I love being a dog mummy. I think you all know that about me by now, it really is one of life's truest gifts. It isn't always sunshine and rainbows though. I think it's important to see the balance in everything in life and sometimes we forget that with something as amazing as being the mummy to a gorgeous four legged friend and all the positives that brings, there can be some negatives.
This is something I have talked about in a previous blog post - which you can read about - here. It is true though. The guilt I feel every morning when I go to work because I have to leave my wee lady behind instead of laying in bed giving her all the cuddles and kisses she deserves in the world. It sounds so silly but unfortunately it is a true part of being a dog parent.
Responsibility
Overall this isn't a negative but it can be if you want to live your life a certain way and do the things you want to do without any real thought or consideration for anyone else - and what I mean by that is that some people want to be able to say tonight I am going out for dinner and not have to be faced with the multiple questions of can we, do we need someone to look after the dog etc. That's not always an easy thing to do when you have a living thing dependent on you. My Molly needs cared for, watered, fed and lots of cuddles. This means that I cannot be out of the house 24/7 and I cannot leave her without food. There are lots of things she needs to keep her a happy healthy girl and they have to come first before the fun things in life that I can do!
24/7 Care
In many way pets are like children. They need constant care and looking after. Even if you aren't feeling the best or are just not having a good day, that doesn't take away from the fact that your four legged friends still need to be looked after no matter what. It sounds so simple but even I have days where I just cannot be bothered to feed the four dogs. It sounds so stupid but its something that has to be done no matter what and it always happens but we all have moments where we just want to vegetate on the sofa without any requirement for moving!
Vet Trips
I want to start this section by saying that vet trips are not always because your pets are ill, sometimes it's for their vaccinations or something simple. That being said though, facing up to ill health is hard enough when it's a fellow human being who you love and adore but it is a million times worse when it's your pet. This is for many reasons and the biggest one for me is simply that they cannot tell us if they are in pain and if they are where it is. This is especially true where my Molly is concerned as she doesn't even cry when she's in pain. I have to watch her like a hawk as she powers through even when she's in agony. She has ripped the pads of her paws a few times and even though they were bleeding and looked so painful she still ran to meet me with a wagging tail - I ended up carrying her round in my arms cause the thought of her pain broke my heart.
Loss
This is the biggest negative yet it is the most inevitable. Life is such that we live and we eventually die. This is true for all living beings, including our four legged friends. The most negative part of being an animal owner is that one day you may have to make the decision to keep your pet alive or let them go. You always wonder if you made the right choice, if you should have tried harder, did you do enough, did they know you loved them, did they know you tried, did they know it is ripping apart your soul. It's the most difficult thing in the world to lose anyone you love but when you cannot ensure that your animal knows how much you adore them it adds an extra level to the sorrow.
Even though I have listed these negatives I think it's really important to say that none of these things will ever stop me being a dog mummy. I will always adopt as many babies as I can and keep them safe from the cruelties the world has to offer. I will always be a safe haven for the fur babies of this world that nobody else wants and even though saying goodbye will always take a little piece of my heart away it will never stop me saying hello to a new chapter with a new four legged friend.
Have you ever thought about the negatives to having a pet?
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