I knew the deal when I got my dog. She can go wherever she damn well pleases.

why invite someone or something into your home, your life, & restrict like that? stay off my food, but by all means, enjoy the pillow. who cares if it gets hair on it? life's too short. even shorter for fuzz balls. have at it!

My mother, who has a small dog, is living with me until a senior apartment opens up. When he first came here he jumped on the sofa and I told him NO. What he does have is a chair in the living room tha we put a blanket on. Once the blanket is on, he knows he can jump up and stay there all day if he wants. HE KNOWS TO WAIT FOR THE BLANKET. He'll sit in front of the chair and just stare at us as if saying "So how long do I have to sit here before you put the blanket on"? We don't own animals, they own us. ;O}~

My dog sleeps with me, but I try to limit his sofa time due to puppy prints. He sits in the eames shell arm chair mostly.

My cat is allowed on the couches, but NOT the beds. Fur-covered sheets in my face would not make for restful sleep!

Our two dogs (about 15lbs each) snuggle up with us on the couch and the bed and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Our three cats go everywhere. Basically it's a war with fur whenever I have people over. But honestly, my cats and I live there, and the 2 hours it takes to clean before company is nothing compared to the hours of cuddling in front of the tv with a purring cat nestled against you.

It annoys me when people have a dog then ban it from rooms and get precious about their furniture. My dog is a member of the family and can go where it damn pleases. People who aren't willing to treat the animal like a member of the family shouldn't get the pet.

My 2 cats are part of my family and they are allowed anywhere except the kitchen counter and dining table. They sleep in the bed. Luckily for me, they haven't had too much interest in the counter and table, I shoo them away when they do. Although I did have a box on the dining table for a while and one cat loved that.

My cats can go on any furniture in our home. I don't really care about the hair, because I once had a pug, who lost more hair in one day, then two cats in their whole lifetime. So now I'm pretty much relaxed about it.

My dog doesn't shed a lot, luckily. He is allowed on the sofa on his towel/blanket and on my bed for a snuggle but he prefers sleeping through the night on his own bed. Counter tops and tables are of course absolutely off limits.

Dogs, no. Cats, impossible.

My cats can get on most furniture but with covers on. I don't think my guests should have to be covered in cat hair.

We have the same rules for the cat and people - no feet on food surfaces (dining room table or counters). We try to motivate her not to sleep in the bed because of my partner's allergies (she has a "favorite" chair in the bedroom) but apparently when I am out of town she sleeps on my pillow.

Sleeping areas of the house are off limits to animals. It really is a tremendous help for allergies.

Oh my goodness. I need that lamp, chair, rug AND dog!! That photo is great. My house invested in a Dyson made for pet hair. It changed everything for the better. While I don't encourage the dogs on the couch, sometimes a Sunday afternoon nap just winds up including them :)

I have a cat. TRY telling a cat to stay off something. NOT going to happen. If I catch him on the counters or the dining room table, he gets booted off. I don't really like him being on top of my bedroom dresser (I have a mirror on it that I'm always afraid he'll accidently knock off), but the rest of my furniture, and my bed--well, he knows he's more than welcome--and he takes full advantage of that! :)

my dog is allowed anywhere but up on the couches/bed. they are my only dog-free zones. she's a rottweiler/shepherd, & got the shepherd hair, so she sheds like crazy. cats don't bother me up on beds, etc though

while i would say no for allergy reasons.. i would guess the dog in the photo, as big as he is, does whatever he wants to..

No. But then that's why I don't have a dog or cat. My bird is allowed but her feathers are clipeed (for her safety) so I have to put her there, so I can put something down.

I don't see anything bad about restricting animals in the house. Houserules are common for humans too. As long as Fido has his beds scattered about and gets out to play, it's not animal cruelty to forbid him on the human areas where human guests tend to sit.

Our cats are part of the family so they can go everywhere.

Kitty is allowed on couches, chairs, bed, ottomans, window sills but not on tables/ counters. If I eat on the surface, I don't want his kitty litter paws on it.

My dog is actually pretty adorable and sneaky about this. When we first adopted him, he waited for our permission before he jumped up on our couches and bed. So he knows he can jump on it, but still looks at us waiting for us to approve it. Right now, we have an air mattress since we have a long term guest, and he won't jump up on it while we're here. However, we caught him laying in the center of it when we had come back from running errands. He at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

Years ago, I took in an older cat. Somehow, her former owners had trained her never to sit on the seat of a chair unless there was a blanket or towel or something on there. She'd perch on the arm or back of the sofa, waiting for me to fold a throw and put it down for her.

The miraculous thing is that she somehow trained my other cat to do the same thing.

One of the reasons I make the bed is so the cat fur stays off the pillows and sheets.

I don't want the cats on the kitchen counters--fortunately, my current cat is too lazy to jump that high. I'd like him to stay off the dining table, but he occasionally perches there if he needs a better view of Next Door's dog making a fool of himself again.

My cats are family. I am making slipcovers for two (2) new sofas I recently bought (this is the first time for slipcovers). My husband, daughter, and I love those critters!

Yes, yes, yes wherever and whenever he wants. He's wrecked a computer, chewed my drapes, sits on the sofa or chair. He's eaten lampshades and cushions, not a dog or cat, he's a parrot and I put up with all that cause I love him to death and that's what he does.

Our dog is allowed wherever she wants to go. She likes to cuddle, but she actually prefers the floor most of the time. She sleeps in the bed for about an hour at night, then moves to the floor and comes back in the morning for about another hour.

My cats go anywhere they like. Fur isnt really an issue as my Dyson sucks it up when I clean. The only annoying thing is when they go out in the rain and track muddy paw prints in.

I try keep them off the counters but I know they go there when I'm out. I honestly don't see the issue as I wipe the counters down anyway before using them. Keepingthem off is more for their safety.

our shiba sheds mountains of fur; fur falls off him just from him breathing. his fur also manages to weave itself into fabric so we have to definitely say nay nay and more nays. it was a sad day when we realised a leather sofa was out of our budget.

Couch, yes when well-behaved Bed, never.

Yes! My leather sofa attracts no dog hair.

No they're not. I don't want dog hair everywhere, and they are really ok with it. One is too short to jump onto the furniture, and the other one knows he shouldn't be sneaks up there when he can. Neither of them go upstairs, and have been trained not to. They both shed a lot, and they spend a lot of time outside, so I don't want them where my family sits or sleeps. I think that's being hygenic, not precious.

