Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[riley702]

How at least one of my patients sees me. It was a collaboration; I helped her with some of the drawing and she colored me in and decided I should be carrying balloons and have one of my cats at work (LOL). I added the stethoscope to my left hand, before everyone asks what that is. :D This one's definitely going up on the fridge.

 

[Maharincess]

I haven't posted in this thread but have loved seeing your pictures and reading your pet stories.

I'd like to tell you about Kaylee. She's an almost 7 year old Border Collie. I adopted her from the BC rescue on 4/19/13.

I had lost my BC Harley and swore I'd never get another dog. It just hurt too damn bad at the end.

I went to the rescue site just to look, Kaylee's picture was the first picture on the first page. She's a red Border Collie and what they call split face so I noticed her look first. I looked at a few more pages of pictures but kept going back to her. Those big, sad brown eyes spoke to me. I noticed the name the rescue had given her. It was the same nickname I've been calling my husband since the day we met. It was an omen.

I already had an approved application on file so I made an appointment to go meet her.

She had been severely abused. A lot of her teeth are broken and missing from abuse and neglect, she has burn scars on her stomach, she had broken bones that weren't treated and didn't heal properly. When she was found at the shelter they said the only way she could have gotten into the area where she was found was to be thrown over an 8 foot fence. She was also skin and bones.

The rescue said that she had been looked at many times and adopted once but brought back because she snapped at somebody. She didn't bite, she just snapped. Because of that they would only adopt her out to somebody with Border Collie experience and training experience. I had to have her. She was so timid and so terrified that she wouldn't move. We had to crate her to get her to my house.

My bedroom has doors that lead to a small fenced area. I put a big square table near the door and draped blankets over it (think kid's fort). I made her a bed under the table and put her food and water under there. She had a comfy bed, food water and could go out as she pleased. She didn't always make it outside and she peed a lot out of fear.

Then I just left her alone for a few days. I'd go about my normal routine and just narrated everything I did, talking to her in a soft voice. If I got too close she'd back into the corner of her fort and growl. She would only go outside if I wasn't around.

After a couple of weeks I started pulling the blanket back a bit and talk to her and toss her treats. She would just stare at me with those sad eyes like she was waiting for me to hurt her. I just kept talking. That went on for weeks. Each day I'd get a little closer to her. The growling eventually stopped after a couple of months. I just kept getting on the floor and talking and giving treats.

One day after she had been with us for about 4 months I got down on the floor to talk to her. She was staring at me like usual but then she started scooting closer to me. Not too close but closer than ever before. The next day she got a little closer.

About a week later I handed her a treat. She would never take food out of my hands but this day she took it from me. She went right back and hid but we had progress!!

After about 6 months I got on the floor like I usually did and I heard a thumping noise. She wagged her tail at me! It may not sound like much but I cried my eyes out.

About a week later she scooted over to me and put her paw on my foot. A couple of days later, she put her head on my leg. I'm trying to stay calm so I don't scare her but inside I'm jumping up and down and cheering.

At this point I her tail wags a little every time she sees me. I go in the room one day and instead of hiding under her table she's asleep on the bed. I got on the bed with her and we cuddled for an hour.

It was probably a full year or more before she completely trusted us. It was worth every second.

So many times people would tell me to give up on her. I refused to give up. I knew there was a great dog in there, she was just terrified. Everybody she knew had hurt her. She just needed to feel safe and know that nobody would ever hurt her again.

Today Kaylee is a happy, healthy confident dog who loves everybody she meets. She's still timid around new people at first but once she sees that I'm ok with somebody, she's fine with them too.

Watching this beautiful girl go from a terrified, beaten down dog into the happy confident girl she is today has been one of the best experiences of my life.

She can't get enough of being touched. She's always wanting to be petted, hugged, kissed and loved on. My theory is that she's never been touched in a loving way before and she's making up for lost time. I'm more than happy to oblige her. She's the sweetest, most cuddly dog I've ever known.

I hope that I'm making up for the horror she's suffered through in her early years.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[Betweenyouandme]

Well, that certainly made me cry. How touching.

[Maharincess]

I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm sorry. I just like sharing her story so people can see that a lot of these "difficult" dogs are just scared. I hate to think of what would have happened to my girl if I hadn't taken her.

She was named the rescue's success dog of the year!

