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BS: Our pets favorite things
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 31 Oct 15 - 01:58 PM Yes definitely. Faulkner started noticing when our hockey team's announcers would get excited about a potentially impending goal. That soon became his cue to watch US... so we reinforced the goal-scored happy dance with a treat. Over the years he's added awareness of specific players' names approaching the net, being likely to score and set off the sequence of celebratory dance moves. He can tell network from hometown announcers and home games from away games-- when the buzzer sounds for us or for the enemy. He can tell a replay from a fresh goal... all by learning what our behavior means and by watching us. He's geriatric now; may be his last hockey season. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MGM·Lion Date: 31 Oct 15 - 11:53 AM I have just observed an interesting reaction from my cat Cleo. As I watched a football match on tv today, Chelsea v Liverpool, she curled up and went to sleep in her favourite-for-the-purpose chair. When the final whistle went, the commentator's tone altered: his delivery changed into summarising mode; the words accelerated and his volume increased, as he emphasised points about Liverpool's having turned the game around, and speculated on what the defeat might mean to Chelsea's embattled manager. Cleo immediately leapt up, & ran over to sit on my lap, as if to tell me it was time for me to stop watching the silly old telly and give some urgent time for her to be petted and fed. The point is, the change of the tone of the tv commentary had obviously indicated to her, even comatose as as she appeared, that the game was over, and I would soon be switching off and my attention could transfer to her. The commentator's voice and delivery at that point had clearly indicated to her what the following sequence of events would be. There seem to me to be some extraordinarily sensitive reactions at play in her behaviour here. Has anyone else experienced such specific recognition of a particular situation in an animal's behaviour? ≈M≈ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Oct 15 - 08:58 AM For cheap entertainment, buy a set of Halloween animal ears on a headband. Put them on and take them off, several times-- in front of your dog. Hilarious! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Oct 15 - 04:19 PM The shelter here is an easy scooter ride away aND TBTG is smater than i am.... I scootered over with Biscuit early this AM, for her to meet Newbie-- and also volunteered. The first job they assigned was fostering/evaluating/advising/remediating for an "unadoptable" dog-- Newbie! (She's QUITE adoptable.) Many tests already given and passed. Plan of remediation taking shape. Soon she will find her forever home-- maybe ours, but not my call; she has many tests to pass (and do do I). I'm so glad this Ohio house has carpet that we plan to replace eventually, cuz it makes accidents no big deal! My fitness app and I both hit the wall on keeping up with her/introducing her to Dog World with off-leash Biscuit-playtime. I declared it nap time for all 3 of us, while my back meds kick in. OTOH this push to a new daily activity goal was just what I needed-- if I want to sleep drug-free. I bet I will tonite! ;-) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 30 Sep 15 - 12:35 PM It's not often I want advice but now I do. We always let our senior dogs help train our new dogs. It's time. Faulkner is rapidly becoming not a senior dog, but a geriatric dog. I found a dog. Small pit/shep mix, F, abt 1 yr old. Not aggressive with people and will meet Biscuit, my beagle/basset 2yr old, tmrw. I'm at our Ohio vacay home. Next wk I rendezvous with Hardi for an overnighter. I want to swap Biscuit for senior Faulkner, now that her training program is set, and let Hardi work with her while I socialize Faulkner with Newbie, here, where I have my scooter to exercise/tire/calm them. I use a sit-before feeding method of reminding our dogs who is boss, and I have worked with dominance-tending breeds before. I'm strong enough to manhandle Newbie on leash, and I have good separation here for a gentle intro period. When I take Faulkner and Newbie home, I can teach Hardi what I learn about their ability to cooperate. Does this sound crazy? ;-) |
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Subject: DOG YEARS/PEOPLE YEARS From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Aug 15 - 02:38 PM Our vet uses this chart: DOG YEARS/PEOPLE YEARS ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 28 Jun 15 - 02:53 PM Today we combed our dog and have enough hair to make a new dog. The look of gratitude is beyond measure. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Jack Campin Date: 08 Oct 13 - 01:42 PM My Splodge used to like my oud case: http://www.campin.me.uk/Cats/SplodgeWithUd.jpg I got a piano accordion last week. None of the cats took much interest in it, though Marblecake sat in it briefly. I think the problem is that it's a big accordion. It's going to take three cats to make a really cosy pile inside that case. It'll probably happen once winter sets in. |
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Subject: PY: In That Space From: wysiwyg Date: 08 Oct 13 - 11:46 AM Like many dogs and cats (and people), Faulkner loves to lie in warm sunlight. As winter approaches we are mindful that this may be his last winter-- so it's on us to do all we can to make it an good one. The amount of time the LR gets full sun is very brief, as I know from my own SAD usage of that south window in past years. TBTG my thyroid function now sends me OUT for sun... but into the outdoor cold is not what Faulkner's sore old bones need. So, thanks to FreeCycle, he is now the happily-dozing, sole occupant of a twinbed-sized electric blanket. In the days ahead I am sure his new kitteh friends will take up corners of it. But till he gets his smell all over it, it's just his. Except for my bare feet. There is an adjoining chair I may occupy for brekky of a cold morning! Using this end of the LR this way is bittersweet. It's had so many uses over the years.... In that place, looking out back at the corn crib and cow-punctuated hills, I discovered that I had lived in one place for more years than I had ever lived anywhere else and that I could start to organize my life and my home for stability, not chaos. In that space, while the kids were with us, we said Morning Prayer before their schoolhouse pickup-- a big thing in the Blending Family years we enjoyed when we first arrived in this town. In that space, one year I studied Scripture and prayed, many hours, in that pool of sunlight. (This year's books await winter nesting-time.) In that space, last year, I had a Mini-Sick-Bay to transition from nursing home care to home nursing care to my own self-care. In that space, I used the Sick Bay drapery/dividers to process 3 wardrobes-worth of clothing alterations, after my life-changing surgery, with two good friends who came to measure me and plan the work for my seamstresses. In that space, I set up a closet I can SEE to supplement the Super-Closet which cannot have an electric light added, where hubby and I choose pretty outfits he likes to see me wear for him. And since I no longer need him as a Service Dog, from that same place, beside that closet, I can now be Faulkner's Service Dog. It's good to know that if he can try to make one more winter, next year, we'll be all set. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 21 Aug 13 - 12:05 PM Faulkner loves to trim his toenails and clean his paws after food, rain, mud, etc. I have never had a dog before that did that! Usually, about the time I think it's time to pay for a clip, he's already taking care of it himself! ~Susan |
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Subject: PY: Iz COWS?!?!?!? From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Sep 12 - 04:46 PM Cows. When they appear in the picture window that faces the pasture across the south hill, and turn to look downhill ("at" F), "BARKBARKGRRRRRR MOMMY!" Mommy: "Cows? Iz cows?" And thus anythng that akes him bark I just shush him quiet: It's just cows." Might be.... an airplane, etc., but the "don't worry" word has become COWS. But today in the scooter-explore du jour, on the road, we passed a field with cows sleeping, up CLOSE, in tall GRASS. At his eye level! And nose level. F alerted-- "WhazZAT mommy?" Mommy: "Iz COWS?" F looks, cows get up in pairs to face the wolf-smell/visual: "Eh???? Iz wolf?" Mommy pees pants on scooter. So now F has a BIG visual AND a smell to go with that word next time he sees 'em on the hill-- when they again look like ants crawling on the windowframe. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Charmion Date: 07 Sep 12 - 11:42 AM Let's leave the politics elsewhere and return to a discussion of things our domesticated animals enjoy. Our old tomcat Bill is now suffering from arthritis that prevents him from doing anything very physically demanding, such as turning around to groom his lower back. Like all good housecats, he has trained us to meet this need, so the morning routine now includes loud baritone meows demanding an extended combing session. Edmund is careful to do this *before* getting dressed for work, as few garments show off white cat hair quite as well as Canadian Forces-issue trousers. Rosie the Siamese likes anything Bill likes, especially if she can steal it from him. That includes lap space, which can lead to an Exchange of Paws. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 06 Sep 12 - 09:16 PM I remember starting this thread years ago after peple had become very nasty. fir now ow bout Barack to the Future all nite long Middle class wealth MADE THE US strong Barak and Roll back the Neo-Con federacy along with their ownership society thats nothin but neo slavery forclosed and owned by the white man plan. Bobert, With Romnesia, Mitt happens Mitt & Wall St. Mitt & Wall St. go together like a gun & crime spree ug What really does work however is: PROTECT YOUR MAMA VOTE OBAMA |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Galloping Gwdihw Date: 06 Sep 12 - 12:15 AM I have a Tube Nosed Fruit Bat. I call him Gerald, he's getting rather old but he's a good Tube Nosed Fruit Bat. Here's a short list (in no particular order) of things he likes: *Hanging upside down from the rafters, eating fruit. Have to hold my nose when he "kisses" me cos his breath smells like fermenting orange peel. *Custard creams. *Sudoku. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Sep 12 - 05:03 PM SAD ALERT RIP Sadie (a few weeks ago). I wrote her obit here but it didn't "take." I know all the "you made the right call" stuff, and it was STILL the hardest put-down I have ever had to do; I have done more than my share. RIP also Katy-Kat earlier this year, right after my mom's April 1 passing..... Both had some pretty serious medical issues, as do remaining cats Atticus and Isis. Those two snbuggle-buddies have now become semi-outdoor kittehs for their last years of Real Cattitude, because F has taken over Sadie's corner; that means the kittehs find the outer door left open to his fenced yard, for his continue RealDoggitude. On the plus side-- I managed a farm once and have this all-biz attitude alongside the soft-hearted pet-lover's default-- now we can afford the Good Stuff for Faulkner's dog food, AND he has more beds than ever. One in just about every room! ;~) Bye Sadie, bye Katy-- you were each champs in your own unique ways! Goodby Sally (my mom), too-- today is her memorial service; she was a committed cat rescuer. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Elmore Date: 19 Aug 12 - 11:04 AM My Bombay cat, Raven loves to scratch the daylights out of my shoes when I'm in them, despite the fact that she's declawed. When she merely wishes to greet me, the scratching is rather brief, but when she wants me to throw a toy for her to fetch the scratching is insistent. Our other cat looks on, puzzled. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Aug 12 - 05:32 PM Camping. Drinking lakes. Meeting people at restaurants (BAD Service Dog!). Quietly helping every time needed. Being, at last, just a Real Dog. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Jul 12 - 07:41 PM Service/therapy dog Faulkner quite liked his first visit to an indoor/ in-ground pool today, and was a big hit with pool patrons. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Apr 12 - 12:52 PM Faulkner's "The Bone Game": Who's a good doggeh? F! Play the Bone Game? Happydance, bone fetched. Whose bone is this? F! [gnargnargnar] Maybe it's Mommeh's bone! [gnargnargnar] No! F! [gnargnargnar] Kitteh bone? [gnargnargnar] F F F F F!!!!!! [gnargnargnar] Bone game again? Happydance, and repeat. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MGM·Lion Date: 13 Apr 12 - 10:22 AM After ALL, sodit! Nothing to do with After The Ball Was Over... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MGM·Lion Date: 13 Apr 12 - 10:19 AM Further to my last post about 2 months ago: Cleo has now changed without demurral to Tesco jellymeat pieces. I know all readers of this thread have been positively AGOG for this information [no ref intended to Agag, who, because he trod quietly, was the cat of Lord Peter Wimsey's mother, the Dowager Duchess of Denver]. We are not after ball called Catters for nothing! ~M~ |
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Subject: RIP Katy From: wysiwyg Date: 12 Apr 12 - 06:58 PM SQUEAM ALERT or bite me (whole post) RIP Katy Kat, who had to be put down this afternoon; a trip I had planned got called of just intime to find her in trouble and yet not in pain. Katy was a ripe-old-aged kitteh who had been starting the Long Sleeps, amidst other health problems too numerous to katalog. She went to the vet today following a nice porch lap-visit, listening to birdehs and wishing I'd let her get down to get just ONE more birdeh in a long life of birdeh-presenting; first tho she kicked the porch kitteh's ass just kuz she kould. This was a kat about whom we had kollected many Katy Kronikles, after we'd rescued her some years ago from a FreeCycler who turned out to be a very good friend... whose wife kould no longer tolerate Kat Allergies. How we knew it was indeed the right time I am not prepared to describe further than to say: KATY failed to howl and projektile-poop her karrier-kennel in her usual fashion, despite the lack of Kalm-Down meds. Not a howl, bless her little kitteh soul. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Mar 12 - 06:36 PM Faulkner was presented today with his Service Dog (trainee) patch! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Mar 12 - 11:52 AM Cats and dogs in pools of sunshine on the floor on a cold day? Yes... and F just discovered that the hot oil rad I needed to run by my feet is a GREAT alternative when the kittehs have taken over his dogbed and Mommie does not want his muddy butt on the good rug where the sun temporarily is. Plus the oil rad doesn't move across the floor requiring him to move with it. It's all good! This offers a great winter nighttime alternative to his "cold" corner bed, too. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MGM·Lion Date: 09 Feb 12 - 12:54 AM BTW, just for the record, Cleo lives on Felix meat/fish in jelly pax, & Wiskas bix. Emma tried her on Sainsbury's own-brand catfood, but she turned her nose up & wouldn't touch it. Little Madam! 〠☺〠~M~〠☺〠 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MGM·Lion Date: 08 Feb 12 - 04:15 AM About 65 years ago we had a cat who would sleep nowhere but on a 3"-wide ledge by the fanlight above the kitchen door in our ordinary N London suburban semi, which she would access by climbing up my mother's overalls and aprons hung from hooks on the back of the doors. Not sure where our present cat Cleo sleeps; she is always there in the morning, outside our bedroom door when one of us emerges, waiting for her Felix jellymeat breakfast: but where she has actually spent the night we have not yet managed to establish. The other evening I thought she had absolutely disappeared ~ knew she was in the house but couldn't find her anywhere. Suddenly she came strolling into the room where I was, having presumably been napping wherever-it-is... ~M~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Feb 12 - 10:51 PM Oh dear! Faulkner missed the PUPPY BOWL! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Crowhugger Date: 01 Feb 12 - 02:22 PM Our 3 dogs favourite things: In winter Kay's is to run through fresh snow skimming mouthfuls off the top. Without fresh snow, just running is tops in her book. I think Mulligan can outrun her but he chooses not to, rank ordering behaviour I guess. In summer she and Missy play hidey ball in the creek, both pushing their balls under the bank into the cutaways made by currents below surface level. And both dive or reach to get the balls back, then repeat forever or until it's time to play fetch or go home. Both are blonde and both finish this game looking like blackface sheep. Missy's favourite thing outside the creek: Owning every ball in the known universe. So far, everyone who told me their dog is the One True Master Ball-owner has been mistaken, yet never a woof spoken or a hair ruffled. The longest effort took her 20 patient minutes. Usually 30 seconds of hovering and then they yield to her calm demand. M's favourite thing is food. 2nd fave is whatever lives under the neighbour's garden shed. We've never seen it but it occupies his attention at length. When those aren't on, he'll do minor gymnastics to get any other dog to chase him. Lately he also enjoys keeping balls away from Missy. He may end up being the spoiler to her clear title as One True Master Ball-owner, the irony being that she taught him to do it so well. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 31 Jan 12 - 12:58 PM Sheldon is OK with Meghan again and often snuggles beside her on the futon. The dog on the other hand...they will never be friends but Sheldon has, for the moment, stopped openly stalking her |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 31 Jan 12 - 11:30 AM So has Sheldon decided that she and the dog are part of the family yet? And when will she wake up to find Sheldon in one cup and either Mikey or Madmardigan in the other? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 31 Jan 12 - 08:47 AM Since my niece with the huge knockers moved in, Sheldon's new favorite thing is sleeping in her bra (while she's not wearing it - just cuz someone's gonna ask!)...I have started referring to it as the "bucket seat hammock". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:39 PM Our "new" kitty Kaylee's current favorite things are slightly too small paper bags. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Jan 12 - 10:57 PM FROM EMAIL: === One day, an older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home, and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me. I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside, resumed his spot in the hall-- and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is, and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.' The next day, he arrived for his nap with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3. He's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?' === ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jul 11 - 10:46 AM Faulkner had a thorough romp with the scooter last night. TBTG I had a portable water-bowl on board because the old boy got totally panted out! I thought for a minute he'd have to ride the scooter back to the car-- no cell on board to call Hardi-- but altho he got on it, he declined to ride, LOL. He strolled happily back all 3.5 miles, asked for a few more runs, climbed up into the car with no issue, had no car jitters as he usually does, slept hard all night-- and is his usual playful seff this AM (tho starving!). Funny how he and Sadie handle scooter-runs so differently. She's happy just to slog along. He wants to choose whether he's on grass or asphalt, and not all grass will suit, BTW! She's more like ponying a horse; he's more like driving one. She comes along; he partners. She pulls bad on a leash and he does not; but with the scooter he wants to pull it and she wants to be beside me. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Jun 11 - 09:21 PM Sadie just logged an hour-plus, most of it at a good clip, with the scooter. First time I have ever seen her tired enough to flop. BTW there is nothing funnier than a dog trying to do what a horse does easily on a trail ride, without even stopping-- unless it's when they do it on a treadmill. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Jun 11 - 02:47 PM So proud of our doggehs. Sadie is now scooter-safe on the local rail-trails, with my scooter and her short leash, and is learning voice cues to go around the back when asked to change sides. She is also quite smart about moving on voice request to initiate a turn (so her toes stay safe), when we must turn. I'm using a combo of dog and horse languages. She figured out the program very quickly. Faulkner continues to amaze me. On the one had he actually thought he could nose my fingers off his food bowl one day (NO!), but OTOH he is getting more and more responsive to eye-fingerpoint cues to go where I ask him to go. Today the complex task was to run up and get Sadie off whatever she was nosing into or chewing, upstairs, and get her to follow him down. He knows that no GOOD dog goes up there w/o our permission, so he asked with his eyes to be sure I DID really want him to run up there... his usual stair-safety procedure is to stay at least 4 steps behind me so he doesn't knock me downstairs, so he thought that he could certainly not go first!!! He went, albeit a tad slowly to be SURE.... But by the third time we did this, there was just my eyes and finger, and a little "go on" of murmured encouragement from me. Up he went, so happily and freely that Sadie was attracted to the fun she saw him having, and did follow him back down, and they then happily romped back to the respective places where they belonged, having had that good, strenuous stair-climb/roam. Treats for all, YAY! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ebbie Date: 10 Feb 11 - 12:43 PM Every time that I've gotten a new animal I am aware that they cannot take the place of the one I've lost. However, the new one can fill the space, and in time they make their own place. My new dog is just beginning to make his place; it is not his fault that he's not Meggie. