When Jennifer Richter learned that her 2-year-old daughter was allergic to Jack, the family cat, there was only one option. Her daughter got a prescription for daily doses of eye drops and the allergy medicine Zyrtec.

当珍妮弗・里克特(Jennifer Richter)了解到两岁的女儿对家里的宠物猫“杰克”(Jack)过敏时，她的选择只有一个。女儿要根据治疗处方每日滴眼药水并服用抗过敏药仙特明(Zyrtec)。

'No way I was getting rid of that cat,' says Ms. Richter, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

家住科罗拉多斯普林斯(Colorado Springs)的里克特说：“我绝对不会将猫抛弃的。”

When a fish is just not enough . . . an industry of breeders, veterinarians and pet stores has cropped up to help allergic people bent on becoming one of the two-thirds of American households that include a cat or dog.

当养鱼满足不了需求……一个包括养殖商、兽医和宠物店的行业涌现了出来，帮助过敏人群成为拥有宠物猫或宠物狗的那三分之二美国家庭中的一员。

Organizations like the American Kennel Club prominently identify breeds such as poodle, bichon frise and schnauzer that are easier than others for people with allergies to tolerate. Some breeders mail, often for a fee, fur samples to test for possible reactions. Breeders advise owners on how to set up separate 'transition' rooms for a new pet and to name godparents to take over if a pet proves too allergy-inducing.

美国育犬俱乐部(American Kennel Club)等机构将贵宾犬、卷毛比熊犬和雪纳瑞着重列为较易为敏感人群忍受的品种。有些养殖商会给客户邮寄动物毛发样品以供检测可能的反应，该服务往往要收费。养殖商还会就如何给新宠物安排单独的“过渡”房间，以及指定接管的代养人以防宠物造成的过敏反应过于严重等问题为宠物主提供建议。

The American Kennel Club gets calls every day from people who want to buy a dog, even though they have an allergy, a spokeswoman says. Such requests spike, breeders say, when low-allergen pets are in the news -- as they were this August when the first family adopted its second Portuguese water dog, a breed that doesn't aggravate Malia Obama's allergies.

美国育犬俱乐部的一名女发言人称，他们每天都会接到有意购买宠物犬的顾客的电话，其中还包括过敏症患者。宠物养殖商称，此类需求在低过敏原宠物上了新闻时迅速增长，比如今年8月美国第一家庭收养了他们的第二只葡萄牙水猎犬，该品种的狗不会加剧马莉娅・奥巴马(Malia Obama)的过敏症状。

Ms. Richter was highly allergic, but says she had her heart set on a cuddly, playful pet. After doing some research, she and her husband brought home Jack, a wavy-haired feline breed called Devon rex, which she did fine with -- no allergy pills necessary.

里克特是高度过敏之人，但是她说她一心想要一只让人想拥抱、调皮可爱的宠物。经过一番研究之后，她和丈夫把杰克──一只卷毛的德文帝王猫──带回了家。她对这只猫不会过敏，所以不必再服抗过敏药。

A few years later, though, Ms. Richter says, the couple learned that their second child was allergic to a raft of things, including cats. The daily prescription eye drops and Zyrtec they gave to Cameron, now 8, helped alleviate the red eyes, runny nose and rashes she would get from Rocket and Jetson, which the family adopted in 2011 after Jack died.

她说，几年过后，她和丈夫了解到他们的第二个孩子卡梅伦(Cameron)对一大批东西都过敏，其中就包括猫。他们给卡梅伦（现已八岁）每天使用的眼药水及仙特明缓解了“火箭”(Rocket)和“杰特森”(Jetson)引发的眼睛发红、流涕和皮疹症状。这两只猫是他们一家在2011年杰克去世之后养的。

'Cameron plays with the cats and kisses them,' says Ms. Richter. 'We couldn't imagine not having our Devons.'

她说：“卡梅伦和猫一起玩耍，会亲它们。我们无法想象没有这些德文猫的生活。”

One-quarter of Americans are sensitive to cats, and 10% react adversely to dogs, says the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergists say that most animals emit seven to eight specific allergens found not just in their fur, but in saliva, dander and urine.

