Pet owning rant

[Owlie]

I think it's way more mature to realize that you no longer have the resources to do it all ( ie, take care of a pet and everything else) than to keep it and ignore it. Granted, turning it over to a shelter seems heartless, but is it more or less heartless to toss a dog that you don't have time for out in the yard or put it on a chain, where it can bark all day out of frustration and neglect, and then destroy things when it has the chance for the same reasons?

I agree.

My good friend had to give up her cats, since she was moving in with her mom to save money (and her mom is allergic to cats). The cats, when she had them, ate better than she did--she was eating ramen for a long time so she could afford one cat's prescription food. She tried to find homes for them--one got adopted, the other (a former feral) failed the "adoptability" test at the shelter and was euthanized.

[jessmarimba]

I got my first cat due to a baby, but it wasn't because the owners didn't have time for it. Basically each of the couple already owned a cat before they got married. Her cat terrorized the cat I ended up with. No joke. They originally had a spare bedroom and would keep one cat in the bedroom and one loose in the house at any given time, switching on and off. Then she got pregnant, and they needed the room for the baby (without the hellacious cat locked in with it). Since Clementine had always slept in my room when we all shared a house, they called to see if I would be interested in taking her.

Oddly enough, the cat they still have has calmed down immensely since the baby was born, but he's also about 13-14 years old now.

[badger]

it's unbelievable what people do with their animals. Some give them up because they didn't realize that puppies are a lot of work, or they get a dog that's not suited to their lifestyle. The worst I ever heard was that the cat no longer went with the decor...

I know that when I adopt an animal, I'm taking on the responsiblity of its welfare for the rest of their lives. If, for whatever reason, I can't care for them anymore, I have to make sure that a loving home will be found for them. I could never take them to the shelter with their futures unknown.

But people are pretty fickle and callous; if they no longer suit them, they get disposed.