The population of the world can be easily divided up into two camps: those that like pets and those that don’t. There are people out there that have a veritable zoo in their home, with lizards, cats, hamsters and birds all co existing. Other people refuse to even babysit a goldfish. If you have found yourself in a roommate relationship with someone who has a pet, here are a few survival tips.

First off, you need to determine if you have an allergy to the pet that has been introduced. If you do have an allergy problem, you have the right to either terminate the roommate relationship on the spot or demand that the pet be removed. People believe that they can only have an allergy to a cat or a dog, but allergies exist to almost any kind of animal and they can make life miserable.

Next, you need to be sure that any responsibilities for the pet are given to the owner and not you. There may be times when you are asked to scoop a cat box or clean out a fish tank if your roommate is on vacation, but you should never be given those tasks as part of house keeping duties. The pet belongs to your roommate and it is his or her responsibility to take care of.

If the animal misbehaves or does anything to damage your belongings, there should be no quarrels as far as replacing it goes. Kittens love to scratch things and small dogs sometimes can’t wait to go out side to go to the bathroom, so you should be prepared for these kinds of things to happen.

If you have had a pet introduced into your living environment by a roommate without your permission, it is probably a sign that you nee to look for a new roommate as soon as possible.