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Patsy Date: 10 Feb 11 - 07:59 AM It still hurts losing the 3 of mine 2 cats and a dog. The youngest cat was killed in tragic circumstances and my older cat was always constantly looking out for her not knowing she wasn't going to come back it was just too much to bear. The older cat some years later watched my youngest pet dog pass away, this time she was more aware that there was a problem with the dog. The cat held on for a few years later and on until 18 years old she was tiny but so strong not wanting to go and give up her life until it got to the point that she could hardly stand, eat or drink. She died more or less the same month as we got her. They were 3 good natured animals best companions I've ever had but somehow I don't think I will ever be that lucky to find anything like that again. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ebbie Date: 09 Feb 11 - 03:00 PM I know what you mean, Bruce. I lost a dog more than 30 years ago, and I still miss her. As for the one I lost this summer, I still bleed... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,999 Date: 09 Feb 11 - 02:08 PM I had a German Shepherd named Tamar. When she had to be put down I was crying for about three days. Best dog I ever had and I still, decades later, think of he at least once a week. Best to those of you who`ve lost a pet. I know they are just dogs or cats or, or, or, but man it still hurts like hell. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 09 Feb 11 - 08:57 AM Eddie, After my calico Mara passed a few years back I heard her in the apartment for quite awhile afterward. It wasn't just me, either. My other cat Madmardigan would hear it, too. Once I brought home the new kittens 8-10 weeks later I stopped hearing her. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Feb 11 - 08:11 AM (((Eddie))) (((J-Boy & Tami))) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: eddie1 Date: 09 Feb 11 - 02:47 AM Susan & Becca Thanks for the messages of comfort. Was cleaning up yesterday after it was all over. Never thought I would cry over dumping a trayful of poop? Got up during the night and was convinced I heard her objecting to havingn her sleep interrupted. Eddie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: J-boy Date: 09 Feb 11 - 02:23 AM Tami and I lost our stupid and beautiful cat on saturday. The hardest part is that I keep seeing and hearing her everywhere. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ebbie Date: 09 Feb 11 - 12:27 AM My new dog, Ellery, is a rescued Chinese Crested Hairless, now 2 1/2 years old. He had major surgery about four months ago and is finally feeling well - loves to leap and run with a big grin on his face. But as I said, he is hairless so he loves to be toasty. In the apartment his sweater keeps him warm enough but not toasty so the 'royal robe' I drape over him is a favorite thing of his. He is careful not to shake it off as he trots around. He loves to go to bed- it is the toastiest place he knows. He sleeps inside the sheets, starting down by my feet and then sometime during the night he shimmies on his belly up to my pillow and there he is when morning comes: the covers around his shoulders but his tiny face on my pillow. But I think his very favorite thing in the world is when he first wakes up. He has trained me to give him a complete rub down every morning - from massaging his feet and working the muscles in the upper legs to the special scratch just above his tail and the next most important spot on his long neck. In between those points all he asks is a full body massage. He can hardly contain himself; his eyes are dreamy, his mouth chews on my arm as though he thought I too needed a massage. Reminds me of the reciprocal attention that horses give each other. I have read that the Crested is considered the Clown of the Dog World- I can see why. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 08 Feb 11 - 02:29 PM Thinking of you today, Eddie. I'll give my 3 boys an extra scratch behind the ears tonight. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,999 Date: 08 Feb 11 - 01:48 PM My pet is a dog. His favourite things seem to be his nuts. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Feb 11 - 05:52 PM (((Eddie))) In my lap. It's big enough. Have a tissue. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: eddie1 Date: 07 Feb 11 - 05:41 PM It's fate that this thread has just appeared! Suzie - our cat who only ever answered to Wooz, has lived here longer than I have. A cat who hated all other animals except humans who she loved dearly. Her favourite things? Food, my lap and more food (including custard!!). Sadly, at the ripe old age of 20, she's off tomorrow to take that long sleep. Mostly blind, decidedly deaf, somewhat arthritic and finally, a facial tumour which is inoperable. I know it's the best thing for her but..... In the supermarket yesterday I bought a couple of tins of outrageously expensive food as a final present and I, 6'7" built like a brick outhouse, burst into tears at the check-out as I picked them out of my basket. This evening she's been lying on my lap with whiskers full of cuatard and purring loudly. Bye darling, I'll miss you. Eddie |
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Subject: Peter's Passing From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Feb 11 - 04:58 PM F's new fave is His Own Couch. It's really our "company" couch, a very nice one given to us almost new several years ago. It's not comfy for TV watching or hoomin-napping, so it usually sits swathed in protective blankies to be saved for the day we move to a house with a real "company-parlor;" several other chairs on hold will go there, with it. But since we recently acquired a used sectional recliner (LOVE it), and since the LR re-arrange and the cold winter sent F's dog bed to his sleeping corner-- he gained Couch Status. "His" couch is a repository the cats appreciate for the lap-rugs we toss on there when we exit our own warm nest. This Dog Sofa adjoins ours, in a huge L that takes up most of the LR seating space.... F gets to snuggle inches from o Hardi's Nuzzling Hand. F's aging bones appreciate the promotion, but we are having a heck of a time teaching him that if he is called over to us he must first hit the floor and not just ooze across Hardi's Recliner Armrest onto OUR couch. (I do not care; Hardi does.) Faulkner and the cats, tho, sleep together quite happily on that Dog Couch. (They used to sleep in his dog bed when they could, and he was afraid to eject them from it.) So really (it USED to be called the Kittteh Kouch), it's a Critter Couch. The kittehs also are enjoying the two used Kitteh Kondos we acquired last week. I set one under a lamp, nuff said. A friend of ours lost a grand dog this week. His obit was so eloquent that I wanted to share it with fellow Dog Lovers: === Peter's Passing 1/03/2000 to 2/07/2011 It will come as a shock to most reading this letter that Peter, our beloved Irish Water Spaniel, was humanely put to sleep this morning. We learned about ten days ago that he had inoperable abdominal cancer. The veterinarians at Cornell told us to take him home to enjoy his final days. The three of us did enjoy his last days just as we had enjoyed every one of his eleven years. He was a wonderful dog and he had a wonderful life. Peter was born in Canada. He had fine breeding and breeders. We were in touch with his breeders throughout his life and their help was greatly appreciated. As you know, he was a happy, sweet and healthy dog. He brought great joy to his parents. He was our workmate at [my] dental office for his entire life. Peter was rarely apart from his parents. He was only boarded at one kennel and they took special care of him so we could go away without worry. He had a caring veterinarian who took care of him his whole life. Peter and groomers did not always get along, and after the five who did their best for him, Peter had his parents groom him for his final year. Peter had a way of making friends and getting attention his whole life. I cannot remember how many people, seeing him for the first time, said the same thing. "What a beautiful dog!" He also had a special student friend at Cornell. Neither Joan nor I can believe that these eleven years have ended so soon. Both Joan and I have had many special dogs in our lives, but without any doubt Peter was the one most special dog in our lives. My mother once told me that he was the perfect dog. She was not one easily snookered by canines, but he got to her too. Joan and I have a big hole in our hearts that could only have been filled by him. Irish Water Spaniels are often referred to as the "clowns of the spaniel world." Without spending as much time with him as we did, it would be hard to understand just how funny he could be. It was not just that great face, those knowing brown eyes and that crazy topknot. He did great physical comedy. If you don't believe he was an acrobat, just ask those five rejected groomers what he put them through. Until just a few years ago he would stand on his head on the sofa. He was able to balance whimsy with dignity. He had definite ideas about how the world should be. His Canadian breeder told us that his was a noble breed. He lived up to those princely standards. He could live a dog's life of running, swimming and hunting. However, he expected pillows on the sofa, blankets on the furniture, cushions on the rugs and plenty of good home-cooked food. It is easier to be a great dog when you have a great mom. If there was anything he needed from Joan in eleven years, she gave it to him with a joyful heart. He was great; Joan was better. Peter was blessed in church nearly every year of his life at the "blessing of the animals" service. Five different priests blessed him and in his final hour another priest prayed for him over the telephone. He always went to church with us except for unusually frigid weather. During my years as senior warden that meant a lot of trips to church. He was happy to go there, just as he was happy to go anywhere with us. We planned vacations only to places that took dogs. Unfortunately, dogs do not live as long as they should. We are much richer for his life. He taught us much more that we taught him. Even in this time of sorrow, Joan and I are thankful and grateful to God for having had him. We gave him all we could and he returned that by giving us much more. May angels surround him, and welcome him in peace. (From Steve Sampson, by permission) === Good ole Peter. Bye, Peter! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Patsy Date: 12 Jan 11 - 04:28 AM My three animals used to sleep for a while on my bed every morning each of them Misty the oldest cat, Misha the Siamese Cross and my Cavalier Spaniel puppy all trying to get as close to me as possible but at the same time trying to avoid each other so Misty would snuggle into my neck, Misha on my left side and Bonnie on my right and then they would all move around one more time still avoiding touching each other. It was funny to watch especially if sometimes they woke up to find that they had got into each others space, they didn't fight just looks of distain. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 12 Jan 11 - 12:10 AM I know what you are doing susan, and bless you for it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jan 11 - 09:18 PM Faulkner (F) and Sadie (S) each have some new faves. S first because hers came first. She LOVES romping like crazy all around my path while I do the fast AM housechores, eating ANYthing left on the floor, in high spirits. So of course before this begins an intelligent person first clears up the floor of inedibles! F has long had carsickness/fretfulness in any car in any position and on any therapy/training one can imagine. But he has made some great strides and the credit is all his-- I'd begun to suspect that if he can't SEE things whiz by he may not get so dizzy and thus carsick... had some limited success with a few new tricks of my own there. Anyway he was so bored that he demanded one day to be taken along on a car ride so I took him, and he taught me quite a few new things about how to let him do it his way-- of course we had tried THAT, but we're all older and wiser now. So he's been re-learning the "No Jumping Out When Susan Goes into the Store" skills and today he really amped it up a notch-- "OK then I think I'll leave this nice front seat where I can watch for you, where I've been so much calmer... I'm gonna wait in the van's back end for you." When I came out of the store he came back up front to greet me and then hopped back into the back. While there he repeated all the great cooperative things I've asked up front, that I'd noticed helped him stay calmer. In baby terms, we would say that he "self-soothed." More car trips planned! Last week he got a LONG ride on a FreeCycle I needed to do without my usual security partner-- and served in his place quite handsomely. Go Faulkner! Thank you Sadie! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: kendall Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:42 PM We have the world's best dog. He has never given us any trouble at all, but his favorite thing is sleeping on Sinsull's couch! All you folks with unruly pets might try what Utah Phillips told me about his cats and his dog to keep them in line, he said "I show them a Viet Namese cook book". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LadyJean Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:29 AM My tabby cat, Grace O'Malley likes cream cheese. For breakfast I have toast with cream cheese on it. I sit down to eat and read my paper, then I scrape some cream cheese onto one of my fingers, and Gracie licks it off. I've tried a plate, but it tastes better on my finger, she says. When she's done one finger, I scrape more off with another finger and let her lick that one too. I've been out of cream cheese this week, and she's been giving me the dirtiest looks! I don't spoil my cats. Of course I don't spoil my cats. Yeah right, I don't spoil my cats. |
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Subject: BIRDEH VISIT From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Jul 10 - 08:22 AM Kitteh A: BIRDIE! BIRDIE! INNA MAH HOUSE O JOY! KILLKILLKILL! Kitteh B: [snore.....] Mommeh: OK, a bird flew in. Faulkner, KITCHEN! [slam] Birdeh, OUT! [opening front door screen and closing lower half of inner dutch door to keep kittehs IN] Hardi sleep, too bad, he miss all this.... Kitteh A: BIRDIE ON WALL DECOR! U COME DOWN! KILLKILLKILL! I SMELL YOU! I HEAR YOU! I SEE YOU! KILLKILLKILL!!! Kitteh B: Oh, izzat a bird? OK... I go see... Kitteh A, whatchoo DOIN'? Mommeh: Dumb bird. Gotta wait for east sun to stop lighting window I can't open (painted shut). Turn on all lights by open door. May be awhile-- maybe Hardi NOT miss all.... not like last time.... Birdeh: [pantpantpant] I smell real AIR. Must find..... SWOOP! Kittehs A & B, and Mommeh: Did you see the TURN that birdeh made in mid-air!?!?!?! Faulkner: What did I miss? Kittehs all excited but washing? Hardi: 'Morning dear, sleep well? Where mah coffeh? Mommeh: I'M TAKING THE DAY OFF! o, f, F! Hardi: What I do? Faulkner: Bes' let mommeh be. I dunno what wuz but I hear mommeh gettin' bizzeh with kittehs. We'uns doggehs bes' jes' set a bit. Hardi: Oh, I get it, thanks Dawg. Mommeh: I not mommeh any more today. You be dawg Daddeh today. Hardi: I kin do dat. Mommeh: Good, cuz I's be kitteh todeh. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 10 Jul 10 - 04:33 PM Two kitteh One empty bogzfan bogz +Yin/Yang kitteh mindmeldz ======================== Kitteh Hevenz |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 May 10 - 06:10 PM Poppy is on the injured list. No blood, no protruding bones, and can't even detect where the injury actually is, but she's not putting one back foot down much. Thing is, this dog squeals if you look at her cross-eyed, so the volume of complaints if you touch it doesn't really tell you much. I'm giving her the weekend to see how she's doing before considering a trip to the vet, and already she's putting a little more weight on it. Better if it will heal and she doesn't do whatever she did again. I have a piece of furniture out there she might have tried to jump on, and fallen through, so I'm going to move that. Oh--as to their favorite things--last week (before the injury) I put Poppy in the kennel and left Cinnamon in the yard and let them each have a joint of beef soup bone. After about 90 minutes I took them away again because they were getting them down to sharp bits and I didn't want any injuries. They love those bones, but I always have to separate them or Cinnamon would take Poppy's from her. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 10 - 11:07 AM Something has shifted with Faulkner. He used to drop me like a hot potato when Hardi came in. Now.... I'm sure I do not deserve it, but somehow I have been promoted. I used to be "she who makes sure I am cared for but I want to be #2 and dammit, it seems that SHE is." Now.... it's hard to describe. But I suspect I have become one of his favorite things, even as Hardi becomes more precious to him as Hardi learns how to have a dog who adores him. It's a bit unsettling, really! :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 10 Jan 10 - 07:20 AM The used rug Hardi laid in the office for me yesterday is providing HOURS of fun tfor doggie noses! So funny to see Faulkner stop in his tracks on the way into one of "his" favorite places. "I smell my man! I smell his helper! But who is THAT I smell NOW and where the heck have all those feet traveled?" A few minutes later, Sadie: "I smell her man! I smell #1 dog! (I taste his rug; I smell his treats! I eat my rawhide!) I smell the stranger that came over today! But who is THAT I smell NOW, and where the heck have all those feet traveled?" ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Jan 10 - 06:19 PM Dan, the one cat in the house that is MY cat, or rather I am HIS person, has taken to sleeping on the top of my new recliner where I have been sleeping frequently lately. He seems to know where my body is sore and so he just sleeps nearby and purrs in my ear. Jack, on the other hand, is a large tiger kitty who is nothing BUT a snuggle bunny. He curls up beside me, arm and paw resting over my heart, purring away. Those seem to be the favorite things for now...for Dan, Jack and myself. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,manu Date: 07 Jan 10 - 06:09 PM listen i just want my phone (and my money) back |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Jan 10 - 02:59 PM Sadie, stop chewing up all the Fels Naptha! That stuff is hard to find! (She doesn't eat it, just gnaws briefly.) Guess I need Office Bones. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sooz Date: 04 Nov 09 - 02:07 PM I've just put a tiny clip of Meg and her favourite thing on YouTube have a look |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Nov 09 - 12:15 PM SQUEAM/GROSS ALERT ON-- really , now-- Basement employee-kitteh Sami has a favorite: running off any other cats that might encroach on her territory, and she is really ferally vicious about it. As regards neigbioionr marauders tryuing to set upa new breeding ground, that's fine ny us. There are lots of tastyy mice in the barn out back and she is not so territoiral out there; they're welcome to it. But on the odd occasion one of our pampered house-employee-kittehs squeaks out for a bit of fresh air (despite our best efforts), Sami has been known to tear them up pretty badly before we can get out there to separate them. (We seem to prefer to get pause to get a pair of shoes on, go figure.) Food always works-- a few Sami-kibbles rattled into the right place makes a safe path, back into the open door, for the escapee. The thing is, sometimes the overweight kitteh we have been reducing for the last several years ends up totally beshatted, in panic. It makes it considerably less fun for me when I have to not only catch her when she's freaked out, but get low enough to scoop her huge self up in my arms (too near my nose!!!) and carry her squirming, slipery largeness to the door-- and the washing machine for whatever I may have been wearing at the time. SQUEAM ALERT OFF. Don't say I didn't warn ya's! :~!) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Aug 09 - 09:29 AM F's favorite thing at the moment is the portable dog bed that used to be a ladies' "mouton" coat, which is tossed to the floor for his convenience, when it's needed, with the arms inside out to create two ridges on the sides. (In the AM it is hung up on the nearest upright vacuum cleaner.) It gets washed twice a year whether it needs it or not. I was shocked to realize yesterday that his boarding kennel people had re-washed it before giving it back to me a few weeks ago! WITH fabric softener to make it smell.... nice to me, but pretty weird to F! But he wiggled quite happily when I started to lay it out for him last night: That's mine! I know what you're doing!" GROSSOLOGY/SADOLOGY ALERT S's current fave thing at the mo' is to crap on the floor of their shared dog corner, and then nudge her empty glass food bowl mashed on top of it so she doesn't step in it. From diarrhea in shocking quantities to firm double-poops overnight, she has not stepped in ONE of these accidents, so I believe the cause is beyond her solving and have taken action. F concurs that the young hussy can have that cold, drafty corner all to herself this winter while his older bones loll around in front of the heat register on his cushy coat, food and water handy, while she must wait for AM food and water. "She'll grow up, " he sez, "and then SHE can have all the perks-- when I am long gone!" ~S~/ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bonzo3legs Date: 11 Jun 09 - 02:21 PM Bearing in mind Bonzo only has one front leg, he holds a soft ball in his mouth and lobs a second harder one with his front leg - dog football! He plays for hours on his own. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jun 09 - 01:16 PM Update-- the cat is, indeed, moving from place to place. I still do not know who my playmate(s) is/are. === One of Faulkner's favorite things is his LR dogbed. Of all his beds (he has many in this big house), he likes this one best because as each bed-sack has gotten dirty, I've just added another one on top of it. It holds every F smell he has ever put on it. We can't smell them, but HE can. Apparently the cats love the smell of dog, too, because Atticus has been known to try to join the lap party. As of last week, F is almost up to letting Atticus groom him as he grooms any other mammal he contacts. Kitteh love that dog earz smellz! But when F is outside, they jump in his BED, until further notice. It easily holds the two of them, and they are such lazy-lovies that they just spend the day twisting into different positons, around and around in it. Even in hot weather. If he's not in it, they are. Of course when he comes back inside, they don't give a damn, but HE's very distressed about this. We have tried a variety of lazy-people (sore muscles) approaches to getting them out, for him, but this worries him because if I throw an empty pill bottle to startle them out, for him, he thinks that's MY bottle and therefore MY bed, unless I get up and show him otherwise by taking the bottle out. Squirting a little bottled water their way also worries him-- "What if they squirt ME," he's thinking-- "Maybe they don't want ANY animalz in there right now." Hardi has the treats-can, and sometimes we oust the cats by lobbing treat-bombs, and F goes right in to get them and goes to sleep, but that's really counter-productive as a training method. All he gets out of it is US throwing treats for HIM! (Training US.) So today I took him by the collar to SHOW him how to eject kittehs from HIS BED. "Nonono," he worried, "they KITTEHs, they has CLAWZ...." even tho neither of them have ever, ever scratched him nor would they even think of doing that. They just aren't scratchers, and they grew up with dogz. Atticus is smart. As soon as I mock-bit him (with fingers), making the right growly noise, he vacated. F almost brought himself to LOOK at this ("Can't look kitteh in the eye, plz don't make me...."), but did observe out of his peripheral vision. He liked it. I taught him words to go with all this. Isis, however didn't budge. She's the formerly-17-pounds big girl we're STILL reducing to her desired 5 pound weight. She dug in. F worried, while I hissed, bit, used my foot, the whole nine yards. She actually yowled a warning at us. I persisted, knowing she was bluffing. As soon as she vacated (barely), I told F to get on in there. He went. And for the next 15 minutes, he got back out every time I looked at him-- "Are you SURE, iz MY bed? Iz me go in, NOW?" (More word-teaching.) Gosh, I hope he's a fast learner on this as he has been on so many other things! ~Susan |
