It's interesting how you find it weird; I'm almost like the opposite side of the same coin.
I have pretty bad allergies to most pets and never grew up with them and find them. Apart from the itching and eczema, I don't really feel like I'm in a home when pets are around. For others though, I think it's the complete opposite. It must be with what we grow up with.
Totally! Having live with pets for almost my entire life, it feels “obviously” normal, but if I step back, I (and the rest of the world’s pet loving minority) are actually abnormal.
I made sure my daughters grew up with cats, because I thought it would make their immune system more robust (having grown up around farms myself) and it looks like it worked. No allergies at all.
Honestly I have terrible allergies and am so happy to have pets. After around 6mo of cohabitation my allergies settle down, not to zero, but manageable.
I tried acclimating through pets at work and taking allergy shots, but I didn’t have any luck improving symptoms over a year. I wish I was in your situation.
I know at least one other person who managed to adopt cats and dogs after I told them my journey. Basically, I took a lot of antihistamines and over-the-counter anti-allergy steroids regularly for the first year or so. I still get allergic reactions if I stick my face into my cat, so I don't do that. Having good air filtration helps, as does frequent vacuuming. Regular hand washing is a must. In general though it's very manageable now. I still take allergy meds regularly for seasonal allergies, so that helps too. Work pets/shots never worked well for me. Good luck!
I have pretty bad allergies to most pets and never grew up with them and find them. Apart from the itching and eczema, I don't really feel like I'm in a home when pets are around. For others though, I think it's the complete opposite. It must be with what we grow up with.