With you on the unrealistic dreams, pfr. I don't think there is any doubt that a dog (at least one we might like) would be a problem here. Me a not that fit or reliable 58 yr old and parents in their 80s do not go well with eg. ideas of a long walk with a dog, say twice daily.

We even debated having another cat but, as you may gather if you read another thread, we wind up taking on a stray that seems to get on with us and we are fond of that's been a bit of a challenge in some ways of understanding and only (I'm sure the vet is right) about 2, so fate can also happen.

My sense of smell is lousy but I don't think one like our spayed female smells that much but gather male ones can have a very noticeable whiff. I'd not think ours that hard to keep clean either. The thing there was that she was well organised and would even move a water container in her hutch if she thought it out of position. Toilet wise, she would pick on her corner and that would be her spot. Her bed was far away from that and she'd never foul that.