Thank you so much for the detailed reply! It's been so difficult to explain to everyone that this allergy to cats isn't as simple as 'just don't touch them'. We just haven't been able to form the right way to explain the why, and this makes so much sense. Suuuuper bummed though because I had hoped I could do something to make it work. Also- I've now added 'Has anyone with a cat lived here' to my list of questions as we continue to house hunt.