https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:55:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202305 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:40:22 +0000 Cherrybee 2202305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runnerd: :heart: :heart: I'm sorry. It took me 18 months to come to terms with it but I think we made the right decision for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202304 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:36:09 +0000 Cherrybee 2202304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of our dogs was fine but the other (younger, more energetic) dog was really unhappy. He hid in the conservatory all day every day and started toiletting in the house. We rehomed him a few weeks back via a charity - we've heard from his new owners that he's very happy! We were worried about our older dog and how she would cope alone but she's actually even happier now because she gets all the attention and all of LO's food!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202303 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:29:33 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2202303@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I actually think our dog is going to be happier now that we have a kid! LO has only been home a week, but our dog's day-to-day life has changed very little. Plus, I won't be going back to work. So our dog will now have me home with her all day as opposed to being alone while everyone is at work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202048 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 12:18:04 +0000 Chillybear 2202048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Before baby i think he was about a 9... We work 9 hour days so we tried to make the hours home in the evening count. Right when baby was born until 9-10 months, i think he was sad from loss of attention, he got verbally reprimanded a lot more, and there were times I was easily frustrated by him. I also had to kick him out of our bed because i often had to bring the baby into bed with us or i was getting out of bed a lot. Right about when the baby turned a year old things got a lot better. Our LO and Dog love each other, they play together, they're both pretty gentle and respectful. Its cute - in the morning they like to find each other. i'll ask the dog "where's baby?" and he'll run into her room and lick her through the crib slats. and dont let her find out your talking smack on her dog she will quickly correct you with a "Darwin? he a good boy" my husband started taking him for longer nightly walks while i put her to bed </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202038 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 12:05:24 +0000 Madison43 2202038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's a wash - our cat is super loving. He always wants to be in someone's lap or just in the same room as his people. So, I think he's less happy because I have much less time for him to just be sitting in my lap, but he's more happy because we have a full time nanny, so someone is almost always home and he loves the company. He also loves LO and just likes to be wherever she is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2202009 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:38:28 +0000 MK0180 2202009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our dog will get jealous from time to time but we make an effort to play with him and provide him with as much love as possible. He doesn't get as much exercise as he did before and I think that contributes to his jealousy. As DS gets older it's getting easier and he's starting to interact with him more which is super cute to see. Our dog is very good to DS. I have dog mom guilt as well! Now that it's the summer and DH is off from work hopefully he'll get out more. He needs to get all that energy out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201990 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:26:02 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2201990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My dogs love the baby so much. They don't seem unhappy but things have definitely changed for them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201895 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:56:40 +0000 fuzzypeaches 2201895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: omg I know! Dh thinks I'm so crazy because i keep buying dog toys :p also my once 7.5lb dog is now 8lbs from treats! Oops. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201894 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:54:25 +0000 TraceyJoy 2201894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our dog is probably about the same, happiness wise. He still gets the same amount of exercise, maybe he just appreciates one on one time with DH/me even more than before. He was more interested in DS before he became mobile... now he's slightly afraid of DS. I was pretty adamant that our dog's life wouldn't change just because we added kids to our family, and the only thing that's really changed is he's almost 2 years older so he's mellowed out a bit.</p> <p>DS is obsessed with our cat, and her life hasn't changed much except now she has one more person to love on her. She is a weird cat who actually kind of likes to have her ears tugged at, fur pulled, etc. (she purrs) so she doesn't mind his loving one bit, and when she does get tired of it she knows she can get places he can't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201892 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:52:18 +0000 LBee 2201892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They are probably just as happy. Their day to day life has changed very little, if at all. Actually they probably get more outside time and frisbee throwing due to my son being obsessed with them. I think we are definitely not the norm! </p> <p>It helps that there are 2 of them and they were already pretty bonded / independent. </p> <p>@fuzzypeaches: I have dog guilt too, which I think has resulted in them being MORE spoiled. I can't order something for the baby without ordering something for them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201890 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:51:29 +0000 fuzzypeaches 2201890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think he was initially very displeased about his new sibling, but I think has reached similar happiness levels after about 1 year of age? I am really careful to give him his own time too - and struggle with dog guilt almost more than mommy guilt! </p> <p>But it helps that my childcare is out of our house so he has people around most days. I also send him to daycare 1x/week as a treat :p </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201864 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:33:17 +0000 ShootingStar 2201864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My dog is like the only child that suddenly has a sibling. It's been a year and a half now and I think she's gotten used to it. Sometimes she's jealous and wants our attention too and sometimes she's happy that she has someone to play with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201851 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:26:59 +0000 jhd 2201851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say he is a little less happy at times, but overall doing ok. He is awesome with LO. I just need to be a little more patient with him at times. He's 8 but acts like a puppy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201817 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:01:22 +0000 Mamaof2 2201817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am sure she is less happy :sad: </p> <p>She did enjoy 8 child free years though and during that time she had an amazing time!!! :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201812 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 08:57:25 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2201812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She definitely wasn't nearly as happy. Maybe a 5 when she used to be a 10 and that's just with one kid. It's really for the best that she got sick and had to leave us before our family expanded. We adored her though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201791 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 08:45:01 +0000 CakeLady 2201791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely less happy :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201766 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 08:27:08 +0000 runnerd 2201766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>our dogs are miserable and terrible with our LO. The only thing keeping them around is our guilt over rehoming. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-happy-is-your-pet-after-having-kids#post-2201765 Mon, 08 Jun 2015 08:26:06 +0000 mrbee 2201765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our cat was miserable after we had kids, just because she used to be the center of attention (and she LOVES attention!). She was a little scared of our son though, so she hid a lot (except at night, when she would sleep next to us).</p> <p>But then one visit out to California, we boarded her with a local catsitter and she came back to our home with her "factory settings" reset! Now she's out and about a lot more, and so she gets a lot more TLC. She loves it and is much happier! Probably a 6 or 7 now.. whereas before, she was a 10. </p>