BS: Our pets favorite things

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 01:49 PM

Thanks, people - advice cheerfully will be tried! He's still too freaky to take to the groomer, though, so he'll be makin' do with my aesthetic efforts. My husband complains Snowball's giving him a complex, since the cat still runs and hides from him. I say if he tried not meowing like a cougar in an effort to attract Snowball, it might help. It's hilarious - husband has a deepish sinusy voice, and sounds exactly like a cougar when meowing. Snowball usually hides under the couch or runs for the stairs, where he sits staring wide-eyed at the weird looking monster cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: GUEST,Lilyfestre
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 11:20 AM

Many times the mats begin formation in the undercoat. Once you do get all the mats out (maybe one trip to the groomer), use an undercoat brush once or twice a day to keep the mats from forming in the first place.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 11:01 AM

Bee,
My Madmardigan has the exact same problem. Long hair and wavy belly hair. He also looks like he's wearing pantaloons...

I haven't found a solution to totally getting rid of the mats, but daily brushing is a good step. He loves to be brushed, too, which makes it easier. Other than professional grooming I'm at a loss..

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 09:35 AM

Heartfelt thanks, Bee.

Most longhairs do a good job grooming themselves. You can help Snowball form good grooming habits by dabbing a little tuna juice around the parts that tend to get more matted, once you de-mat them to give him a fresh start.

From there, try playing momcat. Catmamas' tongues feel somewhat like a damp washcloth, rubbed vigorously. If you give him a swipe or two in a lazy mode, like momcat waking indolently to offer a bath, it may spark his own grooming instinct. Keeping a damp cloth handy so that when he jumps up to cuddle, he grooms could be a good habit.

There are also sprays that you can apply to his brush that will de-static and slicken the fur; it's purely cosmetic and doesn't last long but may help him accept the sparkless brushing and that in itself may awaken his grooming urge. It will also make him smell like a dandy, which may exacerbate Tommy's aggression, so....? Don't buy a lot :~) Do NOT use human grooming products though-- cats do not always tolerate human chems. I think I used diluted flax soap once without harm, but call the vet's office first. (Vet receptionists often know an amazing amount of free advice.)

I also would ask the vet what food additives you an offer that will slicken up his coat so he mats less easily.

If the matting does not go away with teaching him to groom himself, over time, you can always have the vet or a groomer clip the parts that get worst, for a weird look.

In any event, console yourself for the work to deal with this with the sure knowledge how uncomfortable he would be if you had not taken him in. Instead of beating yourself up for doing this to yourself, just think, "Aw, he needs me" with each stroke of the brush/comb.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 08:54 AM

((Susan))

Anybody got some advice on keeping longhaired cats relatively unmatted? Special brushes, combs? I end up snipping bits out of his coat almost daily.

I have deliberately avoided longhairs all my cat-lovin' life, but now there's Snowball - thick, soft, fine long hair, mats if you look at him funny. I've tried brushing him, but all that seems to do is build up static in his fur, causing it to mat faster! Plus, the fur on his belly and 'armpits' is wavy!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 05:14 PM

This is kinda cool-- pre-grieving the inevitable and having time to do some fun things one last time. I did that once long ago, before breaking up with a boyfriend, and I forgot how healing it can be. It will still be sad-- I am not trying to forestall that or decide ahead of time how I will feel-- but it is a much better way than the tragic approach I took when I had to put down a cat after heroic measures.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 10:39 AM

Ruby made it clear last night that she's ready. And I FINALLY figured out HOW to let her go so it is the best way for her that I can arrange. I hadn't been looking at the celebration side of it, and a recent parish funeral was a great help there. She'll go in the back area of the vet's office amid all the barking there-- she's never been afraid of the vet's place. I think they will let me back there as well, where I can take a moment to rejoice in the things we were able to do for her, and say goodbye. (I have to SEE her gone. I still dream the return of a dearly loved cat that died in the road, whose body I never got to see...)

From there we'll go on to a vaccinations appointment already booked for Faulkner (Hardi will be doing that with him), move forward practically and symbolically to the licensing of F and our new dog, Sadie, and then on to a planned hockey game to Let It Go. It takes an hour to get there, and that will be a great opportunity for any "surprise" venting.

