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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

723 replies

SaggyBaggyPuss · 25/09/2016 14:37

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 Envy 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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
27
Mycatsabastard · 25/09/2016 16:38

We have four cats, all rescues.

The latest one is a 5 year old female who has been under DDs bed for just over a month now. She's extremely timid and has also had an upset tummy. We put her onto cooked chicken and a dried food diet for a few days and then changed her wet food and she's fine now. Her litter tray is upstairs and I bring it down daily and clean it out with the one we have downstairs.

Only boy cat does his toileting outside. All three girls prefer to use the tray.

We have several scratching posts. They still scratch the carpets, sofa, beds, curtains. It's just what cats do. At the moment one is under DDs bed, one is on our bed, one is on the windowsill in the living room and one is on the sofa in the conservatory, all fast asleep.

to secretly get rid of our kitten and tell the DC that it ran away?
to secretly get rid of our kitten and tell the DC that it ran away?
to secretly get rid of our kitten and tell the DC that it ran away?
twilightcafe · 25/09/2016 16:45

Wait until it starts hunting and brings little "gifts".

Cut your losses and take the kitten to a rescue.

benbry · 25/09/2016 16:48

There was a similar thread on here recently, only it was about children not cats. So much support and agreement, no "well you should have thought of that"s.

It's in Classics now.

For what it's worth I think the OP is being slightly tongue in cheek. The mums on the child regret thread weren't, well I wasn't anyway.

MoonfaceAndSilky · 25/09/2016 16:49

one is under DDs bed, one is on our bed, one is on the windowsill in the living room and one is on the sofa in the conservatory, all fast asleep.

The epitome of a happy cat Smile

Mycatsabastard · 25/09/2016 16:52

moon They are all very happy and content. They are all very well loved and cared for. The op assumes that her cat will use the outside for toileting but that's not always the case, only one of mine does.

I can't imagine sitting next to the litter tray with a packet of wet wipes to clean paws though. That's fucking batshit!!

UntilTheCowsComeHome · 25/09/2016 16:53

This is like my colleague who just had to get the adorable cat she saw advertised in a local paper.

She always confessed to being more of a dog lover but wouldn't get a dog because of the mess. Of course the cat turned out to be messy too and after it piddled on the carpet once she refused to let it in the house again.

The poor thing just gets a bed in the shed now.

MuseumOfCurry · 25/09/2016 16:57

Jesus, I can't believe the grief the OP is getting for second-guessing a kitten.

Cut your losses, someone will take him.

whenthetimecomes · 25/09/2016 17:01

Take the kitten to a rescue centre if you must, Saggy but please, please tell your kids the truth. Even if it means facing up to their upset and anger with you; you'll just have to try to explain your reasons to them as honestly as you can. They will respect you for your honesty ....eventually.

When I was a child, I was told that my cat had 'run away'. I only found out by chance over 30 years later that my Dad had taken against it (for some reason) and had taken it far away and simply abandoned it Shock Yes, hard to believe. The shock and distress and anger Angry was no less - (in fact more) - all that time later. Parent had passed away by then, so no redress possible by then .....

toptoe · 25/09/2016 17:13

No. If you are going to have to rehome because it is triggering all sorts of stress for you, then be honest and explain why. I don't think they'll be happy with that because it sounds like they have bonded and love the cat. Thinking it's run away will be hard for them, but as they get a bit older they'll realise you probably got it rehomed and they'll resent it.

I understand your stress as baby animals are hard work - they don't wear nappies like human babies. The poo problems are recurrent during adulthood too - if they eat something odd or get a tummy upset you get poo problems. Cats may also bring in dead/half dead animals too if you have a cat flap. Then there's the hair, the scratching, the smells.

But on the plus side, you get a loving pet who will give you a warm lap in the coming cold months. The ups and downs of its life will give you plenty to laugh about. You and the dc will get plenty of love and laughter from it. And you'll be giving it a safe, loving home when so many animals have none of that.

Can you somehow come to terms with the mess that will get a bit better but not massively so? Are you treating your ocd? It was brave of you to go all out and get a cat!

Gabilan · 25/09/2016 17:14

Waitrose are you saying that because of that one incident (your parent saying that your cat had run away when it hadn't) you are nc? No other reason(s)? Because of that one thing you are not talking to your parent ever again

I took it to mean that the kind of person who lies to their children about a pet running away, is capable of doing many other things that will also upset the children. It's dishonest and the reasons seem to be less to do with making it easier for the DC and more to do with shifting the blame away from the OP and towards the cat.

Anyway, I was going to say that cats are relatively easy but then I've just spent some time moving things around in the bedroom so that one cat can lie in the sun on my bed. Then I heard the other one miaowing outside and went down to let her in. She can get in the house but she'd have to go round the back and didn't want to. She's now asleep on my lap. They're not easy but they've trained me well.

randomer · 25/09/2016 17:17

There was a similar thread on here recently, only it was about children not cats......

like my daughter pestered me for a baby and I got her one but it poops everywhere?

