Do you regret your pets?

[LittleLottieChaos]

I know there are regular threads on people regretting their children… but I’m interested to know, are people similarly regretful of their pets? I currently am looking after my old childhood cat - he’s an old gent now, poos/wees inside and randomly vomits after eating. He also has to be securely locked downstairs at night or he’ll come up and wake us all for food/drool on our heads.

After spending years thinking ‘yay I want a dog and a cat, in fact a whole menagerie’ now I’m thinking ‘no, I’ll just have my kids…’

YABU - I never tire of my animals

YANBU - I sort of regret them at times

I ❤️ my pets SO much.

Ultimately no

Since having a baby, having a dog and two cats has proven more challenging but no.

This is going to sound dead cheesy, but they bring a light into my life.

The dog is the hardest work, she is a two year old lab we've had since a puppy and it's the walking and trying to keep her entertained and happy that's hard. But she's helped me so much, my physical and my mental health, just by being herself.

It's hard also that I don't like to leave her at home alone too so this restricts what we do

@Hellocatshome

I slightly regret my pet ducks in that they have taken over our entire backyard and we can only go in ot with their permission. We fenced them a specific duck area they didn't give a shit the whole yard is now theirs.

This reminds me of a friend’s lovingly hand-reared cockerel that she hatched from an egg then persuaded us to rehome with our rescue hens. The entire chicken enclosure became a no-go zone. No more sending the children off with a little basket to feed the girls and collect eggs - now we needed PPE and an improvised full-body shield. I was ready to eat the little bastard but we did eventually manage to pass him on to another friend who needed a cockerel to protect his hens from foxes after his old one died. Last I heard he was still going strong and no fox had been stupid enough to take its chances against him.

no regrets, but sometimes i know it would be easier without any pets, but my heart would be empty!

It is worth the (sometimes) hassle and drain

@AmIPeriOrAreYouJustAnnoying

I ❤️ my pets SO much.

I hope one of your pets causes £££££ of damage tomorrow.

Then post again 🙄

We ALL love our pets "so much". We don't like them all the time though.

It’s a good question OP.

We have guineas and for me the pros of having them vastly outweigh the cons.

Yes, there are days when the thought of cleaning them out / trying to catch them to put them into the outdoor run / trying to catch them to bring them back inside again makes me weary. Yes, the logistics of having them (ie arranging holiday care etc) are an additional domestic task. Yes, when one is poorly and needs medicine, or multiple vet visits, or emergency syringe feeding every few hours, it’s stressful.

But overall they are lovely and cute and charismatic and having them in the house brings us joy.

I wouldn’t have a dog or cat, much as I really like dogs and cats, because I know myself and my limitations pretty well and I know that very quickly the cons would outweigh the pros. I would find it so stressful and exhausting and the mess and smells and impact on the house tidiness/cleanliness would drive me nuts. Tbh the worry would strip away the pleasure in its entirety. Hence why I’ll never have a cat or dog.

So I can completely understand why people might regret their pets even if I don’t regret mine.

[quote YelloYelloYello]@Tatum1234 that’s interesting! We sometimes wonder if we should get another to give our one a friend. But it having two does look like hard work.

Is there any specific reason why you wish you’d stayed at one?[/quote]
@YelloYelloYello I love them both and love watching them play together at home, I’m sure they’re great company for each other. But walks are hard work, one is slightly reactive with other dogs so it can be stressful and they copy each other’s bad habits lol. I find it much easier to walk them separately but generally don’t have time for that. Two is obviously more expensive and it’s more difficult to take two to places than one. Harder to find dog sitters too!
I’d never rehome one but I’ll never have two together again.

No not really but you can never underestimate the massive commitment it is when you get a dog. It's huge and you never really know what you are gonna get. My dog is 15 next week and has had various health issues all his life including a very high maintenance skin condition which there has been no cure for. It's taken an immense amount of my time over the years to keep up with the grooming, bathing, antibiotics, steroids, special shampoos etc etc just to keep him comfortable and able to live his best life. We'd never have been able to rehome him anyway even if we'd have wanted to (which we didn't and never crossed our minds).

I love him to bits and I'm gutted that he's on the decline. I know his time is nearly up . I will definitely be getting another when the time comes.

Ddog is a bit of a twat as dogs go, but I don't regret him.

I've had moments where I've loved him but not liked him (when he caused a trip to A&E, for instance, or when he's vomiting on my bed at 6am) but if I had my time over again I'd still make the decision to adopt him

YABVU, I looked after my cat for 20 years with a whole range of medical problems that cost me a fortune, the last few years she spent over digging in the litter tray and walking poo all over the house, vomiting and being on special diets and medication.
I loved her every single day and would have done anything for her. She supported me through all of life's crises, my divorce and my move across country with not a single complaint just love and support every single day.
She died in February with chronic kidney disease, I had to take her to be PTS and there hasn't been one single day I haven't cried since then because I miss her so much.
It was a privilege looking after her in her old age after all of the love she gave me.

