Friend Has Offered Us House to Stay in for a Year, but I Am Allergic to Her Cats

I am allergic to any mammal... and I have 12 cats, 1 young child and pregnant with #2. I take claritin and zyrtec everyday ( 3 days of claritin, one day of zytrec) and the days where the plant pollen allergies are worse in addition to the allergies of animals - I take a benedryl.

Most Momma's will not have a decrease in breastmilk supply from the zyrtec or claritin. My daughter breastfed till she was 4.5 y/o and I have had at least 5 cats since I was 20 y/o (I'm 31 now). She has no allergies to anything or any foods.

Take the allergy meds and take the HUGE money saving offer your friend put on the table.

Even with the meds, if my cats accidentally scratch me or lick me too much in one spot, I get horrible hives/welts in that area. I love animals and know my reactions - so if I didn't take those daily allergy meds... then I'd be in trouble. Before I was a Nurse, and before I took Education studies... I wanted to be a Vet. LOL So animals are a part of me and I will not give them up for something as simple as an allergy that can be moderately controlled with anti-histamines.

5 moms found this helpful

I am allergic to cats...and we have 5. My solution is to bathe them every few weeks. I even use my shampoo. It gets rid of dander (which is a big cause for allergies). It depends on the severity of your allergy...but many people do get immunity by constant contact with an allergen.

3 moms found this helpful

You need a doctor to answer this one - as soon as possible, so you can give your friend an answer. It may depend on the seriousness of your allergy. Perhaps you will be able to take some sort of medication to control it. You'll have to ask about the breastfeeding, too.

On the other hand, a dear friend of mine can come over to my house ONLY if she takes medication beforehand, and then ONLY for a couple of hours, because she is so seriously allergic to cats. Otherwise, she ends up in the hospital.

If housesitting/catsitting is dangerous to your health, all the money you'll possibly save is not worth it. Being healthy is more important; you can save money another, safer way.

2 moms found this helpful

Oh L., that would be amazing.
Talk to your doctor about it, maybe there is a medicine that you can take while breastfeeding, I will also talk to your husband and make a deal that he will be the one taking care of the cats as much as possible so you get the less amount of interaction with them.
With the money saved I would do a deep cleaning too.
I hope your doctor can give you something and that this can work in your favor, but if not, don't drive your self crazy about it, everything happens for a reason, take care.

2 moms found this helpful

Gosh rent-free for a year?? My baby would be going to formula! Lol j/k but i'd check with your doc to see if there's a safe medicine to use while breastfeeding. That is indeed a lot of money you can save.

2 moms found this helpful

i am very very alergic to cats and dogs, i had 5 in and out of the house. i take prescription Advair500/50. works very well. i also have 3 dogs, lol. talk to your dr, and see if this would hinder ur child. if there is a will, there is a way.

2 moms found this helpful

take the deal,take allergy shots, save your money for a year!....there are allergy meds you can take while b/f ing.

1 mom found this helpful

Well I can't imagine how you would get through for a whole year. It sounds nice and all. But it's a little too good to be true in your situation.

1 mom found this helpful

I sent one answer through my phone but don't know if you received it so will send again.

Go to naet.com
This took care of my allergies and it is a reasonable expense.

N.

1 mom found this helpful

If you're very allergic, then it seems your answer is clear.
She's offering to help you out if you can help her out with her cats, but you already know you have an allergy.
Even though it's tempting, this might be one you have to turn down.
Medications may help....or not.
You don't want to take the risk of being miserable and then resenting the cats that you are supposed to take care of.
Rent free? Few get that option, but if there's a chance it will be a bad experience, I might humbly decline.

Just my opinion.

1 mom found this helpful

Talk to your Dr and see if allergy medicine is safe for breastfeeding, I know there are several that are safe, but prescription wise it's always good to ask.... especially depending on your allergy seriousness and that you would have to take them every day. Likely, your husband will be the one doing all the brushing/litter box, so it depends on what he can handle too. I know there is an allergy shot that is pretty effective that my husband took one time. Here is a list of some of the safe ones:
http://www.ehow.com/about_###-###-####_allergy-medicine-c...

I had no clue baptizing kids cost money, it's free at our church, and is when the kids reach an older age:
http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/

1 mom found this helpful

we had a roommate that was allergic to cats. he had an inhaler before he moved in with us. he found that he was less allergic to cats while living with us. it all depends on your body. if you do decide to live there, it might be worth purchasing a hepa filter for your bedroom so you can sleep well at night.

