AIBU to be raging about how many people don't consider their pets a long-term commitment?

[KitKat1985]

Today's example: Someone I know on Facebook (someone I went to school with years ago, rather than a friend per se) posted yesterday evening excitedly that she got a puppy yesterday. No word of a lie this morning she is advertising it for sale because it 'doesn't get on with the cat'. Would you not think about how a puppy and cat would mix before you got a puppy? And if they didn't get along wouldn't you put a bit of effort in giving them time to get used to each other, rather than just 1 night? The poor thing will probably end up at an animal shelter or similar, or sold to some random who may or may not take good care of it.

I also had a work colleague who got through about 3 dogs in one year by taking on each one and then getting rid of each of them for various reasons (too noisy, needs too much walking etc) apparently having learnt nothing from each experience that dogs are actually a big commitment and can be hard work, and that maybe she shouldn't be taking one on unless she can make it's needs.

It leaves me so angry and sad. All the local animal shelters around here are full of abandoned pets that people have lost interest in. AIBU to think that if you take on a pet that it should (unless in exceptional circumstances) be a commitment to look after that animal for all it's life, and that should put some thought beforehand into how you would cope if your circumstances change etc?

I have a very old very sick pet, she's incontinent and on eye wateringly expensive drugs. But with the drugs she feels nothing of what is wrong with her and is extremely happy with life. She's just destroying my carpets.

The amount of people who have asked why I haven't just had her out down is astonishing. As long as she's got her quality of life she's staying with me. Carpets can be replaced. Her life can't be.

All the pets I've had over the years (and there were lots when I was a child) I've had until they've died or been put to sleep, after considerable efforts to heal them and keep them as long as humanely possible.

Currently I have a horse. There have been times when money's been tight and I've gone hungry, but never him. I have 2 feral cats from Cats Protection. I hope they'll be with me into a ripe old age. I say feral, at least one of them is now asleep on my bed.

A pet is first and foremost a living creature. If you take on the responsibility for it, you should be serious about that. I understand that circumstances change in ways it's difficult to predict and that sometimes rehoming may be better for an animal but on the whole, people don't plan ahead enough and they give up far too easily.

YANBU. People treating animals like toys, to be disposed of when they are no longer wanted. Some people even dump animals by the roadside when they get a new puppy/kitten. Disgusting.

Oh talismania I'm glad there's people like you. How dare people say things like that. It just shows the attitudes people have. They don't see animals as things to be loved and cherished. They're simply there for their amusement and to be thrown away when it gets tough.

My friend told me a story about her nan who shut her boxer in the garden for the rest of it's life when it started getting smelly in old age. I had rage. I wish I would have known her then I'd have taken the dog myself.

We as a family of four adults have 6 rabbits so we can all look after them. The oldest we brought from a breeder with his brother and sister. The breeder asked if we was going to use them for breeding. NO they are all going to be neutered. The next two were given to someone we know even though he didn't want them or knew anything about rabbits. They were not neutered and we believe they had had babies. They are neutered. The next one lived in a flat with a young girl who then was going to uni and she left him with her previous boyfriend who couldn't cope with him and his own rabbit

DD and I currantly have guinea-pigs (GP4,GP5,GP6) They and GP1,GP2,GP3 (deceased) all Rescues.(All sad cases but thankfully not cruelty cases)

I read Gumtree - I shouldn't.
What boils my piss is the "getting rid of" the guinea-pigs because "the kids don't bother" or "we are busy, no time" (How much time does it take, seriously? )
Or "getting rid because the kids want a kitten/got a puppy"

Oh, I'll wait to see the puppy on Gumtree then eh?

And the sheer number of 'hobby breeders'.
Random breeding then they have to rehome them before they start squabbling or mating.

I'll be honest, I am the type that could be sold by something cute without thinking of the consequences. I once took a kitten home from work - the boss's cat had kittens and he brought them into the office and said they would stay there until we (his employees) worked out who was taking them. Think there was three kittens in all.

To be fair I kept the cat, and looked after it well. However, I know that my family have a fairly hectic lifestyle so it means that we don't get pets. Every time I wobble I write a list of why it would be impractical - for the sole reason of not wanting to be one of those parents who realises that actually the commitment was too big for our family, then have to give the poor animal away. The kids would love a pet, but I know that our current lives wouldn't be able to accommodate a pet properly for a few years yet. If someone could provide me with a very low maintenance pet my children would be grateful, as then it could be something to consider.

YANBU it makes my blood boil :( so many animals bred by us, their future in our hands and we betray them.

