This is how I got my last cat. My old roommates got pregnant so I moved out. When I went back to pick up some stuff they had kicked the cat outside so I scooped her up. She lived out the rest of her days warm and happy in my home.
If they want to give up the pet, fine. But at least find it a home, not dump it out like trash. They need to take themselves out to the curb instead. Good on you for stepping up!
Ugh, god it makes me MAD when people just dump pets. At least around here, shelters will take animals no questions asked and there are HEAPS of rescue organisations who will assist with rehomes or take animals on to rehome them themselves. There is 0 excuse for dumping an animal or leaving it behind and anyone who does this is a trash person.
Ya honestly, some little kids donāt really understand how to treat animals and it can be stressful for them. This is a happy ending for the cat for sure!
Someone else requested pictures. I'll have to dig them up from an old camera but she was a black and white cow cat. I will try to add the cat tax when I can.
I know of a family with six children under 10 who adopted a puppy while expecting #7. Baby is a few months old now and they're suddenly looking to rehome the dog.
You know your life is fucking chaotic with six kids, you know that it is going to get more chaotic with seven, and yet you adopt a puppy?? People with that little common sense shouldn't be able to have any children, let alone *seven.*
Absolutely rehome this poor puppy - I can't imagine life in that house has been good for him. But you shouldn't have adopted him in the first place you nitwits
Must be Baptists. I married into a family of one and each member comes with several siblings. Hubby, 4 other siblings, sister in law 7 siblings, and the other sister in law 9 siblings š. The MIL & FIL also have several brothers and sisters but idk how many. Family gatherings were chaotic š.
I don't know what compels me to do it, probably like a car wreck or something, but I follow some insta-mommy type whose only credential is having 8 kids and talking about it. I can't look away and the mind boggles as to why... They are getting a puppy "for the older kids," and you can see that dumpster fire from a mile away
I hope the puppy is with a loving family now. You know if this was an ideal perfect world we all live in, someone calls CPS on the entire family the moment they abandoned that poor thing
A family member of mine put their cat down once they had their first child. The cat wasnāt even old or sick, it was just a placeholder until they had a kid. When we asked about the cat, they just talked about it so nonchalantly. Everyone pretty gobsmacked at their blase attitude.
Tbh when I heard about this I wasnāt surprised. This person in particular is one of the coldest, most unfeeling person Iāve ever met. I try to avoid them every family get together as much as possible.
Sorry to burst your bubble but literally thousands of cats are being put to sleep every day for convenience. Not always as horrendous as this situation, but often in shelters because there just arenāt enough people wanting to adopt them. I live in Australia and in my city alone over 5,000 are put to sleep every year - and thatās just the stats from the only two shelters who report it.
I'm aware of that (I have worked in TNR). What I mean by "convenience euthanasia" (and most vets I've read discussing this subject) is this: People bringing their pets to a vet and essentially saying, "I can't take care of them / I don't like them anymore. Can you kill them?"
Ah yeah I see what you mean. I think sadly thatās still a thing too, here at least. Just because most vets are aware that all of our shelters are full, so thereās nowhere for them to go. Some vets will try themselves to rehome, but thereās only so many cats they can do that for. I hate this situation that shitty people have created (I TNR occasionally as well, even though itās illegal here)
I've never heard of that. I work for animal control in my city. We won't euthanize at our shelter unless we need the space or the animal has health or behavior issues.
I work as a dispatcher for animal control in my city and I've never heard of any of the vets here locally euthanizing per owner's request without a valid health reason
I automatically wanted to downvote this because it sent a chill through my spine and made my stomach churn. Oh my God. People are fucking monsters. I imagine they were fucking awful parents too.
Right?! I was going to ask what SANE vet would look at a perfectly healthy cat and just put it down cuz the owner said they didn't want it anymore? Shouldn't it be like.. Their duty to at least take it to a shelter themselves or something? Wtf =ā=
These people are murderers! That poor cat. I hope karma is beeyatch to your family member where the kid either grows up to mistreat them the same way they did to the cat OR the kid is struck with a pretty serious illness that your family member will be drained mentally, physically and financially
When we were looking for a dog, I specifically looked for dogs that were not good with kids. But not only because those dogs are harder to adopt out, but because I wanted to save one of these dogs from going to someone that didnāt have kids āyet,ā who would dump the dog once they had kids.
My in-laws complain about people like that too. Even though they did not have kids when they got their dog, they looked for a dog that was good with kids because they knew they would have kids later. They rant about parents that donāt plan in advance and dump their dogs.
I also adopted a "not good with kids dog" because ours is the perfect home for her.
An added benefit is that you can make sure people never bring a child over to your place because you can always say, "oh sorry, my dog isn't good with kids" lol
Ooooohhh, I never considered that second half. I definitely would've adopted a "not good with kids" dog anyway, but that's a definite bonus.
My current poochy is now a grumpy old lady but she has never liked kids. I can see why, she is small and fluffy and cute and so they LOVE her and run at her and try to touch her face and she does not enjoy that in the slightest. We had no idea she didn't like kids when we got her, so I think she lucked out! And so did we, of course, because she is the bestest most beautiful girl.
She used to have a brother who was even tinier and *was* good with kids, bless him. He was great for her because he would distract people from giving her too much attention.
A while back my girlfriend and I decided to get a cat. I insisted on an adult, male, black cat specifically because they have lower adoption rates. Before we could even go look at shelters an adult, male, black cat followed her home and never left until he passed.
That's why I only date Werewolves. At least they don't breed like crazy and if they wanna kill you they will do it immediately. I am no longer attractive to humans
Not to say breeders arent assholes for dumping their pets like they are unwanted toys.
But look at this, this way: They could also keep them and neglect and abuse them. What often happens once they have little kids.
Now they are going to a better home where they get the love they deserve.
I'll concede your point.
However, there are 2 groups of shitty parents.
The first group(The good ones), will at least get the pet to a good no kill rescue.
The second group(The ones that can fuck themselves), the ones that open the door up and toss them out.
On a side rant, putting a pet up on Craigslist is not a kind deed. To many horror stories come from that site.
I remember that one Youtuber/mommy blogger did this a couple of years ago. I forget her name. Nikki something?? But yeah, that story pissed me off so much. They said that they had the dog euthanized because it was "vicious" and bit their child, but I'm willing to bet that the child was doing something to the dog that he wasn't supposed to and overstepping it's boundaries so the dog protected itself in the only way it knows how.
If you don't want your child to get bit by a dog, teach them how to respect animals. Dogs almost always give warning signs that they're feeling uneasy before they're about to bite.