Ruby will go to what the vet says is called "communal cremation." It may not be the fantasy of keeping our pets forever, but we rent this house and have no good place here. More importantly, she did always prefer other dogs around her. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: GUEST,Lilyfestre
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:14 PM

Our cocker spaniel, Amos LOVES when I give him a haircut. I'm not a professional by any means but he hates riding in the car and it saves us driving 20 miles (one way), so I cut it myself. Yesterday we put the big, loveable pup in her house while Amo and I settled into a nice sunlit spot on the living room floor. He had a few matted spots where he had gotten into some burdock (I think rolled in it is more like it!) and I swear he almost smiled when I got those out! At one point, he was rolled over onto his back with feet in the air, snoring while I was cutting the long hair on belly. It was good Mommy and Me time for us yesterday.....no other dogs trying for my attention, only the occassional kitty who thought he'd see what was going on.

Another thing all my 4-legged babies love is when I do yoga in the living room. The cats love to sit on the ends of my mat and the dogs love to come poke their cold noses in my face, Mags especially likes to nibble at my hair while I'm in an inverted pose. And of course, any floor work sends out the message that, "HEY.....Mom's on the floor, it's PLAY TIME!!!!!" LOL Needless to say, I've found an alternative spot for my yoga....sorry pups....it just isn't going to work out this way!

One last favorite, at least for now, Little Two Toes, a kitten, has great fun tossing about a large tinfoil ball. Our 100 pound Bernese Mountain Dog LOVES to play this game with the teeny tiny kitten. The kitten will play endlessly...jumping about, batting the ball about and then Mags steals the ball away....but not for long as Two Toes steals it back. Mags will jump about and fuss (but never on the kitten) until Two Toes sends the ball spinning in her direction. They are a great source of entertainment!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 02:38 PM

No, SHE doesn;t take 20 minuytes, but F does so she has to stay in there till he's done. He likes toplay with his, =just like a cat with a mouse. He'll take a piece off, toss it aorund, walk wpast it and pretend it moved,pounce on it, etc.

???

I try to just take them as they are.

On Ruby-- I do not know if a vet would come, but for it to really be RUBY's way-- you will think I am nuts-- it would happen like this: she'd get sleepy meds in her food while she is in a kennel next to other dogs barking away madly. Honest to God-- that IS her favorite place to be. The next step would not be in her vein until she was passed out, sleeping happily away with the barking lulling her off. Happy barking as only boarding kennel full of inmates can produce.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:11 PM

20 minutes in the dog corner to eat it.

My dogs have never taken 20 minutes to eat anything, unless it was a bone they were given to chew. Dinner might take two minutes. They eat dry nuggets.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:23 PM

Susan, the best euthanasia, after one's pet just dying in their sleep, situation would be for a vet to come to your home - some vets will do this, though not many.

And of course, you could run into a crisis situation like I did, where my poor girl had a paralysing event on a day when the weather was horrible and my husband was several thousand km. away. I wish desperately that I could have avoided taking her to the vet that night, where euthanasia had to be the decision, but I had no way of knowing how severe her condition was (terminal cancer, symptoms of which had been masked by her arthritis medication).

I hope you'll be able to do better by Ruby, and you certainly have my sympathy, whatever happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:44 AM

Sadie passed her vet check with flying colors. No doc wars overnight-- silence is good.

Her current daily schedule is "Wake up and out" for about 20 minutes, in for the mad romp sorting out 3 brekkies, 20 minutes in the dog corner to eat it. This gives F the longer time he needs to chow up and me the time to get my AM stuff going. Then there are either several hours hanging out time with me/us for the rest of the AM with training time included, or outside time in the dog yard with F unless it's frostbitten-ears weather. That whole time is repeated in reverse in the evening. In the afternoon she has a second hanging out/training time, and a nice long nap with Faulkner. She has increased her living room naptime, sleeping through or ignoring distractions, long enough that sometimes I can get in a chair nap with them, too.

