Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[bosawks]

4 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

She's giving Ali a run for their money! I think we need a puppers photo-off!

Alli says game on!!!

Not really, she’s actually kinda zen...

[walnutqueen]

I don't know what makes me more jealous - the fact that y'all have photogenic pets or the fact that y'all have cameras, and know how to use them.

I'll just be back here in my sulky corner, waiting for Mama Raccoon to bring her newest 3 little roly-poly bandit babies to my back door for snack time.

I didn't have to wait long - she's actually hoovering up cat food in the dusk as we speak - and I see 3 little faces peeking out at me from the bushes!  Time for eggs.

Life is sweet.

[KnoxForPres]

On 10/21/2018 at 2:38 PM, Bastet said:

When Maddie died, it was the first time I'd been cat-less due to death since I was a child.  It is indeed extra hard when you can't comfort yourself by curling up with other cats.  My heart goes out to you.  I'm so glad it happened to work out for your friend to be there with you, and not just any friend but the one who was with you when Shana came into your life.  But I know how lonely, empty, and just plain wrong it feels at home now, and am thinking of you.

There's no "should" here, because there's no timeline you're obligated to follow.  Do with the stuff what you will when you will; don't make yourself do anything right now.

With Maddie, I did it the same day.  And then I felt like shit, as if I'd erased her.  Which, of course, was not at all what it was about; seeing the stuff was making me cry even more, so I put it away (some stuff I kept for future cats, some I donated).  That's what was right for me, in that moment.  What's right for you in this moment is not to physically deal with the cats' things.  When that changes, you'll handle it then.

One moment at a time, @tiftgirl.  All you have to do right now is keep breathing and put one foot in front of the other.  These early days in the grief process are simply excruciating, and there's no getting around that.  Curl up in a ball, yell, cry, sit bewildered - do it all as it comes, and do it on your schedule.  We'll be here.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

I don’t typically repost long ones but yes, yes and yes to this.

@tiftgirlI am so sorry for your loss.

This may sound odd but when my dog  Scout died I bought a little stuffed animal I fell in love with. I slept and cradled that little guy for a long time. Coming home to my empty apartment made me feel unsure of what to do and I hated it. And I left Scouts stuff out a long time until I was ok to remove them.  The little guy helped. He now lives on an ottoman in my parents living room. But he got me through a lot. 

[ABay]

@tiftgirl, belated condolences on your loss.

[ABay]

New bird at the feeders! What I thought was a jumbo black-capped Chickadee is actually a white-breasted nuthatch. And the juncos are back for the winter. 

I'm sure the nor'easter tomorrow will be as anti-climactic as all the other hyped storms have been, but I'm hoping to spend a cozy day watching the rain & napping with a cat on my lap.

[JTMacc99]

Nuthatches are fun. They walk face down the trunks of trees. I’ve got a couple that have been working over the suet pretty good.

[isalicat]

Speaking of birds, my neighborhood acquired a young but very large and fierce hawk a couple of months ago. The hawk has been hunting the sparrows and a couple of days ago I was sitting at my desk, which is next to the patio glass doors (from ceiling to floor) going out to my patio and a sparrow, which was being chased by the hawk, hit the glass right next to me and fell to the ground, clearly stunned. The hawk landed on the fence and watched the sparrow on the ground but did not come down and get it (not sure why - maybe because the hawk could see me right there?). My cat Louis who was also in my office (he supervises me all day long to make sure no food opportunities go by because of insufficient vigilance) was understandably interested and made to go out the cat door and get the sparrow but I dissuaded him, wanting to see what the birds would do. It was a several hours long stand off and then eventually the hawk flew away, Louis fell asleep on the rug looking out and when it was dusk the sparrow got up and flew away! Yesterday there were two hawks on the fence (maybe a couple? how can you tell?) so there must be good feeding opportunities for them around here just now (lots of fallow fields in our area so I presume lots of rodents etc.). They are so beautiful and elegant!

[theredhead77]

Where do you live that owning a hawk is legal, @isalicat? I'd be so concerned for the neighborhood animals (and those poor birds it's been hunting).

[Bastet]

The hawk is just wild in the neighborhood as I understand it, not being kept by anyone.  I see one perched on my utility lines from time to time, and once in my orange tree; any others, I just see flying/circling overhead.  (Okay, so it may not be the same one coming down each time, but it's rare enough I just say, "Hello, Hawk" as if is a repeat visitor.)

