To think that people who don’t like pets shouldn’t be judged as “cold”?

[ByMellowScroller]

Not everyone loves animals, yet people think it’s a red flag. AIBU to think it’s just personal preference and nothing more?

Calm down 🤣 I’m talking about people that I know, not people in general.

The people I know who don’t have animals are often more concerned about the state of their house, or they’re very practical and unemotional people. I like them but there’s no getting away from the fact that they’re different from those who do have pets.

In fact my parents have always been pretty cold and functional people, they got some cats a couple of years ago and the way they’ve changed is hilarious. My siblings and I laugh about it, they’re much more emotional and overtly caring than they ever were before. It’s very sweet to see.

Some people translate someone saying they dont like animals enough to want to own one, or don't like them enough to want to choose to the expense and responsibility for owning one to mean you hate animals, you don't want them to exist or don't if they're abused or that you don't give a fuck if they go extinct.

I find it really interesting that people jump straight from ‘I don’t want a pet’ to ‘I hate animals’. Plenty of people who love animals don’t wish to own a pet. Or they don’t live a lifestyle that is conducive to owning one.

My DH wasn’t really keen on having pets although we now have two cats and he loves them as much as the rest of us do. A friend of mine who is obsessed with dogs warned me that he wouldn’t be a good father if he didn’t want a dog 🙄which has turned out to be patently false.

Because the thread was about dogs in cafes. People who dislike dogs using dog smells as some sort of gotcha. Not all dogs smell. And dog smell is just a dog smell... it is not nasty.

If you have a baby, your house will smell of milk puke and nappies. If you are nursing someone who is very ill, your house is going to smell too.... anything from catarrh to infection and death. If you have teen boys, it will smell of BO and feet.

Teenage boys have a very distinct smell 🤣

This is such a narrow-minded post. Not wanting pets doesn't necessarily mean that you have no feeling for other living creatures. There are so many other potential reasons why people might not want pets... don't want the responsibility, don't like the mess, can't afford it, have allergies, have ethical objections to keeping animals domesticated etc.

Oh, all right, XenoBitch 😁I admit I was stirring the pot a bit. Of course I don't really think pet owners are slave owners I just want to remind you all that there is another way of looking at the question. And I do prefer people who argue back at me (like you lot!) rather than just thank me for taking them for a walk. So I'm not a big pet owner but I definitely do see how nice it is for dog owners, say, that they bond with one another while walking their dogs, etc etc. I just think this isn't really a moral issue, it's simply a matter of personal preference

And ignore all the strike-outs. They plague all my posts.

Dogs smell. Dog people don't notice it - this allows them to tolerate the stench in their own homes, and inure them to how badly dogs make other areas smell - some worse than others. Dogs make places smell. And I don't want to have to smell dog breath, dog fur oils, dog farts and general dogness when I am eating.

It is perfectly reasonable to point out that many of us don't appreciate dogs in cafes due to how much they smell.

ALL dogs smell. Some worse than others. But smell, they do.

I have a teen boy. He showers morning and evening, and has great hygiene. He smells of Lush soap.

But I bet, you are fine with service dogs smell. They don't bother you.
A guide dog for a blind person is still going to stink up their house. But you would dare not tell them that, because they are the right type of dog person.

Animal smell. And humans are animals. They go out without washing or using deodorant. They also crack off farts in public places that would get Greta Thunberg running to have a word. Ask any Londoner about the underground and them smells there. Humans are disgusting.

Costa allow dogs now, and I saw one in a branch recently. I can't recall the air turning green with dog stench. I only noticed the dog because I ended up sitting next to it, and it was a puppy... and I asked to say hello. Very well behaved, and no smell.

You're right, it's just personal preference and nothing more.
YANBU.

What about people who don't like or enjoy children?
Doesn't make them cold people or raise red flags either.
We're all entitled to preferences surely?

YANBU I once read an article about Trump being an obvious red flag for not owning a dog like other presidents.

I find that a lot of animal lovers adore their pets but happily eat meat and dairy products. All animals should be treated well but some species are clearly more special than others for this kind of person.

I don’t have the time or inclination to look after a pet so wouldn’t have one and I think that it’s best that people who aren’t interested, don’t get a pet for the sake of it. There are already too many owners who shouldn’t have pets in the first place.

I’m a lovely person, who has zero interest in animals.

If all we had to contend with were service dogs, that would be a manageable amount, because there aren't that many genuine ones around (don't get me started on the fake ones with the Amazon vests). The issue is now so many people take their pets to shops and eateries, it is nigh on inescapable.

Of course some people smell. Most people don't smell too badly though, for the most part. We have showers, and deodorant, and brush our teeth. We can't go through life without humans. I expect to encounter them. We don't need to add dogs to the mix.

Anyway, you are boring me now, with your dog obsession.

You don't like dogs. That is fine.
Just no need to hate on dog owners. My dog saved my life. Don't be a dick about it.

