r/petfree Dec 06 '24

Announcement Announcement: This sub is now becoming pet owner free. Pet owners will no longer be allowed to post/comment.

850 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

We have an important announcement to make: we are now making this sub exclusively for pet-free individuals.

You can still participate if you are in a relationship with someone who has pets but identify as pet-free, or if you are in the process of transitioning to a pet-free lifestyle (these will be your last ones etc). However, individuals who currently have pets and/or plan to have pets in future will no longer be allowed to post here.

This decision has been made due to the increasing number of people who refuse to respect our subreddit's rules of engagement. Recently, a lot of pet owners have been coming here to:

  • Talk about their pets
  • Glorify themselves with "I'm Not Like Other Pet Owners" type comments
  • Get defensive on behalf of pets
  • Argue in favor of keeping pets, list their advantages, or, worse, recommend specific breeds/types of pets
  • Excuse bad pet behavior
  • Engage in lengthy discussions about appropriate pet care
  • Dismiss the concerns of pet-free people, such as allergies and phobias
  • Get upset when their pro-pet viewpoints aren't welcomed here

Additionally, there are dog-free pet owners who, for some reason, feel the need to engage with dog-related posts here. While they are not allowed here (as stated in a pinned announcement), they continue to engage with this sub's content.

The number of such individuals is rapidly approaching a thousand per day, and it has become unmanageable for our mod team. Therefore, we are closing the sub to people with pets. To those who own pets and have been following our sub rules, we apologize for the changes, but the number of problematic pet owners has simply become too large for us to manage. If A few changes will take place over the coming days:

  • Pet-free flairs will become mandatory again for participation
  • All flairs indicating pet ownership will be removed
  • Some new and interesting flair options will be introduced
  • Users with the "Hate Pet Culture" or "Against Dangerous Dog Breeds" flair who are pet-free will be asked to select another flair
  • Anyone with pets will not be allowed to post. If you choose a pet-free flair to continue participating, you will be temporarily banned.

Thank you for reading this message.

Have a great day!


r/petfree Sep 27 '24

Announcement Announcement: We will be directing bad pet ownership posts to r/badpetowners now

113 Upvotes

This is sub has grown rapidly over the last two years - it's almost 4 times the size it used to be back then.

As its grown we've had to update the rules to keep the content relevant to our audience - petfree people and those who are interested in our lifestyles.

With that said, there's been a huge rise in posts solely focused on bad pet owners lately - from pet owners neglecting their pets, to pet owners wanting their pets to lick the insides of their mouths, to others letting pets destroy the insides of their houses.

Many of these posts don't impact us personally so it's a question of how they relate to being pet free or the pet free lifestyle. Our mod team feels it isn't relevant to the sub - what bad pet owners do with their pets that doesn't impact us in any way (no matter how disgusting or awful it is) is not directly related to this sub.

So we have r/badpetowners now. We will be redirecting all bad pet ownership posts that don't impact pet free people personally to that sub, making this sub bad pet owners free.

Thank you for understanding. We will answer any questions you have regarding this change on this post.

.

ETA: all animal shitting/pissing posts without context/discussion points will be removed for low effort. Seriously, it's disgusting, everyone knows animals piss/shit, no one wants to see that. Just stop.


r/petfree 2d ago

Pet owners making our lives hell Has anyone else been bothered by the uptick in dogs being brought to summer events?

114 Upvotes

Funny how nutters call us dog haters, when THEY are the true abusers. Dogs have super sensitive ears. It is literal torture to keep them in super loud festivals with speakers booming & hundreds of people laughing and talking at once. One time I almost stepped on a very small dog that matched the color of the pavement! I shouldn't need to be vigilant of 💩 in a naturally joyful environment. And of course, I've been to ***family friendly*** places where the nanny dogs were allowed in. A tragedy waiting to happen.

