If you ask me there is a vast difference between dirty and messy. Dirty is actual dirt, dust, mold ect. Messy is stuff without a place or stuff not in its place. Furbabies bring dirt and mess but if you ask me, the mess is much harder to keep up with than the dirt.
I used to be very messy. Just ask my parents. I’d have clothes all over my floor and random things shoved in drawers. Only I could find anything and sometimes things were just sucked into the abyss, only to show up years later.
In college the apartment I shared with Zelda and Nimo’s mama and another friend was actually dirty and messy. Really it got out of hand. I’m embarrassed thinking about it now.
Everything got much better at my second apartment. I had Piper and was painfully aware of her white fur clinging to the dark brown microfiber couch and raspberry colored carpet squares on the floor. I was a little older and made more of a habit of cleaning regularly and keeping things mostly neat. But it wasn’t that difficult to pick up after just Piper and me.
No I have furballs and a fiancé to look after. And let me tell you, it’s a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong, Chris helps out. But he works longer hours than I do so I take on more of the housework. Plus we do differ on the meaning of messy. But it’s okay because I always win that battle.
I’ve talked about how we keep the place as hair-free, dirt free and dust free as possible with 2 dogs and 2 cats. But the mess is a lot harder to control. And if you’ve ever lived a lifestyle like me, you completely understand.
The dogs have several plush doggie beds. We keep 2 in the main living area because these are the ones from my mom that fit in nicely with the décor. Although they don’t look bad because they are so stylish, they are permanently on the floor. And of course with beds come blankets and pillows. We have 2 old pillows with cheap cases the dogs are allowed to use. But Ares drags his blankets everywhere and the pillows get tossed around the floor.
We have another dog bed in the master bedroom for lounging while I may be in there cleaning or doing laundry. Chaos has a hard time leaving my side so it gives him a place to stay with me but out from under me. And there is a mesh kitty cubby in the corner. There is a fourth dog bed in the backroom where the dog crates are plus another kitty cubby. Basically half the back room is taken over by the furballs’ stuff.
And then there’s the toys. Ares and Chaos have many toys and bones they love to play with and chew on. When they were puppies we would only leave a few out at a time and rotate them so they wouldn’t get bored. Now that they are older we no longer need to do that but that means there are usually 5-6 laying around at any given point. They get stuck under the couches or blend into a blanket, rug or bed and get stepped on way too often.
Of course the kitties have toys too. And the dogs like to play with them. They all especially enjoy the little birds on the sticks and the homemade t-shirt rope. We also have countless different leashes, collars and harnesses for the dogs, and clothing, treats and other supplies for all 4 of fur kids.
I’m at a point in my life where I appreciate having a nice place to live and having some nice things. I like everything to have a place. But keeping everything in its place can be very difficult. Sometimes it seems so much easier to just leave things in the most convenient place.
We pick mostly everything up when we know company is coming over. The blankets and pillows go in the basket. The toys go in the box or the basket. The leashes go on the rack. The clothes go in the basket and the treats go in the cabinet. But if you are stopping by or drop over unannounced, you will most likely walk into to a home that looks like it belongs to toddlers. Furry toddlers who don’t care about their mess.
A leash will be coiled on the dining table and a harness draped over the chair. A bag of treats will be sitting on the counter and a brush on the bar stool. You might see a cat toy in the hallway, some dog bones on the living room floor and blankets and pillow strewn about.
The fact is, I can keep the human stuff neat and organized easily. Clothes in the laundry basket, shoes on the rack, toiletries in baskets and food on its proper shelf. But with the furbabies, the mess is too hard to control. Their beds need to stay where they are so they know where they are supposed to lay. They need their toys to keep them occupied when mom and dad are doing other things and their blankets and pillows if they want to nap. Their leashes are in constant use to go in and out for potty breaks or walks and treats kept close by for good behavior rewards. Everything is used constantly throughout the day so it’s impossible to have it all put away.
Although I’ve come a long way from the disorganized, messy girl, sometimes it’s hard to tell with the furballs and all their stuff. Although we do work hard to keep things clean, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact they’ve overtaken most of the living space so it will usually look messy at my house. But it’s a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is being a pet parent. Just remember this disclaimer if you ever drop in on us.
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