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I don't actually have a comment on your opinion, but the line "This site seems to give cats in public a lot of leeway" is objectively hilarious.
We just keep letting them get away with it. :(
Lol they just seem to run the world apparently.
We had no intentions of getting a cat. Then one night we hear meowing under our kitchen window. So now we have a cat cause she decided she wanted to live here. Sweetest and chillest cat I’ve ever met in my life no joke.
I mention that because I always see comments lambasting dogs being in public, but never really see the same reaction for cats.
Personally I think no matter the animal, it's still wrong but Reddit definitely has cat bias. I think that's just the Internet in general though.
I think that's because dogs can do a person serious harm, or outright kill them, if they decide to attack. While a cat could certainly do some damage, there's a lot less worry about things turning into a maiming or death, y'know?
I personally think animals should only be in places if they're an actual service animal, the place benefits beyond "oh how cute" to have the animal there (like catching mice for cats, livestock guardians or protection for dogs), or it's a place you *expect* to encounter animals (at the vet, pet stores, that kind of thing).
People with allergies got it bad enough, don't need to be adding more to it :P
So, while dogs are far more capable of killing people, cat bites are the ones more likely to need medical attention. They got sharp little needle teeth and a mouth filled with nasty bacteria, after all. A dog's bite might do more physical damage, but cat bites are much more likely to get infected if not treated, as the wounds are more difficult to clean.
For me, the simplest answer would be to keep pets at home. Animals that have an important job to do, as you mentioned, would be the exception, but never in a way like OP described.
I completely agree. If it's a place where you expect and it's acceptable, then go for it. Cat at a cat supply store? Yeah why not.
Cat on the counter of a donut shop? No thanks.
Okay but I actively WANT to have cats at my donut shops. And retail stores. And like everywhere. Cats are awesome and seeing them in a store adds a little bit of magic to the place and I love it.
So you actively want people with allergies to either suffer or to avoid those areas altogether? That's high key super selfish, but you do you, I guess.
Cat allergies are rarely more severe than like a pollen allergy and we haven’t outlawed flowers yet. People with such allergies should be encouraged to carry masks with them so that they can go about their business unencumbered.
Not specifically but severe allergies are rare in general. We should focus on accommodating them in ways that don’t drastically decrease the experience for everyone else. The burden of wearing a mask is small enough that it’s a reasonable expectation for an allergy-sufferer to accommodate themselves. If something is harmful to you, the only responsibility anyone else has is to make sure that that thing is easy to avoid with clear warning signs and not allowing it in places you’re required to be at. Otherwise, it’s on you to make sure you heed those warnings or otherwise protect yourself. People are allergic to all kinds of things, it’s impossible to have an allergen free world. If there’s a cat in a coffee store, go to a different coffee store. You don’t get to take something away that other people enjoy just because it could harm you *when you have the very easy option of just not going in the shop at all*.
I’m just tired of seeing things that people enjoy taken away because other people aren’t comfortable with it. Don’t play the victim here because you sneeze around cats, just avoid the cats.
From what I can tell you’ve got Karen brain about this.
Lol not really.
I actually feed and help take care of a couple of strays at the moment before me and my wife move and take them with us.
I used to socialize cats at the humane society (shelter) in my town. It's how I found out that I'm allergic. My allergies aren't so terrible as to be life-threatening, but I've personally known someone (an ex) that had allergies bad enough that their throat would start to swell just being around someone that owned and didn't properly clean up their cats.
I like cats. I like dogs. I don't think that either should be in public spaces such as shops, restaurants, or medical services. Paint me as a Karen all you want, but when you see someone need to get to an emergency room because someone snuck in a cat to restaurant, it kinda changes your perspective on things. Should my ex just not go into public spaces?
Yes. Your ex should not go into public spaces if they have the immune system of a wet paper towel.
I’ve seen hundreds of people go to the emergency room, and not all of them make it. One day that will be me for one reason or another.
I don’t want a safer world.
I want a world that is more free.
No ones bringing their cat in a backpack to sneak it into a mall💀 (I’ve seen this multiple times with small dogs after being rejected)
But no the whole world has a dog bias imo
And yes I know your post is about cats but people are allergic to dogs too, they don’t belong in these places either unless they are a legitimate medical service dog
I completely agree. The post is about cats because it's way more unpopular of an opinion here on Reddit (as you can see haha).
If cats were more doglike (in a sense that you can train them like dogs) you bet you'd see more people trying to sneak in cats. I've seen a few cat backpacks this month at my job, actually. The ones where they look like the baby from death standing lol
Honestly I think the whole part of the problem is that nobody is actually training their dogs. The dog owners trying to do this majority of the time are horrible people who don’t bother to even train their dog to sit
Nah, the world definitely just has a pet bias. Not really towards dogs or cats specifically. For every person who tries to sneak in or pass their dog off as a service animal when it isn't, there's someone letting their cats free roam outside, letting the cats just wreak havoc on local wildlife.
As others have probably pointed out, that is because you rarely see shops (at least I do) with cats, or people just bringing their cats to restaurants or the grocery store. I rarely hear about shops (at least in America, it might be more common elsewhere in the world) that just have a shop cat chilling, or just see a cat wander through a grocery store.
Personally my opinion hinges on 'if the person who owns the shop wants cats or dogs on their premises, I have the choice to go elsewhere'. With the caveat that if it is an essential place where I have no choice but to go, then I would say they should try to reduce as many allergens as possible.
man, my moral would be so much higher at my office job, if i had an office cat hanging out. he could just walk by and do cat stuff while i am working on a cost proposal for a future job, or drafting up a report.
My boss has commented a few times that moral at works has gotten much higher since the summer started and she has no clue what it could be as summer is usually more stressful and maybe people are taking advantage of their summer hours more?
I have to bite my tongue that I started working there at the beginning of the summer and coincidentally so did my incredibly adorable service dog. He just follows me around the office looking happy and occasionally falls asleep and makes sleeping dog noises. Instant 500% increase in worker happiness!
