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We have 2 cats and always let people know that we have them and so they should be prepared for that. The people that do stay that have allergies know to bring their allergy meds and they get the room that is closed off to the cats.

Make sure your dog is well-trained not to jump on or lick people, and especially not to beg at the table. Also, I am a dog lover and dog owner, but I find it very off-putting when small dogs are allowed on furniture. There's nothing like sitting down on the sofa and suddenly having an uninvited guest in your lap!

That said, if friends are aware of pets when they accept an invitation, they should also be ready to put up with a reasonable amount of drool and fur.

I hadn't thought of getting a lint brush for my guests, but I will now.

We take the cat, the litter and the bowls into the bedroom at night so the owners (us) get woken up at 5:30 am, not the guests (them).

The most annoying thing is when you go to someones home and they have a dog that jumps, or a dog that is a crotch sniffer.

my friends all know i have a cat. i think it is reasonable of me to assume that if they are allergic, they'll bring along some benadryll. i don't have any allergies, so i don't have any on hand.

ditto herding the cats into the bedroom for the evening--we have a 1br apartment, so we arrange for the cats to sleep in our room rather than out with our guest(s). also, we vaccuum like mad before overnight guests arrive, in a (possibly somewhat futile) attempt to minimize the cat hair trauma.

I've had feedback from a pet allergy sufferer that vacuuming immediately before guests are coming kicks up more crap and can make allergy symptoms worse. So I do it a couple of days before -- so far, no one has looked askance at my housekeeping.

I also keep the Claritin right at the door, on the landing strip, so people can drop one as soon as they come in.

the boyfriend's mother leaves the cat food bowls on their dining room table (so the dog can't get to them.) I am so grossed out by this I can barely eat in their house.

I make inexpensive slippers available to guests because I keep my cats' litter box in the bathroom and despite my best attempt there is always some loose litter scattered on the tile.

I don't do anything different for house guests other than making sure there are clean towels, beverages and snacks.
My cats are allowed on the furniture - which wasn't cheap, but since I paid for it they can get on it.

We have a one bedroom apartment and on the rare occasion we have a house guest crash on our couch, I just warn them that our cats might be inclined to cuddle with them as they sleep. I don't think either cat has done so yet, keeping close to us instead, but I figure I should warn my friends just in case. Closing the bedroom door and locking them in with us isn't really an option because they will just meow and scratch to get let out all night - and then no one will get any sleep. I guess my guests are pretty laid back (and none are allergy sufferers) they've all been cool with it.

Liquid quercetin, a dietary supplement, is a nice substitute for over-the-counter allergy meds -- which, in my case, either zonk me out or keep me from being able to sleep.

Our cat sometimes gets freaked out by strangers, so we always put her in the den (where her box and food are) when we have guests over, even if only for a meal. As for the furniture, I recently got one of those dry sponge thingies from BBB, and it's amazing! For the first time, our furniture is (almost) hair-free! I always use it before guests arrive.

We are luckily to have a guest room that is permanently off-limits to the cats. It is also a studio/storage room) some friends that have stayed with mild allergies are happy with the pet-free room

I tell people they can't stay overnight because our pets are allergic to houseguests.

Hee hee - that's totally my cat!

I don’t worry as much about what the dogs will do when there are guests in the house. However, I do worry what a guest may do. I make sure they know not to encourage jumping, make the dogs sit when they give them treats, and don’t feed them directly from the table or kitchen counter.

I rather live in a house that has dogs and not a house that is run by dogs.

If you're hosting someone with pet allergies, do everything (within reason) to avoid "contaminating" their sleeping space with animal hair and dander. Freshly washed bedding is a must, and if there is a door to close off the guest room to keep the pets out of during the stay, that's also really helpful. Allergens get trapped in "soft surfaces" in the home like carpets, upholstery, and curtains, so it would be conscionable to vacuum/dust before the visit. Also, non-pet-owners can sometimes be sensitive to pet smells that their owners are acclimated to... a scented candle by the bed would be a nice touch.