[raven]

Time and love can do a lot; Maharincess, what a beautiful story; I am beyond sorry for whatever Kaylee went through before you found each other but the beauty is in your commitment to her and what it brought the both of you.   There was definitely an omen with the nickname!  Thank you for sharing.

[harrie]

riley702, I just love your picture!  That is just the cutest and therapy cats are a thing that should happen.   Gotta ask -- are you familiar with Buffy the Vampire Slayer? 

 

Maharincess, thank you for the tale of Kaylee.  As others have said, it's amazing what love can do.  

 

Kaylee's turnaround reminds me a little of my first dog as an adult (me as the adult, not the dog, but she'd been around a while, too), Ethel.  I answered a "please save me from death row" ad and ended up taking her home.  She was sort of okay overall but wary, and had to go to dog class. So did we, to be fair.  One day in class, she wouldn't do a down, and snapped at me when I tried (as instructed) to push her shoulders gently but firmly down. Right after she snapped, she kind of braced herself.... and nothing happened.  It was like a turning point; and once she realized there would be no hitting, she almost instantly became the best dog ever. Ethel was a Border Collie/Husky mix, and I wonder if BC's get into bad situations because they're too smart -- they learn things we don't want them to (and that we don't realize we're teaching them), or people want a smart dog, not realizing they have to be smarter than their dog all the freakin' time.  Thank you for letting Kaylee know all humans don't suck and for giving Kaylee a chance, and a wonderful life. 

Edited May 27, 2015 by harrie

[Maharincess]

Double post. Sorry.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Maharincess

[riley702]

Poor baby! I'm so glad she finally feels safe and happy. Can you post a picture of her for us?

 

Harrie - LOVED Buffy. (hated Riley)

[Maharincess]

She was worth every second. She and her cat sister are both curled up on the bed next to me right now.

I don't think I could have done this when my kids were small.

I had just had a bad accident and knew I'd no longer be working. I had some surgeries coming up and knew most of my recovery would be spent in the bedroom where I set her up.

Everything was just perfectly timed.

She helped me too and still is. All this time spent recovering has been much better with her here.

I wish I knew how to post pictures.

I'm trying to figure out how to add a picture of her. I tried to change my avatar to a picture of her but I can't do that either.

harrie a lot of people don't realize that Border Collies are a lot of work. If you don't give them "jobs" and keep their minds stimulated they can get destructive.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Maharincess

[harrie]

Harrie - LOVED Buffy. (hated Riley)

 

riley702, don't take this wrong, but your picture reminded me of the ep where Buffy was in the hospital and saved the kids from the ghouly thing.  One of the kids made her a picture -

 

 

Yours is much, much nicer and less bloody, though!

[harrie]

Maharincess, I don't know if this will help, but here's how to use imgur to post a photo.  I'm pretty sure you can use it without becoming a member.  

http://www.wikihow.com/Upload-Images-to-Imgur    I've had an account at Photobucket forever, so I can't help more directly with imgur, but a lot of people here use it.

[Betweenyouandme]

I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm sorry. I just like sharing her story so people can see that a lot of these "difficult" dogs are just scared. I hate to think of what would have happened to my girl if I hadn't taken her.

She was named the rescue's success dog of the year!

No, no! It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing. That's a wonderful thing you've done for Kaylee. Congratulations on her award!

[Maharincess]

Thanks harrie, I'm going to try that. I do all of my internet stuff either from my phone or my tablet. Until my accident I was never an internet person so I'm still trying to figure it all out.

Thanks Betweenyouanme! We were proud. I've been thinking about doing it again. I have some more things to work out with Kaylee first though. She is really possessive of me. She doesn't mind people or my cat being around me but she does not like me giving attention to other dogs. She's shown some aggression that I need to work on.

I think I'm going to work with Kaylee for another year or so and then do it again. I was thinking of fostering, taking the "difficult" dogs and getting them ready for a new home but I'm afraid I would get attached and keep them all, especially if it took as long as it took with Kaylee. I think after I work more with her we will get another rescue that needs us and give them a home.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Maharincess

[riley702]

Oh, that's hilarious, harrie! I hadn't thought of that one. I did get a lot of people at TWoP who assumed I was a fan of Riley, but I thought he was a pretty dull lump, myself.

[DeLurker]

Darn it Maharincess!  I was reading your post about Kaylee and I was suddenly very aware of how dusty my computer room is!

