Do they have special needs? We have 4 pets and they don't take that long to care for, including the special food, walking and grooming.

Anonymous wrote:Teach the cats to toilet outside, skip the litter box. Assuming they’re indoor/outdoor cats with adequately trained outdoor safety skills already.

No, don’t let your cats outside. That’s just irresponsible, horrible for the ecosystem, will annoy your neighbors when they poop in their yards, and how will you explain to your kid when one of them is hit by a car.

Anonymous wrote:If the dogs are the older animals, just don't get new ones when they die in the next few years. If the cats are the 3 year olds, you will have them for the next 15 years. This is why I don't understand people who get kittens. It's often a 20 year commitment!

Because kittens can be trained in a new skill in a week or less and it’ll take an adult cat 3 months for same skill on a good day.

Teach the cats to toilet outside, skip the litter box. Assuming they’re indoor/outdoor cats with adequately trained outdoor safety skills already.

If the dogs are the older animals, just don't get new ones when they die in the next few years. If the cats are the 3 year olds, you will have them for the next 15 years. This is why I don't understand people who get kittens. It's often a 20 year commitment!

exactly why I never allowed my kids to get pets.

I had two growing up. When I left home, my mom didn't want to take care of another living thing (she took care of 4 kids), so we got rid of the dog.

Unless you the parent love having pets and are prepared to take care of them yourself, do not get pets no matter how much your kids beg for them.

Anonymous wrote:I'm impressed your kid did any of that.

Same!

But yeah, that's too many pets.

I'm impressed your kid did any of that.

It speaks well of your kid, OP, that they were doing enough of the pet care that you noticed after they left! The usual complaint is that kids want pets but do nothing to help. You raised a good kid.

Sounds like a zoo.

Anonymous wrote:If I had the money, I would outsource some of the dog walking.

+1. And get one of those self-scooping litter boxes.

I remember when I moved out of my parents house in my early 20s. When I came back to visit the cat was a huge mess of matted fur. I don't think it occurred to anyone (even me) that nobody else was brushing the cat.

If I had the money, I would outsource some of the dog walking.

Let me say up front that there is NO way I would rehome any of my 2 cats or 2 dogs. These will remain my pets for the rest of their lives.

But damn, I now realize that I will be spending about 1/3 of my waking hours taking care of companion animals because I'm an empty nester. My dog walking, litterbox scooping, water dish cleaning, matted hair combing partner has left. Dog bed washing, hairball cleaning, fresh food chopping ....

I didn't think this through. Pets are 3, 3, 8 and 9.