Going to the dogs

Are you a dog person or a cat person? People ask me this question all the time. My answer is always the same... neither. Why does it have to be one or the other? Why is this even a question?

I never had a pet growing up and I am totally fine with that. I don't feel like I missed out on a part of my childhood or anything. I had a great home growing up. It just so happened we didn't have pets. No big deal.

In my married life, we've never had pets. I DO NOT want one. The kids always wanted a pet. Tami always wanted a cat. This is one area in my life where I've insisted on something... I did not want pets in the house, therefore there were no pets in the house. I know, I know. Marriage is about compromise. It's about give and take. But this was one thing that has always been non-negotiable. I've always jokingly told Tami she can get a cat... When I'm DEAD! In seriousness, I've always told my kids they were welcome to get pets of their own when they have their own place or get married or whatever. Jessi got married and her family has a dog. He's a good dog and I like visiting him (I just wouldn't want to live with him). There may be some of you out there who feel like I've deprived my children of something by not allowing pets in my home. I don't feel that way. As stated before, I didn't have pets growing up and I turned out fine. I think my kids turned out okay as well.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against pets. If people want pets, by all means they should have them. Puppies and kittens are absolutely adorable. I love looking at them. Dogs and cats can be fine companions. In some cases they can even serve a real purpose (watch dog, farm work etc...). I just really don't want animals living in my house. I guess you'd like me to explain. First, I'm a bit of a neat-nik. Pets are messy. They shed, they can tear up furniture and other stuff in the house, they have to answer nature's call and they smell. Some would argue the point about smell, but I'm convinced no matter how clean you are or how well you care for your pet, they're going to have an odor. I mean, they ARE animals for goodness sake. Second, they just plain gross me out (I'll leave the rest to your imagination). Third, they're expensive. Money has always been tight. I've worked a second job or summer job most of my life. When it comes to spending my hard earned money... pets are not high on my list of priorities. Last, pets can be a nuisance to the neighbors. The last thing I want to do is bother my neighbors. I've had neighborhood pets bother me before and I plan on posting about that tomorrow. Last, I guess pets just aren't that important to me. Those of you with pets probably have a hard time understanding how I could feel that way, but I do.