Is it really a widely held belief that those who dislike animals are dangerous?

[Thesinisterone]

According to dh family it’s a valid concern ?!

I have never wanted pets, not keen on things like zoos or farm trips for the dc. I don’t like the smell of animals (plus I’m allergic to cats!). Really don’t like dogs (I’m scared of them!).

I dont hate animals I just don’t like them and avoid them as much as possible !

According to MIL this is a red flag and she thinks I could have a personality disorder as people who don’t like animals are ‘not quite right’. I did say to her that I just avoid animals it’s not as if I go round kicking puppies or anything ??!! She said ‘everyone agrees and we are all worried we’ve never known anyone who doesn’t like the dogs !’

Is it that strange ? They (dh family) and especially MIL seem very wary of me ??!

No. People who are cruel to animals are dangerous.

I think there’s a difference between actively disliking animals, and indifference to them. I am pretty indifferent although I don’t wish them any harm at all.

I think that’s fine. If you’re out there being actively cruel and/or wishing death to all animals though that’s probably worth looking into…

I think it would only be concerning if you were cruel to animals.

I thin like your MIL sounds far stranger than you though.

This is what I said to her !

I like eating them, completely indifferent to them otherwise.

I think your MiL could think a bit more before opening her big mouth.

My in laws dogs hate me. We have a dog ourselves, I had a dog as a kid, and I think most dogs really like me but they HATE me. I sometimes wonder if ils see me differently because of this

I definitely wouldn’t wish any harm on anything even if there’s a spider in the house (and I’m petrified of bugs) I never want it squashed just put outside !

Well who knew. I'm dangerous am I? 😂 I'm the same as you and don't like dogs and cats. Is your mil on MN because I got called a psychopath for hoovering up spiders🤣 does your DH have the same view as his mom?

No, she is getting confused, people who hurt animals are danderous. I actually suspect that people who prefer to leave animals alone are less dangerous than 'animal lovers'.

I think your MIL doesn't like you and is not a particularly nice person.

Your MIL sounds like one of those people whose life revolves around her dogs. Urgh. Just ignore her, she clearly can’t accept the concept that someone doesn’t love the same things she does.

Dh gets quite irritated with her about it as she constantly goes on saying ‘oh but you ALWAYS wanted a dog you ALWAYS said how when you were grown up you’d have pets’ he snapped at her last time that yes he did always say that when he was about 8 and he also wanted to be a thunder cat when he grew up and was going to dye his hair green but he grew up and changed his mind about the things he wanted !

i can understand indifference, but I’d be a bit wary of someone who isn’t moved by nature documentaries where animals die a horrible death.

It's widely held by animal people, or I would say mainly dog people. Personally I find an OTT love of dogs far more alarming than a dislike of them. Most dog forums or dog lover communities, even the doghouse on mumsnet of all places are toxic places when there is a disagreement where people use their love of dogs to bully others and cause a pile on. You can see it on threads where people say they are scared of dogs too. They're told to get over it and sometimes even flooded with dog photos which I find to be disturbing. No other phobias are treated with so much disdain or mockery.

I think dog owners when they tip over a point are socially maladjusted and even narcissistic at points. At points even other dog owners rush to preemptively defend themselves against other dog owners by prefacing their posts they don't walk Fido over a certain temperature when nobody asked.

Other animal keeping hobbies don't seem to be the same. The cat/fish/reptile/rodent community doesn't seem to care as much if you don't like their pet of choice. I keep a range of pets and if you don't like them I can see why - they're stinky and don't know how to use a toilet and make alot of mess.

I always seem to gravitate more towards people who actively like animals and are comfortable around them. I usually find them warmer and less up tight but I'm sure there are some absolute bastards out there who happen to love animals too. Anyone who finds pleasure in hurting animals (obviously not you OP) is almost invariably honing their perverted skills before they turn to humans. That is a fact.

She talks as if a dislike of animals is something that always escalates ? I think she just isn’t keen on me! It doesn’t help that her dogs are not trained at all and the jumpiest most annoying dogs ever so I’m extra nervous around them and will
do anything to avoid them

If you eat animals, you condemn them to barns and cages until someone is paid to slit their throat, gas them or put a bolt through their head. That's incomparable cruelty to me.

I've seen this sentiment before, usually in the sort of people that treat dogs as human substitutes that have to go everywhere with them. Obviously it's bollocks, some people are more into animals than others and as long as you aren't mistreating them it's no ones business.

Slightly off topic, but in the past men my pets didn’t like turned out to be dickheads 🤣

Yep, I've found that too.

I wasn’t an animal person then we got a pet dog that I absolutely love but I don’t think it made me a better person. YANBU.

They will have met people who don't like the dogs, they will just have been able to hide it for the duration.

Not being interested in animals is not the same thing as actively disliking them and wishing them harm. Your MIL is wrong and being unpleasant to say to you that it's some kind of red flag and that you have a personality disorder! What does your DH say when she says things like this? I hope he challenges her!

No.

How do you manage not to say "Oh, I don't mind trained dogs, they're much nicer easier!"

Hitler really liked dogs, not so much a people person though. People who want to hurt others or animals are disturbing, people who aren't interested in animals just aren't an issue (and less exhausting to deal with than the obsessed/worshipping people, frankly).

I'm guessing you're right and she's just not keen on you. Not very nice of her to let it show though.