Ellen and I have been seeing each other for a year now, and I’m very happy about that. I’m not going to talk about that so much, though.
![[Haru looking forlorn]](http://flyingsquirrel.ca/haru/haru.jpg)
[When Haru came to live with me](http://flyingsquirrel.ca/squirrel/archive.php?article=282) two years ago, it was kinda meant to be a temporary thing. I did kinda realize at the time, though, that when a cat comes to live with you, it’s generally not likely to leave.
And honestly, all things being equal, I would have been perfectly okay with that. He’s a minor burden in some ways: I have to get someone to come check up on him if I take off for more than a weekend, for example, but generally, it’s really nice to have someone to greet me at the door when I get home, and he’s gotten much more friendly and cuddly over the years. He needs a bit of attention and play time, but he’s not really that much trouble. If my life had carried on as it was, I don’t think I’d mind one bit having him around for the next ten to fifteen years.
But, as is often the case with these things, my life hasn’t carried on like that. That’s not at all a bad thing.
Ellen’s very allergic to cats. And other things too, of course, but if I ever want any chance of her being able to come in my house, there can’t be any traces of a cat having lived there. The fact that a cat *is* living here means that my house (which I really like, by the way) is totally off limits to her. She’s never been inside.
Now, I very much enjoy all the time I spend at her house, but it would be nice if she could come over and see me once in a while. It’s going to be a lot of work getting the house into a state where she *can* visit (and keeping it there as well), but I think it’s worthwhile to make the attempt. There’s no point in even *starting* any of that work while Haru still lives here.
So I have a problem. My ideal solution would be to find a friend for him to go and live with so I could go and visit him sometimes. I don’t know how likely that is. After that, it’s probably putting up “free to a good home” signs at work or possibly the Humane Society, which I’d prefer not to have to do.
I’ve been procrastinating on this for a while, because really, I’d rather not have to contemplate getting rid of the little guy. I’ve grown somewhat attached. He’s a sweet kitty with his own little personality. He’s affectionate and playful and just wants a little attention from time to time. He deserves a good home, and if I could, I would have liked to be the one to give it to him.
I’m just sorry I can’t.
Nothing against Ellen, but I’d keep the cat. Maybe you could offer to pay for allergy shots for her, or buy her a gas mask or something. Plus, maybe she just needs a little exposure–my roommate used to be much more allergic to cats, but after 7 years of living with one (and for awhile, two), she finds she is fine unless the kitty has contact with her bedding or clothing directly. Of course, neither of us are great housekeepers, and we do find that when we DO clean areas that have accumulated dust and fur she will still have an allergy attack. But, that’s what Claritin is for!
Anyway, I thought YOU were allergic to cats, too?
Well, I’m a kitty fanatic, have been since I was an infant. I would put a cat above a person pretty much without question. lol!
It’s a bit more complicated than that. “Allergic” isn’t entirely accurate, and a bit of an understatement.
I’ve got allergies, but cats aren’t one of them.
Part of what gets to me about this is that he isn’t actually my cat. I‘m not the one who made the “pets are for life” decision. I just offered to have him come live with me to alleviate certain tensions. But, like I said, I’d be happy to keep him if circumstances hadn’t changed.