Please don't shoot me for asking this...

[tielfan]

People CAN be allergic to birds. When I was tested for allergies, one of the substances in the scratch test was feathers. Fortunately I was NOT allergic to that, although I turned out to be allergic to at least 24 kinds of plants.

You can show her an online article if she doesn't believe it. There's one at When Bird Allergy Flies Your Way and another at http://allergy.health.ivillage.com/a...dallergies.cfm

[tawny30]

My mother has bad allergies and asthma and cannot visit me at my house for more then a couple minutes at a time.
We remedied this by going to visit her at her house.
I love my babies..both Avian and K9 So giving them up was not an option.
Perhaps she can make the effort and visit your house.
I have yet to hear of a good way to make animals ok for someone with allergies. We have tried all of them and it just doesn't work..especially with birds.
So my best suggestion is let her know it isn't that you don't like her bird but that is makes you ill.
You should not compromise your health for anyone.

[Ginich]

I have two sons-in-law that are highly allergic to birds dander/powder and cats. I had my birds and cats before I had the sons-in-law. They live in other states. However, when they come to visit, I start the week before running 3 Hepa air filters 24/7, dusting and vacuuming all the funiture, fans, hard surfaces. They take Allegra and whatever the latest allergy meds are and one brings an inhaler. They can only make it in my house for about 2 hrs before I notice their eyes start getting red, etc. I am not interested in putting them in the hospital. But since they only visit a few times/yr right now, I am not willing to give up my companion animals either. As the animals pass, I will probably not acquire more dander/powder types of pets.

They usually stay at a hotel or a friend's vacation condo when they come to visit and we go out to eat/to the beach/go boating, or hang out whereever they are staying. Fortunately, they can afford not to stay with me. Plus, right now, it is easier for me to travel to visit them since they have babies and toddlers.