美国过敏、哮喘和免疫学会(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology，简称“ACAAI”)称，四分之一的美国人对猫过敏，10%的人对狗有不良反应。过敏症专科医生指出，大多数动物会分泌七至八种独特的过敏原，不仅出现在毛发中，也出现在唾液、皮屑和尿液中。

Allergic reactions to pets range from wheezing and sneezing, stuffy noses and itchy eyes to rashes and swelling. More serious cases can trigger breathing difficulties and full-on asthma attacks that require a trip to an emergency room.

对宠物的过敏反应包括气喘、打喷嚏、鼻塞和眼睛发 以及皮疹和肿胀等，情况更严重的还会引发呼吸困难和需要实施急救的哮喘剧烈发作。

Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, have been shown to eradicate pet allergies entirely in as much as 80% of patients who take the full course, says allergist and immunologist James Sublett, president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They are typically taken weekly at first, then monthly over the course of three or so years.

ACAAI候任主席、过敏症专家及免疫学家詹姆斯・萨布利特(James Sublett)称，抗过敏针或免疫疗法已被证明可根除多达80%的患者的宠物过敏症。一开始治疗每周进行一次，然后是每月一次，连续治疗三年左右的时间。

Some people may seem to acclimate to pets. After prolonged exposure, allergy sufferers may build up a tolerance akin to those who acclimate to chronic pain, doctors say.

有些人似乎可逐渐适应宠物。医生们称，在长时间和宠物接触后，过敏症患者或许会培养起对宠物的忍受能力，就像有些人会适应慢性疼痛一样。

But even built-up tolerance can subside with prolonged distance. 'There are stories of children going away to college and having bad reactions to their pets when they come home,' says Dr. Sublett, who practices in Louisville, Ky.

然而，这种培养出来的忍受能力会随着距离的拉长而减弱。在肯塔基州路易斯维尔(Louisville)执业的萨布利特博士称：“一些孩子离家去上大学，回到家后又开始对宠物有不良反应，这样的事情是有的。”

Experts say there is no such thing as a truly allergen-free cat or dog, though many claims have been made about bald-looking sphynx cats, curly-coated terriers and other breeds. 'While no dog is 100% hypoallergenic, there are some breeds that people with allergies may do better with,' says Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club. What distinguishes these dogs, she says, is that they have a single coat of hair that grows much like human hair; it has to be trimmed but it won't shed, leaving allergen-laden dander behind.

专家们指出，并不存在真正不携带过敏原的猫或狗，尽管有许多人声称看上去光秃秃的斯芬克斯猫、卷毛梗犬及其他品种的宠物就是如此。美国育犬俱乐部发言人莉萨・彼得森(Lisa Peterson)称：“尽管没有宠物狗是100%不造成过敏反应的，但某些品种或许更适合过敏人群。”她指出，此类宠物狗的特点是只有一层毛，它的生长很像人类的头发，必须要修剪但不会脱落，因此不会产生满是过敏原的毛屑。

Some hopeful owners turn to hybridized designer dogs such as labradoodles, since poodles are among the breeds known to be allergy-friendly. But experts say it is impossible to predict how much of the animal's coat comes from which side of the breed family.

有些心怀希望的人便把目光转向像拉布拉多贵宾犬这样的杂交犬品种，因为贵宾犬是已知引发过敏较少的品种之一。然而，专家们指出，我们无法预测动物的皮毛更偏向杂交的哪一方。

The way to road-test allergies, they say, is to spend time with the creature. 'Even if you have an animal in your house, it may take several weeks before you develop problems,' Dr. Sublett says.

专家指出，实际监测过敏情况的方法就是与小东西呆在一起。萨布利特博士说：“就算家中养了动物，你可能也要几周之后才会出现问题。“

At ForestWind Siberians in Buffalo, N.Y., people wanting to buy a Siberian cat must fill out a six-page questionnaire about their allergies, says co-owner Kate Stryker. It asks for details on everything from what type of heating/cooling system they have to the timing and severity of their symptoms. She also requires prospective owners to identify a nonallergic 'safe home,' a sort of godparent program in case they decide they can no longer keep the pet due to allergies.