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Subject: Abrazos: China Cats and TP Rollss From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Apr 09 - 10:54 AM A church lady who died several years ago left her house (and its contents) to the church. One of the many items not sold, but lovingly stashed in the church building, is a sleeping china cat, full-size. I can tell the parish's "processing" of dear Louise's passing has evolved, because the cat has started to appear in interesting, small-movement spots. So-- since the kitty had moved horizontally along the church hallway and had even turned around with her back facing out-- Thursday night, after the Maundy Thursday vigil service the cat moved up to the top shelf of a bookshelf, next to a figurine she is about to knock off next time she stretches, on top of a pile of papers that were sitting up there. I cannot wait to see where someone else moves her next-- a real cat-lover will do it I am sure, who knows just where a cat would actually curl up for a nap. When I see her on the altar I'll get fingerprints-- I wanna know who's that relaxed about their worship! :~) One of our kids used to play a related game here at home, during the years he was too mad to talk to us at all. The TP-roll tower in the loo would change shape very few days. I always responded to the change by modifying it just slightly. He later told us-- that one, single, not-quite daily game made for more trust that anything else we could have tried, and kept him steadied during some pretty bad nights-- just knowing that someone would always respond, and without getting into his face. It was only after his storms had passed that we all talked about who had been playing.... no one had really known, till then, but just kept a silent, responsive vigil that meant so much to us all. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Leadfingers Date: 11 Apr 09 - 07:10 AM 300 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 10 Apr 09 - 05:35 PM Here it is On her tummy there are markings that look like another pooch going the other way... http://usera.imagecave.com/donuel/don1/gromet.jpg |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 08 Apr 09 - 10:09 PM Perhaps I will be accused of doggy porn but I have to post a photo of our dog Gromet. I assure you it is not altered in any way. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 08 Apr 09 - 08:19 AM At the moment the cats are quite fond of the new fountain-style water bowl I purchased a few days ago. Until now, Mikey would only drink from the bathroom faucet so he'd go all day without any water (heaven forbid he stoop to drinking from a common BOWL!) and he has problems with crystals forming in his urinary tract so lots of water is important for good health. This new "watering system" is great. The water is constantly moving and oxygenating and he instantly took a shine to it. Now, if I can just get his brother Sheldon to stop sticking his paw down the hole and then flinging water everywhere, I think we'll be all set. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 21 Mar 09 - 12:25 PM I just know that THIS handy household tip is going to improve the lives of pet owners everywhere. [widly giggling] If you spill almost anything on your kitchen counter and you want your dog to clean it up for you, now the answer is easy! Just use a slice of ham as your sponge, and watch the mess disappear! Then use a de-greasing spray on the counter top and BINGO! Sparkly-clean kitchen AND a happy, happy dog. Use new Pork-O-Wipe today! It's better than Fugg! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Feb 09 - 02:10 PM F had another nameless holiday today as I divided a spiral-cut ham for the freezer. I used the holiday to start teaching him the word, because after he'd had his fill from the kibbles-in-hamjuice pan, he HAD to come find me and interrupt me till I received his thanks and a face-licking homage. He insists on being a lifelong learner! :~) ~S~ |
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Subject: Prayer for a Pet From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Feb 09 - 10:27 PM A few days ago I got quite a scare-- the dog door was stuck. This is the door that lets the dogs out into their run, or back into their corner from their run. A piece of plywood it abuts (in their dog porch) had gone sproing, bowed out, and made a new, outside door jamb. Hardi and I were able to determine why it was stuck, and with his pry bar I got it unstuck, but what scared me was thinking about-- what if it had happened while we were on vacay? Which of the pet-sitters we've employed in the last several years would have known what to do, or have been able to do it safely? (The farmer/landlord's resourceful son now does the job, so no worries. They have tools AND they know a hot wire when they see one!) I know, they could feed and water the dogs thru the fence, but picturing poor F trying and trying to get that door open till his paws were bloody..... Anyway, that had just happened, so I especially appreciated the item below when a friend sent it in email. (Her own beloved dog Lizzie BTW is terminal with cancer, and the number of "good days" left to them is short but unknown.) I thought I'd stash it here in this thread for those who might like it but have never seen it. ~Susan === LANGUAGE ALERT-- CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOLLOWS God our Creator, you have made all things good. In love look now on us and on our pets and on all the creatures you have made. As you once sent your angel Raphael to guide your servant Tobias and his faithful dog, send your angel to watch over our pets. Keep them in health and safety, secure in our care and guardianship to be our comfort and joy. Remember all pets who have no home, and especially those neglected and abused. Bestow on them a special blessing, and give them comfort and release from evil. And when their days in this life are complete, take them to yourself, where they, with all creation, wait in hope for the fulfillment of your kingdom, that blessed day, when the lamb and the wolf, and the young child and the adder, will joyfully play, side by side. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. *** The Rev. James Flager |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Feb 09 - 10:28 PM My dogs are such keen observers that they've parsed out every move of my signals to them. A dog trainer told me that holding my hand up, open palm like waving, beside my head is a good signal for "lie down" because they can see it from most angles. My dogs are usually right in front of me because I have treats in my hand as a reward. At first they simply responded to the hand in the air, but they were always so close they'd end up on my shoes, so I started stepping back to make room for when I raised my hand. They caught onto that. And they also know that before I step backwards I shift my weight at the hips to make that step, and they see that also. These days, all I end up doing is shifting my weight and they plop down on the ground in front of me, before any of the other parts of the signal. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 06 Feb 09 - 09:43 PM Did you know that the act of pointing to somthing and a dog looking at where you point and finding it is a talent that Chimpanzees do not have. Dogs are smarter than Chimps in many ways, and chimps are 99.5% human in their DNA makeup. what does that say of us compared to dogs? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:30 PM "ferrite?" We're down one pet, as of last week. The calico cat loved to take naps with us in the big recliner in the living room. As soon as she heard it move we'd hear her bell as she came to join us. She's gone, but I've heard her bell a couple of times this week. Or thought I did. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Big Andy Date: 06 Feb 09 - 11:04 AM chrli a boxer cross rottweiler, likes to give you a present when you come in through the door i.e an onion, half chewed,and her breath smells lovely when she climbs on the sofa on a night for her cuddle. the other dog likes drinking out of the toilet even though they both have water in the kitchen, then trying to lick you. She's a german wire haired pointer, that only points the ferrite |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 05 Feb 09 - 03:10 PM Donuel, was it in the Mudcat Slimometer thread? I saw it there.... folks seeing it here, please go see. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 05 Feb 09 - 09:00 AM A sense of fairness and the emotion of jealousy are nearly one and the same. Humans, chimps and dogs know when an equity of affection or resources has been offended or denied. I am probably more jealous than my dog right now in that I feel it is unfair that others can ask for good thoughts for their family on this forum in their own way, while mine have been completley deleted. ......................................> > > walking away with tail between legs /'\ /'\ /'\ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 04 Feb 09 - 12:33 PM Whenever we cook in bulk, Faulkner has a minor role in the cleanup. He has learned to recognize the signs of such a day beginning-- the rattling of pans, all hands reporting to kitchen, the bustling about, the big bags being carried in or moved about. His reaction as soon as he sees this starting: "I don't know what holiday this is, but I like it!" He likes it all the way till bedtime, because that's how long it usually takes for me to stow the last of it. Sometimes it's even a multi-day holiday, like today. The cooking and cooling are done, but the stowing starts later this afternoon. BLUNTSPEAK ON* And last night as Hardi cut up and soaked rabbit parts in salt water, F clearly connected the doorstep interaction with the visiting hunters, my alpha-female role in that, and the giving of the prey to the alpha male, with the smells that had already been in the air. BLUNTSPEAK OFF* He so absolutely fawned his submission that he scared himself half silly till I indicated what we wanted him to do ("OH THANK YOU I'LL WAIT HERE," he said). It's so cool watching him mature into these little understandings. F: "People at the back door-- MAY be a good thing, go with MomWolf to see... stay quiet as long as the intruder is not IN the doorway." ~S~ * This is NOTNOTNOT a thread to debate hunting, just a language warning for a friend. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 08 - 12:59 AM There is a photo with the story. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 08 - 12:27 AM My dogs sit side by side when I offer them treats and have them do tricks. I wouldn't want to try this experiment because there would be hurt feelings. They cooperate when the other gets food, I'm convinced, because they know I take turns in rewarding them and they both get their fair share. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 08 - 12:25 AM Monday, Dec 8, 2008 Posted on Mon, Dec. 08, 2008 Studies show dogs have sense of fairness AP No fair! What parent hasn't heard that from a child who thinks another youngster got more of something? Well, it turns out dogs can react the same way. Ask them to do a trick and they'll give it a try. For a reward, sausage say, they'll happily keep at it. But if one dog gets no reward, and then sees another get sausage for doing the same trick, just try to get the first one to do it again. Indeed, he may even turn away and refuse to look at you. Dogs, like people and monkeys, seem to have a sense of fairness. "Animals react to inequity," said Friederike Range of the University of Vienna, Austria, who led a team of researchers testing animals at the school's Clever Dog Lab. "To avoid stress, we should try to avoid treating them differently." Similar responses have been seen in monkeys. Range said she wasn't surprised at the dogs reaction, since wolves are known to cooperate with one another and appear to be sensitive to each other. Modern dogs are descended from wolves. Next, she said, will be experiments to test how dogs and wolves work together. "Among other questions, we will investigate how differences in emotions influence cooperative abilities," she said via e-mail. In the reward experiments reported in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Range and colleagues experimented with dogs that understood the command "paw," to place their paw in the hand of a researcher. It's the same game as teaching a dog to "shake hands." Those that refused at the start - and one border collie that insisted on trying to herd other dogs - were removed. That left 29 dogs to be tested in varying pairs. The dogs sat side-by-side with an experimenter in front of them. In front of the experimenter was a divided food bowl with pieces of sausage on one side and brown bread on the other. The dogs were asked to shake hands and each could see what reward the other received. When one dog got a reward and the other didn't, the unrewarded animal stopped playing. When both got a reward all was well. One thing that did surprise the researchers was that - unlike primates - the dogs didn't seem to care whether the reward was sausage or bread. Possibly, they suggested, the presence of a reward was so important it obscured any preference. Other possibilities, they said, are that daily training with their owners overrides a preference, or that the social condition of working next to a partner increased their motivation regardless of which reward they got. And the dogs never rejected the food, something that primates had done when they thought the reward was unfair. The dogs, the researchers said, "were not willing to pay a cost by rejecting unfair offers." Clive Wynne, an associate professor in the psychology department of the University of Florida, isn't so sure the experiment measures the animals reaction to fairness. "What it means is individuals are responding negatively to being treated less well," he said in a telephone interview. But the researchers didn't do a control test that had been done in monkey studies, Wynne said, in which a preferred reward was visible but not given to anyone. In that case the monkeys went on strike because they could see the better reward but got something lesser. Range responded, however, that her team did indeed do that control test as well as others in which food was moved or held in the hand but not given to the dog being tested. In dogs, Wynne noted, the quality of reward didn't seem to matter, so the test only worked when they got no reward at all. However, Wynne added, there is "no doubt in my mind that dogs are very, very sensitive to what people are doing and are very smart." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 05 Dec 08 - 11:21 AM My boys could be the stars of that website! they love the sink |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 Dec 08 - 09:53 AM I think I sent a photo to "cats in sinks" a couple of years ago. I have a fat calico (not as fat now, and ailing, but still sweet as ever) who sometimes naps in one of the bathroom sinks. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Jim Dixon Date: 05 Dec 08 - 07:43 AM You might enjoy this web site: http://catsinsinks.com/ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Anne Lister Date: 04 Dec 08 - 02:58 AM That's great - I think our mog needs to read it, especially the bit about the staircase and the bathroom! Although her most dangerous habit on the stairs is the way she stops on the first two or three stairs to rub her head on my foot... Anne |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Dec 08 - 07:55 PM Prolly been posted before, but WTH. ~S~ === Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish. Nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help, because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king- sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails traight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm. For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine or feline attendance is not required. The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough! To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door: To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets: 1. They live here. You don't. 2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'niture. 3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. 4. To you, they are an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly. Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they: 1. Eat less. 2. Don't ask for money all the time. 3. Are easier to train. 4. Normally come when called. 5. Never ask to drive the car. 6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends. 7. Don't smoke or drink. 8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions. 9. Don't want to wear your clothes. 10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and... 11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 03 Dec 08 - 10:37 AM Tabster, that brought back a funny memory from a couple weeks ago. I was in the livingroom doing an exercise DVD and my Sheldon (of the feline variety) was hiding under the blanket draped across the couch. Every time my left foot got close enough to the couch he would reach out from under the blanket and whack me. Got me laughing pretty hard. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ruth Archer Date: 03 Dec 08 - 08:49 AM The special doggie Christmas Elf hat I bought for my Patterdale terrier, Flora, is definitely NOT one of her favourite things. But it's certainly one of mine! Especially when she poses for pictures looking well pissed off... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Dec 08 - 08:45 AM You should bring in a radio flyer-sized wagon for him to pull for you. Easier than dragging a bag across the floor. Oh, I have pull-carts for ME to use (and they help get things across the multiple changes in floor level that a wagon and dog would not handle well), but none were in evidence this time when I needed them. The lovely thing about F is that he does not need a training with a particular item or process, but is glad to lend his dog power in unique situations and to follow the person's lead to get it done. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Anne Lister Date: 03 Dec 08 - 02:55 AM Our cat can read the "shoes and socks" thing, too, but it's with an air of extreme disappointment. Her version of Pawball has now progressed to include the curtains at the French windows ... she hides there and detects the ball by sound, so out come the paws with a bewildering speed and accuracy. We must try to get the camcorder to work when she's doing this .. it's hysterical to watch. Anne |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Dec 08 - 11:50 PM You should bring in a radio flyer-sized wagon for him to pull for you. Easier than dragging a bag across the floor. But I agree--dogs to enjoy anticipating what you're going to ask of them and they love to be part of the operation. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Dec 08 - 10:45 PM Faulkner's chief dogly pack-position attribute is his intense desire to understand and be an active part of the pack leaders' plans. To this end he has insinuated himself into many situations, often much to our perplexity. He wants to SEE and DO. One of these situations arose some time ago while I was dealing with some health issues. I was having a hard time levering up and out of my oversized and poorly-working recliner. F began crowding in to try to help, eventually placing himself where I could hug at him as he braced himself or pulled back. I always thanked him for this spontaneous help. It was obvious that the helping was a release of pent up emotion for him. A little happy dance afterwards and much proud parading before settling. Recently I needed help again and wondered out loud, talking to Hardi, if F could "help" me. F overheard this, and over he bustled, inquisitive eyes asking what he should do. He brought his paws and head up as he is sometimes invited up when he gets lap time, but pasued in midclimb at my unconscious signal. (I have no idea what the signal was, but he read it perfectly.) I grabbed his collar and said his walkies or time-to-go-out phrase-- "let's go." He braced and backed, and up I came. He instinctively stood firm as I leaned over him, bracing myself over his shoulders, as I slowly used aching back muscles to stand myself up straight a bit at a time. He was so proud. We then proceeded to teach (reward) the "Help Susan?" command (praise) so that Hardi will be able to activate him towards me, also. Tonight with this bad back, while Hardi out working for the evening, I had heavy laundry to haul thru the kitchen from the laundry room, to the LR for folding and sorting. "Faulkner, help?" I said as I headed off to the laundry room. Happyhappy yesyes howhow dance. I took his short lead and hooked one end to the laundry bag drawstring, ran the lead thru his collar, grabbed the free end, started off, and said "let's go." He was quite happy to furnish most of the pulling power to drag the big bag (a 33 gallon bag of cottons), as I furnished the steering and "led" the dog. When we got to the LR he was QUITE pleasd with his dogly self. He watched me fold the laundry as if he'd have liked to fold some, too. Cesar Millan says dogs LOVE to be useful, and this is one who definitely does. He is so proud of himself that he licks ME in gratitude afterwards. I think I'd lick F if it wouldn't make Hardi barf. I onluy need help periodically, so it is quite amazing that F remembers from one time to the next what the word means, and what I might want. Who knows what he will learn, next! