Is not liking animals or pets a deal-breaker?

[E-Squared]

So I have been reading numerous articles and threads in other forums about how some people would not date anybody who wasn't an animal person. Some of the posts on that thread were just over-the-top that I considered them to be humorous in some areas (Although I am certain that wasn't the posters' intents on what they said). I am like, "Seriously? You would choose an animal over someone?"

 

Now, listen, I was never a dog or a cat person. The only actual pet that I had in my lifetime was a goldfish and that was when I was a little kid. My sister and my brother-in-law have a dog. I was a little iffy about him at first but it took about a year or so for me to grow to like him. However, that is about as far as I will go in terms of dogs that I like. This one girl who I like is a cat person. I can compromise it if things were to develop between us. I don't hate dogs or cats, but I tolerate them more than I actually like them.

 

So what do you think? Will someone who is not an animal person kill your interest in that person?

[Shanex]

Maybe a deal-breaker to some and I agree that I'd a bit much as far as rejection goes, some folks live with their dogs and cats and they are part of the family. So if you intend on living with someone who's like that. There gonna be issues.

 

Not everybody own pets, I'd suggest to find someone like you, who don't own pets but that tighten quite a bit the dating prospects.

[anduina]

There's a reason why pets are adopted and not owned. It sounds like you're not compatible with animal lovers.

[carhill]

Is not liking animals or pets a deal-breaker?

 

For dating, nah. For a life partner, probably. I respect people's viewpoints about animal husbandry and ownership and wouldn't expect them to change for my historical interest in many species of animals.

[Gaeta]

Now now now, you make us sound like heartless people.

 

Here is the thing. When you start dating someone he/she is a stranger to you. You're in the beginning phase and you practically are strangers to each other. By the time you went on a 2nd or 3rd date you already know she has a dog, it's furry, and it sleeps in her bed. By then break it. She is no one to you yet, you are no one to her yet.

 

My dog is 10 years old. He's been my loyal friend for all of those years. He's seen me through thick and thin. Why would I get rid of that loyal animal for a man I went on 3-4 dates with? No sorry. I will continue dating till I find a man that welcomes me and the dog. I am sure you're a very special man but you're not for me and you'll make some other woman happy.

 

To finish this, even if a man is not a dog lover and he's ready to 'endure' my dog to be with me it won't work. He'll just build resentment over time and it will eventually become a source of dispute.

 

So no, it's not just a silly thing.

[preraph]

I had some years as an adult before I got a pet but always loved animals and wanted them. During those years, it might not have been a dealbreaker because i didn't have one. But I'd never have been happy if I couldn't have gotten a pet eventually. And if I get even the slightest whiff someone mistreats or hates animals or hunts for sport, I'm not interested.

 

Now I have pets and I wouldn't trade them for any man, not even close. They are my responsibility and my joy and they're very loyal and fulfilling.

[d0nnivain]

So what do you think? Will someone who is not an animal person kill your interest in that person?

 

 

Animals have a way of growing on people. My husband was kind of neutral toward pets. I brought my dog on my 3rd date with him -- a hike. If he was hostile to the dog it would have been easy to drop him & keep that dog that early in. So if you are open to tolerating the fur-kid, fine. If somebody is hostile to the animal, adios. I'd pick the pet over that person in a heartbeat.

[GunslingerRoland]

I've had times in my life where I had pets and I've had times (like now) where I don't.

 

I love animals, and I loved my pets very much when I had them...

 

That said i honestly have to say I find it a little weird how obsessed people are with having pets. When you have kids and they grow up, most people don't go have more kids even if they loved being a parent. Yet the idea of not having a pet to a pet owner is impossible.

[somanymistakes]

 

That said i honestly have to say I find it a little weird how obsessed people are with having pets. When you have kids and they grow up, most people don't go have more kids even if they loved being a parent. Yet the idea of not having a pet to a pet owner is impossible.

 

It's often a little difficult to have more kids of your own by the time your original set is grown (not to mention expensive). On the other hand, a lot of parents do start nagging endlessly for their own children to produce grandchildren for them to fuss over. Or obsessively offer to babysit anyone else's kids they can find. So yes, some empty-nesters really are desperate to get more kids back into the house.

 

I'm not really an animal person myself, I've never had a serious pet. I don't hate them, though, and I'm willing to try adapting to life with an animal. On the other hand if someone has an enormous beast that is part of their family and that hates me, that's going to be a relationship problem just as much as it would be if they had a kid that hated my guts.

 

Pets aren't just accessories to be discarded when they're not fashionable anymore.

