Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[riley702]

Nice!

[BookWoman56]

I need to share a cautionary tale and it's pretty bad. For several weeks I had seen a stray dog off and on in the parking lot or adjacent woods to where my grandson goes to after-school care. I'd interacted with the dog a few times and seen other people interact with him as well, along with seeing him play with another stray dog and completely ignore a stray cat or two. I'd questioned the after-school care workers and they said the dog just showed up. I tried a couple of times to coax it into coming with me, to no avail. It wasn't there every day; there were a couple of weeks where I didn't see it at all, and then a week or so where I saw it maybe one day a week. Anyway, I had put a small container of dog food in my car, with the idea that I could get the dog and take him to my home long enough to find him a decent home. The dog was not feral; it was somewhat overweight but active. In every interaction I had and witnessed with it, the dog was docile. It would let people pat it and stroke its head with no problem. In retrospect, I should have called animal control but didn't because I was afraid the dog would be euthanized, and figured that if I took it, worst-case scenario if I couldn't find someone to adopt it would be to take it to a no-kill shelter.

So, it finally happened on Tuesday that the dog was at the after-school place, and someone behind an adjacent convenience store was feeding it. I asked if it was his dog, and he replied that it seemed to be an abandoned dog. I was able to use a couple of dog treats to coax the dog into my car, and took him home. For the first 24 hours I kept the stray dog pretty much in isolation, with a few supervised short interactions with my two dogs. The stray was quite calm upon meeting my two dogs. My two cats observed the stray but he didn't bark at them any more than my own two dogs do; 95% of the time they ignore each other and 5% growl and hiss at each other until one party backs down. Yesterday I allowed the stray to interact more and there seemed to be no major issues, a few growls when one of my dogs got a little carried away with sniffing at the stray. I had to leave for a while and based on what I'd seen, I didn't think there would be any major problems. Tragic, stupid assumption. My daughter got home a couple of hours later to discover that the stray had killed one of our cats, and attacked one of our dogs, injuring it enough to require a trip to the 24-hour emergency vet hospital. And yet the stray was still perfectly friendly with humans.

I've spent most of the day trying to place the dog and discovered that the no-kill shelters in our area will not take a dog that has a history of attacking other common household pets. I ended up having to call animal control to come pick it up as a stray, because I can't risk having it stay in my house or yard any more. It growled and attempted to bite me when I tried to put a collar on it. So I am fairly sure animal control will end up euthanizing it, because a dog that kills cats, attacks other dogs, and tries to bite humans is not adoptable. I feel terrible about it, but my daughter and I are also devastated by the death of our cat, and to top it off, my sister died on Monday, so this has officially been the week from hell. I do know that after this, I will not ever attempt to rescue a stray or abandoned dog again. Adopt one from a shelter, sure; pick one up from a parking lot, no. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

@BookWoman56 - Terribly sorry for the loss of your sister.  Condolences also on the incident with your kitty.  Cautionary tale indeed.  Strays shouldn't be integrated into the home until/unless they are checked by a vet, and undergo a reasonable period of isolation in the home.

Really sorry.

[DeLurker]

@BookWoman56 - I'm so sorry that your attempt to do something humane turned into something so sad.

[bilgistic]

I'm so, so sorry, @BookWoman56. I can't imagine how you feel. I hurt for you.

I hope your dog is doing OK since being at the vet ER.

[BookWoman56]

Our dog is doing okay now; he had been bitten on his front right leg. Fortunately the leg was not broken although there were some puncture wounds, but they did treatment at the vet hospital and sent him home with us along with some pain meds and antibiotics. He's a bit loopy because of the pain meds but seems fine now. I just wish I had never picked up the stray, but I couldn't stand the idea of the dog starving to death or being run over because someone had abandoned it. If my previous interactions with the stray had indicated any kind of behavioral problems, I would never have brought it home, but it seemed to be a pretty sociable dog. I do blame the after school care people for not taking the initiative to have the dog picked up; there were small children walking past where it was hanging out in the parking lot every time it was there. (They did put up fliers around the neighborhood but got no response.) And as noted, while it had been fed well previously enough to be overweight, there was no collar and therefore no indication of whether it had a rabies vaccine or not. The day the dog killed our cat and attacked our dog was the day I was planning on taking the stray to the vet to get it checked out; I had wanted to go ahead and pay for sterilization and vaccinations because I thought it would be easier to place with an adoptive family if those things had been done. However, while I am fully aware of how stupid it was of me to assume that 24 hours was enough isolation time, this whole event has increased my anger at people who just abandon their animals. I realize that circumstances change and people may no longer be able to care for their pets, but FFS do what needs to be done to get the animal into a shelter so it's not roaming the streets. 

