# Do You Lock Your Pet Up If Someone Comes Over?



## Lee (Nov 20, 2022)

Not everyone likes our fur babies, I get that. I would like to have a small get together for a few neighbors and there is one woman who says she is afraid of cats, she hates them. Shudders if she sees one on the street. Yet when she wanted to sell tickets for her grand she had no problem knocking on the door. 

If I do have this small party I would have to invite her, no two ways about it. Block cop they call her and you do not want to get on her bad side.

I hate the thought of locking up Riley for a few hours, he is/was a problem child and it has taken almost 2 years to get him where he is today. I do not need a back trek to bad behavior. If a door is closed he wants on the other side of it. And fear might push him over the edge. 

How do you handle it going to a pet home if you are not a pet person? My hubby is not a dog person, when we visit a couple with a little dog that dog zeroes in on him....he handles it by telling the dog over and over.....go see Lee


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## Ruthanne (Nov 20, 2022)

To be honest I would not invite the block cop lady.  I care more about my pets than those who come over.  Who cares what she will say if not invited.  I only invite those who are pet lovers or at least tolerant of my fur and feather babies.  You could just tell her that you can't lock your cat up and leave it at that.


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## Judycat (Nov 20, 2022)

I don't get why some people feel they should be allowed to dictate how things go when visiting. I say she should be free to shudder, and be met with understanding, every time she sees the cat. Cats usually keep their distance from people they don't know. As adults, we all endure things we don't like with a certain amount of grace. If it gets to be too much for her she can always leave. Just my opinion.


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## Lewkat (Nov 20, 2022)

Never.


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## Alligatorob (Nov 20, 2022)

No, not usually.

Have had a few exceptions.  When I was a teenager we had a pet squirrel, if we left it out it would often leap onto ladies heads and "fluff" their hair.  Not all liked it.  And when I have had pet snakes I usually put them away for company.


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## kburra (Nov 20, 2022)

More annoying is people who bring their dogs with them when visiting, and most of the time all they talk about is the bloody dog, and when we are eating the dog just sits there staring at us, my daughter is the worst she always brings her TWO dogs with her, and can`t bear the thought if we told them when visiting us PLEASE leave your dogs at home. Probably would never see them again!! 
Also, have to close all internal doors to other rooms because the last time my daughter came over one of them piddled on the carpet in the bedroom!!  Yes, I do love dogs generally we had a beautiful Sheltie for 12 yrs, maybe it is the Dog owners who are the problem?


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## Pepper (Nov 20, 2022)

Was thinking about this just the other day!  Was feeling guilty for the time former neighbors came over and brought their big, lively doggie, whom I loved, but............locked my cat in the bathroom during visit.  Although I loved this dog I was wrong to allow him in.  I was feeling very guilty about scaring my precious cat.

eta
This was 25 years ago, and I'm still feeling guilty!


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## katlupe (Nov 20, 2022)

No, I don't lock my pet up if someone is coming over. Of course, he is a rabbit and doesn't annoy anyone. But over the years I have had many different types of pets and can only think of one or two times of locking them up in a bedroom. At that time I had two cats and my then husband's cousin was visiting and she was very allergic. So of course, one of them just wanted to get on her lap and followed her around. So I put them in a bedroom which is where they usually slept during the day anyway.


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## Blessed (Nov 20, 2022)

I do put them away if I have a workman to the house.  Not behind a closed door but behind a baby gate. For visitors or family, NO!


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## Alligatorob (Nov 20, 2022)

kburra said:


> More annoying is people who bring their dogs with them when visiting


Only do that rarely, only when invited and I know it won't be a problem.


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## CinnamonSugar (Nov 20, 2022)

Depends the purpose of the visit...  as a home-visiting nurse, I always appreciated if people would at least 'contain' their animals while I was doing an assessment.  Being barked at, jumped on, having my derriere smelled while bending over to give care, or having animals chew on oxygen tubing/stethoscope/etc or try to climb into my tote was distracting and/or annoying.  Of course, there was always the opportunity to be bit by dogs that (understandably) were 'protecting' their owner.  (And it's usually the *little* dogs that are the worst at this)


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## Ronni (Nov 20, 2022)

I have a 3 pound senior chihuahua and I always crate her when we have people over just because she’s so small that she could easily get stepped on or sat on. But everyone loves her so she spends most of her time on people’s laps which is her favorite place to be. 

The other two dogs are out but they’re both not intrusive, one because he’s a senior and the other because even though he’s just a puppy he’s innately quiet and mannerly. He’s definitely the most un-puppy-like puppy I’ve ever had!

As far as the OP’s question, I wouldn’t put my animals away unless they were unruly and obnoxious.