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Nov 08 - 12:29 AM My dogs know the routine when we're going to go for a walk, and it is intentional because they wear a special radio collar to keep them in the yard (they stay in the fenced back yard, but if I let them through the gate to the front, there is no fence, just this radio signal). If the hat isn't on and the fanny pack and the leashes in place, etc. then they won't go near the line at the one place where we cross (after their collars are off and I've also said the magic word to let them through). They love this ritual, and have figured out others "steps" I never thought to build in. When I sit down on the loveseat by the glass door with shoes and socks in hand, they get all excited. If I put my hat on, they're pretty sure they're leaving the yard, and if the pack is in place, they're practically doing cartwheels. But the socks and shoes are something they picked up on without it being part of the ritual I set in place, it's just one of those body language things they learned to read and it can really set them off in happy galavanting around the yard till I'm ready to go outside. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Michael Harrison Date: 26 Nov 08 - 10:47 PM We have a wonderful golden retriever in our family and Murphy just loves to do two things: chase the water hose stream and chase the beam of light from the flashlight or the pointer - and he is relentless in his persuit; of course, he also loves to go in the car wherever it's going. We also enjoy taking him to music festivals but he cannot come to the stage when I'm performing because he sits there and wags his tail barking at me for attention - go figure. Cheers,........................mwh |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: olddude Date: 26 Nov 08 - 10:19 PM New puppy loves my sock when it is on my foot. tug of war until she gets it off then runs off with it. Impossible to put socks on in the morning unless I put her in the other room |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Nov 08 - 11:04 PM So, I was out in the garage this evening and had pulled a few items from the pickup to take in the house. I had a dishtowel in my hand and gave Cinnamon, the pit bull, a pat with it. You know how they get that cute look when they wrinkle their noses and get just the right grip on a towel and lean back and want to tug and shake on it while you tug and shake right back at them? That is one of my pet's favorite things. We managed to have a little tug-o-war without destroying my good dishtowel, but it is now in the laundry awaiting de-slobbering. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Oct 08 - 12:11 AM We had a nice trip to the feed store. I didn't take them in together, but one at a time so they could each do their tricks for their friend, the guy behind the counter. A woman there saw how well-behaved my pit bull is and asked if I do pit bull rescue (she does). Nope, just with this one. I could tell she was hoping I'd say yes--my pooch and I do the classic trick for a dog like this--I'm in charge of food, so until I tell her, she can't eat the treat I put on the floor in front of her. The thing about this breed is that they love the anticipation, that's as exiting as actually getting the food, and they really do want to please you. It's a breed that you have to understand to work in rescue situations, but I don't want to turn my yard into chaos by introducing a new dog every so often who needs to be socialized or nursed back to health. I'll stick with my two. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LilyFestre Date: 23 Oct 08 - 10:34 PM I just finished giving Wiggy (one of our dogs) a haircut. He loves having his hair cut but HATES being in the car so we compromise and he get's a top of the line, LilyFestre Chop Job. It's not pretty but he lays right out on the floor, head in my lap and lets me snip away. He's happy that he's not riding in the car and that he is getting lots of gentle attention and I'm happy that his hair is cut and I've saved money on both gas and the groomer. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Oct 08 - 04:38 PM My dogs adore being towelled dry. Even if they aren't wet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 23 Oct 08 - 03:55 PM Anybody else have a cat that loves to be wrapped up in blankets with just their faces sticking out? Tommy loves this - being wrapped up and held on my lap having his little chin chucked is his idea of perfect happiness. Both of them demand to be towelled dry if they get wet in the rain. I started this to keep the furniture dry and prevent Snowball comsuming too much fur while grooming the water off, but now a little dew on their little toesies and they are meowing for a towel when they come in. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Oct 08 - 10:45 AM My girls have made such progress from their skunking 10 days ago that I'm going to take them to the feed store with me today and show off how pretty they are after so many baths. They smell pretty much like dogs again. Last week was rough, but I don't think they're going to smell like skunks for the next months or years. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 23 Oct 08 - 10:22 AM Here's you new kitteh's name: fluffy + little + kitty + husband Flitteh-hubbeh ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Neovo Date: 23 Oct 08 - 08:14 AM My cat's three favourite things are sleeping, snoozing, and eating in preparation for sleeping or snoozing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 22 Oct 08 - 11:13 PM Susan... Nooooooooo!!!!!! Lesseee.... fluffy little kitty husband Nope - husband still tips the balance. But... FLUFFY little kitty.... <<sigh...>> |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 22 Oct 08 - 09:49 PM Might as well name it, Bee. :~) Sadie went in the CAR to WALMART, and also got to visit a FRIED'S house for the first time since I've had her-- a house with lots of critter smells-- and she was a VERY good girl. Next time, off leash. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 22 Oct 08 - 03:47 PM An old TV antenna made of fibreglass, with a long bit of twine tied to it, both cats love this toy. Husband calls it 'fishing for cats'. Have I noted that I am only one husband away from crazy cat lady? Yet another kitten is hanging around my house, playing with my cats. It's very young, light brown mottled, long haired. It doesn't look really thin, though. Looks healthy. Maybe it's a neighbour's. Must not feed stray kitty. Must not make friends with stray kitty. Must take this one to SPCA if it starts looking too skinny. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 22 Oct 08 - 09:25 AM That is a great idea for bored dogs-- I can do one in their run out of PVC. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sooz Date: 21 Oct 08 - 02:49 PM A 10 foot long cardboard tube which used to have carpet rolled around it with one end on a stool. Meg, our border collie, plays for ages dropping a ball in the top and running round to catch it as it rolls out of the end. Favourite ball at the moment is one with a bell in it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Wolfhound person Date: 21 Oct 08 - 01:44 PM Dead seal on the beach to roll in and toss about. The deader the better. Not quite skunk, I admit, but pretty honky nonetheless. And the lead lady can smell them from half a mile off, up the wind. At least it gives her (and us) a good run. Paws |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 21 Oct 08 - 11:38 AM Our pets favorite things appear to be pregnant mice coming in from the cold, but they seem to prefer them dead. :~) I'll have to increase the territory they're guarding while we sleep. :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Oct 08 - 01:32 PM I can state that one of my dogs' least favorite things is a skunk. The got skunked on Monday night and I washed them then, then several times the next day. Damage control involved getting rid of all collars and I spray them with the Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover several times a day. I'm going to bring them in for a through all-dog shampoo bath later today, and see if I can't drop it down another degree of stink. These were two very unhappy dogs when I found them, and the next morning the pit bull, who killed the skunk, was still very stressed by the experience. I had them out there without collars for a day, but wasn't bringing the stinky ones in the house so left them on a table. A couple of times I went out and found her curled up on the lawn with one or both of the collars next to her. She seems to feel like she's missing something without the collar. I picked up new ones and drilled holes for the Invisible Fence device and they're back to normal that way. She's looking much more like her old happy self now. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Oct 08 - 09:53 AM Sadie may also be a good offleash dog, but I doubt it. Her background includes hundred of acres to roam, loose. She did get out once when we were not home and we were thrilled to find her waiting for us in the driveway. "I been waiting, I wanna go IN now!" (Raining.) I am sure she had roamed, first, though, and there is That Road. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Anne Lister Date: 16 Oct 08 - 08:33 AM Persia (our recently acquired cat) has two favourite toys ... one is a plum stone (replacing a frozen pea which has been squashed underfoot) which is then batted around the kitchen floor and pounced on. The other is the cardboard cylinder from inside a toilet roll. This gives hours of entertainment, especially as we've started putting items inside the tube and she has to find ways to fish them out. Not an expensive cat to maintain, as you see. The only problems come when she loses the plum stone and comes to tell us ..and we have to look for it for her. Anne |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:52 PM It turns out my dog Gromet is a great off leash dog. Since I blew out my Achilles tendon I take her to a huge field where she can run a couple hundred yards in any direction but she always stays in an eliptical orbit around me and immediatly comes with a mere whisper of 'c'mere'. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 15 Oct 08 - 06:17 PM I'm not sure it's the Ride itsself...more likely just being the Chosen One to go with the Hooman. I'm pretty sure that is it for ours. The Ride is boring, and Molly often spends it quietly whining. She's just waiting for the End of the Ride...so she can get OUT and be where we are going. Even if that is the Vets.....they always think it will be The Lake. They LOVE the Lake! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LilyFestre Date: 15 Oct 08 - 05:46 PM Our cocker spaniel LOVES to bring in apples that have fallen from the tree, green tomatoes that have fallen from the plant and he even likes to (try to) steal potatoes as RidgePlucker is digging them up. Yep, our little Wiggy is a produce theif!!! He seems to understand that he can't have the red tomatoes, even if they are on the ground...GOOD BOY!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 15 Oct 08 - 04:04 PM I know this cannot be unique, and I am sure many dogs share it, but for Sadie, it's car rides. What IS unusual about it for her is that this poorly-raised, normally hard-to-leash-lead, very tall, strong and headstrong dog suddenly becomes totally calm and submissive (exercised first or not), as soon as the car door closes. And she stays that way as long as we're riding, and getting out of the car.... until we're about halfway to the house door and then she wants to drag me into the house to greet jealously-barking Faulkner. This has been true since the day I picked er up. It took 20 minutes to "Sit!"-walk her to the car door, but as soon as she was in, it was all calm snuggles, and respectful of my car food, and everything you could ask for in a dog. ??? Must Ride More Often. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 14 Apr 08 - 11:22 AM Atticus (cat) FINALLY tried to reverse roles with Isis (cat) last night: "YOU be the pillow. In fact, you are big enough to be the mattress!" She was sound asleep when he slithered out from under her, and tried to lay out on her side. She woke puzzled and less than appreciative, but we went up to bed before they finished sorting it out. I can only imagine how must fun this must feel like, to a momcat, when they are slithering around inside her in the last weeks of gestation! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 14 Apr 08 - 10:09 AM Must be time for a Snowball update. Should have definitely named him Ragbag or Dirt Devil! He has a genius for finding sooty places to cover his fur in dirt. He is lousy at climbing trees, but does it anyway and comes down ungracefully with spruce twigs and balsam impossibly entwined in his long fur. There are numerous other cats in the area, and both Tommy and Snowball manage a hostile encounter now and then. The difference is: Tommy usually prevails, and has never been scratched. Snowball leads with his face, judging by the number of dings he gets. I discourage this behaviour by keeping both of them in as soon as it gets dark, but it's hard to avoid completely. Tommy finally quit beating him up - no fun in it anymore. Snowball has gotten large. I'm five foot six. When Snowball stretches out in my lap and along my legs, he can reach me mid-shin with his paws, not including tail. He's the loudest cat I've ever owned. Tommy hardly emits a meow unless in dire need of outdoors. Snowball has a penetrating, hoarse, nasal meow which he uses to demand food, out, and most frequently, my attention. Sometimes when I'm busy, I encourage the two of them to get out and play. Snowball doesn't always want to go, and he takes the methodology of the sixties protester: flop on your back and go limp. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:48 AM Glad to hear things are going well! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:44 AM Sadie's breeding mix finally solved-- Yellow Lab + Great Dane + Golden Retriever. Resulting in a short yellow Dane with a little feathering, and with a Dane's little pig-eye and jowls. She has settled in nicely though, and is the most treat-motivated trainee I have ever worked with. It takes her time to scope out the program, but she does scope it out and has chosen a LR spot that works for us all. A quiet shake of her rattle (pill bottle filled with her small kibbles) calms her as needed for hanging out, supplemented by much ear stroking and the occasional kibble morsel from out of the rattle. Faulkner continues to shore up his Best Dog/Top Dog position graciously, is learning to catch Sadie-kibbles in mid-air, and continues to be able to learn and model new behaviors while Sadie still lopes around unfocused in her more primitive compliances. We have a nice balance going, even if it is Mud Season in Pennsyltucky and their paws are bringing in an awful lot of goo. Sadie surprised us out in the driveway late one night as we came home-- she'd gotten out of their pen and was just SO GLAD to see us drive in to let her into the warm, dry house. She left us a mangled groundhog as a present. When F escapes it takes forever to corral him-- he'd happily roam for days-- but she trotted right in with us. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:07 PM ... when Anneke died and Sissie Mae became alpha.... What complicated it was that as my MudTrainer advised, a single male will often yield to a single female and let her be the alpha dog. Sadie had no desire to be alpha; F would defend his food but nothing else, and was miserably confused. Long story short, neither of them would take alpha. S didn't care but F did, deeply-- he's very much a pack-oriented dog and she's more obedience/rote in her thinking. He needed to KNOW. But he just was stuck trying to figure out what refused to add up. So we juggled just a few things to make it clearer that to us, he may not be Alpha (Hardi is Alpha Male and I'm Alpha Female), but he is Top Dog, THE Dog, Best Dog, and-- among dogs-- immediately beneath Alpha Female. And he loves that, because if it's dog/dog, he's IT. And if it's human/dog, he's the dog-- except that he does see that Sadie is My Dog and he is Hardi's Dog. He doesn't LIKE it that she's my dog, but he accepts it pretty philosophically. He couldda been my dog but no, he picked Hardi, so I went and got me a dog that is my dog. He IS the better dog, but Sadie is, in many ways, more my speed. (F is so much like my BJ that I can't quite relax and just let him be my dog.) But he gets special time with just me-- laptime with momdog-- whenever he feels he needs to burrow in for reassurance. And he is a gracious, non-alpha, midpack dog. When we foster a dog he is very welcoming, and helps them learn the ropes. In a wolfpack I suspect he'd have been the pup-sitter uncle. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 30 Mar 08 - 08:42 AM In talking to my father the other day he reminded me of my sister's bassett hound, Virgil. This was a disgusting dog. I refer to him as "scratch and sniff" because he stunk to high heaven. We had post holes in the back yard where dad had removed a fence. Virgil used to love to go out back and bark down into those holes...no idea what he was barking at.. When my sister married she took Virgil with her and they moved just a mile or so away. There is a very well known local ice cream place around the corner from her...one of those "take away only" places. They used to take Virgil for walks around the block and would stop at Red's on the way home and get him a small vanilla cone. Well one day he got out of the yard somehow and my sister and B-I-L didn't know it until a lady who lived down the street called and told them the dog was standing in line at Red's, waiting for an ice cream. Poor bastard..he had no money AND the place was closed for the winter! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie Date: 29 Mar 08 - 04:28 PM When we moved into our current house a few years back, the neighborhood wasn't built up yet and there were still a lot of open spaces for terrier mix Anneke and golden mix Sissie Mae to run loose in. They discovered that the terrain was full of rabbits and squirrels, and since they never actually succeeded in catching any, I didn't feel at all bad about letting them happily follow the scent trails. I remember once, not too long after a good rain had softened the ground that Sissie Mae found a fresh rodent hole and decided to dig it out. She was going like a mad fiend and actually had a hole so deep only her tail was showing above ground. Meanwhile, Anneke was standing right behind her, waiting for results and getting all the dirt right in her face. She was too spatially challenged to realize that if she moved two feet in practically any direction, she could solve the problem. Anyway, Sis finally decided that nobody was home and stopped excavating. Before that, our whatever-she-was Benji-type mix Pepper decided that rides were the thing. A couple of times I was cleaning out a vehicle or working on it and she got in. She would absolutely not get out until it had gone somewhere. I'd open the door nearest her and she would jump to the corner farthest away. I finally gave up and drove around the block so she would get her "ride." Then she got out, satisfied. Reading about Faulkner, I remember when Anneke died and Sissie Mae became alpha. She didn't have any trouble at all stepping into the roll. She had always kow-towed to Anneke, but also relied on her for protection when some unexpected "threat" came up. Now she shows no hesitation in asserting her priority re. food, water and scratch over her younger pack-sister Murphy Brown, but if Murphy gets anxious about a strange person or strange dog, Sissie now takes the point and lets the stranger know that little sister is not to be messed with. The pack dynamic always amuses and amazes me. CC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Mar 08 - 03:19 PM For awhile, Faulkner had a reaction to Sadie joining the household that I got GREAT advice about, from a Catter. She confirmed that it was a loss-of-status aspect of sibling rivalry as I suspected, and helped brainstorm a number of strategies that are actually possible within our complicated household, and they are working GREAT. <> Both dogs happy, both humans happy <> Faulkner's time with Lord and master increased <> Special treatment for F that he understands as rights of TopDog status <> F volunteers now to lick my chin, which was never a particular behavior of his toward me, confirming that he understands the permutations of the human/canine pack order well now (and likes it). Thanks, Mudcat! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 20 Feb 08 - 12:30 PM I couldn't help but laugh at him, too...He's still young yet (just turned 2 a week ago) so he's still in that goofy stage which helps with the embarrassment. He was just greatful to be out of the stupid thing, I think. So now I have to hide it in the closet when I'm out for fear that he'll get stuck again and I won't be home for hours. Of course, the look on 10 year old Madmardigan's face spoke volumes..you could almost hear him say, "Dumbass". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 19 Feb 08 - 08:01 PM OH Beccak! I'm sorry, I'm laffing! Poor insulted Sheldon. Did he tell you he did in on purpose and NO, he does NOT need help to get out? BANZAI! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 19 Feb 08 - 06:35 PM I caught Sheldon playing with his favorite toy the other night...it's a doughnut-shaped plastic thing with a ball in the middle that spins around. The sides are open and there are 3 slits on the top so that the cat can spin the ball but they're not supposed to be able to get it out. Well, enter my gifted and talented Sheldon. I caught him sitting on one side with his hindleg through the center hole...he pried open the other side with his front paws and got the damned ball out. Of course, 3 hours later he got his head stuck in the center hole...apparently his genius comes in spurts. