There.
I said it.
And not anti-pet as in, “I hate touching my husband’s wee-wee,” but rather, I’m anti-pet as in, “I don’t like your dog licking my face, and I don’t like the cat hair all over my new black pants from sitting on your couch.”
I’m anti-pet. Or should I say anti-animal-companion to some of you? Because seriously, your pet doesn’t give a crap if I call it a “pet” or “animal companion.” The term “pet” is not derogatory to an animal who speaks “Ferret.” Some animal lovers are just taking it too far with their dog strollers and fancy new terms.
Go on ahead and hate me.
I’ve tried so hard to provide my children with various pets. They never work out. We’ve given away fours dogs and one cat. The hermit crab pulled all of it’s legs off and committed crab suicide within two days, and the goldfish died when my three year-old fed them Degree deodorant and batteries.
I know some people love their animals like they’re children, but I just can’t bring myself to it. Maybe it’s because I have allergies. Maybe it’s because I don’t like dog nose shoved in my crotch when I walk through a door. Or maybe it’s because I think animal slobber is disgusting. But something inside of me makes me not even want to lean down and pet Fido when I come over for a visit because I know my hand will stink afterward.
Actually, can you just send Fido outside when I come over so I don’t have to watch it clean its butt with its tongue and then lick the face of my baby? Thanks.
My sister-in-law recently spent all kinds of money to give her 13-year-old dog a blood transfusion. I watched her stress over the situation as she spent her savings trying to save her dog’s life. I wanted to be really sympathetic, but I just couldn’t. I advised her to just put the dog down. I mean, the dog had lived for 13 years. That’s like a million in dog years. Why spend all of that money just to watch your dog die of old age in a year?
I’m not evil, and I don’t eat cat brains for dinner. I’m just practical.
When you have a pet you can’t pack up your kids and go anywhere you want for a weekend. You have to find a pet sitter. When you have a pet you have to add to your list of living things that you’re suddenly responsible for. When you have a pet your house starts to stink like cat pee. I don’t want a stinky house, a bevy of pet sitters, or hermit suicides and fish homicides on my conscious. I struggle enough trying to keep my children alive and from peeing in the corner.
I’m pretty sure the only pet I’ll ever like is a pet rock.
The Perfect Pet
Are you the same way? Or did I just infuriate you?
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You should NOT have said that to your sister.
She forgave me. Plus she totally “gets” it that I don’t “get” the whole pets are like people thing.
But, yes. I should have not have said that to my SIL. It’s a good thing we love each other so much.
I still love her.
Even if she doesn’t love my dog.
I still love her kids too, even though I don’t want any of my own.
I really admire your honesty. I don’t hate animals, but I NEVER want a pet. EVER. And if you admit that out loud people act like you’re some kind of seal-clubbing monster. My family keeps telling me that someday I’ll change my mind because “the kids need a pet”. Um, no. They don’t “need” a pet. I know damn well who would end up taking care of it, too. ME!
Amen. I am not a pet person either. Never have been, never will be.
I have never ever ever met a dog that didn’t smell. Just saying. SO not a dog person. They are just gross, even when well-behaved and pretty clean. I get so annoyed that my sister’s dogs have to spend Christmas with us, opening presents like they were actual grandchildren.
I do like having a cat. But we’ve had a series of cats since every couple years or so they seem to get hit by a car or eaten by coyotes. And nobody here gets too bent out of shape about it. Some would say it’s cruel to have an outside cat knowing its likely to have a short life around here, but I think they have a good ‘nough life.
I love cats because they are easy to care for. Make sure they have food and a relatively clean litter box and you’re good to go! Want to go away for a week? Go for it! Want to pet something soft and fuzzy? Do it! Don’t want to pet something soft and fuzzy? Not a problem (usually)!
I like my dog, but I’m not a dog person. I cried when the last one died, but not for a week or anything… Dogs are a lot more work than cats. Having dogs is similar to having children – especially when they’re puppies.
The animal fur can be a problem… We have four cats (one is a long-hair) and one dog; the fur can be a bit much around here. No wearing new black pants, to my house, I’m afraid. When I’m in my work clothes, I don’t sit down. But, I generally change immediately after getting home anyways, so it’s not an issue. Besides, that’s what they make lint brushes for!
I can’t see me ever being completely petless… I will always have at least one cat.
I too like animals more than I like people. Animals don’t lie to you. They don’t judge when you eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s. They miss you when you’re gone and are always happy to see you when you come home. They don’t ask to borrow the car. They don’t experiment with drugs. They love you more than anyone in the whole world and it’s pure unconditional love.
You mean my husband is staring at me, while I’m eating this tub of ice cream for breakfast, and judging me? DAMN HIM!
Yep! Bastards!
