Should pets be kept in the house?
By Fleur
@Fleura (30539)
United Kingdom
December 5, 2015 4:17am CST
Since Pup is training to be an assistance dog where he will live with a disabled person he will naturally live in the house. So he has lived indoors all his life; in our house he has his bed in the kitchen, where he also eats his meals, and he likes to lie by the fire in the living room.
I support many different charities, one of which is Action Aid. One of their projects is working with remote communities in Peru, where they help to improve the living standards of rural families by teaching them how to grow a greater variety of nutritious food and improving hygiene. A key aspect of this is helping families to construct purpose-built independent accommodation for their guinea-pigs (which they raise for food) rather than just allowing them to run about in the kitchen as they traditionally do.
So on the one hand I’m sending money to help teach people to improve their family’s health by not keeping animals in their kitchens, and at the same time I’m kept busy clearing endless dog hair caused by the animal in my own kitchen. Is there something incongruous about this? Do you think animals should be kept in the house?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2015.
10 people like this
12 responses
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
5 Dec 15
I've seem guinea pigs in Peru living in little earthenwear 'pods' in a kitchen. I love GPs and I just can't imagine ever eating one though (but I don't eat cows or pigs either so that doesn't mean I'm particularly soppy). I think animals are fine indoors but they have to be house trained. Our cats grudgingly allow us into the house so long as we promise to behave ourselves.
2 people like this
@rajindia53 (142)
• India
6 Dec 15
@Fleura that somewhat wrong....
you are doing great thing i appreciate it but firstly i think u should implement it then u should teach others....
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
6 Dec 15
@rajindia53 there is a big difference between @fleura having a trainee service dog who will help a person with disabilities to live independently in their own home and keeping animals that you will eat in your kitchen.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Dec 15
@Asylum You should argue with a few of my dogs about how inappropriate it would be to keep them outside. We had the intention of having all our dogs be inside dogs, but some of them had other ideas on the subject. Guess who won that fight.
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@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
5 Dec 15
But why would it be inappropriate? I mean all animals originally lived outside, as did humans, so if it's appropriate for some to be indoors then why not others?
My real question though is, is it hygienic? It does seem ironic to me that I'm paying for other people to be taught not to keep their animals in the kitchen for hygiene reasons, and here I am with an animal in the kitchen.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
5 Dec 15
I once had a pet rabbit who used to come inside, she liked to lie by the fire. She didn't smell though and there wasn't even any need to house-train as rabbits naturally go to a specific toilet place, so I just provided a litter tray in a quiet corner and she automatically used it.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
5 Dec 15
I imagine Guinea pigs a little like rats piddling and pooping everywhere! EEK! It does seem a little ironic though. Don't do as I do but do as I say! LOL
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@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
6 Dec 15
I think they are more like rabbits in their habits, although I don't know for sure as I've never kept one. I have had rabbits though and they are very clean, they don't even need 'house-training' - you just give them a litter tray in a quiet corner and they use it straight away!
@JudyEv (341752)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
Most houses I've been in where the dog spends nearly all its time inside smells 'doggy' to me.
People who have dogs inside get used to the smell I think and it doesn't bother them. I wouldn't want a dog spending most of its time inside. But that's just me. To each his own.
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@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
5 Dec 15
I'm a bit paranoid about that, so far friends have reassured me that our house doesn't smell of dog, although it's a different story when Pup has been running about in the muddy fields! It does seem ironic to me that I'm paying for other people to be taught not to keep their animals in the kitchen for hygiene reasons, and here I am with an animal in the kitchen. Is this hygienic?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341752)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 15
@Fleura I'm sure it's hygienic as long as people wash their hands before handling food. It is easy to get a bit blase I think. I've patted a dog in someone's house then sat down to a meal. Even if I wash my hands, I might then have to push his head off my knee or whatever. But I've never been sick because of it. I can understand your concern. It's a bit like 'do as I say, not as I do'.
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I actually know someone that allowed their horse to come inside, but that certainly is not the accepted or advised practice. I do think that it depends upon the animal, though. Even if you do keep animals inside, there are ways to make it more safe and hygienic for everyone.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137553)
• India
5 Dec 15
Depends why one keeps an animal around. If it is to be a companion then that animal needs to have access wherever one is. Preiti is treated as member of the family. She sleeps on the couch during the day and she has her own bed in our bedroom where she sleeps in the night.
Those guinea pigs on the other hand are reared for meat and that is a different story.
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@TypicalRussian (747)
• Budennovsk, Russian Federation
5 Dec 15
If the animal isn't poisonous and doesn't disturb neighbours - it can be kept at home i suppose. i feel sorry for those guinea pigs
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@Cofee_Brewin (28)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I think that before we chose an particular type of animal we should make sure that they will be able to spend a great deal of time outside. We all love our pets but I think at times we forget that they need to be free to run and act like nature intended them to be.
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