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 02 Feb 08 - 04:11 PM Thanks, Bee. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 02 Feb 08 - 01:12 PM I'm glad it went well, Susan. And sorry for your loss, even if it was the right time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,sinky Date: 02 Feb 08 - 10:36 AM shitting,eating,barking,biting and shagging |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Feb 08 - 07:11 PM After a real sweet visit and ear-rubbing, Ruby kept her appointment this evening. I feel really OK about it, and glad that she stayed calm for that last sweet-time, instead of running off to her corner. The vet, as always, was great. Getting Faulkner's shots at the same time was a big help, too-- not coming home with the empty car. Anyway, thanks to Little Ruby Hoobie-Doobie for being so much fun and such a bundle of energy. You will be missed. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 01 Feb 08 - 05:21 PM You do have to sign in to view the entire slideshow...as I said above, I already had an account so it worked for me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Feb 08 - 05:20 PM Not blaming you, just giving you feedback. I look forward to seeing the pix eventually. :~) ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 01 Feb 08 - 05:05 PM Eek! I promise 'I' did no such thing, Susan. I may have to find a different place to put up my pics - Snapfish ads were included with the new 'puter; was the easiest place for me to try out. Obviously high speed internet is dangerous in the hands of innocent amateurs! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Feb 08 - 04:52 PM I see Snowball laughing in a laid-back (reclined!) position, about how cleverly he got you to take him in, plus this: Debbie has created an account on Snapfish for you. Please enter your name, email address and password to access your account. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 01 Feb 08 - 04:49 PM Cool! Thanks, Becca. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 01 Feb 08 - 04:44 PM It worked that time, Bee |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 01 Feb 08 - 03:59 PM Okay, if anyone tries this, tell me whether you can see more than one photo, kthxbai. http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=215921689/a=119287236_119287236/t_=119287236 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 01 Feb 08 - 03:40 PM I already had a snapfish account and it just showed the 1 pic... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 01 Feb 08 - 03:05 PM Hmm. May be something I did - I think you should be able to see all the pics without signing up - maybe I linked to just one pic and not the whole album. Yes, Snowball is growing really fast lately. He isn't as fat as the pic makes him look, but he's pleasantly padded. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Feb 08 - 02:55 PM Good pic, but since I didn't sign up, I didn't get a slideshow-- just the one photo. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 01 Feb 08 - 01:49 PM He's huge! Indoor living has definitely agreed with Snowball. Very handsome boys ya got there, Bee. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 01 Feb 08 - 12:48 PM http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=215921689/PictureID=4588619222/a=119287236_119287236/t_=119287236 New kitty pics, if I did it right. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 31 Jan 08 - 02:54 PM LOL...teach husband how to make the smoochy-faced kissy-noise that no cat can resist instead of the cougar meow.... |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.. |
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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 |
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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! |
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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 |
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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 |
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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! |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Jim Carroll Date: 25 Jan 08 - 03:52 PM |
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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~ |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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~ |
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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~ |
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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~ |
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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 |
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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 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Jan 08 - 12:30 PM (((Becca))) ~S~ |
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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. |
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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~ |
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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. |
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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... |
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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! |
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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~ |
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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. |
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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~ |
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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~ |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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!!!! |
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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. |
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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? |
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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 |
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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! |
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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? |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:50 PM PS, she's short-haired, not as feathery as a GR. Mutt for sure, but not a yellow lab! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:41 PM Well, the pronged collar had exactly the effect I had hoped. Sadie respects my hand on her collar now-- even the narrower choke chain. She's not bright enough to realize the difference and has keyed onto the fact that it's ME, and I am HOLDing her. But she is much, much happier just loose in the house, and is beginning to show signs of settling down. I'll use the pronged collar if I have to take her out of the house on a lead, until I am confident in my ability to manage the Gentle Lead. Looking through AKC breed pictures, I find the best match for her shape in a cross of Redbone Coonhound and Golden Retriever, though she may be neither. She sure acts like a Golden, though. She and Faulkner are working out living room compromises, and the cats have begun her True Training from the chair they share. I was so proud of Faulkner today-- he's clearly the better dog. If asked, he will actually stay settled into a lounging position while she tries to create havoc. He even shares his supper as long as his face isn't actually in it when she tries to get some. But the rawhide chew is HIS, snarl/growl/lunge. And that's OK with Sadie: "No sir, that's OK really-- I'll just curl up way over here instead of coming near you uintil you're finished with that...." She sure is bouncy though. Hardi's opinion of F goes up by the hour! :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: the lemonade lady Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:14 PM my dog loves knotted old socks. He sucks them every time he feels a bit wound up about something. Sal |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 12 Jan 08 - 08:32 PM Behavior, yes, but even her appearance is very juvenile. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 12 Jan 08 - 05:33 PM Our vet claims most dogs do not mature until about four years.She also said our girl was one of those dogs that retain puppy-like behaviour all their lives - and she was right. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 12 Jan 08 - 04:40 PM That's how it was with Faulkner. One day he was a big puppy, the next he was a HUGE puppy, then he was a teenager. And then one day he just settled into early adulthood. He'd been neutered early, so it wasn't that which made the sudden change-- he just matured one day, almost overnight. Actually, I'm not sold on Sadie being a Lab at all. The look, the head, the height, the coloring, the gait, the happyhappy dance seem much more Golden Retriever as her main component. I DO know that she is underweight, but I still cannot see her looking Lab even when she fills out. Golden and some kind of big hound, more like. If she's half Golden Retriever, she's horribly underweight. We'll get a worming check very, very soon. It must be said that I do NOT believe her owners purposely mistreated, underfed, or misraised her. But she needs a serious upbringing. And it began (or resumed), today. She did about 10 minutes-- 2-3 of successful heeling around the kitchen, 2-3 successful sitting on command on a short lead in the LR, 2-3 successful lounging in the LR on the long lead, 2-3 successful LR/DR explore off lead, and successful heel back to the great outdors to romp with Jealous Faulkner (minus training collar of course). It will take several days of short training sessions like that to get her attention focused on me securely enough to move to the Gentle Leader. And several days of feeding her up before I can expect her behavior to settle into a routine of non-desperation. But she IS highly motivated, she does like the cheap treats F already has in stock, and she is very, very interested in affection as well as mental and physical stimulation. For a dog whopse main owner has been on and off deployments and who has been from farm to town with no more run space, she's not as messed up as she could have been, so I think there is a Good Dog in there. She shows signs of having had some obedience training, so although that is not the approach that suited Faulkner, it is the approach Sadie will build upon. She seems to know what hand signals are, and to understand when her compliance efforts are rewarded. All in all, she did well in the short time I had to give her on a day full of funerals, evening services, and so forth. I was at least able to make a number of important assessments (in addition to the above) without teaching her any bad tricks or letting her drag me around. She seems happy for the work. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:20 PM In a Lab I think adolescence is about 8 or 9 years. :-) Seriously, though, the rule of thumb I was always told is that "puppyhood" and "kittenhood" lasts until somewhere between 2 and 3 years...your mileage may vary. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:15 PM Anybody know how long is typical adolescence in a Lab? I do not want to expect too much from her too soon, and she does seem like she is still in puppy bones and muscles. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jan 08 - 01:44 PM Poppy doesn't like it, she wants to rub her face on things because of the muzzle strap, but she walks well on it. I put a choke chain around her neck and then put the Gentle Leader on, and clip her into both. The plastic fastener isn't the strongest and she did pop it one time, so the choke chain is backup, but it hasn't happened again and she does walk better now than when that event happened. You can also clip into the regular collar as backup (the one I keep the name tag and rabies tag on); the main thing is that this harness controls the head from under the chin. The martingale one on Cinnamon is fine because she walks very well and doesn't need the face piece (she doesn't like it either), but I want something that is strong for just in case (if we meet other dogs, especially dogs off a leash it can get to be a tangle in a hurry, though we're getting better at ignoring other dogs and just continuing to walk past them.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Mooh Date: 12 Jan 08 - 10:28 AM SRS...I agree the Gentle Leader does the deed, though to varying degrees. Rosie (12 year old springer/collie/coyote) was completely reformed by it at a few months old, but Cosmo (lab/corgi) still likes to resist it sometimes at 2 years old. Nevertheless, neither dog will co-operate on a simple leash when walking. Cosmo also has a body harness but all it does is create sores. Sometimes I sort of forget the dogs are with me walking, the GL is that good. Peace, Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jan 08 - 01:52 AM Those gripper type ("German") collars work once or twice, but if you have a really stubborn dog, they can hurt themselves pulling against them. Have you tried the Gentle Leader? It really does work. I use that on Poppy, and I use their martingale harness on Cinnamon. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:54 PM Sadie is progressing. Amazing that she can learn any new stuff at all, considering how nutso (distracted) she is with the pent-up energy. She and F shared a tight space (like 2 XL crates' worth) happily for several hours without accident or enmity. She is learning that OUT is via the dog corner, not the door she came into the house through when she was brought in from the van. Tomorrow she will have first lessons on No More Pulling Thank You Very Much. I have one no-fooling, metal collar and one gentler, soft nylon head-collar-- I've kept her out of lead-dependent situations until I could get these. Faulkner will show me, first, how they work on his calm self before I try Sadie on either of them. Handling her with just a hand on the collar has been exactly like marshaling an unbroken colt to go in and out of stall/pasture-- patience, patience, patience. And brute strength. Tomorrow, the living room. And a LOT of snuggling. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 11 Jan 08 - 05:27 PM I thought I had recovered my necklaces last night but I was mistaken. Sheldon started scratching around the vacuum cleaner, trying to get something underneath it. I went over thinking "aha, caught you, you little #$#!" but when I moved the vacuum the only thing under it was 6-8 treats he'd hidden away from his brothers. He's the only one who isn't afraid of the vacuum, so I guess this hiding spot was pretty well chosen. Still wish I knew were my necklaces were, though. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 08 - 03:06 PM If I don't walk newcomers to the gate and introduce them to the dogs, the dogs will bark the entire time strangers are around. Cinnamon practically did cartwheels when a guy climbed on the roof to give me an estimate back in October. I was busy with someone else in the yard and he didn't wait for introductions. If I had, they'd have known he was okay once he was on the roof and we wouldn't have had the fuss. You could get the impression from all of my photos that my dogs rarely walk. :) Poppy and Cinnamon 1 (big pups--Poppy is taller and longer now, but still weighs less than the pit) Poppy and Cinnamon 2 (Yin and Yang) I'm sure I'm not the only dog lover here who has the pleasure of seeing their dog make what could be misconstrued as a "growl," but it's a playful sort of smile. Teeth slightly showing, and the nose is quite mobile with the lip action, with a wrinkled muzzle. No noise, but a wagging tail. If you have a dog that is characterized as being of a "dangerous breed" you have to be really good at reading the body language and recognizing the noises they make. But I think that adds to the richness of pet ownership and strengthens the bonds with the animal. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:37 PM Every pit I've ever known has been nothing but a big marshmallow. She is lovely, Stilly. I will say, though, that my nephew has a pit/rottie mix called Bubba and while he is gentle as all get out once he remembers who you are, I will not walk up my sister's driveway if he is outside by himself. I don't see him often and he is very protective of his space. He has been known to bark and snarl at people until someone he knows reassures him that it's ok. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:22 PM She has some of those characteristics--a strong prey drive (catches squirrels and possums on occasion) and does a pit bull "rooaaar!" at the catahoula if I were to give them both bones in the same space. (I separate them if I'm giving them durable chew treats.) But a lot of dogs will do that. You should see this dog hunt, though, it is a study in patience and strength. I've always interrupted and squirrels have gone free if I saw her doing it, but it is beautiful to watch. The catahoula caught a dove one day and was so proud of herself, but a bird is a lot different target than a speedy squirrel. If I take her with me to the feed store people ask about her--the breed really is charismatic--and I usually tell them Am Staff as the breed, but I also use "pit bull" because I think it helps people understand that the generic name is problematic, and this splendid dog is an excellent example of why the stereotypes are unfair. (She has such a great memory--the first time she tried to stick her nose in the open box of dog treats at the feed store I told her "no," and directed her to poke around on the floor behind the boxes--she can have those. If I go in now, she goes straight to that space behind the boxes to see if she will get lucky!) I meant to ask about the greyhounds--how much do they weigh, and how old are they? Did they come through a rescue group? (I haven't the whole thread for a while, it just caught my eye again the other day.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:03 PM A lot of people who want to avoid their dogs' being identified with the horrors of dog fighting just never call their dogs "Pit Bulls" because the American Staffordshire Terrier has a different reputation that deserves to be highlighted and can carry the freight on their record. My hot clue was the fineness of her coat and skin, which come through clearly in the photo and which are much more than your excellent care and feeding-- that skin and the sweet tempearment are bred and have nothing in common with fighting dogs. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 11 Jan 08 - 01:11 PM Pretty hounds, BiLL. Friends of ours work with greyhound rescue here, and have the prettiest fawn coloured girl I've ever seen. She looks more like a skinny deer than a dog, and is fond of doing 'rounds' when visiting, laying her head on one person's knee after the other until she's sampled all the patting techniques present. SRS, that's a good story. Poor puppy! Makes me feel ill when I come across a hurting animal (or human, don't get me wrong!), but animals have a harder time explaining where and why they're hurting. Dave's Wife, if I do change his name, it's gonna be Pigpen for sure, so don't wish too hard for a name change! He's an amazingly well behaved cat indoors - one 'no' is enough to make him stop doing something, and he rarely repeats an offense. Whereas Tommy will look you straight in the eye while trying to shred the rug. He was a demon kitten, was Tommy, took ages to stop his habit of biting your hands and feet, and he'll still sometimes grab on pretty hard - out of love, I'm sure - maybe. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:41 PM Oops--I didn't realize I saved the large photo of Cinnamon (the third one). It may take a while to load. I usually make a smaller web version for links. She is a gorgeous dog, I'm sure she's purebred. She may have papers, but I don't have them. She's as smart as any dog I've ever owned (or met). I've told this story (probably in this thread) several times, so those know know it can skip to the next post. She dragged up my driveway about three years ago, and I saw her from the kitchen window and went out to take a look. I called her, she limped over, I patted her head, she licked my hand, and we had a contract. I'm convinced of it. Neighbors later told me that they'd seen this dog living in the prairie across the road from my house, and she'd been there for weeks, at least. They used to chase her off, being afraid of pits. The vet thought she'd been hit a glancing blow by a car, because she had a lot of cuts and abrasions, but she also had broken teeth in the very front of her mouth from where she probably bounced off of the concrete after she was hit. Poor girl was also dirty and greasy and covered with ticks. That day she arrived I left her be, she slept in the sunny corner near the garage all day and I put out water and kept an eye on her. By about 6pm when I was finishing the yard work I'd done all day she came limping around the house to see what I was doing. A companionable dog, she limped over and nudged my shoulder, kind of asking "what'chu doing?" She followed me with my wheelbarrow into the back yard, and that is where she has lived ever since. I do have a gate, and we do have a companion now and Invisible Fence, because she's smart and does like to visit the neighbors, but it isn't safe for her. Someone afraid of a pit bull might harm her, even as sweet as she is. I ran an ad, but who was going to respond to a "found: injured pit bull" ad? And if I turned her over to animal control in Fort Worth, they would have destroyed her. It was at least $1000 before she was over her injuries, spayed, dental work, etc., but she is a great dog. