To just buy a bloody cat & stop overthinking!

[SupSlick]

Okay, I had a cat when I was younger that lasted until she was 21. I miss having a cat around. She was a big part of my childhood.

DS has been around cats before & seems to handle them well. He whispers to them (?) & strokes them only if I say it's okay. He also is obsessed with cats. Completely obsessed. He carries a selection of cat teddies around every day & pretends their real.

We have a large house (for just the two of us) with a big garden, near a pond/wooded area, & huge playing fields. Only one main road which is on the other side of the fields.

Landlord is happy for me to get a cat. I can afford vet bills & insurance. Can take two weeks or so off work to settle the cat in. Wouldn't be out for too long in the day and have family close by that could check on the cat. Don't go on holidays as I'm terrified of flying.

Only thing stopping me is DS has asthma. It is controlled on a few different inhalers. I don't want to get a cat if potentially it could make my son ill. But then again there are cats such as bengals who have a pelt rather than fur so are more "hypoallergenic".

I am allergic to cats & also asthmatic but my childhood with a cat was such a valuable experience & I seemed to "get used" to my own cat.

DS has Pyriton for hay fever so could possibly use that?

I feel like a bad mother if I get him a cat! I just think having a pet is such a great experience. But I'm panicked with visions of my son having a serious asthma attack & having to give the cat away! That would be an awful situation a) because of all the unwanted pets around & b) giving DS a cat then taking it away again.

Why can't I just make a decision!

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

Get a Siberian Cat. They're hypoallergenic. I have four...

They're cute. And very loyal.

[Junosmum]

Go to a shelter and chat to them. A lot of shelters will do an 'adjustment period' where you could trial the cat with your sons asthma and if it doesn't work out the shelter would take them back..

Other than the asthma sounds like you are ready set for a feline friend.

FYI I love cats.

[Wolfiefan]

I have asthma and eczema. I am allergic to our new kittens.
Perhaps visit a rescue and see if he reacts. If you do go ahead the cat stays out of his room and wash hands after cuddling. Wet dust and Hoover frequently.
An older cat might be better. It wouldn't need you to take loads of time off work and it would be less likely to scratch your son.
Whereabouts in the country are you? People might suggest rescues.

[SecretSpy]

Asthma won't always be affected by cats, you sound in a great position to get one. Could you and DS petsit for someone to make sure he doesn't seem to react before you go ahead and get two kittens? Because you are getting two kittens, right?

[Wolfiefan]

Siberian cats aren't totally hyper allergenic. Some people are less allergic to them. It's no guarantee.

[Wolfiefan]

And how old is DS?

[SupSlick]

Ahhhh the cat photos are making me cat-broody! There's a shelter quite close to me so I think that's a brilliant idea to go and ask!

DS has quite a severe asthma attack when he was about a year old. He ended up in RESUS. Since then he has been more compliant with his medications, & happily takes his inhalers.

I'm wondering whether I'm trying to talk myself into doing this & it'll bite me in the arse!

[SupSlick]

DS is nearly 4 & spends about 10 hours a day pretending to be a cat. Worried if we get one he might actually use the litter tray

[Lolimax]

No allergies here but until I left exH I've always had cats. Then moved into rented where landlord wouldn't let me.
Now in my own house, first thing we did was to adopt 2 rescue kittens. They are only 7 months old now (were tiny wee things when we had them!) and are the size of small dogs. I absolutely adore my boys. Go for it. Meet Murphy and tetley.

[LBOCS2]

FWIW, my DH comes out badly with fine kitten fur but not so much with adult cats - might be worth considering too :)

[flirtygirl]

Talk yourself out of it, never put a pet before health.

[Wolfiefan]

At nearly 4 I wouldn't get a kitten (or two). They are scratchy and loony!
Do you have friends with cats or could you foster? You will soon know if he's allergic. Or spend time at the rescue "meeting the cats". It would be awful to get a cat and have to return it.

[SupSlick]

See that's my thinking too! I'm totally torn.

Next door moved & left their fluff ball of a cat behind. We set up a blanket in a little wooden box in the garden & put waterproof material on the wooden house (we even put a pretend chimney & house number on it - yes I need a life)

We fed it for a few weeks before I took it to the shelter as I was sure they weren't coming back for it. DS was fine with it when it sneakily found its way through open windows. But I know having a cat live here might be an entirely different ball game. Argh!

