to lick

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 130: Allergic to Cats.

You’re listening to English as a Second Language Podcast episode 130. My name is Dr. Jeff McQuillan, your host, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Today’s podcast is about people who have problems when they are around animals – who are allergic to cats. Let’s get started.

When I was little, we had a family pet. His name was Jupiter and he was a kitten. I wanted a cat more than anything else, and finally, my parents gave in and said that we could have one. We went to the pound and saw dozens of cats of different breeds. We went from cage to cage until we saw a little kitten at the back of one of the cages. He looked scared, but when I picked him up, he wouldn't stop licking my hand and I knew he was the one we would bring home.

When we got Jupiter home, I played with him all day. What I noticed when I played with him was that I would sneeze a lot and I started getting hives on my arm. My nose would also be runny and my eyes would water.