Question Of The Day, Friday, July 13

Winchester

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Good morning! :wave3: And Happy Friday! :yess:

When you walk into a person's house for the first time, what's the first thing you notice? Is it the smell? What about clutter? Dust? What do you see? Or smell? Conversely, if somebody is coming to your house, do you worry about what they're going to think? What they're going to notice?

The reason I ask this is because I'm completely paranoid about cat odor in our house. We have five cats (down from eight a few years ago) and I worry that people will smell cat, or more specifically cat pee. We are meticulous about scooping boxes. But we have two Old Ladies who, sometimes, either don't make it to the litter box in time, or don't care to make it to the litter box. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

So I always worry that people are going to come into the house and smell cat urine. I don't worry so much about clutter; I try to keep clutter to a minimum anyway. And if I know somebody is going to visit, I'll vacuum and dust, wipe down the kitchen and bathroom, remove any kitty schnoodle from windows, etc. And, of course, scoop the boxes.

But, you know, when I visit with friends, I rarely notice clutter, dust, or anything else. I'm there to visit and have a good time. Years ago, a GF and I went to visit somebody. As we were coming back home, she remarked that the place was dirty and dusty. You know what? I didn't notice. Honest. I was so pleased to visit with her that I really did not notice.
 

muffy

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I worry about the odor and then the clutter. I used to have 8 cats and they were all good about using the litter box and I kept them clean but I stilled worried. I am not a hoarder, except for my kitchen, but my house is cluttered.

When I go to someone else's house I notice the smell then I notice how neat they are.
 

1 bruce 1

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First thing I notice is over all lay out of the home, next, color scheme and over all "feel" of it. You can tell a lot about someones personality on how they decorate IMO, and that can be a good thing if you don't know them very well.

I hate clutter so it's usually not TOO big an issue but I'm always paranoid people will walk in when the place is a mess and think we don't pick up after ourselves.
I'm also always "so happy" to note that whenever someone is here, at least one dog or one cat does the butt-race scoot thing across the room. Usually at dinner. If they leave a skid mark, +10 points.
I read something once that how much prep you put into your house for a visitor is dependent on the relationship you have with that person. New friend or acquaintance; odds are the floors will be washed, the place vacuumed, things polished and fresh flowers and intelligent reading material is scattered around to make you look interesting. As they become closer, the place isn't trashed but the effort for perfection wanes. Once they're a good friend, it's come as is and you're only slightly embarrassed by the sink piled up with dirty dishes and the overflowing trash can. BEST friends, though, you greet by saying "don't step in the cat barf. Here, have a beer".
 

kashmir64

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I don't judge people. If I go to someones house, it is to see them, not their home. And I expect the same. They know I have animals and if they can't handle an occasional smell or two, or dust, since I live in the country where the wind always blows, then they can go somewhere else.
 

aliceneko

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I think I notice objects in the home more than the overall appearance but living in a house that has quite a lot of clutter in it when I do like a tidier environment myself (my mother has always been a bit of a hoarder, haha, a family trait she's inherited from my grandfather!) I do notice how much someone has in their house. I'm not judgemental about it, but if I go into a house that has a lot of clutter like mine, I'm normally like "great, I'm not the only one!" haha. Although I normally tend to look at things like photos or paintings on the walls and desktops before most other things.
 

neely

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When I go into some else's home the first thing I notice is decor. If a furry four-legged friend greets me so much the better. :bluepaw: I'm actually relieved if I go into someone's home and they have more clutter than me. My husband is an avid antique collector so I live amongst clutter. I try to keep the living room in order since it is the first room they see. I'm with betsygee betsygee on the cat hair because I'm used to it but forget not everyone is on the same page when it comes to pets.
If I go into someone's home that is sterile I certainly won't invite them over to my house, lol. :wink:
 

PMousse

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When I walk into someone else's house, usually the first thing that hits me is the odor, especially if it's an unpleasant one. Then I notice the decor; I love interior design so I'm quick to note the floor plan, furniture selection and placement, wall paint, kitchen finishes, and color scheme, etc. It's all very interesting to me. But of course if they have a pet, then that pet takes centre stage.

When others visit me, the first thing they'll notice is probably my cat because Ashton is usually right there investigating everyone. I'm not a messy person, and I usually do a quick clean before people come over, but I don't care that it's not squeaky clean or completely clutter-free. No one lives in a squeaky clean and completely clutter-free place, so it's more relate-able when others see my place as it is.
 

Kat0121

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I think odor would be the first thing since if there is a strong smell it would probably get to you before you were able to notice if there was any dust or whatever. Honestly though, if I am going to someone's house and I know that they have a cat/cats, the inner 5 year old in me is SO excited that all I can think about is "Will they let me pet them? Did I bring enough treats?" All this time, said inner 5 year old is doing cartwheels about meeting new kitties. :yess: :hyper::dancingblackcat::purr:

This sums it up...

wpid-party-fails-cats-are-more-interesting-than-drunk-people.jpg
 

Columbine

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Honestly though, if I am going to someone's house and I know that they have a cat/cats, the inner 5 year old in me is SO excited that all I can think about is "Will they let me pet them? Did I bring enough treats?" All this time, said inner 5 year old is doing cartwheels about meeting new kitties. :yess: :hyper::dancingblackcat::purr:

This sums it up...