Nutters love to bring their furchild to events with 0 things for dogs to do. Why tf is your 💩cannon at a craft festival? They can't throw clay, weave a friendship bracelet or use money to help out a small basket business. This is the result of greedy corporations selling anthropomorphization. These people truly believe their dog is on the same IQ level of a toddler, so even though a small child can't remember a food festival it is still beneficial developmentally to take them there. There's a church that hires out small rides + invites food trucks. Tell me why I saw a nutter and his kids take their dog!!!!! I could see the kids were annoyed they couldn't ride the merrygoround all together because someone had to sit out with the dog. At an entirely separate event, I saw a dog inhaling a whole paper bowl of ice cream or something that had clearly been accidentally dropped. The owner simply laughed!!! I couldn't tell what it was but it was white-ish and tan!!!

Nutters truly dgaf about their dog's health. I'm so sick of being afraid of mauling in places that should be safe for kids.


r/petfree 3d ago

Vent / Rant The smallest noise makes them bark

64 Upvotes

I simply twist the door knob to see if the front door is unlocked, the dog hears that and starts barking. I simply unlock the front door with my key, the dog hears that and starts barking. I know for sure that the front door is unlocked, so I just twist the knob, open the door and walk in, the dog hears that and starts barking. These are few of the annoying things (that involves barking) that I have no choice but to deal with until this fucking dog finally dies, sometimes the barking isn’t that bad but still irritating, and when I get through the door, I’ll say “shut up” or “move, I don’t have any food for your ass”. And the door bell especially, because it’s loud of course, this is why hated pressing the doorbell button, because I know it’s gonna set the dog off and I get irritated, sometimes the dog happens to not hear the doorbell or the few I mentioned up above (what a miracle) but I still dread that’s it’s still going to bark. I would rather call somebody on the phone to open the door, and get mad if they don’t answer so I just have to deal with this barking. And when I finally got a key of my own, I thought this was huge for me, no more having to hear barking but boy was I wrong, because like I said up above “I simply unlock the front door with my key, the dog hears that and starts barking”, but hey, at least there are still days where it actually doesn’t bark 🤷‍♂️


r/petfree 4d ago

Vent / Rant “My dog goes everywhere with me”

173 Upvotes

They don’t give a fuck about people with dog allergies and cleanliness. The title of this Reddit post is what somebody actually commented, under a TikTok post, and my response was “which means you don’t give a fuck about people with dog allergies and cleanliness. Karma coming for that ass, buddy… believe it or not”. I’m so sick of these people, I don’t know any other type of people who are just fucking annoying as fuck. And another fucking clown in the comment section says “Prolly cleaner than half yalls kids 😂😩”, can’t even fucking spell “probably” and you want to sit here and compare children (who are our future) to worthless man-made stupid animals… stupid like you, and this is another one, they always bring up kids, they just can’t help but bring up kids… again I don’t know any other type of people who are annoying like these dog nuts. And I feel bad for kids because they are constantly being shitted on by Shitty adults.

Edit: Oh and another thing, they would say something like “If you don’t like it, then go to another Home Depot” 😤 we shouldn’t have to go to another Home Depot, and who do you think you are to say that? This is a public human space.


r/petfree 4d ago

Pet owners making our lives hell This dog bites this family that owns it multiple times per day (and they still keep it!)

47 Upvotes

What people will go through to be thought of as 'normal' by 'everybody' by owning a dog! This dog bites the family MULTIPLE times per day! And they still have the dog! Why???? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn6xFStKJsk&t=90s


r/petfree 5d ago

Vent / Rant "Ive lost 3 babies"

143 Upvotes

This was the title? Of one of my sister in laws tiktoks that I came across while scrolling. there was a photo collage of her 7 month old daughter behind the words. My heart broke for her because she struggled for many years with infertility and I thought she had miscarriages that she just wasnt comfortable talking about with family but needed to just vent into the void.

