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[ChynnaBlue]

"I have had people tell me that they won't visit anywhere that had pets indoors, and especially won't eat at someone's home if they have pets. "

Two things come to mind:

My mom was once having lunch at a friends house and had a very good time until she noticed that the cat was walking around in the cupboard with the dishes. She did not eat there again. You may have a clean home and not let your pets play on the clean dishes, but other people don't know that. I will visit and eat at the homes of some people with pets, but I don't eat food at pot lucks because cleanliness is an unknown.

I have severe pet allergies. I have friends who have 4 cats and 2 dogs and I rarely visit them because of my allergies. They also smoke AND smoke foods in the yard, which I'm also allergic to. If I do visit, I am the last to arrive and the first to leave because I need to limit my time there. I never said anything, but their house smelled BAD. I was assailed by it as soon as I opened the door. I knew my friend always cleaned extra well before I came over and I appreciated that and never said anything about the smell. One night I came over and it smelled SO much better than ever before and my friend showed off her new vacuum cleaner. At that point I DID let her know that I definitely noticed a difference and that the house smelled great.

Pets are a choice and I'm not going to begrudge anyone for making that choice. I can either ask them to change their behavior or I can change my own. I choose to change my own so that we can all live in peace.

[Perkup]

I have a dog - I've always had a dog, and they've always been a part of the inside of my home. If you don't care to come here because of that, please do us both a favor and stay away. If you can't tolerate my pets, whom I love, then we really don't have much in common anyway.

Is my home spotless. Nope! Nor would it be if we had no dog. But it suits us quite well and we don't care how others feel. It is, after all, OUR HOME.There's no smell and no unsanitary conditions. Dog hair? Sure, but we vacuum several times each week and he is only allowed on one piece of furniture - this suits him (and us) very well.

[Mominohio]

On 4/8/2015 kittymomNC said:

O/T - Mominohio, just wanted you to know in case you haven't been back to it, apparently your post was removed this morning... it says yours is the last one, but it isn't there. And so it goes...

OMG! We are having lots of trouble with our internet, and it is coming and going a lot these last couple of days, and its out for hours at a time, so I'm not able to keep up with what is being said or done very well.

That post was not directed to her, but answering another poster, did you get to see it? I'll head over there and see, and thanks for the heads up. I'm getting really tired of this, and think Q needs to do something about it.

If I seem to disappear from here for awhile, no one has run me off, we really are having problems with the net (and the computer too, sometimes) so I will be up and on when I can. Just don't assume she got to me and I ran away with my tail between my legs!

[Bird mama]

I used to live with 4 birds that were given quite a bit of freedom. Three in the finch family, one in the dove family. My eldest female sparrow lived 9 years and 9 days. Her brother will be 10 (God willing) in June. I've been told my birds outlived their life expectancy - I don't know. All I know is they are happy and healthy and living a long time under the current arrangement. Yes, I have paper under the perches and yes I am often with the stick vac picking up the seed. I would say I probably clean more with them than I would without them.

I keep a clean house and for anyone who doesn't like the arrangement, I quote the Spin Doctors (Pocketful of Kryptonite album).

"This is my house, if you don't like it, just get out uh, get out uh, get out uh"

Edited to add:

Poppi will be 10

Grayson will be with me 6 (I think he was near a year when he joined me)

Presto will be 2

[LTT1]

We used to have three dogs and a cat! Our little daughter had asthma so bad. Finally, one day as a senior in high school, she admitted that she had trouble that started when she walked in the front door (at this age, we saw very little of her!)... Our remaining dear doggie friend was having health problems... so this was the right time to make a decision with the vet's help.

We are animal lovers... all of us in our family. We LOVE furry and feathered friends!

No about a clean home... I vacuumed more when we had pets... it was cleaner THEN than NOW!!!

[White Picket Fence]

I can't believe what I'm reading as far as OP asking if pets basically belong indoors! I see my dogs as family. The house is clean and as long as you have trained your dog to 'go' outside then what is the problem?

