Do you ever feel like you are done having pets?

[onlyzombiecat]

My dd's hamster died recently and I'm kind of looking at our dogs and cats and thinking how painful it will be when they die too. We've been through pet deaths before and I have pretty much always had a pet of some kind. Now I just kind of feel like maybe my heart has had enough.

Anyone else feel that when their current pets die you just don't want any more pets?

[Lovesong]

I am sorry about your dd's hamster.

[Megan73]

Yup. We love cats but have had horrible luck with them. Before having kids, we had three beloved rescue kitties die. We'd tried to turn all three into indoor cats but it simply didn't work.One was hit by a car, a second simply disappeared and a third developed kidney failure and had to be euthanized - right after our first baby was stillborn. It was awful.
So we adopted a pair of sisters who'd always been indoor cats. They hate each other, fight constantly and have digestive ills (despite vet bills and trying every kind of food and litter box set up) that make them pee and poo in places they shouldn't. I feel guilty for not loving them - it's not their fault! - but constantly stepping in piles of cat poop will do that.
We will be a pet-free household when they're gone but I suspect they'll each live to 20!

[onlyzombiecat]

Lovesong- Thanks. Dd is pretty sad.

Megan- That's pretty tough. Our cats are less loved than our dogs. They are more of an obligation. I wasn't really over my beloved cat dying when we got them and dd wanted them the most.

[beanma]

yeah, I do. We had a great dog when we first got married. He had the sweetest personality and just lived to please people. He had a hard end of his life (probably brain tumor) and was old and rickety for a long time. He was really so sweet when he was younger, though, and just wanted to make you happy. 

When he was about 8 we got our second dog, who is now a pig in dog clothing. All he wants to do is find something to eat. He's very interested in you if you've got food in your hands, otherwise he's pretty indifferent. He's very demanding, barking to go out at 3 in the morning, barking at you to put food in his bowl and barking in general just because. 

A few years ago when he was about 10 we got another dog. She is as crazy as the day is long. She jumps like a kangaroo and can get her head and shoulders above our 6 ft privacy fence that we had to have put in just to keep her in the yard. She jumps on people (I know, I know we try and try to train her not to, but she's got springs in her thighs and a short term memory problem). She jumps on our now 13 yr old pog-dog and tries to make him play. She runs 5 miles with DH every day and that only gives her more energy. She's our spirited child. She's just more, more, more. 

I think after she passes on we're going to need to take a break. If all dogs could be like our first one I'd be all over another one, but our current canine companions are on the borderline of being more trouble than they're worth. Dealing with them when going out of town is big hassle. It's not like just anybody can take care of the high jump champ. We used to take our first dog and the pig-dog to MILs, but MIL can't deal with the crazy dog and I can't blame her. 

[CatsCradle]

I've had pets in one form or another my whole life...except when, 10 years ago, my beloved 20-year-old cat died shortly after 9/11.  I couldn't bear the thought of having another cat or pet after that.  DH and I went through a real grieving process (DH doesn't cry much but he cried when that cat died).  Cut ten years later to the present.  I'm looking at a six month old cat curled up on the sofa.  We took the big leap because DD really wanted a pet, and in our apartment a cat was one good option.  Although we sort of had to re-adapt to having a pet around again, we love our new little addition so much.  She's a youngster so she's often a pain, but it is so good to revisit this type of love (between cat and person).  The ten year break was probably good for us, but at the time that our old cat died, we thought we  were done with pets.

[Imakcerka]

I've had pets all my life.  I love love love rabbits.  My favorite pet was a rabbit that my dad rescued from a basement when he was doing their heating.  He gave it to me and we became best friends.  I would love to have another rabbit but we have dogs and a cat.  I will have a rabbit again some day.  Probably when my hunting dogs go to dog heaven.  We'll have the big dog and the cat.  They're good together but a rabbit would make me happy.

[ReadingMama]

I can totally see where you're coming from, but I believe the saying, "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved before."  The pain of loss is horrible, but the days and weeks and months and years of joy more than make up for it in my opinion.  I can't imagine not having a dog.  But that's just me.  My mom has decided that she will not have another dog.  Too much work for her.  She does have two young cats, and she's good with that.  For her it's about the amount of work involved though, not about having to deal with loss.

Can you see yourself living happily without a pet?

[Imakcerka]

Without a pet?  Absolutely not!  I enjoy their sounds and their presence.

[LeahBoo]

Never.  I have never been pet-free and never will.  But I think I am done with the multiple pet syndrome.  I have too many.  3 dogs is too many.  2 cats, well, cats don't mind being neglected (of attention, not necessities), thank goodness :).  I could take them or leave them.  One dog would be awesome.  And my geckos.  I'm not gonna get rid of any, just need to stop replacing them (actually, my third dog was adopted as a semi-replacement for my old dog that I thought was on her way out, she rebounded, two years ago).

First place I moved into after my parents was strictly no dogs or cats.  They didn't care about rodents and such.  I missed my dog (she stayed at mom and dads) so much that my rats became little dogs.  I taught them tricks and litterbox trained them so they could run around the house :).

[mattemma04]

 I have had to euthanise cats,kill a sick hen,and bury countless animals that died. I think the cats and hen were the worst. I love having pets and go into it reminding myself that I will be dealing with their illness and death eventually. I am OK with it,but I sitll cry like a baby when the time comes. My one friend went through heck with a sick hamster.It swore her off them forever.

 Right now I would love to be down to just 1-2 animals because the expense and care  is to much for me alone....but that is another thread.

 I would miss animals and would have to have atleast one despite knowing the pain of loss would be coming.Lol,even a frog or toad...something.And yes, I am even sad when they die!

It took me forever to warm up to the new cats.Too fresh was the memory of my previous ones,but eventually their quirky personalities won me over and opened up my heart.