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Designing a House with Pets in Mind

A while back I was watching a show on HGTV in the waiting area of the Nissan dealership while Nissy’s oil got changed. I don’t remember the name of the show, but it was one of those where they feature people’s homes for one reason or another. Usually very fancy houses with lots of neat upgrades I can only dream about.

Cold Rooms Must Mean a Cold Heart

The episode showcased a lady’s home that, while very pretty, also struck me to match its owner’s personality: cold and sterile. The floors were entirely hard surfaces, save for maybe her bedroom. (But I want to say even the bedrooms had tile or marble.) The floors were all light or white colors, making for a crisp and clean statement, but, like I said, very cold as well.

As they interviewed her, she didn’t come across warm or friendly at all. Snobby and uptight come to mind. And very proud of her house. At one point I thought, “She’s the kind who could really use a pet to loosen her up, but she’s also the kind who wouldn’t want animals stampeding across her precious pristine threshold.”

Sterile Style Actually Pet Practical

Once she got done talking about all the architectural features, who had done them, and their significance, she addressed why her house was full of hard surface flooring. To my surprise, it was because she did have pets!

Six to be exact. Dogs if I’m not mistaken. The reason she’d chosen tile and marble like she had was that she also did a lot of rescue work. That’s right, in addition to her six regulars it wasn’t uncommon for her to bring in others until they could be placed in permanent homes. Thus, her house was devoid of carpet because hard flooring made it easier to clean up the inevitable messes. (She even let them pretty much have run of the house and it was clear her six were happy as clams in their home.)

Another Lesson Learned

I have to quit being so judgmental of people. I’m very bad about thinking people are one way and not giving them the benefit of the doubt that an animal lover just might possibly lie beneath.

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