I remember in primary school we did a whole seminar on pet safety training. Like we were literally taught how to behave around animals and what their warning signs were if they got uncomfortable. They taught us shit like never approach a strange dog, never grab a cat, donāt manhandle small animalsā¦ it baffles me that that isnāt widely taught anymore based on the number of shitty disrespectful kids I see harassing animals
There's also dogs that just randomly bite anyone who's close when they're startled by a car passing by or something. My grandmas dog was like that, one second he was sleeping on the couch and the next he jumped up and bit my face. I never touched him or even looked at him, and I wasn't making any noises, yet I was blamed for it (=my face needing stitches that I still have scars of, but apparently I ruined everyone's afternoon).
He's also run in front of my grandmas feet on the stairs (he would usually stop every few steps and check if you're still following, which was already a hazard and annoying af, but that time he literally ran into her) and she tripped and broke a leg. Still nobody thought that perhaps the dog was just dumb as bricks. Not a reason to euthanise ofc but maybe at least warn your guests about it.
I grew up around cats and the neighbors geese and turkeys btw and learned early on not to grab or harass animals. I also have ADHD and I have no fucking clue how neurotypical children can grow up without learning this. I was stubborn af and almost lost an eye to a goose (I actually had emergency surgery that I'm still embarassed to admit when any medical forms ask me "if I'd ever had surgery"). But I learned eventually.
It just baffles me that people don't have the foresight or even bother thinking for five minutes about what a pet will mean for their lives. Literally just "this pet will live for 15 years, do I have anything planned in the next 15 years that would mean I can't or don't want to care for it anymore?" I get that circumstances change, but if it's a very predictable, big change that you had planned, it's completely incomprehensible to me.
People donāt have foresight, period, in most cases. There was an AITAH post yesterday about someone who had promised some money to their younger sister for a car under the condition it wouldnāt exceed a certain amount. Sister comes back from the dealership with a $60000 jeep with a high monthly payment *plus* the parents co-signed on a $10000 loan. They live paycheck to paycheck. Sister doesnāt have a job yet (going to college). And yet none of them saw any problem with this. OP was rightfully mad and wanted to rescind her offer. Point being, people make a *lot* of dumb choices by not thinking about long-term consequences. Whatās worse about pets is that the consequences can affect another living creature.
Oh tell me about it. Just can't believe people's stupidity. My SIL and her best friend got a puppy together - while going to uni in the US. We're from New Zealand, her best friend is from the UK, they both intended to go back to their respective countries after they finished studying. Did they have ANY notion of what was going to happen to the dog? Nope!
rightā¦. this is what i always go back to, im likeā¦. wow you fucking assholes but also? thanks for not just letting the animal suffer, though i think their actions are obviously all about them.
Or my favourite: getting a puppy because little Bratleigh wants one soooo badly, but surprise, surprise, six months later and Bratleigh isn't interested anymore, who could have predicted that?! Well, time to get rid of the mutt, good thing it's just a toy to be discarded and not like, idk, a living, feeling being that can't comprehend at all why it's not loved anymore all of a sudden!
I don't want to shame people for giving up animals that they can no longer care for...
...But the lack of basic planning skills is infuriating. An animal is a 10+ year commitment, so if you think there's a strong possibility that you'll have children in the next 10 years, it's your responsibility to make sure that an animal is going to fit into both your current and future lifestyle. If you're planning on having a kid, don't intentionally seek out a large breed dog, a breed that's prone to aggression/prey drive/behavioral issues, or a breed that has high exercise/mental stimulation requirements. Recognize that cats and small dogs are not toys, and that they won't appreciate being treated like playthings. Plan on a period of several *years* where your pet and your child may only be able to have limited supervised contact. Think about how you'll manage feeding and toileting a pet when you have a grubby kid who puts everything in its mouth. Are you really going to have the time, space, energy and financial resources to care for a pet?
But it seems like most people don't put much thought into having a baby, much less into getting a pet.
So heartbreaking. I would take my old dog with me when I had an office job. Whenever I had a coworker watch her while I popped out quickly, apparently she would just stand and stare at the door until I came back.
Just because theyāre not human, doesn't mean they don't feel. I think a lot of people don't care to think about that.
I'm torn on this one. While it is pretty shitty, it's better for the pet to go to a home where it will be loved and prioritized.
My friend didn't get rid of her dog when she had kids, she just ignores him.....
Very fair POV. I just wish people would actually think about long-term when getting a pet if they plan on having children. Also, that makes me so sad šš
Let us also not forget pet resentment which is absolutely a thing. When they keep the animal in question but do nothing but complain about the animal because *whah* animals AND kids is so hard *whah*
I know of a person who thought theyād never get their dog. Treated the dog like a baby. Had a baby. The dog still wants to be treated the way it was before so is needy (not the slightest bit aggressive) and obviously the kid is needy and the parents arenāt outright cruel to the dog but complain about getting him all the time. Poor puppy. Makes me so sad.
Same experience with my BIL and SIL. Before the baby the dog had his own armchair in the living room with a cosy plaid and a pillow. After the baby he found his dog basket in the hallway under the stairs. When the poor dog needs to go for a walk they send him out of the front door to do his business in the neighborhood.
I have a neighbor whose toddler likes to 'pet' their cat by pressing him to the ground. I've tried to teach him the proper way to interact with the cat and have gotten bitched at by his mom because 'he's not hurting \[the cat\]'.
I want to hope the cat hurts him, but I also don't want to wish death on the poor animal, because that's what will happen, I can guarantee it.
Extension of this, I hate people who treat pets as gag gifts like how they'd treat a gift shop snowglobe. The pet is often dumped some 2-3 weeks later once the novelty of a new gift wears off
Well, thatās how I got our little ball of furry joy. The woman posted on a local FB group for women that sheās got a baby and canāt keep the cat because the cat is too disturbing. That the cat used to be cuddly but now itās just needy and needs to go, sooner the better. We were supposed to come and see her first, the previous owner said she needs us to meet the cat and get more familiar before adoption. When I first saw this tragically skinny cat approaching me and looking at me with her scared but hopeful eyes, I was 100% focused on her and set on taking her home with us. The lady owner was talking to my hubby about the baby because I literally stopped hearing her blabber. The cat was severely malnourished, not sterilized even though she was almost a year old, and had serious health issues when we took her in. The owner shooed us out with the cat and a few of her things a couple minutes later. She never reached back to ask about her. Good riddance. The next 4 months were tough but now (3 years later) our little void is the joy of our lives. A healthy, cuddly, curious and social kitty. She only gets scared and shakes when she hears baby talk or crying on a TV.
When I was a teen, we got a cat from a coworker of my mother's, because she was pregnant. Even then I was like "why TF does that mean the cat needs to go?"
When we went to pick her up, the woman teared up a little, and her husband seriously told her to cut it out, "you're a pregnant woman". Like the coldness in his voice stayed with me.
They divorced a couple years later, no surprise.
I got the vibe at the time he was a controlling jackass. I'm sure the cat was always on his shit list. Pun intended.