Well as you can tell by my user name Little dog lover, I love little dogs! So my 2 shih tzus are spoiled, but still obedient. If they are in my place on the couch/chair. I tell them to get down or scoot over...and believe it or not they will do one or the other I guess depending on their mood. So we have a happy compromise in our house. Although if you ask my kids they will say the dogs get what they want,when they want it!

I have a cat so of course she goes wherever she wants. She's also an indoor cat in an Brooklyn apartment, so shutting her out of any room (the only way to keep a cat off furniture) seems mean. She'd have so little space to live in.

I'm an animal lover. Always have been. We've had cats all my life, and like other posters have said, it's impossible to control them. (They don't shed much, and we have a pet allergy vacuum)

But dogs... they shed more than I ever imagined! When my best friend gives me a ride in his car, I'm covered in dog hair afterwards, and need a good going-over with a sticky roller.

Still, I wouldn't BAN them, just strategically seat them.

After all, Mondays without desiretoinspire's Monday's Pets on Furniture (I'm sure I've met Oscar there before) would be just too sad...

Our system is like LYONSTILL and our dogs quickly learned the routine. They are allowed on furniture & bed only when it is draped with a sheet, and they wait to be invited up. We want to share our space completely with our pets but also keep it easy to clean, so this was our solution. They do not sleep with us but are allowed to cuddle on top of the bed, when it's draped, when we read of if one of us is sick etc.

One of our dogs is very stubborn and is obsessed with digging in pillows destroying the back cushions on our couch, so in order to interrupt this obsessive behavior when we are not home or not in the living room, we purchased a skat mat and it works well. It's a noise deterrant, not a shock, but it has stopped the mindless digging and quickly taught him to wait for permission to get on the couch. Thinking about using it to stop him jumping up on the door and scratching at it when we come home, also.

My dogs sit and sleep whereever they want to. So does my daughter. They are all members of my family. And, I like to cuddle with them.

I have one cat that came pre-conditioned to stay off of anything I sit on, which can be frustrating since she was supposed to be my lap cat. She acts _terrified_ if I lift her onto a chair, and immediately jumps down. My other cat (another shelter rescue) thinks the most perfect spot in the house is the one that I just vacated. She will run across the apartment to jump into a chair after I stand up. The only place that is really off-limits to them is my pillow. I put one of their beds at the edge of my bed, so it's within arms reach for petting but I'm not breathing fur, and they seem pretty happy with that.

Not in bed, not ever. He can come up on one of the couches, when it has a blanket draped over it. He's too big to get on things like desk or dining chairs.

He's no small dog, he loves his outside time, and he sheds like crazy. It's not cruel to him to limit where he's allowed. He knows who the alpha is in our household!

Totally agree with littlemissunshine, but I am of an age to remember when people had pets but were not obsessed like some pet owners today. It gets ridiculous when house guests want to bring their dogs or cats along for the weekend and are offended when they cannot take them to their bedroom!. I am building an outside kennel and dog house for my grand-dogs and friend's animals. News flash...pets are 'not' people.

The cat is uncontrollable. I don't encourage her being on the counters or dining table, but I'm not new. I know she goes wherever the hell she wants when we're gone.

The dog knows that he can get on any furniture covered in a fleece throw, but is so polite that he usually waits to be invited up. He basically has a permanent spot on the couch. He's too big (about 65 lbs.) for the bed unless my hubby is out of town. In which case, he waits to be invited up onto a blanket and cuddles for about 20 minutes before going back to his usual nighttime spot.

Our little one is allowed pretty much anywhere - he can't get on the new couch (because he stanks things up awfully quick), and due to my mom's sudden and frightening allergies, he's not allowed in her bedroom, either (he's encouraged to get on everybody else's bed!). I'm sure after the first spill on the couch, though, he'll be allowed up there, too.

Ah, I was right about Oscar! (I relate to his pose because we own the same ZidZid Kids Owl)

Here he is again, this time actually squishing himself into an Eames chair. Too hilarious!

http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2012/8/6/mondays-pets-on-furniture.html

Our cats go wherever they want to because they're cats and you just can't reason with cats.

The time and effort it would take to "train" my cats to stay off of the furniture just isn't worth it, and I figure, if having pets on furniture is an issue, probably better to not have pets at all.

We never made any conscious attempt to restrict my childhood cat from any surface. For some reason she just never had any interest in going onto tables or counters, which my mom was grateful for. She made up for it by treating the couch like she owned it – anyone who sat on the couch was clearly there just to pet her :). I had no problem with her sleeping on my bed (I always made it so it was on top of the duvet) but I did have to eventually lock her out of the bedroom at night only because, well, I had a twin bed and a cat sleeping smack in the middle of the bed left too little room for me. I did miss sleeping with her though.

For dogs I take the Cesar Millan approach; going onto couches and beds are fine, just with permission.

Cat is allowed on couches, bed and chairs, not on tables or counters. Period. Stay off the surfaces we eat or prepare food on and I am happy. :) Can't stand cats on counters and tables.

We are apparently in the minority, but our dog is not allowed on any furniture - ever. She is part of our family too, has plenty of toys, a few soft pillows/floor cushions of her own, but knows that she is absolutely not allowed on the furniture. She is still an animal and travels to parts of our property that we have never been, she is big and often dirty from playing outside (we do not live in a neighborhood, but out of town with space to roam) and I don't want that on the places I snuggle with my freshly bathed kids.

If our cats weren't allowed on the furniture, how would they ever curl up with my feet to sleep? I ASK YOU! However, I don't count kitchen counters as furniture. Big huge no.

My roommate has a cat, and if I had my way, she wouldnt be allowed anywhere but my roommate's bedroom. That being said, she is not allowed on the any of the furniture, or my bedroom. I keep my door closed and a spray bottle at the ready for whenever she tries something funny.

My roommate is fine with my general disdain of her cat, but my boyfriend gets so upset. I think he's pondering the idea of having more than a few furry friends when she moves out and he moves in.

Yay... it's their home too.

My corgi pretty much goes everywhere in the house. The only restriction is that during the workday, the bedroom doors stay shut. This is because she loves to dig up mud puddles and I don't want muddy doggy prints all over the beds. The couch gets covered up with a blanket, so after a hard day of playing "mud factory" she can flop out on the couch if she wants.

