As a regular reader of the parent blog I note that people often say they hate children AND they often appear to be pet owners. I'm like why read a parent blog then? So if it's okay to say things like that why can't you say you hate X animals. Perhaps you're the one who's being intolerant because people don't subscribe to your viewpoint.

I'm okay with most animals, but I'm not really keen on rats and mice, and chihuahuas. Esp. if the mexican rats are being carried in handbags but that's not the dog's fault.

The key thing to ask yourself is, "Do I care enough about this person that their opinion matters to me?"

If the comment is a one-off from someone I have never met before, and in all likelihood will never meet again, it doesn't rate a reply. If the comment is staggeringly offensive they may get glared at, but that's it. Face it, they're trying to provoke a reaction, why give them what they want?

If they persist in their comments, simply tell them politely that they're entitled to their opinion but that you don't share it.

My mother told me recently that when I was a toddler, her own mother told her that I should have been born a girl. I don't know how she reacted at the time - probably mute disbelief, like yourself - but the memory clearly still rankles over thirty years later.

I guy I went to polytech with came to class one morning and told me he had just run over a cat on the way to class. He went on to say that all cat should be killed and that he had done it on purpose.

Needless to say I never spoke to the guy again and told all the other girls in my course what he had done.

I have a cat, and have always loved cats. One of my friends... I dunno, he doesn't seem to hate cats but he doesn't like them, and behaved really awkwardly when he was at my house. My cat only wanted to be friendly but he seemed like he didn't even want to touch him! And he wouldn't be allergic, because he would have said. So weird.

The worst I'll do when visiting a house that has a dog is go "EEEEEW, your dog is licking me. HELP!" Not a fan of dogs but well-trained ones are ok :)

I get it a lot with my lizards! Still, after a few minutes with them the "gross" factor turns to interest and then they think they are the coolest pets ever! Still, I love them and think they're adorable!

I also have a few people who refer to my rabbit as "stew" but I like to think it is them just trying to be funny!

As I see it, I chose my pets and love them madly. If people don't like it, then they don't have to come to my house! I'l apologise for my dogs behaviour if I am out on the street but if we are at home then im not going to make the dogs sit outside because the guest doesn't like dogs - tough luck to them!

oh my lordy yes! People like that irritate me, because if you've got nothing of value to add to a conversation why open your mouth in the first place!

My usual response is 'Have you ever heard the saying: if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all?' or a Look that plainly says the same thing.

The worst comment I have been on the end of recently is the "But she is only trying to be friendly".

My young daughter is terrified of dogs. I am working on improving it and until the latest incident thought it was going well. We were out walking, and passed a couple with a dog. The dog unfortunately ran up and started licking my daugther in the face. I put my leg in between the dog and my daugther, and in a stern voice told the dog to get out of it. No hitting, throwing, or anything but a stern commanding voice. Only at that point did the dog owners decide to get involved and then came back with the above comment.

If I was to go up to a unknown person and lick them all over the face, and say I was only trying to be friendly, I would still be done for assault, so why is it okay for some dog owners to think it is okay for their dogs to do that to young children, and then blame the child for reacting badly?

PS. All the dogs I've ever worked with eat faeces, dead carcases, or lick each others bums. Why do people then let their dogs lick their face?

I think this was best explained over at the Lost Boys blog about not liking animals. If (like many of us) you grew up with animals you can't imagine life without them as part of your family unit. Growing up on a farm you get exposure to farm animals and pets. There is a difference. Yes cats, stoats and rats are a threat to native bird-life. But so were the Maori for a thousand years, and now all New Zealanders are continuing that tradition of destroying habbitat and wildlife.

Next time someone suggest all cats/dogs/lizards should be shot remind them that two key traits of psychopathic serial killers are a history of abusing animals and sexual dysfunction.

When my midwife found out that I had pet rats, she told me to get rid of them because they carried diseases. I informed her that rats are infact very clean and safe animals provided you keep their cages hygenic. She said "Well, I know what I'd do, I'd drown them in a bucket". I just about cried. Ironically she said this while her cat was sitting on my knee, and cats carry the very same diseases she was talking about.

I hate cats