The Fur Buddy
Romeo 2010
First day with us 2010
So the story goes that when my niece was diagnosed with asthma, at about a year and a half old, Banjo our beloved cat was about 4. We discovered infant Lori one day, moments after hanging out with the cat, with mucus pouring out of every visible orifice - mouth, nose, eyes - it was truly frightening, and she had to be hospitalized for awhile to have this allergy and ultimately asthma diagnosed and her meds set. Back at home, I was stuck with a dilemma. Banjo was a much adored member of our family. I had had her since she adopted us when she was a little kitten, and I just couldn't bring myself to give her up. She was my baby before I had a baby! But keeping Banjo meant I couldn't have my extended family over for family dinners and celebrations. Much to my mother's chagrin, I chose the cat, and we had family meals at my parent's house. After about 4 or 5 years, we (my daughter and I) were devastated when Banjo died (cancer), but I had been preparing for the moment, so I was also relieved. I resolved that I would do what I needed to make the house safe for Lori so I could have her and everyone in my family over my house once again.
I read everything I could about getting rid of cat dander to make the house safe for my niece. What I discovered was that it was not so much the dander, but the chemicals in the cat saliva that people tend to react to. Some of the literature I read also indicated that after about a year, the chemicals in the saliva are broken down well enough that they will be less likely to cause an allergic reaction. So, a year after Banjo died, my husband and I rented a steam vacuum, and cleaned the carpet, all the rugs and upholstered furniture. We also washed all our blankets and vacuumed the air ducts. It was summer, so I opened all the windows in the house, aired it out, and invited my asthmatic brother (Lori's dad) to be a guinea pig and come over to watch a baseball game. His threshold for managing the cat when she was alive had been about 30 minutes, after which he had to take Albuterol in order to breathe. I figured if he could tolerate my newly detoxified home his daughter might have a chance to do the same. The good news was that even after sitting through a 3 hour Indians game (where granted, breathing can be difficult, but for reasons other than animal allergens) he did not need his meds and wasn't wheezing a bit. I was thrilled, and after a few short visits just to check it out, my niece was able to come over and breathe at my house without difficulty.
Romeo 2011
But, of course, it's life, so, while I gained a niece, I also gained a grumpy daughter. She, now the lonely, only child of two old people, was not allowed to have a pet. Well, strictly speaking that's not true. We had a series of goldfish as well as 2 anoles, which is a kind of a lizard, who followed Abby home from school one year. We had to purchase live crickets for the anoles to eat, which initially was cute, and then got old really quickly. We had frogs that came home the same way from school. Those just disintegrated almost immediately and stunk up the whole house. For 2 years, we also had a sweet hamster (ugh can't believe I'm using that word to describe a rodent) called Flower (named after Flower the meercat, the matriarch of Meercat Manor fame) who lived in a tank with a series of tunnels and balls and running wheels. It was a sad day when she died. Of course there was also Sparky, the squirrel that chewed it's way through the flashing under our roof (not once, not twice but three times) and bounded about in the eves for awhile before we patched up his access hole (not once, not twice, but three times).
Flower the hamster 2009
But none of these satisfied Abby who longed for a little furry thing to hold and love, and that would love her back. The hamster was cute, but limited. So, finally, after years of just saying "no," I considered that my niece was older, had a better tolerance for animals and could visit other homes with furry animals, so I relented and said we would consider getting a furry pet again. At first, Abby decided that a hairless cat would be just peachy. However, hairless cats cost about $1,000 and so...yeah, no. Cats are also way too allergenic for too many of my family members and friends, and remember, it's more the saliva and less the dander that causes the allergic reactions. So, while I love cats too, we switched to the wide world of canines. I investigated "hypoallergenic" dogs and discovered there really is no such thing, only animals that are less likely to evoke an allergic reaction. After more investigating, we learned that some dogs have fur and others have hair, and the dogs with hair are apparently less likely to evoke an allergic reaction than those with fur. So, we started a hunt for a hypoallergenic "hairy" dog. It had to be small because we don't have a back yard for the dog to run around in, and I wanted a more compact animal that would be a bit easier to care for. We also wanted to avoid animals that are "high maintenance" and animals that look like an accessory rather than a dog.
Romeo 2010
We also had to decide if we would get a puppy or a rescue dog. The obvious advantage of purchasing a puppy was that we could be sure of the breed that we were getting, and since we wanted/needed specific breeds to try to insure that the dog would be hypoallergenic, that was important. But I didn't want to spend the money, didn't want to deal with puppy training, and I really wanted a rescue dog! So, the search proceeded slowly for a hairy rescue dog.
We visited many dog websites, where we educated ourselves about dog breeds, the costs of each, the general characteristics of the different breeds, and the dogs available from rescue groups and shelters. We filled out forms and provided personal references to vouch for us as "dog worthy" people.
In the end, we lucked out and found Romeo at a rescue shelter. Despite having no papers, it was pretty obvious he was a miniature poodle. Poodles have hair, not fur, and so are on the hypoallergenic list. He was about 4 or 5 years old at the time and bizarrely, enough (given what an excellent dog he is) he had landed at a high kill shelter. Luckily, the shelter saw what a great guy he was and sent him to the local animal rescue; we were there at the right time and place and were able to get him.
Romeo - who came with that name - is truly a little lover of a dog. Well, not so much a lover of other dogs, but a lover of people. He is a bundle of lively energy who is excited to do whatever. He loves to play, he loves to learn tricks, he loves to walk and he loves to kiss Abby when she comes home from school. She is nuts about him and he is nuts about her. He's been an amazing addition to our home.
Abby and Romeo 2011
Lori and Romeo 2010
The author and poetess May Sarton wrote a book called The Fur Person about her cat Tom Jones who deigned to evolve from independent street cat, to a committed cat member of a peopled household. I love Sarton's descriptions of her cat, elevated to Fur Person, and who received visitors to his household with aplomb. Romeo isn't so highly aired as May Sarton's cat, but like Fielding's Tom Jones, he is liberal with his affection. He greets all visitors with puffy tail wags and unbridled excitement all while hopping on his back legs.
So, (at long last), while Romeo is actually a "hairy" hypoallergenic critter, I prefer to think of him as a happy, smart, and loving "fur buddy" who brings limitless amounts of joy to everyone in our family.
Romeo 2011
On vacation at Olgebay, WV 2011
