How many of you have pets and young kids?

I have a 2 yr. old and one due in september. We have 2 cats and a dog, all of them inside but 1 cat and the dog go outside for a few hrs. I love animals, but am feeling like this may be too much for me too handle, bathing the dog weekly, feeding them, changing the litter box, all the shedding! Should I try to find them a good home? I would be heartbroken but want to do what's best. If you have pets and young children, how do you deal with it?How many of you have pets and young kids?One bless I feel the same way. I have just one dog, how is almost 9 and he is still a puppy. he is great with the baby, but of course, will bark right when she falls asleep, rip apart a soiled diaper that I left on the floor after I changed her (yes I know it's my fault, but you know sometimes the baby need me asap). He really makes life 10x harder. I want another baby so badly, but wonder how I will deal with it, b/c he has me at my wits end now with just one. My hubby adores this dog, we have had him forever, but I really don't know how it will pan out....God bless you and your family and congrats on your new baby! I am sure it will all work out just fine. Try a baby gate to keep him more separated, at least when you need some sanity!How many of you have pets and young kids?
I have 2 cats and a 9 mo old... but i think cats are much easier to deal with than dogs... so to me its easy... if I had a dog, i think i would be overwhelmedHow many of you have pets and young kids?I have a 4 y/o, a 3 m/o, 3 dogs and a cat. We just deal with it, we love our animals and it wouldn't be fair to give them away because they cause a little more work every day. Keep the house clean, potty train EVERYONE, and enjoy the rideHow many of you have pets and young kids?
I have a lab a fish and two daughters 3 and 5 months. I love my pets and can't imagine giving any of them away. My house would feel so empty. If you can't handle it or feel overwhelmed go ahead and find the animals a good home but interview people because you would hate for them to get abused by bad people.How many of you have pets and young kids?I have 3 kids, ages 3, 3 and 1. I also have 2 dogs, Both of the pups are just turning 1 this month. 1 is an english bulldog and 1 is an english pointer.

Yes its very overwhelming at times, especially since my bully wont potty train so every 2-3 hours she must be taken out and we dont have a fenced in yard. If you dont feel like you are able to devote enough of your time to your children (who in my opinion are MUCH more important than the pets) I would rehome. You have to do whats best for you and your family. I am contemplating sending bella (my bullie) back to my friend since shes un potty trainable.

I wish you luck deciding what is best for you and yours.
lol we had a dog and a cat when my BG was born last year.

now we have 4 dogs (1 isn't ours) a tank full of fish and a brid(which isn't ours)

my BG loves the dogs, they lick her toes and it tickles her lol :D they're very protective of her and very good with her, not too roughHow many of you have pets and young kids?
We have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. We also have an aging cat, a Great Pyrenees and 2 nigerian pygmy goats! It sounds like a lot, and it is; however, I can tell you that the way I manage it is to get everyone involved. My 1 year old (she'll be 2 in June) helps me feed the dog and the goats. I fill a little bowl with food and she makes the rounds.

My 4 year old helps me brush the dog - who absolutely MUST be brushed. And she is learning to clean out the goat pen.

My husband ONLY duty is cleaning out the cat box. We do have self-feeders for food and water for the cat.

I think its a wonderful learning experience for children to have animals and learn how to be responsible for them.

The older your chidren get, the more helpful they will be and the more rewarding it will be.

I hope you find a good solution. :)
Ive always had pets and now we have 2 dogs and my 8 year old. I agree its pretty hectic but he joins me for walks in the woods to run them. Yours is kinda young to help with chores Can your significant other help out or are you a single mom? You can bring the dog to the groomers for a bath, they will usually sell better quality shmpoos and that may help with shedding. What kind of dog do you have? You may just be feeling overwelmed at the moment because of your pregnancy. Is it possible to make them out door cats for a while well the weather is nice? that would eliminate litter pans. Maybe do something to release stress for you a treat of sorts (massage is wonderful) or a spa day may help with your stress level and everything else may not seem so bad. Good Luck and hang in there the older they get the easier it gets.How many of you have pets and young kids?
I have a 17mo. old and a dog. They are inseparable. I wouldn't dream of giving the family pet away. I bet you and your husband can find a way to adjust.
I have a 3 year old and am expecting in November. I have one cat who is a year old, we had two but one was sadly killed last month, i am now considering getting three more kittens in june! Yes i'm mad but i love my pets and try not to look on them as a chore, rather part of the family. New babys fall into the routine easily just try not to get flustered and take everything in your stride!
If it is too much for you, find them a good home. Put an ad in the paper and interview potential families instead of just dropping them off at a shelter.