It would put me off someone if they said they actively hated animals. I do get that some people are scared of dogs, and even cats. Which can't really be helped.

I've a dear friend who is/was scared of cats. She is convinced that they'll jump on her with their claws out without any reason or warning. My little kitten came and sat on her handbag at one point! She actually warmed to him after that and I'm happy to say she seems to tolerate them politely now. Even becoming quite fond.

Also some people have allergies.
As for exotic pets, I'd imagine the majority of people might not be crazy on snakes, spiders etc. so if someone might not want to keep pets themselves then that's understandable. As long as they wouldn't want to harm or be cruel to a pet of someone else's.

I do seem to get on better with animal lovers than those without pets. But that seems organic rather than planned.

A much bigger red flag to me is people who refer to their pets as "Fur Babies".

A friend's wife refers to one of her long-dead dogs on Facebook as her "first born"...she has two actual children!!

Not in a funny/cute/ironic way either - her actual kids don't speak to her anymore 😅

I don’t like any additional responsibility in any shape or form. Pets are responsibility therefore I don’t like pets 🤷🏻‍♀️I don’t mind others people’s pets as long as they don’t affect me

Out of interest - you’d prefer packs of dogs running free round the parks? And cats sleeping in the cold covered in fleas? I’m asking as I’m curious and I’m trying to understand this specific point of view.

As a PP suggests pet owners ‘want slaves’ I can assure you that certainly with my cat it’s much more the other way around. I’m the cats personal maid - I am trained to supply her meaty food, let her out when she demands it - let her back in 3 secs later because it’s raining and she actually doesn’t want to get wet. Hell I’ll even pop the fire on when it’s cold to make sure she’s toasty warm. And at 7pm each evening both cat and dog inform me it’s supper time and I must obey my masters and get them a treat.

But I’d rather have all that than think of them roaming around with little food, covered in fleas (natural and from wildlife), with sore skin into bites, or having a dodgy tum because of eating dead rodents.

Im not sure if I’d enjoy wild dogs roaming free myself. But I’m interested in others views.

YANBU I once read an article about Trump being an obvious red flag for not owning a dog like other presidents.

I’m certainly no Trump supporter but that’s ironic considering Biden did own a dog and let that dog bite multiple staff before letting it go.

Is Biden the more decent empathetic person because he kept a pet despite the fact it was one that routinely attacked people? Interesting that being an irresponsible dog owner isn’t seen as a red flag but just not owning one is!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68366306.amp

FTR yeah I believe Biden is a better more decent person than trump 🚩 but we can see that through observing what each of them says and does. It’s irrelevant if they own a dog or not!

I personally hate pets. I understand why other people have them and I don't judge people. But I could never own a pet. I find the whole idea of it repulsive.
I love wild animals and I'm a vegetarian. I'm also a hiker and spend a lot of time outdoors in nature.
I just would never want a pet in my home. It would make me sad and uncomfortable. The whole concept of it makes me uncomfortable.
But I totally get the love they bring to some people's lives.
It's just not for me.
There's perhaps an element of it where I shy away from being depended upon or needed as I have many people in my life who depend on me and need me so I am at my limit if what I have to give.
There also may be some projsction regarding my udeas about freedom and feeling enslaved or diverted from your true nature..
its definitely not that im a cold person.

There are terrible terrible people out there who say they are animal lovers and there are terrible terrible people out there who dislike or are ambivalent towards animals.
It means literally nothing about someone's character because there's loads of different reasons why people might feel that way or have come to these conclusions. You can't tell from someone calling themselves an animal lover alone whether they are a good or bad person.

Jeez. That's a bit of a reach. The OP said 'not liking pets' - not having no feelings for other living creatures.

We've got pets, I love/like them. I'm not overly fussed about other people's pets generally and I think it's fine to not like having animals as pets.

It’s quite a stretch to go from not loving animals to ‘no feelings’ though, isn’t it? I like animals, but not enough to want them in my house or slobbering all over me.

Cats and dogs, and many other animals, have been taken from their natural environments and domesticated by humans for thousands of years. Now, I don’t really think that’s right , but it’s happened and so letting domesticated animals turn feral again is also not the answer. But I agree the whole concept of pets has become another way of extracting money from consumers for financial benefit, at the cost of animal welfare and the environment.

I think it is a red flag in a friend or partner, mainly because somebody who isn't a pet person just won't understand the lifestyle of the pet person.

For example my life is currently all about my 3 geriatric dogs. Everything except work comes second to their needs.
A fellow pet person will understand the mess, disruption, feeding schedules, lack of holidays, vet visits,etc. They would share an interest in my pets and I'd be I terested in theirs.

Somebody who didn't like pets might not understand why we can't go on holiday, why plans might be cancelled, why my house has dog hairs on things.

Whilst pets aren't furbabies they are as integral to people's daily lives as actual children and often non pet people just don't understand that.