Yesterday, Grace blogged the role of the gracious host who welcomes guests into their pet friendly home. As the hyper-allergic guest, we appreciate her attention to detail. It's not unusual for those of us who are allergic to be the object of attention of those very pets we're trying to steer clear of. When your reactions to a friend's pet can make you physically ill, the challenge is balancing taking care of yourself without making your host feel uncomfortable...
- Don't expect that your allergy-free friends will understand that Fido's friendly lick of your face will cause a rash. Take care of yourself.
- Make your allergies known before you visit.
- Pick unupholstered or leather furniture to sit in over the lushy cushioned seating: it's less likely to hold pet hair and dander
- When possible, suggest sitting outside or taking a walk.
- Monitor your reaction. Leave before your symptoms become a challenge and stay half as long as you'd planned.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Carry your medication with you .
[image: Bringing up Baby, RKO 1938, directed by Howard Hawks]
Alexis' Modern Glass House 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Tom Black Espadrille
20 Scrumptious Brunch Recipes 
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (8)
"He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and likes dogs." I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them? Mark can be so vague at times...
cool photo!
great movie. thanks for the reminder elvedon:)
Went over to a friends house on the weekend, he has a cat and I am allergic and they sort of scare me... the way they jump out from under couches... ergh. The cat had a lizard cornered in the entry of the house and me being a soft heart (and a hater of cats who kill native wildlife) my friend thought it was hilarious as I tried to move the cat away from it's prey without touching it or getting close enough to think it would eat me. Blocking it's path with a cardboard box and a pool que. Eventually after laughing at me for a few minutes he grabbed the cat and I rescued the traumatised, yet uninjured lizard and free'd him outside. Sometimes the allergy/psuedo-phobia of cats can be a source of entertainment lol. The cat didn't like me much after I took away it's toy/food; fine by me.
What I hate about my allergic guests behavior is when they act like my much beloved cats are the devils spawn. They wrinkle their noses, shake their heads, make "yuck" noises, and even go so far as to lunge at my cats and make monster noises so they run away. That is extremely rude and completely thoughtless. Remember, you are a guest. You are just as welcome to leave as you are to stay. Do not express outright hatred for your hosts pets because you happen to be allergic to them. Just kindly let your host know you are allergic and ask if other arrangements can be made for the pets for the night. A simple "I'm so sorry, I love animals, but unfortunately I can't be around them. Is there any way the dog/kitty can be placed in another room for a little while?" It makes a great impression on the host if you can use the animals name too. "Can Shadow and Dakota hang out in the bedroom tonight? I would really appreciate it, and then I can stay longer!"
If you have medication...take it! You have no right to complain if you have allergy medication but choose not to take it before arriving. The host may feel embarrassed and guilty if you start rubbing your eyes, sniffling, complaining about how much you itch, then make a beeline for the door like the house is on fire. It might make them feel like a bad housekeeper, or like they are wrong for having pets in the house.
Like the author said, take care of yourself. Don't expect the host to go to great lengths to accomodate your allergy, don't make a big deal out of it, and don't say "I have to go, the cat is killing me" because it sounds like you are placing blame on the host for chasing you out.
Oh please. The "cat is killing me" is not placing blame on the owner, it's saying that YOU as a guest cannot handle the situation so you're leaving. You say in one breath that a guest should leave if they can't hack it and then criticize them for doing so in the next breath.
And if animals made you miserable, you WOULD make sure they didn't come near you. If they haven't harmed your animal, what on earth are you complaining about? And if they are trying to scare your pet away, take the darn hint and keep your animals away from the poor allergic person.
You'd think allergic people are being mean by feeling sick, for crying out loud.
As a pet lover with allergies, I recommend looking into OTC allergy medications. For a long time I didn't realize that a single allergy pill could make all my awful cat allergy symptoms go away! It really made visiting my ex-boyfriend's family (with 3 cats) a lot easier when I discovered this.
And as a pet host, you can always keep a few tabs of allergy pills at your apartment/house for guests!
I once dumped a really nice guy after he said he hated furry things. My husband is allergic to cats but he takes Claritin and that solves that. Besides, the cats were there first and if I had to choose between them and him back in the beginning, I would still be single. I would date him, but he couldn't come over....