 

It sounds like you and Kaylee are well suited for each other.  It took a lot of love and patience on your side, but so much heart for Kaylee to begin to trust, even a little bit at a time, again - maybe for the first time.  I love when I hear stories like this that have a happy ending for both parties. 

 

A week ago I was dropping off donations of old blankets and towels at the local animal shelter.  They had a digital sign telling you how many animals they had in total and how many they had taken in last week.  The numbers were astounding.

[bosawks]

Oh Loki is just gorgeous! So are Beast and Georgia :-)  How goes it with Allie, bosawks?  

 

I've yet to try the new drinking bowl approach, because we're currently in a corporate apartment as we wait to take possession of our new house and our dogs are boarded at the same training facility that first worked with Oscar. 

 

It is downright weird to not have the dogs around while at "home".   

 

It's going really well, she's adapting to everything I'm throwing at her like a trooper.  She still is mighty skittish but becomes less and less so each day and recovers even quicker.  This weekend when a rake crashed to the deck (the bastard) it only took her about 10 seconds to run off, hide behind the shed, come out and start chewing on that same rake handle.

 

  The 30 day trial period is over on Sunday and barring any calamity she officially becomes mine in June.

[JTMacc99]

I think I'm going to work with Kaylee for another year or so and then do it again. I was thinking of fostering, taking the "difficult" dogs and getting them ready for a new home but I'm afraid I would get attached and keep them all, especially if it took as long as it took with Kaylee. I think after I work more with her we will get another rescue that needs us and give them a home.

First of all, I wish there was a way to give more than one thumbs up to your story.

 

As for fostering, I didn't find it as difficult as I thought I would to send them off to their permanent homes. There was more happiness that a good family was getting this good dog than there was sadness.  Not that it wasn't a little sad, but the happy outweighed it.

 

Having said that, I have one dog that we've permanently fostered for 7 years (because it turned out that MY house was the perfect place for him), and it looks like the Italian Greyhound that we offered to give a home when his owner lost his home to a fire is going be another dog we permanently foster.

 

So I'm not sure what I'm saying.  Maybe "don't worry that you'll automatically want to keep every dog you foster, but some will be a lot harder to pass along than others."

[Maharincess]

bosawks, she is beautiful! Congratulations!

I'm still trying to figure out how to post a picture of my Kaylee. I went to the link above but when I tried to upload a picture of her, I could only get to my documents. I have no pictures in there.

I do all of my internet from a phone and tablet so maybe that's why I'm having problems.

I'll keep trying.

Edit. I feel so stupid. I was able to upload some pictures of Kaylee and have spent the last half hour trying to figure out how to get the pictures from there to here and just can't figure it out.

I want to post my favorite picture of her. It's a picture of her the first time I went into the bedroom and she was lying on the bed instead of hiding under her table.

I feel so stupid.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[Maharincess]

That didn't work.

I see options to share on Facebook and other places but not for here.

I'm making myself look like an idiot here aren't I?

Edited May 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[harrie]

Not at all, Maharincess.   I looked up how to post a picture in the PTV questions forum; and while it's helpful, most of the instructions are for computers, not phones/tablets.  Your device may be your major issue.  The link above gives options for using code on phones, but I don't know how code-friendly you are.  (I am not at all code-friendly.)  I'm sorry not to be of any actual assistance. 

[SomePity1066]

 

I couldn't get a picture to transfer (darn you, technology !) but this is a link to the original YouTube video where I first saw my Clooney and decided on the spot to adopt him, sight unseen, from nearly 900 miles away ! He's featured up to the 2:40 mark or so. I've had him now for a year and a half, he's been though everything imaginable, including two biopsies on the mass on his lower right jaw, thankfully benign, a positive test for Lyme disease from all the years he was a stray, now treated, of course, but is now going though pancreatitis. Poor baby. I will love and care for him until it's time to say goodbye and usher him to the Rainbow Bridge. But, until that time, he is so very loved, spoiled, hugged, and treated the very same as a child would. He is precious and irreplaceable, and I hope you're all able to see the video so you can see my fur baby !

 

In the meantime I soooo enjoy the pictures and stories of your own cats and dogs - every rescue story fills my heart with love and makes me feel closer to the goodness of humanity...  :)

 

Any other owners of a Belgian Malinois ? I know they're rare, and mostly "working" dogs in the military or Secret Service, but I'd love to see any, whether pets or "on the job" ! They are truly a special breed :)

 

<<Hugs>> to all, human, feline, and canine, and Happy Thursday  <3

[stillshimpy]

Maharincess, I'm sorry, I'd normally be able to help walk you through the picture posting, but I'm still in the middle of painting an entire house, inside (and eventually out), so I need to go be painter chick with a vengeance.   

