How many pets is too many?

[Eli26]

First thing with pet ownership whether it is one or ten is making sure you are first ok. If you are not, then they won't be either. I'm talking more financially then anything. Vet costs are not cheap at all if something goes south with a pet. Let alone if you get an unexpected car or house bill. You don't want to put yourself in a situation where your looking under the cushions for gas or food money. We have two german shepherds, two cats, turtles, chameleons, and a snake. The only ones that show any kind of care for attention are the dogs. The others only when they are hungry! Anyway, make sure you are more than set financially before bringing on more. Unfortunately, good gestures can sometimes not be good ideas. Best of luck!

What Prax said. Be responsible. Think not only with the heart, but also think with the noodle (brain).

 

[Darth Snoopy]

AGH! Stop putting up pictures of adorable kittens! You guys are killing me!

Just one more adorable kitten...

​

 

[praxitas]

What Prax said. Be responsible. Think not only with the heart, but also think with the noodle (brain).

I've been accused of thinking with the brain in my noodle

 

[BuffyGirl]

So yesterday I am petting Bailey here on my desk while browsing freaks. I find a lump. Huge freak out. I got him in to the vet almost immediately and had him looked at. It could truly be a number of things. But they extracted some fluid and are sending it off for testing. I pretty much spent the entire day crying and looking up things that could be wrong, and then options that go with them.

This is the part where I think hard on if I want to add another one to the fold. It's not the fact that the vet costs good money, or that what's to possibly come could cost my arm for his leg. I went to bed sometime around 11pm with a sleeping pill because I couldn't stop torturing myself.

He had minor surgery and then Cytology was done and is being sent to the Pathologist. I probably should put this in the 'sick pet thread' but I'll wait to do that until I hear back. Which is on Monday. So I will feel horrible all weekend.

 

[Boba Ben]

It could just be something as simple as a benign cyst, which should be removed, but isn't life threatening or anything like that. I know this probably doesn't help, and it's easier said than done, but you shouldn't torture yourself. You don't know for sure what it is yet, so until then, it's probably better to remain optimistic.

 

[BuffyGirl]

Yeah, I just spoke with my preferred vet and they said the same thing. They will just remove a large mass from his leg (poor kid).

I will say though, that if it is something more serious, I will not put him through Chemo. I read a lot of people who put their cats through it, and then 7-12 months later, the cancer returned. For sweet babies who have such short lives as it is, I don't think I could be so selfish as to put him through it.

 

[Boba Ben]

Yeah, I agree with you there. It's sad to see them go, but it's a better option than prolonging their suffering.

 

[BuffyGirl]

Zoe (yes, we named her after Zoe from Firefly) is home. She arrived yesterday early evening. It was hard separating her from her brother because we felt really bad leaving him behind. But in the end, I guess it was Zoe who left her family for a new one. We couldn't take them both. 5 was too much for us, we decided. There are other people going to see him so hopefully they want him. He's so cute, I don't know how they couldn't.

When we brought her home, she acted like she has always been here. I slept a total of 3 hours though, that was rough. She was constantly getting behind things that were too tight of a fit, and she'd do it over and over despite our efforts to block stuff off. She is persistent. But so cute. Bailey isn't wanting to be out and around her at all just yet. But this is his normal behavior. In a few days he will be okay. The other two are fine around her and she just plays around them.

Anyways, that's about it for now. Just getting lots of video of her playing with toys and such. The bonus with her is that she is a people kitty. She wants to be petted and she will come to you. Where as my two youngest (well, previously youngest) were/are afraid of pretty much everything.

 

[screamingmetal]

Good to hear your cat is doing better.

I am sorry to hear about your cat, Mike.

Our place doesn't smell like cat. We're very lucky. The litter box stays outside during the day and is only brought in if we're going to be gone for a few hours, and then always brought in at night time. In the morning, it goes right back out.

I'm also a very clean person. Always vacuuming and washing the floors and the pets aren't allowed on the people furniture.

I am sad to see those little faces and know there's nothing I can do. But don't take them to the shelter without their mom until 8 weeks. That's when they should be weened from their mom and siblings.

That's something I was wondering about, I didn't want to chance it so I will take them all in at once, I'd love to keep their mother around, she's very friendly, comes running to me as soon as I open the door and follows me around looking for affection, but whatever is best for the kittens I'll do, thanks for the advice!

 

[timberline1123]

I have 3 rottweilers and love them to death enter my house uninvited if you dare!

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Sorry to hear about Bailey. I'm sure he'll be fine. We had a cat that had bumps and they ended up being benign fatty cysts. And I agree about the chemo. One of out other previous cats had cancer and we tried him on chemo for about maybe one treatment before we decided to quit. It was an ordeal to get the poor guy in his carrier, take him to a noisy vet (with barking dogs), and subject him to poking and prodding, all on a regular basis. And there would be no guarantee the treatment would help or extend his life in a significant way. We felt he was better off simply being spoiled at home for the last few months of his life.

And congratulations on Zoe! She's a very lucky girl!

 

[nash]

Obviously it is already too many if you have to ask if it is too many. Duh.

 

[BuffyGirl]

That's something I was wondering about, I didn't want to chance it so I will take them all in at once, I'd love to keep their mother around, she's very friendly, comes running to me as soon as I open the door and follows me around looking for affection, but whatever is best for the kittens I'll do, thanks for the advice!

I guess just have Momma fixed so she doesn't have any more babies, and she doesn't have males chasing her around. Poor thing.

And congratulations on Zoe! She's a very lucky girl!

Thank you. I think we're lucky too. First night home she was a demon child. But last night she was much better, and today she is doing great. Not getting into things or trying to get in places that will only fit her, without breathing room.

Here are a few photos. We moved some stuff around for the first day so that she could have things she needed in one room. Like one of their tree stands, etc. But now everything is back in the rooms they belong in, and she is enjoying playing in their room. She spends most of her time in it and that is good with me!

Sleeping with her big brother Phoenix

And here she is trying to figure out how to use her fountain.

Figured it out after a while.

And her sticking her tongue out at all the freaks!

 

[The Ween]

She's really cute!

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Zoe is sooo cute! She's all ears! And it looks like she's already getting along with with everyone! What a sweet sweet kitty!

 

[a-dev]

Mainly a dog person but cats really are beautiful animals.

 

[karamazov80]

Seven. . .

 

[BuffyGirl]

It turns out that for us, 4 pets is too many. Having 4 means pulling out all of your hair. Yesterday we bought Bailey a new bowl, it was $12. She knocked it in the middle of the night and chewed the top of it, and she managed to get a hold of a piece of rubber from their $70 water fountain, and chew it. So, that is money down the toilet.

I realize kittens are pains, real pains. But in the end, I have realized that after these 4, I am done with animals. I'm not writing this angry, I have had 2 hours to calm down. I'm just at a point where I can understand why people give away their pets.

We wont be giving ours away, but we are definitely tired. Bailey is great though. He's always been nothing but a joy.

 

[dvdwyn]

during college days, i ever bought 3 dogs at once.. sheltie, yorkshire, maltese
now my pets are yniphora and radiata, some aquarium fishes..
wife scared of dogs..

 

[Centurion]

We wont be giving ours away, but we are definitely tired. Bailey is great though. He's always been nothing but a joy.

Good to hear. Pets are family members too.