Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do any of you have a pet that you actually just can't fucking stand?

500 replies

mycatisannoying · 07/02/2022 00:04

My cat. Approx 11 years old and counting! Wink I've had him for a decade. A part of me does love him, but he's a knob and lessens my quality of life rather than add anything to it. He's so whiney and food obsessed and I am seldom able to sleep the whole night through because of him.
When he departs I shall be sad, but I won't miss him, and there will be relief in a way.
He has a wonderful life here with us, and I won't give him away, because he's old and is our responsibility.
Have you ever had a love/hate relationship with a family pet?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
30
nodogz · 07/02/2022 09:45

My cat. Very sweet girl who followed me home decades ago. Went off me when I got pregnant but loves my son so much. Barely goes in the garden, never joins us in the living room and snoozes in various hidden corners of the house. Hardly see her.

And she hates my husband (she predates him) with a passion. Not in a scratch your face way but in a occasional poo in your shoe kind of way. He's always been lovely to her.

She is also very cruel to our dog who tries to be friends with her. And she cries for food constantly (cultivated a very loud annoying meow) but will eat until she throws up (never on a wipeable surface).

I expect she will live forever (already 15 and very spritely) on the hate and resentment she feels for my husband.

She is like some mad old aunt we have to tolerate!

Susu49 · 07/02/2022 09:48

@KittenSpawnOfSatan you haven't said why you and your dh dislike him so? He looks beautiful!

I had a rescue who was a 'character'. No one wanted him and had been returned several times. Could understand why.
He had a volatile temperament! Another one if these cats who would suddenly turn when shown respectful affection.
Greediest animal I've ever met, prone to weeing in thr house though you'd have to work out where! Stair tripper, ankle biter, carpet destroyer...
But....he'd been abused somewhere before and underneath his arsey behaviour there was, very deep down, a cuddle cat who would occasionally snuggle at your side.

Took a long time to develop loving feelings for him, I'll be honest!

AFS1 · 07/02/2022 09:48

[quote Mellowyellow222]@AFS1 you are absolutely right. Sorry!

I knew jerk responded to..

‘
Only solved the problem by giving him to a cat sanctuary in the end. Did it with an extremely heavy heart because he genuinely was a lovely natured cat, just had this horrendous pissing habit.’[/quote]
I hadn’t seen that post, @Mellowyellow222. Apologies. I understand your sadness.

StellaGibs · 07/02/2022 09:51

@nodogz

My cat. Very sweet girl who followed me home decades ago. Went off me when I got pregnant but loves my son so much. Barely goes in the garden, never joins us in the living room and snoozes in various hidden corners of the house. Hardly see her.

And she hates my husband (she predates him) with a passion. Not in a scratch your face way but in a occasional poo in your shoe kind of way. He's always been lovely to her.

She is also very cruel to our dog who tries to be friends with her. And she cries for food constantly (cultivated a very loud annoying meow) but will eat until she throws up (never on a wipeable surface).

I expect she will live forever (already 15 and very spritely) on the hate and resentment she feels for my husband.

She is like some mad old aunt we have to tolerate!

This made me laugh, sorry 😂 my 13yo cat is much the same. Always been a swiper since she was a kitten. She was traumatised when I got her as the owners had allowed a toddler to constantly mess with her and she became nasty. I took her on out of pity as no one wanted her. I love her but shes a mad old bat 😄
JustAnotherUserinParadise · 07/02/2022 09:51

@BusterGonad agree, guinea pigs are lovely pets! Chilled, sweet, trainable, just lovely!

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 07/02/2022 09:53

Loving this thread btw... We also have 2 cats... one is sweetness and light, although perhaps slightly too needy (will stand on your nueck headbutting your face). The other is an arsehole... she sometimes will sit on your lap but you are not allowed to stroke her. A few times she's bitten me so hard she's left a bruise!

mam0918 · 07/02/2022 09:57

My cat is also a dick.

CONSTANTLY in the way and under my feet, like he goes out of his way to trip me over.