[emma675]

My neighbor has a red hawk living in one of his front yard trees and "my" owl has shown up again last month. He or she is huge and loud as hell at night. I swear, dogs in our neighborhood can't bark as loud as this thing hoots. It lives in a pecan tree in my backyard and will disappear for months at a time but it always comes back in the fall.

Edited October 28, 2018 by emma675d

[Rose Quartz]

When I left my orange cat out on the deck today he stayed right next to the door instead of wandering around and checking things out the way he usually does.  I couldn't figure out why at first until I saw a huge hawk sitting in the top of my neighbor's tree.  We've actually got three or four hawks living in the neighborhood because it's got a decent amount of green space, but this is the closest I've seen one to my house in a while.

[ABay]

This is the Day of the Hawk--a Cooper's Hawk flew across the yard when I went to fill a feeder. Haven't seen it in months.

[bosawks]

Is that a walrus I see before me?

Edited October 28, 2018 by bosawks

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, bosawks said:

Is that a walrus I see before me?

Awwwww!!!!

 

Who has 4 paws and has to go to the vet tomorrow? The kittencat! He did something  (again) to his paw and its red and raw inside. I wish I knew what he was doing so I could kittencat proof it! 

[Mindthinkr]

Big boy. I love how when he is relaxed he crosses his paws. He bit me today only because he hates being groomed and he’s so fat that he can’t reach some areas and I have no choice but to groom him where he cannot reach. He did not break my skin. It was one of those warning bites. Brat. 

[JTMacc99]

15 hours ago, ABay said:

This is the Day of the Hawk--a Cooper's Hawk flew across the yard when I went to fill a feeder. Haven't seen it in months.

Bird killers. Them and the smaller cousin the Sharp Shinned Hawk terrorize my dad's feeders.

[bilgistic]

12 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Big boy. I love how when he is relaxed he crosses his paws. He bit me today only because he hates being groomed and he’s so fat that he can’t reach some areas and I have no choice but to groom him where he cannot reach. He did not break my skin. It was one of those warning bites. Brat. 

Such a handsome and distinguished gentleman!

[MargeGunderson]

15 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Big boy. I love how when he is relaxed he crosses his paws. He bit me today only because he hates being groomed and he’s so fat that he can’t reach some areas and I have no choice but to groom him where he cannot reach. He did not break my skin. It was one of those warning bites. Brat. 

He looks like a ladies man in that pose. All he needs is a smoking jacket and a glass of whiskey to complete the picture. 

Kitty Gunderson the Elder used to sit very erect and cross her paws daintily in front of her. We called her Ms Priss in that pose (she really did look super prissy). 

[bilgistic]

@Mindthinkr, I see you and raise you my beautiful late calico/tortie kitty in all her cross-pawed, floofy splendor.

[Mindthinkr]

34 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

@Mindthinkr, I see you and raise you my beautiful late calico/tortie kitty in all her cross-pawed, floofy splendor.

Beautiful cat. I’m jealous alone because of the long fur and lovely coat. 

I just want you to know that it’s never a competition. (IMO) We are all lucky if we have fur buddies (cats or dogs) that love us. Thank you for sharing that picture of your beautiful calico kitty. 

[bilgistic]

She was a special girl. I love all the kitties everywhere. I follow several cat Instagram pages, including a bookstore cats account, brewery cats (who knew!) and bodega cats. I must look at all the cats!

[DeLurker]

I’ve never seen a long haired (furred) calico - that is one floofy girl!

[MargeGunderson]

What a beauty, @bilgistic!

[bosawks]

I’ll be a bit busy tomorrow, sooo, happy early Halloween!!!!

[DeLurker]

Mom had her small front entryway enclosed earlier this year so she has a small screened patio in the front.  It is very nice.

Unfortunately, her cat who gets a bit of outdoor time daily, was not going to be deterred by a screen door being where no door existed previously.  So she popped through the screen to make her own cat door.  My brother fixed it as it was a modest sized opening (visible in lower left), but she popped through again.

Last weekend, another brother decided to fix it for realsies.  He bought some kind of super strength screening material that is supposed to be pet puncture & tear resistant.

This is my Mom's door 12 hours after he repaired it.  Her cat is 12 lbs.

 

 

[AgentRXS]

My former foster kitten helping the new hooman's kid with her schoolwork and cuddling with her sister (she's the one on top).

