hi all, ive been a member of the forum for a long time but am posting under a different username as im ashamed at the thought of what i'm writing. :(

I have 3 cats, all rescue i love them dearly but lately have been feeling like i have too many and should i rehome 2 of them? My conscience says it wouldn't be fair and all the what if's that it comes with. it's not their fault and this is their home, would they ever settle somewhere else, eould they be constantly thinking id left them etc :(

My house is constantly full of cats hairs, it costs me a fortune in cat food, frontline etc and people often are put off when i say i have 3 cats and a dog.
I've never begrudged them before but lately have been wondering if one cat and one dog would be more manageable (for me)

I'm ashamed to even be thinking it but i want people's advice. Do any of you think like this? have any of you acted on it?

Thanks x

Not really I've got three dogs and two cats and if people are put off thats their problem, I love them all dearly and wouldn't dream of parting with any of them

But you are obviously struggling with this so you need to do what you think is right, has something happend suddenly to make you feel this way, or is everything getting you down, obviously one cat and one dog would be more manageable, but are you thinking of you and your pets or what other people think, Hope you come to the right decision.

Not really I've got three dogs and two cats and if people are put off thats their problem, I love them all dearly and wouldn't dream of parting with any of them

But you are obviously struggling with this so you need to do what you think is right, has something happend suddenly to make you feel this way, or is everything getting you down, obviously one cat and one dog would be more manageable, but are you thinking of you and your pets or what other people think, Hope you come to the right decision.

I know alot of people on here have many animals so mine don't seem that many!
If i'm honest life is a struggle at the minute and i suppose i'm seeing everything through 'negative lenses' I feel tied down and unable to do anything spontaneously, which again is a poor excuse.

If i'm also honest it's both; what people think and the way i'm feeling. I'm currently single and alot of men are put off by the amount of animals i have and i worry it'll stop me meeting someone. It's ok if their animal lovers but i think 4 is pushing it, who wants to be greeted in a morning by 3 cats and a dog on top of you?! :hihi::rolleyes:
Keeping the house clean is a constant battle but that's a poor excuse!

:huh: x

Hi

I have 2 cats at the moment. I’ve lost 2 in the last 2 years through road accidents. It can be hard work. But there are a few things you can do to help. I have laminate floor or cushion floor through-out my house. Makes cleaning so much easier. Get a leather settee, you will have no more hair problems on your furniture that way, and it’s easier to keep clean. Also get a clothes dryer. It takes all those annoying hairs off your clothes.

Hi

I have 2 cats at the moment. I’ve lost 2 in the last 2 years through road accidents. It can be hard work. But there are a few things you can do to help. I have laminate floor or cushion floor through-out my house. Makes cleaning so much easier. Get a leather settee, you will have no more hair problems on your furniture that way, and it’s easier to keep clean. Also get a clothes dryer. It takes all those annoying hairs off your clothes.

whats one of these? i'm permenatly covered in cats hairs and the majority of my wardrobe is black so ive given up!! :)

Just a normal dryer will get hairs off. MOH wears a lot of fleeces and hair use to drive him mad. We dont have many problems now

When I was single I had 5 cats. I decided that if a potential boyfriend didnt like my animals then they werent in the running.

Just a normal dryer will get hairs off. MOH wears a lot of fleeces and hair use to drive him mad. We dont have many problems now

When I was single I had 5 cats. I decided that if a potential boyfriend didnt like my animals then they werent in the running.

oh you mean a tumble dryer!

i know you're right and this as been my outlook from day one, it's probably just the way i'm feeling. Having non animal loving friends doesn't help either!

Im with you on the pet hair problem, my house has hard floors throughout, leather suite and leather dinning chairs (pet proofed my house) .... and the hairs still drive me bonkers. Ive got 1 cat and one dog ..... then i have my inlaws dog stay with me 2 weeks every month (shes like a share dog now!) ... all the animals are getting on in years and I've probably only got another couple of years at the most, and as much as i love animals .... and i will be devistated when anything happens to them ..... but Im secretly looking forward to being a bit selfish and having a hair free house.

