Someone needs to open an animal shelter for beloved pets who have been somewhat replaced by human babies. No doubt I am going to upset several of you with this post - so you might want to stop reading now.

I bring this up because, ahem, we have four animals in our house - two cats and two dogs - which means with our recent human addition we are now, finally, at a 1:1 animal/human ratio. We love our animals. All of them - Moose, Skye, Barkley and Xena Warrior Princess (you have to use her full name or she gets cranky. Actually she’s cranky all the time so never mind.) We love them, but, as so often happens in households with new babies, they have become low-creatures on the totem pole, out of sheer necessity.

I would say the needs of the individuals in our household break down like this: Emma, William, Mike, Jen, Barkley, Moose, Skye, and Xena. You see the problem. By the time Mike and Jen have met the needs of Emma and Will, there is already a dearth of energy leftover to meet our own needs, let alone to meet the needs of the animals. Which means the animals get the seriously short end of the stick and we harbor major guilt over their less than stellar care.

I think our cats and dogs are never more happy than we go away and a pet sitter comes and stays with them. They get nothing but love and attention for days at a time, and maybe even a walk or two.

I know we can’t be the only former animal lovers turned newish parents in this predicament. The bottom line is that we love our animals but we also know they could be happier elsewhere. We have discussed finding other homes for them - homes where they will be loved and cherished in the manner they are (or were) accustomed. But the energy required even for that is more than we have available these days. So just keep pushing forward - all of us miserable.

We would never drop them at the SPCA, but a “We love you and know you deserve better” shelter, now that we could do. Someplace where someone loved them like our pet sitters love them. Where we knew they would be safe and happy and cherished. Like a long term doggy day care. Except free. Someplace that would take the time to find a great home for them, our former babies.

Alternatively, if any of my kind and gentle readers would like to adopt one or more of my furry companions, do not hesitate to let me know.