Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[isalicat]

I so understand the desire to be with our beloved furry (or hairy or feathered or scaly or whatever loyal friends) in the future...I still have dreams of my dearest cats from the past. And I so think that it will all turn out as we believe.

 

In the meantime we cherish those we have, and if we don't have, they find us :)

[Mindthinkr]

I am worried that in my afterlife I won't have a big enough bed to snuggle with all the wonderful fur babies that I have loved in my life! 

[DeLurker]

9 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

.  Animals have changed my atheist proclivities to agnostic; I desperately want to believe in some sort of afterlife where I can be reunited with my loved ones - and they are all animals.

I had never thought about this, but recently I decided that I want this to be true and that the dog we had growing up, a medium sized mutt named Sandy, was waiting for my Dad when he passed.  Dad was her favorite person and he used to spend hours working on our lawn and she would just move from spot to spot with him.

[bilgistic]

Those lynxes are so beautiful! I looked at the photographer's Facebook page, where he has more photos of them. Oh, my heart! What a gorgeous place he lives in.

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I am worried that in my afterlife I won't have a big enough bed to snuggle with all the wonderful fur babies that I have loved in my life! 

My afterlife is going to be an interesting place; besides all my fur babies, there will be birds, fishies, turtles, horsies and all kinds of assorted wildlife ... it will be a VERY large "bed", indeed!  ;-)

 

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I had never thought about this, but recently I decided that I want this to be true and that the dog we had growing up, a medium sized mutt named Sandy, was waiting for my Dad when he passed.  Dad was her favorite person and he used to spend hours working on our lawn and she would just move from spot to spot with him.

My Mum never wanted to talk about death or the afterlife, but she did tell me she had no desire to reunite with any family, save me.  We agreed to find that fucking Rainbow Bridge everyone keeps talking about, and to spend eternity together with the animals, if possible.  That thought is the only thing that keeps me from totally losing my shit over losing her, and so many of my beloved creatures.

[DeLurker]

On 8/21/2017 at 10:34 AM, DeLurker said:

My Mom called last night just to tell me a cat story.  Her cat is extremely picky about food she'll eat so Mom is familiar with the process of buying some of everything, finding out what Fluffy will eat, feeding her the chosen food and she turns her nose up at it one day.  She doesn't eat any people food except tuna in a can; everything earns a sniff and a look of disdain.

She kept hearing some odd noise in the kitchen - kind of a tearing, but over and over.  When she went into the kitchen to investigate, it was Fluffy eating some of the leftover dog food for Kook that I left  - he eats Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Chicken, Brown Rice & Sweet Potato.  She had put it in an empty bag so my brother could take it home for my niece's chow, but it was a super thick bag - one for rice that she had just emptied into her rice container.

Quoting myself, because last night Kook was out on a walk when I put down his food.  Sir Robin ate his cat food at a leisurely pace as usual and meandered over to their shared water bowl which is right next to Kook's food dish.  I hear some lapping of water and then I hear some serious crunching.  My cat ate a few pieces of the dog food too!    My dog will eat the cat food every chance he gets, but the cat has never shown any interest in the dog's.

[Mindthinkr]

A pretty little finch just flew into my window and died. I'm upset. I have grief for all dying creatures but not some humans. Now I sound like WalnutQueen. 

[CoderLady]

@Mindthinkr: I'm sorry. It's empathy. There's a good side and a bad side to being able to feel for others, and I have to think about that when I see something like this happen because I'd never want to give it up no matter what.

[Mindthinkr]

[DeLurker]

^^^Awesome!

[JTMacc99]

That reminds me, I don't think I've shared one of these yet. I have 9' ceilings in that room.

 

Unrelated topic, who knows things about hamsters? We recently lost our Syrian hamster to old age, and my daughter is fighting to get dwarf hamsters this time because with them, you can get two. Given how great the previous hamster was (clean, cute, easy to handle) I am really pushing her to consider another one.  Does anyone have an opinion on the difference between the two?

[DeLurker]

Can you digitally alter the clock to be 12:00 exactly?  Because black cat + midnight = witching hour. 

That would make a great Halloween Party invitation...even if you put the time the party actually started on the clock face.