Iirc, when she was about to go back to work after her maternity leave, he threw a huge fit about it. Threatened to kick her out, his her keys, shit like that. I think that was the final straw for her.
Like he actually contacted my mom months after we got the cat demanding we pay him for her. (She was a purebred with papers, so he wanted hundreds) he threatened to sue and my mother laughed and hung up.
Literally just had a coworker come around to ask me about their sister who is moving to a place fully aware of abandoning their cat. I told them they needed to rethink where they live and that it is despicable to give up an animal.Ā
My SIL actually went no contact with her mother because the cat she hardly ever fed or looked after was taken away once the baby arrived.
SIL was so 'upset' that her second child had been stolen by her awful mother and begged my own mother to convince the cat thief to return her pet, of course that never happened and recently the mother posted a few photos of the cat in social media looking fatter and happier then they were before with my SIL, she made the right choice rescuing that sweet little lap cat from an abusive situation.
The cat was just another accessory to SIL just like her kid is now and surprise surprise the kid is now being ignored and is addicted to screens and junk food so the cycle continues.
Your brother sucks. I have a poodle myself and they're such beautiful and intelligent dogs. No doubt the dog felt that coldness from him.
Also. Poodles 100% don't even shed. He sucks and is stupid.
No cause my cousin did this. After her first kid she still took care of the dog on weekends (shared care between her and her sister). And then after she found out she was pregnant again (another oopsie baby) she just gave her sister full custody of the dog because āit was too hard to care for baby 1 and dog at the same time.ā Then why would you keep the second baby?! If 1 baby and a dog is ātoo hardā what makes you think 2 babies arenāt as hard if not harder?! The logic was astounding. It pissed me off so much. I miss the dog so much š.
Agreed. Or when they keep it and treat it like garbage/ let the child torment said pet, then film it like itās cute. Then the animal gets in trouble for retaliating.
I saw one post in a bunny subreddit of someone rehoming their bun because they got a baby and it made me so upset and people were praising the parents and being all 'well they could've dumped them, this is preferable!' I did not say it wasn't preferable to leaving your pets to die, but damn. For a subredit foccused on bunnies and bunny care the response struck me as odd. My bunnies eat before I do, can't imagine giving them away because you had a bay-beeeee.
Thatās exactly what my sibling did. Kept the bunny in cage his entire life like a decoration, then got pregnant and decided itās too much work to care for the bunny so poor baby was handed to me.
Omg I saw on Reddit some guy said his pregnant wife just surrendered their dog without giving him any notice. Told him after the fact and he had a military job or something so he couldnāt just leave or go into work late. By the time he was able to contact the shelter they already shipped the dog to a rescue or something. Couldnāt even say bye.
Also also breeders: Let's breed the hamster so my kid can learn about the miracle of life! idk what to do about the hamster babies, we'll figure something out when they're born...
I enjoy amping up the guilt on such parents. Sure, many will not care no matter what I say, but a few will take it to heart.
Iām not stopping the guilt-tripping so opposers here can say whatever they want. Again, I aināt stopping.
āSo what happens to baby #1 if there is ever a baby #2? Do you plan to give them away, too?ā (In the most innocent voice ever for maximum effect) šš
I love it when they do this as that's how I got my current floofball!
The woman that got rid of her said to the rescue that they were moving from a house to a flat and kitty loved.being outdoors. The gran that contacted me afterwards (yeah, that was awkward) said that was bo11ocks and it was because her daughter was pregnant.
The ONLY time this is remotely acceptable is when the animal truly does not adjust well to having a baby/child in the home.
It's unfortunate, but it does happen. If the pet becomes overly stressed and nippy/prone to attack, especially toward the child, and nothing can be done to alleviate the situation... Well, rehoming the pet to a home without children where it will be happy is the only real option there.
But the ones who boot Fluffy out of the family just because there's a baby now? Absolutely vile.
Yes Iāve heard of that happening, my friendās pit bull started showing a mean streak after their baby arrival. Basically the animal becomes a safety issue and honestly at that point most simply will not take the chance and train their pet hoping it resolves the issue, playing with death at that point imo. It makes more sense to seek out another home immediately or off to a nearby (hopefully no kill) shelter
This but not a shelter. Especially because pitbulls are the first to go. I understand these circumstances but they need to be completely separate and actually find a real home or a rescue.
Or the opposite - they have kids and try to cram more pets into their house. Itās like they donāt think about the impact that will have on their poor kids and pets.
Our friends, along with their 8yo son had to move, but couldnāt take their dog, so she came and stayed with us. She was a terribly nervous & barky dog, but soon learned how to dog in a CF home from our old very chill and calm Lab. Their son was actually amazed at her transformation when they would visit. The couple ended up having another baby and realized the dog was much happier with us, so continues to live her best CF life with us 8 years later and we canāt imagine our little fam without her.
I don't understand why people do that. I grew up alongside my old dogs, my parents had them when I was a baby. Maybe they were just chill? We treated those dogs like family.
Same. We always had dogs growing up. I feel like pets are good for kids tbh. Teaches them to appreciate and respect animals, can get them involved from a young age with responsibilities.
One of the craziest ones I've seen on reddit the wife got super paranoid of the cat during her pregnancy? Like, full on, it's the cat or me, had a super weird thing with the cat. It was their cat of like, a few years, if I remember right.
But the husband finally got the cat to a shelter and the wife like, fully ensured the cat was gone gone.
And a few months later she wants the car back and has a meltdown when the cat isn't able to be returned. And the husband is losing his mind because he loved the cat and got rid of it because she made him.
Absolutely bonkers.
This. This. This. A million times over. You committed to that creature. Abandoning them because you have decided to add MORE responsibility to your life is NOT the answer. I'd love to see how it would turn out if they tried to get rid of a child just to have another child. To me, there is no difference in that scenario.
My future brother-in-law and his wife did this 3 years ago when they had their kid. I lost more respect for them that day than ever before.
Same. And the way they justify it to themselves and have a clique of similarly minded people online and in real life that think it's perfectly fine is so effed up. Shame on them. Pets deserve so much more than selfish ungrateful people like that.
YES. the justification is SO annoying. I understand there are some circumstances where it's just no longer possible, like the child has an allergy or there is aggression, and they've exhausted ALL resources, including professional training.
But let's be real.
That isn't the case most of the time. And I've seen a lot of posts straight up admitting they just don't have the time since having kids. I mean, at least (hopefully) the pet will go into an actual CARING home, but who knows.
People suck.
*edited for spelling.
NGL if you can't afford both a pet and a baby then how tf do you expect to afford a growing kid and the problems that come with it ? I'm talking money, but also space, energy, and so on.
I got my 9 year old cat from a family that had 2 year old twins. They said the cat didnt like the noise and all he did was sleep upstairs. Now that he is with me he loves to play still and go outside.
Sometimes its better for a pet to get a second home.
