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News for You and Your Pet
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August 15, 2013
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Dear ,  Between getting ready to launch my new book, Adventures in Veterinary Medicine: What Working in Veterinary Hospitals Taught Me About Life, Love and Myself (stay tuned for an announcement coming very soon!) and for the National Capital Cat Show in September, it's been a busy two weeks. I hope all of you are having a good summer. In this issue:If you're on this mailing list and you're allergic to cats, you would most likely never consider giving up your cats. I know plenty of cat guardians who manage their allergies with environmental adjustments, medication or allergy injections. Now, a new research breakthrough brings new hope for better treatment options for cat allergy sufferers. I'm all about learning from our pets. I've always been intrigued with the concept that every person in our lives is a mirror of certain aspects of our own consciousness, and recently, I've come to realize that this can also be true for the animals in our lives. Is your pet a mirror of yourself?
Wishing you purrs and wags,
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Breakthrough in Cat Allergy Research
Offers Hope for New Treatment
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By Ingrid King
When someone is allergic to cats, the most common advice given by physicians is to get rid of the cat. Allergies are also one of the top five reasons why cats are returned to shelters. However, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, nearly 10 million people choose to share their homes with cats and dogs despite being allergic.
Contrary to what most people believe, cat allergies are not caused by cat hair, but by a protein called Fel d1 found in a cat's saliva, urine and dander (dried flakes of skin). Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that when the dander is released in the presence of a common environmental bacterial toxin called lipopolysaccharides, or LPS, it activates an immune receptor called TLR 4, triggering allergic reactions, which can range from itching and sneezing to asthma attacks.
"How cat dander causes such a severe allergic reaction in some people has long been a mystery," said Clare Bryant, the lead author of the study. "Not only did we find out that LPS exacerbates the immune response's reaction to cat dander, we identified the part of [the] immune system that recognizes it."
The researchers then used a drug that inhibits TLR 4 and blocked the allergic response. "As drugs have already been developed to inhibit the receptor TLR4, we are hopeful that our research will lead to new and improved treatments for cat and possibly dog allergy sufferers," Bryant added.
Currently, allergy sufferers can alleviate their reactions with antihistamines, which come with side effects such as drowsiness and nausea, or with immunotherapy (allergy injections), which may have a negative effect on their immune system. The Cambridge discovery could lead to the creation of new drugs that could block the allergy reaction, rather than treating the symptoms.
The study was published in the Journal of Immunology.
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
©Ingrid King, 2013. All Rights Reserved. |
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Is Your Cat a Mirror of Yourself?
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By Ingrid King
One of the most fascinating concepts in the area of personal growth to me has always been the concept that every single person in your life is your mirror. Others reflect back aspects of our own consciousness to us, giving us an opportunity to see ourselves in a different light, and ultimately, to grow. Sometimes, that reflection may come from someone we grately admire. Other times, it may come from someone who aggravates us and pushes all our buttons. It's the latter reflection that may lead to exponential personal growth, if we allow ourselves to explore the concept.
It struck me the other day that if this applies to the people in our lives, could it also apply to the cats in our lives? Do our cats reflect back aspects of ourselves? Is this, perhaps, especially true if we live with a "less than purr-fect" member of the feline species?
I started to look at Allegra and Ruby: what aspects of their personalities do I share? Of course, being human, I looked for positive aspects first. Both Allegra and Ruby like their routines - and so do I. They are sun worshippers - and so am I. They like having their meals served to them - I hate to cook, and love to eat out.
While both of my girls are little angels most of the time, there are some aspects of their personality that can be a little challenging. Was it possible that those sides of their personalities were reflected in me?
Allegra is quick to react when something annoys or startles her. I have a tendency to jump to judgment too quickly. Ruby sometimes makes bad decisions: batting at Allegra while she's settling down on one of our window perches for a nice long nap is a surefire way of getting herself hissed at and bopped on the head. I've been known to make decisions too hastily, not always considering all possible outcomes, and then regretting that I didn't take more time.
I found the exercise fascinating, especially from the perspective of looking at personality traits that may no longer serve me, such as the quick jump to judgment. I'm a firm believer that cats come into our lives to teach us to stretch and grow. Maybe this mirroring is just another way they help us live fuller and more conscious lives.
© Ingrid King, 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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Highlights from The Conscious Cat
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 August 24, 2013
Fancy Cats Rescue Team Tea Party (Fundraiser)
Annandale, VA
September 7 and 8, 2013
National Capital Cat Show
Chantilly, VA
October 6, 2013
Purcellville Public Library
Purcellville, VA
Please visit the Events Page on my website
for more information and directions.
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Marketplace
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