dander

a cat drooled on me. a cat drooled on me so much that a large drool spot was left on my shirt. i was not, until recently, aware that cats drooled. when i expressed my surprise, i was told "that's cat dander. that's what you're allergic to."
"drool?" i asked.
"yes, dander." i was told.
"i thought dander was like their hair and stuff. like dandruff. i figured dander and dandruff shared a latin root."
"nope. dander is spit."
and like a sucker, i totally believed it.
i believed it all the way up until just now when i looked up "dander" in the dictionary and found the definition:
Pronunciation:  /ˈdan-dər/ 
Function: n 
: DANDRUFF 
specifically :  minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may act as allergens