To think some pet owners are nobheads

[Ishouldprobablywax]

Mainly people who 'rehome' their pets for stupid reasons.
They are for life, not until I have a baby/Until it irritates me by not sleeping when I want/chewing the sofa/making noise

other nobheads include people who don't read about what animal they're getting - 'my kitten scratches'! 'my beagle howls!'

plus I think it's a really shitty message to send your kids, that pets are disposable based on how much they annoy you or get in the way.
Aibu?

Something else to be aware of is what can happen to dogs which are advertised as free to good homes.

Rescue and Animal Rights have in the past 2 days had emails circulated about a man who is taking dogs advertised as such and then using Gumtree and various pets' sites to sell them on... SOME OF WHOM ARE BY THIS TIME PREGNANT. It is understood that the dogs are not being kept in a home but that they are believed to be in a London lock-up.

He's also known to sell turkeys and pigeons (and dodgy cars) and having been doing some work to locate the fucker today I have a feeling that what's been uncovered so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

The RSPCA, predictably, don't want to know.

Kaloki, NEVER EVER advertise "free to a good home". Apart from the chances of the situation I've just described, think too of this:

1. People tend to THINK more about acquiring something if they have to pay for it.

1. People tend to look after something more if they have paid for it.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

1. A private advertiser rarely will or can homecheck as a rescue would, or insist upon meeting all the family, or draw up a contract or be willing and able to insist that the dog is returned to them if the new owner can't keep him. After all, if you can then you need not rehome him. Nor can you generally offer lifetime support for the dog.

A rescue CAN and a good one WILL do these things. That's why, unless you ARE a rescuer or heavily involved in AR, I would seriously dissuade anyone from trying it and beg that they turn instead to rescue, even if that means keeping the pet in the home whilst a new one is being sought and allowing rescue to do the homechecks and offer the lifetime back-up.

Thankyou for that information Valhalla. It should never come to it though :)

I always said the only reason I'd ever consider re-homing our cats after DS was born was if I felt they weren't getting on to the degree that one of other was in danger of being hurt (or if DS was allergic).

I hate the rehoming 'just in case' thing. My colleague's friends had their dog put down before their baby was born. She isn't their friend anymore.

This is how children/adults should behave around unknown dogs as demonstrated by a child outside school with my dog today;

child: Excuse me Mrs. Does your dog bite?
me: No, but he does try and jump up on people if he gets excited so you best not stroke him
child: That's okay, I don't mind dogs jumping on me and my shirt is dirty anyway (he was right it was filthy. I thought it was just my children who slid along fields on the tum in bright white shirts )
me: Okay then, you can stroke him but don't encourage him to jump because I am trying to train him not to do that. If he starts jumping on you ignore him until he is calm
child: I will. I should wait until these babies walk past so he doesn't get too excited near the babies shouldn't I?

YA a bit U. My grandmother (now dead) got a dog and had to rehome it fairly quickly. The dog was advertised by the rescue as an elderly dog who was completely house-trained and good with cats and children, who was used to living in a house. It turned out to have been used solely for breeding, pregnant every 6 months and kept in a cage with a concrete floor where it crapped and wee'd. It wasn't so much good with children as never having been round them before.

My grandmother wasn't capable of looking a dog which needed as much training and discipline as this one did, although she had done her research. In that case, it was best all round that the dog went somewhere it could be properly looked after. I agree with those who've said that people who kill/mistreat/abandon their pets are infinitely worse.

Shiney, tbh I would think most people would say that was not totally unreasonable. I have a cat who does this and it is the bane of my life, I have replaced several mattresses, countless duvets, clothes, carpets... i have only stuck with it as I know my cat would be pts in rescue (he has severe allergies, problems with blocking up in his urethra and gets highly stressed around other cats and strangers) and I feel that, if I am signing his death warrent, i should have the guts to take him myself - and I haven't so i live with it In all other respects he is a fantastic cat but we have been through 9years of this now and it is seriously getting me down!

Valhalla, that post on the forum is so seriously sad. Rehoming is one thing but selling to buy a car..

Any suggestions on my cat would be gratefully accepted though!!

Oh so helpful, thank you

Shiny(&New) that was an amazingly well-trained child, I am very impressed :)

But shineonecrazy- my cat did that, we bought feliway and spoke to countless vets about it and got it sorted in 4 months, I do think that's pretty lazy tbh.

At what point would you draw the line though ISPW? Is 6 months enough "trying"? 6 years? What if it is never sorted out? Everyone has to draw their own line somewhere. You were clearly very lucky, others are not always that lucky. As it is Shiney did not say how long it went on for before she rehomed so you are being a bit presumptive.

Baba is due in 4 weeks and I have continually been asked when I'm getting rid of my snakes.

I've had them for 3 years, but apparently they're going to escape from their tank and eat the baby. Even though they're only small and physically couldn't...

Hi Shiney! I know, it has been ages! I kicked the MN habit...and replaced it with a farming habit Now I have kicked the farming habit and I have to have something to fill all my spare time!! How is life treating you?

caught red handed!! I think MN and FB are of similar addictive qualities actually - either that or I have zero will power!

FB? You mean facebook or is that some questionable thing i don't know about?
Have I got you on FB? Did you ever farm? I have a lot of MNers who farm...

Glasses?

I think I have found you...!