I was randomly gifted a very beautiful but rather screwed up saluki lurcher by a friend who was having a coke -fuelled manic episode. I love him to bits but the last 9 years would have been so much less stressful without him. I wouldn’t have chosen such a tricky breed but I knew my friend would have given him to the first person to smile at him or stroke him if I’d turned him down and it’s unlikely he would have ended up in a good home if I hadn’t agreed to have him. My other dog is a collie cross and is so loyal and perfect. I will never get a saluki again- lovely dogs in the right environment but I live in sheep country …

Wow - so many responses!

Like many others I have a really old cat - a 21yr old black and white boy - who we've had since kittenhood. He's fine in himself, just a bit confused and a bit stiff in the back legs - and occasionally loving - but really does almost nothing but sleep in his basket these days. Oh and shit and vomit on the floor most days, wake the whole house up by yowling in the small hours, cost a small fortune in medication and stop us going on holiday.

We haven't been able to leave him for more than a long weekend for almost five years now and I would so love a proper holiday again.

So although we all love him dearly and will do the very best we can for him for as long as he's here, I really hope it doesn't go on for too much longer.

I don't think I like anything every single second of every single day. But I have always loved my pets/fosters and I have no regrets even when they're driving me mad. I wouldn't be without them.

My cats are annoying, furry, little monsters who make every day better. I have no regrets.

Horse1 I have no regrets. She’s perfect and I love her to bits. Horse2 I don’t regret, exactly, but if I knew how things would turn out I likely wouldn’t have purchased him. He’s too nice for me and his talent is being wasted. Not that he knows or cares, but I feel guilty sometimes. However, I could sell him but haven’t so I guess I can’t regret it too much!

I do not regret them, no. I have a greyhound, and I am aware that one day she will shatter my heart into a million pieces. When I rescued her, I was with a partner. Now it is just me. I don't think I am prepared for it.

I don’t regret my elderly dog. I love him to boys and have had him since my eldest was a baby.

The guinea pigs are much harder work with little return. Daily cleaning, trying to keep them cool in the summer, warm in the winter, ensuring lots of greens and one need washing often, and no one takes any notice of them! Dogs are easier!! And mine in very loving.

@Tatum1234

I shall heed your advice....I love my one dog but kids occasionally ask for a second.....I sometimes entertain it but would probably regret it.

We took on a poorly bearded dragon from friends who's friend had lost interest(we didn't know he was poorly on taking him) My ds looks after him fantastically but its a lot of work and cost. We wouldn't get rid of him as we love him but I wish I had thought it through more.

Nope I love having a dog and feel like the time is nearly right to get a second one. My dog was hard work she's an ex street dog and hard to train, has a very stubborn streak and is an independent thinking sort of bod. She makes me happy every single day, she's so cuddly and affectionate without being too clingy. She's fitted into our family perfectly. Even when she was messing in the house on the daily, I still didn't regret it.

@Besidethesea82

We took on a poorly bearded dragon from friends who's friend had lost interest(we didn't know he was poorly on taking him) My ds looks after him fantastically but its a lot of work and cost. We wouldn't get rid of him as we love him but I wish I had thought it through more.

I'd be interested to know if more exotic pets tend to be more difficult. I do wonder how many end up difficult to tame and not that rewarding.

I think the thing about exotic pets is they are hard to do well and easy to do badly. A degree of specialist knowledge is needed (although maybe this is true if all pets, look at how many crappily cared for rabbits are around the place). As for rewarding, I think they can be if you fundamentally like the animal in question. I find my tortoises highly rewarding but if you want a let that goes on long walks with you then snuggles up on the sofa w you at night they will disappoint.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

YABVU, I looked after my cat for 20 years with a whole range of medical problems that cost me a fortune, the last few years she spent over digging in the litter tray and walking poo all over the house, vomiting and being on special diets and medication. I loved her every single day and would have done anything for her. She supported me through all of life's crises, my divorce and my move across country with not a single complaint just love and support every single day. She died in February with chronic kidney disease, I had to take her to be PTS and there hasn't been one single day I haven't cried since then because I miss her so much. It was a privilege looking after her in her old age after all of the love she gave me.

This. I think it's why I posted the reply I did, because I was in a similar situation earlier this year, except it was cancer that took my poor girl. But we had the poo on the carpets, special diets, medication etc. And she also had been there for me during difficult times.

Even when scrubbing the carpet clean multiple times a day I never regretted her. I still miss her so much.

Sorry for your loss of your lovely girl

Exotic pets cost a fortune especially if they need vet treatment because not every vet can treat exotics

Bearded dragons are one that are said to be easy. Easy yes. Cheap no,

They cost a fortune in bugs and fresh salad food aswell as the set up. You need to make sure the heat and humidity is spot on and that they have UV too.

All the bugs need to be gut loaded and calci dusted and there is a lot of debate over substrate. Experts say not to use calci sand or any loose substrate at all because the beardie can accidentally swallow it when catching the bugs which cases impaction.

I never regret her, sometimes I think "imagine how easy it would be if we didn't have her" like when we're going on holiday and I have to drive 3hrs to the only dog boarder we trust. Or when we had to plan bringing our baby home and actually the labour itself around her needs. But I love her and wouldn't not have her.

I regret I've not got 10.