[RainKindle]

Mice carry diseases that can be deadly to pets. That's how we lost my brother's iguana at my old place.

Our pampered iguana was kept inside of course, (we live in Minnesota.) which is also partly why the mice wanted in so badly. We discovered, too late, that mice were sneaking inside the iguana cage to get at the iguana's pellets. The mice carried diseases that the iguana could not fight, and that is how we lost her.
Shortly afterwards, mom got a cat, because the cat smell kept out the field mice.
I still have my cat, she is a senior cat now living out her comfortable life. Mom's cat shares her home with my guinea pig and an additional cat.
My guinea pig lives with me comfortably in the basement in a cat proof capable home just in case, while the cats have free reign of the upstairs.
Ever since I started volunteering with adoptable rabbits, I've discovered that I may be allergic to the timothy hay. Therefore I simply take generic zyrtec or generic claritin. I was not going to give up my guinea over a mere allergy.
Also, my sweetheart happens to be very allergic to pet dander. When he mentioned that he wanted pets in our future and I asked him how that would work due to his allergies, he said, "I will get the allergy shots."
I have since come to the conclusion that if I were ever so extremely allergic to anything that I am not willing to give up, such as a pet that I've taken on the responsibility to care for, that I will get allergy shots as well.