Also, screatches the loudest meow on earth just non-stop on repeat when hungry, I have never heard a cat make that much noise before and I have owned a dozen and worked in a vet.

He pukes up hair logs daily too, he's long-haired and obsessed with grooming, not just himself but all the other long-haired cats too thus eating 10x more fur than is normal and on top of that puking then makes him whine for more food again.

I don't want anything bad to happen to him but I do curse him 1000 times a day and my names for him get more colorful as time goes on.

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 07/02/2022 09:58

@mam0918

My cat is also a dick.

CONSTANTLY in the way and under my feet, like he goes out of his way to trip me over.

Also, screatches the loudest meow on earth just non-stop on repeat when hungry, I have never heard a cat make that much noise before and I have owned a dozen and worked in a vet.

He pukes up hair logs daily too, he's long-haired and obsessed with grooming, not just himself but all the other long-haired cats too thus eating 10x more fur than is normal and on top of that puking then makes him whine for more food again.

I don't want anything bad to happen to him but I do curse him 1000 times a day and my names for him get more colorful as time goes on.

Could you shave all your cats?
AliceS1994 · 07/02/2022 09:58

I lost my cat on Monday and never once felt like that even though he had so many behavioural and health issues. Poor cat.

HeechulOppa · 07/02/2022 09:59

@Pancakeorcrepe Well I’m the one you singled out here so I’ll address. And the fault was mine for not clarifying. They have kibble 24/7 so they are never without food, ever. So when I say we don’t give them food at night that was wrong, they always have food. What I should have said is they don’t get wet food at NIGHT. Their last wet food of the day (and they get it 3 times a day) is usually around 8pm. We used to also give them some around midnight and that was what caused dcat2 to poop during the night and leave it uncovered. My fault for not explaining they always have a full bowl of kibble but no I don’t think it’s selfish (although I agree no food at all would be).

But expecting him so cover up his poop in the litter tray? Literally ever other cat I’ve had has managed this no problem. Dcat1 even Does it for him at times. So yes, I think he’s a dick for this. But I still love him and care for him.

wonderstuff · 07/02/2022 09:59

Last cat, who lived to be about 18, was my fur baby and then took an instant dislike to the children when they were born, actually used the cot as a litter-tray, would try to scratch them, if ever we went away she would express her displeasure by soiling our bed. Wasn't too sad when she went. Current cats are lovely except when they bring in live mice and lose them - kinda the opposite of good ratters. 3am mouse hunt in our bedroom last week was a particular low point.

Also have this annoying thing of needing all the doors open - if a door is closed they scratch at it until it opens, and often don't even want to enter the room - just need to know where we are.

They are totally forgiven when one of them deigns to sit on me for a cuddle - bloody gorgeous they are.

BusterGonad · 07/02/2022 09:59

[quote JustAnotherUserinParadise]@BusterGonad agree, guinea pigs are lovely pets! Chilled, sweet, trainable, just lovely![/quote]
I miss my Guinea Pigs (all dead now) I had 3 baby ones that would go in my hoody pocket whilst I was pregnant with my son, they'd all sleep in there and it felt so nice, 3 baby Guinea pigs and my son growing inside me!

Scianel · 07/02/2022 09:59

I recently saw an animal charity vet clinic posting glowingly about a woman's thirty year old cat. So I wouldn't say yours is mega old necessarily. You might have kitty for many years yet Wink

BusterGonad · 07/02/2022 10:01

30 years! Bloody hell. Our family cat lived until about 19 years old.

Kittenpaws94 · 07/02/2022 10:02

@KittenSpawnOfSatan

Current kitten. Just about due his first vaccinations and genuinely debating whether to bother shelling out £90 on something I hope just walks off and stays lost when he’s finally allowed outside.

Absolutely hate the thing, so does husband, kids love him.

In part because he was sourced for me by a relative who decided getting him at 8 weeks old from someone who hadn’t bothered to flea or worm him, hence we ended up with an anaemic poorly kitten.

