# People who have never had a pet **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178 "2010-03-12T00:52:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/1 "2010-03-12T00:52:10Z")
In my experience people who’ve never had a pet seem to have problems interacting with other people. They tend to have difficulties with intimacy and commitment. Has anyone else noticed this? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/2 "2010-03-12T01:03:42Z")
No. But seriously, what? This seems very out of left field to me… ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/3 "2010-03-12T01:06:24Z")
I’m so flawed… I never knew THAT was why. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/4 "2010-03-12T01:23:26Z")
I haven’t noticed that, but I know very few people who never had a pet of any kind. Most people have had at least a goldfish. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/5 "2010-03-12T01:27:11Z")
Not really noticing that. But people raised without siblings are stuck up and bratty. They tend to be egotistical and self-entitled. Have you noticed that one? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/6 "2010-03-12T01:32:45Z")
I know plenty of people who’ve never had pets. Haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary about them. On the other hand, I’ve known pet owners who were complete jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/7 "2010-03-12T01:34:21Z")
I got my first pet last May. I don’t think my personality has changed at all. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/8 "2010-03-12T01:43:00Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > I got my first pet last May. I don’t think my personality has changed at all. Oh, it’s much too late now. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/9 "2010-03-12T03:16:43Z")
I’m totally fucked. I’m an only child who never had a pet. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/10 "2010-03-12T03:30:23Z")
I’ve not noticed that, but on the flip side I’ve known lots of people WITH pets who have difficulties with intimacy and commitment. So if it is so, it’s a one way street 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/11 "2010-03-12T03:39:13Z")
No, and I think that’s an odd idea. I generally like having pets (and really miss having a dog), and live with a man that hates pets. As far as I know he’s never had one. Between the two of us I’m clearly the screw-up when it comes to people, intimacy and relationships. He’s a lot closer to normal and balanced. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/12 "2010-03-12T18:12:33Z")
There can be so many reasons for not having a pet that the generalization is meaningless. One of my kids had a friend from a Caribbean country where that just wasn’t common. Animals were for eating. He found it very strange that people here permit animals in their houses, walking all over the place, sitting on people’s laps, etc. He had no idea what the “growling” noise was that the cat made (purring). As far as I know he and his family were had normal family relationships with each other. Some folks have allergies that won’t permit anything furrier than a goldfish. Some people can’t afford the care that a responsible pet owner should provide, and it’s better that they don’t have them. Lots and lots of people live in apartments where pets are not allowed. The list goes on. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/13 "2010-03-12T18:14:06Z")
Is this another riff on the picky eaters thread? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/14 "2010-03-12T18:26:13Z")
I’ve noticed that if your parents didn’t have any kids, chances are you won’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/15 "2010-03-12T19:55:19Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’ve noticed that if your parents didn’t have any kids, chances are you won’t either. Nice! ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/16 "2010-03-12T20:53:34Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > There can be so many reasons for not having a pet that the generalization is meaningless. True. I, for example, grew up in a large family in a New York City apartment. Keeping a dog would have been impossible. I suppose a cat would have been possible, but I and all my siblings are allergic to cats (it’s a mild inconvenience in my case, and a serious problem in my sister’s case). If tropical fish count as pets, we had pets, but that’s about it. And we were pretty much the norm, as best as I remember. People who lived in houses had dogs and/or cats, people who lived in apartments, and were part of a large family, didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-have-never-had-a-pet/532178/17 "2010-03-12T21:00:12Z")
I don’t think having a pet or not having a pet has any bearing on someone’s personality. Now, having a pet and deliberately harming it is probably a window into how someone interacts with other people.