Can you outgrow an allergy?
This concerns allergies and cats.
As a child, I suffered from severe asthma attacks. The medical advice of the day advised my dad to keep me away from feather pillows. This seemed to work.
However, another cause of attacks revealed itself when I came into contact with a kitten.
My eyes swelled up and itched. My breathing became laboured. So, cats joined feather pillows on the list of things to be avoided.
I only had to go into a room where a cat had been when my neck would start itching.
So, I did my best to avoid cats for years.
Fast forward some years. I am married with two young daughters, a wife and a mouse problem. Somehow the little creatures were getting into the food cupboards and chewing their way into cereal boxes, and they were leaving little presents behind.
We tried using traps in the food cupboards, but they avoided them and went for the food in the boxes. Clever mice.
Well, drastic measures were called for. My two daughters and my wife wanted a cat. I did not. Three females against one male. No contest.
We got a kitten.
I reluctantly agreed on the proviso that if my allergy returned, we would have to reconsider.
The kitten stayed with us for 19 years. Its successor lived for 17 years.
The third and fourth cats are still living with us.
In all those years, I have had no allergic reaction at all.
I would like to thank my Medium mentor Susie Kearley for giving the idea for this article.
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When writers block hits, I resort to meandering.
