So I’m kind of over the animals.
When Nate insisted on rescuing two cats. two cats (you know, for kids) on top of the dog on top of the two children, it was Christmas. I wasn’t thinking about summer.
How a cat can seemingly shed more than six times its weight in hair a day I do not know, but ours miraculously achieve it daily. I can only dream that it is such an impressively freakish enough skill that some crazy animal person will show up with big bags of money and take those kitties off our hands, love them and hug them and build shrines to them out of their own fur. Maybe even the crazy animal person will be a crazy animal scientist who wants to conduct humane (humane!) science experiments on them, discover a way to reverse the trait, and create breeds of non-shedding cats for generations to come.
And by generations I mean working moms who are home alone in small apartments six nights a week with the two shedding cats (one with chronic diarrhea – did I mention that?), a dog who grows surlier and more incontinent by the day, two young children, and new pee stains that miraculously appear on various floor parts each day.
Do I love my animals? Well, I love Nate. And I love the girls. Who in turn love the animals.
Yeah, I’m kind of over the animals.
My “short hair” cat sheds so much fur EVERY DAY I can't even keep up with it and I brush her almost daily! It's nuts. Add to the fact that she is deaf, needs medicine twice a day, needs two litter boxes b/c she's too old to make it downstairs in time to pee, and it's easy to see how people get “over” animals. I love her to pieces, but it's hard to hug her when her fur ends up floating up to my mouth.
But, we're also considering getting a dog, a kitten and chickens, so just add me to the “certifiably insane” category. But, when my kids can't stand to be around me, my ego will need a little unconditional love.
Oh, and for your pet issues? yeah, you've got it tough with three–but, I'm sure Nate does all the work on the kittens he wanted so badly, right? ; )
Do I ever hear you! I have a 95 lb German Shepherd whose head is probably the size of your two cats put together! He sheds so much we have tumbleweeds of dog fur blowing through the house.
I know this is *total* shameless self linkage here (I've never actually done that before!) but I really think those who live amidst the fur will relate. 🙂 http://clarity-chaos.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-didnt-i-think-of-this-sooner.html
maybe you can shave the cats?? ala Mr. Bigglesworth??? 😉
Yeah, I am kinda with you on this. The kids keeping asking for a new cat, since ours died. I keep saying no, because I don't need a newborn and a cat to train. Now, if I can just find a nice way to get rid of the loud Beagle that torments me everyday.
I'm with you…so over the pet, and we only have one cat to contend with. We just found out that our 14 month old is allergic to the cat, so she's got to go. Sounds bad, but I'm not very upset about her having to leave.
I feel like I could build a new dog with the amount of dog hair I Swiffer off the hardwood floors every day. And I almost threw up in my mouth when I got down real close to the carpet in our bedroom (that was in dire need of vacuuming, I already knew). Next pet we get is going to be hairless!
There are times when I don't love my animals. One being when they shed everywhere {just love hair floating around while you eat} and when they don't use their potty places.
Wishing you a scent-sational hump day!
Patty
Buy a furminator. I got mine from Amazon. Works great.
I'm with Karen – get a furminator. I cannot BELIEVE how much hair I get when I brush her with that thing. When you look at the pile of hair that came off of her, you'd expect her to be naked and hairless, or at least thinner. But she looks the same as she did when I started – she just stops rooking up hairballs for a while.
Oh my goodness, MY CATS ARE YOUR CATS, THEY MUST BE CLONES.
No, really. My husband talked me into cat ownership without warning me about all the fur. I am constantly finding enormous tufts of fur all over the house, in places I just vaccuumed TWO HOURS AGO, and worse than that?
How on Earth do they manage to hack up so many hairballs? If they're shedding all of their fur, how is it even possible for them to eat any? It's freaking ridiculous.
Blech. I don't blame you a bit. This is the second post I've read in as many days about cat hair.
I need to go vacuum up the dog hair in my living room, and give my dog her incontinence drugs. Sigh.
I'm not bit on pet ownership since becoming the proud owner of a child
I'm with you. I've had my cat for 11 years, but he keeps getting himself trapped on the porch overnight and pooping out there. HATE!
I hear you. I have a pug and I adore him. He is the most loving and excited dog that ever lived. But I am so over the shedding. There is hair everywhere! I can't even do laundry without there being hair on it the moment it comes out of the dryer. It sucks.
We have two (very long haired) cats and an almost two-year old boy. I have vetoed any more pets until the boy is fully potty trained. We'll see what excuse I can come up with after that.
We have a short haired dog and every week I sweep up a pile of fur from the bottom floor of our house that is the equivalent to a small puppy. Now I love little puppies and occasionally THINK I want to go rescue one from the pound, but then I remember how little and cute our dog was when she was a puppy and how much I still have to clean up after her and her puppy-sized hairballs ad that keeps me focused on my no-more-pets stance. I honestly couldn't imagine having three shedding pets around to sweep and vacuum up after.