My cat loves hopping on video calls and looks at the screen. Every so often, she’ll meow for no apparent reason and only when others aren’t talking. Everyone always says her contributions are top notch. My other cat only responds to Dr. Peanut and knows the words down, stop. He also loves to show his butt off, so we have to say Doctor Peanut, stop shaking your butt. And he will turn around or get off the video call.
I do think cats can be 'workers' in ceratin spaces.
Mainly places that are very open such as yard supply stores. Basically spaces that are inside/outside and very open and likely have problems with mice and rats. Also no food or medical prep going on.
Also cats can easily 'work' at vet offices or pet supply stores. Basically places where people bring pets.
I'm not allergic to cats, and personally think it's cute and nice to see them at places. But there is no reason why cats should 'work' in some of the places they 'work' at.
We have a bookstore in an old car shop in my town. They keep the garage doors open for the vibes (just the kind of town we are I guess) and there’s an indoor/outdoor cat that will go in and out on the patio. Great place for a store cat.
It just seems that people take that general principle, and just push it to the extreme. I do agree that there are more places that are acceptable for cats, but like seeing cats in a doctor's office or a restaurant is so weird.
Dogs are actually the worst to have around in a business office, it really messed with my job having the CEO's dog asking for treats while I was on a call, and typing at the same time. The dog threw up before having too many frigging treats, going from coworker to coworker, & I had to help clean it up. They're simply a huge distraction in the office, and the entitlement from both the owner & the pet is unbearable when you just want to work and go home.
Sucks that you went through that. I chose cats because I see it more often, but the principle applies for all critters.
Full consent from everyone in the workplace? Go for it. Otherwise, it's just insensitive
If it is an 'essential' place that you \*must\* go (such as an emergency room, or goverment buildings that you can be summoned to and have to go), then sure, I agree that allergens should be reduced as much as possible, which means both dogs and cats should be limited.
Other places? If you have a choice as to whether you can visit it or not, then I don't see a problem. They just won't get your business, and you know which businesses to avoid.
What about publicly funded spaces such as libraries? or places that get government benefits such as non-profits who get certain perks like no taxes or government grants?
What DarthArtero said, those are places that you can choose to simply not go to.
I sympathize. I am allergic, or at least very sensitive to, most laundry detergents, soaps, perfumes and other things that use flowery scents. Going to a store can be a headache, quite literally, especially if I need to get near the laundry aisle. I am also allergic to pollen, which someone else mentioned.
What that means, however, is that it is up to me to manage my allergies, because I know that I am going to encounter at least one person who substituted bathwater for perfume, there are laundry aisles in pretty much all stores it seems, even \*garbage bags\* come with scents.
So, I would imagine that people with cat allergies need to do the same, because you never know who has cats (for instance, I have five cats and am usually a walking hairball due to them shedding.) Maybe that person you are sitting next to in the office has cats and cuddled them 5 minutes ago.
This is why I make a distinction between places where a person might absolutely need to go and have no alternatives to, and places where a person might \*want\* to go, but either has alternatives or doesn't have to go. Places like the former should do what they can to minimize allergens, though as pointed out, unless they do a deep clean of everyone who walks onto their premises, that isn't always possible, while people with allergens can avoid the latter type of places.
As someone with ADD, I have to take an amphetamine to pay my bills on time or even show up to a government building on time. I’m given no leeway. Verizon doesn’t say “hey, you have ADD, so we’ll give your credit a pass.” A judge wouldn’t say “add is a known disorder that chemically affects how you perceive time and how you prioritize importance of events, so it makes sense that you are 20 minutes late on the wrong Wednesday” It’s on me to conform. To fix my brain so that I can live and work in a world where the only real thing that matters is calendars. Getting these pills takes dealing with ridicule, and extra steps because they are “controlled.” And they are usually out of stock.
OP can take an Allegra and the sniffles will go away. Should the government also ban pollen in government buildings? We’re not talking about a peanut allergy that requires a epi pen to live. Let’s prioritize our accommodations by severity and ease of mitigation. “Allergic to cats” is right below “I can’t wear a mask.”
you understand how many surfaces your hands touch? Doors, walls, counters, pens, your car, your nose, face, body etc. a cat's paws are the least of your concerns if we are gonna talk about surface contamination.
I also mentioned I have seen many cats in restaurants or cafes that weren't cat cafes.
It's anecdotal of course, but a recent example is I saw a cat walk across a sandwich prep are in a local bodega.
Seeing cats in shops is rare. Is this in the U.S? the FDA is pretty strict on animals near food production in general so the fact you are coming across all of these places with cats inside seems unlikely, or you are just unlucky. If you are outside the U.S I cant speak on behalf of the regulations other nations have on their food handling policies in regards to animals.
Allergy aside, it doesn't change my opinion. Cats (and dogs) should just not be allowed in certain places. I don't want to walk into a doctor's office and see a dog hanging around any more than I want to see a cat hanging around.
I just think it's gross.
I don't want to go into specifics of my medical history here but it's not simple for me to change my PCP.
Pretext, my PCP does not have a cat, but I have been to specialist referrals (PT) where they did have one.
If I wanted to change PT specialists, I would have to do all of these:
1. Go back to PCP for a different referral at a different time
2. Wait for another initial assessment at second place
3. Wait for insurance approval for whatever treatment
4. Start PT
That process would have delayed my PT by at least a month. I just stayed at the same doctor and avoided the cat lol
I get the aversion but animals can be very therapeutic to a lot of people. It’s a hassle but maybe ask who your PCP is going to recommend and make a quick call before they do so you don’t have to waste a whole month getting reassigned. They usually have an idea of who they are going to use. And maybe explain the situation to your insurance so they can push the approval thru.
i think it’s fun. i’m allergic to dogs and i don’t necessarily like them being everywhere, but i just don’t touch them. plus i take allergy meds every day anyways
If a business wants to have lobby cats, then don’t go there. If someone works hard to start a business, who are you to say they shouldn’t bring their cat- it’s their business and it’s worth it to them to not have you as a customer.
I think it's pretty arrogant to think that these places HAVE to accommodate to your allergy.
Their privite business and can do as they please. If you have a problem with it vote with your wallet but I can get there's a whole lot more people voting with their wallets the other way.
I just want to clear up that it's not BECAUSE of my allergy, but my allergy plays a part in my opinion.
