Your Pets and Your Roomies: 3 Tips

By Lev Novak

I am not a pet person.

Let me explain. As a small child, I was attacked by a dog that was maybe four times my size, and one of my earliest memories is, with a moment of utter “fight-or-flight” clarity while I was running and sobbing, that I would have to kill this dog before it killed me.

I was four: I didn’t know what murder was, but I was looking for a jagged rock to save my life. Things like that get to you.

To this day, I’m still wary of dogs. I’m aware, intellectually, that they are awesome. Dogs and I even get along on a case-by-case basis, though it took me twelve years to get over my instinctual terror. Still, dogs and I are not so different, and I respect them, though ideally at a distance.

Let’s say you are a pet person, though. What should you do with a roomie like me?

1. Be Upfront

Do you have a dog? That’s the sort of thing that you might take for a granted that a potential room-mate might not know about. If your dog feels indispensable to you and the building allows it, what’s the problem? I mean, you’ll take care of it and who doesn’t like dogs? Haven’t they seen Air Bud?

Well, don’t take it for granted. Bring up your pets as soon as possible. Maybe your room-mate will be super excited. Maybe they won’t be. Either way, being honest early on gives you the most time to figure out what the situation is going to be.

2. Weigh Concerns

Let’s say they don’t like dogs. Weigh that concern. Discuss details. Maybe your dog is especially tiny- for a guy like me who has an aversion to larger dogs, that would make a difference, and I’d be more happy to know that. Maybe your dog is big, but low energy. That’s also fine- a friendly, giant carpet is a cool thing. But if it’s a big, aggressive (but friendly aggressive dog) that’s something that a room-mate might want to know about.

It’s also important to weigh the level of their concerns. I don’t really like dogs or cats, but if you love them- and I assume you do, you weird pet-having weirdo- it’s whatever. If you take care of them, and they’re chill, it’ll be fine. We’ll probably bound and become friends. But if someone’s allergic, that’s a medical concern bro- keep that in mind.

3. Introduce The Pets

Listen: if someone doesn’t like dogs or cats, your words don’t mean too much. Of course you think they’re great- that doesn’t mean I will. But if you introduce the pet, maybe it’ll melt our hearts. Plus that way, the dog and cat gets our scent and becomes friends. Honestly, I’m writing this because I’m staying at a friend’s house while she’s away and her cat is *freaking.* I don’t really cats and it’s a nightmare to have one hissing at me and trying to claw me, you know? And I’m sure she loves this cat- I’m sure it loves her. But we don’t get along. So introduce us, make us be friends, and don’t assume your furry little angel is everyone’s pal.

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