Can you keep that pet away from me?

If you are a sensitive pet lover, this topic is not for you.  I’m writing about furry house pets like cats and dogs. Especially those that are inside pets. 

Millions of people across the country have cats and dogs.  Some are strictly outdoor and others are indoor.  Dogs sniff and lick people as part of their friendly nature.  For animal lovers, they don’t seem to mind but if you’re not, this can be a problem.

Always warn people if you have house pets because not everyone likes them and many are highly allergic.  When I was a younger, we visited the house of a friend of my parents and they had a dog.  The dog licked me in the eye and my eye began to swell up.  I was rushed to the hospital for treatment and from then on avoided contact with animals.

As a teenager, I went to a friend’s house that had a cat, I sat on their couch and after fifteen minutes started sneezing.  My friend remembered that this was where the cat usually takes her nap.  I couldn’t stay for the visit so I had to leave.

Pet lovers should remember to check their dogs and cats for ticks and fleas especially if they come in and out of the house.  My first experience with this was that I was over another friends house and again laid on the couch unaware that their dog was an inside pet.  I later got body lice from the transfer of whatever the dog was carrying.  Never to set foot in that house again.

I also moved into a home that the previous owner had cats.  When I went to visit the home during the purchase process, I noticed some black dots on my feet.  I had never seen this before and didn’t know what they were.  When we realized that they were fleas, we had the carpet cleaned prior to moving in.  That didn’t get rid of them.  I tried over the counter flea bombs and that didn’t work.  We had to get exterminaters to finish the job.

Not everyone likes pets walking around food.  A friend of mine went to a book club meeting that was held in the living room.   She walked into the kitchen to get something to drink.  The cat was on the table eating the food that was being served to the guests.  Yuck! 

I recently went to a writer’s meet up group in Cleveland.  I walked in and didn’t know that there would be a dog running around.  This meeting was held at an office.  The dog was sniffing people, sniffing food and shaking it’s coat.  It was very distracting to me because I was constantly trying to avoid the dog and his dander.  I did let the moderator know that I was allergic but the dog continued to run around anyway.  I don’t think I’ll be back to another meeting.

For pet owners, if you have first time visitors, please let them know you have pets.  For most people it’s not a problem but there are those of us who can’t be around animals for one reason or the other.  For a short visit, if you are able to put your pet away for a few hours your guest would be very thankful.  If you feel that this is too much of an inconvenience then maybe you can meet with them outside of your home in a public place like a restaurant or a library.

I have visited a friend of mine who has an inside pet on an overnight visit.  I thought I would try it.  She was very accommodating by putting her pet away in a comfortable place until I left.  I coughed and sneezed the entire time that I was there.  My lungs began to shut down and I couldn’t breathe.  She suggested taking allergy medicine and by then it was too late.  I didn’t have enough antihistamines in my system to stop the attack.  Once I left, I began to get better.

I love my friend and want to be able to visit her and stay pet or no pet.  I found a solution that helped me achieve this goal.  I take an antihistamine seven days in a row prior to the visit.  This helped tremendously.  She had a place where she could put her pet away during my visit and we had a great time.

When dealing with pet sensitive people in your home, keep in mind that it’s just as uncomfortable for them as it is for you and your pet.  By providing workable solutions to accommodate your guest and your pet will show how much of a great hostess you really are.