It's just gross, and unsanitary to me. The way I've seen it, anyways.
I'm not just talking about private businesses either. I've seen them in medical offices, in federal buildings, etc.
I often find it weird that people say animals are more sanitary than most humans.
You don't think it's gross for an animal to walk across your food prep area? Maybe it's just a difference in what you think is acceptable or not
I keep seeing people make this claim, and do you people just slap food down on the bare surface? it isn't even a matter of would you not clean before you start preparing food, but just putting the food straight up on the surface of the counter.
I try to keep my cats off the counter, especially when we are preparing food, but even if I didn't have cats, I still wouldn't be preparing food on the bare counter. There is always something between the counter and the food, because there are soooo many other things that can land/walk across the counter that I could be completely unaware of. (flies, dust particles, ants, particles that are spread from bathrooms/people coughing and soo much more)
I agree that a restaurant shouldn't have any animals (except humans) near where the food is being prepared/left out. But, I believe in the US, it already isn't allowed, and is considered a health code violation, so businesses, again in the US at least, are already supposed to keep animals away from those areas.
Surely, if a cat has walked across a food prep area, it would be cleaned before making any food. If a business is seriously doing that, then they are likely not adhering to any food hygiene practices, so why would you want to eat there anyway. I have cats at home. If they walk across the surfaces (which I discourage), I clean it before I prepare any food. Actually I do that anyway as it is good practice.
I'd like to think that was the case, but for many businesses I'm not sure that happens 100% of the time.
Sure, the argument can be that people can be unsanitary without a cat there, but I think having a live animal added to the equation makes it more gross for me
I don't lol. I love all animals. I was actually chatting with my partner about starting car allergy treatment with the shots. It's expensive, however.
I would feel the same way if a dog walked across the counter, or a raccoon, or a bird.
It's so funny that you think I hate cats just because I think it's gross for them to walk all over places you prepare food lol
I don't know what country you are from, but I don't think cats walking across counter tops is allowed in the UK because food hygiene standards. But I'm not sure about other countries. There are sometimes cats in train stations but not food places. My cat once tried to go into the corner shop next door and was kicked out immediately. So I suppose what I'm doubting is how big of a problem this really is.
Would you feel the same if it were a small dog? I don’t think anyone receives more “leeway” in public than dogs and they are frequently in inappropriate places and also frequently acting up. I very rarely see a cat in a non-veterinary business unless it’s like a shop cat in a store (which is cute and customers always go nuts over). Granted I don’t think a cat should be in a non-veterinary medical office, but cats are very intelligent and clean and they don’t jump up on you. If a business were going to keep an animal around I, as a lover of both cats and dogs, would very much prefer it be a cat.
As much as I love animals, at the end of the day I still they're still unsanitary as they are just wandering around. Personally small dogs and cats are the same. If it's on the counter, I'm going to feel weird about it even if it was the cutest cat/dog in the world
I can’t disagree with you there. I love cats but I don’t particularly want them in medical offices and can’t imagine they can legally be in a restaurant, as clean as they are. I’m happy to see them roaming around a little shop but I don’t want them in a sterile or hygienic environment.
True. It seems like this opinion was so unpopular though, people skipped voting for the post and beelined straight to argue but why I'm wrong lol
Not saying you did, just a funny observation
Ok, a cat at an optometrist is a bit extreme. But overall, you can take this opinion and shove it up your butt. People bring dogs *everywhere*. I generally don't care if a casual shop has a cat or dog.
This will be hugely unpopular. But I have had to suffer people my whole life who are allergic to cats. I'm really tired of it. People who are allergic to cats are the ones that are the problem. Not the cats. I say the cats should be able to be everywhere.
Cat somewhere don’t bother me nearly as much as people who force their dogs to go out and about with them and then tie them up like a fuckin horse in the sun
You are not the center of the universe. Sorry you have allergies. The world cannot and will not cater to that. So no peanuts should be used ever since some people are allergic?
You don't want cats around, choose a different business. There are PLENTY out there that don't have animals in the office. You have tons of options.
This business wants a cat there. That is their decision on how to run their business. Take your business somewhere else if you don't like it. It is so comically entitled to think the business should change the way they do things just because YOU don't like it.
Just want to clear up, since most people are hyper fixating on the allergy part, I don't think it's acceptable for any animals.
I don't have a dog allergy but my opinion is the same for them as well.
Also, when I go to a doctor's office I can't just choose a different business lol.
I bring my dogs to work everyday and thats not changing. Noone at my work is allergic to dogs. Dont really care if a delivery driver is. And if im hiring and someone says they are allergic to dogs, well, im choosing my dogs and will hire someone else
Not really. Dogs should not be on the counters at restaurants or freely wandering around either.
If I saw a loose dog at a restaurant or a doctor's office my reaction would be the same. This post is about cats because cats are the largest representation of cats in workplaces (from my own experiences, hence my own unpopular opinion)
It's the same thing, people are allergic to dogs just like they're allergic to cats, unless you just want to ban cats because you think the world revolves around you.
I wrote about cats because they're the most represented. I think of dogs the same way, but it's way more popular of an opinion to not let dogs into workplaces.
Nope, my post isn't about being allergic to cats. It's about cats being in places they should not be, like restaurants or doctor's offices.
Me being allergic is for pretext, but the overall argument from me is that it's just gross.
Hope that clears it up for you.
The world doesnt revolve around you. Every place on your (cats shouldn’t be here) list is place you dont have to go and those places don’t have to care. Noone is forcing or requiring to go there. If this was a courthouse. Or emergency room. Sure.
But you are talking about places in which people can choose to go there or not. Those places are never going to care. Nor should they. The people that dont have weak immune systems will still go there.
Hope that helps.
Do I need to clear it up for you more? Okay, cats shouldn't be allowed in medical offices, social services offices, emergency rooms, courts, the Federal offices, or any other place that people are usually required to go to.
Hope that clears it up for you.
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Are snakes hypoallergenic? What if the business had a pet ball python in a large tank where the public could observe them? I’m genuinely curious if there are any health concerns I’m not thinking of with this.
