to secretly get rid of our kitten and tell the DC that it ran away?

[SaggyBaggyPuss]

Have had kitten for around 6 weeks now. DC have wanted a pet for a long time and I gave in and got one for them. Cats are easier to deal with than dogs right?

Well today, I have had enough. I had have to scoop 3 lots of shit out of the litter box and there was a piece of shit on the floor that must have come off her paws and which means that the whole house, and sofa is now covered in cat shit germs puke!

It also runs up the curtains which are now all pulled. My leather --look- dining chairs have scratch marks where it keeps jumping up the back of them and it has pulled up the carpet on the stairs.

DS (6) is constantly chasing it round the house with an incessant cackle (over excited, not cruelly, the cat loves him) which does my head in and keeps taking it upstairs to lie on his bed.

Last week, it has a runny arse and I still have the wounds where I had to bath it, not before it spread kitty shit germs everywhere again.

As a side note, I also suffer from OCD. Not 'a bit' but actually diagnosed.

I love my DCs to bits but they also love the kitty a lot. I am not sure I can put them first this time!

WIBU to find a good home for it and tell them it ran off into the forest and I couldn't find it

tbh it was obvious the op was going to get flamed, a lot of animals lovers on here and people are annoying and get bored of pets which is not fair on the animal but we all know there are so many people who get pets without thinking, hopefully someone who is thinking of getting a pet will read this and know that pets are for 18 years (or can be more) its not all fun and games, they smell and make a mess but in my opinion the positives out way the negatives

You have been massively irresponsible. Take the poor kitty to a rescue centre and do not think about having another. Be honest with your children.

In the meantime do not allow your children to chase her, even if they are trying to interact with her. No shrieking either. Stop wiping her paws. And don't even think of bathing her.

How on earth did you cope with the mountains of stinking shit your children produced as babies and toddlers when you can't even cope with a kitten?

As others have said, she is behaving entirely normally. But if she stays in your household she will eventually become neurotic and very hard to re-home.

Is this level of hysteria reserved for cats and dogs, or would people be equally outraged if if was a chicken? The OP has made quite clear that the animal would be rehomed, not abandoned.

YABU and you should have done your research before agreeing to getting a pet for your children.

Rehome by all means but bear in mind that most if not all rescue centres are full to bursting and not every cat gets a new home. If you do manage to get your kitten into a rescue centre I hope you feel suitably guilty to give them a hefty donation.

Frankly I not surprised people are pissed off with your attitude

The problem isn't so much because of the rehoming/OCD, it's your attitude with the sarky responses and . It's hard to sympathise with someone when they've got an attitude on.

Rehome the kitten. Do it soon, whilst it's still little and more appealing, and don't ever think of having another pet. And tell your children the truth.

Don't blame your OCD for this, its unfair on the rest of us who suffer, some of us who have elderly deaf dogs, rats with abscesses that require flushing each day and shit filled cages that need cleaning out, rats who pee on us to show us how much they love us. Some of us rise above our condition for those we love.

Quite Dybil. I bet most if not all of the hysterical hypocrites ranting about my poor kitten are rabid cow/pig/fluffy lamb/chicken eaters too. I myself am a vegetarian.

"AIBU to rehome a pet I had not really thought about much before I got it and lie to my children?'
'YAMassivelyU'
'You meanies!!'

You asked - read back to your OP and forget about all the flaming in the meantime.
YABU.
Either accept the mess and cleaning up that comes with a pet, or rehome the cat.
Whatever you decide to do, don't lie to your children; it will come back to bite you.

I myself am a vegetarian.

Ah, well.
You win the thread.
Moral high ground regained of course.

OP just stop

Everytime you post you come off worse and worse

Just stop it.

Rehome the cat if you must

But stop with the "woe is me" comments.

You chose to get that cat. No one forced you.

So being a vegetarian with OCD makes it ok to dump out a kitten (you won't know if it has a good home or not and a shelter it may never get homed from) and lie to your kids and have a jolly good about it all?

Wow. Who'd have guessed.

Oh fuck off. Your attitude stinks. Have a bit of humility, realise you cocked up and people on here might not be so harsh.

OP, I'm assuming you meant this to sound somewhat lighthearted, and it just came across slightly wrong?

