I've never posted on this forum before but was thinking earlier about people who buy pets but then later on regret having them. With the lead up to Xmas, I'm sure we will be hearing about campaigns emphasising the message that 'a dog is for life, not just for Xmas.' I guess there is a load of reasons which might cause people to regret having a pet such as causing financial problems, personality of a pet, a change in interest towards a particular type of animal or perhaps it causing a strain in a relationship?

Just interested to know if any of you have had regrets about animals that you have had and what caused these to occur?

we got a kitten about a year ago and i have huge regrets.
she is not a clean cat,eating aswell as with her litter tray.
she vomits when we go out and well she really doesnt seem to have much character.
the mess hygiene wise gets to me as my son has medical issues.
the clawing of the carpets,they are ruined,just because i wont have her in our bedroom at night is annoying too.

she is so fussy food wise.

huge regrets about getting her.

No regrets about buying a pet really, although our dog gave me moments when he was a pup where I thought I must have been mad to get him! Particularly when he ate my carpets, slippers, mobile phone, numerous socks, books and one of the legs of the coffee table!

He was rarely left alone and had a ridiculous amount of toys, but you literally couldn't turn your back for 5 minutes, or he'd be creating a trail of destruction. I know a lot of pups can be bad for chewing, but he was a nightmare and worse than any other dog I've owned.

He's grown out of it now thankfully and I wouldn't be without him.

nup no regrets

I got a staffie about 4 years ago. Decided to take a job in Switzerland 8 months ago only to find out when we got there he was on dangerous banned dog list. Could've got him put down, given him away etc. Its cost a fortune with lost earnings etc to return to UK after 6 months. Regrets? no. I made a decision to own a dog and knew the responsibilities and costs associated with it. I took the time to train him, play with him, and pick up his pooh etc, and he's as good as anything and I am not an animal rights nutter. If only some parents took the same time and effort on their kids, but lets not get started on that....

Ditto,best thing i ever did.

Is she a house cat?

I have NO regrets about getting my cat .I have had her for 12 yrs now .She was 6 months wild and 6 months in the cat protection league and was year when i got her she was very timid at first and is still quite shy with some people .

She is just wonderful and i would do anything for her.I never thought i'd be this way about a cat.She came into my life just after i lost three people close to me in my family.It was a difficult period in my life.

Iwould say though a pet is for life and i never leave her don't go on holidays or weekends away that is down to me though i just can't bear leaving her i get very anxious and don't like anyone else looking after her.Currently i am going through a change in my working enviroment i have been in the same job for over two decades but they want to centralise our operation and it would mean leaving her if i don't relocate, so i will leave my job take the severance so i don't have to leave her .I am very loyal to her as she saved me when she arrived in my life.

..the grieving when they die.

She sounds a very clingy/anxious cat. If she vomits when you go out, it's a sure sign she's distressed at being left on her own. Also if she messes all over the place (particularly when you're out) that's a sign of distress and uncontrollable anxiety.

The clawing is just kittenhood though getting her claws trimmed regularly will help.

You could try getting some feliway and have that plugged in near her bed when you go out..also Denes do pet equivalent Kalms which worked a treat on my two highly strung kits when they were young.

The little girl was and is still very clingy but getting better though whenever I get home she's sat by the door waiting for me. My parents' cat (also a girl) follows my mother across the road and down to the shops. When she first arrived (she adopted my mum), she messed and vomited everywhere in the first three weeks after she arrived whenever my parents went out.

I have no regrets but male cats tend to have a much more easy-going temperament that female cats, I've found.

I have 2 dogs now as our cat was pts in June The heartbreak was bad No regrets, only when we come to pay the kennel bill when we return from holiday, but as we now cant afford a holiday that won't matter!!

I'm not quite sure what to say??

My kitten claws things (including me), she is naughty as sin and keeps me awake at night with her nocturnal activities.

I couldn't imagine my life without her though, both my BF and I adore her - Your post is actually one of the saddest I have read. I'd suggest re-homing your cat with someone who is actually a little more willing to intergrate a cat into their life

You really should rehome your cat. She's clearly equally as unhappy as you are and deserves a better homelife than you are providing her. There are loads of animal societies that will help to find her a new owner. I hope she gets a new home soon.

Huge regrets when my lab was a puppy, she was hard hard work ! everything in site got chewed everything except her actual chew toys that was ! Went out to collect my daughter from nursery 1 day and came home and she had chewed a massive hole in my kitchen wall

Shes 3 now though and i wouldn't be without her. As previous posters have said i think if you decide to get a anmial you have to stick with it and not just rehome them when you can't take the hassels.

its not that we are unwilling ,its just from all the other cats we have had none have been like this.and i wouldnt have got her if i had known.
if it was just myself and the other children i wouldnt mind so much, but my little boy is ill and we have medical stuff around.

she gets alot of affection from every one but its getting me down.
it is sad,i agree.

Well I would def consider re-homing her. She is probably as unhappy with the situation as you are.

but thats the thing,apart from the mess etc she seems happy.i have had a few cats since i was younger and i think i could tell.(i hope i could)

perhaps she is just nervy?like some people are.it would devastate the children if we re homed her.

I would be very worried by the fact that she vomits so much. This really isn't normal and it sounds like you have a stressed out cat there. Have you discussed her vomiting with your vet?

yes,he just thinks she is stressy.she only does it when we are packing to go away,are away and when we come back.

does anyone else have a cat that is a really messy eater?

I feed my little in mainly dry food so it's not too bad but she can make a mess when she has a the occasional wet food - bless her!!!

I don't begrudge any mess she makes - pooh, sick - I clean it up without a moments hesitation. I am her "Mummy" - its my job

i know,and i would too if it wasnt for my son.

i have tried dry food but she wont eat it.we have tried every thing.she is now eating sheba but i have noticed this last week she is going off certain flavours which is a sure sign she will eventually stop eating it.

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I'll start again.... my little kitty is not a tidy eater, and is obsessed with my PC as you see above. He's got his front paws (arms, as OH calls them) on my shoulders and kack paws on keyboard. Purring like mad and nuzzling me. The mess on the kitchen floor we just put up with and sweep up. Dunno how to get work done, but we don't regret him for a second. How long do you leave her for? We have given up going away while new kitty is young, we used to visit the inlaws and be away for a night when it was just 1 older cat. Now, the max is 8 hours, and that's not often.

we leave her for sometimes up to 7 days,we cant not go as its hospital stays.
my mum goes to the house 3 times a day and stays for a bit to have a natter with her.
might ask her to stay next time.

i dont hate the cat its just i regret her.every one else in the family loves her.

I've always had a houseful of pets, the current 'family' is 3 dogs, 5 cats and a parrot. They make a noise, chew things up when they're puppies, poo, puke, and generally make a mess. Cost a fortune in vets bills when they get sick, and of course there's the obvious loss of freedom to just clear of for a weekend when you feel like it. And just as a bonus one of my cats is a compulsive thief!
Regrets? Not a single one. I love them all dearly and woudn't be without them. The mess, noise, cost and general inconvenience are all part and parcel of being a pet owner, and I took it all on willingly.

Plainly she hates the time alone. Mine run in and out of the catflap, and tear into the kitchen meowing to check I'm here. Rudyard Kipling has a lot to answer for, cats do not walk alone, they are very social animals.