I absolutely love dogs. I grew up with dogs, once we had 8, 2 cats, a bird and a rat insanity. But I won’t get a dog or any pet for that matter, because I will have to be their sole caregiver and I already have my hands full with my kids. They are more work than I’m willing to deal with right now. My kids tell me when they’re hungry, will eventually use the bathroom on their own as well as cloth, bathe and feed themselves, a pet never will. I am also allergic to all cats and most dogs except the super short haired ones; pittbulls, rottweilers, bulldogs, and my renters insurance would skyrocket with one of them. I would make the exception for a Sphynx because my friend has one and they are awesome, but expensive.
No one should hate you for your opinion, that’s ridiculous. You have your own thoughts and just because they aren’t the same as everyone else doesn’t make you a monster it makes you an individual like me and every other damn person.
Ps; sorry punctuation isn’t my strong suit at 3:59 am
Nothing is my strong suit at 3:59am. I see you used a semi-colon up there. Those things freak me out. I am giving this comment an A+!
I agree more than 200% . Although I am not afraid of dogs in the least, my daughters are freaked out by them. So I’ve been trying to make an effort to be nicer about dogs and even stop to pet some as they are walking with their owners around us….. but I hate it. I hate the way they smell and lick….. yuck.
I just got to say, I am with you sista!
I am so glad you posted this! I am anti-pet too (for all of the reasons stated above) and people act like it’s the same as hating dogs or wishing evil upon them. I’m sorry, but no, I don’t understand why you act like your dog is equal to a child. And for every person who swears their pets are problem-free, inevitably they post on Facebook about dog diarrhea, cat puke, or my favorite – expensive medicine for MENTAL ISSUES like anxiety. Seriously?!! When people choose not to have children, I don’t treat them like evil kid-haters – I respect their decision. Unfortunately, I don’t get the same treatment.
I have three cats and I love them with all my heart. They are beautiful, smart, hilarious, loving creatures and I am so grateful to have them in my life. In my heart, they absolutely are my family and I feel so incredibly blessed. Sure, they shed some, they puke some, they pee and poo which sometimes smells (whose doesn’t??), but it’s all a very small price to pay to feel how I do when I know they trust me completely and love & adore me as much as I do them. It’s simply amazing.
My parent’s have a dog that sleeps next to my dad’s dirty socks or his shoes at night for the smell… my mom scarred me for life once by telling me when i was a teenager that the dog, who slept in the laundry room, was intentionally sleeping with his nose nestled up to my used pantyliner that he’d found on my laundry… she said that so I’d remember better to take them off.
Sorry.
I’d rather read your story (a non-pet person who admits it) than the story of someone who feels like they should have a pet but can’t stand it. My aunt is the latter. She has a maltese that spends 20 hours a day in his kennel. He was never socialized and her kids are afraid of it. She got him “because every family needs a dog, right?” Wrong. She ruined that animal and it’s going to die miserable. Better to know who you are and what you want than be an oblivious nut job.
I have always had lots of pets. I worked in a shelter in college, and was a vet tech to pay my way through a semester or two. That said, here are my thoughts:
–First and foremost, getting a dog and then leaving it alone in the backyard for 23 hours a day is solitary confinement, and incredibly cruel for a pack animal. Please, please don’t do this unless you have a farm with other animals your dog can interact with.
–Second, I love my cats and dog dearly, and will provide *reasonable* medical care and companionship for them until they die
–third, since I had my baby 12 months ago, the CONSTANT fur and hairball puke and scattered litter and noise is making me fucking crazy, and I sort of can’t wait until at least the cats kick the bucket. The dog and baby love eachother, and the dog is a good watchdog (for a Golden Retriever, that is), so he bothers me less. I wish I could just keep him shaved all the time, though
–I wish I could keep my house clean and hair-free. I own every Dyson and Spotbot in existence, but it’s not in the cards right now. So for the time being I just can’t wear black, keep a lint roller in my purse, and pick the fur off of my baby’s food whenever I can.
–fucking pets…
–but I still love them.
I don’t hate you for not wanting pets if your own, don’t hate you for thinking that you would not spend money on what you consider excessive medical procedures. However I do find it offensive that you seem to want to judge those of us who have pets. As long as I am not asking you to subsidize what I pay for my pets, that is not for you to judge. I would never pay for the things some people buy, but hey, it is their money.
As for the pet fur at my house, I always tell people I have pets, so they can decline to come to my house. I understand if they choose to decline, and I do not judge them for it.
I love my pets, they make my husband and I happy. So they are more than worth what I spend.
Oh my word, you absolutely read my mind!! I say this all the time!! I’m telling you our downfall as a society was domesticating animals!!! The hair, smell, sober, poop, pee, dander, NO THANKS!!!
Well, that’s ok. Not everyone likes pets!
Let’s just say I would not invite you over.
Oh, and in a choice between having you put down or my cat put down..
Let’s just say that my cats would still be around, and leave it at that.
Is that acceptable?
Or did I just infuriate you?
Wow. I’m speechless at how far you took a post about me not wanting a pet. I’m not furious. I’m shocked.
I tried to post a reply but don’t see it hear so here goes again.
The Great Pet Debate:
As a breeder/trainer/handler of dogs and horses, and as a mother of 3, grandmother of 3 let me post a thought on pets.