I have 2 cats. Anyhere but the kitchen counters and they know to keep off of those. They have a cat door too and we have great outdoors pace. They have made a cat friend and they invite that cat in a few times a week, he is welcome too. He seem to only come in and eat in the middle of the night, rest a little in the same spot then goes on his merry way.

Isn't cuddling half the point of having pets? Do you really want to sit on the floor all the time to cuddle?

"PETS ARE NOT PEOPLE." No - they are better than a lot of people.

MOMSD, you aren't the only one. No dogs on sofas, chairs, or beds. Nor are they permitted in the bathroom or kitchen. We consider these "clean" rooms and try our hardest to keep these dog hair free. No one wants dog hair near food or stuck to clean feet getting out of the shower. And if you do, that's okay too - but it isn't for everyone.

We love our two dogs (a basset and a rottweiler), they are part of our family - we've made sure they have super comfy beds and lots of love. And yes...we also have a Dyson Animal.

I recently adopted 2 kittens. Lately we've been learning not to hang out in the dish drainer and the sink. If I can make that happen, I'll be happy.

My partner is mildly allergic to dogs, and our two enormous lab mixes shed like crazy. While we don't allow the dogs on the couch or bed, we do have one loveseat pretty much reserved for their use, along with two very comfy dog beds. The result is that the small living room of our cozy rental house has more options for dog seating than for humans. Silly, I guess, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

We've always allowed the dogs (two greyhounds) on all of our furniture, but that will change when we get our new couch. It will really be the first piece of nice furniture that we haven't bought from craigslist, so we definitely don't want it getting covered with hair!

Wow, there's no need for people to be so harsh with their 'my pets can go anywhere they please in the home' comments. Each pet owner can set their own rules. I don't let my two dogs on the furniture at all - no sofas, chairs, or beds.This works well when friends visit, as some people don't want a dog jumping up on to the sofa with them. Also, when my dogs are visiting my friends or family at their homes, it keeps them in check and makes for a much more pleasant, stress free visit. You people need to calm down and stop being so judgmental about other pet owners and the limits they set within the house.

It's hard to say no when that face is so adorable. Can you just deliver him to me?

I have two shelties, so they are pretty much fur shedding machines. I knew this going into adopting my doggies and they are allowed to go any place in the apartment that they can. Couches, chairs, I prefer them not to get on my bed but I can't really help what happens when I leave. I know I can reduce their shedding by brushing them on a daily bases and bathing them frequently so when I don't and everything in my apartment is covered in hair I have no one to blame but myself. Why would I punish my dogs for something they have no control over?

Nope - we have pretty set rules when it comes to the pooch: he`s allowed in the mudroom and in the dining nook, but nowhere else.

... of course: whether those rules are upheld is debatable ... he`s definitely NOT allowed on beds or couches, but somehow manages to find a spot in the family room in front of the fire.

Our beagle mostly sticks to his dog beds (of which there are many, including extra pillows for his picky little head) or cooling off on the floor. He's allowed up on the couch when invited (and knows to look for the blanket), and usually lounges on the bed (on top of blankets only -- I have crazy allergies) every Sunday morning when we try to sleep in and want him to, too.

He's not a snuggler AT ALL, so he likes his own space. When he does come up on the couch, after a few minutes of petting, he's mostly over it and wants to do his own thing and stretch out how he pleases without any pesky humans in his way.

Do you train the cats or do they train you? One of life's eternal questions...I have found that squirt guns are great for training cats (as much as is possible), good scratching boards keep them from clawing the furniture, and some kind of partially covered compartment that looks forbidden, like a drawer or a suitcase or a box, will help them stay off furniture. Apartment Therapy had a great post about custom-built climbing walls and perches for cats, maybe they could repost that? Something up high will help keep the cat off the top of the fridge.

I have 2 Boston terriers that used to rule my house. Every piece of furniture was theirs, especially our bed. They spent most of their time burrowed under my blankets, snoring away peaceably. But over the last 6 years, we have phased out the furniture thing. Mostly because my girl dog is a digger. She dug huge holes in a couch and a chair, completely ruining both. I now (for the first time ever!) have a pricey couch that neither dog is allowed on. Might sound harsh, but I am really not wanting them to destroy this couch as well. They still get to hang out on the family room couches (in the basement level of our house), so it's not like they are totally missing out. And they do have multiple dog beds and pillows scattered around the house on all different floors, in case they still want to snooze. (And yes, I am perfectly aware that she still gets up on my good couch when I'm not looking. The pile of black and white hair is really hard to miss. We both just pretend we don't notice.)

We specifically buy furniture that can stand up to the dogs, like a vinyl couch. They're allowed on the guest bed but not in ours. I would let them on our bed except that they drag in all manner of dust and dirt which bothers my allergies. That plus they tend to get really filthy and I don't want all the mud in the bed with me.

I'm working on the trickiest thing for a dog owner at the moment - changing the rules! Much as I love snuggling up to the big guy, the bed is about to become off-limits. In between hair, slobber and him deciding that's the best place to chew through tasty treats whenever he gets them (and that includes if I forget to do the dishes - he'll pull them out of the sink and take them to the bed to lick out at his leisure. Oh the joys of open-plan living) I'm just fed up of washing my sheets constantly! Not to mention, now that I'm single again it's making dating tricky :-)

My dog is allowed on the furniture when invited. For me it's not about the fur but about training. All the research I read said that dogs need to know who is in charge and letting them have free run of the house encourages lack of boundaries and bad behavior. I don't let her do whatever she wants BECAUSE I love her. I want her to be obedient so that she's safe when we go out and so that she is well behaved and people want me to bring her with me when we go places.

We have 2 dogs and they are allowed anywhere except the kids bedroom. My sons allergist suggested keeping the dogs out of the kids bed room so that we wouldn't set off any environmental allergies. I don't know how much I buy into that seeing as how the kids will fall asleep on the couch or on the floor snuggled up with a husky for a pillow...

My kitties are part of my family. Anyone who doesn't like cats, is NOT welcome in my home. My pets are my children, and they cannot be replaced. A sofa, on the other hand, can be replaced - and I have "pricey" leather furniture . . . In my opinion, stuff ages and needs replacing, the love a living creature shares with you has no price tag attached to it. Don't get pets if you are just going to limit their lives. They are living beings with feelings and rights. Pets learn just like children do. If you cannot communicate with them, it's not because they are not smart but because you can't get through to them.

