Pets Can Annoy Us, But We Love Them Anyway

By John Kuykendall

We all love our pets and sometimes it feels like they are God’s special gift to us and sometimes we may think they are a Devil straight from (well, you know where).
If you were to try and make a list of things your pet does to annoy you it would probably be a pretty long list. Over the years, I’ve had a few pets that could be very annoying but I loved them so I would just accept the fact they were annoying. Then, one day, while visiting a friend of mine, I noticed things about his pet that were similar to things that annoyed me about my pet.
So, I started researching how to stop some of the things my pet, a dog, did to annoy me. Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the years of how to deal with an annoying pet.
Scratching or chewing on things can be an issue with a dog or cat and especially when your not home. It is not sensible to keep the animal in a crate all day, yelling at the pet won’t work and declawing the pet is out of the question. A scratching post might work for a cat and a chew dog for a dog. If those don’t work, try a deterrent chew spray on furniture and other items. Dogs love to chew on shoes, socks and other items. Very annoying but love them anyway.
Food can also be a problem with pets. It doesn’t matter if it is human food, the pet’s food or even things that are not really food. A pet is going to find things to eat. If it is your food they are taking off a counter or some other location the answer to the problem is a simple one. Get better at putting the food away. If it’s something else, it may take some hard work to train the pet not to eat whatever it is, but yelling is not going to help so just don’t do it. Work with them and love them anyway.
Pets are also messy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dog, a cat, a bird, a turtle or any species known to man, they are going to make a mess. It’s workable to train a pet, a young age you can work with them and train them not to make a mess. Pet hair, food on the floor, water on the floor, etc. is going to happen and there is no stopping it.
It is annoying when the pets get on the furniture and it’s difficult to train them not to. Covering the furniture helps but is not an end all to the problem. Again, you can take steps to help but not prevent it. Annoying but we love them anyway.
Having said all that if you take a minute and consider the reasons why you love your pet you might be a little surprised. We love them so much pets are usually the first consideration when we think about moving, taking a vacation or having to deal with daily schedules. Annoying but we love them anyway.
The experts say having a pet is beneficial to our health and happiness. It’s been proven that pets can reduce (and also increase) stress. They also help us exercise and stick to a routine, even though the routine benefits the pet. Annoying but we love them anyway.
Since pets are a part of our daily lives and routine they become like a part of the family and I guess that is one of the reasons humans love their pets. Also, pets have some good qualities that we wish we and other humans had to include:
• Pets don’t judge you. They don’t care if you are wearing a three-piece suit, pajamas or nothing at all. They don’t care if you watch television, read a book or sleep all day. They don’t judge you.
• Each and every time you walk through the door of your home you are greeted at the door without any hesitation. Most of the time they are barking, or jumping around like a crazy animal or something to annoy you but we love them anyway.
Pets can be funny. They develop habits just like people. Those habits can include licking you, rolling over for belly rubs or some other crazy thing. Those silly antics of our pets can keep us smiling. Some of those habits are really annoying but we love them anyway.
The list could go on and on because there are many reasons to love a pet. The main reason is probably because the pet gives us love and enjoyment every day.
When you provide a pet with plenty of attention, interaction, love, food, water, toys, etc. they will provide you with unconditional love and affection in return.
Believe me, my pets have different personalities, different habits and different ways to annoy me but I love them anyway.
When I return home from a short trip to the store or a long day at work, I’m met at the door with barking and excitement. Every night before going to bed I’m expected to give our pets a good petting and a treat. It’s part of the daily routine and they expect it. Annoying but I love them anyway.
I will say the training has gone well with the pets. I’m a fast learner and well trained by each and every one of them. I know I’m very annoying but it seems my pets love me anyway. Want to be annoyed and loved? Get a pet.