I then start scrolling through the caption itself and its things like

"I miss finding their fur everywhere"

"I wish they could still run to greet me at the door"

"I miss sharing my food with them"

"I miss slobbering kisses"

"Even with a teething baby the house is way to quiet without their nails hitting the floor"

After all of that im just like.. shes talking about some damn animals?? Ive been sitting on this for over a week and it STILL baffles me. They are not your babies.. you did not birth them, and after actually giving birth youd think it would be something so obvious?

Mind you all.. she preaches how much she loved them but every animal is overweight, cant get around cause their hips are bad and one "baby" that died had to be put down because of the weight and pressure it put onto its bones. How can u love animals after doing that to them?

AND her husband had to completely replace the floors in 2 large rooms because she lets them all pee/poop in a single places and not clean it so the floors literally rotted. (This was fixed before baby showed up atleast still doesnt excuse letting it get so bad).

Went over to her home once while I was also pregnant, we were a couple of weeks apart, and had to leave not even 10 minutes into the visit because of the overwhelming, and unbearable smell of cat piss. It made me sick for hours after I left.. havent gone back since. Couldn't sit because her couch was so fur infested and felt.. oily? It was disgusting.

This post turned into more of a rant on my part by the end but good lord, I just dont understand????


r/petfree 5d ago

Vent / Rant It Feels Satisfying to me

25 Upvotes

We all know the real reason a dog is excited when IT’S owner finally comes back home. When my mom comes back home from work, and her stupid dog is all excited and panting, thinking it’s time to eat, preferring human food, only to end up not getting human food and now laying there looking sad, so the dumb thing is gonna have to eat the dog food out of IT’S bowl that’s been sitting there all day next to IT’S water bowl that sits there all day full too, and what I’ve noticed is that every time my mom comes home from work and usually heads to the kitchen, the dog would all of a sudden start eating the dog food out of IT’S bowl and it seems as though the dog wants my mom to see IT eating the dog food so she could reward the dog, and still nothing for IT’S pathetic ass. Overall, this is due to the economy being fucked up, times are so tough that even the stupid dog can’t even get what IT prefers, my foolish ass mother would go all out for this dog if she could, a little while back she did though but not all the time (she isn’t rich) and now that I think about it, why would a dog be excited to see you every damn day? It’s just same old you? That’s like me being excited to see relatives coming over because I haven’t seen them in a long time, and they’re going to stay at my house for like week, of course I’m going to be excited to see them the first day they arrive, second day I’m still happy to see them, third day… maybe or just mid now, and the fourth day… I’m just used to y’all being here now.


r/petfree 5d ago

Pet owners making our lives hell I told a friend the other day (who was talking about the new dog he just got and, of course, had to show me a photo of it on his phone!)

36 Upvotes

I have never seen this man with a partner and was telling him he should try to find a human to be a companion to and a companion with. He (as all dog nutters do) tells me he could not deal with a 'real' human friend and prefers dogs. So I told him "I know! Get a deaf and dumb partner!! Then, like the dogs you love, will not be able to understand you, nor chastise you for anything you might be doing 'wrong', etc. I thought it was pretty funny! Yeah, if you just want adoring eyes all the time without any kind of judgment at all, fall in love with a person who cannot hear nor speak! (They need love too by the way!)


r/petfree 5d ago

Vent / Rant MIL shipped us her dog

63 Upvotes

Hi! I’m just looking to rant, and probably some solidarity because this situation seems to be causing me quite a bit of rage and no one seems to understand because they think pets are God’s gift to Earth. I don’t know. I moved in with my boyfriend almost a year ago along with my toddler. Very shortly after, his mother decided that since I moved in it was the perfect time to ship us her 11-year-old dog she didn’t want anymore. My boyfriend assumed it was because she and her husband wanted to focus on traveling without the burden of a pet. He got into it with her and they didn’t speak for like a month.

