When the hubby and I started dating, something really upset me: He never wanted a pet…in the house. He grew-up on a farm, so the whole idea of having a house pet freaks him out. He believes animals are meant to stay outside – period. This upset me so much because I grew-up in the country with animals outside as well, but I also always had a soft spot for our house pets, too.
It was our one major argument factor while dating: Did I really want to marry someone who wouldn’t budge and I could possibly never have a dog or cat?
Eventually, I got over it and gave up. I knew my love for him couldn’t surpass something I would feel for an animal.
Funny how things change. Today, while 99.9% of our friends and family have at least one animal, I’m singing a different tune. I no longer want a pet either (at least for now). Don’t get me wrong — I LOVE animals and cry at every single Humane Society commercial — but like some people feel about kids — I’m happy to play with them and give them back to the owners.
In fact, in recent years, I’ve become somewhat bitter toward many of the irresponsible pet owners I’ve encountered. Here are some examples of what irks me:
– In our previous home, people let their dogs poo on our lawn pretty much daily, and didn’t pick it up. Not cool.
– When searching for a new home, I was instantly turned off by those that had pets and didn’t clean up after them. One house had a Great Dane and there were claw marks along ALL the sideboards and doors. Umm, no thanks – I don’t want to spend a fortune repairing those. And don’t even get me started on the stench in many of the homes. When you’re not used to those smells, they hit you x100. {On the other side of the coin: The house we bought actually had an adorable Black Lab, but you can’t tell whatsoever. It’s so evident the owners took care of cleaning up after him and vacuuming frequently. No smells and not even a trace of hair was left in our carpets.}
– Doggy daycare is a cool invention, but why would you get a dog when you live in a small house/apartment, with no yard, then spend a fortune on doggy daycare because you work 40 hours a week? I feel so bad for those dogs. They don’t deserve to be cooped up. And personally, I think it’s irresponsible for people to spend money like that, unless you have zero debt. Animals are expensive, deserve great care, and should only be purchased if you can afford it.
– I truly love dogs of all breeds, but I don’t like it when they jump on me (especially while pregnant)…lick me, lick my child (sorry, that’s disgusting), etc. I wish more dog owners got their dogs trained and stuck with it. Not everyone likes that type of interaction.
– I like to be busy, take vacations or at least be able to spend the night somewhere without worry. That’s not possible with an animal and it’s not fair to assume everywhere/everyone will be conducive to letting your pet stay at their home. Always ask; don’t assume.
– EVERYONE loves to tell us we should’ve gotten a pet before having a baby to test how we’d be as parents. First of all, we’re on-the-go constantly. How is that fair to an animal? And second, how can you even compare the two? You can’t lock a baby out of your room when he/she is being whiny and you don’t have to pick up poo the second it’s dropped with an animal. Ignoring a crying child and leaving him/her in a dirty diaper for hours can be considered child abuse. There’s no comparison.
Will we eventually have a dog or cat? I really hope so…If I can ever convince the hubby! But the time is not now for our family. Will I teach my children to ask daddy for a doggy or kitty when the time is right? You betcha.
But, you better believe that I will *only* get a pet if our kids are old enough to help out and I have a flexible job so we can give the little furball as much attention as he/she deserves.
Am I being too harsh here? Do you have any peeves about pet owners?
I hear ya on houses that smell like animals. It’s a big turn off. We walked away from several pet homes for that reason.
I agree with you about why someone would want a dog….when they never spend time with it, don’t have a large enough yard for it, or HORRORS: keep it on a chain. I know in some areas, there are laws against chaining a dog – it should be everywhere!
You loved living with Bella-boo-boo though, right? She misses her Auntie Lauren. 😉
I hear you on most counts. If I had a house and lived closer to work, I think I’d get a dog. But it’s not fair to that dog if I’m never around and there’s no where to run. And owners that don’t pick up after their dog, well, they should go to the pound.
Lauren, I’m completely with you on all points!
I had cats before I had the children. When I brought my first boy home, I had to give the two cats up when Monkey was 2 months old. I just couldn’t pay them any attention, give them the time they needed, and I couldn’t keep the house clean enough (to my standards) for a baby. So no, I don’t think you’re being harsh at all.
I’m a complete animal lover. I grew up with dogs in our house and loved having them. But now? I’m totally with you on these points. I would love to have a dog at some point, especially for our kids, but the time just isn’t right for now.
We had dogs and a cat before we had kids. Now we just have one dog, and she’s getting pretty old. When she’s gone I really don’t want any pets for a good long while! The mess. I can’t take it. My dog sheds like there’s no tomorrow. It’s impossible to keep up with. I have to scour the yard every time the kids go out to play to make sure there are no land mines for them to step in. Going on vacation is a major hassle because she’s really neurotic and there’s no way we can board her. So we can never go anywhere as a family for more than a couple days, because that’s about the limit of my mom’s willingness to dog-sit. I LOVE my dog, and she is incredibly gentle and great with the kids, but I have no desire to get another dog or cat anytime soon.
I have 2 dogs and I can tell you life would be so much easier if I didn’t. I love my dogs but it’s a pain to travel anywhere because they either have to go with us (which isn’t easy with two huge dogs) or we have to pay for boarding (which is expensive).
On the other hand, the kids love. love. love. the dogs.
I have only one pet.. She’s a Japanese Spitz breed. Good thing she don’t pee and poos everywhere. She hates mess. Advantage for me..