AIBU to think there's nothing wrong with me?

[blissey]

Namechanged in case IABU and people hate me!

When I was growing up, we always had dogs, but I never bothered much with them. I was once given some goldfish for my birthday, but I wasn't fussed. My aunt and uncle had horses - not interested. My cousin has a cute puppy, of which I like to see pictures, but I don't like it when they visit. My DH has got cats, but I don't care for them either.

I guess I'm just not a pet person, and I'm quite content with that. Apart from finding living with cats very annoying, but my DH loves them, so I respect that. I wouldn't ever hurt an animal, just ignore it and get on with my life.

However, if anyone asks me about this, or tries to get me to be enthusiastic about their pets, and they find out that I don't care, they recoil in horror and treat me as if I were some kind of mass murderer. They seem to think that in order to be a decent human being you have to dote on animals and find their every move cute and adorable.

AIBU to think that there's nothing wrong with me?

It's absolutely fine you don't like pets/animals etc but if you are telling people not to bother to talk to you about something they care about because it doesn't interest you and you don't want to hear it, then you are possibly coming across as rude and lacking in empathy/conversational skill.

I get that, and I wouldn't normally. But this was after I'd already sat through a couple of appointments nodding politely, occasionally trying to change the subject, and it was getting on my nerves as she was one of those furbaby type people.

Yes it's the anthropomorphism of pets which annoys me. I like animals for being animals, and treat them as animals. I have friends who talk about their cats constantly the way some people talk about their children, sign Christmas cards and round robins from their pets, call themselves the mother/ father of the cat .... I find it very strange.

Years ago I went on a husky sledding holiday run by a man who owned about 30 huskies. They lived outside in a pack in group dog houses. He obviously loved them and they were really well looked after and loved running with the sled. He pointed out all kinds of doggy pack behaviour in how the dogs related to one another. He wasn't sentimental about them though, and he treated them very much as dogs.

he was completely horrified at how dogs are anthropomorphised by others. He shuddered at dogs living inside, sleeping on the sofa (I didn't tell him about dogs sleeping on the owner's bed...), being treated like a human and not living like a dog. To his mind, dogs are best off living with other dogs outside, lots of exercise and getting muddy, and comfortable knowing their place in the pack and that's not at the top dominating all the humans

Yanbu. I love my pets, but recognize others may not.

same with my dc

There are other things to talk about with people, surely?

I don't know bunny, I think the hairdresser sounds lacking in social skills for not picking up on the op not being interested in that conversation. Lots of people don't want to chat during haircuts, does she rabbit on about her cats to them too?

I imagine the op can exchange a few polite sentences about her cats if required, but that suffices for politeness.

In my personal opinion I think you must be a pretty cold & unaffectionate/compassionate person to not care for even the cutest of animals....were your parents like this?

I have a friend the same and she is openly a cold, uncaring person in general. Yet her sister is a veterinary lecturer & a doctor in animal behaviour!

In my personal opinion I think you must be a pretty cold & unaffectionate/compassionate person to not care for even the cutest of animals....were your parents like this?

My parents love animals. They spend a lot of their time dogsitting.
I work six days a week caring for people.

In my personal opinion I think you must be a pretty cold & unaffectionate/compassionate person to not care for even the cutest of animals

What a dreadful comment. Do you think only cute animals should be cared for? Or should be cared for more?

I prefer animals in the wild. I love birds and bird watching, looking for seals, sea otters, deer etc. I can't be arsed with dogs or cats and think there's enough to do tidying up after the kids without bringing animals into the house. Cats can also fuck off because they kill birds and they're self centred bastards anyway. I did let ds have a hamster. I'm pretty fond of her because she makes him so happy.

There's nothing wrong with not wanting a pet.

Each to their own really. A lot of people I work with feel similar to you blissey. It's fine to not be overly bothered by pets. I am the complete opposite. I have nick names for all the pets. When I took my daughter to see "A street cat named Bob" I sobbed even though it was a happy ending .

Lonely, do you eat meat? Is killing animals that aren't 'cute' ok? Does the fact that I'm a vegetarian mean I'm more of an animal lover than a meat-eater, despite not being moved by fluffy kittens?

