Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[isalicat]

Louis, being orange, also shares the propensity to talk (though not constantly - its generally food-oriented chatter as he thinks any time I go into the kitchen its all about him) and he is the first of the many cats I have had to nip at you (not hard enough to break the skin but not painlessly either!). One of his many sources of self-amusement is to attack my feet and legs through the covers at around dawn each day (definitely before I would want to be awake) and the more I squirm to get away, the more he enjoys the game. Its hard to get mad at him because although he is at least ten, when he is playing he looks very kittenish and adorable.

By the way, the cystitis (or whatever it was) that made his front lower lip swell up is all gone either because the course of antibiotics worked that the vet prescribed, or it just went away on its own LOL! Now if I could just get him to stop killing the lizards in the back yard (I'm not opposed to hunting per se but they are entirely indigestible and therefore its pointless since the lizards eat the bugs, which is a good thing).

[riley702]

12 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Luna has turned out to be good name for Luna. Very easy to stretch into lunatic, which can be apt for her antics.

Lucy is so quiet, until she gets her dander up about my brother and SIL's cats. Then I call her Lucyfer.

[walnutqueen]

Back when I had 5 indoor cats, the 2 orange/golden tabbies were the least vocal, and the grey tiger tabby was the talkiest.  Go figure.

In the past year and a half, I've attended 3 cat owner focus groups ($100 cash for 2 hours = WINNING the Lotto!!!) - all about packaging & labelling of CAT GRASS (and sometimes some awful catnip-tasting treats not even my raccoons will touch).  These people take their packaging WAY too seriously - I mean, if you've ever seen the little containers of green grass in the Petsmart checkout aisle, you've got the picture,  Yet they endlessly obsess over the placement of bullet points and posture of the stupid cat picture's head.  I SO want to yell at TPTB (who watch from the sidelines, taking copious notes), that they are wasting their money.  A simple label for the few maroons who don't know what this stuff is should suffice - and the effort expended in tweaking & improving the labels probably won't change very many consumers' minds about buying.  Lower your price, and make sure your grass isn't withered and brown - that will probably work just as well as fancy labels (I swear, they showed us at least 5 alternatives, and I could barely discern a difference between any of them).  But I get a free sample of cat grass for my Babalu, and $100 to buy more cat food, so I go along with the program, whilst being the voice of contention among the focus group.

Speaking of the focus group, this time, the introductory question was "what is your favorite activity with your cat?".  Everyone had some form of toy or laser pointer fun.  Me?  "Spanking a drum solo all over Babalu's body to the Game of Thrones theme intro on a Sunday night".  Uncomfortable silence, for a beat, and then uncontrollable laughter by all.  :-)

[CoderLady]

7 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

In the past year and a half, I've attended 3 cat owner focus groups ($100 cash for 2 hours = WINNING the Lotto!!!) - all about packaging & labelling of CAT GRASS (and sometimes some awful catnip-tasting treats not even my raccoons will touch).  These people take their packaging WAY too seriously - I mean, if you've ever seen the little containers of green grass in the Petsmart checkout aisle, you've got the picture,  Yet they endlessly obsess over the placement of bullet points and posture of the stupid cat picture's head.  I SO want to yell at TPTB (who watch from the sidelines, taking copious notes), that they are wasting their money.  A simple label for the few maroons who don't know what this stuff is should suffice - and the effort expended in tweaking & improving the labels probably won't change very many consumers' minds about buying.  Lower your price, and make sure your grass isn't withered and brown - that will probably work just as well as fancy labels (I swear, they showed us at least 5 alternatives, and I could barely discern a difference between any of them).  But I get a free sample of cat grass for my Babalu, and $100 to buy more cat food, so I go along with the program, whilst being the voice of contention among the focus group.