The cool thing is that Sadie knows and responds to the structure. Time in the dog corner-- with or without a companion dog (R or F)-- is no longer lonely-panic time. She cheerfully heads to the corner on her own now because she anticipates what comes next. Ruby never did make that adjustment. It's been interesting-- observing the difference between a brain chemistry that can learn, and one that can neither learn nor settle if there is any distraction to re-spark the preference to go back to solitary mode.

No housebreaking has been needed, but she still has not revealed her "wanna go out" act to me; so her time in the main house is in short stints to be sure all wettings are outside, until I see how she will let me know when she needs to GO-OUT-NOW.

So we're focusing on other training behaviors. I am still discovering what commands she "knows," and reinforcing these, while adding necessary commands, behaviors, and reinforcements one or two at a time.

All this of course has upped my activity level as well as Faulkner's and Ruby's, which is good for F and painful for Ruby. Coincides with my long-awaited knee rehab/recovery.

I discussed Ruby's impending euthanasia with the vet yesterday-- hate that!

The BEST death for Ruby would be to go to sleep in the middle of playing with other dogs-- the humans in her equation are not her must joyous factor, though she likes us fine. I just can't figure put how to give her that, and I'm stewing about it because I feel like we owe it to her. Oh well-- on the day she makes it clear that it IS the day, I hope to be having a smart day.

But I am very glad that F has bonded to Sadie, before That Day. He needs his own dog. And so do I.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 03:52 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 03:49 PM

Isis rolls onto (all over) Atticus and gives him a lick or two as he disappears under her [nicely reducing] bulk. Eyes closed, he scooches over an inch or two to make room, and strethces without truly waking to distribute her across him more comfortably. She licks once or twice more (hard worker that she is).

Now she has awakened his grooming instinct, and he happily spends an hour cleaning her all over. If he runs into his own paw or tail along the way, he will give that a swipe or two as well. By the time he is almost done, SHE feels the urge finally, and tries to pin him down but no, he's insistent upon pinning HER down. They wrestle in a friendly fashion for ascendancy until one of them gets irritated, puts his/her ears back, and jumps down to go find a snack or a warm lap.

Isis is always the cleaner of the two, as a result; this is good as she is 90% white in color. She still does this even though her reducing program means that she can actually reach herself everywhere now, and does. But she is still a grooming mooch, just because.... she LIKES it.

Today she was curled up in front of Ruby before the gas heater, sharing the heat waves. But Ruby does not cooperate and Isis has never offered to wash her. Atticus has shown signes of being interested in trying to clean up poor, nervously-wagging Faulkner, but then he's by far the better cat!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 03:46 PM

our 3 yr old dog Gromette loves the reverse of fetch. With the deftness of a Sholin priest she offers the toy back but turns away at the last second.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:50 PM

LOL Bee. That was quite a visual.

My 10 year old cat, Madmardigan likes to sidle up to 2 year old Sheldon and jump on him while he's sleeping, too. Sheldon, being much younger and 4 lbs heavier always wins the ensuing battle and Maddy ends up screetching like a little girl so I'll come rescue him.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 02:38 PM

Snowball's decided his new favourite thing to do is to walk slowly up to a sleeping Tommy, carefully straddle him, and then... lick his head.

Tommy hates this.

He rolls over. Snowball persists, flopping on top of him in an effort to keep licking. Tommy grasps him with all four limbs and starts chewing on Snowball's neck. Snowball squalls, once the teeth make it through his thick mane. Tommy bites harder.

There ensues a thundering chase through the house, up and down stairs, Snowball meowing like he's being killed every time Tommy catches up and wrestles him down.

