Meet Trout, my compact American shorthair tyrant who runs the house (and my life).

The Backstory: My young-adult daughter adopted her as a kitten, but by the time my daughter moved across the country for school, Trout decided I was the approved human. Long story short, I wouldn’t let my daughter take her.

As you all may relate, she's my permanent, purring shadow. If I'm working, she's "helping" (like right now). If I move, she follows.

The Irony: I'm an asthmatic with allergies. This beast is literally an air quality hazard for me. But here I am, adapting with a rigorous medication schedule (with the help of Purina LiveClear) just to keep her cozy.

She’s worth every allergy pill.

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  • You two look like the best buddies! 😀

    parent

    Thank you. We are. My wife loves the heck out of Trout, too, but doesn’t get the same amount of attention. Both are good with that.

    parent root

    I bet she loves your beard- does she rub her face all over it?

    parent root

    Not really. She’ll hook her paws on it with tiny claws. The beard’s my first line of scratch defense for a minute or two.

    parent root

    Interesting. Usually cats love beards. Unless attaching herself to you by her paws n claws is a way of showing her love.

    parent root

  • Purina makes a cat food for people with allergies. You're likely allergic to a chemical in cats' saliva. As they lick their fur and it dries, it becomes airborne, plus handling their fur can spread it to you.

    The anti-allergen cat food is made incorporating eggs laid by chickens that were raised around cats. The chickens develop resistance to the cats allergen and include it in the eggs they lay. The food makes the cats stop producing the chemical.

    parent

    Thanks for sharing. I do use Purina LiveClear. Great product. But how it’s made is new to me.

    parent root

    No no, they said “cat food FOR PEOPLE with allergies.” I’m about 82% sure you’re feeding it to the wrong creature. 😉

    parent root

  • Trout sounds like such a special little soul. It’s sweet how she chose you as her person, even if it wasn’t the plan. The fact that you love her enough to battle allergies and asthma says everything she’s truly worth it and she clearly knows she’s home with you. 🐾❤️

    parent

    Thank you. She is very special. Everyone she meets says the same the same along the lines of her being a gentle little lady. My scarred calves beg to differ when she demands attention / playtime while I’m working 😉

    parent root

  • This is the kind of story that chokes me up and makes me so happy! Hooray for sweet Trout and her wheezing staff! 😻

    parent

  • Try getting an air purifier for your home. It can help with your cat allergy! Helped my sister very much. She can now stay over at my place when she's in town.

    parent

    Great tip and thanks for a reminder. We have one in our bedroom (it’s awesome), but our other daughter just graduated university is moving back home for a bit and she’s allergic to cats like me (sans asthma).

    parent root

  • What's WFH?

    Also good for you fighting those allergens with love behind the motivation.

    parent

    Thanks. My allergist recommended rehoming her. Told him heck no. He then confessed he’s a wheezebag like me and has two cats his kids left behind. 🤣

    parent root

    That's hilarious I love it

    parent root

    Years ago my doctor recommended getting a HEPA filter, but I couldn't be bothered. I just took my allergy pills every night. When the vet recommended the filter for the cat, I immediately bought one.

    parent root

    Toxoplasmosis... You do everything for them and not yourself. The cats are infecting you intentionally ;)

    parent root

  • Lucky you!

    parent

  • Just LOOK at her happy little smile ❤️

    parent

  • Dear Dad, you had me at "I wouldn't let my daughter take her". You're awesome.

    parent

    My dad “foreclosed” on my cat when I left him with my parents for a week while I moved into my new house.

    My dad never had a cat before and said he didn’t like them. Apparently, after a few days with mine following him around demanding naps and treats, he changed his mind.

    Now my dad has six cats (including the one he kept).

    parent root

  • looks like trout really loves you! she's definitely worth way more than any allergy medication 😉💕

    parent

  • You are a hero! 🩶🤍🩶😊

    parent

  • Unsolicited advice incoming!

    I reacted to cats and suffered through it b/c CATS! But when I stopped eating wheat, all my other allergies basically disappeared.

    parent

    Advice welcomed. Interesting insights and something I don’t consume often. Maybe that’s why my symptoms aren’t fully blown, compared to when I was a kid (and consumed tons of wheat products).

    parent root

  • I love you Trout

    parent

  • Hi. What a beautiful photo of you two!

    If you don’t mind sharing, have you always been a cat person or is this something you did not know about yourself until Trout came along?

    parent

    Thank you. NP. I grew up with a couple of dogs, but was always sick as a kid (my parents learned it was due to allergies, so they mitigated it with an air purifier, bedroom off limits to the pets, etc). I liked cats, but with the physical reactions I experienced, I just stayed away from them. Thought I would give this cat a try, thinking it was short term, since my daughter was planning to find another place to live.

    In that time, Trout and I developed a bond. My daughter ended up moving to the East Coast, and by that time it was too late. Trout claimed me. The meds help a lot. This is my first cat.

    Whenever our daughter visits, I fall to No. 2 on the pecking order. I’m OK with it. They, too, have their own bond.

    parent root
  • parent

    Thanks for the recommendation. Done!

    parent root

  • You sir, are an excellent cat friend. And your kitty friend is beautiful!

    parent

  • Your daughter did an excellent job with the name and Trout is very handsome

    parent

  • I’m allergic to cats as well and have two! I also take Zyrtec daily (thank you Costco bulk pricing) but I also get allergy shots periodically which I think have helped as well. Still sniffly but I don’t get itchy eyes as much when my cats shove themselves in my face.

    parent

    I can relate to that! And allergy eye drops when I forget to wash my hands after some cuddle time.

    parent root

  • And why Trout?

    parent

    My daughter loves fish and fly fishing (it’s what we enjoy doing along Idaho’s rivers—while camping and backpacking), so that’s why she gave Trout the name. Plus it’s different, making people stop and think for a sec. In Trout’s adoption papers, she was originally named Winter.

    parent root

  • My dad did that with my dog 😅 little terrier pug mix with the attitude of a Doberman. I moved out with my cat to a little apartment and can't give him the life he needs (yard, my parents' dogs, and a stable routine).

    He chose my dad as his new person and now its just two middle aged men relaxing next to the fireplace.

    parent

    That’s so cool! I can imagine it was a hard decision for you, but it sounds like it brings joy to them both.

    parent root

    Thankfully we dont live very far and I visit when I can 🥰 dad spoils all his dogs, so I know hes got his best life

    parent root

  • Does Zyrtec really help with cat allergies? I have allergies to some cats but not all and my throat closes up. I've never been a cat person but social media has made me a convert.

    parent

    Shoot. I’m not really qualified to answer that since, for me, some antihistamines work better than others. Zyrtec is decent, but no silver bullet. Plus, I’m supplementing with a couple of other Rx meds my allergist recommended. It’s really a discussion between you and an allergist (my regular doc is good, but he’s no allergist).

    parent root

  • She loves you so much. Thank you for being such a good person.

    parent