Each year, my sister and her husband make the long trek to visit our parents, who live six hours away from my family. During their trip, they also make a point to stop and visit us. While I always enjoy seeing my sister, there’s an issue that comes with their visit—her large dog.
Their dog is very friendly, but he creates a huge mess, especially during mealtime. They expect us to keep our Siamese cat confined to our bedroom, as he is terrified of dogs. This means my cat spends the entire visit locked in a room with his litter box and food.
The dog’s eating habits only add to the stress. He leaves a trail of kibble all over the floor, and my sister and her husband don’t clean up after him. The dog’s mess is left untouched until the end of their stay, and after they leave, I spend weeks vacuuming up dog hair from every corner of my house.
When I try to address the situation, such as asking them to clean up after their dog, I’m met with excuses like, “We’ll do it in a minute,” which never happens, or they laugh it off, saying, “He’s such a messy eater, ha ha.” When I openly voiced my frustration about having to lock up my cat and deal with the mess, my sister got upset, claiming we were “anti-dog” and that we didn’t appreciate their effort to visit.
I’m at a loss for how to handle these annual visits. I don’t want to create a family rift over a five-day stay, but I’m starting to dread their arrival each year. Any advice would be appreciated.
Related topics:
Belgian Laekenois Faces Extinction with Only 1,000 Dogs Left Worldwide
Evan Birch and Nova: The Unstoppable Ultrarunning Duo
Help My Dog Koda Get the Care He Needs
