The internet is full of stories about strange things people have seen at someone else’s home. A viral roundup collects the most bizarre guest experiences. The stories range from odd pet behavior to genuinely unsettling hygiene issues.
The list features firsthand accounts from people who visited friends and family. Some tales are funny. Others raise real concerns about neglect and living conditions.
Dog Treats on Command
One story involves a friend’s mother who trained her two little dogs, like terriers of some kind, to wait for permission before eating treats. The woman kept an open box of dog treats on the floor, within easy reach of the dogs. The animals would not touch them unless she gave a command.
The dogs were not trained in any other way, according to the guest. They were only housebroken. But they would sit excitedly and wait for the woman to allow them to take a treat.
“She trained them to only get treats on command so she wouldn’t have to get up to give them treats,” one commenter observed. The woman was described as “hella obese” and did not leave her armchair during the entire visit.
A Chicken Joins Breakfast
Another guest described visiting a friend with at least 11 cats and two dogs in a very small house. During breakfast, the friend placed two cat bowls filled with wet cat food in the middle of the kitchen table. Two cats jumped up and began eating while the guest tried to eat scrambled eggs.
The friend explained that the house was already full of cat bowls. The cats would fight if they ate too close to each other, so she moved some feeding stations to the table.
Then a chicken jumped onto a chair at the table. The bird sat there, joining the meal. The guest said they were “quite confused and weirded out,” but the friend did not seem to think anything was wrong or unsanitary about the arrangement.
The Backyard Toilet
One of the more disturbing stories comes from a guest who visited a schoolmate’s house in 2004. The classmate had just bought GTA San Andreas, which was the reason for the visit. The parents openly spit on the floor and carpet of their own home.
The toilet was broken. When the guest asked to use it, the classmate directed him to the backyard. The father had dug a hole about 4 feet deep where the family defecated.
The guest chose to wait until he got home.
No Soap in the House
Another visitor reported that a host family had no soap whatsoever in their home. The family believed water alone could clean their hands. They considered soap to be “society lies.”
As one commenter noted, it is the action of scrubbing that removes the majority of the dirt, though soap does break down oils and that helps.
Other stories in the list include a family displaying a picture of their previous dog above the mantle, with the dog’s tail in a display case underneath. One person noted a family actually used their treadmill for exercise instead of as a clothes rack.
Signs of Neglect
The roundup includes guidance from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, known as the NSPCC. The organization warns that neglect has serious short-term and long-term effects on children. These include:
- Problems with brain development
- Taking risks, such as running away from home, using substances, or breaking the law
- Getting into dangerous relationships
- Difficulty with relationships later in life, including with their own children
- A higher chance of having mental health problems, including depression
The NSPCC lists several signs that should raise concern when visiting a home. These include living in an unsuitable home environment and being left alone for a long time. A lack of heating is one housing issue that should set off alarm bells.
Other warning signs include poor hygiene, such as children being dirty and smelly, hungry, and wearing unwashed clothes. It is also worrying if children have the wrong clothing, like no warm clothes for winter.
The organization also flags several medical and developmental issues as potential signs of neglect. These are:
- Medical or dental issues
- Poor language or social skills
- Regular illnesses or infections
- Repeated injuries
- Skin problems
- Chronic tiredness
- Untreated injuries
- Weight or growth issues
The list acknowledges that some mess is expected in family homes with lots of kids. Parents juggle work, studies, and parenting responsibilities. One mess gets cleaned up only for another to appear within minutes.
But the stories in the roundup cross clear lines. Huge messes, oddly behaving family members, and a pervasive lack of hygiene can be signs of deeper issues.
Another commenter admitted they may have caused a weird moment themselves. At a family party, they were dumping ice from a cooler onto the grass. Two neighbor girls, about 5 years old, came over to ask what they were doing. The commenter and their father put on confused faces.
The tales in the list range from mildly odd to deeply troubling. Most guests said they could not wait to leave. Some said they regretted stepping over the threshold the moment they arrived.
The best advice from the stories is simple: be prepared for anything when you visit someone’s home. And if the toilet is broken and there is a hole in the backyard, maybe just wait until you get home.
Source: boredpanda.com
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