Im with you on the pet hair problem, my house has hard floors throughout, leather suite and leather dinning chairs (pet proofed my house) .... and the hairs still drive me bonkers. Ive got 1 cat and one dog ..... then i have my inlaws dog stay with me 2 weeks every month (shes like a share dog now!) ... all the animals are getting on in years and I've probably only got another couple of years at the most, and as much as i love animals .... and i will be devistated when anything happens to them ..... but Im secretly looking forward to being a bit selfish and having a hair free house.

i'm pretty pet proof, leather suite and dining chairs. Hoover everyday but they are constant! I think like you im just having as 'selfish' phase and just want to be free!! :help:

:) First of all I have to say that I understand totally how you feel, I have a lot more animals than you and when I feel that life is good and I'm on top of things everything is fine, but recently when I was quite ill the animals got me down quite a lot (mainly because I am fostering 2 extra puppies).
I also understand what you mean about being single with pets too, when I was single I used to think the same thing, and I suppose a lot of animals are not everyones cup of tea, and I do feel that I am an aquired taste in more ways than one :hihi:
The thing is that I found a lovely man even all things considered, who loves me and all of my animals, he still just mucks in when I get more :hihi: so there are people who love animals out there just like you do.
It sounds to me like your just going through a bit of a downer at the moment and the cats feel a bit much, but this may not be how you feel in a weeks time, maybe invest in a tumble dryer for the hairs?
I know that I could never be without my animals for any man, and I suspect that if you got rid of yours to suit someone else you may forever regret it.
Hope you soon feel a bit better :)

:) First of all I have to say that I understand totally how you feel, I have a lot more animals than you and when I feel that life is good and I'm on top of things everything is fine, but recently when I was quite ill the animals got me down quite a lot (mainly because I am fostering 2 extra puppies).
I also understand what you mean about being single with pets too, when I was single I used to think the same thing, and I suppose a lot of animals are not everyones cup of tea, and

some of your pst is missing and i want to read the rest! xx

some of your pst is missing and i want to read the rest! xx

Its edited and added to now, puppy posted it for my while I was still typing bless her :rant: there you go you see I do understand how you feel don't I? :hihi:

Years ago my mum was very ill and came to live with us. At the time I had 2 gsd puppies, 1 adult and 2 cats. I seriously thought about letting the pups go as they deserved so much more than I could give at the time. An elderly friend who had gsds sat me down and talked to me, she had been in a similar situation. I decided to keep them and try to weather it out, I am so glad I did, they were wonderful dogs. Sometimes you just need to share the bad times with someone. If it really is too much then perhaps it is time to get loving homes - we all have our limits and you are being responsible in saying its too much rather than neglecting them.

Years ago my mum was very ill and came to live with us. At the time I had 2 gsd puppies, 1 adult and 2 cats. I seriously thought about letting the pups go as they deserved so much more than I could give at the time. An elderly friend who had gsds sat me down and talked to me, she had been in a similar situation. I decided to keep them and try to weather it out, I am so glad I did, they were wonderful dogs. Sometimes you just need to share the bad times with someone. If it really is too much then perhaps it is time to get loving homes - we all have our limits and you are being responsible in saying its too much rather than neglecting them.

I absolutely agree with everything you said here Estweyn, if you do try hard to keep going and it does not get better it is really in the interest of the animals to let them go to someone who has a bit more time etc.
It does no good to animals or anyone if the owner becomes ill through the stress of it does it?

