from Anonymous
My husband and I moved into a house where two cats were part of the bargain. I love cats, but I was allergic to them. Just a few moments in the company of a cat started me sneezing, sniffling, and rubbing my itchy eyes. So we kept them isolated in the laundry room with a cat door that gave easy access to the outside. They seemed fine, but we adored them and would have loved to share the whole house.
Then we got new jobs in a new country and had to leave the house and cats behind. The compound we moved into was overrun with rats and mice. A cat was the obvious solution. A stray kitten was plucked from the street to live in the common kitchen, but he caused problems for the cook.
“Please take that cat away,” he said to us.
Naturally, we hesitated; but if we didn’t take the kitten, he would be returned to the street, and our tender hearts couldn’t accept that.
He proved to be a delightful roommate, with his acrobatic feats and his playful, affectionate nature. We were in a new country, in new jobs, and the kitten was a spot of joy in an otherwise stressful situation.
At first we kept him off the furniture, hoping to minimize my allergic reaction. But his favorite napping spot was in the middle of our bed, and we didn’t have the heart to dislodge him.
Curled up beside the kitten one evening I prayed with great intensity, “Dear God, this little creature is such a blessing to my husband and me. Please take away these allergies!”
In that moment I felt a change within me. The allergy was gone. I could bury my nose in the kitten’s fur without a sneeze, sniffle, or watery eye.