Ooh! Ooh! Thanks for reminding me! A few weeks ago I was in Petco and bought one of those pathetic wilted little pots of wheatgrass for one of my cats who likes to graze. I always transplant the grass within a couple of days into a slightly larger pot with some good soil which makes the stuff grow like crazy for at least three weeks, sometimes more. It cost me about $8. Then I stopped by Safeway for me-food and found that they sell bigger, healthier pots of wheatgrass in their organic produce section for about $3. Now the only way I'd buy the stuff at Petco again would be out of pity for what seems to be the plant version of a rescue pet.

[walnutqueen]

4 minutes ago, CoderLady said:

Ooh! Ooh! Thanks for reminding me! A few weeks ago I was in Petco and bought one of those pathetic wilted little pots of wheatgrass for one of my cats who likes to graze. I always transplant the grass within a couple of days into a slightly larger pot with some good soil which makes the stuff grow like crazy for at least three weeks, sometimes more. It cost me about $8. Then I stopped by Safeway for me-food and found that they sell bigger, healthier pots of wheatgrass in their organic produce section for about $3. Now the only way I'd buy the stuff at Petco again would be out of pity for what seems to be the plant version of a rescue pet.

Yes, the better grocery stores carry it; even cheaper and better is my local Farmers' Market, which sells identical containers for a fraction of the price, that lasts 5X longer - and that's just in the fridge, without transplantation.  That cat grass is a money-making boondoggle racket for the companies cornering the pet store market.

 

ETA - I said as much, only more politely, in the focus group, so I may well have shot myself in the face.  :-)

Edited August 10, 2017 by walnutqueen

[bilgistic]

I cracked up at your drum solo comment! I need video proof, PLEASE!

[walnutqueen]

2 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I cracked up at your drum solo comment! I need video proof, PLEASE!

If I had the means, and ability, I'd have been the QUEEN of silly cat videos years ago.

My reputation and descriptive narrative must suffice, for now.  Let's just say that different parts of a cat's body resonate distinctly, and my Babalu adores being spanked - hard.  If he isn't already by my side when GoT starts, he runs to me when he hears the opening notes of the intro, and usually stands at attention, purring throughout the (very long, if you've ever watched the show) theme music.  Because of the show's looooong hiatus, I'll sometimes hum that music for him, just so he can get his spankfest on between seasons.

Eat your hearts out, wannabe weirdo cat ladies!  :-D

[riley702]

Swiffer seems to have bounced back to normal. Today, she was pawing at the window and I discovered this: A luna moth - how pretty!

 

[DeLurker]

Sadly, Sandy the dog I picked up for my Mom didn't work out.  99% of the time she was fantastic, but that remaining 1% she was unpredictable and prone to unprovoked aggression.  She would be fine with my brother coming over 4 out of 5 times, but on the 5th day she would immediately charge him and go for the throat.  Wash, rinse, repeat over the few weeks we had her.  Most of the time she and Kook played well - very carefully orchestrated play fighting; but on the 3rd time of unprovoked aggression towards Kook (he always scooted away because he's no fighter), that killed the idea that I would bring her back to Texas with me if she didn't work out with my Mom.  After each time, Kook wouldn't be in the same room with her for 24 hours before he got over it.  But if they ever went at it, there would be no way to break it up.

Worse, when she would have these outbursts, there was no responding to commands - not even an attempt.  She had a history of neglect and assumed abuse, but she was doing so well that I was really hoping she would work out.

We started our drive back to Texas on Tuesday morning and spent the night in Pensacola.  Wednesday morning I was getting ready to shower and the kids were going to walk down to the lobby for the breakfast buffet (cereal, juice, milk, muffins, ...nothing special).  When I got out of the shower, I could not find the cat anywhere in the room.  The kids came back to a freaked out Mom who thought the cat must have slipped out the door with them.  An hour of searching the room again, the hotel grounds, underneath cars & bushes, etc...yielded nothing but a near nervous breakdown.  My son and I start going out again to look for cat, when my daughter opens the door and screams from the room "He's here!".  Apparently, he had found some hidey hole in the room (where?  Don't know, because we looked everywhere in the room) and simply popped onto the bed where my daughter was sitting on the verge of her own nervous breakdown.). 

