Visitors want us to remove the cat and dog while they are staying with us

anewme · 02-02-2015 10:05PM

munster87 wrote: »

I've never seen a cat on a lead.

Sorry for taking the thread off topic. But my poor old Dad is coming down with dementia. About 20 years ago, one of the neighbours told my Mum (ratting him out) that he was out with the cat on a lead when we were in work. That must have been the start of it.

Imagine, a 20 stone burly bloke wider than tall with a poncy white cat on a lead. The teenagers were laughing at the odd sight and he told them, WTF are you laughing at, I'll knock you into next week......and they soon stopped.

The thought of the cat on a lead conjurs up those good times.

Gotta laugh sometimes.

grey_so_what · 02-02-2015 10:14PM

anewme wrote: »

Sorry for taking the thread off topic. But my poor old Dad is coming down with dementia. About 20 years ago, one of the neighbours told my Mum (ratting him out) that he was out with the cat on a lead when we were in work. That must have been the start of it.

Imagine, a 20 stone burly bloke wider than tall with a poncy white cat on a lead. The teenagers were laughing at the odd sight and he told them, WTF are you laughing at, I'll knock you into next week......and they soon stopped.

The thought of the cat on a lead conjurs up those good times.

Gotta laugh sometimes.

Happy memories ane....kitty's have saved a lot of us....:)

Zapperzy · 02-02-2015 10:36PM

NSAman wrote: »

I have two dogs and I am sorry to say, they would never be put out to accommodate anyone. Unfortunately, we lost our "little" guy all 18 stone of him recently and people were terrified when they saw him, but he was the most gentle and loving dog despite his size. After five minutes of his head on your lap people just melted and loved him too.

Sorry to hear about your dog. But can I ask was he really 18 stone? That's 114kg :eek: What breed was he? :eek: I think the largest dog I'v ever seen was about 70kg and that was a bullmastiff x great dane I believe :eek:

Karen91 · 02-02-2015 10:40PM

munster87 wrote: »

I've never seen a cat on a lead.

Apparently its becoming popular their stocking harnesses for cats in maxi zoo now, we got her one ages ago and she walks fine on the lead now, she would not walk with a regular collar with the lead attached to it but shes fine with the harness.

Its very funny to see her walking around the garden on a flexi lead!

Karen91 · 02-02-2015 10:48PM

I have two dogs and I am sorry to say, they would never be put out to accommodate anyone. Unfortunately, we lost our "little" guy all 18 stone of him recently and people were terrified when they saw him, but he was the most gentle and loving dog despite his size. After five minutes of his head on your lap people just melted and loved him too.

Enjoy the dog and the cat and be glad that the drama has subsided, and that the four of you have the place to yourselves.[/QUOTE]

Aww sorry to hear about your dog, I lost my toy poodle after 18 years and I am heart broken after her.

Its often the case that giant breeds can be the most gentle, I am minding a Newfoundland for my friend at the moment and hes a gentle giant!

VonVix · 02-02-2015 11:06PM

Karen91 wrote: »

Its often the case that giant breeds can be the most gentle, I am minding a Newfoundland for my friend at the moment and hes a gentle giant!

They really have to be, when you think about it a large dog is capable of almost doing anything they want, so there has to be a degree of gentleness in their breeding in order for them to be handleable!

DaisyD2 · 02-02-2015 11:38PM

1 "New Mum" +
2 "New Dad does not get along with Grandad" +
3 "Granny/Grandad didn't like him taking up job in Germany" (seriously you'd fly there quicker than drive across Ireland) +
4 "that bad feeling was simmering Before the grandchild was born"

= New Mammy was Looking for excuse not to come & knew your love of animals would mean no way they would be rehomed to accommodate them for the week so she could cancel trip & deflect reaction onto someone else!

The one & only compromise would be if FIL stayed with you guys for week & let her stay in her Mothers! or maybe its just my Dad would jump at chance of week away from my Mum

Irish Stones · 03-02-2015 08:40AM

munster87 wrote: »

I've never seen a cat on a lead.

