i feel so guilty

i have 2 cats and 2 dogs......
(used to have more but me and dh are divorcing)

so..... me and dh used to have opposite schedules so the animals were never home for longer than about 3-4 hours at a time.

now its just me and they are home alone MUCH longer. like up to 12 hours sometimes.

i dont have a lunch hour so i cant come home.

i dont know what to do i just feel so bad.

i am tinking of hiring a dog walker i just honestly cant afford it,... but im going to try my best to work it out.

the girls are good, they use the pads when im not here, but i still feel so horrible when i work late or go in early.

any advice?

Re: i feel so guilty

I think the cats are fine.. cats generally don't mind being alone for longer periods of time- (in fact I think they like it to tell ya the truth! )
Plus they have each other and the dogs to keep them company.

I know dogs need more human interaction. Do you have any friends in the area who work a different schedule than you that could stop by? The dog walker idea is great- but I know you said money is tight.

Re: i feel so guilty

Honestly, before I started my current job...Misty was home for approx 12 hours every day and she was fine. We never left her longer than that - we would have the neighbors check in on her if necessary.
She sleeps all day and we play with her before we leave or after, so she's always been fine. If she had to go, she used a pad....

IMO, they are in the comfort of their home with couches and beds to sleep in..how bad could it be?

Re: i feel so guilty

Maybe there is a neighborhood kid nearby that you trust that loves dogs that would just come over and take them out sometimes?

Re: i feel so guilty

As long as they can go to the bathroom they should be fine.
They have each other for company.
It is not the ideal situation but what is your alternative...Your doing the best you can.
Just give them some good quality time when you are home.

Re: i feel so guilty

For many years, I guess until I moved in with DH, my dog was alone all day during the work week for about 10 hours.

I knew she could last 12 hours if she had to but luckily my mom lived around the corner and could take her out when she got home from work if I was going to be out.

Anyway, she was honestly fine. I assume she slept and sat looking out the window most of the day.

At least your guys all have eachother for company!