Soon-To-Be Mother Faces Difficulties Caring For Mom's Elderly Cat, Mom Insists Despite The Inconvenience

"I am 8 months pregnant and I have a lot of my own responsibilities."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• October 19, 2023

In a heartfelt story of familial responsibility, a pregnant daughter has been caught in the middle of a difficult situation. She shared her story, explaining how her mother, who works as a flight attendant, frequently leaves for days at a time, leaving behind a 22-year-old family cat.

OP, the daughter, who is currently 8 months pregnant, finds herself in a challenging predicament. Each time her mother departs, she's asked to feed the elderly feline.

Despite her heavy load of responsibilities and a 20-minute commute to her mother's house, she feels compelled by guilt to take care of the cat, which only eats wet food. Her mother, however, leaves the cat with dry food, which doesn't suit the cat's dietary needs.

OP has voiced her concerns to her mother multiple times, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. She discovered that the cat was left alone with a pile of dry food during her mother's recent absence, leading to frustration from family members who labeled her as selfish.

Although OP has two cats of her own, she cannot take on the additional responsibility. She suggested using services like Rover, but the chosen sitter was rarely available.

In a recent update, the daughter decided to take a stand once more. Despite her mother's initial anger, she managed to convince her to hire a neighbor to care for the aging cat during her absences, providing hope for a better future for both the cat and her own growing family.

OP is feeling distressed because, despite being in the late stages of pregnancy and having her own commitments, her mother has requested OP to take care of her cat while she's away, even though they live a 20-minute drive away.

She accused OP of being selfish, but OP can't take the cat as she has two of her own

It seems like finding a cat sitter or asking her sister for help might be a solution.

OP can't let her take advantage of her

OP should inform her mother that being 8 months pregnant and caring for her cat is overwhelming and could harm the baby

OP should stick to her boundaries and stop enabling her mother's behavior

OP could contact the SPCA about the elderly cat being left alone with improper food for days and concern about access to fresh water.

OP can purchase an auto-feeder and auto-waterer to ensure the cat is fed and hydrated for extended periods.

Find a backup sitter if the current one is always unavailable

Leaving a cat home alone with only dry food is seen as animal abuse

OP should politely decline and remember that "NO" is a sufficient response.

It could be mum attempt to get free cat-sitting.

The daughter should continue talking to her mom about the issue, making it clear that her mom needs to find someone trustworthy to take care of the cat when she's away. She needs to emphasize that her own family and pregnancy come first, and she shouldn't feel guilty for prioritizing them.

Damjan