Yy talis I had that over an old incontinent dog. I just got to the point I was replying with 'why don't you go fuck yourself'.
Also I hate people that allow their kids to be constantly mauling and generally disrespectful to their pets then be suprised when the poor thing eventually gets arsey about kids. Or don't bother doing anything but feeding their dog for 6 weeks after having a baby, then announce its jealous and they don't trust it.

I think boxers are adorable. A bloke a few doors down has one. My husbands aunt had a couple back in the 60s and 70s The first one ruled the roost and the second one was more soppy.

I live in rented accomodation Our cat chose us She originally belonged to a woman who lived down stairs.

She would hide behind our sofa and refuse to go back to her owner. The final time she was on the bed and when her original owner came to get her she scratched her

She moved in with us in early 2002 and we have loved this tabby with an obstinate streak ever since. Shes 14 now and a bit arthritic I love her SOOOOOOOOOO much.

Shes 14 now and a bit arthritic I love her SOOOOOOOOOO much

This warmed my heart

contd from above

so we took the two in but the boyfriend has now got a house and took his rabbit back. The last two was an advert on Gumtree for rehoming at 16 and 22 weeks, having come from Pets at Home they are giant lop and were not suitable for first time rabbit owners. We have had rabbits for 34 years, now anymore will be rescues only. If we only took rabbits from our area we would probably have 100 because so many people get them for the children but don't understand that it is the adults who need to look after them.

I love rabbits. I had an indoor one. She was like a dog. She would chase the dog actually.

Rabbits don't get to become amazing pets because the majority of people leave them in a hutch and don't interact. They seem boring. They're absolutely amazing when socialised and treated properly.

YANBU OP - but just to offer another viewpoint, I am one of those terrible people who gave my 2 cats back to an animal shelter when I was about 4 months pregnant with my second child. We had had them for 2 years before I had my first and things were OK, but I suffered lousy sickness throughout my second pregnancy (as I had through my first too) which really seemed to upset one of the cats who started urinating all over the house. We got to the point where cat was weeing and I was throwing up in a vicious circle. The house stank. Yes, I could have stripped the carpets (but I had a toddler), Yes I could have brought in a cat psychologist to tell me that the cat was upset, which I already knew.

It wasn't a difficult decision and the fact that I was very fond of those cats but never shed a tear when they left meant that I had come to the end of what I could manage.

All I'm saying is, don't jump to judgey conclusions too quickly. Animals aren't all in shelters because people had children and 'couldn't be bothered.'

I have four mogs. The eldest two belonged to a lady who had to move into sheltered housing and she wasn't permitted to take them with her. She was devastated as they'd been her husband's companions throughout terminal illness. None of the rescues she contacted could guarantee to home them together, understandably. They came to me as a last resort, on the day she moved. They've been here nearly six years now and are between 13-15 years old, full of character and as sprightly as they come. I'm going to be in bits when they eventually die.

DH and I had a Rescue cat (she was our present to ourselves when we bought our house) a feisty 2yo who was pg for the 4th time by the time her previous owners decided they "had dogs and didn't want the cat"

She was 17yo when we made the difficult decision to have her PTS.
She tolerated our DC.
She loved her garden.
She adored the NDN cat who was 19yo when he died.

And she could climb a 6' fence (not very elegantly or efficiently ) but she did it.

She still loves to let the other cats that wander into her territory know whos boss despite being arthritic I hate seeing her limp up the stairs She will NOT let me pick her up though.

She will let DH pick her up sometimes. Shes a big ol" flirt.

Someone has just posted a four month old staff on my local FB page. She's getting rid of him because she hasn't got time to walk him.

did she start a new job a week after she git him???

Let me guess sane circumstances it just never occurred to her dogs need walking

No, she has year old twins who won't leave him alone and he pulls their buggy if she tries to walk him so he is shut in the kitchen all the time.

Complete with sad and stressed looking puppy with 1yo in his bed with him trying to cuddle the poor thing.

usual thought less idiot then. never mind teaching children how to behave around a pet just get rid

The amount of staffs needing homes is just too high. Not enough homes for the poor things.

I read this thread while stroking and playing with our gorgeous rescue puss who we've had for three weeks. He's one year old and we are his fifth home. I have explained to him that we will be his last.

Ive got 5 cats and I'm 29 weeks pg. The amount of times I've been asked if I'm keeping the cats is incredible. Seriously, why wouldn't I??? Are they going to eat my baby?

sounded shame you did not take your cat to the vet first because Prozac works really well with relieving stress urination.