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:21 PM Regarding the flash .... I never shoot in automatic, I make full use of natural lighting (non-flash) even at night, by using the appropriate f-stops, shutter speed, and film speed ... Of course all of this is easier done when using a DSLR camera. Just some of my 2 cents worth. biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Mooh Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:18 PM Rosie The Wonder Dog likes her spot beside my bed, her Kong toy, and heavy petting. Cosmo The Other Dog likes his spot on the couch, his flying disc toy, and heavy petting. They both have the usual fondness for the toilet, freshly flushed, and their stainless steel food bowls. Treats are good too, especially the salmon ones. It's a dog's life. Peace, Mooh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:59 AM O well ... might as well showoff our 2 hounds. Heidi, Otis (together shot) Heidi in her NorEaster Goodnite Otis biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Dave'sWife Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:58 AM I cam over here to see how SOUSER is doing. Some insit on calling him Snowball but I know his true name is SOUSER. Glad to hear he's been worming his way inside for longer and longer periods of time. Tommy better be careful - the big pawed kitten may grow up to be the size of a small collie and then beat the snot out of him for a change! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:44 AM SRS, is that a papered Staffordshire Terrier? Big creampuff, all the Staffs I've known. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 11 Jan 08 - 10:23 AM Stilly, those pics are great! What a cutie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 11 Jan 08 - 07:12 AM Thanks, guys - all advice cheerfully accepted! That third photo is a great picture of doggy's face, SRS. Tommy, the tabby, is very difficult to photograph even by himself. The black fur he has, especially on his rear half, is so shiny it will actually reflect my hand like a mirror if I place my hand close enough. I've never had such a shiny kitty. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jan 08 - 01:03 AM Bee, Use a background that contrasts with the cats (you may have to photograph them separately, but I think you'll be able to work something out). And use your flash. The shadow that creates will help outline the lighter cat and bring the darker cat into view. I sold an old digital camera on eBay this week and dug out a couple of photos I took to post as examples. And have been enjoying the "old home week" aspect of revisiting those photos. For example: Yeah, this pit bull will tear your leg off. . . as soon as she's finished hanging out with her best friend, the sprinkler. That tug-toy won't be bothering you any more, I've got it under control. . ." and the heartbreaker, Will You Love Me and Keep Me??? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 10 Jan 08 - 10:16 PM That's a tuff shot Bee .... I find the same problem when trying to photograph our 2 hounds ... Heidi is mainly white, while Otis is a dark brindle .... I wouldn't use the flash and try shooting them when the lighting is more filtered ... the other problem is having them stay still enough in a position that complements the 2 of them. biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 10 Jan 08 - 08:57 PM Bill, No.6 - I apologise for calling you gnu - I was very tired! I hope you decide to give the metacam a trial - it takes a while to kick in. Our dog also had skin allergies in the pollen season, so we had to give her another medication which contained steroids, and balance the dosages out, plus watch her carefully for gastrointestinal distress. A funny side effect of the summer steroids was that she would act like a male dog for a week or two at the start - cocking her leg and other 'male-ish' behaviours. Susan, sounds like a successful transition indeed. Becca: I'm laughing at you, not with you. No more kittens, Ha! Anyone here knowledgeable about photography (of course someone is)? I'm having trouble taking photos in which both a mostly white cat and a mostly dark cat appear. Either the white cat is a brilliant blaze or the dark one's a muted dark spot. I've tried (available on my simple digital camera) messing with white balance, the snow/beach setting, and the portrait option with little success. If I aim the shutter slightly above or below or to the side on a neutral object, might that help? It's the only thought I've had that I haven't tried. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 10 Jan 08 - 07:20 PM Over the last few days Sheldon's favorite thing has been my jewelry box. He dumped it the other day and made off with about 10 necklaces that I have yet to locate. I just know the little shit is going to pull them out, one at a time, and play with them in front of me over the course of the next few weeks. I found about 5 of them, 2 of which he bit through and destroyed. Next time please remind me that I have sworn off kittens (they'll be 2 next month and should start to slow down!) and will be adopting only older cats from this point forward (yeah right). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 10 Jan 08 - 07:15 PM Poor Sadie. Lonely, intelligent, energetic and sweet dog longing for the opportunity to exercise a natural-born calmness and playfulness. Peachy on the pickup, even though her people were not home (by advance arrangement).... Her Peke was tied out in the back yard as well, so first I fussed over the Peke with a McDonald's burger redolent in the breeze, and by the time I had collected and loaded Sadie's dogfood she was VERY happy to see me, sit for me, and try very hard to coooperate with being "led" to the car with many, many, MANY patient "sit"s interrupting her explosions. She's been taught to use her pent-up, youthful energy in a knock-down, drag-out tug of war for a run, by a slight and very pregnant owner, so she was very surprised to be held firmly and made to sit every time she went nutso. Loved going for a ride (unlike poor Faulkner), loved snuggling into my hands as I drove, and has been doing well at meeting the household critters one controlled, careful encounter at a time. Just now she's napping all the excitement off in the dog corner ("Doggie Smell! Doggie Smell!"), having tanked up on a huge amount of water first.... thus the small corner begins her introduction to the Pee Outside Only Policy. (P.O.O.P.) And for the moment, all dogs are quiet in their respective separate domains. Ruby, bless her, showed Sadie all the ropes. Sadie, bless her, had the brains to respect both Ruby and Faulkner and offered (submissively, yieldingly) to play. Faulkner, bless him, paw-dominated while playing but was satisfied with Sadie's fawning response. Next trick-- small suppers for the over-excited, and a hockey game for F to have with me all to himself (and for Sadie to overhear from her corner so she can start learning about Hound Hockey). ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 10 Jan 08 - 06:50 PM Much Thanks Bee ... I'll look into Metacam. biLL (the other guy from N.B.) :) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 10 Jan 08 - 12:09 AM METACAM! Brain just kicked in - the stuff was called Metacam, gnu. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 10 Jan 08 - 12:06 AM Gnu, I will try to remember and will search tomorrow morning to see if I have an old prescription paper. It was a steroidal compound mixed in a honey-flavoured base. Steroids aren't great but if the alternative is death... well. The vet said it also could reverse some of the damage. She had it so badly in spine, hips and right hind leg that she would just lay down and not move for hours, and cry terribly if forced to get up - heart-rending. Once on the medication, with no pain and light exercise, she improved enormously, was her happy old self again. She was a seventy five pound mixed breed, started on the medication at eight and died of a common canine cancer at thirteen. Your vet should know of it, anyway. It is expensive, but I reasoned it was a couple two-fours a month, eh? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 09 Jan 08 - 11:49 PM Bee ... if you can remember what that medication was I'd appreciate knowing what it is. Our female grey has arthritis due to her ligaments on her right leg rupturing on her 98th race. Poor hound, she was scheduled to be put down 'til we took her in. Glucosamine doesn't seem to make any difference. These cold winter days just causes her more discomfort. biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 09 Jan 08 - 11:34 PM I'm sorry to hear it, Susan. Our old girl was gifted with probably four extra years of painfree life by a prescription arthritis medication (which I cannot remember the name of now, for some reason). Glucosamine did nothing for her at all. The medication worked fantastically well, and had only a few serious side effects to be watched for, none of which she had, fortunately. It ran us about fifty dollars a month, but well worth it to us. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Jan 08 - 06:28 PM Oh, she's a little TOO perky still, incuding peeing all over the rugs when she gets excited which is new, uncontrollable, and very much a sign of her decline because if you look up "fastidious" in the dictionary, you'll see her picture there. Other issues I have not written about with her... a tremendously painful spine and hips with arthritis advancing, a combativeness that just isn't her, cataracts, days she skips food entirely-- aging very fast now. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 09 Jan 08 - 12:29 PM Good luck with the new doggie. Might perk Ruby up some, too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 09 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM Faulkner is about to get what we hope will be a new favorite-- a foster dog has come up that I will pick up tomorrow afternoon, who has the youthful energy Ruby used to have to romp and exercise in the house and in the dog yard, and who is a good size/weight match for full-grown Faulkner. Sadie is a yellow lab whose daddie is headed for an overseas deployment and whose mommie is about to complete a difficult pregnancy in a small house with several other little kids. Sadie misses the great big rural property she used to run on, and can no longer be safely walked in town. We don't know if she will be a brief visitor or a longterm fixture of the household, but Ruby has been going downhill fast in the last several months so-- There Is A Dog. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 03 Dec 07 - 03:00 PM LOL, Bee! Gives a new meaning to "the cat came back" doesn't it? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 03 Dec 07 - 02:58 PM Cats do have a 'sticky' quality. When I was a student, I arrived in Halifax on the train in pouring rain, and had to walk some twelve blocks to my apartment with all my baggage. On the way, a tiny orange kitten, soaked and dirty and skinny and crying, began to follow me. Couldn't discourage it. Wouldn't go away. Had two cats at home. Didn't know what to do. Just then I passed a house I recognised as belonging to a well off local television personality. I knew she liked cats. As luck would have it, her porch door was open a crack. Aha! thought I, this woman will deal with a kitty! And at that, I stuffed it in the door and ran. Yes I did. A year later, I moved into a room in a very nice home, other side of town. Very nice people. Lotsa cats. Talking with my very dear landlady about cats one day. That orange one? Got him from TV personality lady. Someone left it in her porch. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 03 Dec 07 - 02:43 PM Bee, I don't think that kitty's going anywhere. I, too, once brought an abandoned cat home "just for the night." that was over eight years ago and she's still there. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 03 Dec 07 - 02:34 PM That is one comfy lookin' greyhound, Bill. To those who disdained Snowball's plebian moniker: you should see him now. This is his very first snow ever. He went out reluctantly, wandered around looking distressed and shaking his paws, then disappeared under the deck. I let him in, meowing piteously. It's wet, sticky snow, he's fluffy, and his entire belly and 'pyjamas' are hung with dozens of half-inch diametre balls of snow. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: number 6 Date: 03 Dec 07 - 02:16 PM A dog bed by the fireside ... out hound Heidi has made this her permanent spot now untill May. by the fireside biLL |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Dec 07 - 12:57 PM But don't kid yerself, I am still looking for a permanent home for the sneaky little freeloader! Oh I know-- I have a dog that's been here 9 years on that plan! :~) Me, I think Snowball's got a lock on this one. Go Snowball! :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 03 Dec 07 - 12:54 PM "It's cold outside!" That, Susan, is why Snowball is spending more time inside. (Could you look at that little face pressed against the patio door glass while cold rain slashes down?) And why his house has moved into our unheated, but certainly windproof and rain proof garage. And why he is getting fed as much as his little heart desires, to keep the calories up. I'm trying to give Tommy tons of extra attention, especially when Snowball is in the house. At least the beatings-up are so far bloodless, for all the pitiful noises out of Snowball - he really is mostly fluff, there isn't a lot of cat under that fur... but it slightly worries me that he has ginormous paws, compared to Tommy's neat little feet. And (sigh!) it has just started snowing quite heavily, ice has formed a skim on the North side of the lake. Tommy's curled up asleep on the couch, and Snowball... is curled up asleep on the foot of the bed upstairs. But don't kid yerself, I am still looking for a permanent home for the sneaky little freeloader! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Dec 07 - 11:33 AM BSEG-- and LOL-- Snowball comes inside? Did I miss something? Naw..... GinormousSEG! :~) Tommy, it'll be OK, I promise.... Bee, can Tommy learn to associate Snowball-gets-petted time with Tommy-special-tuna-treat time? It's cold outside! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 03 Dec 07 - 11:11 AM Ah, yes, the joys of rival pet interactions! Tommy (my cat) and Snowball (trying to be my cat) love each other outside, and never fight. Inside, Snowball still loves Tommy, but Tommy is conflicted. On the one hand, it is sometimes fun to have Snowball inside to play with. On the other hand, Tommy's servants have been caught PETTING Snowball - he doesn't care that his food is sometimes stolen - there's more where that came from. So at least a couple times a day, if Snowball is in for a warm up and a learning session in being a tame cat, Tommy takes it into his head to beat the snot out of the smaller cat, and won't stop until I intervene or Snowball starts crying. Worse'n kids. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 Dec 07 - 09:44 AM The next-door beagle moved, and has been replaced by a Pitiful Dog. Monday morning started with Hardi calling from the cellphone as his car departed, to report the neighbor's sad outside dog had broken the chain and was in our yard. We're right on the road, so I collared Faulkner and went out with him on the leash to see if I could entice their dog away from the road. I'd not met this dog; we just hear him crying all the time out on his chain. Pitiful. (He does have shelter and is fed, cared for, etc.) Thought it would be your average mutt, and caught up with it in the neighbors' front yard. Saw tracks in our yard indicating it had made at least one round around our place looking for our dogs, before Hardi saw him. Next door, I thought I'd nab him-- step on the long, trailing chain at least-- until I saw the jaws. F dropped the gloves and offered to fight, but the pit/lab was only interested in play and ran off to the back of his own yard, scared, much to MY relief.... I nab strays all the time, but this one was better left loose (and yes I was prepared in case a fight broke out, and can gauge the "safe distance" on any animal's behavior.. Neighbors were home when I knocked and got him secured shortly after I arrived back in the my house. On their porch, as I waited for them to answer my knock, I saw the carseats and baby toys-- oh, THIS is why a dog not used to being an outside dog has been banished, for now, to the chain. F is kicking himself now, wanting to go back out and play. So I've had my AM exercise time (rehabbing bad knee, fun) and F almost broke my hand, holding him. But here's why I HAD to post-- he is a good dog nevertheless, because when we came back in, the front door had not latched in my hurry to go out. Faulkner sat when I told him to SIT (yelling from the next room and hoping he'd obey), instead of nosing it open to fly next door as he noses his dog door open. He'd love to escape for a hill run, but he goes out into the road and we've lost too many that way. Nice dog, but Mr. Pitibull will have to stay at home, thanks, and not visit here anymore. I don't want our dear, sweet Faulkner to teach him to fight! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:39 PM Dog beds are rendered inedible by a cheap bitter-apple spray. (Pet store, Agway, Tractor Supply.) Doesn't hurt they noses, but they mouths no like. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:18 PM All of ours just eat dog beds. They prefer the Human Bed, with human as pillow. Life gits teejus, don't it? The cats have discovered a new favorite place outside. The hot tub/spa cover has a 'dent' in the heavy styro cover, so I covered it with an old rug. Now, it's a warm, cat sized depression on the lid out of Dog Reach. They argue about who had it first this time. The loser gets the rug on the window shelf beside the computer. I see the 'loser' more often, so 'loser' gets to come inside first, most often! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:10 PM Looks like a bad typo day today... :-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:06 PM I have two balck female cats, sorta Yin & Yan... One is delicate, the Siamaese build. Highly intellignet, and very affectionate, but fairly quiet. Her half sister from the next litter, same mother, but three times the size and weight, 'talks' loudly all te htime - I can hold 'conservations' for several minutes!, and perhaps not quite as bright... She's a 'British build' cat, not at all fat, but very bulky, and a thorough sook, hangs around me a lot. The other day I found her asleep on the floor, with her face buried deep in one of my dirty smelly 'yard' socks... as I said, not all that bright... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Nov 07 - 12:39 PM Dog Beds. With sharp winter winds icing into the dogs' kitchen corner, it's time for the annual seasonal adjustments. We started with inexpensive dog-bed sacks purchased at a nearby surplus outlet-- zippered rectangles with sturdy duck on one side and fake fleece on the other. Empty (or stuffed with the cheap fiberfill batting the store also had), these are their summer beds. Faulkner especially thinks of his as "his place" wherever we take him, so we keep an empty one in the travel van for his occasional sleepovers. "Go sit" means "Go sit on your designated bed and stay out of the traffic lanes here." He's happoy to comply-- "Oh, thank you, THIS is my spot in this confusing place!" At night, he feels secure instead of nervous, and hosts don't feel like they'll trip on him in the dark; he is visible on that bed against the pale fleece, even by nightlight. See the bed minus the dog-- step carefully! (sliding cat-owner footsteps) In the warmer months these large bedsacks are simply folded, empty, so that each dog has some padding underneath but not too much heat-holding padding. In Mud Season and Flea Season they are easily washed. In the winter the sacks get their stuffing. F's is now stuffed not only with a couple of layers of batting, but also a pair of pool noodles that create a contour for him to curl up in-- two old noodles duct-taped together to make a taller channel, just inserted into the bag. The bag controls their curve nicely and F really likes his new bed model. Ruby, now, for winter, has the REAL cushy dogbed, and that is an old coat to lie upon. I needed large buttons for another coat, so I bought an old coat at a thrift store for a much-cheaper, much-better set of buttons than I'd been able to find anywhere in the size I needed. The old coat is a vintage fake fur, like a thick mouton plush. With the sleeves folded into it inside-out, and with the front stitched closed, it makes a wonderful dog bed. Not only is that Ruby's winter bed, it's out in the flame-heated laundry room where the slate floor in front of the heater holds heat for a long, long time. She basks in the heater's flame alongside the cats quite happily! I can toss the fake fur in the washer as needed; if it gets really nasty I'll wrap it in a dogbed sack, too. It's very amusing to see the dogs find and sniff each others' new winter beds. Envy! Then they run back to their own to lay claim to it, just in case! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Arne Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:03 PM My youngest feline, Yap (named for the island, not her bark) likes to take my hair-ties (even out of the drawer; she'll open it) and put them in the toilet. The grand old lady, Nickie, loves to lick your face at night in bed. Occasionally, she'll bite your nose too.... Cheers, |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Arne Date: 20 Sep 07 - 11:54 AM Donuel: Why is that?, our border collie eats poo too... My sister had a friend who kept wondering why she kept seeing cat litter in the bottom of the toilet bowl. She finally figured it out; dogs are coprophagic (perhaps an adaptation from the wild for vitamin supplementation), and the dog was taking midnight snacks from the 'buffet' and washing it down with a cool drink from the 'fountain'.... Cheers, |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 20 Sep 07 - 10:32 AM Thank you, Susan. The vet said this morning that he is doing "great" and they expect this to be fixed with a change to his diet. He's still a baby! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 20 Sep 07 - 10:00 AM Steady hand and probably magnifying lenses-- it has to be like threading a needle and I need the cheaters for that already! I hope your cat will do well post-cath; I've been through that round (including the reaming surgery) with our cats now and then and I don't wish it on anyone, cat OR owner. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 20 Sep 07 - 09:57 AM In the case of my Mikey one of his current favorite things is being able to pee without aid of a catheter again. Poor little guy! BTW, I cannot even imagine the steady hand it takes to catheterize an 8 lb cat! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 20 Sep 07 - 07:22 AM Ebbie, It must be a black cat thing. My Sheldon does the same thing with lying on my chest and touching my face. He likes to knead while doing this, which can be quite painful at times. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Greg B Date: 19 Sep 07 - 06:17 PM So today I took pictures off the outside walls, in preparation for a siding project. Boots the Cat looks at the vacant nails, and is sure they must be bugs or something. I had to lift him up so he could touch each one with his paw and see it was cold hard steel before his general sense of agitation subsided. