What should I do about my Neighbor?

[LabLover]

Simply go over and say I'm very sorry but your not treating your dog right. Dogs have feelings too they don't like to be tied up like that! I am a huge dog lover so this is a big concern for me. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot and I don't want you to think I'm the nieghborhood bus body.Say mabey you can train your dog to stay in the back yard and go potty in a certain spot! And then mabey offer some help w/ the training!

[wolflady]

Ok, so I talked to my friend this weekend. She really didn't react like I thought she would and I'm really frustrated because I started out subtle...but then I flat out said...you should really think about getting rid of some of your animals, because it would be better for them as well as your baby. Surprisingly, she didn't get mad, but what frustrates me is that she said that her boyfried doesn't want to! UGH!!!! It's just one of those situations that you just want to reach out and slap someone (mainly the boyfriend...I don't think much of him...after all...oh...nevermind...I don't want to bore you all about THAT )Now, I don't want to offend anyone on here, but it really irks me that she allows this to happen to the animals!! She seemed to agree with me on the cat issue, but she says that "boyfriend says: blah blah blah"...But, I'm thinking that she lives in that house too along with a baby, so she should have a say in what and what doesn't happen. She claims to be an animal lover, but doesn't take care of the animals(after all, 7 of the 9 cats are his, but 3 of the 4 dogs are hers! Doesn't mean they should be neglected if he isn't taking care of them properly). She shouldn't allow the conditions of that household to develop...if boyfriend isn't taking care of the cats and dogs and bunnies, then she should...or she should do somthing about it. It's not good for the animals or the baby! It's so frustrating that I just can't seem to get through to her!! I feel so sorry for all of those animals..but I've talked to her and talked to her and nothing ever gets done. She's always asking me for advice, and I give it, but it doesn't seem to register. Should I even be involved?

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"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

[RachelJ]

You have planted a seed. I am often amazed how some point I have tried to make is initially refuted or ignored, only to find days, weeks, or months later, that the person to actually doing what I suggested. I know it is hard not to see the results right away, but I would be willing to bet when situations come up at home and she is overwhelmed (as she must be) what you said will come back to her. It will play in her mind. There may be a small change or a big one, depending how strong she is. In any event, you've done the right thing. You may get more oportunities to restate your case as she frequently asks your opinion. Just stay cool, be prepared to give examples or share how you have had to make similar choices in your life and why.

[Genia]

I agree with Rachel. Hopefully, you have planted the seeds. Maybe her motherly instincts will take over. I wouldn't want to scare her but there are many diseases a child can get from dogs or cats if not properly supervised or if the home is not sanitary. One is ringworm, which if not properly treated will cause scarring and more severe problems if the ringworm is located on the scalp. There's also cat- scratch disease. With all those cats, I would be surprised if she didn't have problems with her pregancy. My ex was my cat's best friend when I was pregnant. He would barely let me touch the cat let alone change the litter box. Excuse me if I sound harsh but although I am passionate about the treatment animals, the treatment and well-being of children comes first. That is not a healthy environment for her child or her pets. If you want to "gather some ammunition" for your next conversation, talk to your vet about transmissionable diseases. I think the study of the transmission of diseases from animals to humans is call Zoonotic (sp) diseases. I am really concerned about the baby.

[wolflady]

Thank you, I hope so! I'm worried about that baby also! Just the fact that the guys is a 17 year old high school drop out and my friend (who is 22 and can't hold a job)...I don't see how they manage let alone take care of all those animals. I went over there once, and the next day, I had these bumps around my neck area...looked like flea bites and they went away within a day. I was so freaked out and there is a baby living in these conditions! She had said that she had given her pets flea dips earlier to kill fleas. Luckily the baby has looked and seemed fine everytime I've seen him, but I still worry and get frustrated about the whole situation. I think I will look into those diseases and mention that next time I talk to her. Thanks for the suggestion. I do volunteer work at a wildlife center here in San Jose and I've gotten a list of zoonotic diseases that wild animals can give, I'll look into the domestic pet side. Hey, it might be interesting research for all of us!