I have seen many of them, included mine

Irish Stones · 03-02-2015 08:50AM

grey_so_what wrote: »

Hahaha....my vet told me our Persian was so laid back she would be able for a lead.....we put her on it for a trial in the house and it was so funny - she went like a flat kitty instantaneously - squished four legs akimbo......we pulled her for about six foot on a wooden floor and fell around the place laughing at her reaction......no way was it for her!

This is the typical reaction the first time you put a harness on a cat, but soon they get used to it and don't bother anymore.
My elder cat rolled over and played dead the first time I put a harness on her, but now I can walk her down the street where I live and back with no problem at all

The other cat got used to the harness more quickly but doesn't want to get out of the garden, so I walk her in the garden and backyard and she loves it.

clappyhappy · 03-02-2015 09:01AM

DaisyD2 wrote: »

1 "New Mum" +
2 "New Dad does not get along with Grandad" +
3 "Granny/Grandad didn't like him taking up job in Germany" (seriously you'd fly there quicker than drive across Ireland) +
4 "that bad feeling was simmering Before the grandchild was born"

= New Mammy was Looking for excuse not to come & knew your love of animals would mean no way they would be rehomed to accommodate them for the week so she could cancel trip & deflect reaction onto someone else!

The one & only compromise would be if FIL stayed with you guys for week & let her stay in her Mothers! or maybe its just my Dad would jump at chance of week away from my Mum

I think that's a great idea. Would FIL be happy to stay with ye for a week? Then SIL would have no axe to grind with you as she could stay with her mammy and be spoilt.

daUbiq · 03-02-2015 09:35AM

munster87 wrote: »

I've never seen a cat on a lead.

YouTube it!

borderlinemeath · 03-02-2015 09:44AM

Years ago when my niece had a rabbit, she used to take her out for walks on a harness

kylith · 03-02-2015 10:07AM

Irish Stones wrote: »

This is the typical reaction the first time you put a harness on a cat, but soon they get used to it and don't bother anymore.
My elder cat rolled over and played dead the first time I put a harness on her, but now I can walk her down the street where I live and back with no problem at all
The other cat got used to the harness more quickly but doesn't want to get out of the garden, so I walk her in the garden and backyard and she loves it.

Yeah, it's just like dogs. People think "I put a harness on my cat and it freaked out, so cat's can't be walked on leashes", but an adult dog who'd never had a harness on could well be the same (Ra was Not Pleased about having a harness the first few times), it's just a matter of patience and training, and the younger you do it the better.

Tranceypoo · 03-02-2015 11:50AM

NSAman wrote: »

I have two dogs and I am sorry to say, they would never be put out to accommodate anyone. Unfortunately, we lost our "little" guy all 18 stone of him recently and people were terrified when they saw him, but he was the most gentle and loving dog despite his size. After five minutes of his head on your lap people just melted and loved him too.
.

Did you type that correctly, you had a dog that weighed 18 stone? Are you sure he was a dog?!!:eek:

Bandana boy · 03-02-2015 11:56AM

re 18 stone dog
I am visualising this

Frigga_92 · 03-02-2015 01:46PM

Zapperzy wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your dog. But can I ask was he really 18 stone? That's 114kg :eek: What breed was he? :eek: I think the largest dog I'v ever seen was about 70kg and that was a bullmastiff x great dane I believe :eek:

My great dane was 81kg before he got sick, that was his adult size and he was actually small for a dane.
My friend's great dane is 95kg and still a bit of growing to do.
They really are gentle giants though

aaakev · 03-02-2015 02:20PM

26sdrawkcab wrote: »

My great dane was 81kg before he got sick, that was his adult size and he was actually small for a dane.
My friend's great dane is 95kg and still a bit of growing to do.
They really are gentle giants though

My great dane is 80 kg and he is still growing, he is not even 2 yet! Same tho, gental giant whos best bud is a shi tsu haha

Gael23 · 03-02-2015 02:54PM

Firstly Karen, don't back down from pressure put on by MIL. You have made them welcome to stay at your home so its manners to take that as it stands , to subject to conditions. If MIL feels that strongly, why to have them at her house or go halves with them on the cost of a hotel.
We lost our dog quite recently and when we got him first we would have gotten comments from people with kids wondering would the kids get fleas off him and that. Since then most of those people have a dog themselves. How attitudes change.