[elaine567]

I am like, "Seriously? You would choose an animal over someone?"

 

You had better start believing it because I would guess the majority of pet owners would choose their pet over someone else if they were forced to make that choice.

 

There are also those who perhaps don't have a pet at the moment, but who love animals or who grew up with pets and would never see a future for themselves without a pet or multiple pets in it.

[thefooloftheyear]

I love animals, but some women are downright goofy about it....

 

I have had animals my whole life, including some stuff that would scare the bejeezus out of most people...It probably would be a deal breaker if they wanted no animals ever, but the people that keep tons of cats and or dogs in their place and it smells like a petting zoo in their living room.....well....Im not down with that...

 

TFY

[Gaeta]

So what do you think? Will someone who is not an animal person kill your interest in that person?

 

For curiosity, what would you like them to do? Get rid of the animal? You meet them, they tell you they have a pet, you tell them you don't like cats or dogs and they should react like what? that's alright I'll just bring him to a shelter.?

 

What you need to understand is that being a pet owner is a life style it's not like owning a piece of furniture.

 

Example I have a dog waiting for me at home during the day when I am at the office. At 5h I am out of here and going straight home because my dog needs to go out, eat and get a walk. I cannot stay downtown after office hours. Some men would find this too restrictive but it is what it is. when I became a dog owner I understood my life would change.

 

The same goes with sleeps over. I can't stay at my BF's place. Sleep overs are at my home again because of my dog. You can't leave a dog alone all day then alone again all night. If I take him to my BF and we sleep over than the following day I have to bring the dog back to my home then go to work which would be 50km trip +. I know plenty of men that would be annoyed by this.

 

I could give you 10s and 10s of examples. I have spent close to 3K on vet bills since beginning of 2017. My dog had health issues and as a serious dog owner I provide my dog with all the medical care he needs. Again many men would not understand it.

 

Going on trips with no notices? Forget about that. If you are the spontaneous type forget about it. I need 2 weeks notice before leaving to arrange proper care for my dog. You don't sound like the type of guy that would be ok with that.

 

If you are not into dogs all of those will drive you up the wall. Do you understand that? If you are not into pets and you know nothing of the responsibilities that come with owning pets then you are better off not dating us.

[E-Squared]

I never said I was opposed to anybody having pets. However, maybe I DON'T KNOW what the responsibility of caring for an animal is like because I had never really had a pet growing up. Okay, I did say that I had a goldfish when I was a child, but it was basically mine and my sister's and we fed it. After that, there were no pets. I guess maybe it was because I grew up in a household that weren't much for pets. Not to mention that I had a fear of dogs when I was a kid. Of course, I grew out of the fear at some point.

 

Again, I don't mind people with pets. I tolerate them more than I like them.

[Shanex]

Responsibility ? Well I've had pets both cats and dogs younger til recently and the only ''responsibilities'' that comes to mind are feeding them, of course sheltering them into your house, walk them, taking care of them.

 

It's far less responsibilities than a child even though that's not an accurate comparison. Having a dog or cat is a company and we take care of them and often vice versa, while children, heck, are a whole different dimension.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Shanex

[preraph]

I've had times in my life where I had pets and I've had times (like now) where I don't.

 

I love animals, and I loved my pets very much when I had them...

 

That said i honestly have to say I find it a little weird how obsessed people are with having pets. When you have kids and they grow up, most people don't go have more kids even if they loved being a parent. Yet the idea of not having a pet to a pet owner is impossible.

 

This cracked me up^^. Kids are a LOT more expensive and high maintenance than pets. Pets are the easiest way to find unrelenting love. Kids bring joy and sadness and often hate your guts. Plus you know grandkids are an inevitability anyway....

[somanymistakes]

I worry a little about living with someone else's pet, because they're obviously dearly beloved and yet alien to me. I don't understand its needs or its methods of communication. Can I mostly ignore it except for petting it occasionally? What if it needs something and I don't realise because I'm unfamiliar with them? What if I accidentally hurt it, or leave something lying around that's dangerous to it? A LOT of stuff can accidentally poison cats/dogs, I know that. What if I open the door to get the mail and the pet goes zooming outside and is lost forever and it's all my fault?

 

On the other hand, I figure the responsible pet owner is going to give me some instructions on how to handle the pet and probably not expect me to be an expert overnight.

[Shanex]

I worry a little about living with someone else's pet, because they're obviously dearly beloved and yet alien to me. I don't understand its needs or its methods of communication. Can I mostly ignore it except for petting it occasionally? What if it needs something and I don't realise because I'm unfamiliar with them? What if I accidentally hurt it, or leave something lying around that's dangerous to it? A LOT of stuff can accidentally poison cats/dogs, I know that. What if I open the door to get the mail and the pet goes zooming outside and is lost forever and it's all my fault?