1 mom found this helpful

Have you talked to your allergist? If not, go quickly and talk to him/her about how you can make this happen. And ask your husband if he can take care of the cats. The less you are around them, the better.

I would have the carpets cleaned when you move in and anything else the doctor recommends. (You have to pony up for that, but make sure you tell your friend that you will have the carpets cleaned so there are no surprises.) You can help your husband by buying the cat food and litter and having it there for him to handle when he comes home from work.

I hope this works out - paying your debt down would be SOOO awesome!

D.

1 mom found this helpful

Can you try some things before you make the decision whether to move in or not? I know for some people, daily brushing (by your husband, not you) and vacuuming can be helpful, but six cats is a lot of cats. There are also products at the pet store that you put on the cats to supposedly help limit allergic reactions, not sure how good they are. I've been reading about air purifiers that some people seem to swear by. If all else fails, talk to an allergist to see if they can recommend something that would be OK to take while breastfeeding.

1 mom found this helpful

Wow, what a friend. You must jump on this deal. If DH gets lax about keeping up with the cats, find a neighbor girl & pay them to brush & bathe the cats. Congrats on your new arrangement.

1 mom found this helpful

Tempting though it might be i'd let the offer go. You stated that you are "very" allergic to cats. What would you do if the allergy medicine was not enough to deal with constant bombardment your system would be dealing with?

1 mom found this helpful

I used to think I was mildly allergic to cats. I decided to get a cat, (stupid I know but I was living in a place where you couldn't have a dog, and i figured maybe it wouldn't be too bad).

Ended up on inhalers and oral medication bc i couldnt breath.

If you think it's a good idea, borrow one of her cats for a week and see how you do.

Good luck!

A bargain is a bargain only if it doesn't cost you more than you can pay. This is no bargain. When you have cat allergies one short haired can be negotiable but 6 cats. You will be lucky not to spend nights in the ER.
It won't be free if you develop asthma instead of being allergic.

Updated

A bargain is a bargain only if it doesn't cost you more than you can pay. This is no bargain. When you have cat allergies one short haired can be negotiable but 6 cats. You will be lucky not to spend nights in the ER.
It won't be free if you develop asthma instead of being allergic.

Updated

A bargain is a bargain only if it doesn't cost you more than you can pay. This is no bargain. When you have cat allergies one short haired can be negotiable but 6 cats. You will be lucky not to spend nights in the ER.
It won't be free if you develop asthma instead of being allergic.

A bargain is a bargain only if it doesn't cost you more than you can pay. This is no bargain. When you have cat allergies one short haired can be negotiable but 6 cats. You will be lucky not to spend nights in the ER.
It won't be free if you develop asthma instead of being allergic.
Now that I see you answer maybe your husband needs to reel in his spending. He's living in the USA now and needs to tone it down to deal with the economic realities here. Let him assimilate more.
I know the story I come from a family that became Americanized.
And you need to go to the ER and see somebody in anaphaltic shock from cat allergies.

I would say speak with your allergist and see what your options are. You don't seem at all concerned about your friend's animals or their generous offer, just free rent. That also might be a clue that you should find a place and pay your way.

Blessings...

If you say yes you would have daily contact, and weekly brushing. If they were outside cats and you just had to leave the food, I'd say okay. However, since they will be in the house and you will have to have physical contact for the brushing, I would have to pass on the offer.

Rent-free is an amazing offer, but you'd be miserable the whole time.

Hmm...definitely ask your doctor about it. It sounds like a great opportunity for your family if you can tolerate your allergy for that long. Would it be possible for your husband to take care of the brushing and you can take care of the feeding and the rest? If the cats spend most of their time in the attic or outside, you might be able to tolerate it for 10 months, and to me it sounds like it would be worth it financially for your family (especially if you're paying off credit card debt). Can you maybe spend the day there as a test and see how badly you react? I am also very allergic to cats, so I know how you feel; and I also have hay fever (and I have asthma) so for me, even going outside is allergy-central. It is annoying, but not unbearable.

How are your kids and allergies? You might want to spend the day at the house with them as well, just to see if they have any kind of reaction to the cats. Good luck; I hope it works out for you!