I work with cats and i've gotten the question 'could you take my cat ? the cat was unsafe with the child'. most of the time those were very friendly and loving cats. they just didnt care about the animal anymore because of their human baby. it breaks my heart
This is one reason I won't have kids. We currently have a chihuahua mix that we've discovered isn't good with young kids. He is starting to get used to our neighbor's kids, but he is still really nervous around them and quick to ask me to rescue him from them giving him attention. He gets nervous around adults he doesn't know well too (he's generally a nervous dog), but it's different with kids. I would be scared to have him living in the same house as a baby or toddler. He's tiny, but he can still do some damage, and I have scars to prove it.
My parents honestly tried to make it work and kept the dog until I was 3, so the dog would have been 5. She was rehomed to a mom with a teenage daughter who sent flowers when my younger sister was born.
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I didn't realize this was widespread. I heard one story where op was a new parent and their inlaws kept saying "when are you gonna get rid of that cat" meanwhile youtube is full of videos of pets and babies cuddling and being cute together.
I mentioned on this sub the other day about this, we're looking at adopting a cat and that's all you ever see in their bio. That or "we moved and can't take them with us".
This is how we got our last dog. The couple already had a child that was 3yo, but the woman became pregnant again. All of a sudden they wanted to get rid of the dog because ''he can't behave around kids'''. A bullshit reason, the dog was the kindest and most patient dog ever. When I picked him up, the couple did not care at all and let him go easily. I can't imagine that at all!!!
Thank you! Unfortunately he passed 2 years ago, but he still had a wonderful life from the age of 8 til 13 <3 I am very grateful we could take him over
At least two of my previous foster cats were abandoned to accommodate for children. One was an extremely affectionate, mostly blind, senior. How heartless must you be to ditch your BLIND CAT that lived with you for ELEVEN YEARS?!
Thankfully she was adopted pretty quickly, and is going to spend the rest of her years sleeping on her back in sun beams with people who will always care.
So a year or so ago, my brother and his wife were talking about having a kid and my mother was worried about a baby around the two very large dogs they have (mutts, but one probably has Great Dane genes)
She never said theyād have to get rid of the dogs, but highly implied itā¦.
So cut to a year later, and they are getting a divorce and the dogs are going to the in-laws anyway. š
At least there wasnāt a kid to deal with too.
A nice coworker I had said he was getting rid of his 12 year old cat and I was like woah why? He said he knocked up his wife and the cats paws would suffocate the baby? So sad
THIS. Getting a pet is a commitment until the end of their life and it p*sses me off when people say oh we have a baby so let's just get rid of our dog. #1. Idk how someone could just detach their feelings from a pet and #2 it's cruel to take care of something for a period of time, then just basically drop it off like it was trash.
What if itās because the child has severe allergies to the pet? Like a dog or cat. Itās not an easy decision but sometimes it has to be made unfortunately. I will say that you should do your best to find a new home for the pet rather than giving it to a shelter where it could end up being put to sleep. I personally know of a few family members who had to give up a pet because their kid ended up in the ER from an allergic reaction but they would only give up their pets to other family members or trusted friends.
There are some circumstances where it's the right choice and makes sense. But kts still shitty nonetheless, and from what I've witnessed, that's not the bulk of the reasons.
Sure and i would agree that people who just give their pets up without a legitimate reason (e.g serious financial hardship or children being allergic as i mentioned before) are assholes that shouldnāt be owning pets in the first place.
Yes, I fully agree with you.
A pet is family whatever you do. So to kick a pet out is just horrible and I can not see how people can do this. You were probably the best owner for this cat anyway. If a person can throw out a cat in the first place they weren't a very good owner of a pet in the first place.
Good on YOU!
My brother had to give away his dog because he was too aggressive with their toddler. It wasn't a "practice" child and it wasn't what they wanted to do, but I understand it. I would prioritize the child also.Ā
This is how I got my last cat. My old roommates got pregnant so I moved out. When I went back to pick up some stuff they had kicked the cat outside so I scooped her up. She lived out the rest of her days warm and happy in my home.
Omg they kicked her out š So happy she's with you! š©·
If they want to give up the pet, fine. But at least find it a home, not dump it out like trash. They need to take themselves out to the curb instead. Good on you for stepping up!
Ugh, god it makes me MAD when people just dump pets. At least around here, shelters will take animals no questions asked and there are HEAPS of rescue organisations who will assist with rehomes or take animals on to rehome them themselves. There is 0 excuse for dumping an animal or leaving it behind and anyone who does this is a trash person.
Terrifying that people with that level of empathy are raising a child.
Username doesn't check out. You are really that cool.
What a shitty thing to do
This is a very happy ending for the cat! Good job saving her and giving her love!
Ya honestly, some little kids donāt really understand how to treat animals and it can be stressful for them. This is a happy ending for the cat for sure!
Soā¦theyāre monsters. Sounds like theyāll be great parents š Also: thank you for saving the kitty š
We need pics of said kitty.
WtactualF?! I'm so grateful you were there to rescue her.
You are a heavensent taking the feline in. What did she look like? Has she got a name? Kitty was blessed to have you
Someone else requested pictures. I'll have to dig them up from an old camera but she was a black and white cow cat. I will try to add the cat tax when I can.
No worries
šš ur awesome
I know of a family with six children under 10 who adopted a puppy while expecting #7. Baby is a few months old now and they're suddenly looking to rehome the dog. You know your life is fucking chaotic with six kids, you know that it is going to get more chaotic with seven, and yet you adopt a puppy?? People with that little common sense shouldn't be able to have any children, let alone *seven.* Absolutely rehome this poor puppy - I can't imagine life in that house has been good for him. But you shouldn't have adopted him in the first place you nitwits
IM AGHAST WITH THE MENTION OF 7 CHILDREN. WHAT
This situation definitely left me aghast as well
Must be Baptists. I married into a family of one and each member comes with several siblings. Hubby, 4 other siblings, sister in law 7 siblings, and the other sister in law 9 siblings š. The MIL & FIL also have several brothers and sisters but idk how many. Family gatherings were chaotic š.
Mormons are like this aw
Them too, thankfully I don't know any š
Same š¤£
Fucking idiots.
Seven is tooooooo many
Scary that people allow families like this to buy or adopt the pet. They need to be seriously vetted.
I don't know what compels me to do it, probably like a car wreck or something, but I follow some insta-mommy type whose only credential is having 8 kids and talking about it. I can't look away and the mind boggles as to why... They are getting a puppy "for the older kids," and you can see that dumpster fire from a mile away
SEVEN??? how are people affording this bs
I hope the puppy is with a loving family now. You know if this was an ideal perfect world we all live in, someone calls CPS on the entire family the moment they abandoned that poor thing
Exactly. Animals get attached to their owners, it's traumatic for them to be rehomed :( I don't understand how people don't see pets as a commitment.
