Meoooowwww

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Meoooowwww

                I can’t remember how many times my doctor has told me, “Get rid of those cats; you won’t get sick anymore!”  Despite my allergy to cats, my family owns two cats, both of which shed incredible amounts of hair all over the house, often making my life miserable.  For this reason, we must keep the door to my room closed at all times, because if they get on my bed, I’m a few hours of sleep away from a sinus infection.  Any time we forget and leave the door open, they luxuriate on my bed, rolling around with hair flying through the air. 

                The thing about pet allergies is that people aren’t allergic to the pets’ fur, but rather are allergic to their saliva.  However, since cats bathe by licking themselves all over their body, their saliva therefore gets all over their hair, which falls out and gives people allergies.  One way to take care of this problem would be to give the cats baths every few days, but after my mom did went through that experience many years ago, we have decided that it’s just not worth it.  I can just live with having some pretty nasty allergy problems once in a while.  When the cats get into my room, we just change the sheets, and this happens more often than a normal person would normally change their sheets. 

                Anyway, the reason I keep my cats despite being allergic to them is because they are comforting little animals; little friends.  They feel like they are a part of our family, and they respond to their name by meowing and getting all excited.  When I’m stressed out with schoolwork or whatever, they come by me and start purring.  I think they can tell our feelings by the smells we give off.  It’s similar to the ‘fear scent’ that they can pick up from each other.  I also prefer cats over dogs, partially because they are fastidious enough to go to the bathroom in a litter box, as opposed to dogs, which you must walk and then pick up their poop. 

                I think pets are a healthy addition to any family, because they are generally more beneficial than detrimental.  They provide a source of exercise, and are very soothing in times of discomfort.  Even in families with pet allergies, I would sometimes still recommend having pets because of the many advantages they bring.