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[Group 5 minus 1]

Forgot to add we have no carpeting and 4 dog doors.

[Lostandscared]

On 4/7/2015 FastDogWalker2 said:

Five pets here! Two cats and three dogs! I do not equate cleanliness (or lack therein) to pet ownership. I have been in homes that were spotless that had pets and homes that were unclean with no pets. I am not aware if anyone has ever hesitated to eat at my home or be a guest...I guess I hope not!

So true!! I have a friend with no pets, but her house is awful..stuff all over, i can hardly see her carpet! I would rather eat in a clean house with pets, then a dirty home without pets.

[ChiliPepper]

We have 3 cats which we love to death & wouldn't trade for anything. If you have allergies I can understand but other than that if you don't want to come over because of my pets then so be it - stay home. I am a pet person & you are not - that's ok but stay home.

Anyways, if the house is messy once in awhile it is me - not them!

[PamelaSue72]

We have six cats. At one time, we were up to eight, but we lost our two Old Ladies a couple years ago. My house is as clean as I can keep it. And other than that, I don't worry about it.

A few years ago, we got our elliptical and needed somebody to come in and put it together. Two men came in and we were sitting back in the bedroom. One by one, the furkids showed up. Finally, one of the guys looked at me and said, "How many cats do you have?" I said we had six. He looked around and said, "I only see five." And I said, "Look under the bed." And there was a pair of eyes looking straight at us. He laughed and said, "God, I'm allergic to cats. I need to go get my meds!" The other guy said he would have never, ever guessed we had six cats. He said he couldn't smell a thing. Which was good.

Last year, a policeman was in our kitchen. He was taking information as I had been hit by a car while out walking. One cat jumped up on the table. And I picked her up. Another cat was sitting on the stereo speakers. He asked me the same thing. I told him we had six cats. He took a deep breath and said, "Honest, I would have never guessed it. I've been in houses with only one cat and you wouldn't believe how bad the smell was."

It's all about cleaning and scooping and taking care of things. Yes, our furniture has scratches. And the carpet has a couple stains from where a cat became ill. It comes with the territory.

Nobody has ever refused a dinner invitation to our house.

To be honest, I'd rather visit people who have pets...they're easier to get along with. And I'd rather be visited by people who have pets; they understand.

[Vivian]

My house is clean. I have a cleaning woman every week in addition to my own housework, but I cannot live without a dog. Maddie is our fourth beagle and lives in every room of our house, depending on her mood. I'm sure there are people whose standards of household cleanliness are stricter than mine but that's OK. My house without a dog is not a home.

[spot555]

Pfffttt I say to "those" people!

Love me, love my dog...or cat...or rat, lol. If it bothers a person THAT MUCH, then they can stay home- period.

I clean A LOT, own a Rug Doctor, & do the best I can. I couldn't care less if someone is offended by a dog or cat hair (they aren't my kind of people, to put it mildly!)

There are so many very serious things to worry about in this world. Pet issues isn't one of them. It just seems like a very "B" attitude.

[BLH]

Everyone has their own thing. It just depends on what you're used to. As soon as I walk into someone's home who has a cat or dog I can smell it right away. The same if someone smokes. The people who live there are used to it. It's your home and you can do what you want. I have a friend who has a dog and I tell him not to bring the dog to my home. You have to respect everyone's home. I personally just find it disgusting when I see his dog wipe it's behind on the rug. It just grosses me out. But to each their own.

[Lostandscared]

Forgot to mention, I would not want to be friends, or have guests over who feel that way. I would rather eat with my pets!

[curlywhitedog]

I have a dog AND a clean house...they are not mutually exclusive to one another.

As for people who might not want to visit because I have a dog...too bad, so sad, who cares. I'll take my dog over judgmental people any day of the week.

Maria

[Puppy Lips]

Hello Mom in Ohio. I used to be a Mom in Ohio, now I am a Mom in Florida. We have always had a least one dog. We had two for the past 5 years, but the older one just died last month. I like big dogs with lots of hair. I sweep often -- the hair tends to group together on the floor and I get balls of hair floating around on the tile floor every few days.

I clean my home, but it is not sterile. I guess I could see where someone would not want to visit or eat where there are pets. But as others have said, I would not miss them. Our pets are a part of our family. So you either accept them as part of the deal, or not. But I would never give up my dogs because someone thought they were unhealthy.

Can you have a perfectly clean home with a dog or cat? Probably not. In fact I don't think you can have a perfectly clean home without a dog or cat. Life is not sterile. We bring in things on our shoes and clothes. We sneeze, we breathe, we cook. Life is too short. The more dogs I have to love, the better.