posted May 08, 2004 11:31 PM         

Now in the last couple of years my Mum has got a new boyfriend. I was hoping they would start walking Pipa but the boyfriend is just as bad and feeds her all kinds of sweets also. I've suggested so many times that they take a walk together and take the dog but they always have something 'better' to do, so Pipa stays in every single day. If she was happy I would keep out of it but when I look at her I see how miserable she is.

The snapping point came when this week my Mum went on a sponsored walk, thus proving that she enjoys walking and hence no reason to not take Pipa. I asked her about this, of why she would prefer to walk for the sake of a boy she's never met, rather than her own dog. Mum said Pipa was too old to be walked and preferred to be housebound. I know this isn't true but there's nothing else I can do or say. I would take her myself but I have my own animals which take up a lot of time, plus my own life. I would compromise with her but my Mum flat refuses to take her for a walk.

My biggest concern is my Mum knowledge of animals. It came as a shock to her that they have to have injections when they are young. My last cat was a Goddess, very ill though and Mum refused to take her to the vet. I eventually worked out a way to pay for any treatment she would have, and booked her in for a visit...that night she died as she was so ill, she was my baby.

Even now she is interfering with my new kittens. She says I shouldn't be reading up on animals as books are all wrong. She then opened the front door for the kittens who now daily cry to go outside, which I don't like them doing as we live next to a train track. But because Mum let them out I can't keep them in for long without them crying and freaking out. She said I was silly to have paid for them to have their injections as babies, she also thinks me feeding them kitten food is wrong as I should be feeding them the cheapest food available. My kittens are in good health and are happy, so I know I know much more about animals than she does.

Sorry to rant there. My main worry is Pipa, am I just supposed to stand by and watch her live her life like this ? She can no longer roam the street we live in as some of the neighbours have complained about her being loose. We live away from any main roads in a beautiful street, the children love Pipa and she has always roamed the street and gotten her exercise that way, until neighbours complained.

posted May 09, 2004 03:01 PM         

1. Do you live with your mother? If so, can Pipa come along when you walk your dogs? Could Pipa come along anyways? If you don't live with her, could you go several times a week to take Pipa for a walk?

If it was myself, I would take it upon myself to walk Pipa myself. Then I would take her to the Vet myself. Somehow I would try and educate my mother about health for animals.

's for Pipa

posted May 09, 2004 03:35 PM         

I no longer live with her, but live near her. I have kittens who am I currently trying to teach to go out and stay safe. There are three of them and they are a handful ! I take them out about once a day and watch over them as they explore and get used to being outside so that when they are ready, they can go out without me.

As for taking Pipa out myself, I wish I could but I do have a lot on my plate and am actually seeing a therapist who say my biggest problem is taking on too much !

I really don't have any money to take her to the vet myself, I have zero income so any treatment she would have I would not be able to pay for. When my cat went in it cost £60 for one night, that would be about $120, with all the treatment Pipa needs, it would amount to hundreds of pounds, which I really don't have.

I have decided to try and negotiate with my Mum that we take Pipa out twice a week separately, so she gets at least 4 walks a week. I don't know if she'll go for it, but my main concern is that she has to learn some responsibility for the dog. She doesn't learn by example. My boyfriend has paid for everything for these kittens, they have had all injections, microchipping etc and my Mum just says that keeping them healthy is waste of money as they die in 15 years anyway.