FWIW, I disagree with those who say you should persevere with a pet no matter what. While it really is galling and heartbreaking to see so many pets rehomed when it could have been avoided, you need to find what's best for all involved (including the kitten), and I don't believe that's keeping a pet you resent or struggle with purely out if a sense if obligation or guilt.

You need to be realistic about whether you can get through this. Yes, this stage will be short-lived, but as the cat gets older there will be new issues. RubbsishMantra made a fantastic post, but I'll echo somewhat and say that through your cat's lifetime, you are likely to have dead animals, hairballs, vomit, diarrhoea and wrecked furniture in spades! She may become ill, stressed or suffer dementia, and stop using her litter tray. She will probably get fleas or worms at least once. One of ours has a habit of not evacuating properly then wiping his arse on the rug leaving huge s kiddies, another has torn our wallpaper.

I'm not trying to put you off, but it's no use finding these things a shock/stressful when you get to them as you were unprepared.

If you feel you can get through the above, there will be lots of people who can offer good advice and support along the way. The people in the litter tray here are a fantastic bunch!

If you can't, or you're unsure, then its better to rehome her while she is still young. Just make sure you fnd a reportable shelter, or ask your local Vet for help. (If you live on the East Mids I can see what I can do to help). And please tell your DCs the truth - if they think she's run off they will be worried sick, and want to look for her, put up posters etc. And when they come to terms with her not coming back, they'll ask for a new one.

One last thing re a new pet. (I know you haven't mentioned it but others have). Even caged animals come with messes and stresses of their own, so still may not be the greatest idea. And even when grown up or teenage your DC are still likely to leave you with the lions share of the work. So make sure you're fully prepared for anything you take on.

Best of luck to you and kitten both!

Not vegan, no?

Disgraceful...

OP i kind of get your thinking, pets can be a PIA but you need to decide if you can put up with it for you children or not. The poo is always going to be an issue, whether in a tray or in a part of your garden so you can't really get away from that. Maybe a rabbit would be better?
I don't think a cat is a good choice for you, unless you get a rescue cat who would be house trained already. Our beautiful rescue is so easy going and clean and lovely, but still scratches the sofa - so you will never be 100%.
You could tell your children that the kitten was unhappy and when back to its mum?

Vegetarianism and pet ownership and responsibility is not the same thing op you are digging a hole, rehome the cat dont tell your children its really up to you but dont dither its not fair on the poor cat or your children btw if you say it ran away your kids will blame you anyway so you would as well tell them the truth

"SaggyBaggyPuss
Quite Dybil. I bet most if not all of the hysterical hypocrites ranting about my poor kitten are rabid cow/pig/fluffy lamb/chicken eaters too. I myself am a vegetarian."

You are wrong in that as well, OP. I am vegetarian but I know the people on this thread who are not vegetarian, are just as sickened by your attitude as I am.

You are in the wrong. And if this is a wind-up, I am glad the thread exists because other people might read and learn from it. Animals are not toys and are not disposable.

Why don't people research what it's like to own an animal before actually getting it? All of them 'shit' out of their 'arse', as did your dear children.
I'm not a fan of litter trays, they do always make the house smell, but a cat that poops outside is okay. How about training it to do that?
If that's too much effort, find it a decent new home and explain to your children just that.

By the way, some cats puke a lot too. I have cleaned up four piles of sick just this evening. One of them was on the new carpet, as was one I cleared up the other day. She must have eaten something she shouldn't have done outside.

That would be a LOT of germs.

Saggy - I assume you missed my questions.

I myself am a vegetarian

MASSIVE

Just stop. You're sounding more and more pompous and ridiculous with every post.

Actually OP I'm vegan so you can shove that up your arse.

I myself am a vegetarian

Does being a vegetarian with OCD mean your posts are any less obnoxious?

The op isn't answering any questions. About the cat possibly being ill, about how old it is, about where she got it from. The only replies are to posters saying it's no big deal and people are being hysterical.

What a shame kind of most of the reasons I got a dog and not a cat - yes walking him and not leaving him too long is a big commitment but he poos outside and doesn't trash the curtains. Cats are an acquired taste.
Op I hope you find some resolution to your situation. If it were me containing the cat so it's not in every room of the house would help x