FELINE-LESS

I didn't realize how much of an impact a cat can have on your normal day-to-day activities.

You don't have to clean the litter box when you don't have a cat.

I can leave the bedroom door open at night (not that closing it had any real effect; Pandora would just throw himself against it repeatedly until he got it open).

When the dogs go outside, it is not necessary to immediately shut the front door (although with freezing winds blasting down from the mountainside, it is generally a good idea with the high price of propane and a heating bill to be paid).

And the lower part of the door to the laundry room does not need to remain a decorative little curtain to allow Pandora access to and from, and can go back to being that ugly metal air ventish section... or not.

When I am blogging, facebooking or wasting hours trying to beat Harmony and Heather at Bejeweled, there now is not a warm body strewn across my lap and 24+ lbs. of fur to help ward off all the drafts in my bedroom.

Yeah - I miss him just a little bit.

WANTED NEEDED PLEADED

NEEDED: HOME FOR SPOILED, OVER-INDULGED SMALL COUGAR, SINCE OWNER IS LOSING FIGHT AGAINST ALLERIES. REFERENCES, BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG TESTING ALL MANDATORY IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL CHECK-UP.

So why do allergies crop up at simply weird times?

I understand why I am allergic to penicillin - I got it way too many times when I was a baby. Same with my second daughter; she had to go through the British military health system, and I think that is the only antibiotic they had access to in the 80's (better than leeches at least, right?).

And I do wonder if I have that horrible reaction to sulfa because God was trying to get my attention at the time (He did, by the way, get my attention).

But why oh why do I sneeze constantly when I'm around alfalfa hay?! I have horses (finally) that I completely ADORE - so my nose explodes when I feed them... twice a day... every day.

Why can't I be allergic to brussel sprouts - or nylon pantyhose - or the state of Arkansas?

Over the past six years, I have developed an allergy to my cat. My wonderful, affectionate, long-haired, constantly shedding and demostrative dog-humilating cougar/feline #1 animal (NOTE: Najale, Sally, Murray and Delilah, Pandora promised to kill me is I didn't list him first - honestly, I do love you guys)..

And since I figure since he's probably got another ten years of dog-abuse ahead of him - let's see if someone else wants a small puma to love for that long.

OPENING PANDORA'S BOX

A blog that I follow had a very cute one about her cat, and it made me think about the smallish cougar that lives at my house.

He will acknowledge that he is part of the felina family, but only the section which includes cougar, cheetah, lynx and ocelots.

And since he is the only cat is this section of town (outdoor cats around here are know as 'coyote food'), I have little to compare him to.

So I have become accustomed to a 24 lb. cat who stares down any dog that walks through the door, causes floorboards to squeak when he strolls across the room, and can eat more than both dogs... and often does.

So people have cute little kitty cats - I have the Thor of felines.

Should I think about his own reality show?