Invite the woman and leave it to her to decide whether or not she wants to come. If she truly is afraid of cats, it’s something she’s been dealing with already and she’ll either ask you if you have cats before she RSVP’s or she’ll just come and then deal with it when she gets there if she sees you have one.

Don’t try and second guess her situation. Just leave it to her.


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## Gary O' (Nov 20, 2022)

Do You Lock Your Pet Up If Someone Comes Over?​
No
But make *them *lock* theirs *up
....and urge them to cage their kids too


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## JustDave (Nov 20, 2022)

My dog is nine months old, close to full grown, but still acts like a pup.  He's getting better about jumping up, but his excitement in unmaintainable, and I have to continually warn him about it.  He responds to this and obeys, but soon forgets.  My friends are usually dog lovers, and sometimes they bring their dogs, which is good, because the dogs play with each other and ignore us, but I still can't visit very well because I have to keep track of my dog constantly or in his excitement, he will tend to forget boundaries.  I would put him in his kennel if he was obviously bothering someone.

We hike on a trail system that is used by mountain bikers, and maybe once out of every ten hikes, we encounter a biker or bike party, and he goes nuts, never in an attack mode; He just wants to swarm people with excitement.  I'm happy to say he is getting better, but we have a long ways to go before I would consider his behavior acceptable.  He hikes in a harness, with a short leash (one foot long) held down to the harness by rubber bands so that it doesn't flop around and distract him.  He will always come to me when I call (he seems to have mastered that one command better than any dog I have owned), and I can grab the leash when we encounter people, but then the "war" begins until the bikers pass.  Some bikers are happy to see him and talk to him as they slow down, others are completely silent.


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## Alligatorob (Nov 20, 2022)

CinnamonSugar said:


> Depends the purpose of the visit... as a home-visiting nurse


That is different.  Fortunately I have never had to have one, but when my mother was in hospice we always leashed her dog.  Until the visiting nurses got familiar with her and asked us not to.


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## jujube (Nov 20, 2022)

I don't have any pets so I don't have any stake in this, but I'd worry about my dog or cat getting out with so many people coming and going through the door.

I have relatives and friends with pets who I am delighted to interact with and some that I dread going to their house because of the pet behavior.


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## JustBonee (Nov 20, 2022)

My house ... my rules.  No animal has ever been locked up for visitors  .... usually my dog likes to entertain people with his antics.  
If Maintenance needs to come in and  get up on a ladder or something,  I will keep my dog in another room.


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## rwb (Nov 20, 2022)

I would do exactly what you feel is appropriate regarding the animal.  If the cat is not a pest but may casually roam through the house and not beg for attention, then I would not lock the cat up. If on the other hand, the cat is overly friendly and may jump up on an uninvited lap or rub against the legs of visitors, I would confine the cat.  It is your home.  Guests may accept an invitation to you home without placing conditions on the invitation or reject the invitation with a polite "No Thank You"  without explanation.


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## C50 (Nov 20, 2022)

Over the years I've had a couple of dogs that had to be put away if company was coming by for safety reasons.  

I will say this though....I have friends who's dogs are absolutly untrained and undisciplined nusciences, they NEED to be put away but never are.


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## Jules (Nov 20, 2022)

Ask her to the party and explain you have a cat that you can’t lock up - it’ll be wandering around the house.  If she then decides to come, it’s her problem.


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## NorthernLight (Nov 20, 2022)

Lee said:


> How do you handle it going to a pet home if you are not a pet person? My hubby is not a dog person, when we visit a couple with a little dog that dog zeroes in on him....he handles it by telling the dog over and over.....go see Lee


I'll be nice and just stick to the question. 

I used to put up with (try to ignore) people's dogs, as long as they didn't do anything terrible. But now less and less.

A few years ago, I moved out of an apartment, largely because of the neighbor's dog. 

I also refrained from visiting a friend who warned me to phone first so she could control the dogs; otherwise they'd attack me. She was always inviting me over, but there was no way I was going over there.

When I was about 30, I did door-to-door deliveries. There was always the possibility of encountering a dog. But I accepted it as a danger of the job. Sometimes you just have to get on with it. I do remember skipping at least one house because of a dog.


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## NorthernLight (Nov 20, 2022)

Jules said:


> Ask her to the party and explain you have a cat that you can’t lock up - it’ll be wandering around the house.  If she then decides to come, it’s her problem.


Perfect response!


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## BC Flash (Nov 20, 2022)

All my dogs are/were crate trained - they go to their crate (command: "go crate") whenever there are visitors in the house and at night.   The dogs view the crate as their own "private room" not a jail.


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## Nathan (Nov 20, 2022)

Hired workers: I let the dogs greet them, but if the dogs are getting in the way they get put in a pen area outside.

Invited guests:  Nobody we would have over would have a problem with our dogs.