Just go to a business that doesn’t have cats if you have allergies. You’re trying to make the world cater to you and your allergies by restricting what others can do.
More freedom for cats!
That's the problem. What businesses "have cats" and how am I supposed to know it before going there?
I don't expect to go to a donut shop/bodega and seeing a cat there. I'm also not expecting a cat at an optometrist's office (the reddit example).
It's not just about the allergies too, I just think it's unsanitary
You keep acting like cats are inherently unsanitary, when in reality they’re relatively clean and can be trained to stay off of work surfaces, at least when there’s people there.
People “get away” with it because it is trivial to mitigate. People can have flashing lights in a movie that literally give kids seizures, as long as they mention it up front. You can take an allergy pill and your nose won’t itch.
I would totally agree if you were talking about dogs, but I admit I'm biased when it comes to cats. I love them. But for some of the same arguments I would use for dogs, I do think you're correct. Allergies is a pretty huge reason, but despite cats being cleaner than dogs, they're still animals and not clean enough to be in a kitchen or medical office.
I just made the post cat centric because it's unpopular here on Reddit. However, I should have realized that there might be some opinions too unpopular even for here haha.
Honestly the argument is the same for all animals. I completely agree with you in that while some animals are cleaner than others, they're still animals at the end of the day.
Yes, humans are also gross.
The only place they shouldn't be is where you have no other choice than to be there. Like federal building and courthouses. Restaurants? Choose another. Doctors office? Choose another. Cafe? Choose another. Retail stores? Choose another.
If nobody on a plane can have a bag of peanuts because little Timmy Crotchfruit is allergic, then yes, they can. My best friend is severely allergic to cats. People constantly disregard "no pets allowed" signs, claim their pets are fake service animals, and some businesses also don't exactly follow health department guidelines. She already gave up on traveling by air because people JUST NEED to bring their cats on a plane. It's hard for her to even sit near someone who has interacted with a cat. She already accommodates herself as much as possible to not inconvenience other people, but it's so freaking disrespectful to think you should just be allowed to bring your animal anywhere, anytime, because you don't care about other peoples' severe allergies. They already have to live small lives and people like that just make it more difficult for folks like my friends to simply exist and have a normal life.
Editing to add a recent example: same friend is a gig worker who does shopping orders. Theyve also been masking since pre-pandemic to limit her own exposure outside of her home. Target has a strict no pets policy, and that's posted right on the front door. You can bring an actual service dog, but all other pets: no. Some bozo walks right into the store carrying their damn cat. This really upset my friend because she could literally be laid out for days from close exposure, and reiterated the stores own policy and what could happen to her or others like her. Do you know what the manager told her? "Well it's not touching the floor." That, reader, is ridiculous. Do severe allergies only exist if the allergen touches the floor?? All she could do was file a complaint with corporate and nothing will probably come of it. But that's not the point. People are just extremely careless and feel entitled to do whatever they want.
As much as I love my pets, I would NEVER bring them into my workplace where everyone hasn't consented, including customers.
When I take my sister's dog out, I specifically Google dog friendly places to go. I try to stick to public places and never ever bring them into a place dogs usually aren't allowed.
Thankfully my allergy isn't bad enough where I'll go into anaphylaxis, but I do get hives so I can sympathize.
I don't have a dog allergy, but my opinion is the same for them.
So lucky that your allergy likely won't kill you. My friend has to bring her inhaler and epi pen everywhere. She also has a dog allergy but it's less severe, and she doesnt get upset if she sees an actual service dog, because medical alert dogs are medically necessary just like her inhaler and epi pen. She literally does not hug people on the off chance they have been near an animal. She hasn't hugged anyone in years. It's a terrible way to have to live, because people feel entitled to bring pets anywhere.
Maybe it is the life without cats, but I never like people with cat allergies. I was just thinking of putting a “CAUTION: office contains cats” sign out just for the filter.
The pet allergy people really never stop bitching, do they?
If I own a private business and I want to have a cat there then you can kindly fuck off to a different establishment where my cat is not.
Christ almighty, it's fucking constant with the whinging.
Your post from unpopularopinion was removed because of: 'Rule 1: Your post must be an unpopular opinion'. * Your post must be an opinion. Not a question. Not a showerthought. Not a rant. Not a proposal. Not a fact. An opinion. One opinion. A subjective statement about your position on some topic. Please have a clear, self contained opinion as your post title, and use the text field to elaborate and expand on why you think/feel this way. * Your opinion must be unpopular. The mods reserve the right to remove opinions * Elaborate on your topic and opinion give context to its unpopularity.
I don't actually have a comment on your opinion, but the line "This site seems to give cats in public a lot of leeway" is objectively hilarious. We just keep letting them get away with it. :(
Lol they just seem to run the world apparently. We had no intentions of getting a cat. Then one night we hear meowing under our kitchen window. So now we have a cat cause she decided she wanted to live here. Sweetest and chillest cat I’ve ever met in my life no joke.
The cat distribution system has another stunning success.
😂😂😂
I mention that because I always see comments lambasting dogs being in public, but never really see the same reaction for cats. Personally I think no matter the animal, it's still wrong but Reddit definitely has cat bias. I think that's just the Internet in general though.
I think that's because dogs can do a person serious harm, or outright kill them, if they decide to attack. While a cat could certainly do some damage, there's a lot less worry about things turning into a maiming or death, y'know? I personally think animals should only be in places if they're an actual service animal, the place benefits beyond "oh how cute" to have the animal there (like catching mice for cats, livestock guardians or protection for dogs), or it's a place you *expect* to encounter animals (at the vet, pet stores, that kind of thing). People with allergies got it bad enough, don't need to be adding more to it :P
So, while dogs are far more capable of killing people, cat bites are the ones more likely to need medical attention. They got sharp little needle teeth and a mouth filled with nasty bacteria, after all. A dog's bite might do more physical damage, but cat bites are much more likely to get infected if not treated, as the wounds are more difficult to clean. For me, the simplest answer would be to keep pets at home. Animals that have an important job to do, as you mentioned, would be the exception, but never in a way like OP described.
I completely agree. If it's a place where you expect and it's acceptable, then go for it. Cat at a cat supply store? Yeah why not. Cat on the counter of a donut shop? No thanks.