 

Scroll down on the link that harrie already gave you, this one on how to post a picture, and you'll see a reply option.  You can ask for help posting from your specific operating system.  I have an ipad and a windows tablet, but I have to go hit up Home Depot for more paint for the five thousandth time (slight exaggeration).  

 

Great stories and great pictures!!  

 

I finally get my dogs back on Saturday.  Thank you, Universe.  

[harrie]

Everyone, meet Kaylee, Maharincess's lovely Border Collie.

 

      

Edited May 28, 2015 by harrie

[Maharincess]

That's my girl!!!!!

Thank you so much harrie!!!

I have to explain her bunny. We had bought her so many toys and she had no interest in any of them. One day I was cleaning the closet and that bunny was in the bottom of a box of stuff to be thrown away

Kaylee nosed around in the box and pulled the bunny out. It took her a while as it was in the bottom of a full box.

She finally pulled the bunny out and hasn't put it down since.

She LOVES her bunny!

The picture of her on the bed with my cat and my Chihuahua (rip my Baby) was the first timne she slept anywhere but under her table. That was a great day!

The one of her lying on the floor was right after she got home from the groomers, she wasn't too happy.

The last close up I took last night, it's just Kaylee saying hi everybody!!

Edited May 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[harrie]

I couldn't get a picture to transfer (darn you, technology !) but this is a link to the original YouTube video where I first saw my Clooney and decided on the spot to adopt him, sight unseen, from nearly 900 miles away !

 

Any other owners of a Belgian Malinois ? I know they're rare, and mostly "working" dogs in the military or Secret Service, but I'd love to see any, whether pets or "on the job" ! They are truly a special breed :)

 

SomePity1066, Clooney is beautiful.   Any ideas on his back story?   Our previous dog to Handsome got pancreatitis - totally our fault, she got into the garbage -- and it was a rough go, followed by a prescription diet of bland, rubbery food for the rest of her life.  I hope Clooney handles it okay with minimal issues. 

 

I worked with someone who has a Malinois, also a rescue - she came to work a few times.  A super-nice dog, well-behaved and sweet as all get out.  Are you a fan of Bear on Person of Interest by any chance?  I picture you and Clooney sitting on the couch together, watching.

 

 

 

Maharincess, my pleasure.  She's a beauty!

Edited May 28, 2015 by harrie

[Maharincess]

She is a beauty isn't she? She's the sweetest girl.

[Betweenyouandme]

Awwwww! Yay, we get to see Kaylee. How sweet. She's lovely, Maharincess!

[SomePity1066]

SomePity1066, Clooney is beautiful.   Any ideas on his back story?   Our previous dog to Handsome got pancreatitis - totally our fault, she got into the garbage -- and it was a rough go, followed by a prescription diet of bland, rubbery food for the rest of her life.  I hope Clooney handles it okay with minimal issues. 

 

I worked with someone who has a Malinois, also a rescue - she came to work a few times.  A super-nice dog, well-behaved and sweet as all get out.  Are you a fan of Bear on Person of Interest by any chance?  I picture you and Clooney sitting on the couch together, watching.

 

 

 

Maharincess, my pleasure.  She's a beauty!

Harrie - Kaylee is such a darling ! And so lucky to have such a kind, caring doggie mama like Maharincess !!! How nice of you, from what I can gather, to post the pictures for her. The half-and-half black and white fur is just beautiful, especially with the golden brown eyes. She and Clooney would make such a nice (but still neutered and spayed !) couple ! Like friends without benefits ! 

 

Clooney's story is mostly a mystery to me. I was told he was picked up as a stray, but he'd obviously had some police or military training, so the shelter said he'd probably washed out of K-9 school and adopted by a family. When he developed the huge mass on his lower jaw, horrible looking but fortunately benign, the family probably just didn't want the hassle or expense, so he was dumped in a parking lot in Berryville, AR - Dugger Country !!! The shelter people said he was about three or so, but my vets here say it more like 8 or 9. No matter - I love my "old man" !

