Rehoming cats :(

[SmithL]

I'm feeling absolutely heartbroken as we have made the very hard decision to rehome our 4 cats :( they are being collected tomorrow and I am dreading it!!
Two of them are brother, who I took as kittens after they'd been dumped in a bag in a graveyard :( they will always be my babies. Fast forward a few years and I met my now husband, and together we took in two more rescue cats. Then we had our first child and we decided to stop the cats coming into the house as I just couldn't keep up with the constant cleaning etc. They were in the garage and had free access to outside. However things changed this summer when they got fleas, for the first time ever :(
I just can't cope with them. We have had another baby and I'm struggling with PPD, and I know that the cats deserve so much better. I just don't have time to give them any attention.
I'm sat here crying my eyes out, not wanting to let them go, but also feeling like it is the best thing for them and for us.
If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it.

Wow, is that needed?
You're so wrong, and the person you're quoting. When did I say I couldn't be bothered? When did I say that we never treated them for fleas?

Let them go OP you have to focus on getting better you have PND and that is serious business.
ignore the nasty comments on here you need to put your own wellbeing first right now your children need you

:( My cats are my babies. No way could I get rid of them. They're not hard work in the slightest and mine live indoors! I don't understand what you mean by constact cleaning?! Mine are completely manageable and they're indoor cats.

No offence but it will probably be better for them if you don't love them enough to welcome them into your home. Makes no sense.

Blimey I think you're getting a bit of a rough response here OP. I am so sorry you're suffering post birth, 4 cats plus 2 children plus depression is no bloody walk in the park! It does sound like you love the cats very much. Perhaps a compromise of rehoming 2, or giving yourself a time frame to make a decision by, so you don't have regret at making a knee jerk reaction? Wishing you well.

Thank you so much. I'm quite surprised by comments :/

They do have a point though
....

I can imagine indoor cats are very clean compared to ones who go out and then walk mud in, and bring mice and little birds in :/

Thank you, I appreciate that ❤️

I wouldn’t be asking anyone else’s opinion it’s none of their business really and the fact is you can’t cope and you have 2 babies that need you to be able to cope so you have to do what you need to do.

Please don't beat yourself up, and ignore the haters, you have more than enough on your plate. It's never an easy decision (I've had to give up cats myself), but you need to do what is right ultimately for your wellbeing and your kids.

Sorry about your health issues OP but it's sad you've become yet another person rejecting animals because kids come along. It was cruel to banish your cats to outside and frankly they deserve better from their next home. Please don't get any more animals in the future as no real animal lover would treat cherished pets that way.

Why post on MN then?

@SmithL is not the only person to have had children, or PPD. Yet most people manage not to kick out their pets and expect charities and small rescues to clean up their mess. Most animals end up dead if they can't be homed.

Fuck me, is it cold up there on all your high horses?? The OP is suffering with PND!

OP, as a sufferer myself after my DD was born I can understand completely. Your entire day is consumed with basically trying to function and care for your child and other concerns become secondary.

Do you have any family members or friends who could take the cats, or a couple of them, in on a fostering basis? Years ago, when my then partner and I rented a flat, the landlords told me the cat had to go or we'd be evicted. My sister and BIL took her in and we paid them board and lodgings weekly for her. Eventually we bought a house and we took her back.

Have you got proper flea treatment from the vets or just cheap frontline from pets at home?

You need something like Stronghold which you can get from the vets it will probably clear the fleas in one dose.

Tbh i dont really understand why the cats have been entirely banished outside, cats are relatively clean animals, sure theres a few cat hairs so you push the hoover round a little more often but thats pretty much it?!

How do you know, as a matter of interest? Is there some sort of running report with statistics on how many women with PND get rid of their pets?

Far too much pearl-clutching going on and yes, I'm a life-long cat lover and owner.

I don't get it tbh. Maybe it's the pnd having an effect on your thinking over this.

Millions of us manage cats and babies/children. I don't really understand why you've chucked them out of the house or having such an extreme reaction to fleas.

4 cats is a lot but frankly you shouldn't have taken in 4 cats unless you were either willing to look after them and any future children, or not have children.

Cats don't require 'constant cleaning' whether outdoor or indoor.

Wasn't there another thread similar to this, where someone got two cats, then two more, but they were messing everywhere?

It's absolute lunacy to get more animals than you can reasonably cope with.

One house trained cat is plenty to be going along with, and to keep on top of the flea treatment {From vet, in tablet form}

Cat rescues are overrun, and not many people want to take on adult cats who aren't house trained.

Neuter your cats, people! Why are so many left to breed unchecked, and then end up dumped or in rescues?

This is very unkind. I love my pets and I dislike hearing about animals getting rehomed at the drop of a hat but it is clear that OP is not in a great place and is struggling right now so I think it's fair to say these animals will be better off elsewhere for all involved. Opening this thread I bet your bottom dollar that someone like you was sitting around waiting to give someone a kicking when they're already down. I bet you ain't so perfect.

You kicked them out because of muddy or wet paws that you couldn't keep on top of cleaning (how are you going to keep on top of two sticky children?) You couldn't keep on top of flea treatment, veterinary prescription treatment lasts 3 months. Sounds like couldn't be bothered imo.

Ask any cat rescue.

The minute babies come along, OUT go the cats.

Blimey, some of the replies would make you think you are rehoming PPs cats not your own!

OP sorry you are having a rough time. I do understand the anxiety around juggling cats and babies. Your cats will be ok in new homes, cats are generally quite accommodating! As a good example my mums cat is currently on his 3rd human and as happy as Larry (my nan rescued him but she sadly died so now mum has him). I hope your PPD improves with time, don't give yourself a hard time.

@Chellybelle Never claimed to be perfect, also never rehomed (or evicted) pets. Not even in worse circumstances than PPD.

You might rethink your comment on my unkindness if you had seen the number of SS cases resulting from "had a baby and need rehome cats/dogs because I can't cope with X, Y ad Z."

@oakleaffy Exactly. RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection, any animal charity will have the same statistics.

Why are you suprised by comments ?

Then we had our first child and we decided to stop the cats coming into the house

You should have let them go then, if this was your attitude, not get some more to neglect for longer.

Edit: read that in the wrong order. Perhaps you had all four first, but still shouldn't have added to the cats and then kept them all outside because of a baby. They should have gone somewhere safe then.

You've also put a little sad face about finding the original kittens abandoned in a graveyard. But there isn't a whole lot of difference between that and what you did to them later.

Thank you. I'm really pleased that it worked out for you in the end.