The good news: I have a great new guy in my life!

The bad news: He is allergic to my kitties!

We have been seeing one another for 8 months now, and it wasn't so bad in the summer when the windows were open, but now that the house is closed up for the winter, his eyes get all itchy and sometimes his hands turn red! If he is in the house for a long period of time, he starts to have trouble breathing! I do my best to sweep the furniture before he comes over and then I cover it with a blanket so Tabby and Sasha can lay on the blanket and then when he comes over, I remove the blankets. I also switched from a broom to a Swiffer for the hardwoods and the linoleum. These two things help a lot, but he still has symptoms. He has gone to the doctor and tried all over the counter and even prescription meds and nothing has helped. His next step is to go to an allergist and possibly get shots, which he is planning to do, bless his heart.

A few weeks ago, he asked me if I were going to move in with someone who was allergic to my cats, what would I do? I looked at him and said I would not just get rid of my cats... and he said that was not what he was asking me or would ever expect me to do. He knows how much I love my kitties, and he knows they are family to me. (For the record, he loves animals, had a cat as a child, a dog as an adult, and his folks have a dog, but he has gotten these allergies in the past few years!)

Please know that I AM NOT going to get rid of my furbabies! What I am asking is if there are any other folks who may have this sort of situation also... and if so, how do they deal with it? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

His allergies aren't so bad that he can't be in my house, and we can tell if I haven't cleaned when he comes over..... I just want him to be more comfortable when he is over! I REALLY like this guy!