Help: My Partner is Allergic to My Pet

By Melissa Becker
Sometimes you end up torn between two loves, your mate and your pet. So what do you do if you boyfriend is allergic to your cat or your girlfriend is allergic to you dog. Before you have to make the tough decision of which one to get rid of you need to step back and try these things first.

Most importantly is to make sure that they really are allergic. I’m not suggesting that your significant other is lying, but most people discover they have an allergy when they are young and then spend the rest of their life avoiding that object, for obvious reasons. But people can and do grow out of allergies. Unless they have a life threatening allergy then there is nothing to be lost by doing a quick meeting and seeing how it goes. Not all dogs are created equal. I own three large boxer dogs and my last boyfriend swore he was allergic to dogs. But after he ended up staying the night he was surprised that he wasn’t broken out in hives and could still breathe. He still is allergic to log haired dogs but my short haired dogs didn’t trigger anything.

If your partner is willing there are a number of over the counter and prescription drugs that can control mild to moderate allergy symptoms. It will likely take time to figure out what combination of pills is powerful enough to control the symptoms without causing side effect. Some of the side effects of allergy medication can include drowsiness, an inability to focus, and an overall feeling of fatigue. This is no way to live. Imagine trying to get through your daily routine in that haze you feel when you have a cold and have taken something for it. Many people will take these drugs with no problems but for some of them the side effects are too much. Don’t be angry if the drug options do not solve the problem. There are still things you can do to try and create a co-existence.

If they have a mild reaction then there are some things you can do to try and control the allergens and dander in your home so that your love and your pet can co-exist. Give frequent baths to try and remove dander and vacuum daily using a machine with a heap filter. Air purifiers and filters in your home will also help. Try to keep the bedroom an animal free zone, even when your boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t around. That way they will limit their exposure to the allergen. A friend of mine was dating a guy who was highly allergic to cats. At first she followed these guidelines and it worked but eventually she found herself missing waking up with her furry friend on the nights she was alone. But even this little amount of contamination led to him spending an itchy night next time he came over. If you are going to try and make this work, balancing a pet and an allergic partner, you need to give it one hundred percent. Even a few slips will ruin the whole thing.

But what if the situation is totally incompatible? I would not recommend getting rid of your pet until you are sure that your relationship is going the distance. In the short term you may be spending more time at the other person’s apartment instead of yours, but the short term annoyance of that is better then the lasting pain of giving up a pet that you don’t have to. Once you are sure that you are going to be together forever, or close to it, you owe it to your animal companion to make sure that it finds a good home. You may think that taking it to a shelter is enough but older animals are hard to adopt and they may linger for long periods of time. Some shelters have to put down older animals just to make room to the number of stray cats that are brought in everyday. If you can find a trusted friend or family member this is the best option because you will at least get to visit. But keep in mind that you are giving away your pet, not just renting it out. If the relationship doesn’t work out you can’t come back and reclaim the pet. It isn’t fair to the animal or the new family it has.

Melissa Becker, contributing writer for www.petpeoplefishing.com, a free online dating service for pet loving singles. PetPeopleFishing knows the importance of finding a match who can accept your animal companions and not see them as barriers to your relationship.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Vital Information about CAT 5 Cable Networks

By Simon Harris
Years ago, when personal computer systems for homes were relatively new, most people didn't think much about any home computer system network. A PC and a printer -- that was about it in those days. But times have changed -- today there is a much greater need for sophisticated home computer networks: many more devices are being interconnected, sophisticated ones -- such as flatbed scanners, laser printers, and fax machines.

All of this has made it imperative to install an up-to-date cat 5 cable network. Of course, many people are already familiar with cat 5 cables -- typically a computer owner will have one or more cat 5 patch cables already in use, for connecting their computing devices together over short distances. It comes as a surprise to many computer owners to find out that they do not need to purchase pre-made cat 5 patch cables -- with just a little instruction and some inexpensive materials, anyone can learn to make their own.

Of course one of the materials you will need to have on hand if you are doing your own cat 5 cable wiring is a good supply of cat 5 connectors. These are simply attached to each end of the cable, and allow for a quick connect or disconnect of the cable from various computer devices. These are actually called 8P8C connectors, and look just like the kinds of connectors used with telephones, just smaller. Learning how to attach these cat 5 connectors properly is a bit tricky, but you don't have to be a technician to learn how to do it properly.

As your home computer network grows in complexity, you may reach a point where you will need a cat 5 splitter. These are devices that will split -- divide -- the cat 5 cable wiring signal among different devices, so that each can operate properly. With a cat 5 splitter, you can control anywhere from two or three, up to a dozen, computing devices on the same network.

One of the simplest computer networking arrangements would be to connect one computer directly with another. Normally, to do this you would need to use a network hub or switch. But if you want to save money, you can purchase a cat 5 crossover cable -- this properly switches the signal transmissions (the same way a network hub or switch would) so that both devices can communicate with each other directly. 5 crossover cables are generally no more expensive to purchase than other types of cat 5 patch cables.

It may also interest you to know that even if you not have cat 5 cable wiring in your home, you may already have something similar, if you have an older computer network or a standard 2-line phone system. These older computer networks and telephone systems make use of an earlier generation of cable -- cat 3 cable. 3 cable is no longer used for newer home computer networking installations; in fact cat 5 cable has been superseded by an enhanced cable -- called cat 5e -- that provides superior signal quality and faster transmission speeds.

There is much information available on the Internet today regarding cat 5 cable wiring and networking -- if you will take the time to read up on this subject, you will be able to handle this job yourself and avoid possible pitfalls. In no time at all, your new high-speed computer network will be operational -- and your be proud to say that you did all the work yourself!

Simon Harris owns and operates http://www.cat5answers.com Understanding Cat 5 Cable Wiring

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com