I second the recommendation to NOT vacuum immediately before an allergy-suffering guest arrives. My niece is allergic to pet dander and my sister always vacuums a few days before her daughter comes home from college. She's had a much better time of it as a result. They have a non-shedding dog which is no problem but her sister adopted a cat. With just her regular meds, my niece now does fine.

Ha ha: I wouldn't give my guests Benadryl unless I didn't like them -- puts people to sleep! I keep Claritin around.

Just had to say I love the cat in the picture...

1) My pets are members of my family, if you don't like them, I don't like you. You wouldn't have people in your house that sneer at your children, and I won't have people in my house that sneer at my pets (or children).

2) I understand allergies, they're not your fault. If you cannot take allergy medication, or it doesn't work then we can go out for dinner. There is a hotel down the street.

3) If you don't like the cats on the couch remember that its called FURniture for a reason. I do vacuum before you come over, its not my fault that the long haired beasts decided to play rumble with each other (tossing fur everywhere) 5 minutes before you showed up.

4) I will never ever discourage my pets from being friendly. If they come sit on your lap then you should take it as a compliment -- they like you, which means you must be a kind person. If you don't want them on your lap then don't come to my house.That being said, large jumping dogs are still unacceptable as older people and young ones can get hurt -- but there is a large difference between cuddles and jumping!!!

I do put the fatties in the basement before dinner because they do cry if nobody feeds them, which is annoying. But only the fatties, the rest are well behaved. They are also not allowed in the guest room after I've cleaned and tidied it for a guest's arrival and guests are cautioned to make sure they close the door behind them unless they want a cat hiding under the bed and jumping out in the middle of the night. And by jumping out I mean waking up at 1am, realizing there is a slave (er... human) in bed and demanding cuddles.

1) Guest bedding is always sealed.
2) If someone is afraid of dogs, they get put behind a baby gate for a visit.
3) I love my dogs, but humans are more important. I try to extend courtesy to my humans friends.

I say: be sensitive about your guests limits. My sweetie is v allergic to our friends' cat. He's okay for the first hour or so, but marathon games of Risk in the living room (with sofas and carpet) is too tough.

Definitely cleaning the day or two before helps a lot. And offering to get "fresh air" together.

I don't do anything different for guests, except maybe clean the house very well. It is made clear that pets are on the premises and if they are allergic, they should be prepared. I don't feel compelled to provide them with Benadryl, I'll assume that they have taken their own precautions.

My boyfriend's parents have dog that not only jumps, but crotch sniffs and barks....oh and always seems to be in heat. I hate visiting with him, and they probably think I hate them, when I fact, I seriously just can't handle the dog. I also will never make the mistake of staying there again. The dog spent all night head butting the guest room door and when it finally popped open jumped on the bed.

If someone doesn't want your pet on their lap, they shouldn't have to put up with it. What a horrible host to say "deal with it."

As someone who lives with pet allergies, I feel it is my responsibility to handle them. When I'm invited to someones house I ask them if they have any pets. If they do, I let them know that I will take medication, but I may not be able to stay for more than a few hours, depending on the household conditions. Once I'm there, I keep them posted on the how I'm reacting to their space. I ask where the creatures like to sit, and make sure I don't sit there (one because there's usually more dander built up in that spot, and two the creature may decide to join me.) I don't touch the pet, and I'm careful not to touch my face... it causes itching and swelling. It's a health condition, it can be managed. I have friends who's homes are just too hard for me to visit, so they come to my place or we go out... no ones feelings are hurt.

We always quarantine our guest room, thoroughly cleaned and with freshly washed sheets, before they arrive. If our guest has allergies, we'll quarantine for several days with an air purifier running. As a matter of course for my husband's allergies, we keep the rest of the house cleaned and the cats bathed every two weeks. We also have lint rollers stashed all over the house, including on hand in the guest room.