When we adopted our dog we wanted to keep her off the furniture, but she's a snuggly one and I didn't want to cuddle on the floor forever. We have slipcovers on our couches that get washed regularly (nice study Scotch fabric) and always keep a blanket on the bed to try and keep *some* of the fur out of the sheets. Also, the dog gets bathed at least once a month! She's pretty clean. When we buy a house, if we're lucky enough to have a guest room, I'd keep that dog-free for guests with allergies, but other than that my gal gets free roam.

I keep the cats off of kitchen counters and places where I have breakables. They are smart enough to know where they are allowed and not allowed - I find that if they do jump up on the kitchen counter it turns out the water bowl is empty and they were just getting my attention the most efficient way possible.

My cat is allowed anywhere but on my bed pillows, on countertops, and on table tops.

Yay.

I have a dog (westie) and she is allowed up on the bed but I lay down a sheet first. Couch is fine too but sometimes limited depending on guests that are over, etc.
I don't feel that implementing rules is a bad thing and it doesn't mean that I don't think of her as family. Even human family members have rules, kids: no coloring on the walls, etc. I think rules and structure in the home are good to have.

i have a cat, and i let him on anything but the kitchen counters and kitchen table. he's actually pretty good about staying off them. the only exception is when i need to administer medicine, i put him up on the table because it's easier for me to force his cute little face open for pills if he's higher up.

my partner has 3 dogs and a cat and they all go everywhere. the youngest dog actually shares his bed with him, and when she tracked in poison ivy, it got all over him. i mean ALL OVER. still sleeps with that dog though.

We're planning on getting a pair of cats, will get some cat furniture for them to keep them out of trouble.

Growing up, it was always no cats on the tables or counters. No dogs on the couch, chairs, or beds without permission.

I say ...YAY! Why not... I have two yorkies and I love having them on the couch with me..watching tv...one snoring and the other one..on her back begging to get her stomach rubbed while we watch tv... ahhh...family time!

I enjoyed reading Oscar's blog, loved the illustrations...but, man, that dog needs training! A 95 # beast who plops down at will, rolls around and mouths the person trying to get him to move? In my house that would mean the start of a NILF (nothing in life is free) training regimen and deference protocol (the latter consisting, essentially, of multiple variations on long down-stays, and the former meaning the dog earns all privileges and treats by doing something on command).

That said, my dogs are allowed on the furniture, by invitation only.

Yay. I have two chairs in the living room and the cat has taken over one as his. I put a towel on it but it still gets hair that I have to remove with a sticky roller (can't have too many of those). He sleeps on the bed as well. He is a short-hair but has an amazing amount of hair that I comb regularly to try to minimize the amount of fur on the furniture. I wouldn't know how to keep a cat off the furniture because I don't have the heart to squirt a cat in the face with water.

Had to register to comment on this one. I have 3 large, hairy dogs--two flat-coats & a Lab, 2 hairy cats--a Siamese, & a Siamese mix--& raise puppies for a guide dog school--16 so far--so I think I speak from experience. I actually got rid of my couch because it was serving only as a dog bed, & even tho' I covered it with a sheet they destroyed it. It wasn't the hair, it was mud, gouges from Nylabones, urine from semi-housebroken puppies, blood from puppies in season (they are spayed after they return to the school) cat vomit--you get the picture, & it wasn't pretty.
I replaced the couch with 2 IKEA poang chairs, with replaceable cushions, fleece dogbeds on the floor, a cat tree--& hard plastic "prickers" on the chairs when they are not being sat on by a human. The guide dog puppies sleep on the floor or in a crate, as per the school's policy, my own dogs sleep where they like (usually in bed with me; the flat-coats think they are bookends & I am the book) as do the cats.
Works for us.

Nay.

We have a Doberman, and he sheds lots of prickly fur. He isn't allowed in the bedrooms or in the kitchen, and he is not allowed on the sofas. If he wants to lie down, he has two very comfy dog beds--one in the living room and one in the mudroom. Yes, he's part of our family, but he's also a dog. He has his place, and it's not on the furniture.

I can't imagine my two chihuahuas not sleeping in our bed. Or curling upon on the upholstered couches and chairs next to us.

I have a Great Dane and a (black) Pyrenees mix....and a white couch. So pups are not allowed on the couch, but they are allowed on the bed and the window seat in the library. They also have 4 huge beds scattered around the house so they are never uncomfortable. I must say, I object to comments that indicate that if you don't let your pet on the furniture, they are not a part of the family. I am a huge animal advocate (and in fact an Animal Assisted Therapist) and I very much consider my dogs as my family. But they do not (and cannot) understand that dirty paws lead to a potentially huge sofa cleaning bill. My husband and I have invested a lot in creating a home environment that we love, and we do not want to see furniture that we would like to keep for the next decade, ruined in under a year. My dogs' comfort is definitely a priority which is why i have invested in furniture specifically for them (really nice dog beds). I can assure you - just because they are not allowed on the couch does not mean that I don't consider them a huge part of my family and the center of my life!

Our cats are family members, as such they are entitled to enjoy any surface they want (with the exception of kitchen counter tops - yuck!). That said even if I didn't want them on the couch or bed it would be a pointless battle. Even locking the little devils out of the bedroom for a night often leads to a lovely "present" outside our bedroom door. And yes I have to vacuum daily :(

Some of these comments are very distressing, certain people shouldn't be allowed cats and dogs.

Our dog knows she gets to come on the couch when "her" blanket is spread out. But who cares? What I want to know is where that amazing rug is from!

My dog owns the space, we just get to live in it.

Oh, Kayteee? Please do elaborate.

Two indoor only cats (at any given time) who have the run of the house, except for the guest room which we try to keep fur-free for the occasional allergic guest. (This of course makes the guest room the Prime Target whenever the door is opened!) One cat sleeps on my pillow. Right in the middle, lately, so I can't even use it! He's adorable, so I let him get away with it! (He's also old, so I might not have him to fret about for many more years...)

I am probably the only person here willing to admit that my cats DO go on my kitchen counters. (Hey, people, most cat owners have cats that do it, even if the owners think they don't!) We *feed* our cats on the counters, which is nice for my arthritic back -- no bending! I have a very simple way to deal with the sanitation issue. I clean the counters before I cook! (Since I eat most meals out, this isn't a big time sink!) My counters are granite, and a quick wipe down with a cleaner and towel and they are good to go.