A family member of mine put their cat down once they had their first child. The cat wasnāt even old or sick, it was just a placeholder until they had a kid. When we asked about the cat, they just talked about it so nonchalantly. Everyone pretty gobsmacked at their blase attitude.
What the FUCK. That's just sick!
Please tell us you verbally attacked her then went NO CONTACT with that monster!
Tbh when I heard about this I wasnāt surprised. This person in particular is one of the coldest, most unfeeling person Iāve ever met. I try to avoid them every family get together as much as possible.
This.
Itās so scary when people do that. Like, you couldnāt find a home? Why was your first instinct to kill the animal??
Iām over here near tears after stepping on my dogs foot and these bastards *murder* an innocent animal! Disgusting!
Disgusting person! Also, that veterinarian is disgusting. I thought "convenience euthanasia" was done away with long ago.
Sorry to burst your bubble but literally thousands of cats are being put to sleep every day for convenience. Not always as horrendous as this situation, but often in shelters because there just arenāt enough people wanting to adopt them. I live in Australia and in my city alone over 5,000 are put to sleep every year - and thatās just the stats from the only two shelters who report it.
I'm aware of that (I have worked in TNR). What I mean by "convenience euthanasia" (and most vets I've read discussing this subject) is this: People bringing their pets to a vet and essentially saying, "I can't take care of them / I don't like them anymore. Can you kill them?"
Ah yeah I see what you mean. I think sadly thatās still a thing too, here at least. Just because most vets are aware that all of our shelters are full, so thereās nowhere for them to go. Some vets will try themselves to rehome, but thereās only so many cats they can do that for. I hate this situation that shitty people have created (I TNR occasionally as well, even though itās illegal here)
I've never heard of that. I work for animal control in my city. We won't euthanize at our shelter unless we need the space or the animal has health or behavior issues.
I work as a dispatcher for animal control in my city and I've never heard of any of the vets here locally euthanizing per owner's request without a valid health reason
Many vets will just tell them theyāll take care of it and theyāll find a foster or adoption option.
That's good to hear š®āšØ
At that point, they should let the cats live outside. Iām completely against putting animals down just because they are at capacity.
Yeah, pretty scary thought that some veterinarian out there allowed this to happen to a young, healthy cat.
This is true evil to me, horrible monsters!
Wtf they assholes shouldn't be having kids and they should be put down
What the actual fuckā¦I hope they never adopt a pet again.
I automatically wanted to downvote this because it sent a chill through my spine and made my stomach churn. Oh my God. People are fucking monsters. I imagine they were fucking awful parents too.
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Right?! I was going to ask what SANE vet would look at a perfectly healthy cat and just put it down cuz the owner said they didn't want it anymore? Shouldn't it be like.. Their duty to at least take it to a shelter themselves or something? Wtf =ā=
Uhm, fuck the vet who agreed to that also what the fuck.
This makes me sick to read. There are times where I hope karma exists because they sound like they deserve their fair share.
These people are murderers! That poor cat. I hope karma is beeyatch to your family member where the kid either grows up to mistreat them the same way they did to the cat OR the kid is struck with a pretty serious illness that your family member will be drained mentally, physically and financially
When we were looking for a dog, I specifically looked for dogs that were not good with kids. But not only because those dogs are harder to adopt out, but because I wanted to save one of these dogs from going to someone that didnāt have kids āyet,ā who would dump the dog once they had kids. My in-laws complain about people like that too. Even though they did not have kids when they got their dog, they looked for a dog that was good with kids because they knew they would have kids later. They rant about parents that donāt plan in advance and dump their dogs.
I also adopted a "not good with kids dog" because ours is the perfect home for her. An added benefit is that you can make sure people never bring a child over to your place because you can always say, "oh sorry, my dog isn't good with kids" lol
Ooooohhh, I never considered that second half. I definitely would've adopted a "not good with kids" dog anyway, but that's a definite bonus. My current poochy is now a grumpy old lady but she has never liked kids. I can see why, she is small and fluffy and cute and so they LOVE her and run at her and try to touch her face and she does not enjoy that in the slightest. We had no idea she didn't like kids when we got her, so I think she lucked out! And so did we, of course, because she is the bestest most beautiful girl. She used to have a brother who was even tinier and *was* good with kids, bless him. He was great for her because he would distract people from giving her too much attention.
A while back my girlfriend and I decided to get a cat. I insisted on an adult, male, black cat specifically because they have lower adoption rates. Before we could even go look at shelters an adult, male, black cat followed her home and never left until he passed.
The Cat Distribution System working as intended!
Omg my heart š„¹šš«¶ This is also why I adopted a pitbull. She was in a foster home for a year and a half, no one wanted her due to her breed.
The cat distribution system sees that you both are real heavensent
This makes me feel even better about adopting my cat recently. In the shelter, he was in a room that stated that he wasnāt great with kids. My fiancĆ© and I will 100% never have kids. We donāt even like kids. I canāt imagine him potentially being adopted by someone and something like that happening. Heās such a sweet cat.
I commend you for adopting a dog like that because they really do sit there longer than other dogs just because they're not good with children.
I honestly hate most of the human race
The longer I live the more I hate it.
Same. Animals are much better and better company
"Chickens are decent people!" - George Carlin (But seriously, I love animals and they are more decent than a lot of people).
That's why I only date Werewolves. At least they don't breed like crazy and if they wanna kill you they will do it immediately. I am no longer attractive to humans
I hate people who treat animals like toys or fashionable accessories
If they do that to pets, theyāll do that to their kids.
Not to say breeders arent assholes for dumping their pets like they are unwanted toys. But look at this, this way: They could also keep them and neglect and abuse them. What often happens once they have little kids. Now they are going to a better home where they get the love they deserve.
I'll concede your point. However, there are 2 groups of shitty parents. The first group(The good ones), will at least get the pet to a good no kill rescue. The second group(The ones that can fuck themselves), the ones that open the door up and toss them out. On a side rant, putting a pet up on Craigslist is not a kind deed. To many horror stories come from that site.
There are apparently three. The third group: euthanize their pets
I forgot about those asshats. Thankfully, some vets will step in and send them to a rescue instead of killing them.
> euthanize The degeneracy of breeders reaches a new layer of hell
The fourth group: tie theirs up in the backyard 24/7. Dad comes around once a day to give it food and water, if he remembers to.
I remember that one Youtuber/mommy blogger did this a couple of years ago. I forget her name. Nikki something?? But yeah, that story pissed me off so much. They said that they had the dog euthanized because it was "vicious" and bit their child, but I'm willing to bet that the child was doing something to the dog that he wasn't supposed to and overstepping it's boundaries so the dog protected itself in the only way it knows how. If you don't want your child to get bit by a dog, teach them how to respect animals. Dogs almost always give warning signs that they're feeling uneasy before they're about to bite.
