The Huffington Post says you can have a pet even if you’re allergic to them. It’s just a matter of:
- Cleaning more often.
- Using pet-free zones.
- Taking more drugs.
None of these are great options. Likely a list developed by someone who does not have much, or any, allergies. A pet-free zone in your house does not help when you usually share the house and facilities like laundry. Clean more often… pretty much the same issue. Pet hair has little fine, pin hairs which get into everything. As for taking more drugs… NO! Thank you.
Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the U.S. and approximately half of all Americans test positive for at least one of the 10 most common allergens, including cat allergies, according to a profile from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) reports that about 15-30 percent of people with allergies have allergic reactions to cats and dogs. With more than 100 million pets in the United States this leads to high allergy morbidity as people are exposed to animal allergens when visiting friends and family or even in public spaces like schools and offices.
Source: How to Live With a Pet Allergy Without Getting Rid of Your Pet
There is another option which the people at the Huffington Post missed. Maybe they’ve been taking too many allergy pills.
Try a pet which does not cause allergies.
There are even fluffy pet options.
- Allergy & Air – The Best Pets for Allergy Sufferers
- Mother Nature Network – 10 of the best pets for allergy sufferers
- Health – 15 Hypoallergenic Dogs and Cats
If even the hypoallergenic pets give you allergies consider an unusual pet, less fluffy. Snakes, lizards, turtles and fish are not for everyone so consider a pet which won’t cause allergies and needs very little care, like a pet rock. Just a little dusting or a run through the dishwasher… what other pet can you do that with?
In the end, how do you live with a pet allergy without getting rid of your pet? …
- Give it to someone else and visit now and then.
- Buy a second home for your pet to live in.
- Or the even less popular option, taxidermy.
- Or, you could just take all those drugs and hope your pet doesn’t out live you.