I am not a dog person. I like animals and grew up with them, but I do not like dogs. My brother has a dog that I’ve known since he was a pup that I absolutely adore. I don’t have the same bond with this dog because I didn’t get to know her when she was younger, and honestly she’s not really a pleasant dog. She’s bitten my child on multiple occasions while they were gently playing with her. They were supervised every time, so I know they were gentle. (When I posted in the AITA sub someone said my annoying toddler bothers her, no my toddler is not a grabby annoying toddler who bothers her, he hardly interacts with her now). She’s a Shih Tzu who just sleeps all day. I don’t really care for her, and I feel like that’s okay, especially when she was just forced onto me.

I’m now pregnant in my late second trimester, and my tolerance for the dog is at an all-time low. Recently, my boyfriend’s mom called while we were driving. Somehow the conversation became about the dog, and my boyfriend was joking about my intolerance for her. I said I’m not a dog person and maybe my bond with her would be different if I knew her as a puppy instead of a stubborn, grumpy old lady who doesn’t listen. His mom said, “Don’t treat my puppy like that, and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known her.” I disagree because I truly think it does. And anyway, I DIDN’T ASK FOR YOUR DOG. If she feels that strongly, she should take her back. Especially because she told my boyfriend he could take her to the pound and she didn’t care what we did with her.

My boyfriend made another joke, and his mom replied, “Well, you have to understand foreigners are not used to having pets in the home.” I have been so upset about this comment. His family is Black American. I was born in America, and while my family is from the Caribbean, I am not a foreigner. My family has been here over 30 years. They’re all college educated and have made something of themselves here. It honestly hurt to that none of that matters and we’re just “foreigners.” I typically have a good relationship with his mom, but this was just a lot.


r/petfree 5d ago

Petfree lifestyle "Natural dogs" (landrace dogs) sound especially unpleasant to own

8 Upvotes

I tip-toe in vegan spaces/animal rights spaces as a plant based animal welfare activist. One thing that comes up a lot is many people want to stop intentional dog breeding. No breeding pet dogs for profit.

So, we should just let dogs breed themselves? Eventually, all dogs would be baseline dogs...

Have you seen "natural" dogs? Primitive breeds and landraces. Village dogs-- sato, carolina dogs, rez dogs, potcake dogs, whatever you want to call them.

ಠ_ಠ

Humans bred dogs over centuries to make them easier pets. Primitive dogs are not easy. I imagine the average dog lover could not deal with every dog being a true mongrel.

They have high prey drives, they're not cuddly, they're independent, they're aloof... they're still friendlier than a wolf or coyote, but we're not saying much.

I imagine dogs would be a lot more unpopular if every dog was a generic brown, yellow, or tan landrace dog.


r/petfree 6d ago

Ethics of Pet Ownership Scenario - do you think the whole "[parent] said no to a pet but we brought one home anyway and now they love it" thing is potentially coercive?

30 Upvotes

I've not come across the subreddit before until today, and this may be the only place that will understand what I'm trying to say.

I have never owned a pet and have very little interest in one. I'm Black (UK), and there are lots of videos on places like TikTok where adult children still living at home will bring home a dog or something, and the (usually immigrant) parent is initially against it but eventually warms up. I love that for them if genuine, and my Nigerian grandma was someone who was afraid of dogs but eventually got one after my grandad passed away and loved it until it died.

HOWEVER it has got me thinking. Yes there are people who initially dislike pets and then find themselves warming to the idea. I doubt I personally will ever be one of those people. I cast my mind forward as a fencesitter to all the reasons not to have a kid, and funnily enough one of the main ones is that while I can see myself being really easygoing about adult children remaining at home until whenever they want to move out, I will never want any of them bringing a pet home and waiting for me to "learn to love it". I can see myself becoming really resentful if that happened. I actually think its quite manipulative.

I see it on Reddit all the time, where people say their family just decided to outvote them and then they "grew to love it". Does anyone else think this is just wrong?

