Or moving house ..... I don't know why that seems to mean that the animal has to go. I know plenty of people who have managed to keep pets in rented accommodation.

I agree that if a cat (or any animal) is unwanted then a new home is probably a better option but what really p*sses me off is that rehoming is seen as such an acceptable option now, it should be a last resort but (imo) it isn't in alot of cases.

I think that's a great story which shows the obvious bond animals and babies can have. Sure, there MAY be a minor risk, but then thats what doors etc are for. I'm saying - why shut the cat away in a room? If the baby is asleep and needs peace and quiet, surely you would shut the door to the room that the baby is in? Or am I wrong?

I grew up with animals, my mum had a little black and white girl when I was born and I'm still here right?! Children learn so much from animals and it's fantastic for their development and understanding of feelings and responsibility. Animals are special creatures, there is a reason why severely autistic children flourish with animals. I want Benji and Storm to be there when our non-furry children start to come so the non-furries can enjoy and love the furries as much as we do

My boys would stay with me no matter what. If I had to move I'd look for a new rented flat which allows animals, as our current one does. Our landlord was worried about smells, but as long as we chuck out the dogpoo bags of litter and the empty cans twice a day our flat doesn't smell. My boys are special to me and I don't think I could ever part with them!

I think the difference lies in the attitude. Some people consider animals as pets, and some take to animals in a completely different way. People, like us, who consider them to be our family members and love them just as dearly as we would any other family member.

__________________
Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011

Cats and dogs are regularly dumped here because people go to their holiday home for the summer, get a new puppy or kitten, and leave it behind when they go home. I think this may be what happened to Eva (who we recently adopted) and her sister, who we are trying to build trust with so we can take her in. The number of abandoned animals has also increased in recent years because of all the British ex-pats who have got new pets out here, not bothered to get them passports and rabies vaccination, and aren't willing to wait the 6+ months it will take to be able to take them back to the UK when they move back. The pets just get left behind. The small minority that are actually taken to rescue centres are the lucky ones.

I lived in a shared house when I found Sam, and there was no way I could have taken him back there, but I found somewhere to stay with him for a few weeks. A friend and I were supposed to be renting somewhere together, but the friend changed her mind, which left me not able to afford anywhere on my own. I had to move from London back to Devon (where my family were), so I could find somewhere I could afford to rent. Until we came to Spain, we were always very limited on where we could live because so many landlords won't accept pets, and we generally ended up paying more rent than we would have done if we hadn't had the cats.

There are things we would have liked to do with our lives. Our work would have allowed us to travel the world, motorhome around America, long distance cycle tours, volunteering for animal charities in amazing places .... The reality is, we don't go anywhere unless the cats can come too. I made the decision not to have children because Sam is insanely jealous, and I know he wouldn't have coped with me having a baby attached to me most of the time, even if that stage only lasted a few months.

That said, we've just adopted Eva, and we weren't certain how that would work out. Sam is jealous, but I'm giving him loads of extra attention, and my OH is mostly the one who fusses and plays with Eva. If it didn't work out, we were prepared to look for another home for Eva, hopefully before she got too attached to us. But we felt what we did - even if it didn't work out for her with us - was a better option for her than ending up at a resuce centre where the chances of being rehomed were very slim.

I remember watching a program that followed a cat rescue in London. A woman brought in 2 cats because she'd redecorated and they didn't match the new decor, then asked if she could have 2 in a different colour that would match. When I hear things like that, I really wonder what kind of world we live in.

If you love your pets, you'll do whatever it takes to give them the best, happiest lives you possibly can. Anyone who gets rid of a pet because (for whatever reason) it's just not convenient any more, could never have loved the pet in the first place.