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ebbie Date: 18 Sep 07 - 11:47 PM Since it is not the breed of a dog, per se, that I respond to, Sorcha, a faked breed would not matter to me personally. As for the Norwich and the Cairn breeds they are similar enough that if a breed's characteristic did matter to me I'd be happy with either. However, the Norwich is appreciably smaller than a Cairn so it might be difficult to pass one off as the other. I read about it in Wikipedia- and the whole thing doesn't make sense to me. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 18 Sep 07 - 09:55 PM Hey, Ebbie, you hear about this (idiotic crazy) person who imported some Cairns, docked the tails, docked the gets tails, and registered them and the get as Norwich? I just heard today and I gather it's an Un Holy Mess. Not sure how to research it.....my guess is a Puppy Miller and Norwich are what is selling this year, not Cairns. Something now about a 3 generation waiting period to register them. Not sure what. Glad I'm not a terrier person! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: John Hardly Date: 18 Sep 07 - 09:17 PM not this |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ebbie Date: 18 Sep 07 - 08:39 PM The breeder's books say that Cairn terriers have to be kept on leash - that it is "impossible to teach them not to run off" - but my little Meggie has put the lie to that. She was four years old when her first owner died. She had obviously received a lot of TLC but she has learned a great many things in the two years she has been with me. Things that are meant to keep her safer, such as waiting at the end of the block until I give her permission to cross or to get back on the sidewalk (UK pavement) or to respond to just fingers' 'twinkling' when I want her to come closer. Meggie loves broccoli, either raw or cooked. She also loves the mail carrier. When she sees his mail wagon she'll gallop two blocks to catch up with him, pausing only momentarily at the end of the block for my permission before bolting on. When he is out of dog treats she is perfectly happy with his attentions. archy, (as in Mehitabel), my 12-year-old coal black cat, loves nothing quite as much as lying on my chest with his paws on my face. From time to time I have to lift a foot away because he is hooking onto my lip. We have gone round for round on that- him trying to restore the paw to his favorite spot, me saying, No, that almost hurts... archy loves music also. More so than Meggie, he always comes and stays at attention as long as someone keeps singing or playing. He also gets some kind of satisfaction from walking across the computer keyboard. He no longer, at my proscription, sits on it but he evidently figures that walking the length of it is non-objectionable. Aren't they fun! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 18 Sep 07 - 05:28 PM DEMNADS? the go nads connected to the weiner bone the wiener bone connected to the ass bone the ass bone's connected to the tail bone controlled by the brain dem nads dem nads dem gonads dem nads dem nads dem gonads dem nads dem nads dem gonads |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Sep 07 - 03:41 PM Toujours squeak, toujours squeak. F now has five or six different squeak-toys-wrapped-in-Dave's-old-socks and DEMNANDS that we toss them about for him to chase and pounce upon. He barks, and then turns right into a cat. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: John MacKenzie Date: 18 Sep 07 - 03:29 PM Mattie [Mehitabel] with her favourite thing. It's a velour spider, and it squeaks. She just loves racing around with it in her jaws chewing on it like a maniac, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, BLOODY squeak! Giok Yup I know Mehitabel was a cat, not my call. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: MMario Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:31 PM lessee - of the three "house" pets. Storm - #1 - begging to be fed. (preferably warm Seneca Farms Fried Chicken) #2 - taking a dump in my bathtub #3 - taking a dump on my bathroom floor $3 - sleeping Desert #1 - cuddling with b-i-l in the bedroom #2 - sleeping in the bedroom #3 - complaining because b-i-l not in the bedroom cuddling #4 - asking to be let in/out Scampers (the 28 lb 'tuxedo panther') #1 - sitting on my book when I try to read #2 - sitting on my plate when I try to eat #3 - sleeping on the clean laundry #4 - attacking my nephew's feet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Big Mick Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:24 PM I have not read the whole thing, but a quick report on Riley J. Lane the Labradoodle's favorite things would look something like this: 1) underwear, especially the crotch area. 2) shoes and slippers 3) food 4) Mary Lou 5) Ciara 6) taking a good dump 7) digging a hole where he shouldn't 8) chasing a cat, squirrel or bird 9) playing with other dogs or kids 10) flirting with the ladies at the hardware/building supply store 11) me I keep trying to warn him that if he persists in chewing up the underwear, She Who Can Kill With A Look is going to terminate him. He gives me this look that says, "Dad, I can suck up to her much better than you. You are in more danger than I am". I think the little bastard is right. BTW, Riles is now a little over 10 months old and weighs in at about 78 lbs/almost 6 stone. Mick |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,ibo Date: 18 Sep 07 - 02:08 PM shitting,barking and biting |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Catherine Jayne Date: 18 Sep 07 - 07:13 AM Merlyn has decided that Harry's activity mat should be hers....all those dangling toys are just too much of a temptation for her!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 18 Sep 07 - 06:51 AM Well my own cat's favourite thing at the moment is definitely my sweater, but the favourite thing of the little feral (long story, may soon have relatively happy ending, I hope) I'm trying to do something about is my cat. She loves him. She comes (from wherever she goes at night) early in the morning and waits for him to come out. She follows him all day, lets him win the wrasslin' game every time, gazes admiringly when he climbs a tree, snuggles up to him when he lays in the sun (he has flea protection, but she doesn't appear to be flea infested). When I bring him in at dusk, she lays outside the patio door and cries for a while, then disappears for the night. I hope she has a safe place. So far, I can't get closer to her than about a metre, if I sit very quiet she'll come that close. She's quite willing to sneak into the house if I leave the door open, and will steal food right from the kitchen - I think that's hopeful. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Llanfair Date: 18 Sep 07 - 04:24 AM Our pack, Montgomery,large border collie rescued from the Montgomeryshire dog pound, first language Welsh, Willow, lab x New Zealand Huntaway, and their pup, Spike, who is two now, are a grossly over-affectionate, greedy, people orientated bunch of dogs. The huntaway strain makes Spike and Willow rather noisy, although Monty is virtually silent. They have absorbed the spirit of Benson, our "crumbhound", who died nearly 4 years ago, and, once the empty plates have been licked clean, hoover me over for stray crumbs. They will eat anything but salad, Monty's fond of bananas, Willow scours the worksurfaces for anything edible (calls herself a lady!!), and Spike nearly died at 4 weeks from inhaling his food. Favourite things? Willow loves morning breath, I have to be sniffed carefully first thing. Spike loves his bone collection, and Monty's favourite thing is me, and licking the settee, leaving damp patches. Monty is a seasoned train traveller. He's coming to the Scottish gathering with me next month. I get free rail travel because Jim works for railtrack, and Monty comes with me when I go a-travelling. He has a special rug on the seat, if there's spaces, and I take wipes to get the nose marks off the windows when we alight. He homes in on anyone with food, and gives them his special collie stare, the one they use to scare the sheep. He's got light tan eyes, so it's especially effective. We make a lot of friends that way!!! It does him good to get away from the family now and again! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Rapparee Date: 17 Sep 07 - 09:33 AM Rolling in dead things and barfing up hairballs, Digging up flowers you've just planted in straight rows, Filling the carpet with fleas that bite and sting, These are a few of our pets' fav'rite things... Shoving his nose in crotch of the pastor, Giving the postman a bite which will fester, Swallowing stuff like you gold wedding ring, These are a few of our pets' fav'rite things... (you can finish it) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Stilly River Sage Date: 16 Sep 07 - 11:14 PM My pit bull loves her life. I was driving home tonight and saw a similar-sized dog race from the side of the road into the street and toward the highway. I wonder if it is still alive now? My pit bull limped up my driveway 2 1/2 years ago, many scrapes and cuts, a toe torn off and broken teeth. I saw her from the kitchen window and stepped out on the porch. She limped over, I patted her head and she licked my hand, and stayed. She rested in the corner near the garage all day, with a bowl of water nearby. At about six in the evening she limped into the front yard to find me planting stuff in a bed I'd been digging all day. She nudged my shoulder companionably and we sauntered to the back yard, where she still lives today, with a comfortable kennel in the garage. There is a gate and she and her companion wear collars that keep them in the yard. But this confinement on a 1/2 acre with lots of good walks and regular food and affection is far superior to being dead. The vet guessed that a week earlier she'd been struck a glancing blow and bounced off of the tire, hitting her face on the street at the same time, hence the broken teeth. Yup. She loves her life. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Lepus Rex Date: 16 Sep 07 - 10:59 PM Our dog, Juniper, loves her Pachachi. And, yes, I named it named after former US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council January-2004-president-of-the-month Adnan Pachachi. (Don't ask, because I'm not explaining.) She loves the rest of her toys, her many, many toys, as well. But I like saying "Pachachi," and I'm bigger than her, so that's what we play with most. And socks. Clean ones. If we don't fold our clothes after taking them out of the dryer, and leave them in a laundry basket, she'll sometimes raid it while we sleep. My girlfriend has occasionally woken up with a dozen or so undamaged-but-slightly-drooly socks carefully laid out on her blanket, along the outline of her body. Oh, and fuck cats. ---Lepus Rex |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: CET Date: 16 Sep 07 - 05:12 PM Who knew there was a genre of cat and treadmill videos? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 15 Sep 07 - 05:11 PM My son found these: ... I remembered you talking about putting Isis on the treadmill when I saw these videos: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=peLD2vlxRM0 and http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg1oszADX04 ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 17 Aug 07 - 11:59 PM A cat I used to have (for 18 years) trated Valerian root the way other cats do catnip. I had to lock it up, as he'd go to great lengths to get hold of it, then would eat some, roll around in it, and go to sleep for hours. I was afraid he'd be ill - it's a strong herb. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: SharonA Date: 17 Aug 07 - 10:33 PM Do dogs react to catnip the way cats do? My little guy Artie (cat) used to get stoned on a pain-relief ointment that my then-boyfriend used. It had a lot of aloe in it, but I don't know if it was just the aloe that turned Artie on, or the combination of chemicals and/or fragrances in the ointment. When my boyfriend he used this stuff, the cat would become VERY affectionate, his eyes would water, his mouth would drool copiously, and it was difficult to keep him away from the stuff. Chester (cat) was drawn to the fragrance in Coast deodorant soap. He would lick the soap or, if he couldn't get to it, he'd fish the soap wrapper out of the trash and lick that. I had to give up using a scented toilet paper from the same manufacturer, because Chester would try to lick the TP and I was afraid he'd ingest it. Maddie (cat) licks plastic grocery bags fresh from the store, but I think she's after the thin sheen of oil on the plastic rather than a fragrance (or else it just feels good to her tongue?). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 17 Aug 07 - 10:15 PM I think so. I have ladies bedstraw/veg. rennet in my garden. I'm told it is a close relative of sweet woodruff, an ingredient in May Wine, and thus May Wine (the real thing) is banned in the US because woodruff is a mild hallucinogen. Bedstraw must be to..the dogs all love it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 17 Aug 07 - 09:59 PM We learned from experience that the common vegatable of cucumber or zucchini is poisonous and sometimes fatal to dogs. Their digestion reacts in bloody stool from as little as 6 small slices. Yet imagine my surprise in finding a very silly wide eyed dog after one of the big laughing Jims sitting out to make a print came up missing. Imagine my surprise in finding them in the woods in the first place, and yes they are very blueing when the stem is bruised. I'm glad the small one is the one missing. The big ones really are big. Are dogs drawn to altered states? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 17 Aug 07 - 06:37 PM LOL BWL... after having kittens (well, I didn't HAVE them) for the first time in, oh, 8 or so years I can't wait until mine will sleep through the night. They're a year and a half now and we're getting closer. Instead of being up every 2-3 hours they let me sleep until around 5:30am and then all bets are off. The 10 year old cat plays with them just like he was the same age, until they do something sneaky like assault him from behind and then he screeches until I make them stop. Mamma's boy. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 17 Aug 07 - 06:11 PM My cats don't like anything except each other. Though middle-aged (10 years old) they start each day with a fifteen or twenty minute sparring session as if they were still kittens. Then they lie around and do nothing until the next morning. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Aug 07 - 11:27 PM F has accidentally discovered squeaky toys, for the first time in his sheltered life. They alternately fascinate, incite, and slay him. He played dead on his own several times today-- his way of showing ultimate submission-- because I think he thought it was a baby of some sort to be avoided. I fear for his sanity. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 14 Aug 07 - 07:51 AM Ten month old Tommy's favourite thing lately appears to be falling out of spruce trees. He climbs too high, sits up there for a while, scaring the squirrels, then discovers coming down is a bit of an ordeal. So he launches himself downward, catching hold of random twigs and small branches on the way, with a crash at the end when he runs out of branches. But Saturday he discovered that the aluminum pontoons under the wharf are not as safe for kitties. We didn't witness the event, but were alerted to its occurence when a dripping, soaked to the top of his head, very cross looking classic tabby came stalking across the deck and into the house. He obviously can swim. When husband and I were able to stop laughing, I dried him off with a towel - something he likes very much, as he seems to like being out in the rain, but gags after licking so much water out of his fur. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: SharonA Date: 14 Aug 07 - 03:45 AM My big orange longhair tabby cat Chester (dearly departed now) loved laps. Anytime I sat down, he was trying to curl up on my thighs.. including when I sat down on the toidie. No underwear-snuggler he, but Chester preferred a clothed lap to a bare one, so I had to be sure not to drop trou very far. (This had the added benefit of saving my thigh-skin from being scratched!) In the living room, I had a glider rocker with glider footstool; whenever I sat and while I was settling in, Chester would do a balancing act on the glider footstool, waiting for his chance to get on my lap and settle in himself. My small black longhair cat Arthur (also gone over that rainbow bridge and sorely missed) loved to ride that glider footstool, and could somehow manage to curl up on it and keep it still while sleeping. He loved to ride on the dining-chair-on-casters too, and would beg me to spin the seat round and round till he got so dizzy he would fall off. Another of his favorites was the staircase: he would rocket up the 15 steps and keep going up after the last step, arcing into the room beyond, then he'd run around and fly back down 5 steps at a time. When he got really wound up, his timid "mew" would transform into a low, gutteral gurgle -- it was hard to believe that such a big sound could come out of such a little body. Current kitty (shorthair torbie) Madison's favorite thing is to talk to me -- A LOT. Loudly and long, on all subjects. I don't call her Chatty Maddie for nuthin'. One favorite topic is Why Mom Should Leave the Water Fountain (a.k.a. The Bathroom Sink Faucet) On All the Time For Me. She also loves scratching posts, and goes through one a year on average (and I do mean "through"!). Thank goodness she's not as fond of the furniture! At night she curls up on the bed next to me; she's not a snuggler unless it's very cold, but she loves to tunnel under the blankets and create her own cave. For a fierce warrior princess, she's really quite companionable! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: John Hardly Date: 13 Aug 07 - 07:02 PM "Lizzie loves treats - preferably Temptations." My cats prefer the Four Tops. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 13 Aug 07 - 06:49 PM LOL, Sins, my Mikey (the cat...just to be clear) likes to nap in my underpants while I'm on the toidie too...weird boys. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: SINSULL Date: 13 Aug 07 - 10:37 AM Alice loves men. She too attacked the mailman. He finally had to ring the bell and ask me to keep her in. She kept following him to his truck and getting in. She is very fond of mail arm pits too. It sometimes gets embarrassing. She seems to enjoy auto-asphyxiation too. The vet can't explain it. Alice picks out a chair, rests her head on the bottom rung and leans until she chokes. I sometimes have to pull her off. She looks blissfully happy - go figure. Very strange cat. Her kittens like warm clothes. Reports are that ALL of them follow their owners into the bathroom, leap into downed underwear and snuggle in for a nap. Freddie loves Seamus' dry food. He prefers it to his own. Lizzie loves treats - preferably Temptations. Ed (Oedipus Rex) loves his Mommie - big surprise. He has mapped out a section of my bed that is off limits to any of the other cats. |
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Subject: DAVE'S SOCKS From: wysiwyg Date: 13 Aug 07 - 10:17 AM DAVE'S SOCKS Our son David was in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii, and was still living there post-Navy when Faulkner joined our household. Yet his smell lingered in the house. F was intrigued every time we let him upstairs, by the smells in each of the kids' old rooms. One day I took F on a road trip to go see Dave and his wife Jaclyn, who had moved to Ohio. F knew Dave was part of his pack right away. I had failed to take any of F's favorite toys-- tennis balls-- but Dave offered a pair of old athletic socks to ball up as a substitute. And he played with F, wrestling with him as only a very tall, BIG young man can do. He also took turns walking F, morning and night, and it was Dave who checked on "frantic Faulkner" when F would be left in my van while we dined out-- the "frantic" dog fast asleep under a shady tree and peacefully waiting for me, every time. D&J were wonderful doggie hosts, providing special treats, a brush, etc. Later that year we visited Dave and Jaclyn without F, on vacation, and came back smelling like Dave. "My Dave!" said Faulkner on our return. Last year D&J came to stay with US, and Faulkner was beside himself. The SOCK man! Dave had forgotten the bag of old, dirty socks I'd requested-- he works on his feet and wears them out fast-- but he cheerfully let F have his way with him the whole visit. F was again transported, and paid a lot of attention to Dave's feet in particular. We've just seen D&J on vacation, and Dave brought a whole grocery bag full of kilt socks to our campsite. Washed, but of course the smell is never really GONE. They were duly hauled home in our gear, and unpacked promptly as a pending project. F is having a bit of a problem with fleas at the moment, and all I can do to help him now (he's already been treated) is distract him with high-energy play when the itching and biting start. I've not had much luck with the tennis balls, which he drops to scratch himself.... Then I remembered-- DAVE'S SOCKS. (Since the first sock play I've learned the BEST thing to do with them is use them to wrap cheap tennis balls-- stuff the ball into the toe, twist the sock and turn it inside out over the ball, and repeat till I run out of sock. Then I sew the cuff shut tight with a drawstring. Now I have a ball that fits a bg dog's big mouth, that bounces erratically, and that SMELLS. And the thick cotton wrap keeps F's teeth from puncturing and ruining the ball. He can rip fabric layer after layer, and get months use out of one old ball and sock before I have to add a fresh sock.) F took one sniff of that sock as I moved from bag to recliner to sew it around a fraying ball. HAPPY???? "Mary's sock smell! DAVE's sock smell! Ball smell! MINE! Catch?!?!?!?" I just finished the sewing ("is this DAVE?") and a round of play with F. He's happily crashed out waiting for the next round. I know some of that growling and barking was release of flea frustration. And I have a LOT of socks left to soothe him as flea treatment takes hold. THANKS, DAVE! (And Jaclyn, who I am sure had something to do with Dave remembering.) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Helen Date: 14 Jul 07 - 06:28 PM Thanks for that, Gargoyle. That's some dog you've got. Helen |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 14 Jul 07 - 03:51 PM
Attacking the Mail Delivery - once the worker climbed the street light.