FutureGuy · 03-02-2015 03:01PM

I could spend about an hour thanking most of the posts here, but suffice it to say, if they don't want to stay in the same house as a cat and a dog, they can get a hotel.

The fcuking cheek of some people!

Miaireland · 03-02-2015 03:43PM

By the sounds of things your Sister in Law or her partner do not want to come to Ireland at all. They probably knew that you and your partner would not remove your animals from your home so they could use that excuse with your mother in law.

If your mother-in-law starts complaining tell her to ask them to stay with her. If she says about your father in law and your sister in law partner not getting on then say that then a hotel is the only other option.

FutureGuy · 03-02-2015 04:40PM

Deleted a comment relating to the sil after seeing the mod warning.

Suffice it to say, I am delighted that your pets will not be tormented.

DrPhilG · 03-02-2015 04:48PM

InTheTrees wrote: »

Its not about animals or pets its about guests making unreasonable demands.

Bingo.

If someone was coming to stay with me for a week and contact me in advance to say that they really disliked the colour of my disgusting sofa and insisted that I put a throw over it I'd say the same thing as the OP here to their relatives.

Wise up.

Karen91 wrote: »

My OH contacted me telling me that he was in touch with his sister, it did not go over well at all. Her reply was her child was not going breathing the same air as any disease carrying animal! She gave him a huge lecture on the cheek of him to put two disgusting animals before his nephew bla bla bla so apparently they are going cancelling the whole trip because she got totally hysterical about the whole thing. No reasoning at all. She seems to think she has more right to our house than the animals. She will not stay in a hotel to accomodate an animal so they are not coming at all.

She refused to pay for the boarding costs because its not her problem we have pets

Don't mean to cause offence, but your SiL sounds like a complete (removed after reading post 151).

She thinks your pets are disgusting, fair enough. I'm sure she's wrong, but she's entitled to that opinion.

But if she expects you to board your pets, at your own cost, just so she can save money on a hotel, she's a disrespectful <insert rude word of choice>.

To put it in context, my wife has arachnophobia. If we were to visit family or friends who owned a spider, we would have an issue. My options would be (a)ask them politely if they would mind keeping the spider out of sight while she is there, (b)stay somewhere else.

Never in a million years (despite my wife's phobia being very severe) would we insist that they keep their "disgusting" pet elsewhere, or refuse to visit them.

DrPhilG · 03-02-2015 05:02PM

loulou2009 wrote: »

Putting your pets into a cattery is going to be distressing for them...

Apologies for the multiple posts, but I'm just reading up on all this.

The statement above is unfair IMO. You can't just generalise like that.

Our dogs and cat have both stayed in kennels and a cattery in the past and will do again. For shorter trips we use a local service who house all 3 in their own home but for longer trips it just isn't financially viable so we use a cattery and kennel.

Both establishments were well vetted before hand, visited with the animals and met the owners etc. The bloody cat didn't want to leave when we came back for him. Was sitting up on the window sill of his room, happy as Larry.

The dogs love their place too, they stay in the same kennel each time and get on great with the owners.

I know there are some horror stories out there, but you can't tar all catteries and kennels with the same brush.

munster87 wrote: »

I've never seen a cat on a lead.

My wife takes our cat on a lead, while I take the 2 dogs, Rottie and miniature JR.

It's a funny sight I admit. One day we were out and spotted a neighbour taking a picture from their front window!

Tranceypoo · 03-02-2015 05:09PM

DrPhilG wrote: »

Apologies for the multiple posts, but I'm just reading up on all this.

The statement above is unfair IMO. You can't just generalise like that.

Our dogs and cat have both stayed in kennels and a cattery in the past and will do again. For shorter trips we use a local service who house all 3 in their own home but for longer trips it just isn't financially viable so we use a cattery and kennel.

