Cat Allergies? The World of Hypoallergenic Cats
Delving deeper into the lucrative hypoallergenic pet business — and how you can still get a cat if you’re allergic but really want one
I didn’t always like cats. In fact, I used to hate them. It all started when I had a uniquely bad experience with one cat in particular many years ago, and ever since then I’ve never cared for them. The fact that I found out in middle school that I was allergic to cat dander, right around the same time I was diagnosed with asthma as well, did nothing to help the issue.
That all changed a few months ago when I visited my friend’s house one night. You see, my friend’s brother owns a cat, Sophie. Sophie is incredibly obese, but she completely made me rethink cats. I’d always been in staunch opposition to the furry felines, citing my allergies and asthma as an excuse.
But the truth of the matter is, I’d never really given them another chance after that one fateful encounter with that particularly bad cat all those years ago. Sophie was so nice to me that I was completely blown away, and all those years of putting up a front against cats melted when she showed me some affection.
Any cat owner would scoff if I told them my story. It was harmless really, a relatively common…
