Last summer I traded the chaos of the city for 10 days at a relative’s beach house. It was paradise--until I noticed my two cats looked like they were crying, their eyes watery and glossy. I thought maybe there was some toxic cleaning residue on the floors, as this relative hasn't yet fully embraced nontoxic living. Then I started to get a runny nose and teary eyes and thought we must all be allergic to something. But by the end of our time there, one of my cats had congested sounding breathing, and I was wiping their eyes, and my nose, all day. My relaxing getaway turned into an unexpected mystery.