I've got piles of antique linens from both sides of the family shoved in the linen closet. The clean stuff we use everday is in laundry baskets in the laundry room. The dirty towels are on the floor. I like cats and furry, little cuddly creatures. Birds are OK too.
Most pets are too messy.
If I have a dog, its a working dog that I've trained to obey me, and I keep it outside in a kennel. Aquarium fish are soothing. I'd love to have a big dog and let him sleep in my bed at night. People bring me strays and wounded creatures because they know I won't have the heart to let them die. I think about all the neat things I could do with it, but right now it's slowly filling up with laundry baskets full of the things that were on the dining room table before company came.