Believe me, I have these thoughts at times too. The cats never bother me (we have 4) apart from the maine coon who's decided she doesn't like anything on the kitchen windowsill and pulls everything off or knocks it over when i'm out, and generally wreaking havoc! The dog drives me to the brink of insanity at times - i love him to bits but his mouth drives me crazy! He barks for nothing at all and totally stresses me out. He chases the cats, knocks things over and is generally quite often a pain in the a*s. I've seriously thought of rehoming him on more than one occasion but then he looks at me in his cute way, in one of his quiet moments and i melt! I'm constantly getting the comments of "oh your life would be so much less stressful without him" yeah yeah, i KNOW all that, and that comment is totally true. But it's the "I don't know how you cope with all the dog hairs" comment that bugs me. I CHOSE to have a big hairy dog (although i never actually realised a short haired GSD could shed enough hair in one day to line every birds nest on the estate!:huh:) I'm used to the hair - we have laminate floor & leather sofa. Every morning, i get the kids off to school and i hoover all through - its just part of our daily routine now. The dog doesn't go upstairs, but I still have to hoover the stairs every other day due to the floating hairs. Add that to the dust and food chucked out by the parrot, the mess of 4 kids, and my house just NEVER seems clean. People KNOW what to expect when they come here, so they have a choice - they either visit us or stay away! Funnily enough, I always seem to have a house full, so my coffee must be worth it! I tell people never to come here in nice clothes that they do not want dog hair on. But I DO think it's normal to have feelings like this, when everything gets you down. I do wonder if my dog might be better off with someone who has more time & energy to train him properly, but then again, I think he's happy with us, and it's not his fault we chose to have another 2 babies after we got him. As the babies grow up, I'll have more time for him again.

Believe me, I have these thoughts at times too. The cats never bother me (we have 4) apart from the maine coon who's decided she doesn't like anything on the kitchen windowsill and pulls everything off or knocks it over when i'm out, and generally wreaking havoc! The dog drives me to the brink of insanity at times - i love him to bits but his mouth drives me crazy! He barks for nothing at all and totally stresses me out. He chases the cats, knocks things over and is generally quite often a pain in the a*s. I've seriously thought of rehoming him on more than one occasion but then he looks at me in his cute way, in one of his quiet moments and i melt! I'm constantly getting the comments of "oh your life would be so much less stressful without him" yeah yeah, i KNOW all that, and that comment is totally true. But it's the "I don't know how you cope with all the dog hairs" comment that bugs me. I CHOSE to have a big hairy dog (although i never actually realised a short haired GSD could shed enough hair in one day to line every birds nest on the estate!:huh:) I'm used to the hair - we have laminate floor & leather sofa. Every morning, i get the kids off to school and i hoover all through - its just part of our daily routine now. The dog doesn't go upstairs, but I still have to hoover the stairs every other day due to the floating hairs. Add that to the dust and food chucked out by the parrot, the mess of 4 kids, and my house just NEVER seems clean. People KNOW what to expect when they come here, so they have a choice - they either visit us or stay away! Funnily enough, I always seem to have a house full, so my coffee must be worth it! I tell people never to come here in nice clothes that they do not want dog hair on. But I DO think it's normal to have feelings like this, when everything gets you down. I do wonder if my dog might be better off with someone who has more time & energy to train him properly, but then again, I think he's happy with us, and it's not his fault we chose to have another 2 babies after we got him. As the babies grow up, I'll have more time for him again.

gosh it sounds like a mad house!

I'm coping with them fine, ie they are not neglected:love: it's the choice i'm bothered about ie do i really want to? They are better fed than me, frontlined, wormed every 3 months, have loads of cats toys, scratching posts, catnip, tuna, all insured you name it they get it.
I love them and they are very happy. If it was just me and them in my own world it'd be fine it's just the rest of life seems to get in the way. Having to find someone to feed them if i want to go away or even overnight (i have got better with this and leave busicuts down if overnight) and then introducing new people into the equation just complicates things "love me, love my 3 cats and dog and the cats hairs everytime you sit down or move and the chew you've just stood on and not being able to be spontaneous as ive got to find a pet sitter!!" :rolleyes::D :roll:

SpeedDemon I must admit my philosophy with my animals is the same really, I know that they are happy here, and I love having them here for 90% of the time, that 10% can be a bit crappy when it hits :hihi:
But I also know that they are adaptable and take the rough with the smooth (Mummy :hihi:) no one can be perfect all of the time and we all have off days, and our lives change for periods of time... for me my animals are part of my family and through thick and thin we stick together, times get bad but then get good again, and this happens to everyone, there are no "perfect" pet owners cause there are no "perfect" people, while ever the owner is happy and the pets are happy (even if life is not perfect) then there they should stay... but as I said earlier if owners are making themselves ill with the stress of it then that is a different case altogether.