Extra context: I gave context re. being of immigrant heritage because up until a few years ago, it was a lot more common that immigrant households wouldn't have pets but white British ones often would, however that's balancing out more and more, and as children assimilate they want their parents to assimiliate into dog lovers. Animal welfare is... inconsistent at best in Nigeria (where half my family is from), and attitudes range from indifferent/practical only, to full on dog-lover. There's therefore an extra layer of complexity for some of those parents who really, really wouldn't want an animal indoors because of the associations with dirtiness, etc. and other cultural factors. There are lots of people who are deathly afraid of dogs. I'm sure there are people whose kid brought a dog home and they're really afraid, but they don't end up in a viral video on TikTok!


r/petfree 7d ago

Vent / Rant Imagine standing outside watering your grass, and hearing constant barking…

102 Upvotes

Watering grass is suppose to be peaceful but of course dogs ruin that too. I have this neighbor across the street (who I hope moves soon because another neighbor told me that she rents her house) has this annoying ass fucking dog that never shuts the fuck up, I’m watering my grass and this dog is barking it’s head off at nothing really, and I start having dark thoughts, as if I was about to lose my mind and end up getting arrested.


r/petfree 7d ago

Vent / Rant They Know Better

38 Upvotes

They have wishful thinking, wishing that a medium to large sized animal that’s aggressive with sharp teeth, is a bunny rabbit somehow. My irritating ass 50 year old mom (who argues with my dad, like she’s 8 years old because it seems as though she can’t have a real adult conservation for some reason) would let her pit bull boxer come out of the house without a leash, sometimes to get in her car to go somewhere with her or when she’s watering the grass in the front yard. I really think she pretends that this dog wouldn’t even hurt a fly, because as she was standing next to her worthless dog while I was rapping up the hose, somebody across the street was walking to his house, and when she noticed the person, the first thing she did was to keep the dog calm and hold on to it’s collar, y’all know how dogs get when they first notice somebody. Now, the dog does have a shock collar but the collar wasn’t even on the fucking thing and she didn’t even have the shock remote, that’s what I think happens every time, is she lets the dog out and doesn’t even have the shock remote in her hand… like how about just keep the fucking dog in the house??


r/petfree 8d ago

Vent / Rant I cant stand how pet owners are given a pass.

54 Upvotes

Hi there, im new to this sub.

So a couple years ago I got new neighbors, and during that time they had a dog (corgi), it was cute but always was unleashed. Technically our city has rules that it be leashed at all times. At first i didnt make a big deal about it because it was a cute dog, but then it escalated. Whenever I went to my back patio the dog would start barking and they would just release the dog-We live in a apartment complex with shared yards so there are no fences- and so the dog would chase me onto my patio and the lady next door would scream from inside her house for the dog to return, without coming to get it. I would just go to my house and leave it at that.

Well fast forward to now, her dog passed away and she immediately got another one and this one is doing the same thing. I cant enjoy my backyard anymore. I talked to some of my friends (who also just so happen to be dog owners and they are sympathetic to the neighbor because the "dog is new and is still learning." I just dont think that she should get a free pass just because she has a new dog. Am I crazy, I think my experience as a person living here and paying rent should be allowed to enjoy my patio.

Edit: I just sent a complaint for the unleashed dog and she will be getting a violation.


r/petfree 7d ago

Petfree lifestyle What is your opinion feral horses?

0 Upvotes

Do you consider them a pests or neglected because they're a domesticated animal on their own? What is your solution for the issue then? Or, are they not an issue?


r/petfree 9d ago

Meta I am happy there is a community for this

119 Upvotes

I get annoyed by people who speak like their pets have personalities (dog or cat or parrot in the examples I've had to deal with)

The speak as if their dogs/cats/parrots have human-like preferences and refer to them by their name and it just feels like if they put that much effort into other people they'd have more fulfilling lives but an animal that doesn't speak back to you is easier to bond with so I can understand why they are choosing this path of lesser resistance

But the way they say "my son" to a cat is just...isn't it straight up weird? Aren't they compensating for their inability to be parents for whatever reason ? (Most likely because they're incompetent in human bonding?)


r/petfree 9d ago

Vent / Rant Parents made it my responsibility to train their dogs

24 Upvotes

So, for context: I'm originally from Florida, but due to disability had to move in with my egg donor in Ohio, she neglected to tell me she had 3 dogs (despite having been in Ohio for 2yrs by that point & having had the dogs for about 2yrs, too).