[riley702]

Just dropped off Wren and Pearl for their spay/microchips. And completely forgot to take pics of them like I had planned. *sob* My babies are growing up.

[AgentRXS]

@BookWoman56 I am so sorry about the loss of your cat (and your sister). Even if he is euthanized at Animal Control, it is better than him dying by getting hit by car, being poisoned, etc. I'm so sorry that happened to you when you were just trying to do good.

Edited April 6, 2018 by AgentRXS

[riley702]

The girls are home and not happy about their cones even with pain meds (Torbugesic). They're awfully good at getting them off even when I think I have them too tight.

[SuprSuprElevated]

Poor girls ?

[bilgistic]

Cones of courage!

[riley702]

Well, Wren not only got hers off again, but I can't find it! And I took Pearl's off so she could snuggle.

[DeLurker]

Pearl is giving some mean side eye!

My dog seems to have developed an allergy and has been excessive grooming, licking his feet.  I am assuming it is to pine pollen (fingers crossed) since it is so prolific, but it really could be anything.  The vet recommended giving him Benadryl when it is really bad and wiping down his paws when he comes in from a walk or being out in the yard.  Has anyone else given their dog Benadryl for allergies?  I'm not wild about taking medication myself, so I am hesitant to do it regularly for my pets.

I was looking into what I could do to protect his paws since the excessive licking had actually worn the color off  his normally black paw pads.  There were no abrasions nor bleeding when I've checked and he did not display any discomfort when walking.  I found something called Musher's Secret in my research - a wax that they developed for dogs that run in the Iditarod.  Interestingly, they stock it in a pet store near me in Texas - apparently a decent number of people use it on their dogs feet when the temps get hotter or if they are going hiking in a rougher terrain.  I've bought some to put on Kook's feet before walks hoping that it creates a physical barrier to whatever pollen that is irritating him.  Not sure if this theory will prove true...

Does anyone have any first hand experience with Musher's Secret or a similar product?

[bilgistic]

My sister used to give one if her late dogs Benadryl, maybe for calm during thunderstorms...? It was either the Weimaraner mutt or the mutt mutt. They were both big dogs. I don't know the dosage, but if your vet it saying it's fine, go for it. It's not uncommon is the point of my rambling post.

[MargeGunderson]

Kitty Gunderson the Younger had an epic litterbox fail today. As best as I can figure out, she stepped in her own poo and in a frantic attempt to get it off flung poo everywhere. I don’t know how she got it 4 feet up on the wall, but by god she did. She also tracked it all over the house and in the bed, where she was trying to lick it off. Everything including her has now been disinfected and I learned that there is a sanitize setting on my washer. 

Kitty Gunderson the Elder is going in for a laser treatment on her spine next week. It’s supposed to help her arthritis. She’s been feeling extra good this week; she went upstairs 3 times (to snuggle in the morning), which she hasn’t done since January. I’ve told her it’s a spa treatment but I don’t think she believes me. 

[bilgistic]

It turns out that my sister never gave her dog(s) Benedryl. She said she wasn't comfortable with the amount advised to give, but it was recommended for thunderstorm anxiety. So never mind my earlier post!

[bilgistic]

Last night at about 10, the girls were chasing each other around the apartment. It was all fun and games until they tore down some gauzy curtains I have in front of my mirrored closet doors in my bedroom. I was very displeased. The calamity of the curtains falling scared Little Mama so much, she hid the rest of the night. I had to rehang the curtains because I can't just deal with those mirrored doors when I am trying to sleep.

[bosawks]

For some of us it is always warm enough to swim....

Edited April 8, 2018 by bosawks

[riley702]

On 4/7/2018 at 11:32 AM, DeLurker said:

Pearl is giving some mean side eye!

Nah, she's almost asleep. I had given them a dose of their pain med.

[backformore]

I had a dog with allergies. She would lick the fur off her feet, had one spot that was scabbed and gross. Benadryl helped her stop long enough for it to heal. We gave her the children's dose. There were no problems with Benadryl.

When her allergies got really severe, she had to take Prednisone, which was not good. Prednisone made her hungry and thirsty all the time. Prednisone has to be given on a decreasing schedule, to wean them off, while  Benadryl can be given as needed.

