Published date wrong. Should be March 7th.
The good news is that I no longer have a dog at my gate as I reported in my last post. What happened, I don't know but it has been a week. I just hope it was a good and happy solution for the dog.
Now for a strange cat fact. Several months ago I was on the phone with a friend when I complained that I think after about 80 years, I was developing an allergy to cats. Every time Minnie got near me, I would sneeze and my nose would run off my face. It was not seasonal allergy time so I hung it on Minnie. This was totally new to me.
I had to take her to the vet when her appetite fell off and he took care of some dental problems. That did the trick and her appetite came right back. What I didn't notice was that my allergy to her vanished at the same time. Sometimes when we feel good we don't question it but just enjoy.
Then a week or so ago, I became allergic to Minnie again. She was off her feed again so it was vet time once more. He diagnosed her with kidney problems which are sadly common in such an old cat (she is at least 18). This was not good news but I knew I would do what I could to prolong her life but only if she didn't suffer.
I was able to find a food she liked that was kidney positive and the medicine the vet gave her seemed to bring back her old self. However as she got better, I noticed I got better with the allergies. Doing a little Google searching, it seems that when cats don't feel well, they produce more dander (dead skin) which can cause allergic reactions in humans. Evidently I have no allergies if she feels fine.
Now I will be able to tell when she is not feeling well when I don't feel good. I will be her health gauge.
Moral of story is if you suddenly become allergic to your cat, get her checked out. She probably doesn't feel good.
Hope you are all surviving the daily barrage of the horrors going on in Ukraine. Sadly in this information age, we get to witness and feel each blow. Perhaps it is best to be seeing it all in real time. With the events being so vivid, there is no chance of being mislead. This is real and terrifying.
To satisfy my need to help, I am giving to UNICEF. If you know of a better charity, let me know. I want to be able to help and not all charities are the same.
That is fascinating about the cat! I would never have imagined such a thing. I am very despondent about the state of the nation and the world these days.
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
DeleteIt surprised me too for I have never had a cat allergy.
Me too. It is hard not to be depressed by what is happening in Ukraine.
Patti, I'm glad to hear that Minnie is doing better, at least for now, as are you. What a real mystery this was, the way she was affecting your allergies. So glad you were able to figure it out with the help of your vet. I also liked what you shared about Ukraine, earlier today I was listening to various people in Moscow being asked their thoughts, it went from crying pleas not to ask, to one glib man who said "Next is Poland, then Germany." I was surprised at the ones who said "we just have to trust our government is doing this for a reason, and it's the right thing." Anyway I want to give too and I think UNICEF is spot on. Stephen Colbert made that same recommendation.
ReplyDeleteDoug,
DeleteThat "next Poland" has to be in the back of a lot of minds. Could he just be starting. You almost can't blame the Russian citizens for they only know what is told to them by Putin.
Thanks for the thumbs up on UNICEF. I trust Colbert also.
Who woulda thought about cat dander! I'm surprised the vet didn't bring that up (altho you may have not mentioned your allergy)
ReplyDeleteYes, this war is tragic. Just hope it doesn't escalate to a world war
Anni,
DeleteNaw, he had no idea I had a sudden allergy to Minnie.
Unfortunately this war has those possibilities which makes us all nervous.
The war in Ukraine is sad and so concerning.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about the cat dander. May you both enjoy good health!
Olga,
DeleteIt is hard to not think about it and the suffering of so many.
Thanks, as long as Minnie is good, I am good.
Very interesting. Good to know even if I have no cat.
ReplyDeletejoeh,
DeleteNow you know if you are around someone else's cat and start sneezing, tell them to take the animal to a vet. Patti said so:))
BTW...Watching this last weeks golf tournament and hearing how great and loved "The King" was, I couldn't help thinking about your experience. Puts a bit of tarnish on the crown.
Deletejoeh,
DeleteAww Joe, so sorry about that tarnish. He deserved the title of King and probably behaved no worse that a lot of famous athletes who are use to women falling all over them. Perhaps he learned something. One can hope.
Glad to know you figured out the cat allergy problem. And it's almost impossible not to be crying every day for the Ukraine war to stop!
ReplyDeleteDjan,
DeleteOnce again the agony of the world is in our living rooms. Impossible to ignore. The young mothers and children hurt my heart.
I didn't know that about cats. I read about Oscar, the cat who lived at a nursing home and always knew who would die next. He would sit on the patient's bed until she died. Weird!
ReplyDeletegigi,
DeleteI read about that cat too. Wouldn't want to be a patient there and have the cat suddenly come for a visit.
That is great information to know about cats. Ukraine is so heartbreaking. I only look at the news in limited amounts now, it is so sad to see.