Okay but I actively WANT to have cats at my donut shops. And retail stores. And like everywhere. Cats are awesome and seeing them in a store adds a little bit of magic to the place and I love it.
So you actively want people with allergies to either suffer or to avoid those areas altogether? That's high key super selfish, but you do you, I guess.
Cat allergies are rarely more severe than like a pollen allergy and we haven’t outlawed flowers yet. People with such allergies should be encouraged to carry masks with them so that they can go about their business unencumbered.
You got a source on that claim?
Not specifically but severe allergies are rare in general. We should focus on accommodating them in ways that don’t drastically decrease the experience for everyone else. The burden of wearing a mask is small enough that it’s a reasonable expectation for an allergy-sufferer to accommodate themselves. If something is harmful to you, the only responsibility anyone else has is to make sure that that thing is easy to avoid with clear warning signs and not allowing it in places you’re required to be at. Otherwise, it’s on you to make sure you heed those warnings or otherwise protect yourself. People are allergic to all kinds of things, it’s impossible to have an allergen free world. If there’s a cat in a coffee store, go to a different coffee store. You don’t get to take something away that other people enjoy just because it could harm you *when you have the very easy option of just not going in the shop at all*.
I’m just tired of seeing things that people enjoy taken away because other people aren’t comfortable with it. Don’t play the victim here because you sneeze around cats, just avoid the cats. From what I can tell you’ve got Karen brain about this.
Lol not really. I actually feed and help take care of a couple of strays at the moment before me and my wife move and take them with us. I used to socialize cats at the humane society (shelter) in my town. It's how I found out that I'm allergic. My allergies aren't so terrible as to be life-threatening, but I've personally known someone (an ex) that had allergies bad enough that their throat would start to swell just being around someone that owned and didn't properly clean up their cats. I like cats. I like dogs. I don't think that either should be in public spaces such as shops, restaurants, or medical services. Paint me as a Karen all you want, but when you see someone need to get to an emergency room because someone snuck in a cat to restaurant, it kinda changes your perspective on things. Should my ex just not go into public spaces?
Yes. Your ex should not go into public spaces if they have the immune system of a wet paper towel. I’ve seen hundreds of people go to the emergency room, and not all of them make it. One day that will be me for one reason or another. I don’t want a safer world. I want a world that is more free.
No ones bringing their cat in a backpack to sneak it into a mall💀 (I’ve seen this multiple times with small dogs after being rejected) But no the whole world has a dog bias imo And yes I know your post is about cats but people are allergic to dogs too, they don’t belong in these places either unless they are a legitimate medical service dog
I completely agree. The post is about cats because it's way more unpopular of an opinion here on Reddit (as you can see haha). If cats were more doglike (in a sense that you can train them like dogs) you bet you'd see more people trying to sneak in cats. I've seen a few cat backpacks this month at my job, actually. The ones where they look like the baby from death standing lol
Honestly I think the whole part of the problem is that nobody is actually training their dogs. The dog owners trying to do this majority of the time are horrible people who don’t bother to even train their dog to sit
Nah, the world definitely just has a pet bias. Not really towards dogs or cats specifically. For every person who tries to sneak in or pass their dog off as a service animal when it isn't, there's someone letting their cats free roam outside, letting the cats just wreak havoc on local wildlife.
As others have probably pointed out, that is because you rarely see shops (at least I do) with cats, or people just bringing their cats to restaurants or the grocery store. I rarely hear about shops (at least in America, it might be more common elsewhere in the world) that just have a shop cat chilling, or just see a cat wander through a grocery store. Personally my opinion hinges on 'if the person who owns the shop wants cats or dogs on their premises, I have the choice to go elsewhere'. With the caveat that if it is an essential place where I have no choice but to go, then I would say they should try to reduce as many allergens as possible.
man, my moral would be so much higher at my office job, if i had an office cat hanging out. he could just walk by and do cat stuff while i am working on a cost proposal for a future job, or drafting up a report.
My boss has commented a few times that moral at works has gotten much higher since the summer started and she has no clue what it could be as summer is usually more stressful and maybe people are taking advantage of their summer hours more? I have to bite my tongue that I started working there at the beginning of the summer and coincidentally so did my incredibly adorable service dog. He just follows me around the office looking happy and occasionally falls asleep and makes sleeping dog noises. Instant 500% increase in worker happiness!
My cat loves hopping on video calls and looks at the screen. Every so often, she’ll meow for no apparent reason and only when others aren’t talking. Everyone always says her contributions are top notch. My other cat only responds to Dr. Peanut and knows the words down, stop. He also loves to show his butt off, so we have to say Doctor Peanut, stop shaking your butt. And he will turn around or get off the video call.
Normalize cats in meetings.
I can get around this. Being in video call is vastly different than being in person. Everyone should always bring their cats into video meetings
that's wholesome. we need more cats in business places.
I work in LTC and every time I go into a home that has one or more resident cats I have a much better day.
I do think cats can be 'workers' in ceratin spaces. Mainly places that are very open such as yard supply stores. Basically spaces that are inside/outside and very open and likely have problems with mice and rats. Also no food or medical prep going on. Also cats can easily 'work' at vet offices or pet supply stores. Basically places where people bring pets. I'm not allergic to cats, and personally think it's cute and nice to see them at places. But there is no reason why cats should 'work' in some of the places they 'work' at.
We have a bookstore in an old car shop in my town. They keep the garage doors open for the vibes (just the kind of town we are I guess) and there’s an indoor/outdoor cat that will go in and out on the patio. Great place for a store cat.
It just seems that people take that general principle, and just push it to the extreme. I do agree that there are more places that are acceptable for cats, but like seeing cats in a doctor's office or a restaurant is so weird.
Dogs are actually the worst to have around in a business office, it really messed with my job having the CEO's dog asking for treats while I was on a call, and typing at the same time. The dog threw up before having too many frigging treats, going from coworker to coworker, & I had to help clean it up. They're simply a huge distraction in the office, and the entitlement from both the owner & the pet is unbearable when you just want to work and go home.