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## timoc (Nov 20, 2022)

Do You Lock Your Pet Up If Someone Comes Over?​
It's ten years or more since I had a pet, but one time, some _*friends*_ came visiting, saw Jess, and said, "Lock your dog in the coal shed, we don't want to catch her fleas."

"I'll tell you what", I told them, "Take your pick, I'll lock you two in the coal shed so, Jess,, won't catch your fleas, or, you can both sod off home, now."


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## Happyflowerlady (Nov 20, 2022)

Mainly, we just have family that visits, and they are used to Marco Poodle and like him.  
Now and then the Humana visiting nurse comes over for their in-home visit, and anytime we have strangers here, I do put Poodle in his crate.  
He would not bite anyone, but I worry about his somehow escaping out the front door and then racing off down the road.  (He thinks that he is an adventurer, thus the name Marco Poodle).   Mostly, he just sleeps on the back of the “poodle couch” in front of the window or watches people going up and down the street.


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## CinnamonSugar (Nov 20, 2022)

Happyflowerlady said:


> Mainly, we just have family that visits, and they are used to Marco Poodle and like him.
> Now and then the Humana visiting nurse comes over for their in-home visit, and anytime we have strangers here, I do put Poodle in his crate.
> He would not bite anyone, but I worry about his somehow escaping out the front door and then racing off down the road.  (He thinks that he is an adventurer, thus the name Marco Poodle).   Mostly, he just sleeps on the back of the “poodle couch” in front of the window or watches people going up and down the street.
> 
> View attachment 251258


"Marco Poodle"   I love it!


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## Teacher Terry (Nov 20, 2022)

*I always tell people before they come over for the first time that they must love dogs as when I did dog rescue I had anywhere 
4-6 dogs. Most were small dogs. I had a few small dogs that started to nip people in the leg when their backs were turned and one started doing this to kids when she got old. These 2 got locked in a room when people came over. 

Occasionally I would have 25-30 people over and then would lock them all up being worried about getting stepped on or escaping.  I had a 84lb husky shepherd mix that was a gentle giant. Really good with little dogs. He had some issues being a rescue and he would sleep under the dining room table when we ate. 

He wouldn’t bother anyone and you wouldn’t know he was there unless you looked. However,  if you tried to get him out he would show his teeth but cheerfully always go outside if you opened the door. Anyway one of my guests decided that they wanted him out from under the table when we ate. I never invited them again.         I think it’s the owner’s decision and guests shouldn’t make demands.

 I love cats but have become so allergic that if I pet one it means a trip to the ER. I can visit a cat home for 3-4 hours before needing to leave if the owner keeps their house clean. I always tell people in advance that if a cat jumps on my lap they will have to remove it as I can’t touch it. This actually happens frequently. Some owners then will put the cat in another room.  I would never make demands as it’s the cat’s home not mine. *


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## win231 (Nov 20, 2022)

Only if I knew they didn't like animals.  But I never had friends who didn't.
Occasionally, I'd keep pets secluded when a repairman was at the house.
When I was 16, we had one housekeeper who hated dogs.  She'd make a "yuk" face whenever our Lab went near her.  I told my mom to get rid of her because she may hurt him & I might hurt _her_ if she does.  My mom didn't want to fire her, so* I *got rid of her - quickly.
When she came one morning, I opened the door with my 10-ft, Boa Constrictor wrapped around me.  I said, _"Good Morning." _ She screamed & said,_ "You have an evil spirit,"_  while I laughed my head off.  She left & never came back; not even for her check.
My mom asked, _"Where is my maid?"_  I said, _"She said she didn't want to work here, anymore & left."_


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## Raddragn (Nov 20, 2022)

We currently have two cats ages 13 and 15. The female - a feral I took in when she was +/- a year old. She decided she hated other cats, so we worked out a system where she was put in my bedroom in the morning and evening and the male in my daughter's room   evenings and overnight. I've  been able to let them out together.
We also have a Yorkie - who loves everyone - I've never seen her act unfriendly to anyone. she even loves kids - a lot of small dogs fear kids. I would never lock her up - even for an allergic to dogs person (Yorkies have hair - not fur!) Lily, the Yorkie,  is most likely to sleep on someone's feet than anything else.


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## RobinWren (Nov 20, 2022)

I only put my cat in the bathroom if a tradesman is in the house and the front door needs to be left open. My pets have free range of the house , i would never think to lock either up if I had visitors, this is their home. I'm allergic to pollen but I love gardening so I work through it and over the years it has become more manageable. Good luck whatever you decide.


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## Remy (Nov 22, 2022)

Lee, I'm really sorry some nasty person has put you in this dilemma. If you put the kitty in a bedroom, you think that would upset him? I'd also be afraid of someone letting him out.

I'm of not advice. I don't have company. My cats are so sheltered they go behind the bed if maintenance has come over.


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