[JTMacc99]

56 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Can you digitally alter the clock to be 12:00 exactly?  Because black cat + midnight = witching hour. 

That would make a great Halloween Party invitation...even if you put the time the party actually started on the clock face.

I don't know if I have the tools to change it, but you're right. The odds of her ever being on the clock at actually noon or midnight are low. Those are prime sleeping hours. 

[DeLurker]

Then you have to have a party that starts at 7:37

[bilgistic]

I introduce to you my new girls, Erin (left) and Lexi (right)! Erin is Lexi's daughter, and is 1.5 years old. Lexi is almost 2.5. They are very strongly bonded--they sleep together, headbonk each other, and won't walk in a room without each other.

I found them through the Animal Adoption League here. Their foster "mother" is an incredible woman, and I feel fortunate that the girls have been in her wonderful care. They just moved in about 24 hours ago, so they are definitely still getting used to everything, but they are progressing well today and trusting me quickly. I adore them!

[raven]

They are beautiful @bilgistic - congrats!

@JTMacc99 I know nothing about hamsters but that pic of your cat is awesome.

Siberian dwarf hamsters are pretty cute. 

[JTMacc99]

Yay @bilgistic!

Black cats are so cool and need homes!

 

Hamster update: the local pet store chatted with my daughter and convinced her that another teddy bear (Syrian) hamster is the best choice. They're ordering us a youngster next week. 

Edited October 6, 2017 by JTMacc99

[Bastet]

Welcome to the forum, Bilgistigirls.

[DeLurker]

Looking forward to learning about the new roomies @bilgistic!  They are stunning and I love the white patch on Erin's chest.

[riley702]

Oh, how gorgeous they are, bilgistic! I adore black cats.

[ABay]

Beautiful, @bilgistic! 

[Mindthinkr]

Welcome To Lexi and Erin @bilgistic!!  Yours are so cute and I'm so happy for you to have them. 

I'm sure that they will give you a lot of joy. Bonus that they came from a good foster home. Best wishes. 

@JTMacc99 Congratulations on the new addition to your home as well. 

My friend just adopted a dog this week. Seems like a good week for all new parents of furry kids. 

Here are my two black cats. That's the big boy laying on his back. We could be starting a trend Bilgistic! 

 

[Jaded]

Congrats @bilgistic! Lexi and Erin are adorable.

I love that so many members in this thread have black cats too. It warms my heart.

Here's a gratuitous shot of my Captain on his heating pad that's under a beach towel on one side of my bed. He's giving Lexi and Erin his "How you doin'?" look.

[DeLurker]

Kook is funny, but has some strange ideas.  If he is in a room with a door partially closed, he acts like it is an unpenetrable barrier despite seeing the cat go through a million times.  He will never use his head to push the door open the rest of the way or even walk through a 1/2 open door.

Sometime this spring we adopted a ritual where before he eats, I place a piece of food on his paw (since he doesn't rush the dish) and he waits to eat it until I tell him he's a good boy and give him some pats/scratching on his head.  He then eats the piece and waits for me to say "Good job!" before he goes to his bowl and start eating.  When we were at my folk's this summer, the ritual was waived.  As soon as we got back "home", he wouldn't eat until we did the ritual.

[ABay]

Both of my cats are also black. Boy cat has a little white on his chest and "bikini area" as one of my friends calls it. Girl cat is all black except for some little specks on her shoulder that makes it look like she walked by a paint brush and got a little paint just on the ends of her fur. 

[emma675]

Congrats, bilgistic! They are beautiful, I just love black cats.

[bilgistic]

I have to share this cuteness, and then I'll stop. They're piled together in their "bunk bed". I keep going in the living room to cruelly wake them up in the hope that they won't be up all night again tonight.

[riley702]

OK, gotta show off my girls, too. 

Lucy being a sphinx, and Swiffer being imperious.

 

[theredhead77]

Awww I love black kitties! If I ever get another kitty it will be a black boy. Two is more than plenty for me right now. My old place was very house-like, I had a huge hallway separating my room from the rest of the apartment. My new place is very apartment like and middle of the night cat playtime is either in the living room or my room. They have a whole other room with another bed to play in but that's not OK.

[isalicat]

Do you live anywhere near the SF Bay Area?