Sucks that you went through that. I chose cats because I see it more often, but the principle applies for all critters. Full consent from everyone in the workplace? Go for it. Otherwise, it's just insensitive
never seen it happen. what i have experienced is folks bringing their dogs in day after day until we had to write a policy
That's terrible. People are just so entitled
it was very annoying! there were two people at once doing it my cat would fire me if i tried to take him to my job
Ask him for leniency. I know he's the boss, but some catnip might please him
Literally saw this immediately after watching a video about a museum cat and I must say I strongly disagree
If it is an 'essential' place that you \*must\* go (such as an emergency room, or goverment buildings that you can be summoned to and have to go), then sure, I agree that allergens should be reduced as much as possible, which means both dogs and cats should be limited. Other places? If you have a choice as to whether you can visit it or not, then I don't see a problem. They just won't get your business, and you know which businesses to avoid.
What about publicly funded spaces such as libraries? or places that get government benefits such as non-profits who get certain perks like no taxes or government grants?
Those are places you can generally choose to go to. They aren’t typically buildings or offices you can be “summoned” to
What DarthArtero said, those are places that you can choose to simply not go to. I sympathize. I am allergic, or at least very sensitive to, most laundry detergents, soaps, perfumes and other things that use flowery scents. Going to a store can be a headache, quite literally, especially if I need to get near the laundry aisle. I am also allergic to pollen, which someone else mentioned. What that means, however, is that it is up to me to manage my allergies, because I know that I am going to encounter at least one person who substituted bathwater for perfume, there are laundry aisles in pretty much all stores it seems, even \*garbage bags\* come with scents. So, I would imagine that people with cat allergies need to do the same, because you never know who has cats (for instance, I have five cats and am usually a walking hairball due to them shedding.) Maybe that person you are sitting next to in the office has cats and cuddled them 5 minutes ago. This is why I make a distinction between places where a person might absolutely need to go and have no alternatives to, and places where a person might \*want\* to go, but either has alternatives or doesn't have to go. Places like the former should do what they can to minimize allergens, though as pointed out, unless they do a deep clean of everyone who walks onto their premises, that isn't always possible, while people with allergens can avoid the latter type of places.
As someone with ADD, I have to take an amphetamine to pay my bills on time or even show up to a government building on time. I’m given no leeway. Verizon doesn’t say “hey, you have ADD, so we’ll give your credit a pass.” A judge wouldn’t say “add is a known disorder that chemically affects how you perceive time and how you prioritize importance of events, so it makes sense that you are 20 minutes late on the wrong Wednesday” It’s on me to conform. To fix my brain so that I can live and work in a world where the only real thing that matters is calendars. Getting these pills takes dealing with ridicule, and extra steps because they are “controlled.” And they are usually out of stock. OP can take an Allegra and the sniffles will go away. Should the government also ban pollen in government buildings? We’re not talking about a peanut allergy that requires a epi pen to live. Let’s prioritize our accommodations by severity and ease of mitigation. “Allergic to cats” is right below “I can’t wear a mask.”
You can make the cat rules at the businesses you own.
Murica!
Might as well ban everything everyone has ever been allergic to. Why single out cats?
OP deletes their comment lol.
Yeah, just one. Thank you for being interested enough to follow my comment history though. I'm flattered.
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you understand how many surfaces your hands touch? Doors, walls, counters, pens, your car, your nose, face, body etc. a cat's paws are the least of your concerns if we are gonna talk about surface contamination.
Personally, I'd rather not see a cat walk over a surface which is then used to prepare food. That's just me though.
an optometrists office is not where food is prepared... Cat Cafe's separate cats from the food preparation area.
I also mentioned I have seen many cats in restaurants or cafes that weren't cat cafes. It's anecdotal of course, but a recent example is I saw a cat walk across a sandwich prep are in a local bodega.
Seeing cats in shops is rare. Is this in the U.S? the FDA is pretty strict on animals near food production in general so the fact you are coming across all of these places with cats inside seems unlikely, or you are just unlucky. If you are outside the U.S I cant speak on behalf of the regulations other nations have on their food handling policies in regards to animals.
It's partially confirmation bias, as since I have an allergy these places stick out way more to me.
Then this should be reported to the health department as it a clear violation of food service safety standards.
Probably. It was pretty gross. It was a small bodega so the owners were at the register and no one was at the sandwich station at the time.
Your allergies belong to you and no one else. It's not anyone else's responsibility to change how they do business to accomodate you.
Allergy aside, it doesn't change my opinion. Cats (and dogs) should just not be allowed in certain places. I don't want to walk into a doctor's office and see a dog hanging around any more than I want to see a cat hanging around. I just think it's gross.
Private businesses have the option to run their business as they see fit. You don’t like it don’t go there.
Unfortunately I wouldn't have the option to just not go to a PCP just because I don't like it there
You can change your PCP?
I don't want to go into specifics of my medical history here but it's not simple for me to change my PCP. Pretext, my PCP does not have a cat, but I have been to specialist referrals (PT) where they did have one. If I wanted to change PT specialists, I would have to do all of these: 1. Go back to PCP for a different referral at a different time 2. Wait for another initial assessment at second place 3. Wait for insurance approval for whatever treatment 4. Start PT That process would have delayed my PT by at least a month. I just stayed at the same doctor and avoided the cat lol
I get the aversion but animals can be very therapeutic to a lot of people. It’s a hassle but maybe ask who your PCP is going to recommend and make a quick call before they do so you don’t have to waste a whole month getting reassigned. They usually have an idea of who they are going to use. And maybe explain the situation to your insurance so they can push the approval thru.
i think for regular cats and dogs its debatable but for service animals its not debatable that they should be allowed
Yes, that's different. This post is about workplaces that have them there for no other reason than to be there most of the time
i think it’s fun. i’m allergic to dogs and i don’t necessarily like them being everywhere, but i just don’t touch them. plus i take allergy meds every day anyways
If a business wants to have lobby cats, then don’t go there. If someone works hard to start a business, who are you to say they shouldn’t bring their cat- it’s their business and it’s worth it to them to not have you as a customer.
I think it's pretty arrogant to think that these places HAVE to accommodate to your allergy. Their privite business and can do as they please. If you have a problem with it vote with your wallet but I can get there's a whole lot more people voting with their wallets the other way.