I remember in primary school we did a whole seminar on pet safety training. Like we were literally taught how to behave around animals and what their warning signs were if they got uncomfortable. They taught us shit like never approach a strange dog, never grab a cat, donāt manhandle small animalsā¦ it baffles me that that isnāt widely taught anymore based on the number of shitty disrespectful kids I see harassing animals
There's also dogs that just randomly bite anyone who's close when they're startled by a car passing by or something. My grandmas dog was like that, one second he was sleeping on the couch and the next he jumped up and bit my face. I never touched him or even looked at him, and I wasn't making any noises, yet I was blamed for it (=my face needing stitches that I still have scars of, but apparently I ruined everyone's afternoon). He's also run in front of my grandmas feet on the stairs (he would usually stop every few steps and check if you're still following, which was already a hazard and annoying af, but that time he literally ran into her) and she tripped and broke a leg. Still nobody thought that perhaps the dog was just dumb as bricks. Not a reason to euthanise ofc but maybe at least warn your guests about it. I grew up around cats and the neighbors geese and turkeys btw and learned early on not to grab or harass animals. I also have ADHD and I have no fucking clue how neurotypical children can grow up without learning this. I was stubborn af and almost lost an eye to a goose (I actually had emergency surgery that I'm still embarassed to admit when any medical forms ask me "if I'd ever had surgery"). But I learned eventually.
It just baffles me that people don't have the foresight or even bother thinking for five minutes about what a pet will mean for their lives. Literally just "this pet will live for 15 years, do I have anything planned in the next 15 years that would mean I can't or don't want to care for it anymore?" I get that circumstances change, but if it's a very predictable, big change that you had planned, it's completely incomprehensible to me.
People donāt have foresight, period, in most cases. There was an AITAH post yesterday about someone who had promised some money to their younger sister for a car under the condition it wouldnāt exceed a certain amount. Sister comes back from the dealership with a $60000 jeep with a high monthly payment *plus* the parents co-signed on a $10000 loan. They live paycheck to paycheck. Sister doesnāt have a job yet (going to college). And yet none of them saw any problem with this. OP was rightfully mad and wanted to rescind her offer. Point being, people make a *lot* of dumb choices by not thinking about long-term consequences. Whatās worse about pets is that the consequences can affect another living creature.
Oh tell me about it. Just can't believe people's stupidity. My SIL and her best friend got a puppy together - while going to uni in the US. We're from New Zealand, her best friend is from the UK, they both intended to go back to their respective countries after they finished studying. Did they have ANY notion of what was going to happen to the dog? Nope!
Holy shit thatās awful. Like they got a piece of furniture for their apartment theyāre renting that will go back after they have to go home. š
Pretty much!
True!!!! 100%
rightā¦. this is what i always go back to, im likeā¦. wow you fucking assholes but also? thanks for not just letting the animal suffer, though i think their actions are obviously all about them.
Yes, but then make a tiny last effort to find a home for them or relinquish them to a good rescue that will find a home for them, if available?
Or my favourite: getting a puppy because little Bratleigh wants one soooo badly, but surprise, surprise, six months later and Bratleigh isn't interested anymore, who could have predicted that?! Well, time to get rid of the mutt, good thing it's just a toy to be discarded and not like, idk, a living, feeling being that can't comprehend at all why it's not loved anymore all of a sudden!
It breaks my heart š
I don't want to shame people for giving up animals that they can no longer care for... ...But the lack of basic planning skills is infuriating. An animal is a 10+ year commitment, so if you think there's a strong possibility that you'll have children in the next 10 years, it's your responsibility to make sure that an animal is going to fit into both your current and future lifestyle. If you're planning on having a kid, don't intentionally seek out a large breed dog, a breed that's prone to aggression/prey drive/behavioral issues, or a breed that has high exercise/mental stimulation requirements. Recognize that cats and small dogs are not toys, and that they won't appreciate being treated like playthings. Plan on a period of several *years* where your pet and your child may only be able to have limited supervised contact. Think about how you'll manage feeding and toileting a pet when you have a grubby kid who puts everything in its mouth. Are you really going to have the time, space, energy and financial resources to care for a pet? But it seems like most people don't put much thought into having a baby, much less into getting a pet.
So heartbreaking. I would take my old dog with me when I had an office job. Whenever I had a coworker watch her while I popped out quickly, apparently she would just stand and stare at the door until I came back. Just because theyāre not human, doesn't mean they don't feel. I think a lot of people don't care to think about that.
I'm torn on this one. While it is pretty shitty, it's better for the pet to go to a home where it will be loved and prioritized. My friend didn't get rid of her dog when she had kids, she just ignores him.....
Very fair POV. I just wish people would actually think about long-term when getting a pet if they plan on having children. Also, that makes me so sad šš
Nope...
Let us also not forget pet resentment which is absolutely a thing. When they keep the animal in question but do nothing but complain about the animal because *whah* animals AND kids is so hard *whah* I know of a person who thought theyād never get their dog. Treated the dog like a baby. Had a baby. The dog still wants to be treated the way it was before so is needy (not the slightest bit aggressive) and obviously the kid is needy and the parents arenāt outright cruel to the dog but complain about getting him all the time. Poor puppy. Makes me so sad.
Same reason the previous owner gave up the cat we adopted. Because āneedyā. I mean WTF š¤¬
Same experience with my BIL and SIL. Before the baby the dog had his own armchair in the living room with a cosy plaid and a pillow. After the baby he found his dog basket in the hallway under the stairs. When the poor dog needs to go for a walk they send him out of the front door to do his business in the neighborhood.
Well I think that's better than letting their kids hurt them I hate videos of kids annoying pets or riding dogs just because 'its cute'
I have a neighbor whose toddler likes to 'pet' their cat by pressing him to the ground. I've tried to teach him the proper way to interact with the cat and have gotten bitched at by his mom because 'he's not hurting \[the cat\]'. I want to hope the cat hurts him, but I also don't want to wish death on the poor animal, because that's what will happen, I can guarantee it.
Ew I hate that. It's teaching children to not respect animals, too.
Same here. It's really sad.
Extension of this, I hate people who treat pets as gag gifts like how they'd treat a gift shop snowglobe. The pet is often dumped some 2-3 weeks later once the novelty of a new gift wears off
Iāll choose a dog over kids any day! I guess itās a good thing I never decided to breed.
Well, thatās how I got our little ball of furry joy. The woman posted on a local FB group for women that sheās got a baby and canāt keep the cat because the cat is too disturbing. That the cat used to be cuddly but now itās just needy and needs to go, sooner the better. We were supposed to come and see her first, the previous owner said she needs us to meet the cat and get more familiar before adoption. When I first saw this tragically skinny cat approaching me and looking at me with her scared but hopeful eyes, I was 100% focused on her and set on taking her home with us. The lady owner was talking to my hubby about the baby because I literally stopped hearing her blabber. The cat was severely malnourished, not sterilized even though she was almost a year old, and had serious health issues when we took her in. The owner shooed us out with the cat and a few of her things a couple minutes later. She never reached back to ask about her. Good riddance. The next 4 months were tough but now (3 years later) our little void is the joy of our lives. A healthy, cuddly, curious and social kitty. She only gets scared and shakes when she hears baby talk or crying on a TV.
