I don't know how to start up this blog post with anything besides what is going on in my mind so I'm just going to jump right in.
I was browsing through my instagram feed the other day when I came across a picture of two adorable kitties sitting together, by a friend who posted the picture. The caption with the picture read,
"** LOVING HOME NEEDED** It is great sadness that we need to find a new home from Stella and Lola due to Ella's severe allergies. They are the most loving, affectionate, dog-like cats and ideally I'd like them to stay together. Both are declawed and would do best in a home without other animals. All items needed to take care of them will be provided. Please feel free to share this with friends. Thank you. #HomeNeeded #adoption #PleaseHelp #Devastated #sadday"
I couldn't help but feel a little terrible and saddened for these two cats. Before Ella (her baby), these cats were on her instagram feed 24/7 (you think I upload a lot of cat pics, you should see hers). They were her life. Everyday there would be a picture of one of them, sitting like a human, because that's just what they would do. Or what toys would be dragged to the waterbowl as her prey. Most of all, you could tell that she really cared for the two of them.
Then the baby came along. She's allergic, so she has to get rid of them.That is just the answer, right? Me, personally I don't believe this to be true. But then again, I don't have a child who has allergies and a few of you may feel differently who do have kids. I think the whole thing that got me the most upset was how quickly she decided that her only option was to just get rid of them. Mind you, I know that she just found out the baby was allergic about 2 days prior to this instagram post. I mean, it took you only TWO days to think about the cats' lives, and the best option you could think of is to get rid of them. Isn't that a little harsh?
I started googling things like "what to do when your baby is allergic to your cats" and came across this article on Huffington Post. A direct quote from the article: ". throwing away an animal due to allergies is like saying you would toss away or divorce a spouse if they smoked. Smoking is just as detrimental to the respiratory system as a pet's dander, yet many parents don't give up the habit."
How true is that statement though? Does your spouse smoke, what about the child's lungs? Oh, they smoke outside so that's not a problem, right? What about keeping your cats outside of the nursery? The pics you've uploaded of the cats snuggling in Ella's bed aren't so cute anymore are they? Did you in fact contribute to her allergic reaction by letting them hang in the nursery? Seems like you did to me.
I honestly don't know what I would ever do if I was put in this situation. Peanut and Linus are my life. They came first, and while they are only animals, they will always have a home in my house. I would never ever get rid of them. There have got to be other things that this person can do than to just open up her instagram to complete strangers to take over caring for her cats, who used to be her "babies" before her real one came.
To Peanut & Linus: You are my babies forever!
#crazycatladyforlife
I know this because we just bought this for them.
Awww that is really sad - I didn't have a pet growing up, nor do I have any animals now, but I can't imagine having to give one up. Tough decision for sure!
ReplyDeleteTough decision. I know Id put my kids first but growing up and to this day our pets are literally family. Im not sure how I feel. I love animals as humans, but they are not your spouse... or your kids ... and thats the reality. Sigh I dunno. Tough one.
ReplyDeleteseriously this just breaks my heart. we volunteered at pet smart for a couple of weekends and there were so many older cats there, 4-8 years old that no-one would adopt. if i didnt have my cats i would have taken them all home. i mean, what the hell people, how can you give up your animals? what on earth could happen in your life that you just decided your friend for 8 years is no longer your friend? my husband and i talked about it briefly and we sadly imagined - what would happen to our cats if something happened to us? who would take them in? would they be ok, forget about us? i imagined my babies in cages and it made me so sad. my youngest 2, i think would get over it, my older 1 would be PISSED. and rightly so.
ReplyDeleteHowever. Like you, I don't have any kids. However again - I am allergic. and I have 3 cats, so..... When my allergies get bad, I take a pill. I know you can't give a baby a pill, and I know I will love my real children more than anything in the world, but I would NEVER give away my cats. Ever. You can quote me on that shit.
Oh, I had a friend who gave their cat away when they were pregnant because of the cat litter. i was like, seriously? just dont clean it, make your husband do it. and she was like wahh chemicals, and i was like, seriously? you're going to put disposable diapers with known carcinogens on your babies bum, but you have to get rid of your cat? i dont care if you use disposable diapers or not, but dont blame chemicals and shit. blame your selfish ass self.
Sorry for the long comment but this makes me so mad and sad!
I've seen things like this before on my own feeds. Friends giving up their dogs for adoption because the new apartment they're moving to doesn't allow pets, or something like this. It's just so completely unacceptable to me. When you take an animal into your home and make it your pet it should be with every intention of giving it a home forever, not for as long as it's convenient. This is awful :( Thanks for posting it though
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know what to do either! I Have no children yet nor do we have an animal we don't want one in an apartment. However I don't know how I'd managed. My kid is allergic but I love my dog, well hopefully piggy in my case, and I don't wanna get rid of it :( That would be so hard for me. Maybe she'll find an alternative way, and if not I hope they find a good home.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me so sad, I don't have cats but I do have a dog, and I couldn't imagine ever giving her away. I have a friend who every 6 months or so (at least that's how often it seems), she has to get rid of their most recent cat or dog because of one of her kid's allergies. She doesn't even keep them in the house!! And then 3 months later she has 4 more kittens, a puppy and 12 chickens?? It makes me so mad!! She doesn't get rid of her kids because they have aged, but I know that's why she gets rid of the pets. It pisses me off!!
ReplyDeleteThis breaks my heart! I could never just give Hemi away! I'd try everything under the sun first before that would happen if I ever had a child that was allergic.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me so angry. I had friends who gave away their cats after they had kids because "The kid wouldn't stay out of the litter box". Seriously? teach your kid to stay out of the litter. It was absoultely ridiculous and honestly, it reall changed my feelings towards her. I just don't know how someone could do that.
ReplyDeleteluckily charlie doesn't shed and he has "hair" sohe doesn't cause allergies. no way i could do it. nope. he's my baby boy! and spoiled. very spoiled.
ReplyDelete