I developed allergies late in life.  I became Seriously allergic to my
cat, dust mold,etc..  i mean seriously allergic like going into a bad
asthma attack and being rushed to the emergency room.  Before becoming
allergic i wondered why people with allergies were such cry babies or so
irreponsible or heartless to give up their pets.
 
But i have to say ..  you haven't lived till you been rushed gasping and
wheezing for air to the emergency room.. or got into your bed so full of
a rash you feel like you are sleeping on saftey pins..or it is a real
cinch to deal with an animal accidently scratching you and you breaking
out in hives so bad you cry.
 
When you truly love your pet and know what will happen if you put him too
close to your face ( your eyes swell shut) you wonder why you are doing
this.  is it fair to YOU or YOUR FERRET if loving him makes you ill???.
Maybe it is just the bedding or the dust they get into ,maybe not .I am
not an allergist and neither is anyone else on this list.
 
I understand there is a new bloodtest that will tell the true story.  I
only know my friends have nick named me "howard Hughs" cause in order for
me to live comfortably with my beloved ferrets ..  whatever the casue of
my reaction..  i have to keep the cage, bedding, dust, food particles ,
poop under control..  I have to swiffer the floor every day .  ( a
swiffer is a broom thing that picks up hair, dander and dust) .I have to
bathe my fuzzies often.
 
Maybe it is because i am allergic to so much that i am not truly allergic
to my ferrets but just overly sensitive to them or the bedding or the fur
etc...also scientificaly, there a million microscoptic critters that live
on ALL hair and fur.  so who knows?  ... as for me i'll just keep doing
my howard hughs thing .
 
christine and the
weasel ward
http://www.geocities.com/christineherman2002/
[Posted in FML issue 3999]