I think that it's normal to have moments (or weeks) where things aren't going so well with your animals just as it would be in every relationship with humans. This doesn't mean that things aren't going to improve, but equally there are times when 'working through it' is very hard work and you just can't get there.

Let's face it- the animals aren't going to be going to couples therapy to improve their suitability as a housemate so all of the solutions are going to come down to you.

I'm usually pretty grateful when each litter of kittens go to their new homes and a little bit of peace reigns chez moi (although how much peace you get with 4 cats and a daft German Shepherd is open to debate) and I do frequently have big misgivings about having so many animals when it takes me half an hour and several trips up and down through the floors of my house to get them all fed and put to bed at night, so I can well understand where you're coming from with this one. At the moment I've got 4 cats of my own*, a foster cat, 3 foster kittens and the big daft dawg.

I don't really care too much about the hair my lot make to be honest. It's my house and if people don't like the hair they can choose not to visit and sticky rollers work wonders for clothing.

*except that in order not to qualify as a 'mad cat woman' one is actually my BF's, because having 3 cats is sane but 4 isn't (in his definitions).

BTW- having more than one forum account is against forum rules so please ask for this account to be closed when this thread is concluded. The need for anonymity is the reason for the existence of the 'Dear Forum...' account. Anyone can post as a 'Dear Forum...' anonymously just by PMing the contents that they wish to appear to a member of the moderating team.

I had to rehome a cat a few years ago as I couldn't afford to keep it, that and my boyfriend at the time hated her. I was lucky that my mum had a vacancy and she took her in, I don't know what I would have done if she had to go to somewhere that I couldn't have access to her.
As it happened three months later my circumstances changed. I didn't take the cat, Bandit, back as she was settled and happy, but I really regretted parting with her.
I had Mojo at the time aswell and the decision between them was gutting.
Anyway 10 years later I still have Mojo and Billy came along a year later, I also have a small army of rats and nobody will dictate whether or not I keep them.
They are never a bind, I sometimes have problems getting a cat sitter but usually they charm people into fighting over who gets to do it.
I have had to pass up on prospective relationships due to having the pets, that's fine. The pets were there first and are my first priority.
If you meet someone that thinks that the animals are too much of a burden or that the pet hair is just too much then they aren't accepting the full package that is you.
I really hope you can find a way through this that's best for you and the cats.
Remember though that if you part with two of them you will still be bound by one cat and one dog, this will not get you anymore freedom than you already had.

I have 7 cats (4 longhaired) and a dog a Shih tzu that isn't supposed to moult, all live inside and have free run of my house (apart from the bedrooms) so I can understand what you mean about cat hair. Although I have a cleaner that comes in twice a week I still have to vacuum everyday and brush them every other day to keep on top of all the hair which is very time consuming. It can be a nightmare somedays especially if we have guests coming round. There was a time we have a great big black Newfoundland who's fur didn't go well with cream carpets:o. I was pulling my hair out sometimes at all the mess but that said if I could bring her back tomorrow I would. Do what you feel is right and if you do decide to rehome them make sure you find really good homes that you know they will be just as happy in.

I think that it's normal to have moments (or weeks) where things aren't going so well with your animals just as it would be in every relationship with humans. This doesn't mean that things aren't going to improve, but equally there are times when 'working through it' is very hard work and you just can't get there.

Let's face it- the animals aren't going to be going to couples therapy to improve their suitability as a housemate so all of the solutions are going to come down to you.

I'm usually pretty grateful when each litter of kittens go to their new homes and a little bit of peace reigns chez moi (although how much peace you get with 4 cats and a daft German Shepherd is open to debate) and I do frequently have big misgivings about having so many animals when it takes me half an hour and several trips up and down through the floors of my house to get them all fed and put to bed at night, so I can well understand where you're coming from with this one. At the moment I've got 4 cats of my own*, a foster cat, 3 foster kittens and the big daft dawg.

