Vivre avec ma sœur et son petit ami a été une expérience remarquablement harmonieuse au cours de l'année dernière. Nous partageons les dépenses équitablement et profitons d'une dynamique amicale et respectueuse, passant souvent du temps ensemble sur des projets créatifs ou des sorties. Cependant, dernièrement, je me sens seul et j'ai le sentiment de manquer la compagnie d'un animal de compagnie, surtout après avoir grandi entouré d'animaux sur une ferme. Le chat actuel de mes parents, un félin noir à longue fourrure distinctif, occupe une place spéciale dans mon cœur, et avec un emploi stable et un appartement spacieux, l'idée d'avoir mon propre chat est devenue attrayante.
Le principal obstacle est que ma sœur et son petit ami sont allergiques aux chats, avec des réactions particulièrement sévères chez lui. J'ai proposé une solution : adopter un chaton Sibérien hypoallergénique, couvrir tous les coûts initiaux y compris la stérilisation ou la castration, et partager les dépenses continues comme la nourriture et la litière en trois. Ils ont initialement accepté, et j'ai procédé à un acompte non remboursable de 200 dollars et commandé 500 dollars de fournitures, que ma sœur a même proposé de m'aider à payer. Pour tester le problème d'allergie, nous avons essayé des poils de chat d'un éleveur, ce qui a provoqué une quinte de toux et des yeux larmoyants chez le petit ami de ma sœur, bien que moins sévèrement qu'à l'habitude. J'ai ensuite suggéré un traitement médical qui a réussi à guérir les allergies de ma mère, en proposant de partager les 195 dollars de coût et un trajet de deux heures jusqu'au médecin. Ils ont refusé, citant l'inconfort, et ont depuis changé d'avis concernant l'adoption d'un chat. Cela m'a profondément déçu, ayant investi financièrement et émotionnellement dans un projet qu'ils avaient auparavant soutenu.
Consider getting a reptile or a bird. Cockatiels, for example, are very social with humans. They can be affectionate, mimic your whistles, and some males even learn to speak a few words. This could be a great pet option for you.
I’m not a fan of caged birds, and reptiles aren’t really my thing either. My sister suggested a rat, but that feels more like a joke than a serious option. Perhaps a hamster or something similar could work, though I’m not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the idea right now. Still, I appreciate the suggestions.
This was a bad idea from the start. If he has severe cat allergies, he shouldn’t be living with a cat he didn’t want. Expecting him to see a questionable allergy doctor, pay any amount, and give up his time just because you want a cat is unreasonable.
If you want a cat that badly, the better solution is for you to move out. It’s unfortunate that you already bought all the cat supplies, but this was a poorly thought out plan.
There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. People with cat allergies react to the Fel d 1 protein in cat saliva, and even hairless cats groom themselves and can cause allergic reactions.
You rushed into insisting that the cat costs be split three ways and spending a significant amount of money when your roommates don’t actually want a cat. A better approach would have been to try changing your parents’ cat’s diet to Purina LiveClear for a month. This food contains egg yolks from chickens raised around cats, which produces a protein that binds to and neutralizes the Fel d 1 allergen. After that, you could have taken your sister and her boyfriend to visit the cat to see if their reactions improved.
If your parents don’t live nearby, you could test their sensitivity with any cat currently on the LiveClear diet. For example, my daughter-in-law is allergic but no longer reacts to my cat when she visits—she doesn’t cuddle the cat, but she can be in the same room without discomfort.
By making these demands, you are disregarding your sister’s and her boyfriend’s bodily and financial autonomy.
It sounds like you might be overlooking something: the cat hair he reacted to isn’t from the breed you’re planning to get. There are other hypoallergenic breeds you could consider. I’d suggest trying to arrange with the breeder to return the cat for a refund if your boyfriend can’t tolerate a cat that’s advertised as hypoallergenic.
Perhaps the breeder would refund us if we visit the litter in person and he has an allergic reaction.
You could suggest a compromise: keep the cat confined to your room, cover all related expenses, and agree to move out if the arrangement doesn’t work.
Will the cat be okay if it never leaves my room?
If you provide plenty of enrichment, the cat should be fine. Since you’ve already bought $500 in cat supplies from Amazon, you likely have many good enrichment items. I have two cats that live in my room, and one thing I did was attach a large piece of carpet to one wall to give them an extra climbing spot. When one of my cats was young, he used to run up the wall and backflip onto my bed. He’s a senior now, so those days are over.