I've always had pets but just because I love them doesn't mean others do. I think pets belong at home, not in stores!

I don't mind the cat being in the store... He was a sweet cat and I was petting him. What I do mind is the fact that the fabric is $11 a yard and they will spread it out on the cutting table he is laying on. And the litter box is in the bathroom so when they have classes I would have to smell that when I go to the bathroom. I don't think I'm going to pay $50 to take a class where I'd be smelling the litter box the whole time. I was able to smell it in the classroom. I'll go to the other quilt store that is another 10 min away.

Is there anyway a friend could wash the fabric before it gets to your house? Maybe put it all in a plastic bag before putting it in your car's trunk ... or the friend could go shopping with you. Treat the friend to a nice lunch and make it a fun event.

I'm a cat lover (dog, too), but I really don't like seeing animals in stores. I've noticed that many people bring their dogs into the local stores (Wal-Mart, etc.) and I cringe seeing the pet in shopping carts. Pets belong in the comfort of their own home.

it would bother me... just walking in a home with a cat sets me to wheezing and hunting my inhaler. Dogs I am ok with, but I agree with most here, Cats, Dogs and smoke, DO NOT belong in a fabric store. I am so allergic that if I walk into a place where people smoke, and turn around and leave, I smell it on my hair and clothes. We have my son's dog living here now, and although I love her dearly (she is part Rottie, part Husky, part Rat Terrior) she has short, smooth hair, but every day I find a small dog in the vacuum...

I like cats, and am not allergic to them, but I don't think they should be in the stores because of the problems it causes those who are allergic. I have family members who are highly allergic to cats, and they can get very ill pretty fast when they come in contact with cats. There was once a quilt shop in my area where they had a cat, and it was a beautiful cat that everybody loved, but I had to wonder how many people had to stay away because of it?

I love animals but to me having pets in a place of business is not a very smart choice.Why doesn't anyone speak up?

I wouldn't shop there. Pets belong home not is places of business. I don't want to pay the high prices of quality quilt fabric and have to worry about pet hairs or dander all over my new fabrics.

That is definitely a problem for people with "cat allergies". My daughter just encountered a similar problem when she went to get her nails done. The nail technician works from her home & there is a cat in the house & my daughter is very allergic to them. Fortunately, the cat just laid in the corner & the technician was very considerate & would have moved the cat upstairs (or wherever) but it ended up ok but that could have changed very quickly if the cat was a "roamer". Even though most of us don't face this situation it can be very problematic for some others & pet owners (especially, those who deal with the public) need to be very vigilent as this can be a serious health issue for some.

I love my Dogs, and if you come to my house , well this is their home. I will say I don't believe in taking your pets to public places. Unless it is a service dog. There are a lot of people who are allergic to cats and dogs as well. I have never heard of someone bringing a pet to a quilting guild. I love dogs and cats but they need to be left at home. If I went to a fabric shop and they had a cat there I would not buy the fabric, I have no allergies but someone else might and besides that I don't want cat hair all over my fabric. I know you that have cats think they don't get on your cabinets but when you are the cats do play, lol....I know, we have had cats for years up until the last few years. They are smart, will behave while you are there but when you are gone they like to explore other places, just saying. Well all that said hope you can find some place to but fabric that doesn't have a cat or dog laying around.

My other half works for Meijer, which is a large, family owned grocery store/box store chain with stores in 6 states. It is against their policy for customers to bring their dogs into the store. Just because they fit in your purse, doesn't mean it is okay. It is a health code violation. People get very rude when they are caught and told that they can't bring their NON-SERVICE dogs inside the store because of the health code. The customers will yell, curse and cause a huge scene. I love my little dogs and they go almost everywhere with me but I also have common sense and have no desire to put a merchant in a situation that could result in violations or fines. As for dogs in a resteraunt, I have no desire to have them at the table next to me. When we are on vacation, we call ahead to find out if a resteraunt us pet friendly and always ask for outdoor seating. Of course, I've always thought resteraunts should have a child free section too.

