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submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by ICastFist@programming.dev to c/unpopularopinion@lemmy.world

If you live in an apartment, just don't get one

Reasoning edit: pets, especially cats, will leave a smell all over furniture. Cleaning becomes an even worse chore due to the fur. They also require "house training" in order to not chew/claw/destroy most stuff that's lying around the house.

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[-] ptz@dubvee.org 4 points 1 month ago

Per rule #6, please defend your UO position with reasoning.

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev -1 points 1 month ago
[-] slothrop@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 month ago

Cats are healthier and live longer when kept indoors.

[-] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Local wildlife are healthier and live longer when cats are kept indoors, too.

[-] ronl2k@lemmy.world -2 points 1 month ago

There's no evidence that domestic cats put pressure on local wildlife. Most domesticated cats live near urban and suburban humans and can keep household rodent populations down. They also have no impact on urban birds like pigeons, sparrows or crows.

[-] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

If by domestic, you mean cats that live indoors, agreed. Otherwise there's an extensive amount of evidence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_predation_on_wildlife

[-] ronl2k@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

That Wikipedia article contains incorrect info if it applies to habitats outside of Australia or isolated islands. The math doesn't add up for the vast majority of domesticated cat habitats. Once away from humans, cats have plenty of predators in the wild that would check their population against bird destruction. Also note that some birds prey on cats in the wild.

[-] boletus@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 month ago

Many urban and suburban places in Australia have precious native bird life. They do have a measurable impact on the native population.

[-] BakedCookie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago

Cats ESPECIALLY belong inside because they decimate the local wildlife.

[-] Cheems@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Terribly unpopular and stupid opinion. Have an upvote

[-] Binturong@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

This is an ignorant take in that it doesn't in any way address the emotional benefits of having animals in your living space, or offer any justification for why the costs that are asserted could be worth accepting, or the fact that plenty of animals adapt well to smaller spaces. Don't like cleaning fur? Get short haired animals. Kids need training too, and plenty of human adults have no idea how to properly clean up after themselves. If you don't like animals that's fine, but don't try to perscribe your needs onto others based solely on these grounds, you can just say I don't like pets and that's acceptable.

[-] Bougie_Birdie@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 month ago

At some point in your life, you also required training to make sure you didn't destroy the furniture or shit on the floor

Cleaning is part of the care. I guess that's just what the deal is though

Some people think animals shouldn't live indoors. It's worth reminding those people that humans are animals

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev -1 points 1 month ago

We should spend a lot more time outside, too

[-] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Upvoted for the opinion being unpopular.

Cats don't belong outside. They will kill local wildlife and have contributed to the extinction of dozens of species.

I don't think fish care either way as long as they get the space and care they need. That is, a tiny pond outside isn't any better than a tank of the same volume indoors, all other things being equal.

Rodents definitely belong inside, if having a rodent as a pet is allowed at all in this scenario. I feel like this doesn't require further explanation.

I could see rabbits liking being outside, as long as they're adequately protected from predators. They do well inside, too. I'd call this one 50:50.

If reptiles and amphibians should be kept as pets at all, indoors is way better.

I imagine almost all invertebrate pets would have to be indoors.

Pets that are livestock species go outside, yeah. No argument here.

Some animals shouldn't be pets at all. Some belong inside. Some belong outside. Some go in and out. It's a mixed bag.

[-] slothrop@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Upvoted and upvoted. It's weird that in c/UO, a truly extremely unpopular opinion gets downvoted!
It should be in the top few of all time!

[-] marighost@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago

Upvoted because unpopular but I personally think youre a boring person. Sure, animals smell but thats why you clean them and your house. Id rather clean my house 5 times a week than not have my dogs.

[-] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 1 points 1 month ago

That exact same reasoning applies to humans as well, but we still let them into the house. However, though from a very weird direction, you have certainly landed on an unpopular opinion.

[-] KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't think I've ever been to a cat owners house who's furniture smells like cat, I would love to know what a cat even smells like.

Maybe if those owners don't clean their cats litter properly or often enough, that causes a smell, and yeah, lots of shitty cat parents who don't clean after them well enough.

Or maybe this is about un neutered cats that piss on stuff? That's unfortunately somehow also a thing.

Cats also don't require any training to do any of those things? Just pay attention to your cat, ensure you play with it and give it enough toys and attention and it won't do shit to your stuff.

Your statements have me more confused than anything else.

Dogs smell, they have a weird metallic smell to them and they leave that smell on surfaces, maybe you got confused?

Is this unpopular opinion or just objectively wrong opinion?

[-] Carvex@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Wow that is an unpopular opinion

[-] FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

I agree - I think it's mean that people keep dogs, for instance, when they're leaving them unattended for most of the day. Personally I wouldn't get a dog unless I had family, a house and a garden for it. Cats have a bit more leeway but I would still want them to have a nice neighbourhood or gardens to explore.

[-] zeca@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 month ago

Thats the main argument for me. I keep hearing neighbors dogs barking alone all day, it seems so sad to me...

[-] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Upvoted, because you’re totally incorrect.

Are you advocating for the somewhat extreme position that pets shouldn’t exist?

Your reasoning suggests that basic duties of pet ownership such as basic training and grooming are too onerous. Canids do not soil their den in the wild and so easily are trained not to soil indoors, and cats don’t need training to use a litter box.

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev -1 points 1 month ago

Are you advocating for the somewhat extreme position that pets shouldn’t exist?

Reductio ad absurdum is the technique of reducing an argument or hypothesis to absurdity, by pushing the argument's premises or conclusions to their logical limits and showing how ridiculous the consequences would be, thus disproving or discrediting the argument.

[-] essell@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago

Upvoted because I do disagree, where else they gonna go?

cats outside are a menace, for example. Responsible thing to do is keep them inside.

this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
-1 points (47.1% liked)

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