Well, I love animals, especially cats. We've had several since we got married 42 years ago. We got two in 1985, the same day, different litters. One died in '97 and the other just last year. They were old and very loved.
We also have a dog, that was our youngest son's dog that he got as a puppy when he was about 11. Why don't they take their animals when they get married and leave home? The dog is now 14 and pretty old and going blind. She is a very sweet dog, and we love her, but not in the house.
I do not let my dog in the house................EVER. Dogs smell, and get hair all over the place. Yuck. When there are fireworks or thunder and lightning storms, we fix her a bed in the garage. If the weather gets too frigid, we do the same. She has a really nice dog house , and likes it there. She is half Husky, so the cold really doesn't bother her. One year, we thought she was dead, laying in the snow, with frozen snow all over her back. We called her name, and she jumped right up, ready to play.
We like to travel, and have decided no more pets, to try and farm out or get someone to come over and feed them while we are gone.