I like other people's pets. If I see a dog tied up outside a shop, or a cat sunbathing on a garden wall I can't resist stopping to say hello and fussing over them. But I have no desire whatsoever for one of my own! Like PPs, I most enjoy seeing animals in the wild; there's nothing like unexpectedly meeting a deer while walking in the woods.

I'm not that bothered. I have a goldfish and a cat for the kids, I would hate to see them dirty/hurt/hungry but am I am just a bit in my feelings for them. So I get you. They are animals, not people.

But then I totally get that animal people feel the same about my precious little darling children

I hate pets - they stink! The majority of people I know/have met that have a pet also smell of said pet, or their house does.
Obviously I'm a shady person because animals are so psychic and me not liking them is a sign I'm actually a witch!

Or, they smell & are dirty and I'm generally not a fan!

I have a problem with domesticated animals - I am not sure it is loving animals to take them into an alien place (our homes) and expect them to behave in a domesticated way that fits in with our needs. What about their needs?

I am fascinated and charmed and appalled in equal measure by wildlife. They are beautiful, cruel, interesting - in their own environment.

I am intrigued by the actions of animal lovers - in-breeding, tail docking - the list goes on.

We have a very strange relationship with the animal world - we eat them, we kill them for sport, we dote on them, we ask them to behave like humans - it is all a puzzle that I do not understand.

But I do not think that people who do not love animals and do not have pets are less human to less to be trusted. That is crazy.

HopelesslydevotedtoGu yes good point about hairdressers chat, poor conversational skills won't be helping her in her line of work at all.

I don't wish pets any harm, I'm pleased that other people seem to get enjoyment out of them and I'll pat the odd dog if it looks friendly. However I have no desire to have one at all, work colleagues repeatedly tell me I'm missing out and my house isn't a home without one.
I dislike the smell of some homes which have pets, especially cats, I think that's because I'm allergic so can tell as soon as I enter that there's one there. My eyes stream, my throat becomes itchy etc. It's safe to say me and cats have a mutual dislike

I am intrigued by the actions of animal lovers - in-breeding, tail docking - the list goes on.

That makes it sound as though all animal lovers engage in or support those actions! I think it would be better to qualify it as "some" or "so-called". Some of us actively campaign against such practices.

I actively dislike dogs lem and mrsdv, does that mean I'm not trustworthy?

I've had bad experiences with them, I don't like the way they jump up or slobber on me (or my picnic), one cocked it's leg and weed on my pram, I hate dogshit on the path or in the park. Can't stand the incessant barking next door. Big dogs scare me.

I loved my cat but I also dislike the neighbourhood cats for their habits of scragging my bins and shitting in the garden.

Doesn't make me a horrible person! I'd never hurt an animal but I don't want your dogs sniffing me.

I'm offended that someone wouldn't trust me because I don't like animals. Just because I don't like animals doesn't mean I'm some kind of closet serial killer. I just don't like them. For the most part because they stink and they have no boundaries. Also because they slobber.

That is true Page but its also true that some of those who shout the loudest about being animal lovers are the ones with the unhappiest, unhealthiest pets.

But yeah, its people who love animals who drive the campaigns to stop cruel practices. Its not going to be done by the people who don't is it?

What are you on about Luksha?

Do you hate all animals and children?
If you don't 'I have no idea why you have asked me that question.

But all animals don't stink and slobber and have no boundaries Felecia do they?
Do you mean you don't like dogs and cats?

Or do you think Penguins, Lions, deer, muskrats and King Pythons can't wait to sit on your lap and give you a kiss?

Why don't people read what is written before getting all offended and frothy?

That is true Page but its also true that some of those who shout the loudest about being animal lovers are the ones with the unhappiest, unhealthiest pets.

True - and probably another parallel with parents/children!

blossom the clue is in the word 'domesticated'
I agree with you on caged animals, exotics etc but companion animals are not in an alien environment if they are in our homes.
You average dog wouldn't be happy back out on the tundra

Can you imagine

YANBU, you're perfectly normal.

However there is something quite wrong with people who think like this:
In my personal opinion I think you must be a pretty cold & unaffectionate/compassionate person to not care for even the cutest of animals