I don't really care too much about the hair my lot make to be honest. It's my house and if people don't like the hair they can choose not to visit and sticky rollers work wonders for clothing.
[QUOTE]
*except that in order not to qualify as a 'mad cat woman' one is actually my BF's, because having 3 cats is sane but 4 isn't (in his definitions).

i already hold this title amongst many! :blush::blush: along with....you'll end up a spinster, just you and your animals! :huh:

BTW- having more than one forum account is against forum rules so please ask for this account to be closed when this thread is concluded. The need for anonymity is the reason for the existence of the 'Dear Forum...' account. Anyone can post as a 'Dear Forum...' anonymously just by PMing the contents that they wish to appear to a member of the moderating team.

i never knew this. I dont know why i didnt just post under my normal forum name, its just embarrassing i suppose or possibly frowned upon!

x

I had to rehome a cat a few years ago as I couldn't afford to keep it, that and my boyfriend at the time hated her. I was lucky that my mum had a vacancy and she took her in, I don't know what I would have done if she had to go to somewhere that I couldn't have access to her.
As it happened three months later my circumstances changed. I didn't take the cat, Bandit, back as she was settled and happy, but I really regretted parting with her.
I had Mojo at the time aswell and the decision between them was gutting.
Anyway 10 years later I still have Mojo and Billy came along a year later, I also have a small army of rats and nobody will dictate whether or not I keep them.
They are never a bind, I sometimes have problems getting a cat sitter but usually they charm people into fighting over who gets to do it.
I have had to pass up on prospective relationships due to having the pets, that's fine. The pets were there first and are my first priority.
If you meet someone that thinks that the animals are too much of a burden or that the pet hair is just too much then they aren't accepting the full package that is you.
I really hope you can find a way through this that's best for you and the cats.
Remember though that if you part with two of them you will still be bound by one cat and one dog, this will not get you anymore freedom than you already had.


yes you are right and i don't think that i will/can part with them. Wrongly and i hold my hands up....."one cat and one dog" is more acceptable in the eyes of many :|

yes you are right and i don't think that i will/can part with them. Wrongly and i hold my hands up....."one cat and one dog" is more acceptable in the eyes of many :|

Pah! Who want's to be acceptable anyway? You shouldn't have to compromise to fit in with someone elses view of what fits:D

Pah! Who want's to be acceptable anyway? You shouldn't have to compromise to fit in with someone elses view of what fits:D

i know i know. I had a friend stay last night and she left for work in her black suit covered in hairs :hihi::hihi: and wasn't too pleased! :rolleyes:

"do you ever think you have too many animals?!" she asked......

and i suppose it got me thinking...

i know i know. I had a friend stay last night and she left for work in her black suit covered in hairs :hihi::hihi: and wasn't too pleased! :rolleyes:

"do you ever think you have too many animals?!" she asked......

and i suppose it got me thinking...

To many for her but its not her home is it? its your life, your home and you do with it as you see fit (a practiced phrase that as you can see :hihi: ) she should be grateful to stay with you and your furry family, miserable errr person :hihi:

I actually worry about how much guilt is involved with rehoming any animals. Taking on animals is a very long term commitment and circumstances can change beyond recognition in the 20 years that the average cat will live (my marriage only lasted 9 years and you could go in for murder and be back out again in less than 20 years!) and there are plenty of people who have to make hard decisions during that time.

In a certain proportion of those decisions the most sensible thing for both humans and animals is to find a new home for the animals and all of the research shows that animals who have up to a couple of carefully arranged home changes in their lives are not harmed emotionally as a result of being rehomed so in my opinion some of the guilt is unnecessary and harmful to the humans involved.

If you feel that you need to rehome your animals there's no amount of guilt that is actually going to help you so in my opinion it will help if you can get practical rather than allowing the guilt to get to you. I don't think that the decision should be taken lightly or based on short term issues, but it needs to be taken looking at the future for the animals as well as the humans and sometimes this decision is going to come down on the side of finding a new home for your animals.

Crucifying yourself with guilt for that is really not going to help, providing you're doing your very best to find a good new home rather than abandoning the animals or just foisting them on to the first person who offers them a home.

