I never thought THIS would happen

People told me it would.  I never believed them.  Paul told me he heard it, too.  I said "That's not going to happen to me."  But, alas, it has and I am too tired to feel bad about it.  What happened?  My dogs and cat have become...my dogs & cat.  They are no longer my babies.

Yesterday Beast, the chihuahua I've had for almost 11 years, got out of the gate.  And by got out I mean burrowed his way under the gate like a dang...well, some kind of animal that burrows.  I was getting ready to get in the shower when I hear Paul yell, "That damn Beast go out and is gone."  I throw on a very questionable outfit, grab the baby, throw her in the swing, and step out the front door.  Paul is walking back into our yard from our neighbors yard and we both are yelling for Beast.  Nothing.  No Beast. 

Now in the past this would've put me into hysterics.  I would've been a MESS until my baby Beast was found.  Yesterday I told Paul, "Go to your lunch.  He's got a tag on.  Someone will find him."  WTF!  Paul looked at me like I had lost my dang mind and got into his truck and took off down the street.  I figured Beast had disappeared into the conservation land behind out house and headed into the backyard to yell for him (after first checking on my real baby of course).  From the backyard I heard Paul yell "Found him."  Beast had gotten onto the access road that runs through the conservation land and Paul chased him home in his truck (Beast ran the whole way).  I thought for sure that Paul would kill him when he got a hold of him, but he just put him in the house (having a baby has mellowed Paul out). 

I always judged questioned people who get pets only to later on give them to an animal shelter.  Oh, how little did I know.  We have this cat.  We tried to give it away once and our friends actually took him which worked out great for a month until the stupid cat started peeing on all their dog beds (I figured he just thought "Well, this was a fun vacation.  I'm ready to go home now."  Foolishly we took the cat back.  Last week I hear Paul on the phone with a shelter.  Apparently I had said we could give the cat to the shelter if it was a no kill shelter and if we paid for his care until he got adopted.  Paul found a shelter like a man on a mission from God. 

This cat...he really is a sweet cat, but he's sooooo needy!  He used to get into this crawl space under our tub until Paul finally put the access panel up (so if I ever get electrocuted in the tub it's probably because the cat chewed through a wire).  Then he'd meow and scratch at the access panel.  His most recent thing is to want to be in the unfinished part of the basement.  Fine, whatever.  Except he comes in the house at night to eat and at 5 o'clock in the morning begins this awful loud screaming because he wants us to let him into the basement.  Are you friggin kidding me with this s**t cat? 

So, the other night the cat runs out the door when I let the dogs outside.  In the past I would've again been hysterical trying to get the cat back inside.  The other night...not so much.  I was in my slippers.  It wasn't that cold out.  I figured the cat would come back if he wanted and sure enough a few minutes later I opened the door and there was the cat. 

I just told Paul "Let's just move all the cats stuff into the unfinished part of the basement."  Paul said, "He can run outside then when we let the dogs out."  I said, "I don't care.  He'll come back when he wants."  Paul "Wow, you're really over the cat."  Me "There is enough crying in this household already without the cat crying to get into the basement." 

Don't get me wrong.  Our house has been like a pet paradise.  Heck ,we've driven 2 hours to take our dogs to a dog park.  They have an entire draw full of clothes and they get Christmas presents.  In the summer I set up a pool for them and buy them ice cream. To say our pets have been spoiled is an understatement.  We'd do anything for them. We just spent $1600 at the vet on Sasha and I had a cat who after a $2000 vet bill was diagnosed with kidney disease resulting in me doing home IV treatments on her for over a year (and she still ended up dying).  We are pet people.  But now we are baby people.   And baby people cannot give enough attention to 4 dogs and a cat. 

So, what I swore wouldn't happen did.  Our "babies" have become our pets. 

How did you incorporate your pet into your household with your baby?