 

The pancreatitis - I have no idea ! He always had the best dog food, Blue Buffalo and Natural Balance, but it popped up in February without warning. He now gets all white, boneless, skinless boiled chicken mixed with organic wild brown rice, so he's liven' large ! He takes three prescriptions and is doing better day by day. If he does have a bad night I sleep on the floor with him, but they've been happening less and less since the diet changes and medications. 

 

Unfortunately I've never seen Person of Interest, but if there's a Belgian Malinois on it I'm going to start watching this week ! Clooney DOES watch TV with me, especially Unlikely Animal Friends and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so, yes, I'm a hardcore Buffy fan, just one of my many positive qualities haha ! As for Clooney, I think he likes the noises when they fight...  :)

 

So my many, many thanks to you for your interest ! I'm looking forward to your stories and pictures - this board, and especially this thread, has made me so happy in the last few weeks. It feels good to be "home"...

 

<< hugs  >> to both you and Maharincess !!! And peace to one and all... <3

[Maharincess]

Thank you again to harrie for offering to let me email the pictures of Kaylee to her and posting them for me.

My low tech self just could not figure out how to do it.

SomePity1066 Its hard to tell from the pictures but Kaylee is a red Border Collie. She has beautiful red hair. We almost named her Lucy. We wanted a name to honor out late BC Harley so we narrowed it down to either Carly or Hailey. She didn't fit either of those names so we chose Kaylee. I call her Kays for short. Or Kay Kay, or Baby Kays.

Aw Clooney!! He's lucky to have you for his mama. Thank you for rescuing!

Edited May 29, 2015 by Maharincess

[DeLurker]

Sadly petless right now, but I love seeing your pets and reading about them!

 

stillshrimpy - It is almost Saturday!  I bet the missing has been mutual!

 

 

Unfortunately I've never seen Person of Interest, but if there's a Belgian Malinois on it I'm going to start watching this week !

PoI is an awesome show, but Bear is not always in each episode (to many viewers dismay - should that have an apostrophe?  You guys have me so worried about these things!).  He does have his own twitter account and tweets during episodes.  He's very well read, but isn't bilingual so they are all in Dutch.   Google Translate is your friend.

 

There are a couple of episodes that are Bear-centric and totally delightful.  I'll try to get together a short list of these.

 

ETA:  Bear is introduced in The Contingency, S2 Ep 1.  There are more eps you should watch if Bear is your goal, but I'm short of time on getting the list together. 

 

ETA2: Because Ep 2 means Ep 1 only in my head.

Edited May 29, 2015 by DeLurker

[stillshimpy]

Kaylee is gorgeous, and I love Clooney too!  What wonderful furry family members we all have :-)  harrie, you rock for helping get Kaylee's picture up.  Sorry guys, that is usually the kind of stuff I can be counted upon to help with, but I was otherwise engaged painting any surface that would hold still :-) 

 

And I have my boo-boos back!  Yay, Oscar and Puddles, Puddles and Oscar.  Ready to have adventures and solve crimes and stuff, once again.   Or you know, lounge on memory foam beds and get cuddled a bunch.  

 

Hey guys, completely by accident I solved the "what should I put under Oscar's water bowl to stop the over-spill" dilemma.  When we first got Oscar , we fed him in a crate (actually not the crate he sleeps in) until he was crate-trained.  So I had an extra crate, very large crate.   When we moved, I figured we didn't need the crate-training-crate any longer and as I was putting it away I realized, "Hey....you know what this has?  A giant plastic tray.  Duh."  

 

So there we go.  A tray twice the size of a baking tray did the trick nicely :-)  

Edited May 31, 2015 by stillshimpy

[Maharincess]

I love when things work out that way!

I'm glad you solved the problem.

I have to put my pet food bowls in baking sheets filled with water in the summer or the ants get in there.

I've never done crating with my dogs. I know a lot of dogs love their crates but I've never used one except when we brought Kaylee home.

I've worked out of my house with my grooming business for many years and before that worked at places where my dogs could go, so my dogs have never really been left alone.

I want to clarify that I've got nothing against it, I've just never personally done it.

I do have some though for emergencies.

I don't know if you guys can see my Chihuahua in the picture of Kaylee on the bed. She's right behind Kaylee. She had a story similar to Kaylee and I think was a big part of Kays coming out of her shell. The first time Kaylee wagged her tail here at the house was when Baby went in to say hi.

Baby was abused too and made to have litter after litter of puppies until her little body just couldn't take it anymore. She was on her last day at the pound when I found her.