I'm also an animal lover, but all we have right now is a fish tank. We decided to wait until our son was older before getting any four - legged animals. He's turning 4 in August, and we're thinking about surprising him with a puppy. =)
I don't have kids but I think you're just thinking about it too much. Bathing the dog weekly? That's a lot. It only takes a few min to scoop a litter box and about 15 seconds to scoop a cup of food into the bowl. I have a dog, 5 cats, and 2 birds work full time, go to school, and volunteer once a week. Pet care is the easiest part of my life. Maybe you should see what things are like after the baby comes before you make any decisions.
i have a 3 year old, 10 month old and two dogs (and a husband)... i also had this very same question. i am so glad i kept all of them!!!

my 3 year old is autistic. however he is learning so much. he lets the dogs outside, feeds them and loves running with them in the yard. i think children need a "loyal" friend and a little responsibility, it makes him feel important!! I think that it is a chore for me but i wouldnt have it any other way my baby is getting better about not pulling ears and petting nicely! it's a joy to see them all outside playing together!!!

i do give myself a break and the dogs get their nails trimmed and bathed at the vets office because i can't do everything.



ALSO, we keep our dogs outside on our deck while we arent home, it cuts back on the dander inside. our dogs were originally suppost to be inside dogs. when i had my son our dogs started chewing on baby toys and reverting back to puppy hood. i just couldnt bare giving them up so they now have a lovely home on the deck!!
You do have your hands full!! ... but it's so dang hard to get rid of the little fur faces once they're a part of the family.



Why not hire a neighbourhood kid to help with your animal care? There are a lot of kids out there that love animals, but can't have them at home, who would LOVE a chance to spend help out... especially if it means a couple dollars in their pocket to boot!



Also, I have what I call my semi-automatic kitty litter box. You fill it with clumping cat litter, and once a day roll it over. All the clumps fall into a removeable drawer that you simply dump out... very very easy! (you should completely change it about once a month) It makes life SOOO much easier in litter land! lol. (it cost about $50.. but I've had it for 6 years now... very very well spent $50 imho)
I have a 2 year old and am 32 weeks pregnant, and one elderly dog that is having kidney failure, going blind and deaf. Its really hard most of the time. Plus I have morning sickness 24/7 the whole 9 months and his smell makes me so sick from the kidney diet he is on. He often has accidents in the house, then I am there trying not to puke and pee on myself as I clean it up. Its terrible and sometimes so overewhelming it makes me cry. Is it possible to hire a neighbor kid to come over and take care of the daily maintenance of the litter boxes, feedings, walks for the dog? As far as shedding, I can relate to that too as my dogs condition makes him shed like a whole pack of cats. Its so stressful. I would try to keep them, but see what you can do to solve your problems. You might find by hiring a little caretaker to do the little stuff - you might not mind the shedding clean up yourself. Just a suggestion. I am really in over my head. My dogs care seems worse than a human that happens to be older since I can't put diapers on him. He also tears stuff up and pees on my stuff. He is losing his mind. The vet encourages me to just stick with it because I've had him so long. Its just so much that I can't even enjoy him anymore. He has no personality anymore.
When my first daughter was a baby, I had two cats. They are low-maintenance and no trouble at all. At one point, the numbers scaled up to:



Two kids

One dog

One old man (my 98-year-old father)

Four cats

Two guinea pigs



That was TOO MUCH! The dog was very high-maintenance, and so were the guinea pigs. As some of these pets died off, I did not bring new ones into the house.



At this time, I have three children and three cats. This seems to be a good balance, and I don't plan to add to either.
I tried to get rid of my cat before my son was born but no one would take him, they are inseparable. My cat is 12 yrs old. Believe it or not we don't use a litter box. Ever since I got pregnant my cat has been house broken. He goes outside to potty and is a house cat the rest of the time.



We also have a Pug and Yorkie, they all get along fabulously.



I had a Doberman but he died 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant :(
We have always had animals. WHen we had children that didnt change. At any given time i the last 12 years we have had 4-8 pets. Currently the children are older 11, 9 and 5 and we have a pug, and 3 cats
I have a large dog, a cat and a chinchilla. We have a 4.5 month old. Its really not that bad once you get used to everything. Shedding is really not all the time, I just brushed the dog and cat out because they were blowing their winter coat....I get up before my daughter so i'll feed them then. My cat is a slow eater so you only have to fill his dish up every 2 days. Litter box gets done at night or during nap time when my daughter is sleeping. I know someone said something about giving a dog a bath weekly. Never do that unless you want your dog to shed everywhere. Dogs are supposed to get a bath monthly and thats pushing it.....Every 2 months or longer is the best.
i have a 3 year old and 3 pits. my son LOVES his dogs and my dogs LOVE my son. they would protect him til the end of time. and people will say its bad to have a child with pits, but, i disagree. any dog that you have could/can be aggressive towards a child. a weenie dog, poodle, yorkie, any dog can be. its all in how you raise and treat the dogs. i dont have any problem with mine. my son is old enough to where he can play with the dogs (play fetch, run around) he can even walk them by himself without them pulling him. so, i wouldnt find the dogs another home. it wouldnt be fair. just do the best you can. maybe, build a pen for them outside so when the new baby comes, you'll be prepared. just in case the new baby has dog/cat allergies.
you dont need to get rid of them. im 13,have a 10 yr old sister, a 8 yr old brother, a 6 yr old sister, and 6 cats.

where doing fine