This sweet doggie (yes, despite his "fearsome breed" - look at those eyes!) needs a home....just in case you can help:

 

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Dog-who-caused-BART-delays-now-up-for-adoption-12261282.php

[DeLurker]

My cat sleeps at night asaik.  He normally comes up with me when I go to bed, settles on my tummy for a bit and then goes to one of his spots - his cat bed, sometimes on my pillow, the chair, ...until Kokuma comes up for the night (he insists on staying downstairs until everyone has gone to bed). When Kook comes up, Sir Robin goes to lie down next to him.

[Mindthinkr]

Some campains have used the slogan "a chicken in every pot". Here is a chicken in a pocket. 

Edited October 8, 2017 by Mindthinkr

[bosawks]

Alli is totally taking advantage of the Northeast’s expanded summer....

[bilgistic]

Festive kerchief!

[AgentRXS]

@bilgistic Congrats on the new additions! You new girls are just stunning. Erin's chest reminds me of a Hostess cupcake with that little white patch.  I'm so happy mother and daughter got to stay together and got such a wonderful new home (even if they are still unsure as of yet)!

As a shelter worker, it makes me happy beyond belief that so many forum posters are either owners or admirers of black cats.  Black cats have the coolest personalities and I hate that they are so often overlooked. I guess you can say I'm partial owner of a black kitty, as I'm feeding a malnourished black cat that showed up at my door one day. I honestly think someone must've saw my Animal Control truck parked outside when I was on-call one night, and dumped him not long after because it was so random how he just popped up. He's a sweet but definitely used to being outside as he is NOT litter box trained at all. Slowly but surely he's gaining weight. I call him Panther. I wish I could get a photo of him, but he seems to know when I'm trying to photograph him and he runs off.

[DeLurker]

My nephew and his roommate have "found" a couple of kittens on their doorstep.  We suspect others in the complex have seen them with their dogs & cats and tagged them as soft touches.  Doesn't help that his roomie ohhhs and ahhhs over every pet she sees.

[Mindthinkr]

[JTMacc99]

Luna, black cat on the clock, decided yesterday that the mouse she caught in the basement would be more fun to play with upstairs in the living room. Freaking cat. 

[Mindthinkr]

17 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Luna, black cat on the clock, decided yesterday that the mouse she caught in the basement would be more fun to play with upstairs in the living room. Freaking cat. 

In my old place the cats thought their dining area was right next to my bed. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to crunching. Then there was the blood stain on my new rug just as I was getting ready to sell the place. I ended up putting a old area rug there so it wouldn't continue to be an issue. 

[Mindthinkr]

Big boy cat thought this was funny. I chased it off the picture with a broom and out the door with big boy in pursuit. 

Yes, it's a rat. Gratefully it was at my last place. I only had critters inside if the cats brought them in. Three doors down, at the ladies house who hated my cats, had a rat infestation and had to call the extermination people. People who liked them had no problems. 

[bilgistic]

I found a shredded tissue in the living room floor this morning. I have allergies and my nose constantly runs, so I usually have used tissues on my nightstand at night. I toss them in the morning. I suspect Little Girl found it in the night. Silly!

[theredhead77]

The kitten-cat goes crazy for these rope-like cat treats. The cat-cat has shown zero interest in any cat treats (ropes, temptations, other brand of crunchy treats) and very few toys other than his chew toys.

I was poking around on Amazon for new toys and one of them is described as "quiet for nighttime play". The people who wrote the description obviously has never met a cat.

Also: Open to suggestions for treats and toys for the fickle cat.

[ABay]

These have worked on every cat I've known:

Running a stick under some newspaper or a towel or the mile of brown paper Amazon sometimes packs things in, sort of poking the stick out and pulling it back under.  They seem to especially love a feather stick poking out through holes in the paper.

The always popular laser light.

Anything that rattles inside a box they can't quite get into. Like a little hard toy (like the little mouse toys with the fur is taken off) inside a tissue box or a small cardboard box with the flaps folded over so there's just a little space a paw might fit in.

A bigger, longer box with two ends cut off to make a tunnel. They enjoy running through it, or laying in wait for the unsuspecting other cat or human to pass by, or one of them being in the tunnel and the other outside batting at each other.