I won't bore you all with all the details but Baby came out of her shell much faster than Kaylee did, but only to me. She didn't bite anybody but never let anybody but me touch her. And she loooooved me!! If I was sitting, she was on my lap, if I was laying, she was on my stomach, if I was standing, she was on my feet. I couldn't be out of her site or she would whine the whole time. She was my sweet cuddle girl. I miss her so much.

I had her for 13 years, she died this past Xmas at 18 years old.

Does anybody else have a cat who likes to have their face scratched really hard? Or is my cat just a weirdo? If I'm scratching her face she'll grind into my nails really hard. I scratch her pretty hard but she loves it so much she drools.

She's an odd one.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Maharincess

[bosawks]

In our cavalcade of new experiences Allie went to the shore on Saturday and, dare I say, it went swimmingly!

 

 

And the ride back........

 

 

Tired at last.

[stillshimpy]

We only crate Oscar when we leave the house and he does sleep in one, but with the door open.  The sole reason we crate-trained Oscar is that he's literally 50 pounds heavier than Pud and when we first got him, we didn't want to risk an incident where Oscar decided that he was going to be the boss of Pud and hurt her.  

 

Pud can't be crated, but I'm actually in favor of crate-training.  I do a lot of work with animal rescues and it helps with house-breaking and keeping destruction to a minimum when dealing with dogs that have separation anxiety.  The only problem with crates is that people can and do misuse them.  That's what happened at Puddles first home, so that's why we've never used one with her.  Oscar has an entirely open-sided crate and he just goes in there to hang out sometimes.  

 

All of our caution about how Oscar could pose a danger to Pud turned out to be unnecessary though.  He's a gentle dog and perfectly happy to let Pud be the boss of him.  

 

Check out Allie being the action-star!!! She seems to live up to the breeds love of water! 

Edited June 1, 2015 by stillshimpy

[riley702]

My brother and his wife crate-trained Daisy, their Golden when she was a puppy. As she grew and concerns about her destroying the place while they were gone abated, they started leaving the door open. She likes it and will sleep there and takes naps in it. Their cats have started joining Daisy in the crate to sleep - since their two cats are orange, it's sometimes difficult to make out who's who in the cuddle puddle. :D

 

ETA: The cats, Jake and Toby were dumped in the cornfield ( a year apart) near their house. Jake was even neutered, but not micro-chipped. They put up notices, but no one claimed them. They were kind of relieved, since these are two fabulous cats. They're both micro-chipped now.

Edited June 1, 2015 by riley702

[harrie]

Bosawks, is it official today (June)?   So glad Allie had fun at the beach, she looks so happy!  I just love the splashy picture where her ears flew up.

 

Maharincess, our cat really likes a good rub/scratch, too - and he's also a drooler (but he has not teeth so that may be part of the drool thing).  I'm sorry for your loss of Baby; but it sounds like you made her life very, very nice for a long time.

 

re crate training, it worked wonders for one of our dogs, and she liked her crate a lot.  If we said "go to your room" she'd bound over into it and sit, waiting for her treat, and she spent time in it on her own volition, as Oscar (above) does.  Why the crate training?  Because when left to her own devices while home alone, she did stuff like eating pens and leaving blue footprint all over the house.  The footprints are fine, we're not super neat; but we worried about what else she would find, despite our best efforts to Tipper-proof the house, to sample and that would impact her health.

 

Our current dog spent at least a year in a crate 24/7 (before we had him), so while we still have a crate, we've never asked him to go into it. Based on his reactions to smaller-type rooms, or the darkness that starts to envelop us when the garage door closes, I don't think he's interested in exploring crates on his terms; that may change, though.    He's very timid and doesn't explore a lot, so pen-eating and other scary possibilities haven't been an issue. 

[DeLurker]

Does anybody else have a cat who likes to have their face scratched really hard? Or is my cat just a weirdo? If I'm scratching her face she'll grind into my nails really hard. I scratch her pretty hard but she loves it so much she drools.

She's an odd one.

We had a cat, Stinky,  when I was a kid who drooled when your scratched him.  He would lie on my lap on his back and as I scratched him behind his ears, his head would fall farther and farther back, the purring would get louder and louder and the drool would start.  It was very undignified but I figured that is what you got when you name a cat Stinky.

 

Never heard of anyone else having a cat that drooled though.

[Maharincess]

My cat drools every time I pet her. I read that it's a sign of comfort and contentment.