Then they both curl up in front of the stove and go to sleep.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 12:36 PM

Last week over the long weekend I sorted and purged the large set of bookshelves in my front room (runs along an entire long wall in the room). I extended some of the shelving area, requiring the rearrangement of the antique trunks I keep in there. One now sits in front of the window, the lid at windowsill height. Since I have a futon in that room I leave pillows and blankets in one corner chair. Several blankets were refolded to trunk-size and left on top. The mini-blind is up about four inches. It is a cat-friendly spot now. This morning the room was a little chilly so I arranged the top blanket with a few "bumpers" the cuddle the cat who decides to sleep there. The old Siamese is up there right now and is quite pleased with the spot.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 11:12 AM

The next thing I bragged about was Sadie's respect for my shoes, so of course you know what she grabbed next. I mean, I KNEW the fuzzy slippers-- looking and feeling like plump duckies-- could not be resisted by a retriever, but my sandals appeared safe in the kitchen where I always kick them off. Nooo..... And I got tired of slipping into nice, warm fuzzies in this cold spell that often turned out to be wet, cold, and slimy, or stiff with dried slobberchoppery.

So today after their AM out-trip, Sadie came in to joyously greet not only my sandals, but the fuzzy slippers. Her reaction: !!!!!

Some BAD person had sprayed them with bitter apple spray when Sadie wasn't looking! :~) She tasted them twice to be sure and that was that! (She can learn she can learn she can learn....)

No documentation wars for 24 hours. Dogs love it because that means more playtime for THEM.


New F favorite: running just-filled-up Sadie off his kibbles until he's done wiht them, and then graciously excorting her to them when he has had his fill.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 11:12 PM

After non-stop documentation wars since Monday AM, I will NEVER Freecycle a pet again-- in or out of the house. But pending a vet check Friday for potential undisclosed health issues, Sadie's staying unless and until the Law comes and tears her out of my cold, dead hand on her chain collar.

Next week, MUCH more news on Sadie fun. Little samples:

Sadie hung the dog toy on F's shoulder and then he could not find it for the life of him-- where did it went?

Telling Hardi she has NEVER offered to get in F's dog bed, bragging that thus she clearly possesses key dog taboo instincts. Five minutes later, she plops right into it in front of all of us, as if it's her exclusive property. F misses this (busy at Hardi's hand), but she soon decides for herself that no, maybe she better NOT be in there, and vamooses.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 10:48 AM

PS, the "9-month" statement was January 8!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM

I just found this out about Sadie's provenance:

As of today (Jan. 21): "...I want to let everyone know that I am expecting, and I am due in the month of February...." She mass-sent that to a whole Freecycle group!

From the same lady whose dog I "rescued" because:

"We have a two year old yellow lab that we unfortunately must find a new home for or at least a foster home for. My husband is deploying to Afghanistan, and I can no longer care for her. I am 9 months pregnant and even walking her is difficult because I end up getting drug through town. She is used to our old home where we had a good amount of land for her to run. She is an outside dog because she likes to run, but she is very good indoors. She is housebroken, current on her shots, and fixed.... We have a small Pekingese that we can handle, but poor Sadie is neglected at this point. I feel really bad for her because there is just nothing that I can do! .... My husband won't be home until December of this year. It could possibly go until March....."


So given that she "exaggerated" her due date (also telling me by phone that she was scheduled for delivery (I assumed C-section) for THIS WEEK), and given that she has not replied to repeated requests for license/shot/vet info-- do I take this dog back because she may have undisclosed problems, or do I keep her? (She BETTER be spayed!)

I COULD take her back and tie her back onto her old tether-- break my heart-- or I could drop her at the lady's police station and name the owner. Or we could "keep" her or, if she's not going to settle down, find her another owner.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: MaineDog
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 09:33 AM

One of Dex's favorite things is "his" foghorn. I borrow it from him sometimes when I want to go kayaking on a misty day. Anyway, he has trained me to use it to call him when I am out of earshot. If I blow two blasts in the same rhythm as "DEX,,,COME!" he will understand that I want to give him a bone-us biscuit just now, and so he will come running even if he is a long way off (which he knows he shouldn't be). If we go out walking together, I usually show him the horn and the biscuits before we depart, just to remind him of the game. So I don't actually have to use the horn very often.
A few notes:
The horn is made of bright orange plastic, so no animals have been sacrificed in its creation, and not really too much oil hope.
The horn is non electic so, since I regularly breathe in and out, its use does not materially increase my carbon footprint.
As for his delicate hearing (which is excellent, due the quiet environment in which we mostly live), the horn is much less loud than his own bark, and never so close to his ears.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 12:30 PM

(((Becca)))

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 10:54 AM

Not to get all gloomy but today would have been my Mara's 15th birthday. She passed away almost 2 years ago and I still miss her. Man, that cat was a bitch! :-) Nothing but attitide.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:46 PM

scared enough to utter an oath where normally one would be more verbally circumspect.