Since some of our guests might have the same aversion to this that some here demonstrate, my partner always puts the cat dishes on the floor when people are coming over, but I think it's funny, he always forgets their water dish!

I'm going to have to go "nay"- Respectfully not on the furniture. You can be a super duper loving awesome pet owner and not buy into the "my dog can do everything a people can do" camp.
My late pooch and I had an arrangement that suited us both well for a year or so- he was allowed at the foot of the bed at nights (covered with one of his blankets, never in the bed), and he stayed off everything else and kept to the multiple piles of 2nd hand comforters around which would always be placed in whichever floor spots he claimed.
Until he stayed with my parents for a couple of weeks...where he had a whole love seat to himself. Ma (who tries her very best to be a hard ass until a grandkid or cute pet gives her puppy eyes) made sure from that point on that he had a comfy seat to himself in any place I lived in. I gotta say, it worked out quite well and I'll try to repeat it with future dogs. He stuck to his own seat, and of course like any good 80lb lap dog, welcomed company in his chair if anyone wanted to cuddle.
My favorite dog/ people training thing about that dog? He was not allowed in the kitchen while I was preparing food (I believe someone else mentioned the rotti/ shepard fur situation) so he'd lay down at the threshold of the kitchen door with just his front paws inside. Stubborn little bugger. :-)

Yes, but only designated areas. All the dogs I've ever had had a spot on the couch, with a (cruddy) blanket always on it so that they wouldn't shed all over the furniture. That way, when I have company or I'm just tired of looking at dog hair, the blanket gets shaken off outside and tossed in the washer, and I don't have to put any real effort into cleaning.

We let our pets on our bed/bedroom furniture and the furniture in the common areas, but they are not allowed on counters, the dining/breakfast table, the kids' beds or in the guest bedroom. In general, pets are like kids, freedom is important, but it' ok to set boundaries too. I also think if you let your pets on the furniture, you should take time to vacuum/clean before guests show up. I love animals, but I don't want to sit or sleep in your pets' dirt and/or shedded hair.

Also, I'm joining the chorus of "that is great that you are okay with your pets on the couch, but that doesn't make it any more of a part of the family than people who don't."

To me it is mostly that keeping an animal off the furniture has no effect on it's health or happiness. I can still provide a comfortable, fun, loving environment without having doghair all over my bed an myself. If you think that is animal cruelty, then that is great for you, have fun with that. But if you feel the need to tell me how I don't deserve pets because, while I keep them happy and healthy, I'm not allowing them to do anything they want to my detriment and that makes me a terrible pet owner, well... please don't expect anything but derisive laughter from me.

JENNASOPHIA: You mentioned wanting to know about a perch or other high spot for cats. Here's an image of a cat tower I bought a few years ago on Amazon (no longer offered there) : http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31u2qgG5nCL._SL110_.jpg

It's on the pricey side, but my 2 indoor/outdoor cats are still interested in it at age 5 years. My girlcat in particular likes to climb up inside it, perch on top and survey her domain (and look out the patio windows), bat at toys I wave around its edges, and use it as a jumping-off point to go on top of the nearby bookcase and the top shelves of the open closet. I haven't seen my male tabby cat on it in a long time, but I think that's because (unlike his svelte sister), he's just too darned big and getting too tubby to enjoy it as much.

Officially, the only places my 2 cats aren't allowed to go are all elevated kitchen surfaces (counters, stove, fridge) and a console table where I have a large ceramic art piece that I keep thinking they might tip over (but probably won't).

Unofficially, they both love to jump on that console table, even though I repeatedly shoo them off, and, for all I know, they're up there all the time when I'm not around.

I long ago gave up the battle to keep them off the dining table, which I keep covered in an old tablecloth when guests aren't around. It happens to get the afternoon sun and provide an excellent viewing point to look out the patio sliding glass door, so it's just irresistible from a feline standpoint.

I'm used to having at least 1 cat sleep in my bed, and that's usually fine, but I've normally owned just 1 cat at a time, typically a female. Now I have a brother-sister pair. The male cat -- a HUGE tabby -- manages to stretch out and take up about 2/3 of the bed if I let him. And he emits so much body heat, it's incredible. Not the most welcome of situations during August heatwaves. But they're so darned cute, I can't resist indulging them.

As I write this, the boycat is stretched out on my desk, having wedged himself in between my keyboard, the printer and my leather in-box. (His sister is snoozing in a terra cotta bowl on my patio; I gave up planting anything in that particular container yrs ago, since it's part of the cats' route to the fence --a series of jumps from patio to bench to planter on a concrete stand to ledge of fence, where they sit and look at other animals and survey neighbors' comings and goings in my condo complex. Another of her favorite spots to hang out -- over my bed, the love seats, assorted chairs and 2 long-abandoned cat beds -- is the uppermost of three stacked banker's boxes. Go figure! For a while, I'd weaned her off those with a flokati bean bag chair, but after a couple weeks of seeming nonstop infatuation with the chair, she's forsaken it and returned to the banker's boxes. Darn! One of these days I need to get those out of the office/living room pass-through! Heh ...)

My pets are allowed on most of the furniture. However, the ferrets love digging the foam out of the bottom of the couch to hide their treasures and my cat likes eating our plants, so the living room is now off limits.

Really, Kayteeee? I've read all the posts and not one sounds like an abusive or neglectful situation.

Adorable dog!

Anywhere, everywhere, except on food surfaces and in one closed off "clean room" in the house (where I have lab equipment and experiment with all manner of weird cookery).

My girl is a 96 lb American Bulldog and as such is not allowed on the furniture. Mostly it's just because if she were up there, there wouldn't be room for any of the rest of us. And also because after 5 minutes outside, she's filthy.
Besides, dogs like Daisy do best in a structured environment, where they are not allowed to "do whatever they please." She needs to know I'm the alpha and she belongs to me, not the other way around. It's really the only successful way to own a large bully breed.

My mother grew up on a farm and so we were raised that animals belong in the barn. They don't live in the house; they live outside. They would let their collies on the back porch when it was below freezing but otherwise they lived in the barn with the rest of the livestock.

If it was only up to me I would have it so when people come to my house, pets wouldn't be allowed in the house but since my wife lets them come in, I won't let them go beyond the kitchen vinyl.

