I just got into a huge screaming fight with my sister. She is pushing with her whole strength to get me to put the litter box in my room. I am resisting to open my door as I try to get out. I am trying to get out to get my other cat she left outside. I will gladly put the litter box inside my room but my pet is outside during night, she let it out because she’s mad there was small pieces of feces in the living room floor. She has a germ phobia and she’s been starting to help clean the litter since it gets dirty. it’s not like I don’t do anything about my cats though. I brush their teeth, comb their fleas and give them baths. Anhour ago I gave my dog a bath. I always have asked about getting my pets a vet appointment to get rid of fleas. I clean poop on the floor and it’s not like I do absolutely nothing about it. Me and my mom always work together on trying to reduce the fleas on our pets. My mom is coming back tomorrow, and I have to deal with my 23 yo sister letting the dogs “out into the wild” which caused our fight. I love my pets very much, they are all I have. Letting them out into the wild would kill them and make them suffer. In the cold, in the rain with no food. My small dog will most definitely not survive as a stray and would get eaten alive by a coyote. I care so much about my pets. I know it’s bad to not clean their litter box. It’s wrong to not have the priority of a clean toilet for ur pets. It’s not horribly dirty and stacked but just filled with poop in it. It’s considered a no go and a bad pet owner, I know. And most people would say those types of people should never get any pets because it’s abuse. I get that and it’s a bad thing for me and my mother to do. But me and my mom love our pets very much and my mom would be devastated if we lost one of them. It still gets cleaned though eventually, never like we clean it once a month. A few times a week though. older sister thinks I’m not mentally capable of understanding of what her problem is. She’s 23 y/o and I’m 17. It got me so angry, I kept making more messes and hitting her since she was slamming to break my door and letting the litter box in my room. It’s not okay to just let your families pets outside. I told her that would be more harmful to them but she simply said “I don’t care, I care about you cleaning up after your pets.” I kept insulting her and she kept insisting that I’m the wrong one. If the mess bothers her and she HAS to clean it then why wouldn’t she just move out? As she grew into an adult she distances herself from the family and me but I still make time to speak with her in a silly loving way. Even if it’s for a short time, we literally live together she will never try to get close to me. she’s studying or doing something with her life. I assume she’s living with us instead. We were never close and we could go years and months without speaking a word to each other. She doesn’t seem to care about the way I love my animals so much
Is this a hoarder situation? This sounds genuinely messed up and your pets and sister are suffering. Yeah, you do need to fix this asap and it sounds like rehoming the pets is needed.
YTA.
Omg I know not cleaning the litter box is being a bad pet owner, but this makes me feel like I’m crazy. I don’t think they are suffering. Is it really that bad? The fleas and the litter box. I am a minor with no money and no permission to go and get a flea pill from a vet. But they seem fine despite itching sometimes. I feel like that is so importantly misunderstood. I will definitely clean the litter box more since it is so important to do as a pet owner. Now I know.
No trust me, the pets are bothered by the fleas. It doesn’t seem like you’re capable of caring for these animals. Get rid of the fleas ASAP. Do you want your pets taken away because of neglect? Litter boxes need to be cleaned *daily*. I don’t think you’re fit to own a pet if you don’t see the problem with this situation.
ESH. You are describing animal abuse and neglect from multiple different people in multiple different ways. I don’t know what else you need to hear. These pets should not be set free in the wild, but you either need to step up their care or rehome them.
ESH.
You repeatedly say you care about your pets but you do the bare minimum for them. It is not Ok to leave the litter box full of poo. I can only imagine how the house smells with two cats and a dog pooping every where.
You may love the idea of animals but you’re not taking care of them!
ESH
You are neglecting your pets and are a terrible owner. When the cat does a poo or wee in the litter tray you need to scoop it out immediately. Cats don’t like going to the toilet where its dirty so will go where they can. You are living in filth and its your fault.
Your sister shouldn’t be throwing the animals out. Its just as cruel as you not looking after them properly.
You need to rehome your pets so they can be in a better environment. Dont get any new ones until you have matured enough to look after them properly. It doesnt matter how much you love them you are being cruel by keeping them that way.
ESH. Your sister is probably literally traumatized by your filthy house and having to grow up like that, it is abnormal and filthy. Nobody should be this cavalier about “little pieces of poop” being on the floor!? Thats very much not normal or ok. Yall have more pets than you should/ can safely handle and its causing everyone to literally be living in waste. You can love animals but it doesn’t mean you keep getting more… I hope for your sisters sake she can move someday and have a clean home. Then you and your mom will have plenty of space for the animals 🙄.
Geez, in the time it took to write that long, rambling post, you could have cleaned the damn litter box!
I can’t fault your sister for letting them out. The outdoors is healthier than what you are providing.
YTA. You’re 17 so you should be capable of understanding how to take care of animals but you aren’t. You claim you love your pets but you don’t do the bare minimum of giving them a clean and hygienic environment. If you are incapable of being a responsible pet owner which is the case so far, you need to rehome the pets. If you don’t want to rehome the pets then you need to grow up and learn how to actually take care of an animal.
Maybe there’s more to this than the pets and the mess. Feeling sorry for the pets though.
YTA
You clearly shouldn’t have pets. Litter boxes need to be cleaned daily. Everyone has time to do it. You won’t even take them to the vet or get rid of their fleas.
You clearly don’t love them: you’re neglecting them.
Take your pets to the vet & get them prescribed a flea sterilant and wormer – not just something over the counter you buy. Litter boxes for multiple cats need to be cleaned more than once a day! You may love your animals but you are not being a responsible pet owner. If you can’t afford the vet visits and the litter to keep everything clean then you shoukd think about rehoming them will someone who will also love them but take care of them. YTA, but it is not right your sister throws them outside.
You should at least have as many litter boxes as cats. I had three cats who worked with 2 litter boxes, but they had different toilet times. Litter boxes need to be cleaned every day, especially if you have less litter boxes than cats.
Cats pooping outside the box is a sign of discontent. If you love them, you’ll give them a good life, even if that entails rehoming them.
That being said, the biggest asshole here is your mum since she’s the adult between you too. Your sister is also an asshole for forcing the pets outside. ESH.
Edit to add: fleas are a preventable issue. Your pets should not be coming home with fleas. Get those poor guys some flea prevention medicine. I know you’re 17, but at 17 I was taking much better care of our family dogs than you are. Your mum is a terrible example, but please get a grip or rehome the pets.