“it’s the dander!”

really, mom?
So, I’m allergic to all cats and all dogs are safe?

WRONG.

I have cats. I love my cats. I have met dogs later in life that have gotten to me worse than any cat, creating hives and wheezing and sneezing.

I’m very much allergic to several of my guinea pigs.

I live with several animals here. I like to find patterns in life and one thing I noticed that is true for my allergic reactions is coat type. Shorter hair that doesn’t ever need cut, tighter coats, coarser hair… there are a huge pain for me. I wonder how many other people get this way. Tonight I was grooming up on my Abyssinian guinea pig and I can’t stop itching afterwards. Crunchy has a stiffer coat that never needs clipped and grows in rosettes. My American guinea has a very tight, smooth coat that never needs clipped and makes me itch. I don’t have any issues with my abyruvian, a cross between the long flowing coat of a peruvian that has the bangs swept over the face and an abyssinian. She gets hair cuts. My coronet; long flowing coat of hair that has a crest (cowlick) on her forehead. She gets hair cuts. I don’t itch.

Pit bulls, boxers, bull dogs, dachshunds… ItCH ITCH ITCH.
I grew up with a corgie mix that had longer hair. No problem. Pembroke welsh? ITCH ITCh iTCH. There was also a pekingese and a border collie/corgie mix. No itching. They had a coat that grew in length.

I don’t really know but I’m sure there is something nerdy going on here.

Misconception: Hairless=Hypoallergenic
I have a hairless guinea pig and 3 hairless rats. Their nails always make me itch and give me hives. I love the look of a sphynx cat but if I ever paid the bankroll to get one, i’m sure it would end badly.