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Louis Catorze’s allergy test results are in, and I could weep with frustration because they stated the one thing that I really, really didn’t want: inconclusive. I am in utter disbelief, especially after the veterinary nurse told me that she’d never seen an inconclusive result IN HER LIFE. Not only have I wasted time in implementing all the dust mite murder measures, but I feel I put poor Louis Catorze through the trauma of the blood test for nothing.

He registered a little sensitivity to some substances, but not enough to determine an allergy; apparently he needed to score at least 150 on the scale to be able to confirm that substance as the source of his allergic symptoms. For anyone who’s interested, I’ve summarised Louis Catorze’s readings below – and, as you will see, his numbers are some way off 150:

• Various mites including dust mites: up to 30 
• Various tree pollens: up to 30
• Various grass pollens: up to 18
• Fungus: 0
• Food: 0 

This was so unexpected that I didn’t have a Plan B, but I’ve been forced to think of one. The next step, according to the vet, is a skin scraping analysis to ensure that it’s not a bug infestation or an inherent skin condition, but the problem is that we’re moving house next week, then in August he has his yearly vaccinations (which can’t be done at the local vet: we have to schlep across London to his ex-rescue centre’s vet, because he needs a particular specialised version that won’t interfere with his meds). After he reacted so savagely to the first blood sample attempt, I am very reluctant to subject him to three disruptions – skin scraping, house move and vaccination – in the space of a month and a bit. 

So what I intend to do is move him, give him a few weeks to settle into Le Château, then take him to the rescue centre vet in August where, hopefully, they will be able to do the skin scraping AND the vaccination in one go. I’ve emailed them to ask if it will be possible, and I hope beyond hope that they will say yes.