[JTMacc99]

Holy pet related stress stories @DeLurker!  Thank goodness the cat did it's cat thing and just showed up with the old, "What?" attitude.

Do you think your parents will attempt to get another dog now that you're back home?

[Cherry Bomb]

My pride and joy my little Buster 6 year old Shih Tzu.

 

[AgentRXS]

@DeLurker Sorry to hear Sandy didn't work out. So glad that the cat turned out to be safe and hidden all along. They pick the best times for their "alone time", don't they?

Re: chatty cats. My orange boy that I used to own only meowed when he wanted food. Diamond is very chatty/demanding, letting me know exactly when she wants her food, when and how she wants petted, and sometimes just for general conversation.

Ella meows frequently, and for no apparent reason. She will walk into a room, sit down, then rush to her feet, and start meowing at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, for some reason, her meow sounds like Bea Arthur with laryngitis or being choked--- a deep,raspy throaty noise. And she like her meows to be loud and frantic-sounding--its embarrassing. If someone heard her meow passing by, you'd think she was being abused the way she carries on. The for-no-reason carrying on even gets on Diamond's nerves, and she'll sometimes go after her to get her to be quiet. I love Ella, but I never met a cat with a more annoying meow, TBH.

[DeLurker]

43 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Holy pet related stress stories @DeLurker!  Thank goodness the cat did it's cat thing and just showed up with the old, "What?" attitude.

Do you think your parents will attempt to get another dog now that you're back home?

Right now, my Mom's hands are too full with my Dad to invest any meaningful time into the issue.  Dad's just at that stage where he is on a decline, but the end of the ride is probably coming up.  So if I find a dog, the contingency plan will always have to be that I keep him/her if things don't work out.

[Mindthinkr]

59 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Sadly, Sandy the dog I picked up for my Mom didn't work out.  99% of the time she was fantastic, but that remaining 1% she was unpredictable and prone to unprovoked aggression.  She would be fine with my brother coming over 4 out of 5 times, but on the 5th day she would immediately charge him and go for the throat.  Wash, rinse, repeat over the few weeks we had her.  Most of the time she and Kook played well - very carefully orchestrated play fighting; but on the 3rd time of unprovoked aggression towards Kook (he always scooted away because he's no fighter), that killed the idea that I would bring her back to Texas with me if she didn't work out with my Mom.  After each time, Kook wouldn't be in the same room with her for 24 hours before he got over it.  But if they ever went at it, there would be no way to break it up.

Worse, when she would have these outbursts, there was no responding to commands - not even an attempt.  She had a history of neglect and assumed abuse, but she was doing so well that I was really hoping she would work out.

We started our drive back to Texas on Tuesday morning and spent the night in Pensacola.  Wednesday morning I was getting ready to shower and the kids were going to walk down to the lobby for the breakfast buffet (cereal, juice, milk, muffins, ...nothing special).  When I got out of the shower, I could not find the cat anywhere in the room.  The kids came back to a freaked out Mom who thought the cat must have slipped out the door with them.  An hour of searching the room again, the hotel grounds, underneath cars & bushes, etc...yielded nothing but a near nervous breakdown.  My son and I start going out again to look for cat, when my daughter opens the door and screams from the room "He's here!".  Apparently, he had found some hidey hole in the room (where?  Don't know, because we looked everywhere in the room) and simply popped onto the bed where my daughter was sitting on the verge of her own nervous breakdown.). 

That's sad. If that dog goes back sadly it probably won't be adopted with the history of aggression. It all started out so promising. Very sorry it didn't work out. 

I would have had a major freak out if my cat pulled that hide and go seek number. I'd have tried shaking a thing of Temptations as that'll usually get mine to come out from wherever. Perhaps there was a hole on the underside of the mattress. Glad you did find kitty and can head back home with your whole family intact. Safe travels to y'all. 

