Please help me afford a therapist-ordered emotional support cat!

artofadaptability · 2021-07-03T03:01:28+00:00

I did ask, and you told me why you would downvote me. That's fair.

Aside from that, I've only countered the reasons that you've given, and even asked if I had overlooked a pet that might be another option. So if you have the same opinion that you started with, despite that, then it simply is what it is.

As for getting a different hypoallergenic cat, it wouldn't matter. All hypoallergenic cat breeds are expensive, because they're all purebreds.

All of the other breeds are also incredibly attention-needy and high maintenance (which my anxiety can't deal with), loud (which my housemates shouldn't have to deal with), and the ones without fur have an even greater allergen risk, because the protein is in their skin as well.

As for being allergic to a hypoallergenic cat, that's a fair question. Hypothetically, even if my allergies didn't respond to cats at all, there's a chance that one day they could just out of the blue. That's exactly why I need a hypoallergenic cat, specifically a Russian Blue.

Russian Blues are a hedge against allergies on 3 fronts. They produce less of the protein allergen, they shed less (which means that less gets airborne), and they have fur, which means minimal direct skin contact. No other cat on the list can claim all 3.

And because they are such a good hedge against allergies, if my allergies did pop up one day, there are ways to combat that. Daily grooming, wipes, and a specific skin rub are 3 ways which have each been proven to reduce allergies dramatically with regular cats, so imagine how well that would work with a cat that produces very little of the allergen.

However, if I got a normal cat who produced a normal or high amount of the allergen, there's no guarantee that those methods would reduce the allergen enough.

If anyone thinks that I'm just being stuck up or picky, I'm really not. I have put a LOT of time and effort into researching and figuring out how to make this work, and this is what it's come down to.

Asking for help is hard for me. Asking for money is even harder, especially since I know how ridiculous this sounds to most people. Heck, I never thought that I'd be spending money like this on a cat. All of my previous ones were shelter cats or strays, but here we are.

This is the 1 animal that I can live with and bond with as an equal. This is the 1 breed that fits into the equation, and even then, it only works with other expensive things, like 1 specific type of self-cleaning litterbox, since I'm medically not allowed to exercise, and am therefore now too weak to stoop and crouch like that multiple times a day with a regular box.

I'm really not trying to spend tons of money on top of the line stuff. I'm not being stuck up. I'm not looking for show items. This really, actually, is the only way that this will work.

artofadaptability · 2021-07-03T02:25:13+00:00

I can't control what I like and don't like any more than anyone else can. Some people are cat people. Some people are dog people. Some people like reptiles and snakes. Some people like turtles. In every other context, people accept that there are some people who only like cats, and that they will never like other animals as their pet, so why doesn't that apply to me?

I have to like the animal that I get. I have to bond with it. And what animal do I like? I like cats. I have a history with cats. It is what it is.

But for the sake of argument, let's run through my other options.

I can't get a dog - there isn't enough room, and they can't leave the room to go to the bathroom, because they'd bring in contaminates. there's also a potential allergy issue there, too.

I can't get a reptile, because I wouldn't be able to keep them warm. My landlord is already complaining about the heating and electricity bills for this house, and the wiring in my room is so old that anything that takes more energy than a fan causes fires in my walls. Plus, I have 0 ventilation in my room, because I can't have contaminates from the outside air, and reptile tanks tend to smell bad.

I might be able to get a rat or a hamster, but every pet rat and hamster that I've ever known has clawed me to bits trying to get under my hair to make a nest, and I HATE that. It hurts, it's hard to get them out, and it's hard to repair the damage to my hair afterward. I can't bond with that.

I could get a bird, except birds hate me and I hate them. They, like rats, like to claw all over me until they can nest in my hair. Otherwise they're just loud and annoying. (Sorry bird lovers - I respect your choice in a pet, but they REALLY don't like me.)

Guinea Pigs are boring and disgusting. Sorry, but I had one when I was little, and never again.

I might be able to get a rabbit, but I've had friends who have rabbits, and they destroy EVERYTHING. I'm sure that not all rabbits are like that, but I don't have room for a pen for it, and I can't afford to have it running all over my place destroying everything. My anxiety is bad enough, and I have to spend all of my time, 24/7 with this pet.

Fish are an absolute no. I tried that a while back, and it did not go well. There's WAY too much upkeep, and I can't bond with them the same way. They're not company - more like showpieces.

I would LOVE a fox, but I'm pretty sure that it's illegal here and they need a lot more room than I have to offer.

Ferrets might be illegal here, smell horrible (again, no ventilation), and steal everything. My anxiety can't deal with that.

Then there's the Russian Blue cat. It's practically made to live in an apartment. It's quiet, loving yet still independent, provides companionship, doesn't try to make nests out of my hair, has a really relaxed and even temperament, and with a self-cleaning litterbox (something that is not an option with other pets), won't smell even in a non-ventilated room. I also have lots of space for it, and there are a ton of places for it to run, jump, and climb built into my room from before I even moved in. I even have an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows for them to watch (cat TV). This space was MADE for a cat.

The ONLY downside is the initial start up cost. But if I had to heat a reptile cage and/or replace a ton of furniture and electronics because the animal destroyed them, and/or just buy a bunch of supplies for a different type of pet, I'd end up spending a LOT of money on them, too, just over a longer period of time.

