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 don't regret my cats at all.

As an adult, I've had four cats- one got taken/run over/lost (we never did find him, but there was a spate of thefts that year of cats like him); his companion lived with us until she was over 20 and then chose herself a new family (we kept bringing her home and she determinedly leaving again).

I now have two, both fourteen or so, and fully expect/hope they'll be as long lived as all my family's cats have been. I do get a bit fed up opening/closing doors for them, but figure that's on me for not getting around to getting a cat flap.

When ds2 leaves home I'm hoping to move to the country so I can have dogs too (and possibly alpacas. And chickens.

Cats here, and no. Not from the first one I rehomed when she was 19 and on heart tablets (elderly owner had passed away first) and I only had for 10 months until she curled up in a patch of sunlight and never woke - to the brainless ginger boy I rehomed 3 years ago because he was thrown down stairs by the owners boyfriend and I said I'd be round with my cat carrier that night

There have been expensive operations, ruined furniture, and heart-breaking moments over the years but not one single regret. Except that DH limits me to 3 at a time. I could rehome the DH I guess.

We had a fabulous but full-on fox terrier whom we loved to bits — he was clever, funny and just wanted to hunt and play. A real character. But he could also be nippy, he'd take against other dogs for no apparent reason and he'd chase everything in sight — cats, sheep, small children on bikes, joggers, horses, the lot.

He was the happiest, most joyful dog I've ever met and one of the most challenging. We went through several professional trainers, all of whom would have been fine with a spaniel or a labrador but were hopeless with a full-on terrier with a mind of its own.

Every day with him was a combination of fun and nervous stress. Because he was a real handful not many people were prepared to dogsit for us and he hated kennels, so we had to make a lot of compromises. They are a tremendous responsibility and I used to curse having to walk him twice a day whatever the weather, for hours at a time.

When he died at the age of 14 I thought I'd be overwhelmed with relief at not having to worry about him any more. Instead I was absolutely heartbroken. Still am, years later.

I sometimes regret my cat but not my dog. The cat is a PITA and not very friendly. I do love her I keep her safe and well and try to engage with her but she’s not got a very sunny disposition. Shes 8 now and always been the same, nothing changed when dog came along 😂. She is destructive and easily irritated (scratching)
She will have happy moments for a few minutes 😂

We have one small dog which we currently share with DS who has moved out to live with his GF.

DH varies between suggesting we get a second dog, 'wouldn't it be great with two dogs' to saying how much he loves the peace and quiet when ddog is with DS and he can keep him.

I just ignore him as we have the best of both worlds, and hopefully ddog sees it that way as well.

Had cats all my life, current one is awful compared to all the others. Once he goes I am not getting any more. I've done my bit for homeless or rescue cats or taking kittens when person supposed to take them decided they couldn't and friends desperate for someone to step in as they wanted them gone.

Looking forward to changing suite, carpets, internal doors and blinds in the future as he's ruined all of them.

Bless him ...

I love my dog with all my heart and would not change him for the world now that he's here, however if I knew just how much he was going to turn our lives upside down, I don't think I'd have got him in the first place.

He is the most clingy high maintenance little sausage dog in the the world though..

I have major regret over my house rabbits. I took one from a friend who was moving to another country and couldn’t take him. She was devastated but felt better knowing he was going to someone she knew. I really loved the idea of having him but it had to be a quick decision and I had to learn on the go about house rabbit care. I discovered that he really needed a companion, that the “muesli” rabbit food you get at the supermarket is terrible for them and the proper stuff is very expensive (as are their vet bills). They also need a huge area to roam and although they’re litter trained, they spread sawdust and hay throughout the house. Moulting season is awful.

I will never give them up because I’m not a dick but I will not be getting other pets when they pass away. It really limits us with holidays as I can’t find a rabbit “kennel” so we rely on friends coming to our house to feed and check on them daily. They have a wonderful life with us and are shown so much love and affection. It was just bad research in my part and wanting to help out my friend that meant I didn’t make a proper informed decision about taking them.

YABU

I don't tire of them but wish they didn't shed hair.

I don’t regret them because of the joy they bring. But I do know that I will never have another pet after my houseful of geriatrics go. My husband is already making noises about a new puppy, but he will have to also find a new wife for that to happen.

Never regretted cats, they are mostly very easy.
I do regret our dog in some ways.. he is huge, in your face, fast movement, dug up the grass, needs walking, hair everywhere, muddy pawprints in the winter, can't have flowers planted etc...
But he's a gorgeous soft as shite golden and I love him.

I'm finding it very hard to be patient with my two cats since my second baby was born. They're constantly trying to climb on me and nuzzle me while I'm feeding/getting baby to sleep and I find myself getting angry and resenting them. It's not their fault. I just hope that once kids are a bit bigger that I go back to loving them. I do have PND though which probably contributes to my feelings.

