Parenting Fail - Four-legged edition

When asked what she wanted for Mother's Day last year, my friend told her hubby, "nothing I have to keep alive."

I hear ya sister.

I am a bad pet parent. It's a good thing that my kids love to give the animals treats, hugs and belly rubs, because they've got to pick up my slack.

A LOT of slack.

Don't get me wrong, my animals are fed and cared for, so don't be sicking PETA or anybody on me. But OCCASIONALLY, the following things may or may not have happened in my house.

1. The dog asks to go out, goes straight to the outside water bowl and comes right back in. Sometimes the inside water is empty, but I swear she likes the taste of  the outside water better.

2. Cat gets locked in the basement. For an afternoon. Or overnight. Never both. Usually.

Did somebody leave me out here?
(Not actually my dog. I'm sure this dog's
owners NEVER forget about her)

3. Dog gets left outside. (Not this time of year, folks. Only when it's nice out.) She's kinda used to it. She nestles down into the grass and waits for someone to remember her. And yes, both children know to let the dog in and out.

4. I know it's time to trim the cat's claws when he starts sticking to the carpet. 

5. Two words for you: LITTER. BOX. Ugh. I may be bad, but Hubby is worse. If the cat was an indoor/outdoor cat, I'm pretty sure he would have run away after my last pregnancy.

This kinda looks like my cat. Only less irritated.

6. A child can be found trying to "nap" in the dog's bed while said dog is sitting in the living room looking pitiful. 

7. There are no pictures of my animals to even post on here. You ever seen Pioneer Woman's blog? I am pretty sure she takes more pictures of ONE animal in ONE day than I have taken of BOTH of my pets in the last year. And she has scads of dogs, cows, horses and a cat. So I guess she has a lot of subject material to choose from, but still...

Pretty soon the animals are going to take their revenge... although since the dog's new favorite place to sleep is on Hubby's pillow and the cat's is his clean laundry. I have all the responsibility and he gets all the blame.

Sounds good to me.