Oh I know, I was just kidding around. But the next time someone tries to scare me, I'm gonna tell I'm fresh outta bejesus till I stock up again.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:01 PM

Kidding aside, 'bejesus' is just a version of 'by Jesus', so could be interpreted as scared enough to utter an oath where normally one would be more verbally circumspect.

I shall continue to use it judiciously, however, since 'by Thor!!' isn't really a regular part of my vocabulary.

According to a couple of eagle sites I looked at, eagles cannot carry more than four or five pounds, but will sometimes try.

A few years ago, out solo camping, I heard an angry scream and looked up in time to see an eagle, and below it, something falling. Further up the trail, and just off to the side, I found a very dead and broken-boned half grown rabbit. So even three or four pounds may be too much sometimes for a long carry.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 12:41 PM

It's not funny, but I'm laughing over here. I hope the poor little guy didn't have a run-in with a bird of prey but who knows.

I remember a handful of years ago my B-I-L running outside to round up the pugs because there was an eagle circling overhead looking for take out lunch.

I may be agnostic but I, too, believe in bejesus and have had it scared out of me many times. I've never heard of bejesus exiting any other way, though...

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 12:31 PM

Found Snowball, snoring under couch.

Tommy's not a real big cat, only about ten pounds. An eagle could conceivably lift him, if it was big and hungry enough, I think.

As for bejesus, I - at least, the expression "scared the bejesus out of him/her" comes from her and her mother - bow to my mother's knowledge of its existence. Whatever it is, it is now verifiably out of Tommy!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 11:38 AM

I would presume Tommy reciprocated!

There must be a lot of free-floating bejesus around. There may be no Gods, but apparently there is a bejesus. :~) I'm always on the lookout for potential new areas of agreement:

1. Cats good
2. Dogs good
3. Bejesus is verifiable

:~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 11:13 AM

Stair running, good idea, Susan.

I heard some dreadful caterwauling about an hour ago, and rushed outside, recognizing cat-in-distress noises. Once I located the source, the screaming was over, and there was Tommy on the ice under the wharf, puffed up to twice his size. As soon as I called he came running, and hasn't come down from his safe place at the top of the stairs yet. I checked him, but no wounds. I went down to look, and only saw cat tracks coming and going - all Tommy's, I hope, as there's no sign of Snowball. No blood, either, and Snowball is likely sleeping in the garage somewhere.

There was a patch where a lot of scrabbling and rolling had gone on. I suspect an owl or eagle flew down to see if he was a portable lunch and scared the bejesus out of him.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 10:45 AM

Sadie needs far more exercise, so today she and F started stair-climbing, chasing each other up and down the stairs as I sit upstairs to toss the ball back down for them to chase. This will also help her build up her very atrohpied rear-end muscles to go with the amazingly strong front-end muscling I see rippling, built up from her past owner-pulling.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 04:45 PM

Hello, my name is Susan and I'm addicted to dogs.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 10:49 AM

I figured out where it's stuck-- Sadie will settle down now for a nice long nap in the dog corner, if she's by herself, even if I go into the kitchen to do a thing or two, even if she sees me. So I should try her in the LR by herself, without Faulkner-- if I can get Hardi to take him out of the house for a couple of hours. "Couple of hours" is what he usually doesn't have.

She's insecure-- fretting-panting and restless hyperactivity. She seems to be more secure and less fretty each day, so maybe she'll chill in the LR WITH F before long???

~Mom

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 09:14 AM

Thanks, Scorchy. That IS funny.

She;s not so exasperating when I have just gotten up from a good night's sleep, or when I am not in pain, or when Hardi is not sitting next to me hoping for a really calm evening. On those occasions, Faulkner is the dog of choice. Saide did actually fall out for about a 3/4 hour nap yesterday in the LR while F and I fell out..... she doesn't quite have ADD....