[Lisin]

I've given dogs Benadryl for both allergies and anxiety with mixed results. Though the "bad" end of the mixed results was it just doing nothing. The dogs I've given it to were all fairly large though (over 50lbs) and I'd probably be a little concerned with dosage for a teeny pup. But Kook is a larger dog, right? 

[bosawks]

On 4/7/2018 at 11:32 AM, DeLurker said:

Does anyone have any first hand experience with Musher's Secret or a similar product?

I used it on Alli in the winter to protect her paws from the rock salt and other winter road and sidewalk treatments that she is really bothered by and it worked quite well for that purpose.  Much better than the booties I bought her, they were a definite no go.

[DeLurker]

Kook's a solid 75 lbs.  The vet said I could give him 2 25mg tabs at a time, but I've only been giving him one to start with.  The only possible side effect I have seen is he seems to be drinking a bit more, but that is normal from what I've read.

@bosawks - I was wondering if Alli had experience with Musher's Secret , since it doesn't seem like much slows her down.  I've been putting it on Kook's paws before he goes for a walk - they seem a little more coarse than normal.  It doesn't seem to bother him at all now that he has made the connection between me fussing with his paws and him going out for a walk.  I considered dog booties for a nanosecond - I don't think those would be tolerated for long.

[bilgistic]

There are few things funnier than dogs wearing booties the first time.

[riley702]

That's hilarious, bilgistic!

[Bastet]

I had to say goodbye to one of my "nephews" today (a friend's cat), and just a couple of months after my best friend's cat (my "niece") died unexpectedly.  This was the cat of the ex-boyfriend of one of my best friends.  They started dating about ten years ago, we hit it off, and then I met his cat, Beans, and we really hit it off; I became Auntie Bastet and started catsitting him when need be.  After about four years, everyone moved in together, so I took care of the two cats (my friend has one, too) whenever they were both gone, and then they went their separate ways - most amicably - earlier this year, and I assured the ex I would always be Auntie Bastet.  When his name showed up on my caller ID yesterday, I thought I was being asked to kitty sit.

Alas, no, it was to tell me Beans was in bad shape (cause unknown, but we have some suspects, and it was a multi-organ thing at this point) and in-home euthanasia had been scheduled for this afternoon; the ex invited me to come say good-bye, given our close relationship (Beans didn't like anyone [other than the ex] besides me - and, yes, that includes my friend, despite the years living together - and he cuddled with me in ways he never did with the ex), and of course I said yes.  When I talked with him this morning, he asked me to stay and be there for the end.  This was his first pet, so he's never been through this before, and he wanted me there for both of them.  Again, of course yes.

Beans hadn't much gotten out of his bed for the past couple of days, but when he heard my voice he hobbled out into the living room and rubbed me, so that was incredibly precious.  My friend came over after I'd been there about an hour, which gave us all another hour or so, and she and Beans made their peace in the end - she was able to pet him without being snapped at.  I got down on the floor and stuck my head into his bed to kiss him and talk to him, and then it was time for the sedative.  We all said our final goodbyes and then the injection.  

I'm so drained.  This is the fourth time I've been with a friend and a niece/nephew at the end, and while it's not the same as when I've had to set one of my own cats free from their suffering, it's still hard; it's a wonderful thing to be able to give them such a peaceful death, but it's still a death and you're right there watching it.  I loved Beans, and I'll miss him.  I cried when it was just us, then kept myself in check to be strong for the ex and my friend, who'd never done this before and had no idea what to expect, and then cried again as we reminisced and later as I drove home (where I promptly drove Riley nuts with all the picking up and hugging).  He was sixteen, and it was time.  I'm so glad it happened at home; the vet and tech were both wonderful.  And I'm honored to have been invited to be part of such an important moment, and to have received such nice words from the ex about being a good Auntie.  But I'm sad.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Lifespan is the bane of pet ownership, and it is the ultimate testament to how much having a pet enriches our lives that we knowingly sign up for that heartbreak over and over.

Sorry, I'm babbling.  But my parents are on week two of a two-week vacation, so I've been going back and forth between the two houses and just rather marinating in cat love lately, and saying goodbye to one of my buddies in the midst of that is making me quite sentimental about the bond.

[Moose135]

So sorry to hear that, @Bastet.  It does sound like that little kitty was well loved and cared for, which I'm sure made him feel comfortable to the end.

[DeLurker]

@Bastet - It takes a lot of strength to make a decision like that.  You friend and Bean were undoubtedly grateful that you were there.