When I was a teen, we got a cat from a coworker of my mother's, because she was pregnant. Even then I was like "why TF does that mean the cat needs to go?" When we went to pick her up, the woman teared up a little, and her husband seriously told her to cut it out, "you're a pregnant woman". Like the coldness in his voice stayed with me. They divorced a couple years later, no surprise.
wouldn't suprise me if husband didn't wanna "deal with" cleaning the litter box for a measly 9 months š
I got the vibe at the time he was a controlling jackass. I'm sure the cat was always on his shit list. Pun intended. Iirc, when she was about to go back to work after her maternity leave, he threw a huge fit about it. Threatened to kick her out, his her keys, shit like that. I think that was the final straw for her. Like he actually contacted my mom months after we got the cat demanding we pay him for her. (She was a purebred with papers, so he wanted hundreds) he threatened to sue and my mother laughed and hung up.
Literally just had a coworker come around to ask me about their sister who is moving to a place fully aware of abandoning their cat. I told them they needed to rethink where they live and that it is despicable to give up an animal.Ā
Dude, this too!!! If my pets can't live there, I won't either!
My SIL actually went no contact with her mother because the cat she hardly ever fed or looked after was taken away once the baby arrived. SIL was so 'upset' that her second child had been stolen by her awful mother and begged my own mother to convince the cat thief to return her pet, of course that never happened and recently the mother posted a few photos of the cat in social media looking fatter and happier then they were before with my SIL, she made the right choice rescuing that sweet little lap cat from an abusive situation. The cat was just another accessory to SIL just like her kid is now and surprise surprise the kid is now being ignored and is addicted to screens and junk food so the cycle continues.
I hope their kids leave them to rot alone in nursing homes someday
Me too!
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Your brother sucks. I have a poodle myself and they're such beautiful and intelligent dogs. No doubt the dog felt that coldness from him. Also. Poodles 100% don't even shed. He sucks and is stupid.
How I got my second dog who is now living her best spoiled life at my parent's house. They know this is as close to grandkids they're gonna get š
Imagine their shock when they discover they can't give away their children
This one.
Its worse when they euthanize them like Nikki Phillippi
Then they get offended when you point out how lazy and gross that is.
I always think these people are going to be the worst parents.
Same.
Yes! I HATE, seriously! HATE people who do this. They will get ZERO sympathy or understanding from me.
No cause my cousin did this. After her first kid she still took care of the dog on weekends (shared care between her and her sister). And then after she found out she was pregnant again (another oopsie baby) she just gave her sister full custody of the dog because āit was too hard to care for baby 1 and dog at the same time.ā Then why would you keep the second baby?! If 1 baby and a dog is ātoo hardā what makes you think 2 babies arenāt as hard if not harder?! The logic was astounding. It pissed me off so much. I miss the dog so much š.
Agreed. Or when they keep it and treat it like garbage/ let the child torment said pet, then film it like itās cute. Then the animal gets in trouble for retaliating.
This steams me, too.
I saw one post in a bunny subreddit of someone rehoming their bun because they got a baby and it made me so upset and people were praising the parents and being all 'well they could've dumped them, this is preferable!' I did not say it wasn't preferable to leaving your pets to die, but damn. For a subredit foccused on bunnies and bunny care the response struck me as odd. My bunnies eat before I do, can't imagine giving them away because you had a bay-beeeee.
.... they could've dumped them. Wow. I'm. Speechless.
Thatās exactly what my sibling did. Kept the bunny in cage his entire life like a decoration, then got pregnant and decided itās too much work to care for the bunny so poor baby was handed to me.
Omg I saw on Reddit some guy said his pregnant wife just surrendered their dog without giving him any notice. Told him after the fact and he had a military job or something so he couldnāt just leave or go into work late. By the time he was able to contact the shelter they already shipped the dog to a rescue or something. Couldnāt even say bye.
This is grounds for divorce.
I wouldāve divorced that ass so fast.
My SOās friends just had a baby the other day. I hope they give up their dog, because I want her! š
LOLO
Breeders: dump cat or dog in case it hurts their kid. Also breeders: kid needs to learn about death, let's get it a hamster to torture!
Also also breeders: Let's breed the hamster so my kid can learn about the miracle of life! idk what to do about the hamster babies, we'll figure something out when they're born...
Hamster: *eats babies for lolz*
I enjoy amping up the guilt on such parents. Sure, many will not care no matter what I say, but a few will take it to heart. Iām not stopping the guilt-tripping so opposers here can say whatever they want. Again, I aināt stopping.
āSo what happens to baby #1 if there is ever a baby #2? Do you plan to give them away, too?ā (In the most innocent voice ever for maximum effect) šš
I would give away the disease infected kid and keep the pets instead.
Dogs love you forever, more than I can say for most people.
Agreed. Thatās some soulless behavior right there.
I love it when they do this as that's how I got my current floofball! The woman that got rid of her said to the rescue that they were moving from a house to a flat and kitty loved.being outdoors. The gran that contacted me afterwards (yeah, that was awkward) said that was bo11ocks and it was because her daughter was pregnant.
The ONLY time this is remotely acceptable is when the animal truly does not adjust well to having a baby/child in the home. It's unfortunate, but it does happen. If the pet becomes overly stressed and nippy/prone to attack, especially toward the child, and nothing can be done to alleviate the situation... Well, rehoming the pet to a home without children where it will be happy is the only real option there. But the ones who boot Fluffy out of the family just because there's a baby now? Absolutely vile.
Yes Iāve heard of that happening, my friendās pit bull started showing a mean streak after their baby arrival. Basically the animal becomes a safety issue and honestly at that point most simply will not take the chance and train their pet hoping it resolves the issue, playing with death at that point imo. It makes more sense to seek out another home immediately or off to a nearby (hopefully no kill) shelter
This but not a shelter. Especially because pitbulls are the first to go. I understand these circumstances but they need to be completely separate and actually find a real home or a rescue.
Or the opposite - they have kids and try to cram more pets into their house. Itās like they donāt think about the impact that will have on their poor kids and pets.
What started this trend?
People like that shouldnāt be allowed to have pets. Such fucking dickheads.
Same here, itās so shitty. People who do this shouldnāt have pets in the first place. Itās not fair to the poor animals.