 

On the other hand, I figure the responsible pet owner is going to give me some instructions on how to handle the pet and probably not expect me to be an expert overnight.

 

I guess it all boils down to when we were children. I was raised by separated parents, one owned a dog, the other a cat and I'm pretty acclimated to animals since I was a child. I don't own one these days beside my fishes tank because of the inconvenience of my current place, yet may adopt one later, probably a cat, which I may love a tad more than dogs.

 

Someone who was never raised as a child around pets may not care about them or will be indifferent and it's all good.

[No_Go]

It can be a deal breaker for a LTR if you refuse to accommodate their pets. If it is just theoretical, fine. If it is just few dates, fine.

 

But let say with my last bf we were facing this issue: he wasn't a cat person, and I have a cat. When he asked me to move in with him, I told him that this will work but if he accepts my cat, otherwise i just couldn't do it. Luckily, they both have grown on each other and it worked out in that respect.

[No_Go]

It is a legitimate concern but if you are serious with someone and they are a responsible pet owner, I just can't imagine them not communicating this basic information (like what is dangerous for the pet and how to keep it safe)

 

I worry a little about living with someone else's pet, because they're obviously dearly beloved and yet alien to me. I don't understand its needs or its methods of communication. Can I mostly ignore it except for petting it occasionally? What if it needs something and I don't realise because I'm unfamiliar with them? What if I accidentally hurt it, or leave something lying around that's dangerous to it? A LOT of stuff can accidentally poison cats/dogs, I know that. What if I open the door to get the mail and the pet goes zooming outside and is lost forever and it's all my fault?

 

On the other hand, I figure the responsible pet owner is going to give me some instructions on how to handle the pet and probably not expect me to be an expert overnight.

[d0nnivain]

I worry a little about living with someone else's pet, because they're obviously dearly beloved and yet alien to me. I don't understand its needs or its methods of communication. Can I mostly ignore it except for petting it occasionally? What if it needs something and I don't realise because I'm unfamiliar with them? What if I accidentally hurt it, or leave something lying around that's dangerous to it? A LOT of stuff can accidentally poison cats/dogs, I know that. What if I open the door to get the mail and the pet goes zooming outside and is lost forever and it's all my fault?

 

On the other hand, I figure the responsible pet owner is going to give me some instructions on how to handle the pet and probably not expect me to be an expert overnight.

 

Because you are sensitive to the fact that it is a living creature with needs you will be fine with a little instruction. Make sure the pet has water. A dog by it's bowl probably wants food. If it's tapping on the door & doing the universal pee pee dance, it needs to go out. You will learn how to open the door without letting the pet out, even if when by yourself you have to put it on the leash or stick it in another room with a door for 5 minutes while you get the mail. Initially you will also have your SO, it's original human, to explain things to you.

[E-Squared]

It can be a deal breaker for a LTR if you refuse to accommodate their pets. If it is just theoretical, fine. If it is just few dates, fine.

 

But let say with my last bf we were facing this issue: he wasn't a cat person, and I have a cat. When he asked me to move in with him, I told him that this will work but if he accepts my cat, otherwise i just couldn't do it. Luckily, they both have grown on each other and it worked out in that respect.

 

Good answer. I can't argue with you.

[basil67]

If I didn't already own an animal, it wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. But if I already own an animal, then that animal is part of the package. My parrot has a lifespan of 30yrs - I couldn't ditch him.

[FoundLove]

It would definitely be a deal breaker for me. I could never be with someone who only "tolerates" my pets.

 

Pets are part of the package, just like dating someone with children.

 

You are missing out on so much... the love from animals are unconditional. I could never be without pets as life would be extremely boring.

[amaysngrace]

I don't trust people who don't like animals because they remind me of Michael Vick

[Lilyana76]

I am a huge animal lover, love all animals. I'm the person that will ask you if I can pet your dog when you're out in public.

 

That being said, I don't have a pet at the moment. When people ask me if I do have a pet, I tell them yes, my 3 kids. I love animals though. I hope to get a dog some time soon.

 

I would not discount someone just because they didn't "like" animals. If they were cruel to animals, that would be a deal breaker. Not liking, but tolerating, to me means that possibly they will grow to love my animal or a pet, and wouldn't hurt them or be cruel to them. The minute I saw cruelty to an animal, the door, and likely my fist, would hit them hard.