* Yes,we got kitties.
* Yes, I am technically quite allergic to cats.
* No, we're not idiots, we did think this through.
* No, this does not necessarily mean I can be around other cats.
Now that this is out of the way :) We celebrated Christmas early this year. As in... the end of September! We have always all loved kitties. We'd always intended to someday have a cat or two. Then a couple of years ago I developed a pretty severe cat allergy. We thought we'd have to live the lives of people who watch cat videos online for the rest of their lives. *sad face*
Then... research to the rescue!!! Michael spent a great deal of time researching cats for people who are allergic to cats. How to choose a cat, how to manage allergies, etc. I then did my own plethora of research and we decided we were willing to give it a shot.
We chose our kittens from a local rescue group that fosters as many animals as possible. The kittens were about 6 months old when we got them and they had been living in the same foster with a family since they were 2 weeks old. No, we didn't get to have them during that super adorable period of the huge head and paws, but it also means that the kittens were well trained when we got them. (Meaning they use the litter box well, don't jump on the kitchen counter, don't try to go outside, etc.)
The kittens were a big surprise for our girls. We got all the things we needed to prepare for the kittens, and I wrapped it all up. Food, brush, litter box, even the kitty treats; everything was wrapped. None of the girls wanted to guess we were getting cats because they "knew" it was impossible. They were mostly kinda confused.
The next day we drove to Salt Lake to pick up the kittens.
And we brought them HOME!
The kitties are sisters from the same litter. Sierra is a tortie-point siamese and Ginger is a tortoiseshell. They are half-siamese so they're quite vocal, sleek, and clever.
Sierra's first move was to try to hide behind the dryer. When we didn't let her do that, she huddled on a chair under the kitchen table. And sat there most of the day.
Can't blame her considering the girls chased the kitties all over. They knew to be quiet and all, but they were just SO excited!
Ginger was very inquisitive and checked out the whole house. She has beautiful coloring!
Sierra kept sitting on the chair.
By that evening, though, she finally got comfortable and came down to play.
These girls love eachother! It cracks me up to watch "kitty jousting"; in the evening (when they're more playful) they hide at opposite ends of the hallway, the run at eachother -- leaping 3' in the air when they collide!
Once Sierra (or Sisi, as we often call her) got comfortable she has become a wonderful lap-kitty. In the afternoon she likes to curl up next to me and scold me until I start petting her. She also likes to sit on my computer. I admit it is obnoxious when she steps on the power button. She discovered Kitty TV -- also known as The Fish Tank. She spends hours stalking the fishies.
Ginger (aka Ginny) is more adventurous, but less social. She only rarely enjoys a cuddle (except when it comes to sleeping on top of my feet at night). Her favorite place to hang out is on Lizzie's loft bed. She's very playful with a stick or toy of any sort. (And in that top-right picture you can tell she disapproves of groceries). My favorite pose Ginny makes is when she stands up on her back legs with her front legs tucked up in front to see something across the room. She looks just like a prairie dog!
Also -- you can see each of the kitties has become curious about my camera lens :P
Both kitties are thoroughly brushed (not by me, and in a different room) most days. They get the occasional dousing with a "potion" that helps neutralize the protein that is the root of all cat allergies. And (much to their dismay) they get the occasional shower. I took daily allergy medicine for the first few weeks we had the kittens. I recently stopped taking it and I'm doing okay. I do have to be careful still, especially around my eyes (always the most sensitive spot in my allergies), but my body seems to be getting used to these cats.
We started with young, spayed, part-siamese females -- each point there leads to lower protein levels naturally. Most allergy sufferers who choose to keep cats anyway discover that they can tolerate their own cats over time. I am finding this to be true for us also. Thank goodness! It would be heartbreaking to have to give them up.
One of the major excuses to get cats is actually health related: cats can be very calming. And I am not the most internally calm person :P I have discovered that when I'm having a rough day, cuddling up with Sierra (and/or Ginger if she will deign to do such a thing) always helps. And besides, they're funny.
