[KappaKittyCat]

My biggest advice for your husband is that it's okay to pet Kitty, but he needs to wash his hands immediately after doing so. Both my mother and I follow that rule, and our allergies to our three cats do not bother us at all. You can get vacuums with HEPA filters in them, which also helps.

Also, if you (not your husband) brush Kitty often, he won't shed as much (and he'll have fewer hairballs, too). Grooming can become a daily ritual. Most cats love it-- they equate it with petting.

If Kitty seems interested in the furniture, just pick him up, say "NO!" and put him immediately on his scratching post. After a few times, he'll get the idea.

To pick up Kitty: start by petting him. If he runs away, chances are that he doesn't want to be picked up, and you will be clawed. If he acquiesces, put one hand behind his front legs, under his "shoulders." Lift that hand first, then support his hindquarters with the other hand. I usually hold my cats so that they're in a sitting position, with one hand under his front legs and the other forearm against my body, forming kind of a ledge for his hind paws to sit on. Also, never pick up a full-grown cat by the scruff of his neck. Their bodies can't support the weight. Eventually, if you need to give him a pill or something, you can hold his head still by the scruff, but don't let him hang by the scruff; always support his full body weight with your hands.

I'd suggest having Kitty's current owner hang out at your house for a while after she arrives with Kitty. You should get the litter box, food, and scratching post set up where you want it, and then she should walk through the room with you and Kitty and show them to him. She should put him in the litter box, set him next to his food, and put him on the scratching post. Then she should pet him and tell him that she's leaving him with you and that he'll have a good time. Then you should let him wander around and get his bearings on his own. Some cats do better if they're introduced to one room at a time.

And I'm serious about the talking to the cat thing-- they really understand what "their" people are saying.

Good luck and feel free to PM me with any more questions.