to not want to have mil's dog for the day whilst she spends all day with the rest of the family?

[alittleone2]

Message withdrawn

[Olihan]

Tell her to sod off!

[littleducks]

just say sorry you can't due to the cat

it might scratch her dogs

[Carmenere]

Ring her up and say that you don't want to have her dogs. Piss her off, so what, she and others in her family are being excessively rude and hurtful by pointedly excluding your family from their celebrations or whatever. Draw a line in the sand.

[aGalChangedHerName]

Say yes and leave the gate open so the buggers run away!!

No really just refuse and say you are going to the family meal.

[SantaBarbara]

I'd invent a prior engagement that meant we'd be out all day and unable to look after the dogs.

[CaptainUnderpants]

tell her NO ! due to 'risk of infection ' as you have a young cat

bloody cheek of her !

[mrsflowerpot]

Honestly? I'd say no. I wouldn't even enter into the conversation, just 'no'. But how does your OH feel about it all? Mine would have told his mother to sod off by now if she behaved like this, so it's easy for me to say that. Although if your OH says yes knowing how you feel, I'd take the dds out for the day before she arrived, or even overnight to friends or my family, and refuse to be in the house when the dog was there.

[alittleone2]

Message withdrawn

[QuintessentialShadows]

If her DH wants to look after the dog, it is his mum after all.... Have you spoken to him about it?

[SantaBarbara]

THough actually what Carmenere has just posted is a good strategy to stop it happening over and over again.

[alittleone2]

Message withdrawn

[QuintessentialShadows]

Then I agree you should follow Carmeneres strategy. You wont have to put up with this. And it looks like you have tried to have a relationship with this woman. She seems a spitefull old bat to rub it in/make you aware there is a family gettogether and you are not invited, and you are good enough as a dogsitting service.

Just ring her, rant be unpleasant and tell her you are NOT looking after her dogs, you have other plans.

[alittleone2]

Message withdrawn

[posieflump]

definitely say no
get dh to say no, it shouldn't be down to you

then get him to ring up his 2 sisters and his brother and ask them why the hell he hasn't been invited to their family meal
fgs what a nasty way for her to carry on

[clam]

What did you (or DP) say during this call this week when she "told" you what was happening? Did you end up agreeing as you were caught on the hop, then only realised the cheek of it once you'd had time to think about it? Either way, she is being outrageously cheeky (or rude, I suppose) and someone (DP, I guess) is going to have to put her right.

[clam]

And if she doesn't like you anyway, you'll be no worse off.

[beeny]

Tell her you are doing smthing else

[cornsilk]

Say no - what a mad old bat.
I wouldn't want to look after anyone's dog, let alone the animal of someone who was horrible to me. Cheeky mare.

[BetteNoire]

Tell her no.

In fact, tell her nothing, get your DP to do it.

It's his mother.

He can tell her that you can't have two badly behaved dogs in your house, as it will be dangerous for your cat.

He should also tell her that in order to ask a favour from someone, it is usually necessary to be civil to that person, and not treat them in a rude, hurtful and ignorant manner.

She sounds like a nob.

And a spoilt brat.

She is a spoilt brob.

[Buda]

Just say no. By the sounds of it it might be a relief not to see her for a couple of years - she sounds vile.

[ShinyPinkShoes]

So not only is she excluding you all from a family get-together, she is pointedly making it clear that she is haoppy to use you as a dog sitting service!

Your poor OH

How do his sisters feel about her behaviour?

[BouncingTurtle]

Tell her no. Don't give her a reason though. Just tell her you can't have the dogs and end the conversation.
She sounds a nightmare!

[QuintessentialShadows]

It was " rant be unpleasant" - not a fine example of my writing skills, though!

But maybe just be cool and say "no" and with no excuses, as then you may find yourself persuaded while trying to talk yourself out of a fine web of lies. And if prompted, just saw "we dont want to dogsit while the rest of the family is having a get together we have been excluded from". There would be nothing she can say to that. And if she tries, just put the phone down. It will be their loss.

[Pheebe]

I would tell he no (no explanations) and ask outright why you are all being excluded from the family meal. Outrageous! What do the rest of the family say about it?