Normally when I go to bed both my pets come with me to my room.  Sir Robin usually comes with me and Kook usually takes a few more minutes so he can do another patrol around the ground floor while I brush my teeth.  Last night he did not come up right away so the cat started getting antsy.  He'll sit at the top of the stares, meow his complaints and usually Kook will come upstairs.  Not last night.

Sir Robin zoomed around the bedroom for a bit then went downstairs to get the dog.  A few minutes later they both came upstairs.  Instead of getting settled, my silly cat was still zoomy.  He ended up trying to get under the covers from the foot of the bed.  He ended up inside the duvet.  For a while I had this lump moving around which was funny, but then he got too far up and could not get himself out.

[bosawks]

It’s National Pet Day!

Although Alli thinks that every day is National Pet Day....

[raven]

I thought every day WAS National Pet Day??

[Moose135]

C'mon, c'mon, let's go for a ride!!!

[emma675]

Bonnie would like you to know she's working real hard to get the other ear up (it's her "broken" ear, it never goes up to a triangle like the other one).

 

[Mindthinkr]

Wish I could post a photo but I’d have to bug Moose to resize one for me (he has always been a good sport and when I get a good one I’ll ask him to do me the favor again).

@Bastet Sorry to hear about the loss in your extended family. 

I was on Lowe’s today. They had 4 Golden Retrievers who had on vests for being future service dogs and they were so cute and well behaved. We were actually asked to pet them and the handlers were happy to answer questions about how they raise them (and awareness). 

Bless all of you pet owners today. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Mindthinkr
I mistakenly used the word vest twice.

[MargeGunderson]

@Bastet, I'm sorry for your loss. It was so compassionate of you to be there for Beans and your friend. Beans was clearly well loved by many. 

@Moose135, gorgeous! What type of pup is that? I feel like I should know but it escapes me at the moment and now I can't stop trying to figure it out. 

Here's Kitty Gunderson the Elder enjoying the fall, her favorite season. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by MargeGunderson

[JTMacc99]

She's a beautiful cat!

I'd like to report that Luna, resident black cat of the Macc house, needs to do a better job of KILLING the mouse before she brings it out of the basement. Because once the mouse is running free in a bedroom, ain't nobody happy about it. (Other than the cat.)

Problem was solved overnight with a much more business-like mouse catching device. I also talked to the cat, but she seemed pretty indifferent to what I was telling her.

[MargeGunderson]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

She's a beautiful cat!

I'd like to report that Luna, resident black cat of the Macc house, needs to do a better job of KILLING the mouse before she brings it out of the basement. Because once the mouse is running free in a bedroom, ain't nobody happy about it. (Other than the cat.)

Problem was solved overnight with a much more business-like mouse catching device. I also talked to the cat, but she seemed pretty indifferent to what I was telling her.

My in-law's cat liked to put mice in the bathtub and watch them run around frantically rather than kill them. My thought was at least the mice were contained in the tub! (It was a little weird to go into the bathroom in the middle of the night and have the cat excitedly showing off her catch. You had to really praise the cat before it would leave you alone.)

Edited April 12, 2018 by MargeGunderson

[theredhead77]

29 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

I'd like to report that Luna, resident black cat of the Macc house, needs to do a better job of KILLING the mouse before she brings it out of the basement. Because once the mouse is running free in a bedroom, ain't nobody happy about it. (Other than the cat.)

Problem was solved overnight with a much more business-like mouse catching device. I also talked to the cat, but she seemed pretty indifferent to what I was telling her.

Isn't that just a sign that you need to move? That's what I would do. And I'd buy new things.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

@Moose135, gorgeous! What type of pup is that? I feel like I should know but it escapes me at the moment and now I can't stop trying to figure it out. 

That's Denali, she's an Australian Shepherd.

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

Isn't that just a sign that you need to move? That's what I would do. And I'd buy new things.

I’m not squicked out by mice. The kids on the other hand...

[Mindthinkr]

I’d much rather have a wee mouse than the rats that my cats used to bring it. It took me some finagling to get that one out (with the cat in full chase) alive. Now that they’re indoor cats I haven’t seen any spoils of sport. 

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

Here's Kitty Gunderson the Elder enjoying the fall, her favorite season. 

Well, no wonder - she matches the leaves!  Pretty.

[JTMacc99]

6 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’d much rather have a wee mouse than the rats that my cats used to bring it. It took me some finagling to get that one out (with the cat in full chase) alive. Now that they’re indoor cats I haven’t seen any spoils of sport. 

Ew. 

Although it's nice to know that the cat was "helping".