[deemac]

On 10/28/2018 at 4:35 PM, Bastet said:

The hawk is just wild in the neighborhood as I understand it, not being kept by anyone.  I see one perched on my utility lines from time to time, and once in my orange tree; any others, I just see flying/circling overhead.  (Okay, so it may not be the same one coming down each time, but it's rare enough I just say, "Hello, Hawk" as if is a repeat visitor.)

This was on my backyard fence several years ago.  Don't see them as much now since several neighbors have cleared their overgrown yards.

[isalicat]

That looks just like the hawk that has taken up residency in my neighborhood, deemac! Do you know what kind of hawk that is? (to clear up any confusion, the hawk is entirely wild and free here - not being "kept" by anyone as a pet) And thanks for the pictures of your calico kitty, bilgistic - she looks very similar to my also very long haired calico girl, Kali, who made it all the way to 23 years old before her kidneys gave out and we had to let her go over the bridge. She was the sweetest cat I think I ever had but she totally kept my huge tom in line even though she was not even half his size.

[ABay]

If that tail has wide gray bars, it could be a Cooper's Hawk. According to my Birds of Connecticut book, a Sharp Shinned Hawk is lighter in color and the tail doesn't have a curve at the end like the one in the photo. 

[Mindthinkr]

Today my two black cats turn 14 years old. They are Halloween babies. I predict a can of human tuna for their birthday dinner and there are two new catnip toys to chase after nap time. 

In other news the hummingbird is upset because a red-cockaded woodpecker has taken up residence in his favorite tree used for guarding his feeder. Every time the hummingbird tried to perch on a branch the woodpecker chased him off. 

[DeLurker]

21 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

My former foster kitten helping the new hooman's kid with her schoolwork and cuddling with her sister (she's the one on top).

Former foster kitten appears to be grading papers!  That is one smart kitty!

And so cute...

[Moose135]

Happy Halloween!

[EighteenTwelve]

Lily finally has a date for radioactive iodine treatment, since we have now determined that she doesn't have a UTI.  She turns into Radioactive Cat on November 13, comes home from the hospital on November 17, and goes into quarantine downstairs for two weeks.  I decided that 20 minutes of me per day and confined to one room for two weeks was better than 20 minutes of strangers per day and confined to a cage.

[Bastet]

Good luck on sticking to that limited exposure thing once she's home; I lasted one night of closing the bedroom door on poor, sad Baxter who slept on the floor in the hallway right on the other side of said door before saying screw it, and letting him radiate me.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Bastet

[EighteenTwelve]

Fortunately the apartment below mine is empty, so I can keep her in a bedroom down there while the other cat lives on the second floor with me and the dog lives on the third floor with my landlady.

[JTMacc99]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:15 AM, DeLurker said:

This is my Mom's door 12 hours after he repaired it.  Her cat is 12 lbs.

 

 

Heh. That cat is a home wrecker like my cat Luna and that girl I dated a couple years ago. 

Edited November 1, 2018 by JTMacc99

[deemac]

On 10/30/2018 at 1:51 PM, isalicat said:

That looks just like the hawk that has taken up residency in my neighborhood, deemac! Do you know what kind of hawk that is? (to clear up any confusion, the hawk is entirely wild and free here - not being "kept" by anyone as a pet) And thanks for the pictures of your calico kitty, bilgistic - she looks very similar to my also very long haired calico girl, Kali, who made it all the way to 23 years old before her kidneys gave out and we had to let her go over the bridge. She was the sweetest cat I think I ever had but she totally kept my huge tom in line even though she was not even half his size.

No idea what kind of hawk.  I showed a pic on my cell phone (so small) to the people at a raptor exhibit at a state fair and the biggest guess with them was red shouldered hawk but it wasn't unanimous. 

[theredhead77]

7 hours ago, deemac said:

I showed a pic on my cell phone (so small) to the people at a raptor exhibit at a state fair

I'm so jealous you got to see this live!

 

[DeLurker]

Woke up to something new this morning - I was sleeping on my stomach and Catty Face decided that the perfect place for him to lie would be on my lower back & butt.  He was not thrilled when my need for coffee took priority over being his snuggle spot.

[bilgistic]

I love when one of the cats walks on my back and then sits down. It's like a mini-massage with a heating pad finish. If only I could train them to walk on my back for longer and knead the sore spots.

