(this node was originally entitled "ha ha you are allergic to me so i will love you" before an editor decided it was "a bad heading" and renamed my node. Then someone recreated the old title as a nodeshell and it was filled wonderfully by CrowJane. La la)
Contrary to popular opinion and urban myth, cats will not congregate around people who are allergic to them any more so that people who are not allergic to cats. People who are not allergic to cats usually don't mind cats (unless you're one of the ones who as a child was attacked by the marauding herd of feral cats) so the approach of a feline will be met with "Aw, a cat. How cute" or outright indifference. People who are allergic to cats usually watch the approach of a cat with something tantamount to dread. The allergic will eye the room and every move that a cat makes, just in case the cat would want to jump on a lap to lick noses. Being more aware of a cat, it would seem that the animal is spending an inordinate amount of time staring at and stalking the allergic person.
Toby, a cat I know, liked to make me have an allergic reaction. The first few times this happened, I thought not much of it (especially because I wasn't in his apartment for too long). The third time, I had an asthma attack and was up all night. During that night, I spent a long time on the internet looking up information on allergies and feeling sorry for myself. The next day, when I was once again able to breathe, I took a few minutes to think about the cat and my watching the cat and everything seemed to make more sense.
Sometimes, though, I still think Toby is watching me and waiting for a chance to come and shake his kitty-dander into my sinuses.
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