[ABay]

I feel you, @JTMacc99--kids squick me out, too.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

I’m not squicked out by mice. The kids on the other hand...

The kids are squicked out by mice, or you're squicked out by the kids?  :-)

[riley702]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I'd like to report that Luna, resident black cat of the Macc house, needs to do a better job of KILLING the mouse before she brings it out of the basement. Because once the mouse is running free in a bedroom, ain't nobody happy about it. (Other than the cat.)

Phoebe Jo once caught a chipmunk from the culvert across the road and brought it to the backyard to play with it, where she lost it. She chased it up this enormous, skinny poplar tree where she sat in the center and the chipmunk sat out on a spindly branch. Took the cat 2 hours to give up and come down, and the chipmunk didn't come down until dark, when Phoebe was back inside.

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’d much rather have a wee mouse than the rats that my cats used to bring it. It took me some finagling to get that one out (with the cat in full chase) alive. Now that they’re indoor cats I haven’t seen any spoils of sport. 

Bipolar* kitty, Pippi, likes it out in the garage, where she intercepts mice coming in. Over the winter, she killed 3 and left the dead bodies on the doormat. She also gets into the crawl space from the half-basement, where we can hear her running along the square aluminum ductwork. We'll yell, "Pippi's in the pipes!" She has brought a good half-dozen dead mice upstairs to show off in the past year.

*She hasn't been right since day 1, when she was brought into the shelter by someone who found her dumped in their driveway out in the country. My SIL, Paula, bottle-fed her and kept her. She has gotten worse as she's gotten older, so we started her on liquid Prozac a few weeks ago. The vet says it could take a couple of months to see results. Paula won't take her back to the shelter because she's afraid she'd be promptly euthanized. It would take a very special person to take her and she'd have to be an only animal, as she randomly picks fights. She will also randomly nip at people, so if she flops down in your path, don't bend over to pet her. It's a set-up. If you step over her and keep walking, most of the time she will run after you to nip at the back of your leg. *sigh*

[JTMacc99]

23 minutes ago, riley702 said:

Phoebe Jo once caught a chipmunk from the culvert across the road and brought it to the backyard to play with it, where she lost it. She chased it up this enormous, skinny poplar tree where she sat in the center and the chipmunk sat out on a spindly branch. Took the cat 2 hours to give up and come down, and the chipmunk didn't come down until dark, when Phoebe was back inside.

I've probably told this story before, but not recently so here it goes again: Danny the Labrador caught a possum in my backyard one evening. He had been let out to roam around and do his business. Since it was dark out, I left the back porch light on so I could see when he returned. I saw the big yellow shape on the porch so I went to the door and opened it up for him. He lumbered in, and I noticed that he was essentially sitting on a possum. It was on it's back, eyes closed, tongue hanging out of it's mouth, but I was pretty sure it was breathing. So I shut off the light and just left it there. Gave Danny a cookie, and he pretty much acted like nothing interesting just happened. 

I turned on the light 15 minutes later. Possum gone. It was literally playing possum. Which by the way was a very good plan when running into Danny. Because I've seen what he does to garden eating, winter predicting, groundhogs who attempt to fight back. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by JTMacc99

[SuprSuprElevated]

20 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Wish I could post a photo but I’d have to bug Moose to resize one for me (he has always been a good sport and when I get a good one I’ll ask him to do me the favor again).

@Bastet Sorry to hear about the loss in your extended family. 

I was on Lowe’s today. They had 4 Golden Retrievers who had on vests for being future service dogs and they were so cute and well behaved. We were actually asked to pet them and the handlers were happy to answer questions about how they raise them (and awareness). 

Bless all of you pet owners today. 

 

If I may take the liberty, this is what I use (Windows 10 PC)  http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

This site is really pretty easy, as long as you know how to navigate your file explorer.  I usually default to 50% to resize.  Your resized image will be in downloads. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by SuprSuprElevated

[Mindthinkr]

17 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

If I may take the liberty, this is what I use (Windows 10 PC)  http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

This site is really pretty easy, as long as you know how to navigate your file explorer.  I usually default to 50% to resize.  Your resized image will be in downloads. 

Thank you. I will definitely give it a try. 

[Mindthinkr]

@SuprSuprElevated Here you go...I tried the website that you suggested and found it easy to use so here’s my first attempt. It’s of the mama squirrel raiding the bird feeder upside down! 

                                                           It worked! Pictures of boy and girl cat to follow soon. Again thank you very much  

[Moose135]

Airman Denali reporting for duty, sir!