My LQS has a golden retriever in the store. The dog is very well behaved. I love dogs but I don't think an LQS is the place to have a dog

I have been to a quilt shop with a cat. They had a sign on the door to watch for him/her. I never did see the cat and asked about it and they told me he was around somewhere. There used to be a boutique in Vermont that had a resident cat and I would be thrilled whenever I saw him. The place was ALWAYS packed with shoppers and there were usually 3 or 4 people gathered around the ginger tabby cat giving him loves and pets. Sometimes you had to stand in line to wait your turn to love on him! So I doubt the shop cat had very little negative impact on their revenue, in fact I would hazard to guess the impact was more positive. I ended up purchasing a little something just because of the cat. I rather enjoy walking into places of business that have pets there, dogs cats, parrots, whatever. As long as they are friendly I find it a welcoming and charming experience. There is a window place in Albany that the owner's two shelties are greeters. It really made shopping there a pleasure for me. My old auto mechanic always had his GSD there with him and I always asked to see her every time I went. Most people who are allergic are allergic to dander. So if the owners are diligent about grooming many allergy sufferers won't even have a reaction. BTW the quilt shop in NY with the cat that I never saw, there was no hair on the fabric. I think it is charming. Now fragrances is another matter all together and I applaud shops that ask people wearing way too much to leave. Most fragrances cause me difficulty in breathing.

Nothing like finding cat hair in my food or on my fabric! That would be a deal breaker for me and I don't have any allergies.

My dog is the non-allergenic kind and doesn't shed so no problems. She only comes into my sewing room if i carry her in and put her on a blanket...otherwise she sits at the doorway on the carpet. Flooring is too slippery for her liking.

I'd stick with a fabric store that has no animals roaming around. Same with cig smoke....that's worse than animals in the store in my opinion.

How do they deal with the cat box odor permeating the store?

I'm not allergic but I fail to see why a business owner selling something such as fabric would ever think it is okay to have a pet of any kind in the store. I would think the only animal allowed would be a service animal. Just common sense in my opinion. A lot of people are either allergic or are not animal lovers. I certainly don't want pet hair on my fabric before I even bring it home!!

I understand your frustration. We have a dear friend who was not able to visit our home for 15 years, because of his severe cat allergy and our two hairballs.

I do not mind animals in places of business as long as the are well behaved and clean. I would very much mind cats on tables, animals lying on furniture for sale, litter box odour, and overly aggressive behavior.

My hairdresser has a little canine fuzzball. Cute and a bit yappy but she has no problem putting it in another room if a customer requests.

IMHO NO pets should be allowed in any store. It is almost impossible to get pet hairs off anything! any pet hair or dander can be dangerous to anyone who has allergies. you never know who will come in contact with your quilt. My daughter has 3 short hair dogs and their hair is always on everthing especially my clothes ven if the pet is well behaved their hair/dander is in the store and can take years to get completely rid of. Store owners should keep their pets at home!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I have seen cats many times and dogs and even a bird once.

My local Bernina store has a rescued 3 legged cat greeter. Love it.

I noticed that Project Linus website has this notice: "...Coordinators must be non-smokers and live and store blankets in a smoke free environment. Project Linus blankets must be of excellent quality and free from contaminants. Special care should be taken to ensure that blankets are free of smoky smells or any chemicals which could cause problems for a child. Ensure that blankets are free of pet or animal hair. Hospitals will not accept these blankets, and they will most likely be discarded. Recent studies show that laundering these blankets does not remove contamination, and in some cases can even make it worse. Always check blankets carefully for pins, and remove any embellishments such as buttons that could be swallowed."
I do wash finished items for donation, but don't always wash fabric before using it. I'm not allergic, but now that we don't have cats any more, I don't have hair all over my house and would not it on my new fabric. Two local quilt shops here have resident dogs, one is a hairless shar-pei, and the other is an elderly golden retriever. I enjoy both, but frankly I think pets are better kept at home, not in a retail store. My mother was very allergic to cats and once we went into a thrift shop that had two extremely furry long-hair cats that slept all over the merchandise. We had to leave right away as she got all itchy just going in there.

We have had a couple of stores in the area that have cats. I am also allergic and had signed up for a class at one shop not realizing they had a resident cat - ended up cutting the class short. However I will say that any that I went into with cats I never saw them laying on the cutting tables or fabric.

She looks like my Minnie. Minnie, however, does not like it when I sew. Takes attention away from her I guess. But she is not the boss when I want to sew. lol

i love it too!!!!