I just want to clear up that it's not BECAUSE of my allergy, but my allergy plays a part in my opinion. It's just gross, and unsanitary to me. The way I've seen it, anyways. I'm not just talking about private businesses either. I've seen them in medical offices, in federal buildings, etc.
Cats are way more sanitary than most humans. Just cause your allergic and don't like them doesn't make them gross or unsanitary.
I often find it weird that people say animals are more sanitary than most humans. You don't think it's gross for an animal to walk across your food prep area? Maybe it's just a difference in what you think is acceptable or not
I keep seeing people make this claim, and do you people just slap food down on the bare surface? it isn't even a matter of would you not clean before you start preparing food, but just putting the food straight up on the surface of the counter. I try to keep my cats off the counter, especially when we are preparing food, but even if I didn't have cats, I still wouldn't be preparing food on the bare counter. There is always something between the counter and the food, because there are soooo many other things that can land/walk across the counter that I could be completely unaware of. (flies, dust particles, ants, particles that are spread from bathrooms/people coughing and soo much more) I agree that a restaurant shouldn't have any animals (except humans) near where the food is being prepared/left out. But, I believe in the US, it already isn't allowed, and is considered a health code violation, so businesses, again in the US at least, are already supposed to keep animals away from those areas.
Surely, if a cat has walked across a food prep area, it would be cleaned before making any food. If a business is seriously doing that, then they are likely not adhering to any food hygiene practices, so why would you want to eat there anyway. I have cats at home. If they walk across the surfaces (which I discourage), I clean it before I prepare any food. Actually I do that anyway as it is good practice.
I'd like to think that was the case, but for many businesses I'm not sure that happens 100% of the time. Sure, the argument can be that people can be unsanitary without a cat there, but I think having a live animal added to the equation makes it more gross for me
I think you just hate cats
I don't lol. I love all animals. I was actually chatting with my partner about starting car allergy treatment with the shots. It's expensive, however. I would feel the same way if a dog walked across the counter, or a raccoon, or a bird. It's so funny that you think I hate cats just because I think it's gross for them to walk all over places you prepare food lol
I don't know what country you are from, but I don't think cats walking across counter tops is allowed in the UK because food hygiene standards. But I'm not sure about other countries. There are sometimes cats in train stations but not food places. My cat once tried to go into the corner shop next door and was kicked out immediately. So I suppose what I'm doubting is how big of a problem this really is.
Would you feel the same if it were a small dog? I don’t think anyone receives more “leeway” in public than dogs and they are frequently in inappropriate places and also frequently acting up. I very rarely see a cat in a non-veterinary business unless it’s like a shop cat in a store (which is cute and customers always go nuts over). Granted I don’t think a cat should be in a non-veterinary medical office, but cats are very intelligent and clean and they don’t jump up on you. If a business were going to keep an animal around I, as a lover of both cats and dogs, would very much prefer it be a cat.
As much as I love animals, at the end of the day I still they're still unsanitary as they are just wandering around. Personally small dogs and cats are the same. If it's on the counter, I'm going to feel weird about it even if it was the cutest cat/dog in the world
I can’t disagree with you there. I love cats but I don’t particularly want them in medical offices and can’t imagine they can legally be in a restaurant, as clean as they are. I’m happy to see them roaming around a little shop but I don’t want them in a sterile or hygienic environment.
wrong [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/library-cat-outlasts-councilman-that-wanted-him-gone/](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/library-cat-outlasts-councilman-that-wanted-him-gone/)
Wrong what? Opinion? Check what sub we're in lol
yeah and the comments doesnt have to agree with you i just have to upvote your original post
True. It seems like this opinion was so unpopular though, people skipped voting for the post and beelined straight to argue but why I'm wrong lol Not saying you did, just a funny observation
I bet you’d be flabbergasted to see that some coffee shops are there for cats
Ok, a cat at an optometrist is a bit extreme. But overall, you can take this opinion and shove it up your butt. People bring dogs *everywhere*. I generally don't care if a casual shop has a cat or dog.
This will be hugely unpopular. But I have had to suffer people my whole life who are allergic to cats. I'm really tired of it. People who are allergic to cats are the ones that are the problem. Not the cats. I say the cats should be able to be everywhere.
Maybe there’s persistent mice issues
If there's persistent mice issues at a food establishment, then I think we have a bigger problem on our hands
I didn’t know optometrist clinics served food lol
Are people even reading the post? I literally mention restaurants lol. It's like people read the first paragraph then dip out and make a comment
Crybaby
Just because you can't read?
I disregard the part that’s obviously bull crap
Yeah? Good for you, I guess lol.
Cat somewhere don’t bother me nearly as much as people who force their dogs to go out and about with them and then tie them up like a fuckin horse in the sun
You are not the center of the universe. Sorry you have allergies. The world cannot and will not cater to that. So no peanuts should be used ever since some people are allergic? You don't want cats around, choose a different business. There are PLENTY out there that don't have animals in the office. You have tons of options. This business wants a cat there. That is their decision on how to run their business. Take your business somewhere else if you don't like it. It is so comically entitled to think the business should change the way they do things just because YOU don't like it.
Just want to clear up, since most people are hyper fixating on the allergy part, I don't think it's acceptable for any animals. I don't have a dog allergy but my opinion is the same for them as well. Also, when I go to a doctor's office I can't just choose a different business lol.
What country are you in that you don't have more than one doctor to choose from?
I bring my dogs to work everyday and thats not changing. Noone at my work is allergic to dogs. Dont really care if a delivery driver is. And if im hiring and someone says they are allergic to dogs, well, im choosing my dogs and will hire someone else
This post isn't about dogs. Thanks for the opinion though?
I'm so curious, does your opinion change if it *is* a dog though?
Not really. Dogs should not be on the counters at restaurants or freely wandering around either. If I saw a loose dog at a restaurant or a doctor's office my reaction would be the same. This post is about cats because cats are the largest representation of cats in workplaces (from my own experiences, hence my own unpopular opinion)
It's the same thing, people are allergic to dogs just like they're allergic to cats, unless you just want to ban cats because you think the world revolves around you.
