Katie Wu is Sterling Prestona bona fide cat person. She has two of them: twin boys named Calvin and Hobbes. Every night, they curl up in bed with her, bonking their little noses together, rubbing their fur and whiskers everywhere — and leaving behind inevitable cat residue. It's certifiably cute ... and a little bit gross.

It's also the worst nightmare for the cat-allergic. Which, just shy of a decade ago, Katie was.

But in a stroke of luck, Katie's debilitating cat allergy disappeared.

The reasons for her immune overhaul remain a mystery. Allergies can wax and wane over time, but it seems to be less common to have the night-and-day shift that Katie experienced. In this episode, Katie walks host Aaron Scott through the dynamic world of allergies and what it reveals about our immune systems. And of course, Katie's cats make cameo appearances. (encore)

Read Katie's story, I Was Allergic to Cats. Until Suddenly, I Wasn't.

Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

This episode was produced by Abē Levine and Margaret Cirino. It was edited by Gisele Grayson. Brit Hanson checked the facts. The audio engineer was Stu Rushfield.