纽约州布法罗(Buffalo)宠物养殖场ForestWind Siberians的共同所有人凯特・斯特赖克(Kate Stryker)称，想在该处购买西伯利亚猫的人必须填写一份六页长的有关过敏症的问卷。从现有的供暖/制冷系统的类型到过敏症状的时间和严重程度，问卷会询问各类事项的详细信息。斯特赖克还要求有意向的顾客参与非敏感“安全屋”计划──一个万一他们因为过敏而确定无法再养宠物时用以应对的代养计划。

All clients must agree to create a transition room where the animal can spend its first few weeks, while not spreading its dander and saliva broadly around the home. Ms. Stryker counsels prospective buyers on the benefits of in-duct air filters vs. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) systems and which type of vacuum is ideal. In nine years, she says, she has only had three cats returned due to allergies.

所有顾客必须同意设立一间过渡房，让宠物头几周呆在该房间内，以免它们将皮屑和唾液留在屋内各处。斯特赖克还会就管道空气过滤系统相比高效微粒空气过滤系统的优势以及哪种吸尘器比较理想为意向买家提供意见。她说，九年来只有三只猫因为过敏原因被退回来。

Ms. Stryker, like many breeders, sends fur samples so prospective buyers can gauge their reaction. She charges $25, applicable toward the adoption. (ForestWind Siberians go for about $1,500.)

与许多养殖商相同，她也提供为意向买家邮寄毛发样品的服务以供他们检测自己的反应。该服务的收费是25美元，在购买宠物时可予以抵扣。（ForestWind Siberians所售宠物猫的价格约为1,500美元。）

Some doctors, though, say that living with a handful of fur for a few days provides an inadequate stress test because two-thirds of allergy sufferers experience long-term chronic effects from pets like worsening asthma -- not just instant itchy eyes and wheezing.

然而，有些医生认为，与少量毛发共处几天时间来检测自己是否过敏是不充分的，因为三分之二的过敏患者长期遭受宠物带来的慢性危害，比如哮喘加剧，不只是出现眼睛马上发 和气喘等问题。

Karen Dore, of Rye, N.Y., spent about eight months looking for a dog to suit her allergic family. Both she and her eldest son Alex, 11, take allergy shots for seasonal allergies and her husband Charlie is allergic to dogs. The Dores made weekend outings to pet shops, borrowed dogs from friends for the night and spoke to breeders of different types.

家住纽约州拉伊(Rye)的卡伦・多尔(Karen Dore)花了约八个月的时间寻找适合其过敏家庭的宠物狗。她和大儿子──今年11岁的亚历克斯(Alex)──都需要打抗季节性过敏的针剂，她的丈夫查理(Charlie)对狗过敏。他们一家人会在周末去逛宠物店，从朋友那儿借来宠物狗过夜并与不同类型的养殖商交谈。

Nearly two years ago, they finally bought a peagle, a mix between a Pekingese and a beagle from a local pet store. The mix isn't touted as particularly hypoallergenic, but they had spent time with a friend's dog of the same breed without bad reactions.

大约在两年前，他们终于在当地宠物店买了一只“peagle”品种的宠物狗，即京巴犬与比格犬的杂交品种。它并未被捧为敏感原特别低的品种，但是他们曾和朋友一只同品种的狗呆在一起，并未出现不良反应。

Ms. Dore instituted some rules to help with their allergies: no other dogs allowed in the home, no dog upstairs and never on the sofa. 'That lasted about two weeks,' jokes her husband, Charlie, who owns an executive search firm. Ms. Dore cleans daily to minimize reservoirs of dander and saliva.

卡伦制定了一些规定来帮助应对一家人的过敏症状：不允许其他狗进入屋内，不准狗上楼，绝对不准它上沙发。查理是一家高管猎头公司的老板，他开玩笑说：“规定大概持续了两周左右。”卡伦每天都要清扫屋子以将皮屑与唾液残留物减至最少。

Mr. Dore took over-the-counter allergy pills for the first few months after Devon Strawberry moved in, to prevent hives. He no longer needs the pills, but he washes his hands religiously, especially after being licked, to keep his wrists from breaking out in itchy welts, which can still happen.

在这只名叫“德文草莓”(Devon Strawberry)的狗来到他们家后，头几个月查理一直服用非处方抗过敏药以预防 麻疹。现在他不再需要服药，但是他会极其细致地洗手，特别是在被狗舔过之后，以防止他的手腕满是 痕，这种状况依然会发生。

'I suffered in silence,' he says. 'But now my body's used to Devon, and I'd never get rid of her.'

他说：“我默默地忍受着，不过现在我的身体适应了德文，我是永远不会抛弃她的。”