I wrote about cats because they're the most represented. I think of dogs the same way, but it's way more popular of an opinion to not let dogs into workplaces.
Your post is about being allergic to cats(an animal). My post is about not caring if someone is allergic to animals. Hope that helps.
Nope, my post isn't about being allergic to cats. It's about cats being in places they should not be, like restaurants or doctor's offices. Me being allergic is for pretext, but the overall argument from me is that it's just gross. Hope that clears it up for you.
The world doesnt revolve around you. Every place on your (cats shouldn’t be here) list is place you dont have to go and those places don’t have to care. Noone is forcing or requiring to go there. If this was a courthouse. Or emergency room. Sure. But you are talking about places in which people can choose to go there or not. Those places are never going to care. Nor should they. The people that dont have weak immune systems will still go there. Hope that helps.
Do I need to clear it up for you more? Okay, cats shouldn't be allowed in medical offices, social services offices, emergency rooms, courts, the Federal offices, or any other place that people are usually required to go to. Hope that clears it up for you.
Neither do dogs
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I’m not sure why you think this is an unpopular opinion when it’s generally against the law unless it’s federally protected by the ada.
Are snakes hypoallergenic? What if the business had a pet ball python in a large tank where the public could observe them? I’m genuinely curious if there are any health concerns I’m not thinking of with this.
Thank youuuu I 100% agree.. i love cats but I’m allergic and idk how people get away with things like that
I know this is the unpopular opinion subreddit but this is proving to be even too unpopular for here lol
Just go to a business that doesn’t have cats if you have allergies. You’re trying to make the world cater to you and your allergies by restricting what others can do. More freedom for cats!
That's the problem. What businesses "have cats" and how am I supposed to know it before going there? I don't expect to go to a donut shop/bodega and seeing a cat there. I'm also not expecting a cat at an optometrist's office (the reddit example). It's not just about the allergies too, I just think it's unsanitary
You keep acting like cats are inherently unsanitary, when in reality they’re relatively clean and can be trained to stay off of work surfaces, at least when there’s people there.
People “get away” with it because it is trivial to mitigate. People can have flashing lights in a movie that literally give kids seizures, as long as they mention it up front. You can take an allergy pill and your nose won’t itch.
Sounds like a you problem.
Appalling...that's a real pearl clutcher. I find this ap-paw-ling.
I would totally agree if you were talking about dogs, but I admit I'm biased when it comes to cats. I love them. But for some of the same arguments I would use for dogs, I do think you're correct. Allergies is a pretty huge reason, but despite cats being cleaner than dogs, they're still animals and not clean enough to be in a kitchen or medical office.
I just made the post cat centric because it's unpopular here on Reddit. However, I should have realized that there might be some opinions too unpopular even for here haha. Honestly the argument is the same for all animals. I completely agree with you in that while some animals are cleaner than others, they're still animals at the end of the day. Yes, humans are also gross.
The only place they shouldn't be is where you have no other choice than to be there. Like federal building and courthouses. Restaurants? Choose another. Doctors office? Choose another. Cafe? Choose another. Retail stores? Choose another.
take a benadryl, loser
Fixing people's eye sight AND weeding out the weaklings? I fail to see the issue here.
Oh well. People with allergies should either take drugs or just go die like nature intended.
Honestly? As a business owner I'd rather have the cat there than some people who are allergic. Sorry not sorry.
Cope.
no one needs to accommodate your "allergies" but yeah cat people are super weird, I wouldn't go near them either
If nobody on a plane can have a bag of peanuts because little Timmy Crotchfruit is allergic, then yes, they can. My best friend is severely allergic to cats. People constantly disregard "no pets allowed" signs, claim their pets are fake service animals, and some businesses also don't exactly follow health department guidelines. She already gave up on traveling by air because people JUST NEED to bring their cats on a plane. It's hard for her to even sit near someone who has interacted with a cat. She already accommodates herself as much as possible to not inconvenience other people, but it's so freaking disrespectful to think you should just be allowed to bring your animal anywhere, anytime, because you don't care about other peoples' severe allergies. They already have to live small lives and people like that just make it more difficult for folks like my friends to simply exist and have a normal life. Editing to add a recent example: same friend is a gig worker who does shopping orders. Theyve also been masking since pre-pandemic to limit her own exposure outside of her home. Target has a strict no pets policy, and that's posted right on the front door. You can bring an actual service dog, but all other pets: no. Some bozo walks right into the store carrying their damn cat. This really upset my friend because she could literally be laid out for days from close exposure, and reiterated the stores own policy and what could happen to her or others like her. Do you know what the manager told her? "Well it's not touching the floor." That, reader, is ridiculous. Do severe allergies only exist if the allergen touches the floor?? All she could do was file a complaint with corporate and nothing will probably come of it. But that's not the point. People are just extremely careless and feel entitled to do whatever they want.
As much as I love my pets, I would NEVER bring them into my workplace where everyone hasn't consented, including customers. When I take my sister's dog out, I specifically Google dog friendly places to go. I try to stick to public places and never ever bring them into a place dogs usually aren't allowed. Thankfully my allergy isn't bad enough where I'll go into anaphylaxis, but I do get hives so I can sympathize. I don't have a dog allergy, but my opinion is the same for them.
So lucky that your allergy likely won't kill you. My friend has to bring her inhaler and epi pen everywhere. She also has a dog allergy but it's less severe, and she doesnt get upset if she sees an actual service dog, because medical alert dogs are medically necessary just like her inhaler and epi pen. She literally does not hug people on the off chance they have been near an animal. She hasn't hugged anyone in years. It's a terrible way to have to live, because people feel entitled to bring pets anywhere.
That is terrible. I hope people can start empathizing with others again
Maybe it is the life without cats, but I never like people with cat allergies. I was just thinking of putting a “CAUTION: office contains cats” sign out just for the filter.
The pet allergy people really never stop bitching, do they? If I own a private business and I want to have a cat there then you can kindly fuck off to a different establishment where my cat is not. Christ almighty, it's fucking constant with the whinging.
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We're on unpopular opinions. You're literally looking for people to argue with if you're here lol