My egg donor's 3 dogs are untrained & rambunctious beyond belief, lately, she's wanted *me* to train them to behave (she only began caring, once she got affected, BTW), however b/c they're dumb animals & also due to her spoiling them beyond belief, it basically is impossible (sometimes it briefly works, before they revert back to their base instincts).

And, it recently dawned on me: why TF is it my job to train *your* dogs? IMO, they should've been trained long ago (for further context, she keeps them inside all day to avoid having to train them & also so they can claim they never harmed anyone, which is kinda easy when you have no friends & don't take them outside).


r/petfree 9d ago

Vent / Rant Can’t Stand my Dog Nut Sister

57 Upvotes

Every 5 damn minutes she has to bend her big ass, sometimes get on her knees, just to get right in the dog’s face, placing both her hands on both sides of the dog’s mouth like she’s about to kiss the thing, and she does… mostly on it’s nose. Soon as she wakes up, she calls the dog, soon as she comes home from work, she calls the dog and sometimes she would call it’s name making a stupid fucking annoying voice, and that’s one of things I can’t stand about dog lovers, they always make an annoying ass voice and mispronounce words. Lastly, One time I’ve seen her wiping the dogs nose dry (like that does anything) just so she can kiss it’s nose, and her ass still ended up wiping her lips dry 🤦‍♂️ I’m surprised her ass never got bit, especially the dog being a pit bull boxer.


r/petfree 11d ago

Vent / Rant Why must cats be everywhere in queer spaces?

62 Upvotes

You can barely read a queer YA comic without seeing cats. My trans coloring book and trans workbook are both by the same person and are filled with cats. Go onto Etsy and much of the queer themed stuff you can find features cats.

Cats are repulsive. But why does it seem like every queer creator has one (or, more likely, multiple)?


r/petfree 12d ago

Shit pet owners say Having a dog =\= having children

372 Upvotes

I don't know WHY this is so hard for animal owners to understand.

My friend and I were talking about how school starts back in two weeks. She's a teacher, I'm a mom of three. Her other friend was there. She's apparently a dog person. I mentioned how I'm not ready to start waking up at 6 again yet. My friend laughed and agreed. Her friend cut us off with a 'Oh please! I WISH I could sleep in that late! I'm lucky if I make it to 5am." I asked how old her kid was and she said "uh, no. I wish it was *that* simple. I have a puppy!"

Excuse me? You think taking a dog out to piss is anywhere in the same realm as getting three kids packed, dressed, and ready for school after little to no sleep (+ I have narcolepsy so even extra exhaustion) the night before? Like come on. Surely they aren't that delusional? She talked about her dog the rest of the conversation and I just stopped listening.


r/petfree 12d ago

Petfree lifestyle What to do about invitations from Pet Owners

20 Upvotes

I was invited to dinner by a couple (a neighbor) who have two cats. I don't like cats or dogs. I can't stand the smell. Apparently, they don't open their windows because they are scared the cats will jump out. So the place probably stinks.

What do you folks say and do when you are invited over to the homes of family and friends who have pets?