Both establishments were well vetted before hand, visited with the animals and met the owners etc. The bloody cat didn't want to leave when we came back for him. Was sitting up on the window sill of his room, happy as Larry.

The dogs love their place too, they stay in the same kennel each time and get on great with the owners.

I know there are some horror stories out there, but you can't tar all catteries and kennels with the same brush.

Agree, I was going to post reply to that as well, our younger dog goes to lovely kennels where she has a ball and is a bit down for the couple of days when she comes back home

Not all animals get stressed in kennels!

davidfitz22 · 03-02-2015 05:28PM

They can bring the baby travelling but not let it near a cat/dog?

billie1b · 03-02-2015 05:31PM

Karen91 wrote: »

The sister of my OH is visiting us from abroad in 2 months with her husband and baby they will be staying for a week with us. My OH told me that she has requested that we remove the animals while they stay with us for the safety of her baby.

The cat and dog are both house pets the cat is never allowed out unless on a lead because we live near a busy road and the dog only goes out to relieve herself and comes straight back in. So basically we would have to board them for the week while they are here, my parents might be able to take the dog but the cat would have to be boarded for sure as mother is not a fan of cats.

I am rather insulted about it and I am tempted to tell her find alternative accomodation, would it be unreasonable of me to do so?

Some opinions on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

Tell her to stay home, I wouldn't dictate someone elses house rules if I visit them, saying that I prefer my 2 house dogs (german shepherd, husky) to my sister, I have 4 kids from 9 to 18 months and never considered them to be dangerous to the kids, if anything they protect them.

borderlinemeath · 03-02-2015 05:44PM

DrPhilG wrote: »

Apologies for the multiple posts, but I'm just reading up on all this.

The statement above is unfair IMO. You can't just generalise like that.

Our dogs and cat have both stayed in kennels and a cattery in the past and will do again. For shorter trips we use a local service who house all 3 in their own home but for longer trips it just isn't financially viable so we use a cattery and kennel.

Both establishments were well vetted before hand, visited with the animals and met the owners etc. The bloody cat didn't want to leave when we came back for him. Was sitting up on the window sill of his room, happy as Larry.

The dogs love their place too, they stay in the same kennel each time and get on great with the owners.

I know there are some horror stories out there, but you can't tar all catteries and kennels with the same brush.

In relation to the OP, neither of her pets have previously stayed in kennels, only with friends or family and this was the basis for the OP being worried about them going into a completely unfamiliar environment. I think this is what the poster you quoted was referring to in relation to the pets getting stressed and empathising that hers would be similar. I don't think she was generalising that all pets are traumatised in a kennel environment.

Miaireland · 03-02-2015 06:00PM

davidfitz22 wrote: »

They can bring the baby travelling but not let it near a cat/dog?

The child will get exposed to more germs and illness on the plane over than from any animal.

OldNotWIse · 03-02-2015 06:02PM

I would definitely tell them to put up or find somewhere else. I'd understand if you were going to be staying at hers and requested that you don't bring your animals but seriously? Your house, your rules. I can't believe the cheek of them really

Karen91 · 03-02-2015 06:06PM

borderlinemeath wrote: »

In relation to the OP, neither of her pets have previously stayed in kennels, only with friends or family and this was the basis for the OP being worried about them going into a completely unfamiliar environment. I think this is what the poster you quoted was referring to in relation to the pets getting stressed and empathising that hers would be similar. I don't think she was generalising that all pets are traumatised in a kennel environment.

My two were never boarded so I am sure they would be very stressed in kennels they have only ever been cared for in a family enviornment. I am currently minding my friends Newfoundland he was boarded last time she went away and he did not cope well at all, I know others who board their dogs all the time and they are fine it all depends on the animal but I know my two would not be happy in kennels.

There is more drama as the MIL has now made her feelings known and wants us to pay for her to go to Germany that particular week so she can see her grandson this does not surprise me though because the woman is a drama queen! We of course refused to pay!
I never thought two little animals could cause somebody to behave so drastic.

Visitors want us to remove the cat and dog while they are staying with us

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