By SweetheartSusie - 04/12/2012 09:19 - United Kingdom

Today, I faced a dilemma. If I don't let the cat sleep in my bedroom, she spends all night howling at the door, waking up my 2-year-old in the process. If I do let her in, the dog gets distressed and chews the contents of the bin. If I let both of them in, I have no room to sleep. FML
I agree, your life sucks 23 337
You deserved it 6 135

SweetheartSusie tells us more.

Hey, OP here. For all of those who suggest drowning/bludgeoning/killing my cat, shame on you. I really hope you don't have a pet. For those of you who kindly suggested crating my dog, It's a good suggestion that I will keep in mind. My home is a two bedroom affair, I don't have a spare room to shut them in. My cat is a very nervous kitty, she was a kitten that came from a home with lots of young boys poking and prodding her and prefers the serenity and calmness I give to her. She becomes immensely stressed when I'm nowhere to be found. As for the dog, he is actually my boyfriend's dog and his is a case of boredom. Without the cat to play with during the night, he becomes mischievous and searches for trouble. No matter how well you plan, you'll never get everything and inevitably, there will be something he's shredded. Be it bin contents, washing or, once, the cat litter. Despite the numerous toys he has available. Our bed is a small double, and fitting a dog and a cat into the space barely meant to contain two adults is difficult. Adding a 2-year-old on top of that is a nightmare. For the moment, we're resigned to continue things the way they are. Your friendly OP - SweetheartSusie.

Top comments

SApprentice 34

Since when are pet owners allowed room to sleep? Just lay where you want and let them settle in around you, sealing you in place like cement because you don't want to move and disrupt them.

Comments

And how hard is it to make them sleep on the floor?

Apparently very hard according to OP, deeming it an FML?

Sounds like it's time to let one of them go since its impossible for them to live together. Probably easier to get rid of the cat. Tough decision but it must be done.

mvc3ftw 17

yes,the cat must be dealt with,swiftly

jesscarrr 10

Okay sorry this is totally unrelated but there are movers at my house and they keep coming into my room and taking all my things and I'm trying to not make eye contact with any coz it's just so awkward and I'm awkward so I'm reading fml's and trying to make myself look busy and penis okay I'm sorry this is so awkward.

132- I'm not really sure why you decided to say that, but I agree with you on all counts.

Krajjan 9

78 - Depends upon the vertical leap and skull density of said creature.

SApprentice 34

Since when are pet owners allowed room to sleep? Just lay where you want and let them settle in around you, sealing you in place like cement because you don't want to move and disrupt them.

There's also the option of trying to either 1) Punish the dog (spray bottle or the like) for chewing up the bin and hope he stops Or 2) Cage the dog at night if he'll just get into trouble. I don't like suggesting caging dogs, but if it's the only way to keep him out of trouble, look around for a cage that's got plenty of room for your dog and a doggy bed. It shouldn't be too uncomfortable for him.

unknown_user5566 26

57- When done correctly, I think kenneling/caging a dog is totally fine. Both of my dogs are kenneled (sometimes they want to sleep in the same one, which is SO cute) and they do fine. When you train them properly, they view the kennel as a safe haven, and feel content there. My older dog actually prefers her kennel over sleeping in our bed.

64 Please teach me your mystical ways. I can't seem to do it.

unknown_user5566 26

67- Haha, it's really the easiest when you train them as young puppies. I always left the kennel with the door open in the living room, and would take time to lead them in there (with treats and toys). Eventually they start to associate the kennel with positive things, and by leaving it open in a room that we spend a lot of time in, they would get more comfortable and enter on their own. It takes a good deal of time, but it's worth it.

unknown_user5566 26

Also, if your puppy/dog isn't the type to chew things up, it's comforting for them if you put in an article of your clothing that smells like you. It makes the kennel seem more familiar to them.

73. My dog hates his kennel. I've tried everything. I've made it comfortable with a huge dog pillow. There's plenty of space, I put toys and treats, he would rather sleep on the floor under the desk. But at night he HAS to be kenneled because he gets so stressed out that he tears EVERYTHING up. I don't want to give him up. Any ideas on how I can make feel safe? He's 9months old.

86- try putting the kennel close to your bedroom with your door open so the dog can keep you in view. Your dog is still a puppy. Feed your dog in the kennel during feeding time. The more positive connections between the kennel and the dog the more likely the dog will sleep there. Give it time. But the main thing here is consistency and positive reinforcement. Also walk the dog for an hour or so three times a day if you can. Hmm. I can't think of anything else.