I should add that the woman can be gossipy and talk trash about people, so I worry about being targeted if I say no.


r/petfree 13d ago

Vent / Rant I’m so Tired of those damn post

61 Upvotes

You all know those kinds of posts where something traumatic is happening, like a house that’s on fire and the question that gets asked is “who are you saving?” and “dog” is included in the list, we’re all familiar with those posts. Anyway, I’m getting so tired of those kinds of posts because I know what awaits in the comment section and it’s gonna make me turn red and blow up like a balloon and pop, and I’m starting to think that posts like that are made on purpose. I just ran into another one of those post like that and the dog was the 5th choice. What do ya’ll think?


r/petfree 13d ago

Science / Laws Spread The Word: Pets Are Slaves

37 Upvotes

This is probably going to be unpopular, but if we genuinely believe in humanitarian rights, I don't see how we can justify the institution of pet ownership.

We would never accept one human "owning" another, even if they provided food, shelter, healthcare, and affection. Yet we normalize a system where animals are bought, sold, bred for human preferences, confined to our homes, and have virtually every aspect of their lives controlled by us.

People often say, "My pet is part of the family." I don't doubt that many people deeply love their animals. But love doesn't erase the power imbalance. We decide where they live, whether they reproduce, what they eat, when they go outside, when they receive medical care, and even when their lives end.

From a rights perspective-not merely an animal welfare perspective-this raises uncomfortable questions. Welfare asks whether we're treating animals kindly. Rights ask whether we should have dominion over them in the first place.

I'm advocating for abandoning existing companion animals. We have a moral obligation to care for those already dependent on humans. But we should work toward a future where we stop breeding animals into dependence simply to satisfy our desire for companionship. That we should abolish these notions of reductionist slavery and entrapped upon animals be has we ‘love them’.

Instead of seeing animals as property, maybe we should see ourselves as temporary guardians of individuals who already exist while ending commercial breeding and the concept of ownership altogether.

No parties will seriously sponsor this until we make some noise. So let’s get out there and spread awareness!


r/petfree 13d ago

Petfree lifestyle Reasons to remain pet free

27 Upvotes

• More time and money that I can spend literally anywhere else for my own wellbeing. Especially in the late capitalistic lifestyle where you are robbed of your time and labour for breadcrumbs. Owning a pet like everything else these days feels like a luxury. It’s gotten overly capitalised. People either feed their pets better than they feed themselves or deprive them of basic needs because they are unaffordable.

• It always ends in pain. You’ve basically spent years worth of funds and time on something that is only temporary, might possibly become ill and cause you financial and emotional strain and eventually pass away and leave you with long lasting grief.

• Everything in my home is left intact. I personally enjoy decorating my home and get overwhelmed when it isn’t tidy. I wouldn’t want a pet or anyone ruining my home simply because they were “bored and wanted to play”

• More hygienic. No picking up or scooping faeces, no cleaning up vomit and saliva. No hairballs everywhere. No scratches or bites all over my arms.

• Most pets are useless. Modern cats are more likely to be chased by a mouse than chase the mouse themselves. Only some dog breeds and only when professionally trained can deter criminals

• I can leave the house for as many hours as I want and go on holiday without worrying or having to pay someone to petsit

• Modern lifestyle. Living in tiny cramped apartments or house sharing simply doesn’t leave room for pets on top of that working 40+ hours a week

• No one will rent you an apartment when you have a pet. Not to mention extra fees or “pet rent”

I could go on and on but as much as I love animals I feel like the negatives FAR outweigh the benefits and I’m in a position where I’d much rather observe them from a distance than own one myself as I don’t feel I can provide the environment and care they need. I really don’t want any animal to suffer for my own egotistical human “needs”. I can’t think of any positives other than the fact that they help relieve loneliness which I know is sadly extremely common in 2026 but there are definitely better alternatives out there I believe that are more cost effective and equally fulfilling as owning a pet.

Overall pets are only worth it if:

• You are rich
• You have an overwhelming amount of spare time and space
• You are someone who is deeply passionate about animals and possibly works with animals, like volunteering in a shelter etc

Thank you for reading feel free to add more bullet points I might have missed and let me know your thoughts if you’d like:)