I support the minority camp -- if YOU think a dog is a person, then maybe you shouldn't get one. I just don't get dog owners who let their pups all over the furniture, kitchen, house because they love them and then don't walk or exercise them. Dogs need structure and discipline -- that's how they live in a pack. Our golden retriever puppy is super cute and gets a lot of love, but is not allowed into the kitchen while I'm cooking and onto sofas and beds.

Oh, and @scrappymomma the rug is from Ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50168285/

ps -- we watched A LOT of Cesar Millan before we got our dog, to prepare. I love his "tssshhhht" with shoulders back and finger pointing. Works every time. In three days of using his methods our high-energy golden retriever walks next to me on walks, not pulling like crazy on the leash.

I totally agree, @MADMEGANXE! This year I adopted the sweetest American Staffordshire Terrier a who is a total cuddle bug. I let her on the couch but only when invited andon a blanket. Becuase she needs to chew, I have two special rubber "couch toys" that keep her from gnawing any pillows. The other toys stay on the floor. I also don't let her in the kitchen when preparing food, and @JNR she does the exact same thing, sitting at the very most edge she can get!

Because of the extremely unfair reputation of her breed, I've taken her to a private trainer to make sure she is even more well behaved to be a breed ambassador. The trainer said having a dog sleep in your bed is one of the most common factors in dogs who bite/ have aggression. She said people sometimes burst into tears when she tells them this, but the dog needs to know you are the pack leader and Alpha dogs sleep alone... Obviously I am not saying if your dog sleeps in your bed he will be more likely to bite people, I know many sweet puppies who share a bed with their owner. My dear little Wilma is as sweet as pie and I just want to make extra sure she stays that way!

I'm a complete neat freak but have 5 indoor dogs of various sizes. We LOVE our dogs. I keep a baby gate on the good sofa in the living room to keep the dogs off it. I stash the baby gate away when guests come over. This way I have fur free seating for people. The sofa in the tv room always has a cover on it & I wash once a week. The dogs are allowed on this sofa but the cover can be taken off at a moments notice & stashed away as well for more fur free seating. The bed also has a blanket over the duvet cover to protect it so the dogs are allowed on the bed. The blanket can be quickly folder down towards the foot of the bed whenever I want the bed to look nice for company. Of course the most important thing I do is vacuum everyday to stay on top of all the fur. None of these solutions take more than a few minutes a day. My house is cleaner than some non-pet homes & my dogs are still very happy & well cared for. I poop scoop the yard twice a day too so the backyard stays nice/clean as well. It's all worth it.

Just wanted to weigh in here, since Oscar is my dog and this photo would make it appear that we are a "Yay" to pets on furniture household... in fact, we are not. Up until just a year ago Oscar had never, in his 7 years, been allowed on any of the furniture in our house - for reasons of training/manners, and cleanliness (the change in recent circumstances does not warrant going into here). He has multiple lovely beds around the house, since he likes to by laying down in whatever room I'm in, but the photo above was taken during the one and only day he ever set feet on that chair (and he hated it, btw - the rocking really spooked him).

For anyone interested - the rug is indeed from IKEA, as is the dining room table; the table chairs with felt covers are from BLU DOT; the rocker from Modernica; and the lamp above the table is actually designed by my brother, Karl Zahn, for Artecnica - it's called the Phrena: http://www.artecnicainc.com/Products#Lighting/Phrena_Collection

*And for anyone who's been to Oscar's blog and critiqued his "poor training", I'll start by saying: www.oscaratemymuffin.com is a platform for "colorful" character development and story showing+telling, and posts are embellished to that effect. As to the muse himself - Oscar is one of the most well-mannered and well-behaved canine's I know (he is treated as a DOG, not a furry 4-legged child) - and as hounds go, he's hands down the best-trained (routinely allowing me to pose him on things like rocking chairs, or make him sit rock-steady with donuts on his head, until being released). He is a hound, he is of a traditionally independent and stubborn breed, and he does have a very distinct personality, but he's an honest gem, and he goes almost everywhere with me because of it.

My dogs can sit where they like! Never do I feel more honored and privileged than when my dog sits beside me.
That being said...the first year we had him, he wanted to be around us all the time. As he grew more secure, he started to prefer the comfort and ease of his own beds...all five of them. Point is...I let him work through it on his own.

Unless you bathe your dog or cat every time it excretes waste and every time it comes in from outside then there is nothing sanitary about either. I cringe at the thought of allowing pets in beds and kitchens. I nearly throw up when I see people letting dogs lick their faces and lips.

I have six cats. They OWN the house! Just ask them!!

My cat's been banned from the bed by the boyfriend, and it's not because of fur -- it's because he (the cat) tracks clay litter into the bed. I've considered changing the litter to something less trackable, but the cat has had litter box issues in the past (and the vet says he's fine -- just finicky). I try to keep the "no cat on the bed" rule out of respect for my boyfriend, but it's so hard when he hops up there and gets all cuddly... my little snugglebug.

I don't think this is normal at all, and I certainly didn't teach her, but our dog waits patiently to be invited onto the couch/bed. There's no way I or my boyfriend could ever resist such a sweet gesture, so we let her climb up and flop in between us. :)

Also, @Oscardogsmom: Who cares if people think that Oscar is poorly trained? Like you said, he's a dog, not a 4-legged child. He does not have to grow up to be a thoughtful, kind, productive member of society. If he's not hurt or hurting anyone else, and if you're happy, then that's all that matters!

The cats aren't allowed on the dining table or on the kitchen counters (...although just try stopping them, we just put them on the floor whenever we see them up there), but otherwise, they have free reign.

As for cat fur in beds, yeah, it can be annoying. But the other day, I was home sick and one of the cats climbed under the covers with me to act like a furry hot water bottle, so it's something I'm happy to live with!

I *tried* banning my dog from the furniture when I first adopted him- I grew up in a family where the people usually sat on the floor while the dogs sprawled on the couches, and I was determined to have a "proper" house when I moved out on my own- considering that my dog was a newf/chow mix, I knew keeping up with pet hair was going to be formidable task. My resolve lasted about 4 months, until the first chilly fall evening; in the 7 years since, any time it falls below 50, the pup keeps me warm while lounging around. The only rule I've managed to stick to is that hes not allowed in the bed- my allergies and love of clean sheets prevailed on that one. He has his own bed at the foot of ours, but still pokes his face under the blankets to wake me up if i dont have breakfast ready by 6 sharp!

