saying hello and quick question/vent

amobsb6 · January 2012

I've been lurking for awhile and figured i'd would say hi. This is my first baby so Im kinda worried but very excited. I was wondering how common it is for relatives/friends to say you need to get rid of your pets because of the baby. I have had several people asking me if I'm getting rid of my pets now that I'm preagnant. when I say I'm not they get offened and say I need to think of the baby first and it selfish to keep them. I have no idea why they think its selfish but i really dont feel like its any of their business if I have pets or not. anyway thank for listening

catmtl · January 2012

Thankfully no one has asked me such a thing. I have 2 dogs and would be really offended if someone said the same to me. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Sloane99 · January 2012

I'm going to slooowly back away from this thread....

VAsjt00 · January 2012

That's nuts. Do you have some kind of uncontrollable baby-eating cat or something? Pets are a part of the family, and you're not at all selfish to keep them. You signed on for that responsibility when you got your pets. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and a 13 month old. We're all one big, happy, hectic family. Tune out the crazy advice you're getting, and make plans on how to make sure the change goes well for all members of your family--furry or not!

Good luck dealing with the silly advice--seems like being pregnant just begs for people to tell you weird stuff that they shouldn't!

sailinBride · January 2012

Aside from the very real fact that pregnant women should avoid cleaning litter boxes, do you think they're working from old wives' tales about cats and babies or just think you'll be too busy?

I've only had one person ask and they 1) came from a culture where babies and cats in the same house are very taboo 2) also asked if I planned to keep exercising. :-P

I responded I'm definitely keeping my two cats and dog. Also mentioned that there is research suggesting that children raised in homes with pets are less likely to develop allergies to these animals...

celestialballet · January 2012

I have been told that I should remove some of my animals, but at the same time I have quite a few of them. I am instead letting them go by attrition *my hamster just died, and a few of my frogs are quite old so I expect them to go this spring*. But I took these animals in, my home is their home, I am not sending them away. How fair is that.

I ask the people that recommend this "so when I have a second child should I send the first away to make sure that I think of the new baby first?" That at least stops them.

There is only one reason I would send an animal away, if it is going to be dangerous to the members of the house then they can't stay. I in the meantime will be keeping my fish, 15 frogs, snake, and 2 cats just where they are.

Welcome to the board though and hope that everything else at least is enjoyable!

ashlea828 · January 2012

My sister got rid of all 3 of their dogs when her son was born last year, and I get a big side eye from her every time she hears me say that we have no intention of EVER getting rid of our two very well behaved dogs. I've been making it a point to mention how my DH and I feel that adopting a dog is a large commitment and responsibility, and that there is no excuse for getting rid of an animal bc you don't feel like dealing with them any longer. As long as you take precautions for the safety of your LO, everything should be fine!

michaela080 · January 2012

VAsjt00:
That's nuts. Do you have some kind of uncontrollable baby-eating cat or something?

LOL

Bexi · January 2012

VAsjt00:
That's nuts. Do you have some kind of uncontrollable baby-eating cat or something? Pets are a part of the family, and you're not at all selfish to keep them. You signed on for that responsibility when you got your pets. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and a 13 month old. We're all one big, happy, hectic family. Tune out the crazy advice you're getting, and make plans on how to make sure the change goes well for all members of your family--furry or not!
Good luck dealing with the silly advice--seems like being pregnant just begs for people to tell you weird stuff that they shouldn't!

Lol! I have an uncontrollable baby-eating cat! We're still not getting rid of him, just not letting him in the baby's room alone. Getting rid of your pets is ridiculous. I mean, if you have a pet boa constrictor that always escapes and you never feed it, then maybe I'd see that. But not normal pets.

doggie mama · January 2012

People ask the weirdest things when you are pregnant. Seriously? We have two dogs, one who has a few issues but we are working on them. If anything, the PG has made us better pet parents. We have let them get away with a little to much so we are trying to be a little more strict so that they are better behaved when the baby comes. That is ultimately better for the dogs, it just hasn't happened as much as it should have because we've been kind of pushovers.

Oh and I just remebered a little tidbit that you could realte to people who try to give you grief. Back in the 19th century there was a family of dog breeds that were known as "nanny" dogs because of the companionship, loyalty , and protection they offered children. They are featured in photography from the period and were very popular. That family of breeds is what is today known as pit bulls.

lynsimarie · January 2012

My parents didn't get rid of my older sisters when I was born, and they didn't get rid of the dog either.

From what I've seen in family/friends' situations, most of the time pets welcome a new baby into the family. Occasionally, they get jealous or baby's allergic to them, but most of the time, there's no problem including pets in your family.

Ultimately, it's up to you. You're going to get a lot of advice from people who think they know what's best for you, but YOU are the one who knows what's best for you and your family. If you want to be gracious, you can say "Thanks for your input...I'll consider that." Then you can forget the ridiculous things they said.

lynsimarie · January 2012

...and another thing:

My older sister bit me more often than our dog did when I was little. I'm just sayin'...

iheartnjdevils · January 2012

I am curious to those who cautiously backed away from the thread. I'd like to hear your opinions.

MrsOjoButtons · January 2012

iheartnjdevils:
I am curious to those who cautiously backed away from the thread. I'd like to hear your opinions.

This board hasn't had many DDs, but one of them was a person who was convinced that her senior dog was aggressive and needed to be rehomed because she was pregnant. Defending the dog translates to humanizing the dog in many peoples' opinions, so sarcasm comes out in full force.

I have three dogs, all considered "aggressive" breeds. Not a single person has asked me if we're getting rid of them, turning them into outside dogs, etc. I think my actions speak much louder than any words in that all of my dogs have been through multiple training classes and actually implement that training on a daily basis, and we don't tolerate chaos at our house. When dogs act out, we enroll in another training class, step up the NILIF, and change what we (the humans) are doing that affects the dogs' behavior. The people I associate with know I put that time and energy into having a calm pack, so they've never questioned it. They have, however, asked if I'm doing anything different now that we have babies on the way, at which time I get to tell them about Preparing Fido CDs, using baby dolls as training tools, etc.

calamityeyes · January 2012

celestialballet:

I ask the people that recommend this "so when I have a second child should I send the first away to make sure that I think of the new baby first?" That at least stops them.

Hilarious! My niece (at 4), when she found out the new baby was another brother, asked when her first brother would be sent away. I guess she was betting on the one she didn't know.

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