I swear that we are never getting another animal as long as I live. Once the 65 pound hairball of a dog that I didn't want croaks. You know, in ten years or so. Sigh.
I am not an animal person.
I have to agree with the above commenters. The Furminator is the bomb.
Boy, how I can relate. Read my most recent post and you'll know why. 😉
We've got 2 dogs, 3 cats. One dog has lymphoma and is in a chemotherapy (crazy, right?!?) program. The other dog has multiple cysts that can sometimes get infected and is SUCH a pain to deal with when it happens. Of our 3 cats, one is diabetic (so, an insulin shot twice a day), and another doesn't know how to cover up his shit in the litter box and has been known to pee on our (multiple thousands of dollars) brand new leather couches. More than one.
So, the hair we collect around the house is just a minor annoyance. 😉
At least they provide endless entertainment for my toddler, who loves chasing them (all) around the house hoping he might actually catch one.
Hate to sound like an infomercial but I got my Furminator at drugstore.com for half price. They are spendy but they're worth it.
My sister-in-law just gave birth to my first niece today. (Aww!) She was toying with getting a second Lab during the pregnancy. A big hairy drooling lab. You know, to add to the other one? My brother was able to talk her out of it and I'm hoping for his sake that she forgets all about it now!
the worst thing about the pet hair is that you can't even put all that hair together and make some kind of lovely sweater. You know, instead of mohair, you could say “tabby,” or “shepherd.” We need the craft-types among us to figure this out.
Hey, I'll take your shedding cats if I can trade you a bulimic cat who vomits several times a day on my white carpet and a dog who pees on anything and everything warping my floors in the process??? Pretty please.
http://www.moxiemomma.com
Have you ever seen a photo of my three dogs? Yes, hairy fluffy big beasts of shedding madness.
I wouldn't change it, I just wish I could hire someone to clean it all up.
I really, really, really missed my cat of 13 years when she passed away a few years ago. I thought that when the pain of the loss dulled, maybe I would consider getting a new pet.
Then I got used to vacuuming half as often, not having to use the lint roller on my clothes before leaving the house, and never having to change a litter box. And I realized I'm kind of enjoying this vacation from animal ownership . . .
I've got four words for you –
I. Killed. A. Dyson.
And not just any Dyson. A Dyson Animal. That should give you some indication of how much my animals shed.
So what I'm saying is, I feel your pain.
We have an epically shedding dog. EPIC. Australian Cattle Dog. Don't even ask why we have one. Don't live in Australia. No cattle in sight. Poor dog spends his days cooped up with an upstart kitten.
I'm with you, sister.
Definitely get a Dyson. I'm not usually one for shelling out insane amounts of money for appliances but, I got one under the advice of a friend, got it home, and the thing picked up so much hair I had to empty it 8 times. Ewww.
I have one husband, one child, and one dog. With another child on the way there is NO WAY I would agree to another pet. And now I have your post to use as ammunition when my husband or daughter suggests it. Thanks 🙂
We got a dog once. You know, for the kids. But then I realized he liked to pee randomly in the house, poop all over the backyard, bark when the baby was sleeping, and jump on every person that walked in the door.
I loved my kids. They loved the dog. But more than anything I love my sanity and happiness.
It was that or the dog…I kept my sanity. The dog had to go.
Bookmarking the Furminator. You know, as our new car purrs herself to sleep on my lap.
We just lost our cat. And now LA Girl is asking when we're going to get another. With two young girls in the house, we were hoping to get a bit of a break. But it really does feel like something is missing.
Maybe I'm not quite over them. Yet.
When we decided a few months back that we were ready to get a dog, I purposely found a dog of mixed breeds where both parent breeds are “non-shedding.” Yes, I have to get him groomed every month and bathe him at least every 2 weeks or so, but it is so worth it. Even when Oscar was a shaggy little sheep before his first grooming appointment, I never found a single dog hair anywhere in the house – and 3 months later I still haven't. In fact, I leave a heck of a lot more hair around the house than the dog does! 🙂
With our long-haired cat, we actually took him to the groomer for a “lion cut” (poodle cut) at the beginning of spring/summer. They shaved all of his body except the head, tail, and legs. It cut down on the fur tumbleweeds and furballs considerably. Plus, there was the amusement factor of how ridiculous he looked!
Even though I just found out for sure that I am slightly allergic to cats, I miss having an indoor kitty to snuggle.
you have inspired me. our dog also creates a ridiculous amount of hair, and it doesn't have to be hot to do so. please see my blog if you want to see my husband's solution to the problem: wigs.
hahaha! you know those “learn about your friends” questionnaires thatare regularly circled in email? they, inevitably, contain a question along the lines of “what is on your closet floor?” my answer is ALWAYS “cat hair tumbleweeds.” and now, i think i just admitted that i have participated in more that one of those things. yeesh.
btw, my code to leave a comment is “tryeat.” that's just weird.
We broke down and got a furminator. It is R A D.