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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask my 15 year old to clean up cat sick

32 replies

Iwantatrio · 29/06/2021 15:59

15 year old DS has text me to say the cat has been sick on the kitchen floor. I asked him to please clean it up using antibacterial wipes. He’s replied no way, I’ve put a tea towel over it. He has a history of behaviour issues at home and at school. I’m on my own with him and these things are the things I can’t tell if I am losing perspective about and I don’t have anyone objective to ask.

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwantatrio · 29/06/2021 15:59

I’m at work feeling frustrated that everything with him is a battle and that I have to go hole to cat sick 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwantatrio · 29/06/2021 16:00

home

OP posts:
Divebar2021 · 29/06/2021 16:02

Oh god how frustrating. Can you send a message saying “ don’t be a dick, you’re 15 not 5. Get it cleaned up” or words to that effect. ?

Anordinarymum · 29/06/2021 16:02

My teenager children would not do this either.
They wouldn't clean up dog poo in the garden or any form of animal mess in the house. It was beneath them
Their argument being the animals were mine and not theirs.
My daughter does it now though.. now she is a "grown up"

LittleBlackCat22 · 29/06/2021 16:16

Is it his cat? I wouldn’t clean up after someone else’s animal.

spagbog5 · 29/06/2021 16:23

Dd 15 has had this happen recently when home alone with dcat.
She cleaned it up and told us when we got home.
She didn't like doing it but knew it needed clearing up so in her words "put my big girl pants on and did it "
She used masses of kitchen roll in the process so she didn't feel what she was picking up Smile

Shimmyshimmycocobop · 29/06/2021 16:28

We had a dog with bowel problems which got worse over the years. Both dc got quite proficient at cleaning it up from their early teens as the alternative was to leave it (the smell could be pretty terrible) and face my wrath at having to come home from work to do it.
At 15 he should be able to clean up some cat sick, I would be unimpressed at it still being there when I got in

Original poster
Iwantatrio · 29/06/2021 16:29

It’s a family pet, so not his specifically. I am aware that his behaviour is such a source of stress I react strongly to lots of things. I’m going to hope he has got on and done it by the time I get home!

OP posts:
FunTimes2020 · 29/06/2021 16:33

@LittleBlackCat22

Is it his cat? I wouldn’t clean up after someone else’s animal.
Come on, don't be daft.
bellabasset · 29/06/2021 16:33

I think your ds needs to do it and possibly as we will need to be more aware of our habits around hygiene due to Covid-19 he needs to understand the essentials? By that age I was expected to clean up mess, knew how to clean the toilet, wash floors, bath, sinks, use separate cloths for wiping work surfaces. None of us like doing it tell him.

40somethingJBJ · 29/06/2021 16:38

My 15yo cleans up after the dog when he walks her, and cleaned up the house recently when I was out and she had diarrhoea. I was pleasantly surprised he cleaned it up if I’m honest, but he just got in with it as he didn’t want her walking it through the rest of the house.

RickJames · 29/06/2021 16:41

My 10 year old will only clean up a DDog accident if I give him a euro otherwise he'll ignore it. Offer your DS a pound?

Tal45 · 29/06/2021 16:46

Unless it's his cat I couldn't really blame him for not wanting to and I definitely wouldn't get into a battle with it.

Toilenstripes · 29/06/2021 16:47

Tell him to put on his big girl pants.

Ijustreallywantacat · 29/06/2021 16:48

My 10 year old will only clean up a DDog accident if I give him a euro otherwise he'll ignore it. Offer your DS a pound?

Sorry but I really disagree with doing this if you can help it. Housework and clean ups need to he fine because he lives there and all people that live in a house take responsibility for the up keep.

I would be on his case until the sick was dealt with. No dinner until it is fine because you can't bear the smell and eat. Its minging and disrespectful to lob a tea towel (an additional item for you to clean!) over it and wait.

Ijustreallywantacat · 29/06/2021 16:49

Need to be done, not fine.

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/06/2021 16:49

No, I don't blame him really.

I don't know about the rest of his behaviour, but that wouldn't come under the heading of behavioural issues in my book.

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/06/2021 16:50

@RickJames

My 10 year old will only clean up a DDog accident if I give him a euro otherwise he'll ignore it. Offer your DS a pound?
Why would you expect your 10 year old to clean up dog shit? Even for a €1?
northernlightsea · 29/06/2021 16:51

I would certainly expect my 13y old to clean up if the dogs were sick- though he’d probably phone for advice/a whinge while he did it!) it’s a bit easier with poo bags around. I probably wouldn’t expect him to get the carpet cleaner out and shampoo the carpet but at least get the worst mopped up. On a vinyl floor absolutely expect it cleaned (and I’d be pissed off it he’d chucked a tea towel on top of it to get disgusting!)

Tangledtresses · 29/06/2021 16:52

Ha mine wouldn't either... I always imagine them being older and phoning me to clear something up I will laugh and laugh and laugh 😂

spurs4ever · 29/06/2021 16:53

My 16yr old has cleaned up cat poo today. Unprompted which surprised me. Unfortunately he did send me a photo of it Envy

huuskymam · 29/06/2021 16:53

He's being a little shit. It's a family cat and he should play his part. My 11 year old son has no problem picking up dog poo and hosing down the garden. I would go mental if it was left sitting there till I got home.

Original poster
Iwantatrio · 29/06/2021 16:59

@GreyhoundG1rl

No, I don't blame him really. I don't know about the rest of his behaviour, but that wouldn't come under the heading of behavioural issues in my book.
He’s been in trouble with the police, very narrowly avoided permanent exclusion, school closures and lockdown did put the brakes on this a bit, but it was pretty bad! But I think this is why I struggle - I’m so used to everything being an issue, I can’t always recognise stuff that’s within the normal scope of teen behaviour.
OP posts:
TwoLeftElbows · 29/06/2021 17:00

Mine are a little younger. I would expect them to do it too, but if they hadn't done it before I might talk them through it. Sometimes pushback comes from not knowing how to do it.

Glittertwins · 29/06/2021 17:06

Hard flooring, yes we expect the DCs to help out and do it. Carpets is a different matter - we'll get the initial lot up and they'll scrub in the Vanish before we get the wet carpet cleaner on it. Everyone helps out