CiaoVerona · 25/09/2016 17:20

Actually, the fact you use a brand cat food is moot from what you have written it sounds like the food is not agreeing with your kitten.
Id try aplapaws/hills and also start it on hard food its good for their teeth.
Its sounds like your cat may have some underlining problem has it being at the vets since it was born?
I agree with a poster up thread cats need no help to clean paws after they use a litter box there is always some tracking after use. Clumping litter will eradicate both tracking and smells though you'll have to wait till its a little older.

PoppyBirdOnAWire · 25/09/2016 17:22

OP:
I sincerely hope this is a wind-up - although quite why someone would do this sort of thing, I have no idea. What an absolutely horrible attitude you have got this kitten. I am frankly enraged.
If the kitten has diarrhoea, that is not its fault but YOURS. Clearly, it has some sort of gut problem. Perhaps you should have consulted a vet or was that too much trouble?

People who are insensitive around animals make me fume.

Original poster
SaggyBaggyPuss · 25/09/2016 17:25

Well TBF mycat I did not start doing that until AFTER I saw the first shitty footprint. I knew it was a possibility before we got her but decided not to think about it. I don't use wipes due to the chemicals (aware it may be harmful to her) so use kitchen towel and warm water.

I suppose it is compounded by DS telling me had a 'tickly' bottom last night and that it only feels tickly at night. Obviously we are all dosed up on Ovex now! The kitten's worming is up to date but kinda started thinking that it may be connected as he can get close to her bum although far more likely to be from returning back to school as he tells me school don't make them wash their hands before lunch.

In fact my OCD is more around the DC picking up germs from kitten than me. Don't know why, they're disgusting creatures themselves at the best of times Grin.

OP posts:
PoppyBirdOnAWire · 25/09/2016 17:26

So what exactly do you mean by "get rid"?
I have not read the entire thread. Page 1 was enough.

BedknobsandBullhooks · 25/09/2016 17:27

Don't lie to your children.

They'll be upset and will probably spend hours/days/weeks looking for it in ways they know how, making posters etc
Rehome responsibility, if you must.
And do not get your children a hamster -thy bite if not handled correctly and gently unuil they become tame and will likely end up neglected.
I agree you absolutely should not have got a kitten in the first place. All animal deserve to be loved and appreciated. It is just behaving like any kitten.
It will get better if you decide to keep, it's a baby.

Original poster
SaggyBaggyPuss · 25/09/2016 17:28

Never said kitten had diarrhoea. Said it shits a lot. They are solid! Three separate occasions between breakfast and lunch today. She's taking the piss IMO.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 25/09/2016 17:29

She's a baby

Babies poo

Ausernotanumber · 25/09/2016 17:30

I can't believe you are grinning laughing about this.

straighttalker · 25/09/2016 17:31

Tell your kids the truth, definitely.

Something like this would be the truth -

Fluffy's off to the pound. She'll either find another family, or be euthanised. Euthanised, you ask? That means killed. Stop crying, I have a good explanation. Well, you see, mummy thought that adding a furry living creature to the household would make you happy, keep you occupied and not really impact too much on her life. Only, it turns out that it does, and a lifetime dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder in no way equipped me to forsee this. So basically, it's out with the cat who let's face it, IF she finds another family, is probably better off - hopefully one where the kids are taught not to pursue juvenile animals, cackling hysterically.

Also, don't worry kids: yes, I'm very casually disposing of a living creature that bothers me and sure this might sound very slightly mildly sociopathic ("getting rid" is poor terminology for rehoming btw) but this shouldn't really concern you. A lot of people feel animals are disposable lifestyle assets so I'm a slight sociopath with plenty of company. Plus A) we're the same species so you're A-ok! and B) feline-shit germs is entirely totally completely different from the cesspool of kiddy-germs swimming around the house.

Who wants McDonalds after we drop off at the pound?!!!!

liz70 · 25/09/2016 17:34

"Never said kitten had diarrhoea. Said it shits a lot. They are solid! Three separate occasions between breakfast and lunch today. She's taking the piss IMO."

No, you are, OP. Hmm Bored of this now.

PoppyBirdOnAWire · 25/09/2016 17:38

Do not distress your children by telling them that lie, btw. The poor children will be sick with worry. What a horrible idea.

toffee1000 · 25/09/2016 17:40

A kitten shits three times?? Good grief!! The hell were you expecting? What on earth were you like when your DC were little??

PoppyBirdOnAWire · 25/09/2016 17:40

This reply has been deleted

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bumsexatthebingo · 25/09/2016 17:41

Clearly the kitten has a problem with the looseness of it's bowel movements if it is regularly getting poo stuck to it's paws and leaving footprints everywhere. That isn't normal. It would only be that loose if it had a stomach upset or was reacting badly to its food. Please take your kitten to the vets to have them looked at. Sounds like it's nails might need cutting too. They need doing pretty regularly when they are inside as they don't wear them down so much.