I think veryone has periods of time in their life where they do see their animals as a bit of burden, but then think of all the enjoyment and feeling of self worth that you fet from them. Owning an animal is a very rewarding thing to do, however the time, money and social aspects of owning animals occassionally does become too much. Just whatever you do, think long and hard and don't make any rash decisions. Try to think what is best for you and for the animals, and if possible, hang on in their for another week or so, who knows, by the end of next week you could feel totally different about your situation. And as far as the relationships go, in my opinion its 'take me and my animals! We come as a complete package!'. We currently have 5 cats, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 3 rats, 2 hamsters and are considering another dog, how much madder can you get? (lol!!)

sorry everyone, the keyboard is playing up a bit! Spelling mistakes in my previous post!

**everyone
**get

We currently have 5 cats, 2 dogs, 3 rabbits, 3 rats, 2 hamsters and are considering another dog, how much madder can you get? (lol!!)

Errrm here lol.... 8 cats + various strays, 2 dogs, 1 african grey parrot (that thinks its a dog) a mad crazy horse and a wierd budgie that growls! :roll:

Hi

I have 2 cats at the moment. I’ve lost 2 in the last 2 years through road accidents. It can be hard work. But there are a few things you can do to help. I have laminate floor or cushion floor through-out my house. Makes cleaning so much easier. Get a leather settee, you will have no more hair problems on your furniture that way, and it’s easier to keep clean. Also get a clothes dryer. It takes all those annoying hairs off your clothes.

This is all sound advice- we've switched to hardwood floors, leather furniture, as little soft furnishings as possible and my routine is to hoover as soon as I come home and open the iwndows, let in lots of fresh air. I use a Cleanaer battery operated air freshener/ioniser and keep things clean as much as I can- so far, no one has told me the house is whiffy (whereas when you have carpets and fabric sofas, odours can linger).

Quite honestly, if a prospective new partner isnt prepared to take me AND my menagerie, they aint worth having, if I'm honest about it. My other half is as soft as me (although the voice of reason when I hear another sob-story - he does cave in occasionally).
In our tiny terrace sometimes you'd hardly notice we've got 8 cats and a dog (especially when the dog disappears upstairs to sleep!).
I would say if you'r struggling financially to support 3 cats a a dog maybe it's time to rehome a couple but don't forget the love and laughter they bring to your life- that's priceless.

To many for her but its not her home is it? its your life, your home and you do with it as you see fit (a practiced phrase that as you can see :hihi: ) she should be grateful to stay with you and your furry family, miserable errr person :hihi:

That's what clothes brushes and hoovers are for - we always keep a sticky roller brush by the door!

I know how you feel, pet food isn't cheap. I only have two cats and if i give them a pouch twice a day i get thro loads, i now try and bulk it out with dried food too..
I constantly seem to hoover and they are short haired too! That said, when they come and curl up on your knee or follow me to bed, it makes my heart melt. I love my babies and wouldn't part with them for anything or anyone.

just give yourself a breathing space and see how you feel then, if you still feel the same, thens the time to act on it..

I can understand the pet hair issue, I have two white and brown dogs that shed for England and two black cats that also moult so I can't win, wherever I go in the house!
To be honest, I can't say I've ever thought of rehoming them... I've once thought that I couldn't cope with both dogs but that was down to behavioural issues I wasn't warned about with my rescue and they were rubbing off on the dog I'd had from a pup with a seemingly sound temperament. We worked through it and I know I'd never have given any of them up really!

However, your point about not being able to do anything spontaneously, I don't think would change if you only had one dog and one cat. You'd have to be there for the dog and cat, so surely another two cats wouldn't make a difference in that respect?

If a potential partner can't love you for you, regardless of pets or no pets, then they aint worth it! If they're right for you - you shouldn't have to give up who you are.

I know how you feel, pet food isn't cheap. I only have two cats and if i give them a pouch twice a day i get thro loads, i now try and bulk it out with dried food too..
I constantly seem to hoover and they are short haired too! That said, when they come and curl up on your knee or follow me to bed, it makes my heart melt. I love my babies and wouldn't part with them for anything or anyone.

just give yourself a breathing space and see how you feel then, if you still feel the same, thens the time to act on it..

Home Bargains is great for cheap pet food