Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

AIBU?

Held to ransom by a cat and a 4yr old...

108 replies

MrsMac74 · 31/03/2017 23:42

We pay 3k a month to live in a beautiful, beautiful, house and the bloody cat is ruining it. She follows us everywhere, all day long. She walks beside us, walks across in front of us, stands so close to our feet we don't realise she's there and so constantly trip over her. Constantly nee-owing too - just so annoying.
She is well-fed but under-loved - we have a baby and a 4yr old, so life is busy. When carrying the baby, we have to deploy a strange knee-lifting prance-walk, just to be sure she's not under our feet and about to send us hurtling towards the floor.
She invariably stands right in our way when dashing between baby in the living room and grabbing something in another room. It's dangerous. I think she's been accidentally kicked in the head so many times, she's gone mad.
Tried explaining to our 4yr old that the cat would better off living with someone else as she's obvs not happy, that it would be better for everyone etc etc. He came back into the room sobbing, after losing our other (adored) cat in the summer, he feels it would be too much to lose this one too. And she's his friend (despite never showing any interest in the blasted thing).
Question is, do we persevere and re-home the cat? I thought we could maybe offer him a goldfish as a replacement (a bit crap, I know). Would our son get over the heartbreak? He is still cut-up about the other cat dying in the summer. I don't want to cause him any more pain but I am at the end of my tether with this cat. Idea please.

OP posts:

Report

MrsMac74 · 31/03/2017 23:44

*Mee-owing, not nee-owing.

OP posts:

TheSpottedZebra · 31/03/2017 23:44

Is this the Daily Mail? What relevance is the house/rent price?

StatisticallyChallenged · 31/03/2017 23:45

Was she like this before your other cat died?

VladmirsPoutine · 31/03/2017 23:46

At 3k a month I'd downsize and save to buy him a Panda.

MrsMac74 · 31/03/2017 23:49

TheSpottedZebra - heavens, no! I just meant we make a huge effort to pay our mortgage to live in our dream house and our life in the house is being made deeply unpleasant by the cat.

Statistically - yes, she's always been a huge pain in the neck. We rescued them both from a shelter about 6yrs ago.

OP posts:

honeyroar · 31/03/2017 23:49

Has the cat been seen by the vet and her behaviour checked? She sounds distressed and rehoming her won't help her (unless she's lucky enough to land with someone with the kindness and patience she needs).

TroysMammy · 31/03/2017 23:49

Is it that difficult to give your cat 5 minutes of attention. With an attitude like yours it would be best for the cat to be rehomed. It must be torture for her to live with you.

MrsMac74 · 31/03/2017 23:50

I'd LOVE a panda!!

OP posts:

TheSpottedZebra · 31/03/2017 23:52

Yeah, you don't like the cat, best get rid.
Is that the answer you want?

NB I take it you were joking about her going mad from being kicked in the head? You obviously have the money for vet's bills if you actually thought she might have a head injury.

TitaniasCloset · 31/03/2017 23:52

You are not coming across well OP. You had this cat for six years and have no feelings for her?

multivac · 31/03/2017 23:54

I think if you were paying any less than 3K, then you would probably have to put up with the annoying cat.

But at £3K plus, really, you should be able to eliminate the irritating creature from your life with no consequences.

HTH.

Cheby · 31/03/2017 23:55

We joke with our 4yo that we will give DKitten away because she is really annoying, DD will play along for a minute or two before looking up at me with a worried look to say 'but you don't really mean it, donyou mummy?'. DKitten is incredibly annoying, she annoys DD any hiding under the bed and going for her feet as she walks past, she occasionally wakes her up in the night by jumping on DD's bed canopy, but DD would be devastated if we rehomed Dkitten. So we are stuck with the fluffy little monster (we all luffs her really, even the older DCats).

Does your cat go out much? Can you make some time in the evenings to give him some attention?

NoSquirrels · 31/03/2017 23:57

Aww. I know it can be straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back with animals when you have DC of a demanding age, but your cat sounds distressed by the loss of your other cat.

How old is she?

Have you taken her to the vet for advice?

Have you tried Feliway or similar?

Your car may be happier elsewhere, but she may just need some simple adjustments that will make a great deal of difference.

Meekonsandwich · 31/03/2017 23:57

What is the cat doing that is ruining home life??
Meowing? Rubbing against your legs?
:sdid you not know cats did this before you got it??

I think you should go to the vet and make sure the cat isn't in pain and isn't anxious, you can get feliway plug in diffusers to help anxiety,
But generally meowing and rubbing are attention seeking behaviours.
Do you play with her? Do you groom her?

If you can't offer a cat love and attention, as well as food and shelter you are probably better off rehoming the cat.
But be aware that it's very difficult to rehome an adult cat. Shelters are often full and will just put them to sleep and many owners want kittens.
Please do not get another pet though.

squishysquirmy · 31/03/2017 23:57

It seems a bit of a minor thing to have "ruined" a dream house.
Your poor four year old will be distraught to see the family cat rehomed - its been there his whole life. Unless you have really good reason to rehome a pet, its not a great lesson to teach a small child that pets are expendable.
It must be hard with two small ones and a pet, but your youngest won't be a baby forever, so you won't always be doing the prancey walk think at least.
You sound like you don't like cats very much? Why did you get them in the first place?

squishysquirmy · 31/03/2017 23:59

Like meekonsandwich says - if you do rehome, please don't just replace her with a cuter kitten in a years time.

Thingvellir · 01/04/2017 00:10

I don't get why anyone would pay 3k a month in rent and not just buy their own place

squishysquirmy · 01/04/2017 00:12

I think its a mortgage, Thingvellir

TheProblemOfSusan · 01/04/2017 00:15

It sounds a lot like the cat would like some attention from you - have you tried giving her some?

(also I really hope you own the place because £3k rent if absurd. Also irrelevant to the behaviour of the cat either way.)

Mu123 · 01/04/2017 00:15

I have a 8, 6 and 2 yo old dt's. my mum brought our cat and his brother along about 4 years ago as a gift to the dc. I really couldn't give two shits about my roughly £500 a month house then or now. These wee beauts were my responsibility. Brother kitten got run over, our cat has taken over his share of being a total pain in the arse

TitaniasCloset · 01/04/2017 00:16

Please don't get another pet. Pets are not for you. You lack the affection and commitment for an animal. Its a living creature with feelings not a toy.

MrsMac74 · 01/04/2017 00:20

I am a huge cat fan. I should've also mentioned she curls up with us every night on the sofa and gets cuddled. But...she is massively attention seeking. If I stroked her 23hrs a day, she'd wonder why it wasn't 24hrs. She bites my hand and has started biting my feet. She's just the biggest pain in the neck and has been for 6yrs.

I will book an appt with the vet.

Will try Feliway, good point.

I really don't want to set a bad example to my 4yr old.

No, the cat hasn't got a real head injury.

Wasn't aware I had a bad attitude, it's late, I'm tired, I have a 6mnth old and a cat who bites my f*in feet.

OP posts:

MyLittleBoyBlue · 01/04/2017 00:22

You sound like a bit of a cow tbh.

haveacupoftea · 01/04/2017 00:23

Your cat loves you and you're being a fucking dick to it. Ruining your life by wanting to be near you. Jesus wept.

MsMims · 01/04/2017 00:30

Rehome her.

Someone else would give her the time and attention she needs. A feckless move on your part but at least the cat could have her needs met elsewhere.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.