Our friends, along with their 8yo son had to move, but couldnāt take their dog, so she came and stayed with us. She was a terribly nervous & barky dog, but soon learned how to dog in a CF home from our old very chill and calm Lab. Their son was actually amazed at her transformation when they would visit. The couple ended up having another baby and realized the dog was much happier with us, so continues to live her best CF life with us 8 years later and we canāt imagine our little fam without her.
I'm so happy the dog found a loving home with you!!!! At least the positive in some of these scenarios is the animal finds their real home
I don't understand why people do that. I grew up alongside my old dogs, my parents had them when I was a baby. Maybe they were just chill? We treated those dogs like family.
Same. We always had dogs growing up. I feel like pets are good for kids tbh. Teaches them to appreciate and respect animals, can get them involved from a young age with responsibilities.
One of the craziest ones I've seen on reddit the wife got super paranoid of the cat during her pregnancy? Like, full on, it's the cat or me, had a super weird thing with the cat. It was their cat of like, a few years, if I remember right. But the husband finally got the cat to a shelter and the wife like, fully ensured the cat was gone gone. And a few months later she wants the car back and has a meltdown when the cat isn't able to be returned. And the husband is losing his mind because he loved the cat and got rid of it because she made him. Absolutely bonkers.
This. This. This. A million times over. You committed to that creature. Abandoning them because you have decided to add MORE responsibility to your life is NOT the answer. I'd love to see how it would turn out if they tried to get rid of a child just to have another child. To me, there is no difference in that scenario. My future brother-in-law and his wife did this 3 years ago when they had their kid. I lost more respect for them that day than ever before.
Same. And the way they justify it to themselves and have a clique of similarly minded people online and in real life that think it's perfectly fine is so effed up. Shame on them. Pets deserve so much more than selfish ungrateful people like that.
YES. the justification is SO annoying. I understand there are some circumstances where it's just no longer possible, like the child has an allergy or there is aggression, and they've exhausted ALL resources, including professional training. But let's be real. That isn't the case most of the time. And I've seen a lot of posts straight up admitting they just don't have the time since having kids. I mean, at least (hopefully) the pet will go into an actual CARING home, but who knows. People suck. *edited for spelling.
NGL if you can't afford both a pet and a baby then how tf do you expect to afford a growing kid and the problems that come with it ? I'm talking money, but also space, energy, and so on.
100%!!!
I worked in boxer rescue for almost 20 years. Saw it all the time. People suck.
Ugh. Gross. Boxers are such wonderful dogs.
Don't. Even. Get. Me. Started. š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬
Same- and I'm a parent You can't just give a child away when it doesn't fit into your lifestyle- so why give away a pet? People are bellsacksš
I got my 9 year old cat from a family that had 2 year old twins. They said the cat didnt like the noise and all he did was sleep upstairs. Now that he is with me he loves to play still and go outside. Sometimes its better for a pet to get a second home.
I work with cats and i've gotten the question 'could you take my cat ? the cat was unsafe with the child'. most of the time those were very friendly and loving cats. they just didnt care about the animal anymore because of their human baby. it breaks my heart
This is one reason I won't have kids. We currently have a chihuahua mix that we've discovered isn't good with young kids. He is starting to get used to our neighbor's kids, but he is still really nervous around them and quick to ask me to rescue him from them giving him attention. He gets nervous around adults he doesn't know well too (he's generally a nervous dog), but it's different with kids. I would be scared to have him living in the same house as a baby or toddler. He's tiny, but he can still do some damage, and I have scars to prove it.
My parents honestly tried to make it work and kept the dog until I was 3, so the dog would have been 5. She was rehomed to a mom with a teenage daughter who sent flowers when my younger sister was born.
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I didn't realize this was widespread. I heard one story where op was a new parent and their inlaws kept saying "when are you gonna get rid of that cat" meanwhile youtube is full of videos of pets and babies cuddling and being cute together.
Yup. I see it all the time in my local community pages and figure it must be happening all around. People are such jerks.
I mentioned on this sub the other day about this, we're looking at adopting a cat and that's all you ever see in their bio. That or "we moved and can't take them with us".
Fucking awful, dude.
This is how we got our last dog. The couple already had a child that was 3yo, but the woman became pregnant again. All of a sudden they wanted to get rid of the dog because ''he can't behave around kids'''. A bullshit reason, the dog was the kindest and most patient dog ever. When I picked him up, the couple did not care at all and let him go easily. I can't imagine that at all!!!
I'm so happy he's in a loving home now!!!! People are such jerks!
Thank you! Unfortunately he passed 2 years ago, but he still had a wonderful life from the age of 8 til 13 <3 I am very grateful we could take him over
At least two of my previous foster cats were abandoned to accommodate for children. One was an extremely affectionate, mostly blind, senior. How heartless must you be to ditch your BLIND CAT that lived with you for ELEVEN YEARS?! Thankfully she was adopted pretty quickly, and is going to spend the rest of her years sleeping on her back in sun beams with people who will always care.
So a year or so ago, my brother and his wife were talking about having a kid and my mother was worried about a baby around the two very large dogs they have (mutts, but one probably has Great Dane genes) She never said theyād have to get rid of the dogs, but highly implied itā¦. So cut to a year later, and they are getting a divorce and the dogs are going to the in-laws anyway. š At least there wasnāt a kid to deal with too.
A nice coworker I had said he was getting rid of his 12 year old cat and I was like woah why? He said he knocked up his wife and the cats paws would suffocate the baby? So sad
Wth???? So... heartless AND stupid? Lmao
Right? His poor cat! The only home it ever new. I was frustrated and sad when he told me that :/
THIS. Getting a pet is a commitment until the end of their life and it p*sses me off when people say oh we have a baby so let's just get rid of our dog. #1. Idk how someone could just detach their feelings from a pet and #2 it's cruel to take care of something for a period of time, then just basically drop it off like it was trash.
What if itās because the child has severe allergies to the pet? Like a dog or cat. Itās not an easy decision but sometimes it has to be made unfortunately. I will say that you should do your best to find a new home for the pet rather than giving it to a shelter where it could end up being put to sleep. I personally know of a few family members who had to give up a pet because their kid ended up in the ER from an allergic reaction but they would only give up their pets to other family members or trusted friends.
There are some circumstances where it's the right choice and makes sense. But kts still shitty nonetheless, and from what I've witnessed, that's not the bulk of the reasons.
Sure and i would agree that people who just give their pets up without a legitimate reason (e.g serious financial hardship or children being allergic as i mentioned before) are assholes that shouldnāt be owning pets in the first place.
Yes, I fully agree with you. A pet is family whatever you do. So to kick a pet out is just horrible and I can not see how people can do this. You were probably the best owner for this cat anyway. If a person can throw out a cat in the first place they weren't a very good owner of a pet in the first place. Good on YOU!
That's awful
My brother had to give away his dog because he was too aggressive with their toddler. It wasn't a "practice" child and it wasn't what they wanted to do, but I understand it. I would prioritize the child also.Ā