I am genuinely puzzled by the replies to this question, particularly when just a few weeks ago on this same forum the majority of people were in favour of taking off outside shoes the moment they entered their house or apartment. This, in the interests of hygiene and geneal paranoia about germs.

Cats and dogs trail everywhere, defaecate without washing their paws as we are taught to do, sniff around other animals. I have seen owners go from petting their favourite animal to preparing coffee and laying out the cookies, without washing their hands.

Additionally, while noting all the expressions of love for their pets here, people also eat vast quantities of meat from animals reared and slaughtered in appalling conditions. ( I write from France which has virtually a dog for every household and where people kill and eat virtually anything that moves).

P-DdeR.

No, no, no, no, NO! But I'm not a cat person, and I believe that dogs belong outside, not inside.

Cat sleeps under the covers with me, usually he cuddles me. Can't stop the cat going anywhere he wants. Dogs are not allowed on the furniture - dogs need to know you're the boss, and as soon as we let dogs on the couch, the girl starts marking the couch when we leave her alone. If we make sure she stays on the floor, she's fine. And there's no way they're sharing a bed with us. Pugs snore, fart, wheeze and shed like you wouldn't believe. I love them to bits, they're my babies, but luckily, they can't climb our stairs, so they just have to sleep in their own cozy bed by the heater.

Our cat is allowed on the furniture but we usually put blankets down to minimise hair shedding and dirt. He is not allowed on unmade beds and we also put an extra cover on the beds for him to lie on (because I am grossed out by him grooming himself on there).

We also don't allow him on eating/food prep surfaces. In terms of scratching things, we trained him early to use his scratch mat rather than furniture so we do not have any problems with that.

My boyfriend's roommate has a cat, and generally my boyfriend keeps him out of his room by simply closing the room behind him. Otherwise, he's allowed to go where he pleases. Luckily, he doesn't lounge about the kitchen counter so much and only uses it to get to the top of the fridge where he can look over his entire dominion. Yes, he acts like the emperor of their house, so if you don't want him on a certain furniture, you'd have to close off access to that room.

I have three cats all rescues. All from bad situations. So they are allowed to go anywhere but the counter top when I am cooking. Our oldest has had a very hard life. He also has pretty bad arthritis so he usually only lays on his special bed. The youngest cat we found in a box in a park. She has no idea she is a cat. She was only a few hours to a few days old when we found her. She abuses the go anywhere and what you like policy. I have been waking up staring at her rubber mouse thing for the last month. She keeps leaving toys and things in my bed as well. I am very happy I dont let her outside because who knows what I would wake up with then! Then our middle cat was some sort of feral someone tired to tame. They took her claws out to tame her. Didnt work. So we have a huge walk in closet that we have cleared out half of. We made it a kitty paradise. So when she has had enough of people she can go be alone. Which has oddly tamed her to a point. Everyone can now pet her and she will sleep next to me.

I hate people who restrict pets from places in the home and furniture. They are not objects in which you own. They are living breathing things. If you dont want their company, why do you even have them?

Our dog is allowed on the couch; she's just too cuddly to have it any other way! And although we didn't teach her to, she always asks permission to come up if we're already sitting there. Her favorite spot to sit is on my lap. ^_^

Allowed on the furniture? They have 3 different sets of carpeted doggie stairs to make it easier for them to get on the furniture!
And finally just ordered my dream custom sectional, and the price was more than doubled by the need to get it in dog friendly leather! Since the leather was so costly, the Salesman said perhaps you should skip the ottoman, but I said "nope - that's where the doggie stairs lead to - gotta have the ottoman! So we compromised, and made the bottom of the ottoman fabric, and the cushion leather (thanks to reading Apartment Therapy, I was smart enough to ask for matching fabric pillows for the sofa in order to pull the look together:-) And how did I choose the fabric? Brought home swatches, pulled some hair out of the dog brush and rubbed it all over them - the one that I could not get the the hair to stick to was the winner!

My dog can get on any of our furniture in our house. But he knows he's not allowed in other people's houses unless he's invited. He also does not sleep in our bed when both of us are there. But if only one of us is home that night for bed, then he's allowed to sleep with that one person on the bed. He knows if we are both in bed, he needs to go to his own on the floor. Our bed's not big enough for the 3 of us!

Our pets are not allowed on any furniture or rug without their blankets being in place first. This includes even our cat. We trained them when they were young and now have no problems. This is why our suede sofa of 10 years still looks showroom new. And it is also why I don't have clawed drapes or furniture anywhere in the house. The blankets take the abuse.

@Poodle Mom Haha, I am going to have to remember that when I shop for a new (or new to me) couch soon! I'm sure there is dog hair in my purse. I have a Yellow Lab who sheds more than any animal I have ever come in contact with, and I grew up on a farm!

our home is run for the care and convenience of all who live here, including our animal companions. If you don't like it don't let the door hit your butt on the way out.
3 (formaly 4) cats have the run of our home. They sleep where they want, couchs, chairs, our bed, bathroom sink. If they are asleep on a chair it is theirs until they move.
Would you walk up to some one and tip them off a seat just so you could sit down? No most people wouldn't and neither do we.
We previously had dogs and they were allowed on their beds, their couches only because of their size. But they had their sunny space and couch in our living room, bought with them in mind. There was a rug over it embroided with the words Our Puppy Bed No Humans Allowed.
Our furbabies are part of our family and as such get treated as such. We would not ban our grandchilden from our lounge etc nor do we ban our animal friends.

My cats let me go anywhere....nothing is off limits for me.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1981245484630&set=a.1950331831808.117642.1047984930&type=3&theater

Yes We Do.

I have a 130lb Great Dane whose only mission in life is to cuddle people. For the sake of our guests, we have one couch the dog is allowed on (and where he will cuddle you); and one couch were guests can sit without the dog's company.

Our small Schmoodle 'Daisy Dukes' gets the run of the house during the day (including furniture) but has a bed in the laundry at night. We learnt from our previous mistakes. Our first dog was a 50kg Rottweiler who used to shed hair in massive quantities and would often share our bed. In winter she would pin down the quilt so if you weren't covered there was little to no chance you could get reclaim the quilt. She would stare at you as if to say "Move me and you die!" The hair was a nightmare so that's why we love our Schmoodle... not a single dropped hair yet!

The question is not "Do I allow the cat to sit on my furniture?" but "Does the cat allow ME to sit on my furniture?" The asnwer is: On the sofa, usually. On the bed, only if I let HER
lay on ME laying on the bed!

