Worth her weight in gold

A couple of weeks ago, I finally gave in and took our cat to the dermatologist. Since we moved to California in 1999, she's been getting itchier and scratchier. At times, it's gotten so bad that she has licked herself raw. We resisted going to see the dermatologist (Taking our pet to a specialist felt somewhat... extravagant) and tried a variety of treatments: cortisone pills, over-the-counter sprays, hypoallergenic food. But nothing helped.

So the cat's ($250) bloodwork came back today. Turns out, she is allergic to certain things in the air. Here's the list:

Molds:
Aspergillus
Alternaria
Rhizopus
Stemphylium
Cladosporium
Mucor
Aureobasidium

Weeds:
none

Trees:
Cypress
Redwood
Eucalyptus

Grasses:
Bermuda
Rye
Fescue
Red Top

Insects:
Mosquito
Housefly
Cockroach

House Dust Mites:
None

Epidermals
Human Dander

Yep, human dander. That last one threw us too. Our cat is allergic to US. For those who don't know, Wikipedia defines dander as: the excess from the coat, including scales of dried skin and hair, or feathers of various animals. It is often of an allergenic nature. It is similar to dandruff.

"Does she ever lick you or sleep in bed with you?" The vet dermatologist asked.

Uh... our cat LOVES to lick us. And forget sleeping in bed with us... she'd sleep on our faces if she could.

So here are our choices:

1. Allergy shots = poor people + happy, fuzzy cat
2. No allergy shots = thicker wallets + bald cat
3. Cat gets her own apartment = no human dander + homeless people
4. Move away from California = no Cypress, Redwood or Eucalyptus pollen + unemployment
5. Seal cat in plastic bubble = no allergies + very bored cat

So I guess we'll be giving her the allergy shots once a month. Doesn't she just look thrilled?


By the way, she's only 6.5 pounds. The way our vet bills are trending this month, that's about $100 per pound. More expensive than Kobe beef but still cheaper than most street drugs, I suppose.