He’s mildly cute to look at occasionally, and fun to antagonise, but definitely avoiding microchipping him so he doesn’t get returned to us when he’s let out for the first time.

Popcorn at the ready.

@KittenSpawnOfSatan You haven't said why you dislike him so much? Your post made me sad, especially saying it's fun to antagonise him, he's just a baby. Please consider rehoming him if you can't give him a good life, don't just abandon him, it's not fair on him.
Susu49 · 07/02/2022 10:02

@AliceS1994 so sorry you lost your cat the other day, it's heartbreaking when they go Flowers

ClaudineClare · 07/02/2022 10:05

I am really tempted to offer @KittenSpawnOfSatan's kitten a home! But I suspect all is not what it seems. I hope.

GreenEyeOfTheLittleYellowGod · 07/02/2022 10:05

@SoosanCarter

My tortoise. He’s a Sex Beast. He lives in a sectioned off part of the garden because he will race over and start trying to mate anyone’s shoes. Bashes my feet and it hurts! Chases the cats and the dog, who is scared of him. I love him, and wouldn’t rehome him because it’s hard to find good homes for tortoises, and I couldn’t inflict him on anyone else!
I'm sorry, but that is hilarious 🤣
QuinkWashable · 07/02/2022 10:06

I have 2 cats. Girlcat is lovely, just the right amount of snuggly, adores being brushed (although not nails cut - but she just yells rather than attacks).

Boycat is a total wally, who hates being brushed (and so now has matts, and he hates me dealing with those too) - and right now, is a bit of a handful and fights back/tries to dominate. When he gets old and grumpy, I can tell already that he's going to be an issue.

onlychildhamster · 07/02/2022 10:10

Its so weird that so many of the posts are about cats when people tend to suggest cats as the default easy pet. I have never understood that!

My hamster has a lovely temperament;he gets up at all times of the day if you put vegetables into his little bowl/dangle it outside his little house, he loves cuddles and waits for me at the cage door to take him out. But even if he was very aggressive, it wouldn't have affected my life as much as a destructive cat/incontinent cat, I would just use gloves. And he is a solitary animals so I don't need to worry about animal dynamics/fighting as all other small furries are social, i think.

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 07/02/2022 10:11

Mine used to sleep in the arm of my dressing gown :)
She was a bit long-haired and I used to give her baths in the bathroom sink and trim her bum lol

oldwhyno · 07/02/2022 10:14

there's couple of our fish that greedy bastards #fuckswordtails

QuinkWashable · 07/02/2022 10:17

Girl cat is easy (although being long-haired, I too have to trim her bum which she isn't pleased about), honestly a easy, lovely cat.

Boy cat also does the punishment poos somewhere either of mine (eg. my jumper in the wardrobe) or the kids (kids bath is a common one - at least that's easy to clean) if he's miffed with me (I took some small furry thing he brought in, we went away for a night, I allowed it to rain all day etc.), and walks around the house yelling whenever he feels like it and traipses mud and sticks into the house then goes and sheds them all on my bed (and if I shut my bedroom door, he'd scratch and scratch until I let him in there)

DisneyMillie · 07/02/2022 10:18

My dh came with an inside cat as part of the package - to be fair to her she’s a lovely animal and very tolerant of the kids love of her! But she scratches the furniture, is sick constantly on stuff (not ill just bolts food / fur balls) and makes the house furry/smell. It’s not her fault and I’m fond of her in a way but I’ve never wanted a cat and shes not changed my mind!

Cheeseandlobster · 07/02/2022 10:19

This is a great thread but @KittenSpawnOfSatan your post didn't seem in the sprit and actually I feel sorry for that poor beautiful kitten that you and your husband hate and deliberately antagonise. It's ok not to be an animal person but then don't have one. Not even for the children as you will make the kittens life a misery. Please re home the poor thing before you damage it and give it the chance to be with adults who love it. Your children might love it but the cat may live for decades and it will be you and your husband who will be living with it long afte the children have left home