2002-06-11 - 7:45 p.m.

LOVE ME - LOVE MY CATS

... i get along best with 'cat people' ... it has become a pre-requisite of sorts that those in my intimate circle like cats ... this becuz the cats & i come as an inseparable package ...

... several years ago a former lover moved halfway across the country to live with me ... we already knew we were compatible on many levels, & the agreement was to live together for a year & then decide if we wanted to make a permanent commitment ... there was even talk of taking a cruise & having the captain of the ship perform the marriage ceremony ... at the time i thought i'd died and gone to HEAVEN! ...

we signed a 1 year lease & moved into a 2BR/2BA condo that had all the amenities (pool, spa, exercise facility, etc. ) ... initially the 2 of us & the 4 cats lived quite amicably & i'm not even sure when things started breaking down between us, but break down they did ... coincidentally, he developed severe allergy symptoms, but refused to go to a doctor for a proper diagnosis (i think it's a 'guy thing') ... instead he opted to self-medicate with over-the-counter allergy medications that served only to make him act 'goofy' (unpredictable) & did not adequately address his symptoms ... not willing to admit that the medication was not working, he often took more than the recommended dosage & became even 'goofier' ... i was plagued by my own health issues & found it easier to withdraw into myself (& into my bedroom) than to deal with, what i perceived to be, his stubborn refusal to seek medical attention ... we'd already gone to our separate corners (sleeping in separate bedrooms) because of his snoring, but now he was closing his door - claiming he didn't want the cats coming into his room ... he had decided (self-diagnosed) that they were the cause of his allergic miseries ... he refused to consider any other possible causes ...

not a pretty picture ... the wall between us grew - he on one side, the cats & i on the other ... before the year was up he gave notice that he was moving to hawaii & that was the end of it ... i might add that he took every opportunity - after the fact - to let me know how "allergy free" he was in hawaii, totally convinced the cats had been the primary irritant ... i suspect it was the least complicated way to remove himself from a relationship he was having second thoughts about ...���

i've had allergies for as long as i can remember & take prescription medications when the symptoms become severe ... i know my sensitivities have intensified over the years tho i've not been tested recently ... but if it were determined that cat dander is on my list of irritants it would really be a moot point ... i've made a lifetime commitment to my cats & i would just have to work around it as best i can - for me it's a non-negotiable ...

suitable housing for the cats was a high priority item in my recent new home search ... quite happily we are now housed in a 2-story 2BR town home with plenty of room for all 7 of us ... (subtract 1 lover, add 2 cats)

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