ReplyDeleteSue,
DeleteMe too but even small amounts saturate us with the misery.
Glad that Minnie has a way to tell you she isn't feeling well, though I'm sure you prefer not to suffer from the allergies.
ReplyDeleteAs for misinformation on the situation in Ukraine is still out there, though most of it seems to be limited to Russia and certain right leaning politicians, pundits, and newscasters.
I've donated to the Canadian Red Cross, as our federal government has committed to match donations for a certain period of time. I cannot give as much as I would like to but knowing my contribution will be added to makes me feel a little better.
We have many Ukrainian people living here in Saskatchewan - many immigrated in the 1890-1900 time period. I expect we'll see more arriving and they will need assistance too. I'll find a way to donate household goods and other items when the request is made.
Eileen,
DeleteWish Minnie had thought up a meow code rather than shooting dander at me:) Still now I know.
I love that your govt is matching Red Cross funds. That is wonderful. You probably will be seeing refugees as they try to connect with family all ready there.
You have a good heart.
Because I am deathly afraid of cats I am not around them much. This was fascinating how that worked on you. I'm sorry Minnie isn't feeling well. Heaven knows I know how bad that is watching. But what a clever way for you to now know. I had allergies tested and he went through the plethora of things that bother me and cat was one of them and he said, Oh but you know that. Nope, if I am that close to a cat, I will pass out so no, I didn't know. Now that my dog has passed the cats are coming around our home. Not good for me. I couldn't leave my house the other day because it was on my porch. I had to call Rick in the garage to go shoo - it away. pathetic aren't I? I think Izzy being in the driveway, in the yard, on the patio - kept them at bay for me.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your allergies. I can now actually feel your pain though yours seem much worse than mine. I just bought a dog repellent to use for the dog at my gate. Just spray it on the ground. It says it works for cats too. Might give that a try especially around the porch.
DeleteWow! What an interesting fact to learn. And our dog knew when Mr. Ralph got prostate cancer and became a lot like the cat at the nursing home.
ReplyDeleteI think it is time for the world to provide military sanctions on Russia...honing in on Putin.
TAW,
DeleteI believe animals do have a sense about those things like when my dog tried her best to let a friend of mine know she needed surgery. She was in the hospital within a week. They just know.
Agree with getting tougher on Russian. It is criminal what is happening to those poor people of Ukraine.
UNICEF is the solution.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thumbs up on UNICEF. I am now convinced.
DeleteI did not know that about sick cats. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteBarbara,
DeleteIt sure was news to me and explains a lot.
Dear Patti, thanks so much for the tip about felines. I live with three who are aging and are each on a medication. I'll be more aware now.
ReplyDeleteI read the previous posting about the German Shepherd who visits your gate. Maybe it is dementia. I so hope those with whom he lives take care of him.
Finally, the war. I'm glad that you gave UNICEF as a safe place to give. Thank you. I wish you the peace of knowing that you are doing what you can to bring peace to Ukraine.
Dee,
DeleteWe have to take care of our old cats. Don't envy you with three of them.
I had thought about dementia also with the dog. I don't know what they did but he has not come back. I hope they did right by him.
We do have to do what ever we can regarding Ukraine. The suffering there is immense.
Wow! Never heard that feline fact before. Glad you had a perceptive cat doc to give you both relief.
ReplyDeleteLC
DeleteI am just glad I don't have a constant allergy to her after all these years.
Patti - now you've become a kitty whisperer! Minnie is lucky that you're on her radar. I read about the shepherd who kept coming to your gate. Hard to believe he lay there in the cold all night. Ukraine is on all our minds. Thinking about people unable to leave and get to safety is nerve wracking. In the US, we have seldom known such chaos and hardship. Though it seems remote from us, in today's world it is not.
ReplyDeleteBarb,
DeleteWell at least a kitty sneezer. Thankfully I haven't sneezed lately so she is doing well.
I know, with social media and the information age, the war is brought into our living rooms every night in detail. Not remote at all.
That is interesting to know. My son had a cat that he loved so much. It died when it was 15 years old, and he still mourns him.
ReplyDeleteWill pass this on to my daughter.
Susan,
DeleteSo sorry you son lost his cat after so many years. That hurts.
Hope your daughter can use this info.
We did our donation to Direct Relief for Ukraine because it apparently had good reviews. I'm almost afraid to look at the news each morning.
ReplyDeleteIt's so terrific that you noticed the tie between your health and Minnie's. Gosh... dander... wow.
Kay,
DeleteThanks for letting me know about that charity. I hadn't heard of it and I checked it out. Sounds like they do good work with medical supplies.