[Erika]

Hi everyone. I am stuck in a rut. I have 4 cats and a bird, and my mom and sister really want a puppy! I believe that this is the worst environment for a puppy, and that it is totally unfair for my cats. One of which is spraying because of stress. Not to mention, that my sister goes to school, my mom works, but I only work nightshift, so I would be the one looking after this puppy. Plus, we live in a large townhouse, but it is just too small for a puppy and 4 cats. Can anyone think of more reasons why this is a bad idea, my family is not listening to mine.

-Thanks! Erika

 

[Aonir]

vet bills, housebreaking, basic training, walks, CHEWING, food

And most importantly, health problems. Is your family willing to pay thousands of dollars to save Puppy from a horrible disease or health condition? Such as cancer, hip problems, etc? What if puppy turns out to be deaf, or blind. Or has Separation Anxiety. What if puppy grows older to hate children and cats, then bites them? Kids are to NEVER be left alone with a dog, even if it IS a puppy. Kids need to be 'trained' on how to correctly hold and punish puppy.

Puppies need to be taken out to go potty every 3 hours to help housebreaking. To even further assist housebreaking and separation anxiety, Crate train. Depending on puppies fill-grown size, crates can cost $50+.

You will also need to properly socialize puppy to people and other dogs by bringing your puppy to obedience classes, taking him/her to the petstore with you.

You will need a leash, several brushes(depending on breed), a collar, license, rabies shots, ID tag, METAL dishes(in case puppy is allergic to plastic, plastic holds more baceteria and stuff), puppy food, nail trimmers, PLENTY of chew toys, treats for training, and maybe more.

You need to set rules before puppy comes on, like whether or not its allowed on the couches, bed, etc. You should also contact your landlord/lady to see how many pets you are allowed to have. Then there is walking. Without a yard, a dog needs MINIMUM a 1 hour walk a day(again, depending on breeds). A hyper-active breed needs long walks, at least twice a day. Such as my puppy.

Of course, then there is spaying/neutering.

Anyone want to add on to this?

 

[ForJazz]

Aonir, your post was awesome and it made me laugh because of how complete it was! lol. What's left to add?

Erika, I think your family is underestimating the time, effort, and MONEY that goes into getting a brand new puppy. It's hard enough to raise one when it's your only pet. You are about to change the entire dynamic of your household. If you bring in a dog, you don't just need to worry about how the dog adjusts -- you have to worry about all your pets. Will your nervous cat's spraying get worse? If you have one cat that sprays, it often happens that other cats catch on and begin spraying as well. Not just that -- but their behaviors. Will they have a heart attack and become a completely different cat because the dog is here? You'll have 6 animals to watch and worry about just because you are adding one more.

I'd just stress two things the most. One being the fact that the financial responsibility of your current pets is already very high. I mean of course you need to buy food and litter and the regular stuff for 4 cats and a bird. That stays pretty consistent. But to take GOOD care of your pets, and deal with behavior issues, you need to be financially ready to pay for unexpected vet bills, which are usually pretty high. Higher for dogs. You already have 5 pets who could need sudden care at any moment. Do you really want to add on another pet?

Then second I'd stress how much time and effort goes into raising a puppy. No one should get a puppy if they aren't going to be home during the day, or your puppy will turn into a nightmare of a dog. Behavior problems are sure to ensue from a dog being left alone all day. You are the only one who will be home during the day, and you're the one that doesn't want the dog. Tell them to think about how unfair this will be to everyone.

 

[Richo]

You kind of summed it up when you said that you are home the most. It sounds like THEY want a puppy but YOU will end up with most of the responsibility, and that's not fair to you or your cats.

Taking care of a puppy is a full time job and since they are not around nearly enough, it's so unfair of them to place the burden on you.

Good luck.