Does Your Significant Other Help With Cat Chores?

[kittyluv387]

I'm curious about how households divy up the cat chores! Do you do everything or does your partner help out?

We have 3 cats and 2 of them are mine and one belongs to my bf. For us I do everything related to nutrition. I decide exactly what they'll be eating and I just tell my bf to pay me $XX amount per month. I do the shopping and ordering and make sure we're well stocked. I feed them twice a day on my own. I recently started making my own cat food and he helps me out when I need it. He of course feeds them when I'm traveling for work which is about 3-10 days every quarter. We have one litter robot and I do the quick cleaning for it every week and and complete cleaning every 6 months. My bf changes out the bag whenever it becomes full which is about twice a week. He's so good at it now and super quick while if I try to do it I fumble around with it for a bit. I'm also the one deciding when to put flea meds on them and making appointments for the vet. I take care of their general grooming needs as well.

I guess I do more in my relationship but I don't mind since he helps me out a little. Plus I have 2 cats while he just has 1. And I am quite particular about cat health and nutrition. He wasn't really a cat person before he met me but obviously he is now since he rescued his own cat.

 

[Lari]

I feed the kitties 90% of the time (he does if I'm not around) and take care of the litterbox, buying things, etc. And play with Lelia every day.

He does the cat grass because I kill plants. He snuggles Sparkle and throws toys to Lelia.

I do most of it, tbh, but I said I'd do litterboxes if he does the dishes, so I don't even mind at all!

Edit: His cat is prone to acne, so he's the one that washes her chin off. I wouldn't dare! I do attempt to cut nails once in a while, but that's mostly a failure.

 

[kittyluv387]

I feed the kitties 90% of the time (he does if I'm not around) and take care of the litterbox, buying things, etc. And play with Lelia every day.

He does the cat grass because I kill plants. He snuggles Sparkle and throws toys to Lelia.

I do most of it, tbh, but I said I'd do litterboxes if he does the dishes, so I don't even mind at all!

Edit: His cat is prone to acne, so he's the one that washes her chin off. I wouldn't dare! I do attempt to cut nails once in a while, but that's mostly a failure.

That's a pretty good trade off I say! I hate dishes too.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hmmm, it's kind of the same around here, where I'm doing the majority of things, except for the first morning feeding

 

[NY cat man]

In our house, Michele buys the cat food and litter online, but she uses joint funds to pay for it. I clean the litter boxes, and do part of the feeding and cleaning of water bowls and fountain, so you could say that it is a shared effort.

 

[neely]

Whoever wakes up first feeds our cat breakfast but I generally feed him dinner. We both change his water bowl. We usually buy food and supplies together at our local pet store. As for hygiene, e.g. cleaning around his eyes because he's a Persian, cleaning his ears, grooming, etc. that all falls on me. But DH cleans the litterbox without complaint.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Excellent thread!

With my last cat, I did 85% of the care: food, meds, interacting with vet, litter box, etc. It was grueling and exhausting, mainly because my last cat had some chronic health issues her last 4 years.

So, before we got a kitten in 2015, I made Mr. PushPurr swear he'd go halfsies on the caretaking, or at least one-third. We share in the chores: I have the day shift, he has the night shift. We try to split the playtime between us or do a lot of it together with Milly -- but I think she likes playing with him a lot more than with me. I do all her meds, though. He struggles with that.

I think it really helps in so many ways to balance the chores and stuff between the humans. The cat learns that they don't have to rely on just one person for particular things, and that makes everyone less stressed - absolutely!
I think it can really help with any kind of redirected aggression that might occur too. (Some of my thoughts about this here)-
Kitten Viciously Attacks Me...

 

[lizzie]

Now that I have retired,I take care of the litter pans,etc.He does go to the store for me though and gets the cat food,dog food and litter,hauls it home and in the house,bless his heart.We do share other household chores,and I thank my lucky stars every day!

 

[calikitteh]

We divvied chores up one day and my partner took the litterbox and i got the dishes. I do more of the feeding, walking, and vet visits but it depends on our schedules....definitely feels like "our" pets even though I'm the one who wanted them initially.

 

[KarenKat]

I’m the one that remembers, researches and notices what the kitties might like - even though the BF is the cat guy. I do 80% of the feeding and litter boxes, although if he sees me scoop he will take a few on himself. We split costs evenly, but I do all the shopping.

He does cook all the human meals and I do dishes.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

That's similar to my household!

 

[Elphaba09]

My husband is pretty good about helping with everything around the house, including cat stuff. For the most part, I feed them and trim their nails. I also scoop the litter at night. He catches them to trim their nails and scoops the litter in the morning. We both brush them. I tend to be the one taking them to the vet, but that is because of his work schedule. If he is home when I have to take them, he goes with me. We get the litter and food delivered. He brings them in and puts them away. I give all medications.

 

[Lari]

The cat learns that they don't have to rely on just one person for particular things, and that makes everyone less stressed - absolutely!

If both of us are home around "lunchtime", and I'm trying to take a nap and he's awake, Sparkle will still come to me for food. It's not stressful, but kind of amusing that she doesn't go to her owner who is currently out of bed. Ah well, cats.

 

[bear]

Cat Chores?

I haven't been able to teach either cat how to run the vacuum yet.

 

[jcat]

Most of the "cat chores" are done by me, with hubby taking over when I'm not home. He's responsible for feeding a lunchtime snack as well as supplying cat grass and will feed breakfast if he's up before me.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Nope. My husband only does the good stuff with the cats: cuddling, petting - the works.

Hard labor is on me. Lol.
If worse comes to worst, he won't have any custody of my cats. Nuh ah.

 

[Tobermory]

I do everything, but that’s by (my) choice since he doesn’t notice stuff. I want to know who’s doing what in the litter boxes. I make their food, and I want to be completely confident that the grinder, bowls and counter are clean. I buy the ingredients and supplies. I measure and track how much each one is eating. I’m The Cat Person.

But he does love them, particularly Iris, his favorite. He talks to them and pets them. He always goes to the vet with me when I have to take them in. And he adored Max who crossed the Bridge in 2017...and he cried when Max died.

 

[mizzely]

He's not allowed to feed her I do all the feeding and shopping.

Otherwise he cleans up hair balls and the litter box usually

 

[GaryT]

I do ALL! No significant other here. Nobody wants me and I am not looking...

 

[Rhall]

No, but he will if I"m away. In all fairness, I bring the animals into the house. Our last two kitties were an agreement with my 3 kids 16, 18 and 21 so they have been helping. My dh does walk our dog and cleans dog poop in the yard.