But I am in search of the turn-off switch for her because we need to find it in a hurry! :~) I cannot take her for a run just yet and I cannot just turn her loose to have it on her own, because of practical issues.

It's the old story-- you take a foster dog when it needs to be taken, as a rescue, and then you find out why she needed to be rescued and try to do better by them than the last owner, and in the meantime you are a little nuts and think about taking it back! ("I CAN solve this, I CAN solve this, I CAN solve this.....")

No doubt F likes having her-- he's never gotten so much playtime and exercise time, and she respects him enough to satisfy him. I've never seen him so affectionalte, either, with me. I could write a couple of pages of F monolog on how he is assuring us that "Really, I promise-- I'm the Only Dog You Need."

If I pour Valerian root tea on her dinner will she chill? :~)

Just kidding-- I'm teaching her Relaxation Techniques, breathing, etc., including ear rubs. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 12:11 AM

Don, and such a yenta she is, too! LOL
Bet you don't have a calico named Boudicca tho!

You DARED to name a cat Kevetch???? Yer brave.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:57 PM

Bear up, Susan, bear up! A little more time and Sadie will likely settle in all right.

At least they aren't fighting. Before I was married I shared a house with two friends of mine. One had a lovely, kind, sweet, big black dog. Sometime after we all ended up in the same house, the other fella had a friend's ten year old ginormous yellow dog landed on him - friend could not cope with old dog and new baby. Now this was as friendly and good natured a dog as you'd want, but...

Black Dog and Yellow Dog hated each other on sight and it never got better. I've never seen anything like it. Both my friends are experienced and educated dog owners, and they tried everything, but those two dogs could not ever be offleash in the same area, or they would try to kill each other. Blood would flow.

We developed a routine of keeping the two seperated at all times, with closed doors between 'em, and peace reigned as long as this could be done.

One night, Yellow Dog's man had to be away. I took on the responsibility for Yellow Dog. Bedtime came round. Black Dog's man was already asleep with Black Dog in his room. Now, my room, in this very old house, was reached by going past Yellow Dog's room, and through a large bathroom. As I walked Yellow Dog towards my room, hanging onto his collar, he was behaving like a lamb. Then, for a second, I had to use both hands to manipulate the old fashioned latch on the door...

Lightning wasn't faster than that dog. Black Dog's door fell open before his mighty assault. In the pitch dark, the horrible sounds of doggie battle erupted, barking, snarling growling, yelping... I fumbled within, looking for the light switch, terrified at what might be happening to Black Dog's owner, a gentle and artistic man who must have been sound asleep just moments ago...

I found the switch! And there, curly hair in tousles, eyes shut, in his underwear, on the edge of the bed, sat my friend, an eighty plus pound dog gripped and held up by the scruff in each hand, all the while they struggled to get at each other.

Never seen anything so funny (or miraculous) in my life. I was laughing hysterically all the time I was apologising and catching hold of Yellow Dog, who came quite calmly with me soon's I had him. How he managed to get a hand on both those dogs, from a dead sleep, in rural darkness, I'll never know.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:50 PM

Sorcha!

We also had a cat named Yentle.

As well as Kevetch

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:11 PM

I hope it's safe to utter this here in the midst of all you pet lovers. Sadie is a real pain in the ass! She needs to CHILL!

!!!!!

She needs to chill the hell OUT!

OK I feel better. She is also very lovey dovey, but God is she perky! BIG, and perky!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:57 PM

Dave's Wife...that is FUNNY!

I pulled into the drive after work today and interrupted 'something' at the far end of the drive, next to the garage. Our 'old cat', Yentle (she is at least 16, we don't know how old really) was all POOOOFFEEDDD UP! at something I couldn't see.

I got out of the car and started toward her when a young but full grown coal black cat came wandering out from under the trailer parked in the drive. I didn't think it was possible for Yentle to POOOOF more but she did. Young kitty does the cannine 'wanna play' bow at the old lady...old lady went HHHIIISSSSS! GIT ORF MY PROPITY!