Edited October 10, 2017 by ABay

[walnutqueen]

A plain old string tied to the end of a plain old chopstick (actually, I carve a little notch for the string, because my cats pulled HARD).  This is still by far my Babalu's favorite toy - but it is play I must engage in with him.

My dearly departed Beabie Baby loved Sobe bottle caps.  Played hockey with them across the hard floors & tiles for hours on end, carried them around in his mouth (managing to look like Hannibal Lecter in the process), and lost countless caps under various pieces of heavy furniture.  

[theredhead77]

I've literally tried every one of those things. The kitten-cat goes crazy, the cat-cat can't be bothered. He loved a rattle toy for a while but can't be bothered with it anymore.  When I'm playing with the kitten-cat he always looks like he wants to play but when I try to engage him with a different toy he shows no interest.

The kitten-cat is about 2.5 and the cat-cat is 4 (best guess)

1 minute ago, walnutqueen said:

A plain old string tied to the end of a plain old chopstick (actually, I carve a little notch for the string, because my cats pulled HARD).  This is still by far my Babalu's favorite toy - but it is play I must engage in with him.

My dearly departed Beabie Baby loved Sobe bottle caps.  Played hockey with them across the hard floors & tiles for hours on end, carried them around in his mouth (managing to look like Hannibal Lecter in the process), and lost countless caps under various pieces of heavy furniture.  

bottle caps! I'll have to try those!

[walnutqueen]

5 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

bottle caps! I'll have to try those!

The Sobe ones are larger than regular caps, and easier for a cat to carry around in his mouth.  They're probably also less of a choking hazard.  ;-)

I started the Beanster's crazed obsession when I dropped one on on the floor (smooth side down), and he came running.  I casually flicked it across the floor with my finger, and he chased it around, batting it with his paw hither & yon.  It was amazing!

[Bastet]

19 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

My dearly departed Beabie Baby loved Sobe bottle caps.  Played hockey with them across the hard floors & tiles for hours on end, carried them around in his mouth (managing to look like Hannibal Lecter in the process), and lost countless caps under various pieces of heavy furniture.  

Maddie had a clear plastic cap (which I named, quite creatively, Plastic Cap), over an inch in diameter and about 2-1/2 inches long that she carried around like it was her baby, including bringing it to bed with us.  She liked to meow as she was carrying it, so I'd hear this distorted warble in the middle of the night and then she'd jump up on the bed and deposit Plastic Cap next to me and plop down so we could all go to sleep.  She'd frequently lose track of it, and I'd have to look under and behind furniture until I found it and she could begin again.  In her final weeks, I couldn't find it, and then just a couple of days after she died I came across it behind a piece of furniture, and it was in a pile of her fur (and a whisker), so she must have been lying back there with it.

[riley702]

Pom-poms from a craft store are also batted and carried around.

[walnutqueen]

16 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Maddie had a clear plastic cap (which I named, quite creatively, Plastic Cap), over an inch in diameter and about 2-1/2 inches long that she carried around like it was her baby, including bringing it to bed with us.  She liked to meow as she was carrying it, so I'd hear this distorted warble in the middle of the night and then she'd jump up on the bed and deposit Plastic Cap next to me and plop down so we could all go to sleep.  She'd frequently lose track of it, and I'd have to look under and behind furniture until I found it and she could begin again.  In her final weeks, I couldn't find it, and then just a couple of days after she died I came across it behind a piece of furniture, and it was in a pile of her fur (and a whisker), so she must have been lying back there with it.

Your story brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye, Bastet.  My beloved Bean has been gone for almost 5 years, and I still can't drink a Sobe (but am still finding those damned caps in strange dark corners).

[ratgirlagogo]

All our cats have been obsessed with the Cat Dancer:

http://www.catdancer.com/product/test-toy/

You DO have to do work yourself with this toy of course - but all our cats have just lost their shit over it.  The only toy they consistently  react to with jump up spin and get all four feet off the ground like rodeo bulls kind of excitement.

They also like bottle caps and those little foil pom-poms and the jingle balls but I refuse to get any more of them since 100% of the originals are stuck under the refrigerator and the stove.

Edited October 10, 2017 by ratgirlagogo