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Return a cat to the shop?
A few days ago my parents bought and brought home a new cat.We have a dog but he is old and in bad health.At first i really liked the cat,its a sweet cat but here i am today thinking how its just not clicking,cats are so different from dogs and i cant adjust to it,i really tried.And i feel so shitty and guilty from having another animal while my dog is still alive.I cant handle.I think that im gonna have to tell my parents to return it tomorrow.Please dont judge me,i spent the whole night yesterday crying because of it and i hate this situation,i cant live with another animal.What do you think is best?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Pets?
Have the parents return it then. I assume this was to be Your pet, not the family pet. Unless they want it for themselves and have a connection with it and its a family pet, then you dont have to worry about not clicking with it, as it will get plenty of attention from the parents.
I don't understand the reason of having a 2nd pet means you're replacing another pet. Many people have multiple pets and bringing home one more doesnt mean they are replacing any, just adding another family member....much like parents of a toddler having a baby is not meant to replace their toddler, just adding to the family. If your dog was 3 yrs old, I wonder how you would feel then, still guilty as if you were replacing it? Our hearts are made to love more than just one person or one pet. Thats an ability humans have. If not, you'd love one parent and not love or connect with the other ever. Thats not how it works. You still have the choice to return the cat but if I were you, I would self examine my own thoughts, especially if you can admit to not feelings like your replacing the dog if the dog was younger and another pet was added. In this case, its a matter of faulty thinking and guess what dear, we all do that from time to time, even adults. Humans tendecys are to think more negative thoughts than positive ones. Why, I dont know but it will serve you well throughout your life if you can learn to catch yourself thinking a negative thought that has no real base in reality as it is only there due to a reaction to an emotion, like fear, sadness, guilt, etc.... Those emotions, if allowed to rule your life with negative thoughts can and will hold you back in life from experienceing certain things, missing out on others, and remaining stuck in a rut and not moving forward in other areas. Just a thought for you to keep in mind, even if you do return the cat.
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Here in the UK I know that pet shops and the organisations that rehome dogs and cats etc prefer to see an animal returned than to be kept by someone who finds they aren't right for them. If you don't your really want your parents to discuss personal issues, ask them to tell the shop that your dog has responded badly to having a cat around and that they are worried it might harm it, and will definitely make the cat's life miserable at the very least. If the cat's a sweet thing, as you say, and you were drawn to it you can bet somebody else will find it attractive and give the little animal a loving home. It's important to bond with a pet, even one so independent as cats tend to be, and if you don't, you just don't. So there's no need to feel guilty. As regards the alternative, ie keeping the cat, then if your dog isn't actually setting about the cat then it has accepted it in it's own mind. So don't get to thinking that your dog is somehow secretly jealous and feels you've betrayed him by having another pet and will love you less. That's rather too human a concept for an animal to be processing. If the dog was really set against the cat being around it would fly at the cat non-stop. Might be worth thinking about. Nothing says you can't love both animals in your, and their, own way. Cats and dogs are indeed very different, and have entirely different expectations, needs and desire for demonstrations of love from their owners, and as they are so different they don't really overlap. Often a dog judges love by attention (walks, games etc) while a cat might well think a perfect owner feeds him when he's hungry but otherwise leaves him pretty much alone to do his own thing. They have a habit of doing that, being solitary by nature. Neither needing or wanting constant amusement from it's owner.
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I think you should either give the cat back to the shop if it's a good no-kill place, but if not, take it to a humane society or another no-kill place. Or, see if anyone you know (and knowing they're a good home) has been looking for a cat or would want a cat. You could also try and give it some more time and see how you feel after a little bit? You should always give things a bit of time to adjust and what not, especially an animal.
Hope this helps~
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