Blackie looks at me...I said, well, hello there, expecting her to run. Most cats do when presented with a strange servant. No, she started walking towards me. THAT set the old lady off even more! Yentle dashes up (well, as fast as she can dash) to give me the head bump that says this is MY servant, not yours!

Didn't faze lil blackie one bit...she walked down the edge of the flower bed and allowed me to actually PET her! Yentle goes plumb bonkers at that, and hisses of to lay claim to the Front Porch. I follow. (I was after all, going inside anyway)

Blackie follows....more POOOOFFFFIIINNNGGG and HHHIIISSSSSIIIINNNGGGGG!

I start to open the front door and of course by this time the dogs know I'm home. All 5 of them. I explain to lil black girl that she really, really doesn't want to go in there.....and Yentle backs me up. SHE is Queen of the Castle and about to take possesion. I open the door and of course the Queen changes her mind. YOU want ME to go in THERE? What EVER were you thinking?

I went inside (let dogs out the back door) and the last I saw of lil black girl she was waltzing around on the front porch teasing the old lady. Black girl had a collar on, so she must have servants somewhere, but I've never seen her before.

The saga may continue.....black girl was a really nice cat...even let me pick her up for a bit so she could see through the glass door and eye ball the 5 good reasons she didn't want to go in there.

Mr said NO MORE DAMN CATS!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:20 PM

Inky has moved in as much as Snowball, sounds like. letters from the pen, eh?

Snowball is impeding my typing at this very moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 07:43 PM

Guess what arrived in the afternoon mail folks? Yep - another letter for Inky from an inmate in the Marion County jail.

Life is tough when your cat gets more letters than you do. The letters are even addressed to INKY (our last name), Care of us! Shows ya who runs our house, huh?

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: MaineDog
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:54 PM

Dex is four years old now, and he definitely shows signs of maturing. He is much more co-operative, and does not seem to need as much excercise as he did. He seldom chews anything, except bones, and bandages applied to his body, and yes, I almost forget, his current frisbee
His very favorite thing is his frisbee. He loves to chase it, in water or air, and he likes to redesign it (by chewing) to suit his needs. The objective of this surgery has only recently become clear: he wants to have a hole in the middle so he can wear it on his nose. Unfortunately, they don't fly well that way, and then they become uninteresting.
I have been getting him "Dogbies" which are soft, visible, and they float well, and fly pretty good when new. (Hard ones aren't good for dogs because of possible mouth injuries.)
Right now he is laid up with a broken toe-nail, and he is bummed out because he can't go out and play in the new snow.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:31 PM

Dave's Wife...that is a one of a kind!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:08 PM

well, since were telling all about our little fuzzbuckets, let me confess that the cat who lives under my cottage but more and more in my house, Inky - he gets fan mail from prison. Honest! Well, maybe not prison, but definitely from the Marion County jail!

My husband and I met a fellow 2 years ago who was trying to get sober and put his life back in order which entailed trying to sort out a lot of past jups from probation and such. This fellow, JR, is a sweet man in recovery. He used to come around to visit with Dave and borrow the latest Dean koontz book or two. JR became terribly attached to Inky and Inky became equally attached to him. They were kindred spirits I suppose.

Dave and I knew JR was headed back east to try and sort out an old warrant for his arrest from having jumped probabation in the mid 1990s so we weren't surprised when we got a letter marked "This Mail originated from an inmate in the Marion County Jail" from Florida.

So, Every couple days I get letters from JR and he often includes one to Inky that consists of various Cat noises spelled out. I guess it's code. I read them out load to Inky and he talks back so clearly, he understands whatever it is JR is trying to tell him.

So - any of your pets get letters from jail? huh?

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 01:03 PM

I should have noted that the dogs get fed once a day, usually in the evening after we've gone for a walk. It's gone in about 90 seconds, each from their own dish. I started to hold out a few chunks from each bowl and they do tricks for the last of the food so no one is tempted to try to take food from the other, but this has long since ceased to be a problem.

