A Mad Pet Owner

I have recently decided to put my house on the market. It's time for me to get in a smaller home with a smaller, more manageable yard. I am a single mother raising an Autistic son on my own. I have been through more than my fair share of problems and trauma over the years. I am in over my head financially and need the profit from my home to pay off my debt and make things more manageable financially.

I am not new to trying to pull myself out of struggles and unfortunately having to rely on family at times to help me financially. Nothing is more insulting to an educated, independent woman than to ask others for help. These people act like we pick up the phone without beating ourselves up 1,000 times before making that call or sending that text to again ask for their help. I would almost rather lose a limb than to ask anyone for help at any time. It's a slap in the face and a huge flaw in the person that I want to be to have to ask for anyone's help. This feeling of needing someone makes me sick in the pit of my stomach, and I always know that I if get help from this person that I am in debt to them. This debt is not just financial but it also means they are allowed to share their opinions mostly negative with me any time they want, and I have no choice but to listen to them. Life is hard enough without having to deal with constant criticism!

I did not just become an animal person overnight. I have felt it in my heart and soul my entire life. It has always been there and surrounds me like the air I breathe. To deny that part of myself, is to deny who I am. I have always been this way and had a soft spot for all of God's creatures. It hurts me to see them suffering or being abused. I wish I could look the other way and pretend like I do not notice them, but I am not able to do it. I have connections to animals that I cannot explain. I sense things in them and they are able to sense things in me. I am not saying that I am a psychic and I can read what they are thinking, but there is a connection between us.

People who do not share this connection make fun of me and make comments that are cruel and unnecessary. It has always been a battle for me. I am a Christian and understand the passage that we were created by God and he has a purpose for all of us. What if mine is exactly what I am doing? If I turn away from that, then I am turning away from the person I was created to be.

Let me return to the story of my house being put on the market. We all including my parents have worked very hard trying to get my house ready to sell. It has had animals in it and there has been an animal smell that we have tried to get rid of by hiring someone to deep clean the house and professionally clean the carpet. I cannot smell it, but others can. I have invested in products that are supposed to neutralize pet odors, but I may not have come across the right products yet.

I had a couple that requested to see my house a week before it was ready to be put on the market. I was not crazy about this idea. I would have preferred to wait, but I was told that they had looked at several houses and either were outbid or had horror stories about the houses they looked at. Well, now mine can be added to their list. I kept all of my animals in the garage so they could see the entire house without any animals inside. The dogs are normally outside, but the cats stay inside except for one of them. These people did not offer much positive feedback. Their comments were negative and degrading. They stood in a huddle with their realtor outside my garage and made disparaging remarks in front of my son. I was embarrassed and humiliated.

Now my realtor has suggested an ozone ionizer to rid the house of the animal smell. She wants to try this before we bring any other potential buyer into my house. I have read the research on these products. It is a little scary due to the fact that the state of California will not allow them to be used in their state. They cannot be used while people or animals are in the home because they emit dangerous chemicals into the air. The people who have purchased them have stated in their reviews that they will remove strong odors in the home such as pet odors, cigarette smoke, etc. I hope this works because I have no idea what else I can do to rectify this situation. Also, I will have to find a home for my two rescue dogs and rescue cats. It breaks my heart to do this to them because they feel like members of my family. At this point, what choice do I have?