[bonzo77]

Research one of those hairless ones. Or the curly ones. Devon Rex. They might be better for allergies.

[BoxofSnails]

Do it! Talk to your local rescue, you may have to wait and compromise. We have a short hair/ Rex mix -the Rex is relevant as they are hypoallergenic -short hair but very cuddly and climb on your body and shoulders given a chance. I wanted 2 but our lovely girl just wanted us. We did a foster-one adopt-one agreement with our local RSPCA and sadly the other lovely cat had to return. But we've got the right cat for us. Like I said - compromise is necessary, but ok.

[isseywithcats]

by the way every one its not the fur that anyone is allergic to, cats clean themselves by licking their fur and some cats have an enzyme in their saliva that some people are sensitive to, i have four cats and react to one of them but not the other three, there are wipes that you can buy called petal wipes that you can wipe the cat over with which reduces the saliva load and dont harm the cat, daily hoovering , wiping surfaces that the cat has been on, not letting cats sleep in human beds, are all things that can help keep down the allergens and yes go to a rescue centre speak to them and if you see a cat or kitten you like spend at least half an hour with the cat, the rescue staff shouldnt mind and this will give you an indication if the cat is a reactive or non reactive cat

[lalalalyra]

He might be fine, but you need to find a way for him to spend some time around cats before you rehome one.

Maybe speak to a local shelter? Our local shelter encourages people wh can't have cats or who are thinking about it to come for a pet 'n' play session.

I have bad asthma, but in fine with our cats so there isn't always a negative effect.

[PageStillNotFound404]

Like you OP I have asthma and am allergic to strange cats - including our current and previous cats when we first got them. I build up a tolerance over a few weeks/couple of months, I just have to make sure I never run out of inhalers and accept I'll have to take my reliever a couple of extra times a day initially. Also like a PP's DH, I'm worse with kitten fluff than adult cat hair.

If you did decide to go ahead with a "trial", if you have a local rescue that is amenable to that, be aware that it would potentially have to be for several weeks to get a true picture of how your DS's allergy might respond - and that's a long time for a small person to bond with a cat that might end up having to go back after it's just started to get settled.

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

My tattoo artist has a hairless cat.

Poor sod is always freezing and she has to waste time asking people's grannies to knit little cat sized jumpers.

Fur is necessary.

[queenoftheworld93]

There are definitely things you can do to reduce the chance of an asthma attack! Hoovering daily is a big help. I think you should try it... But I'm biased. My (2 year old) baby fluffball is asleep on my knee right now 💕

[SupSlick]

I'm so tempted. The rational part of me is saying, wait a year, see if he grows out of his asthma, get IgG testing for allergies to cats, gradual introduction to cats through shelters & friends & cat sitting....

The other part of me just wants to see his little face when he has a cat of his own!

[Wolpertinger]

Not everyone with asthma is allergic to cats. However if your son is, then getting rid of the cat will be a nightmare for both of you.

Why not spend a lot of time around cats, see how it affects his asthma and then if OK just go ahead.

[exWifebeginsat40]

my black and orange kitten doesn't shed at all. she's sleek like an otter!

and my older cat is actually happier now she has some company. get 2 kittens.

[exWifebeginsat40]

kingjoffrey is your tattooist in Essex?

[GrumpyMummy123]

We got two 1 year old cats from a shelter. Although it'd have been lovely to get kittens it seemed more sensible to get older ones as we'd just finished renovating our house and wanted to minimise damage by our new house companions! Settled in really quickly.

We don't have allergies or asthma but do keep doors shut to keep them out the bedrooms. As much as I love them I don't want to share my pillow with them. We also try and shut them in the kitchen/ diner overnight and out of the lounge to minimise fluff on the sofa as they sleep on the back cushions right at nose height!

My DS is 2 and loves the cats. He does shout at them and chase them a bit but they are quicker than him and better at hiding! He's slowly getting better at being gentle. I think you're right that a cat can teach a child a lot about being caring and thoughtful to another being.

Good luck and I agree with other people that going to chat with a cat shelter and meeting a few cats sounds an excellent idea.