Another cat question. Admittedly, my cat is odd. I've had cats since I was a kid and Trixie is the strangest cat I've ever had.

My question, has anybody ever had a cat that only liked one person in the house? Trixie was 5 weeks old when I got her, she attached herself to me and doesn't like anybody else. But she LOVES me. She's not afraid of my husband, she'll walk by him and occasionally rub her face on his foot as she walks by but won't let him touch her.

She also hides upstairs when anybody comes to visit. I've had shy cats before but they at least liked the people they live with.

Is my Trixie just a weirdo?

Bosawks, Allie is beautiful! She looks so happy. I love seeing a doggie all worn out after a day of fun.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Maharincess

[riley702]

One of my cats will drool when very happy and relaxed while being petted. As for a one-person cat, my brother (same one as above) found a half-starved kitten while out jogging and brought her home. Penny was HIS cat and she merely tolerated anyone else in the home. When he'd get up, she'd twine happily around his feet and chirp while his coffee brewed, and when he took his cup and sat down, she was in his lap immediately. Penny was the first cat that was HIS and did a lot to make him like and want cats. He was pretty much only a dog person before that.

[DeLurker]

Another cat question. Admittedly, my cat is odd. I've had cats since I was a kid and Trixie is the strangest cat I've ever had.

My question, has anybody ever had a cat that only liked one person in the house? Trixie was 5 weeks old when I got her, she attached herself to me and doesn't like anybody else. But she LOVES me. She's not afraid of my husband, she'll walk by him and occasionally rub her face on his foot as she walks by but won't let him touch her.

She also hides upstairs when anybody comes to visit. I've had shy cats before but they at least liked the people they live with.

Is my Trixie just a weirdo?

I don't think so.  My SIL's mother lives near by.  Her cat only likes her and absolutely no one else.  She stopped coming downstairs when they got a dog and will hide if anyone other than her owner comes upstairs.  The dog doesn't like stairs so stays downstairs anyway.  When she goes on trips (the length of her stay is determind by how much separation the cat and dog can take) and her grandchildren come over to care for the pets, they never ever actually see the cat - just evidence like some eaten food or in the litter box.

 

I think that trait is more common in some breeds of dog though.  My brother had a chow chow and my brother was "his" person.  My Mom had a horrible little yappy dog for about 2 months - maybe a lhasa apso or shih tzu - and that dog only liked my Mom.  Tolerated my Dad, but barely.  We had a family dog when she got it and when the family dog went outside to go to the bathroom, the little shit wouldn't let her back in (the family dog was so gentle and never met a bully before).  I was up at college at the time and when my parents told me about it, I told my Mom to get rid of the dog or I would as soon as I got home (spring break was coming up).  I loathed that dog without ever meeting it.  Anyway, come spring break it was gone - the original owner who had moved to a place where she could not have dogs (which is how my Mom got it in the first place), missed it so much she moved again so she could take it back.

[JTMacc99]

I've heard about some dogs who bond with only one person, and the people who told me this are VERY confident about this.

 

In my opinion, dogs are pack animals, and tend to place themselves somewhere in the pack order. They will see (hopefully) people above them in the pack, and they will tend to look up to those people. If there is one specific person the dog views as a caregiver, the dog is very likely to be more interested in what that person is doing all the time.

 

And certain breeds were absolutely bred to work along side a single person, which would put traits into them that would make it look like they only care about one person and disinterested in everybody else. Sight hounds (greyhounds, Afghan hounds) are good examples of this.

[MargeGunderson]

For all the cat owners, today is Hug Your Cat Day!

[riley702]

For all the cat owners, today is Hug Your Cat Day!

I think it's hilarious, because cats hate PDAs. So, Embarrass Your Cat Day. And yes, I did, and they squirmed to get loose. :P

[harrie]

I thought it was a trick question - you don't own cats, they own you.

[bosawks]

Guess who's officially mine!

 

[harrie]

Guess who's officially mine!

 

 

Congratulations, bosawks!!   I hope you and she have a long, happy time together. 

[stillshimpy]

Aw!! Allie is luck and so are you, bosawks :-)  I love when it works out for all concerned! 

[riley702]

Congrats!

[Maharincess]

Yay!!!! I'm so happy for you, I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes.

Congratulations, she's beautiful.

[riley702]

It's a bit off-topic, but was too good not to share. Run! It's a fire-breathing... Dachshund?

 

Edited June 19, 2015 by riley702