These animals have feelings and in this day and age anyone with a brain or heart would not have their dog living outside! Maybe it's a southern thing? Here in the Northeast animals are family and that is a cruelty to animals offense if a dog is made to live outdoors. If you don't like an animal around and only care about your house being perfect and shiny, then never get a pet. They don't deserve to be treated as a "thing".

I had a mother who was very very clean with the way the house looked. When I was a child I wanted a dog so badly, but she was afraid of them. Eventually she caved and I got my wonderful cockapoo puppy. My mother ended up loving her and the house remained very clean and the dog lived right with us as it should be.

Like another poster said, you can have animals and have a clean house and be someone without animals and they have a dirty house. It is all up to the homeowner. Do you let others make your decisions on whether to have a dog or cat or any other animal? If you do, you are not living a true life. The fact you even asked this question makes me feel like you would get rid of your dogs or animals if others wouldn't eat at your house!

I have never heard of such a thing. I have allergies to animals and I grew up a huge animal lover. The allergies got worse and worse with age. However, I am able to have two non allergenic dogs, and we adopted two cats years ago that I can't be near much but my husband and son take good care of them. Our home is beautiful and I love home decor as well. I am always looking at homegoods. I also have an interest in antiques. I love all animals and actually am getting another dog this summer.

If someone ever said they were not going to eat at our house because we have animals, then I would say keep walking. These are my kids and they are family. I also wouldn't do well with anyone that does not care for animals.

What about houses with kids? Those are often the houses that can be quite a mess if not kept up with. But that's life. You have to teach kids what is allowed just as we train our pets. A House is Not a Home Without a Dog or Cat. You can keep the Sterile Cuckoo Nest.

[kiamom23]

On 4/7/2015 molisa said:

I have nothing against pets but the don't belong in my home. I am extremely picky about cleanliness. Not only can I tell if someone has pets when I walk in their home, I can often tell when I meet them. Clothes with pet hair on them, coats and other rarely cleaned items have a smell clinging to them (and don't protest, it is true, you are used to it if you have pets and that is fine.) I won't eat at a house that has indoor pets or eat food that comes from one.

That said, it's your home and if you want a full on petting zoo in your living room or one dog in your sunroom and anything in between that is fine with me. That is the great part about living in a democracy, no one gets to dictate if you have animals in your house our not. Live your life and move on!

Certainly is your right if you feel that way. I'm assuming that you don't eat out at restaurants either. There is no telling what goes on in the kitchen! Workers may have a few stray pet hairs on them or worse.

[BonnieBelle]

I've always had pets and my home is clean. I've never been criticized to my face anyway. I don't really care what anyone would think. It's my home and my pet. I'd rather have my pet than company.

[kittymomNC]

On 4/8/2015 mominohio said:

On 4/8/2015 kittymomNC said:

O/T - <em>Mominohio</em>, just wanted you to know in case you haven't been back to it, apparently your post was removed this morning... it says yours is the last one, but it isn't there. And so it goes...

OMG! We are having lots of trouble with our internet, and it is coming and going a lot these last couple of days, and its out for hours at a time, so I'm not able to keep up with what is being said or done very well.

That post was not directed to her, but answering another poster, did you get to see it? I'll head over there and see, and thanks for the heads up. I'm getting really tired of this, and think Q needs to do something about it.

If I seem to disappear from here for awhile, no one has run me off, we really are having problems with the net (and the computer too, sometimes) so I will be up and on when I can. Just don't assume she got to me and I ran away with my tail between my legs!

No, I didn't, and I agree. I went to look when I saw yours was the last post since I was there, but no post! Again! And I just saw your new thread... nobody could ever accuse you of running away from a ruckus!

[Pagan]

I think children in the kitchen aren't always that great either!

I was having dinner at a friend's house last month.

When I carried the dirty plates into the kitchen after the first course, her little daughter was helping with the fruit salad dessert. Her mom always tells me she helps in the kitchen but I'd never seen it in action before.

The daughter was helpfully putting some of the chopped fruit into the serving bowl but also some pieces in her mouth with her fingers going right in up to the knuckles. A lot of the pieces were coming out of her mouth again too.

Then she was back to putting more fruit and slobber into the serving bowl with her sticky fingers.

I'm never, ever going to eat any salad or anything sweet at that house ever again!