"Why do people get pets?"
Is that an actual, serious question? Even if you don't want to put the time and attention into owning a pet, you can surely understand the basics of the dynamic, right? We like taking care of shit, especially if that shit is cute and/or fuzzy. It's not rocket science. It's also not rocket science to understand why someone doesn't want a pet. They can be expensive, they can require a lot of care and attention that people might not be suited to give, and the can be messy in ways that people can't deal with.
All the passive aggressive back and forth and talking about not being able to understand why someone would/wouldn't want a pet to the point of it being a deal breaker to a potential relationship. Damn people, it doesn't have to be so tribal. If I didn't want a pet myself, but someone I was with wanted one, who on Earth would I ever draw a line in the sand over that? If they took care of the bulk of the shit associated with said pet, why would I care? Oh no, my living room smelled like a cat turd once a day...my life is ruined! Oh no, there's a bit of pee on the floor....GASP! That's it, I want a divorce! God damn guys.....unless it's someone with 70 cats and shit is coating every square inch of their house, I think some compromises can be reached and some basic understanding achieved, right?
Man...this thread is making me miss my wee cat, Tilly. We had to have her put down two weeks ago today, her heart rather suddenly stopped working properly and there was no prognosis for her. We had her for 14 years. She had a bunch of health issues in that time - including some almost biblical bouts of IBS that resulted in huge puddles of liquid shit just dropping out of her...she couldn't control it. Special food sorted that out though. She had a lovely personality, just a beautiful wee thing. Two weeks ago I had to stand there and stroke her as they put her out...my poor wee cat. They become part of the family, not just a pet. I'd have paid anything to keep her going, but that'd have been cruel and prolonged her suffering. I'm not ashamed to admit I was crying my eyes out...straight up ugly crying. That level of pain can be seen as another big disadvantage in pet ownership, but I had 14 great years with her I wouldn't trade for anything.
Wow...that took a turn. Sorry, had to get that out I guess.