Also 86, putting like a clock on top of the kennel helps too. I think it's the ticktock sound it makes that helps them relax. I know of a lot of dog owners who say it works. Dogs like a firm pack leader. Be assertive, be consistent, and most importantly so things with your dog that you enjoy so you bond even better and then utilize the kennel for whenever you want the dog to just relax. Leave the gate open so he can go in/out at will.

unknown_user5566 26

86- I agree with KrazieKleo. Another thing to add, be sure you never use the kennel as a form of punishment during this training period. So if your pup has an accident, etc, don't shove him in the kennel as a "time out". It's important that you keep the kennel as something he views as positive, not negative. Bear in mind though, some dogs take a long time to train, and some never get used to them. My pitbull mix took longer, because he had separation anxiety (we got him at 8 weeks old, and we were already his 3rd owners!). That's why I started allowing him to share a kennel with our older female dog, which helped quite a bit. You may also want to try a different type of kennel. If you are using a fully enclosed plastic kennel, try a wire one, and vice versa. Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat more about this topic. :)

fgwrxfiend 11

Why just the dog?? Cats are jerks too

mvc3ftw 17

because cat ladies abound here

Kyleekay, you are now my most favourite fml user:). Nice to meet a fellow dog lover who actually knows her stuff, lol. :D

Kill the cat. They're not good for anything anyway. Problem solved.

mizuki123 8

Exactly! I love my cat but not when he goes jumping at my door meowing non stop and when I let him in, he lays on my head and purrs like I dont need to sleep. Lol cats...

haha. oh this is so true. the only time this doesn't apply is now that I'm pregnant. I apparently don't sleep still anymore. I know this from a few scratches

JaysFanStu 3
ozone9914 2

Yeaah cats are stupid and useless get rid of the retarded cat

72- by the look of your profile picture, I'd say your pet Dalmatian is the retarded one...

The cat takes up about a square foot on the bed. So, your suggestion is not only unfunny, but also totally unhelpful.

I've got a suggestion. **** off. I like cats.

PowerRussia 2

I hope they didn't let you graduate -.-

You are only saying that because you are a cat

I don't understand why people let dirty animals sleep in their bed. I wouldn't sleep in my pets bed so why would I let them sleep in mine?

Not all pets are dirty. It all depends on the owner and how they take care of their pets

xXHollowIchigoXx 17

#35 because they aren't "Dirty Animals". You clearly do not own a pet, if you do own a pet and consider them dirty animals then you should go give them a bath. Second, when the commenter said "Pets are people too" she didn't mean it literally, she meant that pets can be members of the family as well. Some people use dogs as a diary, or cats as a shoulder to cry on when upset. This is yet another case of people being to serious and wanting to correct someone that you miss such a simple analogy.

40 and 43. Yes, pets are dirty. Do you wipe their ass after they take a shit to make sure it's clean? I shower 2x per day. I get into bed clean. Do you bath your pets every day? I doubt it.

You do know that some germs and bacteria is good for you, right? It builds up a strong immune system.

46 you're an idiot if you shower that much. It robs your body of essential vitamins and could lead to an autoimmune disease. Also not all pets are dirty, your just a germaphobic dick.

daringtoride 27

46, your argument is so invalid it isn't even funny. Cats are one of the cleanest animals you will ever meet. Many of them groom/clean themselves daily, for hours. Therefore, the wiping your ass comment does not work here for them. As for dogs, I actually own a Corgi mix who refuses to go outside when it's raining or mud on the ground lol. He gives me the funniest expression ever, and he hates wet or dirty paws. Regarding the often-common remark that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's, it is actually. I believe how it works is that the dog's mouth "bleaches" itself every seven seconds (or something like that.) The germs in their body clean it all the time, literally. But anyway, aside from that, in short: 46, it is clear why your username has the beginnings of the word "stupid" in it, and you, my friend, are an idiot.

Actually, Stupend0us, before I had to give my dog away. I did wipe his ass after taking him on walks. His paws, too. He was small, though, and we had a lot of carpet, so that might also be why. Also, fun fact: dogs mouths actually aren't cleaner than a human's. That's an urban legend. They just have bacteria in their mouths that aren't harmful to us.

Um, a lot of people shower at night and in the morning so that doesn't make me a germaphobe. Also, after years of letting your dog on your bed and other furniture how do you plan to break that habit when they become incontinent? Both my dogs became incontinent before they became less mobile.

82 - Interesting you wiped its ass! LOL. I've never seen anyone do that. Anyways, we each prefer to live our lives our own way. Some do the pet and furniture thing and some don't. It is all about preference and what you feel comfortable with. It's just something I could never do and I know some who could never do it either. No need to insult someone and call them stupid. I didn't. I just stated my opinion.

daringtoride 27

82, darn that's what it was! I recall my brother annoyed me about that, so I did look it up and I knew it was SOMETHING to do with bacteria and germs and all that.

Mythbusters actually did the "a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's" myth. They ended up saying plausible. Adam's mouth had more bacteria than the dog's, but they only used one human and one dog to test this. I think that it's mostly an unknown, I wouldn't claim anything when it comes to that. They do have some bacteria that is harmful to us, otherwise dog bites would never get infected.

Don't let your pets rule over your room. Put one or both of them outside.

Can you not get them their little bed on each side of your bed so they don't really see each other while they are sleeping?

wlddog 14

Or better yet, give the cat away. Hell, pay someone to take the car away. No one likes cats. They are terrible pets and thats why i chase them out of my yard.

I think even better would be to just get a bigger bed. Queen? Maybe king? Then there's room for everybody and then some.

Did she say she had a pet crazy neighbor that would carry out said ********, on said windshield?

How about lock the cat in a different room or put the bin where the dog can't get it. Or tie the top down.

whiteboy896 9

no, **** the cat, dogs are better.

******* a cat sounds quite painful. What with the claws and the scratching and all. 0.0 Don't forget they're very flexible and can bite 'it'.

It sounds to me like your pets are codependent. They both need therapy. "So Fluffy, tell me about the bitch who whelped you..."