Maybe those stores have a mouse problem, we don't know how many stores leave cats in the store overnight but not in the day.

I know of a quilt shop in S. Carolina that is called Deb's Cats and Quilts, and yes there are cats there. I am allergic to cats, BUT I feel it is the business owners choice if they want to have their pets in THEIR stores, just as it is your choice whether to shop there or not. After all it still is a free country.

I agree with the majority on this issue. Pets do not belong in a business period!! I have 2 cats & 1 dog myself. People with allergies do suffer so much! Most people with animals consider them as their children so I can see they would want them nearby but this is not good for business!

I think too many forget it is the owner's store. I have a problem with people who say No you can't do that because it bothers me. Don't spend your money there and tell them why and then leave them alone.

I used to stop at a book store to visit the cat. - because the cat liked me, too.

As far as animals in stores - perhaps a sign on the door ( and on web site ) would be a good thing. So thatthose that are bothered by them could svoid them.

As much as I dislike smoking, I think a privately owned enterprise should be allowed to permit smoking - as long as one is warned before entering.

As long as the animals are healthy ( non - contagious) and free of riders (fleas, etc.) - they are probably less hazardous to thhe general public than someone coming doown with a cold orr the flu.

Three of the five quilt stores I frequent have either a cat or dog, not a problem to me. I think it adds to the character of the store. So many business owners spend far more time at their store than at their home. They should have their "comforts of home" where they spend their most time.

that's a good point. Kids in the stores with koolaid mustaches and cheeto hands and snot constantly running from their noses. Children grab, pull, rub, wipe, drool, chew/eat, mix up the threads in the rack, break bead hanks, eat things and create havoc equal only to the Honey Badger. A parent solution? Give them food to snack on! aye, yi, yi.

It is OK to be honest, children are disease factories while they develop immune systems. And it seems like mothers today think it's a good thing to drag kids to fabric and yarn stores. My mother did not take us out in public until she had a reasonable expectation we would be decent.

Yes, I love kids, even have them, but that doesn't mean I think they should be in every store either. :)

AH AH AH CHOOOOOOOOOOO! sniff sniff ... NO cat quilt shops for me........ I also hate to see PET dogs in grocery store carts... Not all of us want to put our food where a pet has been shedding or ??????

That's fine; I have NO problem with not spending money in a place where a cat resides. But it would be nice to be fore-warned that a cat is in residence before I enter. I'm not allergic as in a couple of sneezes; I'm allergic as in, whelps break out, my eyes swell shut and I can barely draw breath.

People are more than entitled to do as they please in their shops, but at least warn me it could cause serious health issues to enter!

I like cats & dogs but they should not be in quilt shops. I'm not allergic but I don't want animals on my new beautiful fabric!!

I love both cats and dogs and kids, and I don't feel the cats and dogs are any more dirty than some snotty kids and babies.

I agree with you!

Animals in quilt shop
 

Bonnie doesn't have animals in the store herself but she does allow customers to "show off" their little pets. Great picture of Bonnie with you and your little dog. My favorite store in the area. Personally I don't think a quilt shop is a place for any animal.

I don't have a problem with an owner's animal being in the store. Their store, their animal. I am a huge animal lover. That being said, I don't have allergies so can well understand your feelings. Several years ago, went to a quilt shop that was an extension of a person's home. She had 4 cats in there. It was not a good situation. They all looked sickly. Runny eyes, scruffy coats. That's okay, no one is forcing you to interact. What was really nasty though was piles of cat hork/furball spitup on the rugs, on bolts of some fabric. No thanks. I didn't stay long and wouldn't be back. If you have an animal in the public eye, you must be very vigilant.

Cat in store and all over everything would definitely cause me to go elsewhere.

Soome older buildings have issues with mice. I like cats better than mice.

2 thoughts..

Just because you are ordering on-line doesn't mean there aren't cats/dogs in the building they store/ cut/ package their fabric. I would think maybe more likely to have them there than a store which invites the public in...

I love animals, all kinds, but they are not people. I don't get the whole stroller for the dog, take my pet everywhere thing. And the pet probably doesn't get it either and would much rather be lounging around the house. In my opinion, pets belong at home (stationary or mobile) or on a leash outside for a walk. Believe it or not, they can live without their owners for a couple hours, leave them home.