[JTMacc99]

My son has made it his business to get photos of the dogs making interesting faces. It's actually kind of funny. He got one of Neo twisting his head back and sort of biting himself. He looks really goofy in the picture. His next goal was to get a picture of Danny catching a treat in mid-air. This morning he texted me a picture of a giant yellow dog head in a blur, so mission accomplished. We had a friend's dog in our house last weekend and he got a hysterical photo of the dog's face with one eye closed, so now he uses it like the dog is winking because it "knows" something. 

[DeLurker]

Cats and dogs do not recognize time zones.  Sir Robin, the ringleader in this, keeps trying to wake me up to feed him an hour earlier than he should.

I have to buy an attachment clip to secure Kokuma's tag to his dog's collar.  I've had to buy a couple because they tend to get loose after a few months of use.  I have solved this problem by attaching the tag to the collar with a small zip tie.

Edited August 11, 2017 by DeLurker

[slf]

Unfortunately, Bella's kidney values skyrocketed above the point where the vet's machine could give them a number. She was kept on antibiotics and fluids but her appetite disappeared entirely again. By this morning her values hadn't lowered and she was doing much worse, had basically crashed, and ultimately the vet said they didn't think she could make a recovery. So I had her put to sleep. Thanks for all the good advice, comfort, and well wishes for my girl. I really do appreciate how kind everyone was during this.

[Bastet]

@slf, I'm stunned and saddened to hear about Bella!  Under the circumstances, you unequivocally made the right choice for her, but I am so sorry it had to come to that.  It is always horrible, but at her age you just aren't expecting to have to go through this.  This sucks, and I wish I could do something more helpful than extend my sympathy and condolences, but my heart goes out to you - and hurts for you.

[slf]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

@slf, I'm stunned and saddened to hear about Bella!  Under the circumstances, you unequivocally made the right choice for her, but I am so sorry it had to come to that.  It is always horrible, but at her age you just aren't expecting to have to go through this.  This sucks, and I wish I could do something more helpful than extend my sympathy and condolences, but my heart goes out to you - and hurts for you.

Thank you, Bastet. You gave me a lot of good advice that helped me remain calm and prepared throughout all this which was just so helpful and I really appreciate it.

[DeLurker]

@slf - I'm so sorry about Bella. 

@JTMacc99 - is he accepting candidates?  Because this is my niece's Chow.  She's 19 months but is tiny for a chow at 45 lbs - unexpected because the parents are 75-80 lbs.  She's extremely social though which is unlike other chow's I've met.

 

[bilgistic]

@slf, I'm so, so sorry.

[riley702]

@slf, my sympathies. I'm so sorry they couldn't save her or give you more time with her.

[CoderLady]

@slf, I'm so sorry for your loss and pain. I hope there's comfort close and immediate for you right now.

[AgentRXS]

@slf I'm so sorry. Its horrible to lose a pet at anytime, but especially when its so sudden and unexpected. My thoughts are with you. RIP sweet Bella.

ETA: I saw these photoa on FB and thought it was too adorable not to share with y'all. I think my girls need this dress...with their prissy attitudes LOL

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by AgentRXS

[ABay]

@slf, I'm sorry to hear about Bella. No matter how firmly you brace yourself or how well prepared you are, it's still devastating.

[walnutqueen]

@slf, I am so very sorry for your loss.  My thoughts are with you in these terrible times.

[Cherry Bomb]

@slf I am so sorry for the loss of Bella. You can never be prepared for a loss of a pet no matter how sick they they become. My heart goes out to you in your time of grief.

[Mindthinkr]

@slf  I'm so sorry to read about Bella and extend my deepest sympathies to you. Very sad indeed. 

[harrie]

@slf, I'm so sorry for your loss.  It's so hard to lose a critter even when you know it's coming, and especially when you don't. My thoughts are with you. 

[walnutqueen]

I've always said a pet's only fault is it's short lifespan (except some parrots, whose only fault is to outlive us and create even more guilt and sorrow).  I am also constantly amazed by the ability of our hearts and souls to love another (and another, and another, and another, until the end of our days), even while always mourning the loss of our beloveds.  It's a mystery, and somewhat of a miracle, to me.  I wish the rest of life gave us such a sense of hope amongst all the pain and sadness.

