Comments on: Pets are clutter!

By: Julio

Julio — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 05:17:28 +0000

Well, when someone is going door-to-door casing houses for a burglary, my dog’s clutter that can be seen if you peek in the window (dog toys, rawhide bones, etc) make it pretty obvious that this is not a good house to break in to!

By: Ariane Benefit

Ariane Benefit — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 15:15:06 +0000

Here’s how I define “clutter” I don’t use it, love it, or want to take care of it e.g., give it a home.

I love my 3 cats…I cuddle and play with them so I “use” them, they use their toys & stuff, and all their stuff has a home! So, no pet clutter here! I’m with Ami Ragan and Jeri Dansky on this one : )

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:33:20 +0000

Haha, I really think it’s funny how up-in-arms people are getting about this. The comment about pets being freeloaders seemed pretty tongue-in-cheek to me, and the suggestions for managing pet clutter were completely reasonable. At no point in the post was it suggested that anyone should get rid of their pets. Come on people, chill out.

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:34:07 +0000

I’m with Matt on this one. I have a house rabbit, which is very conducive to NOT having clutter. Let me explain. A “house rabbit” has no cage/pen/kennel. Instead, she hops around the house freely. The only real “essential” requirement for her is her litter box, with is hidden underneath a table, which has a tablecloth over it, hiding any evidence of said litter box. I keep her food & water dishes out on the balcony and she’s free to wander out there whenever she feels like it. About the only real clutter she brings is the occasional toy that she’s dragged into the room although most of the time she’s more content to play with these items underneath pieces of furniture, out of view. Very compatible with the desire to stay uncluttered.

Additionally, the rabbit needs minimal time in terms of chores. I put out fresh food for her when I eat (veggies/hay). The litter box uses drawstring liners and shredded paper from my paper shredder (great way to recycle) and I’ve gotten the whole routine down to 1 minute.

Of course, there’s the time needed to interact (read: snuggle) with the rabbit, but this fits naturally into my schedule. Even if I’m dead tired when I come home, crash in bed, that warm, soft furball will hop up into bed, lick my arm a few times, then settle in next to me. Pure bliss. Minimal mess.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:09:42 +0000

Good post. I love my cats, but when they pass on I’ll be very happyy to never again deal with the annoyance of maintaining them.

By: sara

sara — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:54:25 +0000

its sad that you will never experience or appreciate the joys of a pet…but i wanted to say one thing, i get to buy awesome modern pet bowls, pet beds, which i feel add to the decor of my home.

cleaning up after my dog has never felt like a chore.i pick up her toys and my socks…whats the big deal? dont take life too seriously, you’re missing out on alot:P

By: Aidan Kehoe

Aidan Kehoe — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:34:01 +0000

I get on fine with animals; I grew up on a farm, and probably have a more grounded idea of their typical lives an deaths than most people posting here. And I would never adopt a pet in the city—their lives here suck too much, even when they’re well cared for. Plus, as you say, they’re clutter .

By: bret

bret — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:28:13 +0000

Wow! Sorry you’re getting bombarded here but here’s my 2 cents:

We try to keep the heating bill down and find that the dogs (terrier, pug, and a very cold chihuahua) NEED doggie clothing in the winter!

Otherwise, I really enjoy your blog!

By: Ritz

Ritz — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:57:24 +0000

I have a husband who leaves crumbs on the counter, dishes in the sink and never remembers to take out the trash or recyclables. I also share our home with 4 dogs and 2 house cats, 2 barn cats and 2 horses. The animals take up a lot of time and valuable space but they give back to us unconditionally. My husband takes up valuable time and space but I wouldn’t choose to live without him either! Stick to inanimate objects!!! I’ll take pet hair and food dishes anyday. I handled my kids when they were growing up.

By: Wife of Bath

Wife of Bath — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:53:38 +0000

i really sincerely hope you don’t have pets. and if you co-habitate with any living people you might wish to reconsider. living with dead people can *really* cut down the clutter: no food, no toilet paper, no shampoo, no winter clothing…

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:33:00 +0000

I just found this site through my beloved Apartment Therapy site.
I thought,”Oh, wonderful! Another site to encourage my organized, neat side and discourage messiness.
And then I arrived at your contribution.
Goodbye.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:21:05 +0000

Wow, Matt. Although I agree that pets can create clutter, I don’t think that THEY are actually clutter. You’re on your own with this one …

By: Amie Ragan

Amie Ragan — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:23:22 +0000

My initial response is “oh you poor man.” My two dogs bring such joy to my life. I am sorry you have never experienced that; it is wonderful. How can something with a heartbeat ever be considered clutter?

By: summerinbrooklyn

summerinbrooklyn — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:02:09 +0000

Gee. I wonder if Mother Nature will partake in the view of yet another Walmart blemishing the face of the once green earth and say, Humans sure are clutter. I just clicked on this site, and I love organization and keeping clutter to a minimum, but more importantly, I love keeping my dog as a member of my family. I play with her, walk her, talk to her and take care of her. I spend as much time with her as humanly possible without neglecting both friends, family and work. She does add on at least three extra hours of the day devoted to caring for her. But she doesn’t add anything to my house and home? She lightens my emotional and psychological load everytime. She clears the clutter in my life. You suck.

By: Debre

Debre — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:30:57 +0000

My name is Debre and I am a cat lover. Still, I agree with every word you’ve said.

I lived with the same two cats for many years. When they died within a few months of one another (at ripe ages) my immediate need was to give away all their paraphernalia. For the first time in ages, the apartment was spotless and I had a lot of time free! The difference was night and day.

As soon as I was through mourning the loss of my furry men, I realized I missed living with cats. Now I have three and they bring tons of clutter. Wouldn’t trade them for the clean place, though.

So, what you say is exactly true, but won’t likely convert any of us that prefer the companionship of animals.