I feel like I only give mediocre care to my pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats. Meals are often late until they start pestering me and I realize they need to eat. Grooming usually gets done when I start to find mats in their coats or crusties building up around their eyes. I know I should be doing it sooner. The litterboxes are usually scooped daily, but every couple months I get out of the habit or depressed, and don't scoop them for days.
Sometimes I'm in a bad mood and my pets get scared because I'm slamming doors/drawers/etc. One of my dogs will go into a corner or under furniture and tremble until I notice and cheer her up. Sometimes I'm depressed for days and the entire time they have nothing to do but just lie in bed with me, getting up a few times a day for them to eat and go potty.
And financially I'm just not keeping up. They're chronically getting their shots late, and only getting urgent or life-threatening medical issues treated. They haven't had needed dental work done for years. I worry that one day there will be an emergency vet bill I won't be able to afford. And then my pet will die because I selfishly wanted to keep them with me.
I feel like I love them, but sometimes I think if I really loved them I would DO BETTER. And I would work more to improve the financial situation for them. So maybe that means I don't actually care about them. Maybe that means I only want them for selfish reasons because of the happiness they bring me. They are all very sweet and adorable, and really make my days worth living.
I have some mental health issues. I actually have all the same problems with my own self-care. Not showering or eating enough, ignoring medical problems. I take better care of them than me. I just suck at meeting basic needs all around. I am in therapy and have been for years now. I'm in my thirties. I think this is as good as I'll ever do for myself and my pets. This isn't up to my standards of what I think animals deserve, so I think I shouldn't get pets again in the future.
Anyway, those are the problem areas. Aside from the above, they seem to enjoy their days. Lots of snuggle time, positive training only, premium foods, lots of toys and games, and rarely being left home alone. They're all potty trained, friendly, and playful. The dogs are 8 and have been with me since puppies, and the cats are 12 and have been with me for 10 years.
How do I know what's "good enough" for them? I know there's a better home for them out there. They're very lovable and well-behaved and many people would feel lucky to have them, and give them the treatment they deserve. I've been wondering about this for years.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/e2ut16/does_it_sound_like_i_should_rehome_my_pets/
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