How ridiculous to say that people who restrict where their pets may go shouldn't have them. I can assure you that my cat, whether allowed in the bed or not, has a better life than he did at the pound and, before that, out on the streets of Manhattan.

Our two Jack Russells shed hair like it's going out of fashion. They sleep in their own doggy beds but do love to get up on the sofa for a cuddle. They are only allowed on the sofa when their "hair blanket" is down, otherwise cleaning is just impossible. I adore the little darlings but being covered in their little white hairs, not so much!

I did research and found that mini schnauzers don't shed much at all. We have two of them and one mixed schnauzer breed. They are allowed on the furniture. One of them likes to nest, so we throw a blanket on the couch when we aren't home to watch him. While our couch wasn't cheap, we will have it reupholstered, if needed, down the road.

We like to snuggle with our pets, so I can't imagine keeping them off the couch.

My family weren't pet people because of my sister's asthma. And anyway, my mom just didn't like pets. I didn't miss them as a kid. I inherited a shih-tsu for a few years from an aunt and decided I'm just indifferent to pets. The dog didn't climb on the furniture. She had her own little dog bed and occasionally, she slept with us. That being said, it totally grosses me out to be in a house where the pets are allowed to sit or climb where they want. No, literally, it sickens me. I don't want to be invited to dinner and I don't want to sit on your furniture. In all likelihood, we will never be friends. That doesn't make me a pet hater. It just makes me finicky.

Yay, yay, YAY. One of the greatest joys of owning a dog is cuddling up with it on the couch. Why do you have a pet if you're going to have your panties in a wad about where it can exist? Do the canine race a favor and leave dog ownership to the less uptight.

Dogs do get locked out of the bedroom at night, though. For restful sleep reasons, and for intimacy reasons. But there are exceptions... like letting them in on a Saturday morning for cuddles (or a rambunctious wake-up call).

Oh yes, my four cats can go everywhere, they are even allowed to eat from my own dish, stay upon the sink watching me while I wash talking with them and, obviously, sleep on my pillow with my face pressed against their furry belly. I kiss them on their heads and take nibbles at their paws. Cats are the cleanest animals on Earth.

I agree with a previous poster who said it's about boundaries. Dogs need to know who is in charge and that they can't just do what they want whenever they feel like it. That includes claiming "people space" as their own. Besides, why resign yourself to ruined furniture and a mattress that smells like an animal den when the solution is as easy as some basic rules for your dog instead of a free-for-all?
Our 80lb lab has a cushy bed and large kennel all his own, plus plenty of his own blankets and carpeted floor space, so he's quite comfortable (and we are too!). We do restrict him from the bedrooms if there's no one with him - otherwise he gets into mischief and finds something valuable to chew on. But other than that, we enjoy having our furry friend in the same rooms with us and right where he belongs - on the floor!

My home is my baby's home. She's an indoor toy breed so shes pretty clean and is welcome to sit on the couches and chairs. But that being said, I do close my bedroom door when I leave the house. Sometimes Eva will make her way to my shoes and tear out the insoles and sleep with them in her mouth. Don't ask! And its always hard to explain why dirty panties and socks are hidden all over the house. Eva likes doing that as well. Small prices to pay for what this little 7 lb Maltese gives me in return. :)

My dog is part of my family. Does it irritate me that I have to vacuum my couch more than normal because she likes to lounge on it? Yes. But it also irritates me that I have to clean up crushed crackers off of it from my four year old. However, I'm not banishing her to the floor ;) I have to do extra sweeping and vacuuming anyway so extending that to the furniture isn't really that big of a deal for the loyalty and protection that my pooch offers our family.

I don't think I would allow a dog on the furniture, mainly because I have never encountered one that didn't get rather smelly from time-to-time.

Cats, on the other hand, pretty much go where please around here, as long as it doesn't involve the kitchen counter, the dining table, or the great outdoors.

My cat can go everywhere in my home except kitchen countertop and when there is food the table. In 18 years he respected always to countertop rule, for the table he need some advise :) . He spend more time then us at home and it is his home as ours. Any unhappy guest about it is very unwelcome.

My pets have always been allowed on furniture. Never tables or kitchen counters.

Sometimes the only/best way to keep warm is to invite the pup up on the couch to snuggle. When I was growing up we didn't like the dogs on the couch, mostly because there weren't even enough chairs for family members but every morning you could still feel the warm spot from where they slept on the couch all night. As previous readers mentioned, once the pet is in the house the hair battle is lost, so oh well.

Anything soft and comfortable is fair game to our cat and small dog, but we don't allow them on any countertops or tables. Fur gets everywhere anyways no matter what so there is no point limiting them. We have tried (almost successfully) to teach our dog to first sit and wait for our permission to get on the couch which helps if we have guests over who aren't as pet friendly as we are.

I have a small yorkie poodle mix she weighs about 10 pounds and doesn't shed. She is allow free roam of the house. The cat stays outside, she was a outdoor cat when we got her or I would have never taken her. So in short no pet hair in my home ever. If I do go to someones home that has hair all over their furniture I will make any excuse I can to exist. I find that rude.

So you let your dog eat off your table then also, I assume? I'm sure you let your dog pee and poop wherever it damn well pleases - since they are a member of the family and all?

Don't be ridiculous. Banning your dog from your bed doesn't make you a bad pet owner.

For those of you who think your pet should have the freedom to go anywhere, that is your prerogative; however, please do not say that people who have restrictions should not own animals. I do not walk on my countertops or tables. I do not allow my guests to walk on my countertops or tables. I do not allow my cat to walk on my countertops or tables.

Touchy subject! I try not to let my dogs on the furniture mainly because one of my dogs has skin allergies and is pretty stinky. Every once in while, they will sneak up there to cuddle, and I allow it. :) They know when its acceptable and when it is not. If it were just a matter of fur then I wouldn't mind at all! All material things can be replaced, but that bonding moment between you and your pet is priceless. Enjoy the moment now, and vacuum later :)

My cat is allowed on the couch; in fact I love it when she joins me. I love the comfort she brings me as I try to de-stress and having her besides me brings me much joy. She is also allowed on my bed but she never goes on it, I think I toss and turn too much. ;)
The only place I do forbid her is my kitchen counter and my table since I prepare meals and eat there.

It may sound strange but I specially picked a black cat from the animal shelter since a lot of my furniture is black. XD