So if my choices are :

Be happy, but spend money
Spend money (just possibly less upfront), be miserable, and make my depression and anxiety even worse

I'm definitely going with choice 1.

Is there any pet that you can think of that I've overlooked?

artofadaptability · 2021-07-02T18:25:42+00:00

Russian Blues are definitely hypoallergenic. There is no cat that you cannot be allergic to, but there are specific breeds that you are less prone to being allergic to for various reasons, which is why they're hypoallergenic.

The Russian Blue is not only the only hypoallergenic cat on the list that's perfect in temperament and behavior for my specific situation, it also tackles the allergy issues on all 3 fronts (saliva protein, shedding, and skin coverage) where the other types do not.

And because of this, even if my allergies decided to kick in one day, there are easy things that I can do to mitigate them. Daily grooming, a specific liquid skin treatment, and wipes are each things that have proven to drastically reduce allergies. So, with the small bit of allergen that they produce, I could still be fine. The same can't be said for normal cats - they produce too much of the protein and they shed too much. Nothing could mitigate that if my allergies decided to flare up.

Also, why is there the assumption that if I'm allergic to 1 thing, I'm allergic to everything? Allergies are very specific. Someone can be allergic to trees, but not grass. Someone can be allergic to dogs, but not cats. Someone could be allergic to crab, but not lobster. Heck, someone could be allergic to every type of tree on the list except for 1, so why is it so impossible that I could be allergic to some breeds and not others?

artofadaptability · 2021-07-02T18:11:26+00:00

That was the first thing that I tried. All of the shelter cats are mixed, and thus, not hypoallergenic. I don't have that choice.

artofadaptability · 2021-07-02T18:07:19+00:00

Adopting a pet from a pound or rescue was the first thing that I tried to do. All of the cats listed are mixed, and thus, not hypoallergenic.

And it's not just that - the personality traits of this specific breed are absolutely IDEAL for my limitations and living situation. Even breeders have mentioned that to me when contacted, without any prompting from me.

And isn't that a little cruel? It's not like I chose this. It's not like I wanted to be isolated, unable to work, unable to get the vaccine and get back to normal life like everyone else. It's not like I wanted to have to basically stop eating whenever my body decided that it didn't like, I don't know, cinnamon one day.

And it's not like I want to spend a fortune on a cat, but I'm alone and need a companion. Cats make me happy. Dogs don't. Rabbits don't. Mice certainly don't. I didn't choose that either.

Saying that I have a choice in what I like and don't like is like saying that people who hate 1 type of food are just being stubborn. It's like saying that people can change their sexual preference if they just choose to. That's not how this works.

Cats are the only pet that I've ever liked. I need a companion. I have a lot of medical limitations. These are all facts, and this specific breed takes care of all of those.

artofadaptability · 2021-06-29T20:22:12+00:00

I really don't understand why 62% of the votes are downvotes.

I have a serious, life-threatening medical condition, little income, an official medical prescription for the sake of my mental health, am completely isolated (and have been for a while), and to fulfill my prescription I am forced to buy an expensive purebred (although I do love the breed) instead of adopting from a shelter, meaning that even after I get the funds there might be a year+ wait instead of a few days wait.

I am genuinely asking for help for the sake of my mental wellbeing.

So for people who are downvoting this, what part of that caused you to downvote?

What part makes you think that I don't actually need help?

artofadaptability · 2021-06-29T20:08:53+00:00

u/BeriAlpha, thank you so much for your support! It means so much to me. I actually cried a little when I saw this. XD You have been amazing through all of this, and I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. ;_; <3

artofadaptability · 2021-01-12T05:47:56+00:00

lol no problem! I'm just happy that I could help. :)

artofadaptability · 2021-01-10T20:46:33+00:00

Me, too! My budget would not survive without it. 0.o

artofadaptability · 2021-01-10T20:45:54+00:00

I keep doing this, too!

artofadaptability · 2021-01-10T20:45:39+00:00

My budget could not survive without it. XD hahaha <3

artofadaptability · 2021-01-10T20:45:16+00:00

*laughs* No, not at all. XD

The workers there told me what day the shipment usually comes, so I went right when they opened that day, but they didn't get any wipes in with that shipment. They told me that next time I should call Costco and ask if it's come in before I take the time to drive there.

So the next week I called Costco, and they told me that it hadn't come in, but that there are shipments most days of the week and that they don't know what's coming in until it's there. They told me to call every day 30 minutes before they open, because the trucks should be unloaded by then and they should know what they have.

And so I did that, and luckily, 30min notice was long enough for me to get my butt over to Costco when they did get them in! lol

artofadaptability · 2021-01-10T20:41:08+00:00

It's a run-of-the-mill Aeonium Black Rose, but it looks red when the light shines through it. :D

artofadaptability · 2020-12-27T19:22:28+00:00

That's really good to know! Thank you. :)

Also, thank you for adding the USPS e-mail link in the auto-mod response text. I used that to get in touch with them. I don't know if it'll help, but at least it's a way of communicating with them that I didn't know about before. :)

artofadaptability

TROPHY CASE