Parents - are your once beloved pets now a nuisance?

Question

I can't believe how my once treasured cats are now so neglected now that I am a mum. I used to pamper to their every need.
Now, they really irritate me by leaving cat hairs everywhere and paw marks....which I never used to notice.
We even gave our fish tank away to save the hassle on feeding and cleaning them - how lazy is that?

Answer 1

aww cuddle your cats again! after all you are still their mummy too.

Answer 2

That doesn't neseccarly mean that you are lazy it just means that you have your priorities straight and your child comes before the pets. Which is a good thing by the way.

It is impossible to avoid... there is only one you and only so many hours in the day and you just don't have time for all the stuff that you use to plus the new baby.

Much better to neglect the cats then the children i think ;)

Answer 3

well i am sorry to here that but a lot of peole do it....
I have 3 children 1 on the way, 2dogs, 1cat, 2rats and 2tropical fish tank. Also i work full time.

yes it is hard work but when the kids muck in and learn the importance of looking after something is rewarding.

The problem your having is that a baby takes up a lot of time... and your cats are not used to you spending that time with the baby and not them... they will soon get used to it. the mess that you didnt notice before was always there you just had more time to clean it up before the baby came along to take up more time than you had...

when you put the baby to bed just spend a little time with the cats while watching the tv...

Good luck!

Answer 4

Its not lazy, its happens. I had two cats and I paid attention to them all the time but when I had the baby their just wasnt any time. One started to act up and toss things around and I couldnt take it anymore. It stressed me out and affected my role as mother. To save my sanity and gave one to my sister and he is doing really well. He gets lots of attention he needs and I couldnt give it too him anymore. I am finding a home for the other. It just doesnt work for some people especally is you live in small quarters

Dont let people make you feel bad. Not everyone is Superman (or woman)

Answer 5

I adore my pets. but now that I am pregnant I am all 'keep it quiet, leave me alone, and don't touch me!'. My dog irrates me alot!! the cats I can handle some days. But my hormones will go back to normal. My animals are used to kids and know that they are 'after' them in the pecking order. It has always been that way. When my kids leave home... i want to get a pet that I spoil rotten

Answer 6

My "beloved" cat has always been a nuisance. I did not want it period. My kids insisted and as we were at a party with friends who had a litter it was next to impossible to say no. I've regretted it ever since.

I will not feed it or clean it's box or anything. That was my rule from day one. So the kids and hubby do it.

I can't stand the hairballs, the hair everywhere (even on my kitchen counter!!) and the darned thing is under my feet everywhere I turn (she knows I'm the food provider so she always comes begging even though I never give her anything...she knows I drop stuff on the floor so she's snooping for it and I'm always stepping on her).

The other night I went to the bathroom and she was asleep where she's never slept before. I stepped on her and the bloody thing sunk her teeth into my calf and clawed me. I went after it with a broom and lucky for it I never found her....anyhow to answer your question....YES, and if the kids weren't so attached to her she'd be on the first train out of here! LOL

Told the kids first one out the door takes it with them.

PS my daughter is extremely allergic to it too but would rather put up with the stuffy nose and asthma....told her the day she gets emphysema talk to me about whether it was worth eating cat hairs over and living in a house where cat poo was the first scent to hit your nose as you walked through the door. Anything that spends all day licking it's privates clean then sucking on my water cooler isn't exactly good for my appetite.

Answer 7

It isn't lazy, you have more important things to tend to...the needs of your child. And don't they take some needing?
Also, after the birth of a child, especially the first, i think you change to an extent. The fur, the footprints. It isn't hygenic and you instinctively know. After time you'll get back to pampering im sure.

Answer 8

We had 2 cats before we had a baby. After our son was born, the cats became VERY jealous. We ended up having to give them away. But, our son is definitely worth any sacrifice.

Answer 9

Now I'm a mum my two treasured dogs have been relegated. I try to still give them lots of attention but once I've put my baby to sleep I am just too tired to give attention to them.

Also - suddenly they seem to be shedding LOADS of dog hairs - never notice / cared before!

Answer 10

We have two dogs and we are finding them homes. One of them (jack russel / fox terrier mix) destroys everything! whenever we give him something to be nice .. he destroys it and makes a huge mess and basically rubs it in our face. Our other dog (mini schnauzer) barks at thin air. We have them a nice little set up in the garage and now that I'm pregnant (20 weeks) my sleep is very important to me .. and between 1am and 5am every morning (for absolutely no reason) he starts barking and barking and wakes me up. When the baby comes there is no way I'm going to have the time to clean up the destructiveness of one and be kept awake by the other. We are currently looking for homes for both.

good luck! God bless!

Answer 11

I'm a devout animal lover that is domestic especially dogs so your heading doesn't make good reading when you say you have turned your back on your pets.I have always thought if you have children until they grow up you should not consider animals for a number of reasons but its always sad when animals find themselves rejected after being fussed over they have feelings