View attachment 241879
:yeah::yeah::yeah: Totally, 1000000000% me too, no matter whether its cats, dogs or both. Who cares about the house when there are kitties or doggos involved?!? :lovecat3:

Going to see my boys at the breeder's was absolute HEAVEN for me - SO many kitties to cuddle with :cloud9:

Seriously, though, I notice animals first, animal possessions second (be it cat trees, beds, boxes or even horse tack) and after that I'm not too fussed...so long as there's a comfy place to sit and a furbaby to cuddle, I'm happy:p
 

maggiedemi

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My answer would probably have been different 5 years ago, but now when I visit someone, I look to see what pets they have. And when people visit here, the first thing they see or hear about is the cats. They are former ferals and terrified of visitors, so most likely I will be talking about them and trying to get them into another room.
 

bodester413

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If the person visiting doesn't have pets sometimes I'll wonder if they can smell the litter box, but if they have pets I don't usually worry about it too much.

The first time I visit someones house I notice what they have as far as knick knacks or interesting objects they have sitting around. Especially if I don't know them that well. It's always kind of cool to see how different people decorate. What books they read....movies they have etc. As far as smells go I'm the ultimate easy house guest. lol I have no sense of smell (result of a head injury as a teenager). So I would be blissfully unaware of that. I won't normally notice general messiness either. Unless it's hazmat suit level messy.
 

twinkles21

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I notice the smell and cleanliness first. Not because I want to be judgey, or anything. (no, never judge!) I'm just a bit of a germophobe. I'm always watching to see if taking my shoes off will lead to sticky/crunchy socks, or touching walls/door knobs will lead to sticky/slimy hands. :nervous:

On the other hand, every week, I scrub the house down with a vinegar/water solution. If we get company, they usually will comment something like "Your house is always so clean" or "I can't believe you have cats, I never would have guessed, I don't smell them at all" It has to be this way. My anxiety gets really high if I start stepping on crumbs, even in my own kitchen.
 

1 bruce 1

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I notice the smell and cleanliness first. Not because I want to be judgey, or anything. (no, never judge!) I'm just a bit of a germophobe. I'm always watching to see if taking my shoes off will lead to sticky/crunchy socks, or touching walls/door knobs will lead to sticky/slimy hands. :nervous:

On the other hand, every week, I scrub the house down with a vinegar/water solution. If we get company, they usually will comment something like "Your house is always so clean" or "I can't believe you have cats, I never would have guessed, I don't smell them at all" It has to be this way. My anxiety gets really high if I start stepping on crumbs, even in my own kitchen.
I love scrub downs with vinegar and water. The place "feels" clean, with no odor (good or bad.)
I dislike heady rooms, that are too warm and too "scented" with candles or plug ins or air fresheners. We don't use these things so I'm not used to them. I'm kind of not into "scented stuff" so it usually hits me when I walk in the door. But on the flip side, if someone goes to all the trouble to use these things to make their house smell nice knowing I'm visiting, I *am* truthfully flattered.
The most simple thing will send me into a blind rage--stepping on a droplet of water that's on the floor in my sock feet. So now there's this wet, annoying dot on my sock and foot and now I'm mad. I don't know why that makes me so mad but it does!
 

micknsnicks2mom

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:yeah::yeah::yeah: Totally, 1000000000% me too, no matter whether its cats, dogs or both. Who cares about the house when there are kitties or doggos involved?!? :lovecat3:

Going to see my boys at the breeder's was absolute HEAVEN for me - SO many kitties to cuddle with :cloud9:

Seriously, though, I notice animals first, animal possessions second (be it cat trees, beds, boxes or even horse tack) and after that I'm not too fussed...so long as there's a comfy place to sit and a furbaby to cuddle, I'm happy:p
:yeah: yup, i'm always most interested and focused on cats, dogs, and other animals that live in the house. :agree:
 

MoochNNoodles

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I always notice the decor and design of the house itself first.

Usually I don't worry about people entering my house because I never invite anybody. :p But if I do it's the clutter that I worry about. I don't really care for having people over. My home is my sanctuary and it's not a sanctuary if I'm worried about other people.
 

dustydiamond1

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First thing I notice is over all lay out of the home, next, color scheme and over all "feel" of it. You can tell a lot about someones personality on how they decorate IMO, and that can be a good thing if you don't know them very well.

I hate clutter so it's usually not TOO big an issue but I'm always paranoid people will walk in when the place is a mess and think we don't pick up after ourselves.
I'm also always "so happy" to note that whenever someone is here, at least one dog or one cat does the butt-race scoot thing across the room. Usually at dinner. If they leave a skid mark, +10 points.
I read something once that how much prep you put into your house for a visitor is dependent on the relationship you have with that person. New friend or acquaintance; odds are the floors will be washed, the place vacuumed, things polished and fresh flowers and intelligent reading material is scattered around to make you look interesting. As they become closer, the place isn't trashed but the effort for perfection wanes. Once they're a good friend, it's come as is and you're only slightly embarrassed by the sink piled up with dirty dishes and the overflowing trash can. BEST friends, though, you greet by saying "don't step in the cat barf. Here, have a beer".
:crackup: :clap::wavey:
 
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