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Really, Cleo? You Got Out and Now You Itch!

Cleopatra Beers

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Night before last, Cleopatra’s Daddieo was standing at the front door, talking to our son, Adam, who was on the porch. Cleo decided to take advantage, and took herself out on a walkabout in the front yard in the dark. She got about halfway across the lawn, when Adam grabbed her and hauled her fat little self back into the house. I didn’t think too much about it, until this morning, when she rocketed out of bed at 6:30 AM (during vacation, no less!), and started scratching and chewing madly. She did eat breakfast, and I wiped her down with some anti-itch spray for cats that we keep for her. It didn’t help at all, and for the next two hours, she just chewed and scratched like crazy. We had just bathed about a week ago, so I set up to give both cats a sponge bath. That’s when I have a bowl of water with just a bit of shampoo, a bowl of clean water and washcloths. We wipe them down with the soapy water and then the clean water, and usually it works really well.

When I wiped Cleo down, all of her white areas were fiery red, and she had hives all over. Even her gray areas looked dull red. She looked awful, and we could see how really uncomfortable she was. So the next step was to call her vet. Our vet does house calls, and told me he could come out, but reminded me that we had the same issue in August last year. So he told me how much Diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl) to give, and then if it didn’t work, he would come give her a steroid shot.

The diphenhydramine worked like a charm. Cleo hated it of course, but within half an hour, her skin was back to normal, and she was relaxed, and not chewing or scratching at all!

It is so much fun, having a cat who is allergic to grass....
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Condo commando

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I don't know if that was meant to be funny but I had to laugh. If it's any consolation I used to have a colleague whose dog was allergic to grass but he had to go in the grass. She had to put little booties on him which he didn't like walking in. To make matters worse it rains every day for half the year where we live, so he REALLY didn't want to walk outside. She would come to work and tell us how long it took her to get him to go in his booties in the rain. So maybe it's just me but I'd rather scoop litter.
 

Cleopatra Beers

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It is kind of a funny story. The idea that she went to all the trouble to escape out the front door, only to spend less than 3 minutes outside, and then to get such a reaction a day or so later, is a “serves her right” moment. The actual hives weren’t funny—she was really miserable with them, but they won’t stop her from doing it again if she can. But then she had to make a BIG production of hating the Benadryl, foaming and drooling, until Bob brought her some fresh catnip from the plant outside. That cured the drooling.

I do laugh at her being so allergic to such crazy things. This morning when the vet and I were discussing how to give her pills, I vetoed coating them in butter or cheese, because she is allergic to all things dairy. We settled on olive oil, which works great! My girl is the Clown Princess, and she is allergic, but she is still my baby!

I love the dog story. I have a friend in Las Vegas whose dog is allergic to grass, and she (the dog, not the friend) wears booties and hates them too!

They say pets enrich our lives... IDK...
 

Cleopatra Beers

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@Toa and Ross thanks from Her Itchy Majesty! Her rash isn’t totally gone, although it is much improved today. Much to her displeasure, we had to give her two pills and one liquid dose of diphenhydramine. The liquid was because she spat out her afternoon pill. We are holding off on giving her any meds today, and she seems to be doing pretty well.

As far as staying inside and off the grass, that’s not going to happen. Cleopatra loves her explorations and refuses to stop!
 

Silke

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Oh gosh... What a palaver!
I think Pixie wouldn't mind being allergic to grass -- she's not keen on it, but tolerates it. She prefers such things as dusty trails and --if at all possible-- rolling in horse poop. (Even if that is followed by a bath! I guess she doesn't make the connection lol)
 

Cleopatra Beers

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She is adorable (even though she can be a pain ; ) )
You are soo right—Cleo is a pain, as she reminded me at 6:30 AM this morning, when she was rocketing across us to get us up to feed her.

Oh gosh... What a palaver!
I think Pixie wouldn't mind being allergic to grass -- she's not keen on it, but tolerates it. She prefers such things as dusty trails and --if at all possible-- rolling in horse poop. (Even if that is followed by a bath! I guess she doesn't make the connection lol)
Of course horse manure is wonderful to roll in! These predators have to conceal their scent somehow! It’s only we stupid hoomans who think we don’t have to do this (and enjoy it!). It’s funny that our duo weren’t ever on grass when we lived in the desert, but the first time Cleo got to walk through some tall grass at a roadside stop in Colorado, she fell in love! She loves the feel of it and how she can hide in it. She didn’t even mind the tick inspection afterwards, and since it was her first encounter, she had no reactions to it. Here, Daddieo keeps the grass short, but she still likes to walk in it, even if it causes hives afterward. Mr Marcus Antonio Anubis, on the other hand, would rather stick to more civilized walkways, like sidewalks and walls.
 
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