Cats allergic to us?

I found a Reuters story on MSNBC that may explain why one of my Siamese cats wheezes sometimes even though my vet dismisses it as nothing: Cats may be allergic to humans or at least some of the stuff we expose them to like dust and cigarette smoke. We don't smoke, but maybe she's just allergic to us!

I can see veterinarians scrabbling to expand their industry now: Allergy tests for cats, allergy shots, allergy meds. Then, of course, cats would need special bedding and toys that are hypoallergenic and can be washed with special hypoallergenic soap. And naturally there should be special anti-dandruff shampoo for the humans in their lives and an anti-smoking campaign that asks people to quit smoking to protect the health of their pets. And I wouldn't be surprised if they find that certain cat litters are to blame for the allergies too.

Mmmm...well, for you entereprising souls out there, this may be the start of a whole new niche in the pet care market for products and services to be created. Get busy, make some money and help my Chloe kitty and others breathe easy!

An indoor cat is a safe cat

Looking over the news about cats can be really depressing because a huge percentage of stories are about cats being hurt. There's apparently a certain segment of the population who truly, inexplicably enjoys hurting, torturing and killing cats, including a few sociopathic boys in Liverpool who recently found it so amusing to have their dog tear apart a little girl's cat that they took video of it on a cell phone while laughing. And as upset as I am about this behavior, I'm just as upset by owners who think it's OK to let their cats roam the neighborhood freely knowing that all manner of dangers lurk outside waiting for them. If this cat had been kept indoors it would still be alive. Period. End of story. And, no, I don't want to hear about how unfair you think it is to keep cats locked up inside. If you want to let your cat out, modify the fence in your backyard or build an enclosure so they can hang out there without getting loose or get a leash and take your cat for a walk. They even have cat strollers, for pity's sake! The point is outdoor cats, even if they avoid crazy people, have to avoid cars, dogs, coyotes, cat fights, gopher poison, and the list goes on.

We have rescued two strays from our neighborhood in the last two weeks alone. (The pictures here are of them.) Both of them were obviously indoor cats at some point then put outside. One of them was a neutered declawed adult and lucky to have survived an attack by a dog or coyote. (The vet bill was about $300!) We found him a good home, then turned around and found a lost or abandoned kitten. The bottom line is that indoor cats live about 15 years, while outdoor cats if they are lucky live about 5 years. You do the math, and tell me if your cat's worth keeping around longer. Oh, well, I'm probably preaching to the choir. I'll get off my soap box now.