Onebyone

My ex sis inlaw was, as she told everyone, is deathly allergic to cats. We went to funeral and afterwards were at the home. She was fine until she saw the owner's cat bed, not the cat, an hour later. She immediately developed symptoms. Real symptoms but brought on by just the suggestion there was a cat. Everyone is around a lot pet dander everyday even if they think they are not.

Jan in VA

I'd imagine that the businesses you refer to as "family businesses" are probably small businesses, too. I personally love them myself. And I live in an area where the towns within 100 miles of me are all under 60,000 in population (3 of those), most are quite wonderful "charming small towns". I don't know of any (many) that have pets in the store other than quilt stores, oddly enough. And I've shopped in all the kinds I mentioned.

My comment, though it seemed belittling to you -- and I am really sorry for that, truly -- still applies to guidelines that follow any kind of professional business model. It just is contrary to the bottom line to offend a segment of ones prospective customer base, no two ways about that.
Jan in VA

Jan in VA

There are two different matters of discussion here:
You are on the topic of rights of the person owning a business to run their business as they want to. Agreed by many of us in the discussion.
I am on the topic of whether it is good business - as in affecting the bottom line of your financial income - to have pets in a store that offend (in one way or another) any prospective customers you might draw to your business. That just does not make "good business sense;" that's a generally accepted business guidelines fact, not just an opinion.
I'm totally agreeable that everyone is entitled to their opinion!

Jan in VA

gale

I'm not allergic and I love cats but I would not want to buy fabric from a store like that. I like seeing cats wandering around at the Vet's office and some auto shops and feed stores have them around the shop but fabric? nope. Wouldn't shop there for fabric (I would buy patterns, notions, and thread there though).

feline fanatic

Hmmm, these sources beg to differ with your idea that it is not good business about pets/animals in the workplace. These articles indicate it is a growing trend and good for business as well as employee moral.

http://www.westsoundworkforce.com/em...ly-businesses/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...place/1951957/

http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/3...-lower-stress/

I found many more articles but this is just a small sampling.

gale

But a fabric store is different to me. The fabric picks up everything in the air almost. Not to mention that the last thing I want to do is handle something (and we all know that fabric gets a lot of handling) that was stepped on by a cat that may have just stepped out of a litter box. Ew.

gale

I think it wouldn't be unreasonable, if a business of this type wanted cats around to improve morale, to keep them in a dedicated area like an office.

JulieR

I don't live that far from you.
http://www.downtownfrederick.org/dog-friendly

I couldn't find a quick list of places with shop pets, but a good number of successful, longstanding shops here allow customers to bring their own dogs in with them as you can see from the link above.

People with cat allergies make up less than 10% of the population. Businesses tend toward the 80/20 rule - if less than 20% of a group has a special preference,*putting your money there is a bad bet.

Again, I don't care if anyone refuses to shop someplace that keeps or allows pets, that's your choice. But saying that allowing an animal in the shop is bad for business, is simply false.

Our Ben & Jerry's allows pets by the way. Seems to be working for them.

(We live North of Frederick now, but our town is too small for a friendly list like this. )

gale

There is no way in he## I would go to any food establishment that had any animal other than service animals in it. Gross. Then again we don't have any pets in the house and I know most do so we're probably more picky about that.

I have heard the 80/20 rule too and my dd, being in the minority of people with life threatening food allergies definitely gets the short end of that stick. But we appreciate the places we can go so much that I would spend more there than bother with places that are not 'allergy friendly'. Not to mention the death thing.

Pam B

Wow! What a long thread! It has been interesting to read all these points of views, too. I love both cats and dogs but have never had them as indoor pets. I grew up on a farm and still live on one and my parents and DH always insisted pets stay outside. I am fascinated when I happen into a shop that has a dat or dog, and honestly, it mainly happens when I am vacationing. I say, to each his own. I do always wonder about allergy sufferers, tho. One eve this winter I let our Border Collie into the house...that lasted about 10 minutes...he smelled like a dog! Yikes! Put him back in the garage right away. On the other hand, DD has a small indoor dog that does not bother me at all.