What to do about cats ... that is the topic.

                                     I have said...If a cat has been on your quilt, please do NOT send it to me.
                                                     Please help me assess this situation realistically.

I have hesitated to post this before but understand that I remain affected by where a cat has been long after the cat is gone. Your quilts and anything on them get on my work table, on top of my bed for photos and on my longarming canvas. It does not wash out & it does not fade away. This is because the cat allergens are in the saliva.
                                                                                     True story
 I visited some friends of a friend years ago in Maryland. A short time into the visit, my throat and inner ears began to itch. They had a dog. When my sinuses clogged I asked if they had a cat. No. The previous owners did. These folks had lived here 5 years and long since removed the old carpet leaving only bare hard wood floors yet I was reacting the same way I do when a cat is present. It is NOT pleasant. Sneezing continuously and unable to breathe normally, we had to leave. Fortunately Sudafed settles everything down in about 30 minutes once I get away from the source.
                                   Please understand that I do not want to live this way in my home.
Why am I posting now? A recent quilt came into my home & I began working with it. My throat had that tell tale feeling I know too well but have not experienced in years now. I did not go into a full blown attach but I also did not put the quilt on my bed or worktable. My sweet, dear customer is begging me to do her quilt & I would love to do it but my health and lifestyle are at risk. Or are they?

Another dear customer has sent me quilts in the past and I have NOT had a reaction. When she sent a photo with a gorgeous black cat sitting on a quilt she was planning to send, I did not say anything. I did cut the cat out of the photo (LOL-out of sight...) and tried to push it out of my mind.

                                          So now I have several quilts in house from cat houses (LOL).
                                 What would you do if you were me with customers counting on you?
                            What would you expect if you sent a quilt in good faith & you had a cat?

I care. I try to be fair and upfront and reasonable. Keep in mind I have never mentioned this before on this site & it has not been a problem with any quilts I have done over the past 3 years. Surely some of those homes had cats unbeknown to me. Perhaps I'm paranoid. Perhaps I have been darn lucky. I am sure of only one thing -- I do not know what will happen. I have a touch of allergies all the time but I manage just fine without medication whereas when I lived in the Roanoke valley, I had to go on shots immediately. Tricky stuff this. It could be that those shots built up an immunity that is now wearing off. That makes sense to me.

                                   If I have quilted for you & you have a cat, please let me know.

That will help solve this dilemma in favor of my current customers. Thanks so much!!

                                                           Love and peace to all -- even your kitty