I agree that pets should not greet guests with a sniff up the crotch or jumping all over you. Guests that are allergic should not be subject to pet hair and such. If someones pet has not been trained then it should be removed from the room before the guests arrive. If you know someone is coming for a visit vacuum the house and clean that litter box. After all, you would like your friends to feel comfortable and wanted.
That being said, and remember I have kids and grand kids, I too should not be tormented when I come to visit. I don’t need your kids screaming in my ears, grabbing my cloths with jam covered hands or trying to sit on my lap with a long over due diaper change. I have been driven from stores shopping from screaming, crying kids that their parents refuse to do anything about. I have had my long over due evening out ruined by a child misbehaving in a restaurant after 9pm (I blame the parents entirely. After all the child is only hungry and tired.)
If someone chooses to indulge themselves by spending money on frivolous items for their pets, how is that any different than someone that insists on buying Tommy H. for their kids? The pets don’t care about the expensive items and neither do the toddlers.
Think first before you tell someone to “just put their sick dog down”. To someone that seriously loves their pet this is akin to you being told “just let nature take it’s course” when you have a sick child. Even if your child is not seriously ill (as my first child was and died) you don’t need anyone telling you to make light of the situation. It’s their beloved pet or your child and no one, not even those meaning well spiritually or otherwise, should impose their beliefs on another.
My suggestion is if you don’t like others pet’s, let them know as diplomatically as you’d expect someone to tell you that they don’t like kids. If you put the shoe on the other foot it gives a whole new perspective.
I used to love animals, we had a cat, a dog and a fish. Then, all of a sudden, we had 2 cats, 2 dogs, and the damn fish is still alive after 2 years! I grew up with dogs and cats in my family, took care of them, never had any issues with either. But now that I have kids and a Hubby, pets just don’t appeal to me anymore. When I clean my house for 2 hours, sweeping up 3-4 dustpans worth of dog hair, picking up pieces of chewed up flip flops and anything else the puppy can find, I don’t really want any pets anymore! I told my husband, that when our oldest dog goes, (she’s 13), if he even thinks of bringing another animal into this house, I will leave!
I think my bitching and yelling while cleaning all the hair and chunks of flip flops is getting to him, he hasn’t hinted around anymore about the cute puppies his friends dog had! I am SO with you, the only pet I ever want to have again is a pet rock!!!
I don’t necessarily “hate” pets, but I can do without for sure. It’s just one more thing on my already extremely long “take care of” list.
We’ve had gerbils, fish, cats, and dogs. We now are down to only a dog but the spastic licking and extreme shedding have me at my wits end. I mean, I opened my freezer door and there was dog hair just inside the door! Gross! She’s bathed, brushed, and taken care of but the shedding is out of control!
The other day she chewed my carpet while I was in the shower and then there’s the dog sitter thing. I can’t always take her with me when I leave and I’m not paying a doggy daycare to doggy sit so I end up having to beg friends to take care of her while I’m away.
I love her to pieces, don’t get me wrong, but if it weren’t for my boys I think I would be just fine not having a pet at all.
It’s such a fallacy that pet owners are animal lovers. It could not be farther from the truth. People own (read: OWN) animals to satisfy their own psychological needs. I’m an animal lover, but NOT a pet owner. Why would anyone want to castigate, castrate, and incarcerate an animal and still call themselves ANIMAL LOVERS?
Wow! Never thought of it like this! I love this point of view.
I’m pretty much right there with you, but our 11-year-old golden retriever whom my daughter just exclaimed is “practically Dad’s best friend!” It’s going to be a long night, I’m afraid…
Ed, is completely right. I love animals, & I suppose pets have genuine purpose to some, like lonely people, & ranchers, lol, but we take every bit of purpose out of these animals lives, & expect them to conform to our way of life. We’re not meant to live so closely. A canine in the wild doesn’t suffer from depression, or separation anxiety, & it, surely, doesn’t require obedience training. Animals don’t need us. We breed them to our will, never giving thought to the consequences. Some of these breeds are abominations of health issues, brought on by our obsessive desire to, one up, the neighbor with our new breed.
I have to say that for the last couple of hours i have been hooked by the impressive posts on this website. Keep up the wonderful work.
I also do not like pets. I like animals, but I do not like pets in my home. I repeat. I do not LIKE pets in my home. My husband has a dog whom he loves (notice I said my husband, not WE), and if he gave him to another family, I wouldn’t shed a tear (I’d actually jump for joy). He doesn’t even like cleaning up after the dog. To me, having pets are unnecessary responsibility. When I need it, I find companionship in people around me and as semi-introvert, I am often happy by myself and getting licked by Fido is just annoying, intrusive, and gross, and if I’m going to clean up after a helpless creature, I’d rather it be my children.
The funny thing is, I’m a vegetarian. I’m a vegetarian more for political reasons, but I also believe that animals should be treated with gentleness, but does not like animals actually living in her house. Other people’s pets don’t bother me, though. I actually am like those who claim to love kids but never, ever want their own. I do not want pets, but other people’s don’t bother me at all.
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