I just realized -  I've NEVER been without animals in my entire life.  I cannot imagine a life without them.  (and worry about dying without having arrangements for their care!!!)

[ratgirlagogo]

slf my heart goes out to you. It's so sad to lose a pet, and even more impossibly hard to have to make the painful decision to have them put to sleep.  I still have regular nightmares about each one - holding them, crying at the vets,   while they got the shots.  I light a candle for you and Bella. bless. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by ratgirlagogo

[bilgistic]

How is this comfortable?

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

How is this comfortable?

Looks like the purrfect position to me.  :-)

[Cherry Bomb]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

How is this comfortable?

Puurfect for a lazy Sunday. 

[Mindthinkr]

[isalicat]

So how do you get your cats to eat wheatgrass? Louis the cat has been throwing up a lot in the last week and its basically furballs and/or just clear liquid (he doesn't throw up when he eats, just in the early hours in the morning when he has an empty stomach) so I thought maybe some wheatgrass would help his digestion...so I got some super fresh stuff just now and put it down for him - he sniffed it a bit and then left. Any sekret tricks I should know or what? (I've never had to deal with this before as all my previous cats either were not bothered with hairballs or just ate regular grass outside).

[Mindthinkr]

32 minutes ago, isalicat said:

So how do you get your cats to eat wheatgrass? Louis the cat has been throwing up a lot in the last week and its basically furballs and/or just clear liquid (he doesn't throw up when he eats, just in the early hours in the morning when he has an empty stomach) so I thought maybe some wheatgrass would help his digestion...so I got some super fresh stuff just now and put it down for him - he sniffed it a bit and then left. Any sekret tricks I should know or what? (I've never had to deal with this before as all my previous cats either were not bothered with hairballs or just ate regular grass outside).

I have found no cure (or can get either of my spoiled babies to eat freshly grown wheatgrass) but if I use the Science Diet Hairball formula (just a few added to their normal kibble) it does the trick. 

You can consider giving it as a treat. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Mindthinkr

[CoderLady]

1 hour ago, isalicat said:

So how do you get your cats to eat wheatgrass? Louis the cat has been throwing up a lot in the last week and its basically furballs and/or just clear liquid (he doesn't throw up when he eats, just in the early hours in the morning when he has an empty stomach) so I thought maybe some wheatgrass would help his digestion...so I got some super fresh stuff just now and put it down for him - he sniffed it a bit and then left. Any sekret tricks I should know or what? (I've never had to deal with this before as all my previous cats either were not bothered with hairballs or just ate regular grass outside).

They have to like gnawing on greenery to begin with. Also, I don't think the wheatgrass would be beneficial to them the way it is to us natural plant eaters because their digestions aren't set up for it. Food goes through a cat much faster than it does humans and ruminants so the nutrients in the wheatgrass would just pass through if you're lucky and the cat doesn't just hork it back up. I think eating grasses is just one of the perverse things cats do just because they can. Maybe take a blade or two and chop it up very finely in a meal?

Some people swear by adding tiny amounts of pumpkin puree to their cats' food. It has to be very little - maybe about 1/8 tsp in a meal. All that does for my cats is make their poop looser. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by CoderLady

[ABay]

My old man cat has has hairball problems for years but a handful of Temptations hairball treats every morning takes care of it. They're the only kind he'll eat. He yaks up a hairball every now and then, and this is much much better than the scary wheezy trying-to-cough-it-up trauma he was having at least once a day before he started getting the treats. He also munches on cat grass, as have other cats I've had. I buy seeds and soil and plant the seeds in a heavy planter that won't tip over every time he tries to grab a blade or two. He just took some about an hour ago and I'm sure I'll find them partially digested in the morning...by stepping on them, as usual.

[AgentRXS]

Anyone have any good suggestions for any anti-shedding formulas/pillsfor cats? My girls are shedding worse then ever...and brushing is too temporary of a solution. I am mildly allergic to cat dander, and the cat hair flying around everywhere is definitely a trigger. I've seen some products online but no clear enough reviews to know if anything works. Any ideas?

