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CATS v. DOGS

Apr 17, 2020
CATS v. DOGS
What I have learned about cats during the pandemic…. Those of my patients that know me well know me as a dog person. To date, I have not been able to replace Doogie and Mojo because they are irreplaceable in my heart.

What I have learned about cats during the pandemic….

Those of my patients that know me well know me as a dog person. To date, I have not been able to replace Doogie and Mojo because they are irreplaceable in my heart.

In the past, when I get the (very common) patient that tells me they NEED allergy shots to cats to maintain a relationship, I have not quite understood. Usually the ultimatum was given…” It’s me or the cat.” This patient turning up in my office meant the cat won.

Until recently, I have understood this with dogs…but cats? Then, the pandemic occurred. I watched my children suffer in isolation as I maintained their “social distancing.” At one point, I thought my teenage daughter would go crazy…or crazier. That’s when my favorite Medical Assistant, most of you know her as Mary Beth, offered me her cat, Buddy. Not an ordinary cat, I was told, Buddy was “special”. He was practically a dog. Some of you may know my teenage daughter has been begging me for a cat for years and I have not caved. However, I have never been offered a cat-dog. The nice thing about this deal for me was that if the interest waned in a week, like my guinea pig experiment several years ago, Mary Beth would take Buddy back. If all worked out, Buddy would be ours. So I took a chance and brought Buddy home.

My daughter, Katie, has never squealed so loud in her life. Immediately, Buddy was renamed to Damon, of “The Vampire Diaries” fame, although his full name is actually Damon Crookshanks Buddy James or something like that. Within days, it was clear that Damon would fit in quite well as Katie would carry him throughout the house, like a baby, and the two of them would cuddle regularly. Damon is indeed a cat-dog: he wags his tail and is very affectionate, sometimes even more so than my teenager. Bonus: he doesn’t talk back.

The best surprise was when Katie told me, “Now I know why you want to hug and kiss me all the time.” She also has a new appreciation for my perspective as she notes that Damon does not always listen to her requests. Katie calls him “a teenager.”

While I never thought I’d be a “cat person”, I am and Damon is the reason. Hopefully, those of you who knew the great value of cats can forgive me: some people just take longer to come around.

Anyway, if you have a cat or dog allergy but do not want to get rid of your favorite family member or if your received “The Ultimatum,” we have you covered and appreciate what you are going through.

We look forward to meeting you: Call today to make an appointment to address your cat and dog allergy needs…You can live with allergies!

Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives is located near Kierland Commons, Scottsdale Quarter, DC Ranch and Grayhawk at 21803 N. Scottsdale Road Ste. 200, on the corners of Deer Valley and Scottsdale Roads, and has convenient evening and early morning hours to accommodate your schedule.

Dr. Wendt is also available for telemedicine appointments in the safety and comfort of your home. Insurance plans accepted. Call 480-500-1902 today to schedule an appointment and begin your allergy testing and treatment with Dr. Wendt at Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Learn more about Dr. Wendt and Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives at www.relieveallergyaz.com and FOLLOW US on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.