Discussions

We have a very sweet, loving seven year old cat. For the first four years we had him everything was going great (minus a month of very destructive behavior that resulted in new carpet and sofas for us and declawing for him) until I got pregnant with my second child four years ago and I developed allergies to him. When my daughter was born we soon discovered that she too is allergic. We have coped with that for three years (and it's been a struggle) but now her allergies are getting more and more severe. She is getting chronic infections from her tear ducts being plugged and her ears are about 50% blocked. Her speech is also affected. We have tried everything we can to help her (HEPA filters, saline spray and a trial of medication as well as baths for the cat, changes in litter and food, etc.) but it has become apparent about a year ago that with her chronic problems we can't have the cat in our house and that we need to find him a new home, as much as it is breaking our hearts.  
 
As we were making that decision we had another child which seemed to trigger stress urinary incontinence in our cat (diagnosed by our vet – otherwise he is healthy as a horse). We have now tried litter box attractant and pheromone diffusers to help with his stress, but it hasn’t worked. He also refuses to take medication for it (the last time he freaked out so badly that it led to another stress incident, and he’ll go on hunger strikes rather than eat food with it hidden in it). The shelter refuses to take him back because he has behavioural issues, but the vet says that in another home it is very unlikely that he would have these problems. No one we talk to wants to take a chance on him, and we’re at the end of our rope with the allergies and the peeing. It doesn’t seem like he’s considered to be adoptable, but I just can’t bear to think of him being put down for his urination issues coupled with our allergy issues if they wouldn’t happen if he was in another home.  
 
Can anyone offer any suggestions or help or know of someone who would be willing to take a chance on him?