[DeLurker]

24 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

Anyone have any good suggestions for any anti-shedding formulas/pillsfor cats?

I never knew there was such a thing!  Of course, having a big fluffy dog who blows his coat twice a year and just generally sheds quite regularly, I rarely notice the cat's shedding.

[DeLurker]

6 hours ago, bilgistic said:

How is this comfortable?

I believe cats are able to liquefy their spines at will.

[riley702]

3 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I believe cats are able to liquefy their spines at will.

I've heard that cats are non-Newtonian fluids. :P

[emma675]

@slf, I'm so sorry, I wish I could say or do more.

My sweet, almost 13 year old dog Olivia was diagnosed with Cushing's disease about a month ago and it's sad how quickly she's declined. She's been on anti seizure meds pretty much her whole life, so I didn't expect I would get a full healthy life with her but it's still so hard. I don't want to put her on meds for the Cushing's because from what I understand they are extremely hard to manage and hard on the dog, but nothing OTC is helping her to feel better. I'm working from home today and googled euthansia at home (because I don't want the stress on either of us to have to go to our vet's office) and now I'm all weepy. I got her the first weekend I moved into my house so I've never lived here without her. This is so hard.

Edited August 14, 2017 by emma675d

[DeLurker]

Oh, how heart breaking, @emma675.  I can't imagine what you are going through.

ETA: I'm sorry - my response sounds trite and lame, but I really am sorry for you and respect your desire to put Olivia's interests first.

Edited August 14, 2017 by DeLurker

[walnutqueen]

7 minutes ago, emma675 said:

@slf, I'm so sorry, I wish I could say or do more.

My sweet, almost 13 year old dog Olivia was diagnosed with Cushing's disease about a month ago and it's sad how quickly she's declined. She's been on anti seizure meds pretty much her whole life, so I didn't expect I would get a full healthy life with her but it's still so hard. I don't want to put her on meds for the Cushing's because from what I understand they are extremely hard to manage and hard on the dog, but nothing OTC is helping her to feel better. I'm working from home today and googled euthansia at home (because I don't want the stress on either of us to have to go to our vet's office) and now I'm all weepy. I got her the first weekend I moved into my house so I've never lived here without her. This is so hard.

Oh, @emma675, my heart is aching and breaking for you.  I've been down this road too many times in the last few years for your pain not to resonate with me.  Just know that you have always done your best for your beloved, and will continue to do so.  Death is rarely easy, especially for those of us left behind.

May peace and grace find you both somehow, in this impossible world.

[emma675]

Well, now I'm crying all over again, lol. I just really don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to do anything too hastily and have guilt/regrets.  It's the hardest part of owning a pet.

[walnutqueen]

2 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Well, now I'm crying all over again, lol. I just really don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to do anything too hastily and have guilt/regrets.  It's the hardest part of owning a pet.

I know the feeling all too well.  I also hate to admit but sometimes suspect I may have prolonged the inevitable - maybe, in an instance or two.  The absolute hardest part of love is letting go, and putting yourself in the place of your beloved.  No matter what you do, or decide, it is the best and right thing (and I guarantee you your beloved pet will understand, much quicker than you will).

[Mindthinkr]

3 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Well, now I'm crying all over again, lol. I just really don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to do anything too hastily and have guilt/regrets.  It's the hardest part of owning a pet.

I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering right along with your Olivia. Very sad to hear about her diagnosis and her fast decline. Perhaps you could get a vet to come to your home when the time has arrived,  it then again it might make your living there more difficult with the memory. I wish you both the best during this difficult time. Take your time and listen to your gut. 

[emma675]

My sweet Olivia passed away this morning, peacefully and quietly. She stopped eating about 24 hours ago and her back legs were no longer holding up, so I knew it was time. I held in her my arms at the vet's while she passed and the whole office staff came to say goodbye and cry with me. I'll miss her forever.

Thanks for the kind words and support during the last 24 hours, it's meant so much.