Dear Amy: We are starting to have trouble with family members who are dog lovers.
This Christmas we were asked to host the family gathering. We have elderly cats in our home. We do not have a fenced yard, nor any facility to host dogs. So we asked family members to leave their dogs at home, find accommodation for them or, perhaps, host Christmas themselves.
People brought their dogs, anyway. Some insisted that we confine our cats to a bedroom. Others told us that we had to fence in our yard before next year to accommodate their dogs.
This isn't fair to our cats, us or other members of the family. One dog always jumps up on people, and we have disabled and elderly members of the family who can't withstand having a larger dog jump up on them.
Some dogs have stolen food off the table, and others don't get along well with the other dogs.
I'm sorry that it is difficult for us to accommodate them, but owning a dog is their choice and comes with responsibility that perhaps they might have to find a pet sitter for one or two days if the place they are traveling to cannot accommodate their animals.
I arrange for pet care for our cats when we go out of town and don't force them on other family members. I ask for the same consideration in return. What are your thoughts?
Amy says: Before I had a dog, I was assured that I would see my own dog as a "fur baby," sort of child substitute. Then I got a dog, and nope — this beloved animal is not my baby.