AITA for refusing to let my sister-in-law bring her dog to my house?

A Reddit user (host) has three skittish indoor cats that get stressed around dogs. When their sister-in-law asked to bring her dog to a family gathering at their house, the user refused, explaining that the cats wouldn’t cope well. The sister-in-law was upset, and some family members think the user should just accommodate the dog. The user feels bad but believes they are right to prioritize the comfort and well-being of their cats. Read the full story below.

‘ AITA for refusing to let my sister-in-law bring her dog to my house?’

I have three male cats, and they’re all very skittish. They’re indoor cats and don’t cope well with stress, especially when it comes to dogs. If they hear barking or sense a dog in the house, they hide for hours and sometimes won’t come out for the rest of the day.

My sister-in-law recently asked if she could bring her dog to a family gathering at my house. I explained that my cats get extremely anxious around dogs and said it wouldn’t be a good idea. She got upset, saying her dog is “part of the family” and very well-behaved, so it wouldn’t bother my cats.

I suggested she leave the dog at home or find a pet sitter for the evening, but she accused me of being unreasonable and prioritizing my pets over her. Some family members think I should just “lock my cats in a room” for the day to accommodate her, but I feel like that’s unfair to them since this is their home. I feel bad for upsetting her, and think the rest of my family is annoyed with me but I don’t think I’m wrong for wanting to keep my cats safe and comfortable in their own space.

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

Consistent-Leopard71 −  NTA. When did we get to this point in society where people think it’s acceptable to take their dogs positively everywhere!?!?!?! Since when can a dog not be left at home for a few hours? I’m a dog lover, but would never dream of taking my dog to an event in someone else’s home unless the host specifically said that dogs were welcome.. EDIT: typo.

Apart-Ad-6518 −  NTA. But she accused me of being unreasonable and prioritizing my pets over her. And the issue with that is? She’s happy to prioritize her dog over your cats in their home. Some family members think I should just “lock my cats in a room” for the day to accommodate her. No way. They will still smell/hear/sense the dog. She can get a pet sitter or not come at all. And stop behaving like a selfish entitled A H in general.

Ingwall-Koldun −  NTA. You aren’t prioritizing your pets over \_her\_, you are prioritizing your pets over \_her pet\_, and this is reasonable, they are your pets.

tatersprout −  NTA. Okay, this is insane. No, your dog can’t go everywhere with you, especially if there are animals that would be distressed by their presence. That’s a pretty big sense of entitlement. You’re still okay with saying no to the dog, even if you didn’t have any animals. It’s your home and your rules. This family is effed up.

RaineMist −  NTA. My little senior Chihuahua girl is great with my and my boyfriend’s cats but that’s the only dog they’ve ever known, all of them since they were kittens except for one who was already an adult. I would never let another dog near them. If your cats get stressed, it’s not fair to just lock them in a room. You need to prioritize your cats over her dog because that’s their home.

Halle24 −  You can not force your pet on to somebody. No is no, it’s a dog, not a child. If your cats don’t like dogs, then it stops there and then. Must you throw your cats out then bc she wants to bring her dog?? She has quit a lot of nerves, demanding this from you.. NTA 100% Btw for the people who thing that you should lock your cats up…. Smh … speechless.

Armadillo_of_doom −  NTA. As an ER vet, let me tell you, stand your ground. This is how cats die.

onlyvis −  NTA, she can’t be f**king serious. “Part of the family” – well newsflash, so are your cats! And it’s their home, so of course they take priority over her dog, however well-behaved it may be. Tell your sibling to keep wifey in check, her entitlement is showing.

Lunar-Eclipse0204 −  NTA – No means no! You don’t want the dog in your home so the dog can stay home and no the dog isn’t part of the whole family only her family.

StAlvis −  NTA. My sister-in-law recently asked if she could bring her dog to a family gathering at my house. FFS why? Pets stay home. They’re pets.