[Bastet]

Riley sleeps on whatever part of me is creating the highest surface for her, so if I'm on my back she's on my chest, if I'm on my side she's on my hip, and if I'm on my front she's on my butt.

[bosawks]

What sort of creature is that lurking in the reeds....

[chenoa333]

On 2/9/2018 at 8:02 PM, Maharincess said:

I would like you all to meet Bunny, the newest member of the Maharincess family.  I went to the shelter with my daughter for her to adopt a cat and came home with her.  She is so Damn sweet I couldn't resist.  And with those ears, what else could I have named her? 

I miss you Maharincess!

What a cutie pie! She looks part bunny, part doxie and mostly...loveable! You saved another one ?

[smittykins]

I haven’t been here in ages, I spent all yesterday afternoon catching up.  I wish I could upvote the whole dang thread!

For those of you that don’t frequent the Commercial Off-Topic thread, this is Shadow(aka the House Panther), whom I adopted from our local shelter in August, two weeks after losing China, my 14-year-old furbaby.(I wasn’t planning on adopting again so soon, but my mom, who volunteers at(and lives next to)the shelter thought she would be perfect for me.)

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by smittykins

[chenoa333]

2 hours ago, smittykins said:

I haven’t been here in ages, I spent all yesterday afternoon catching up.  I wish I could upvote the whole dang thread!

For those of you that don’t frequent the Commercial Off-Topic thread, this is Shadow(aka the House Panther), whom I adopted from our local shelter in August, two weeks after losing China, my 14-year-old furbaby.(I wasn’t planning on adopting again so soon, but my mom, who volunteers at(and lives next to)the shelter thought she would be perfect for me.)

 

That photo is priceless! What a cutie! As we all know, there's always room in our hearts for one more. Sorry for the loss of China. :(

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, smittykins said:

I haven’t been here in ages, I spent all yesterday afternoon catching up.  I wish I could upvote the whole dang thread!

For those of you that don’t frequent the Commercial Off-Topic thread, this is Shadow(aka the House Panther), whom I adopted from our local shelter in August, two weeks after losing China, my 14-year-old furbaby.(I wasn’t planning on adopting again so soon, but my mom, who volunteers at(and lives next to)the shelter thought she would be perfect for me.)

 

@smittykins - I am so very sorry for your loss.

No matter how deep our pain digs, there is always another animal to save us.

Shadow/ aka The House Panther, looks just like my first Boy.

[DeLurker]

@smittykins - Sorry about China.  It is never easy to lose a member of our family.  House Panther is stunning! 

Growing up there was a neighborhood cat that did not belong to anyone.  I wouldn't call it feral because it was not spooked by people at all but he had a lot of battle scars.  Eventually my family unofficially adopted Alfred (named by my older brother) as an outside cat and he would come & go as he pleased.  We might not see him for 7 - 10 days, but then he would pop up again.  He literally looked like a miniature version of the Florida panther (back then, things got swampy about 10 miles west of where we lived), but black (Fl. panthers are usually fawn or buff), much bigger than your typical domestic cat and nothing but muscle.

[chenoa333]

16 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

@smittykins - I am so very sorry for your loss.

No matter how deep our pain digs, there is always another animal to save us.

Shadow/ aka The House Panther, looks just like my first Boy.

And that is the whole truth! We think we're saving them (and we are) but they always end up saving us fom whatever we're going through: feeling hurt, alone, people don't get our love for animals, we didn't change our clothes today, we like to cuss! 

[Mindthinkr]

@smittykins Condolences on your loss. Purrs from the Mindthinkr kitties and hugs. 

[walnutqueen]

23 minutes ago, chenoa333 said:

And that is the whole truth! We think we're saving them (and we are) but they always end up saving us fom whatever we're going through: feeling hurt, alone, people don't get our love for animals, we didn't change our clothes today, we like to cuss! 

You are more right than you even know.  My last rescue kitten, the much beloved Babalu,  breathed  LIFE into my senior gentlemen, and eventually stood death watch with them all.  He was my sole comfort during the worst times of my life, including the most devastating loss of my soul-cat.  You think you only have one, but your heart has room for  a few more ...

Now he gets the Senior discount at the vet's office (along with the "multi cat" discount I've had since I had multi cats).  We are growing old together - but he needs shots & pills twice a day, and I do not.  He is my Everything.  And understands the WORST cusswords are terms of endearment.   ;-)