment" because her previous person had to be put into assisted living/care. The Vet's Tech called her relatives and the family is very relieved that I happened to come along today.
Here's another view, and please pardon the fuzziness, I think my hand was shaking a bit. But I wanted you to see her pretty coloration.
The shelter was all set for me to take her today, but I wasn't prepared: didn't have my carrier and don't yet have cat food and have the litter box ready, which are Mandatory, in my way of thinking. So I said I'd be coming back tomorrow.
BUT. . . the down side of my day's adventure is that by the time I was driving home (about 25 miles down a mountain) I began to experience an amount of irritation in the back of throat which feels ~oddly enough~ as though I'd swallowed cat hair (I know I didn't, but that's the symptom) and only then did I remember that I have a slight allergic reaction to some cats. I'd had it initially after getting Carly, but as time went along, it receded enough so as to not be problematic.
Fiona has a coat of hair at least twice as dense as did Carly, and now I've gotten worried. As I was driving down the mountain, coughing and clearing my throat repeatedly, I began to doubt whether I should take her on. Now that I've been home (read: "away from Fiona") everything has calmed down.
I really need your help on this! My heart says to take her, and everything will somehow work out, even as it did when I took on Carly.
But is my desire to have and care for her overruling straight thinking on the amount of allergic reaction with which I might need to deal?
Oh hello there Macrina. I don't have an answer for you, but I hope one comes your way.
I have a feeling that I may have a bit of an allergy towards Kitty Katty and I am getting ready to go to an allergist to see if it is him or something else. If it is him, I will keep him and continue to love him, and I guess get...allergy shots.
That may sound crazy to some, but he has become a very important part of my life....
I really am hoping it is something else. It is worse when I wake up in the morning and he is laying next to me....
But is my desire to have and care for her overruling straight thinking on the amount of allergic reaction with which I might need to deal?
Get some OTC Benadryl. It'll help you get over your reaction to her and all the hair in the shelter. Remember that the dander there will be much higher than in your home due to the large number of cats housed in a small space.
You can get her, and have her groomed. Mickey was a Norwegian Forest cat, with a thick top coat and dense under fur. His fine white fur was three inches long! I literally could not breathe when hr had long fur. But, I took him in for a cute lion cut every few months, and he was a short hair cat, with no fine fur. Worked for me for 20 years.
Good golly is she a beauty!!! I agree with the others, get some Benadryl and have her groomed if you need to. The shelter will undoubtedly have so much dander and fur in it that it would irritate you. You haven't been exposed to anything like that for over a year - so your body was responding to it. I do love the calico's too - I lost my Callie in Feb. of 2012 and her coloration was bold like your girl here - but she was short haired. Listen to your heart - and head back up the mountain. Please let us know how it turns out - and I love happy endings!!!
Oh hello there Macrina. I don't have an answer for you, but I hope one comes your way.
I have a feeling that I may have a bit of an allergy towards Kitty Katty and I am getting ready to go to an allergist to see if it is him or something else. If it is him, I will keep him and continue to love him, and I guess get...allergy shots.
That may sound crazy to some, but he has become a very important part of my life....
I really am hoping it is something else. It is worse when I wake up in the morning and he is laying next to me....
NOOOOOOOOO.....say it isn't so!!! I don't want to log on and see heartbreak ridge. It is absolutely NOT crazy that Kitty Katty has become an important part of your life - he is with you every day. I truly understand how important that bond is (I'm home alone all day every day with 22 of them!!) I would be on pills or shots or whatever if I started becoming allergic - and on top of your other health concerns I know this will just add more misery to the pot - but I hope there is an easy solution for both of you. Keeping our paws crossed!!!
Boy she is beautiful....and she appears to have such a sweet calm spirit!! I think you will be fine if you take your time being around her and build up your immunity again.
I have been allergic to cats all my life and I took in 5 last year. I didn't know what I was going to do but I couldn't turn my back on them. They bothered me at first so I limited my time with them and then increased the time gradually. I only took OTC allergy meds when it was really bad. I don't sleep with them and I think it's best for me not to even though I would love for them to join the 4 of us in bed (my husband and 2 Golden's). I also don't allow them in our bedroom. I'm hoping over time that my allergies get even better so I won't have to do this but for now it works for all of us (they have a home....and I am slowly building up a resistance). I also have to vacuum and dust a lot and plan to get rid of ALL carpet in the house.
I really hope it works out for the two of you and if you feel it's best not to adopt her the fact that you were open to adopting a senior girl speaks volumes about you!! Good Luck!
Oh hello there Macrina. I don't have an answer for you, but I hope one comes your way.
I have a feeling that I may have a bit of an allergy towards Kitty Katty and I am getting ready to go to an allergist to see if it is him or something else. If it is him, I will keep him and continue to love him, and I guess get...allergy shots.
That may sound crazy to some, but he has become a very important part of my life....
I really am hoping it is something else. It is worse when I wake up in the morning and he is laying next to me....
Yeah, that's the part I wonder about, if Fiona will be wanting to get up in my face, all lovey dovey. By later on last night, my symptoms had very much let up and I don't feel anything this morning.
When I go back today, I'll tell them all about my trip home & reaction.
There are things we just can't know about, ahead of time.
Another piece to the puzzle in my case is that there is another family who are also interested in Fiona, and they'd just not returned a call for the last couple of days, else Fiona would not have even been available yesterday.
Perhaps I should let her go to them; that is, ask the Shelter to make a concerted effort to home her with them. You know: the Letting Go principle. That way, if it ends up that she's still available, it'll be an affirmation that she really should be with me. Lol, I can be so forceful and grabby ~ it would be a good practice of relinquishment on my part, in terms of self-will.
Robyn, keep us updated on what you decide to do about treatment.
Get some OTC Benadryl. It'll help you get over your reaction to her and all the hair in the shelter. Remember that the dander there will be much higher than in your home due to the large number of cats housed in a small space.
Thanks!! I'd forgotten all about Benadryl
And yes, there were five other cats in that room, and Fiona likely had not been brushed for awhile anyway.
You can get her, and have her groomed. Mickey was a Norwegian Forest cat, with a thick top coat and dense under fur. His fine white fur was three inches long! I literally could not breathe when hr had long fur. But, I took him in for a cute lion cut every few months, and he was a short hair cat, with no fine fur. Worked for me for 20 years.
Ah yes! The Grooming Factor ~ I'd forgotten to even consider this aspect. Lol, I'm really out if it, aren't I?
I'll be lookin' around for Carly's brush (she tolerated brushing only occasionally) and have it ready. I'll call Lori, the groomer very soon, if everything works out.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
By later on last night, my symptoms had very much let up and I don't feel anything this morning.
That way, if it ends up that she's still available, it'll be an affirmation that she really should be with me. Lol, I can be so forceful and grabby ~ it would be a good practice of relinquishment on my part, in terms of self-will. 