The cats want me to go to bed and stay there so they can settle down and sleep all night. They're old enough now that we don't have the nighttime antics (racing across the tile in the kitchen and BAM! into the stove or other loudly-resonating object) we used to.

The vet came up with a good suggestion on being awakened by the cats at night. Feed them in the evening. They have enough food in their bowls to tide them over (the Siamese was a terror at times when his bowl was empty! He'd stomp all over you, offer not-so-loving head butts, licking a spot on your hand or face, and sometimes resorting to bites.) The calico is fat, so in the morning I pick up the food, and I have created the problem of the Siamese fussing about wanting to eat. We've reached an accord--when I'm in the kitchen during the day I give him that bowl to eat out of, then pick it up again. We have to get the fat cat to lose a few pounds, but the other one at a healthy, normal weight, a bit on the slim side, doesn't need a diet. I've tried various vet suggestions to get them to eat all at once like the dogs do, but it just doesn't work with these guys, the slim one always walks away and the fat one always gets his food before he comes back to it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: peregrina
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:22 AM

Susan-I'm enjoying reading about your newcomer dog's adjustment...

Stilly River Sage: do your cats only try to train you to go to bed when they want? No waking up??!

Mine only occasionally try to get me to bed,and are rarely vociferous abut it. On the other hand, they need frequent discouragement from furry-four-footed-alarm-clock activities in the morning... One cat licks paper items to try to get me up. Countermeasure is usually sending them out and shutting the door for a while so there's no positive reinforcement.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:13 AM

They don't make to go to bed, but they lie in wait on the stairs in an effort to make me trip over them and, they think, feed them first thing in the AM. It's nice to put my feet on the stairs they've pre-warmed for me, in a cold morning.

Yes, Hardi and I alpha the dogs on food distribution as well.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:04 AM

Food is a territorial issue for dogs, and my dogs know that I'm the alpha dog when it come to food. They lie on the ground in from of me and their bowls and I measure out their food and they aren't allowed to touch their bowls until I say so. They lie there and quiver in anticipation, and I think they actually enjoy the anticipation. But they wait, and sometimes one is told she can eat before the other is told she can eat. That one then looks at me for access to her food, not jealously at the other dog that is eating. It doesn't take long at all to train the dogs to wait for their food, and what the rules are, because the payoff, of course, is their food. :)

On another topic: does anyone else have cats who boss them around about bedtime? I've always had cats who felt that by a certain time in the evening I should head to bed so they can cuddle. If it gets much past 11, my Siamese, in particular, starts complaining.

When does your cat make you go to bed?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:41 AM

This morning, I am especially reminded how helpful it can be to have had some farm-animal experience, behind dealing with housepets. It matters so much what order I do their chores in-- if I have set up the environment smartly, their behavior is not in need of immediate modification at all.

We human beans have the brains and the opposable thumbs to prevail, even if the dog does have more pulling strength that I do right now! :~)

Farm animals teach us that we must use our minds, because they almost always out-power us. Take sheep for instance. If you have ever tried to catch a single sheep, you know how hilariously they can run off, breeze past you without being catchable, jump fences that usually hold them, etc. And if they get outside the fences entirely, good luck as they lead a "merry" chase!

But their instinct to flock is so strong-- so if you follow behind a flock madly running away from you, toward a narrowing passage, soon you will have them in single file in a narrow chute made of fencing. Since the one in front is stopped against a closed gate, you can easily tether the one you want from among the single-file group, and then let the rest go on into the next pen. Or you can take the ewes one at a time in their single-file line, gently compress her into a levered press, and tilt her over on her side to work on her feet. I've seen similar lifts in vets offices and large-animal ORs, kingsized for horses and cattle.

So it is with dogs. I don't need to work on her feet yet, and I have no lift (so I'll have to make another plan eventually for her foot care). But I do have a multitude of gates and doors at my disposal in this odd old Victorian house.

In many ways it is an ideal dog-fostering layout. Sadie will already follow F anywhere, and the various doorways and gates that lead to and from their dog corner make her quite easy to catch. Once I have her and get her attention, I work with her on increased management commands. By the time her nails need to be trimmed, she should manage nicely.

~Susan