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!