I don't - I think my dog has saved my mental health. I love him. We all do so it brings the family together. Sometimes we all sit looking at him and go "aahh, look at the dog!".

I love our dog but I do regret him. He is not yet 2 but in the last 6 - 8 months has become reactive to certain types of dogs and it is having a huge impact. Taking anywhere slightly busy where their might be large dogs is stressful and I am sad that he may always be like this. I am so jealous of all the people I see strolling about without a care in the world or sitting in cafes with their dog at their feet. Mine would be on high alert all the time and explode if a large breed appears.

@3ormoredogs I could have written what you did. Love all 3 DDogs but would definitely never have more than 2 again. I have a kitten and 3 Guinea Pigs as well 😂 just a glutton for punishment I guess.

We had a house rabbit and it was so shit. Very aggressive and you couldn’t hold it otherwise it would bite you really badly. I have permanent scars on my hands and arms from being bitten. Spent so much time consulting with the vet and reading up on rabbit behaviour to try and make it better but nothing we tried made any difference. It chewed through so many different cables and expensive bits of clothing, etc. It was also really messy and cleaning the hutch out every day was a massive ballache.

I regretted every single day that I had that rabbit and the damn thing ended up living for almost ten years. I’ll be honest, it was a relief when it died.

We have cats now and I adore them to the point of idolatry.

Looking after my rescue girl has been the hardest thing I've ever done. She's been such a trial. I sometimes look back and think wistfully about if we'd walked past her kennel at the centre... But I love her to absolute pieces and couldn't be without her now. Except for maybe a few hours for a peaceful cup of tea...

I'd take your cat to the vet OP, and ask for a full check over - fbc, kidney, thyroid and liver function tests cost about £100.

The vomiting after meals sounds a bit ominous and his kidneys might be failing.

I had a cat of nineteen who sounds a bit like yours and bit the bullet one day and took her to the vet. He was very understanding and said she'd had a good innings, but it was up to me, I had her put to sleep at Easter, it was so peaceful, she was so ancient she just curled up and went to sleep in the base of the cat basket on his table, and he was able to put the needle in.

A cat that's defecating inside, randomly, is hardly compatible with family life. Some elderly cats are pretty miserable; I actually wish I'd acted sooner.

I've personally never regretted having any of my cats (sadly none have lived long enough to have the same troubles yours does), but YANBU. I loved them dearly and would have cared for them in old age, but at some point it's more humane to end things for them...it's just hard to make that decision for a pet you love.

My dog - no way. He's lovely even when he's a stinker (figuratively & literally). He has been an awesome companion. We love each other. And I don't tire of telling him how handsome he is. He kisses me when I ask for a kiss. What more could you want.

I have moments but we have a LOT of animals! We live on a smallholding and have a menagerie of animals, some bought after much thought, some brought home on a peice of string because no one wanted them. This won't go down well with the Adopt Don't Shop brigade, but the rescues have been very hard work at times, especially the ponies. It is hard and sometimes dangerous work to undo the damage someone else has done and there are times I wish they were all as easy as the ponies we have had since foals. Never had a minutes trouble with them. Then there is the bulldog who was horrifically abused and snaps and snarls if she feels threatened and is utterly terrified of the outside world around our little compound. It doesn't help that she was bred by a backyard breeder who paid no attention to temprement and spoiled her before handing her over to the dick head who abused her. We had her seen by a behaviourist and in his words she is 70 per cent abused, 30 per cent a bit of a dick. Then there is the pgymy hedgehog who was dumped on us by DD's friend ("her spikes freak me out" ) who is a bit whiffy and has suicidal tendancies. But my cat, who wandered on here as a stray, is just perfect! There are days I would just like life to simpler. But I would fight anyone who tried to take them off me.

I love my dog, so don’t regret her. I do find the constant walks quite gruelling.

I have a 14 year old cat who often wees and poos out of the litter tray, I have lost count the amount of times I’ve accidentally stepped in her poo, which has blended in with our wooden floor 🤢 But I don’t regret her, I am here to see her through to the end, it was always my commitment when getting a pet, my commitment doesn’t stop when she gets old and incontinent 🙂

I expect people's answers will vary depending on how old their pets are. Ours is 19 and although I don't regret getting him, we won't be getting another. I've had enough clearing up piss, shit, sick and half dead baby birds. If you'd asked me when he was younger, I'd have been more positive about getting another.

I love my dog and would never get rid of him but sometimes I do think it would be nice to have a lie in without him pestering me. He’s also got a lot of health issues that are very expensive so if I knew he’d come with all that (rescue, but they developed after I got him) I probably wouldn’t have chosen him. I got a second dog quite quickly and I have to admit I do regret getting two, so the second now lives with my mum which I do feel guilty about but my mum adores him and I can still see him regularly.