Ran out open door - Mail will no be delivered with open door any more.
Broke through six inch wide 3/4 inch thick boards of side gate. Inch thick marine plywood is now barrier before gate.
Broke through window screen....three times
Broke through glass window
In the doggy pokey at least six times.
Registered with city as
Loveliest, gentilest, 90 pound American RedNose Terrier you can imagine - until it smells the mailman. I think he likes the pepper spray. Loosing his nuts.... did not weaken his will.... one bite.
Sincerely, |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 14 Jul 07 - 09:43 AM Oh no-- as of this AM the leaping has started. She's now leaping in mid-air from spot to spot, knocking off things at the take-off and the landing. Almost took my coffee off this time. Next she'll be typingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg [swat!] Must get Crazy Glue.... ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,ibo Date: 12 Jul 07 - 03:22 PM shitting and biting seem to be my dogs favourite |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Greg B Date: 12 Jul 07 - 01:57 PM Boots the cat has fallen in love with a pair of wool socks. When we leave the house, he opens the drawer in which they reside, and apparently carries them through the house, depositing them randomly somewhere. This can happen in as little as two minutes. If we're here, he feigns no interest. You can toss those socks, shake them in his face, drop them on them--- he's indifferent. Until we leave. Then he opens the drawer, finds this particular pair of socks, and puts them somewhere. Go figure. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: HouseCat Date: 12 Jul 07 - 01:43 PM My cat Moonpie's favorite toy is the plastic hospital bracelet I wore home after my hysterectomy. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 12 Jul 07 - 01:33 PM My dog Gromit has become a lobbyist. Her main concern is her walk in the park. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 12 Jul 07 - 01:11 PM Isis came to us a seriously-overweight, verging-on-diabetic adult cat. She had been one of 17 cats in a household; her elderly owner died and the lady's vet took on the task of placing the cats. The lady's cats had been fed via shared dishes kept constantly stocked with dry food. Isis must have had an anxiety disorder in that setting and grazed constantly; by the time of her rescue she was a behemoth. Several months into the vet's diet, at the time we adopted her she was a 17-pound cat hiding a small, 5-pound cat's body. Of course our adoption orders were to shrink her. First she showed the beginnings of a neck. Next the pads of fat left the base of her tail, and soon her natural rat tail was visible. The next area we noted was shoulder blades discernible under the thick fat that still remained. Next it was hips-- she actually had two of them, not a massive monohip. She began to look more like a cat, and less like an overblown white football. She's always been calm and friendly, here. She and Atticus slept together from the third day she was here, and he is kind enough to wash her (it takes hours). She even gives him a lick or two to start him off. :~) He allows her to use him as a pillow so that her shape (and the internal pressure of the fat) don't cause her to die from sleep apnea. Her program is that she is on reduced rations (as directed) for several months at a time; when we notice the new body parts emerging, we increase the ration fractionally so that she gets a pause for maintenance. This allows her skin to shrink as she goes, as much as possible. It also allows her to re-orient her jumps, etc. as her gravity and center of gravity change. During maintenance, she can regroup and feel relatively secure physicially. And now on to the favorite thing: This week she apparently discovered that her weight had come down to a notable degree: she's suddenly to be found in areas she could never access before, sleeping like a normal cat in bizarre locations as they love to do. Open a closet-- there she is on a shelf. Or on top of the mess piled on the laundry room counter-- fast sleep. She may have been able to climb up on things to get to them before, but getting down would have been a nightmare. She also has begun to try to take over Atticus' alternate napping spots-- the places he sleeps when he's on break from Isis-washing. One is the treadmill. It was funny to see Atticus splayed out there, asleep, in front of the fan-- a real athletic workout there. It's funnier to see Isis rolling over and over in the same spot, reveling in being able to roll over for the first time in some years-- showing off each time we pass by. Maybe I'll turn that treadmill on for her sometime. :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 01 Jun 07 - 04:09 PM I was thinking, earlier today, that Faulkner's education is much like my son's-- homeschooling. Tonight he's getting another lesson, and FUN. He's visited homes, and homes with dogs, but never a home where the dog RUNS. He's been especially invited by a dog-loving friend (and her dog) to come along for tonight's barbecue. They live on a hilltop safe for dogs to run, so Sarge is going to run Faulkner silly and bring him back when they are called (we hope!). F has already had his anti-carsick meds and knows something is up! He LOVES to run, but I've had a hard time finding a safe place (and time to wait for him to want to come back). I told my friend we'd leave him home if it's rainy, but gosh, she loves dogs: "Bring him anyway-- we have porches-- unless a wet dog is a problem for you, because it's not, for us." Of course he's bringing treats for his new friend. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: katlaughing Date: 14 May 07 - 02:11 PM Mets! LMAO!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 14 May 07 - 10:56 AM Faulkner has a new favorite. If I'm curled up on a bed big enough for him to join me, he will come up and snuggle, UNLESS it's a bed Hardi also uses. F just will not trespass on the Alpha wolf's bedsmell for ANYthing, even if I put Faulkner's bed on top of it and Hardi's far from home. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,ibo Date: 14 May 07 - 10:36 AM the favourite things for pets around here is shitting,i think. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Metchosin Date: 14 May 07 - 10:26 AM Well if we let him know about it, I'm sure our Duff's favourite thing would be Bonerol |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 07 - 04:30 PM GREAT story, gnu. I STILL think I'm not much smarter than our dog, but I think that's actually a good thing! Differently-smarted, but not more smart. His kind works for him, mine for me. Partners. Pack-mates. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: gnu Date: 08 May 07 - 04:09 PM 40 or so years ago, my old man would take me and Duke, a beagle, huntin fer rabbits up at his buddy's farm. Duke would make a beeline fer the cows on accounta his favourite thing in the whole world was rollin in fresh cow shit.... wasn't Dad's favourite thing. Maybe that's why he gave Duke back to Old Man Towns when we moved "back home". I didn't speak to Dad for a year after he gave my dog away. Then again, I wasn't the one that cleaned the cow shit offina Duke neither. Spose, at 9 years old, I was as dumb as that dog maybe. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: katlaughing Date: 08 May 07 - 12:23 PM Our Kipling, the Siamese, is obsessed/fascinated by my printer. Whenever it starts up, he rushes to stand above it, on the monitor, then watch while the paper comes out. Sometimes he stands on his head, neck twisted while he tries to grab the paper before it is through printing! My friend used to have a German Shepherd/Alsatian who kept his toys put away very neatly in a basket; he even picked them up and put them away! His favourite was a bowling pin known as "binkie." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LilyFestre Date: 08 May 07 - 10:43 AM We have free ranging chickens here on our little homestead and they love to sit on the porch at night, catching any bugs the light attracts. Also, I have a deck full of pots filled with dirt, awaiting various kinds of vegetable plants. Two of my hens have laid a bunch of eggs in two different pots and are now sitting on the eggs. We are hoping the eggs hatch out. :) One variety will be Rhode Island Reds and the other will be Barred Rock chicks. :) Since they are both near a sliding glass door, we have had the pleasure of watching this process...very interesting to say the least! Yesterday the sun was shining and it was warm outside but the inside of this old house was damp and chilly. I couldn't seem to warm up so I took the dogs outside, sat in the grass and sunshine. Our cocker spaniel was interested in playing fetch. He'd bring me his toy and I'd wing it as far as I could. The puppy, however, was more content to sit with her (ever growing) back against mine while I soaked up some heat. Pretty soon, one of the cats came over and tucked himself under the front legs of the puppy. They played for a bit and then sat quietly watching me toss a toy to the cocker spaniel....everyone content and most happy. I think this will become a family favorite. One of the puppy's favorite things to do is to go for rides in the car. As I was loading up the kayak this morning and some gear, she hopped in the backseat and looked at me with eyes that wanted to know where we were going. Sadly, I had to tell her that she couldn't go today. If I was just going for a ride, she would be more than welcome but because I am going to knit with a group of ladies, hit the grocery store and go kayaking, it's far too long for her to be in the car (although she is allowed in the church to knit)....not to mention that it is entirely too warm. As she grows, I'm sure the list of favorite things will increase as she shows us what she loves best. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Ella who is Sooze Date: 08 May 07 - 10:41 AM flossie's favourite thing (she's a cat btw) is the fluffy red blanket at the end of the bed... That and coming in to the bathroom with us. And rascally rabbit, her teddybear/rabbit. She's a rescue cat, so we don't quite know the full spectrum of her likes and dislikes at the moment... EWIS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 08 May 07 - 10:16 AM The bantam always wants to get inside the house - having been hand raised from an egg as a school project before being refused to allow being kept, my friend ended up with it... Anyway, any time the back door is left open she acts like a locksmith and makes a bolt for it... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 08 May 07 - 09:43 AM Faulkner loves to rip the skin off prey, wolf-like, to get at the juicy insides. Of course his "prey" is merely a fuzzy tennis ball, and ripping the skin disables the ball as a toy, which he also loves as a toy-- chasing, fetching, parading in front of the cats to dare them to try to take it, exercising his jaws, etc. I suppose if he were a preschooler or toddler I'd try to reason with him, as foolish adults nowadays seem to try to do. :~) But no, that won;t work with a dog, I have to just be my smarter, human self. One day I was out of functioning balls, but I had an old, mismatched sock. I remembered how he had loved using my son's rolled-up athletic socks-- foot smell and all-- as an "energency" toy when we stayed with them, so I rolled up the sock and tossed it. Fun! But he soon unrolled it no matter how I tucked or tied it, and then it wouldn't roll. So I put the torn-up tennis ball inside and sewed the rolled sock shut. It was the best toy ever! Now I make these for him out of thrift-shop socks, and very cheap dog tennis balls. They bounce inside the socks fine, and the extra padding makes the rubber tooth-immune. No more punctures, no more torn seams. He has his own bucket of fun, where the sock/ball toys are tossed as we find them under couches, etc., when we clean. He even knows to go look in there when he feels like playing and wants a ball. (Now we're trying to teach him to put them away-- we had a dog once who would police the living room floor, but her previous owner had taught her so I am not sure how they got her to do it.) He has favorites in there. I dunno what his criteria are, but he picks carefully for whatever one he prefers on any given day. By the smell, I guess. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: JennyO Date: 08 May 07 - 07:09 AM My cats thought it was a very good joke. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: katlaughing Date: 08 May 07 - 12:13 AM Um, mine told me they hate it, too.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Helen Date: 07 May 07 - 06:56 PM Am I the only one who got RustyDobro's joke about anthropomorphising? Helen |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Scoville Date: 07 May 07 - 12:58 PM P.S. Anyone who thinks I'm anthropomorphizing has clearly never met my dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Scoville Date: 07 May 07 - 12:56 PM Diamond has her yard back as of Saturday and spent most of a very hot, muggy, Sunday asleep on the porch, enjoying not having to be tied up. I kept bringing her ice cubes but she refused to come in. I think she was just rubbing it in my face. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 06 May 07 - 10:48 PM Another new fave for F is the new beagle next door. It yips, looking for anyone to play with, and F goes nuts, convinced that if I only understood I would let him jump the creek and go for a playdate. He swears he would come right back and not stray past the property line. Well maybe, he says, he'd take Beagel over to show him the pond... and the cow pastiure.... and off they would be. I would take him to play, if their yard was fully fenced, but both houses are right on the road and so their comradely desire to be united in play is unrequited thus far. But I think it's a sign F is part beagle himself, as I have always suspected. He thinks this is his identical twin. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: LilyFestre Date: 06 May 07 - 07:47 PM Our cocker spaniel loves to play fetch with us. If he doesn't have someone to throw things for him, he often will play with a tuggie toy, shaking his head and romping around. The puppy loves to play with soft toys that squeak, especially balls. If she is left by herself (meaning the other animals let her play without stealing something), she loves to toss the toys up in the air and then chase them around the room as they roll along. Our cats really like ribbons...the curly-q kind that look like ringlets of curls. I have a bag of these upstairs in the spare bedroom and every few weeks, one of the kittens will come downstairs with a glittery bow hanging from his mouth. They love to bat it around and steal it from one another. In the summer time, the larger dogs love when we hang a gallon water jug from a tree branch...the jug is full of water and also full of small holes. The water sprinkles down from above and they jump and play under the gentle waterfall. They also love, LOVE to play fetch....it could be a branch, a canvas bird, a dog toy...anything! They all love to sit in our laps or beside us whenever we sit and relax for the evening. My oldest cat, loves to sit on the top of my rocking chair, right above my shoulder and purr most evenings. He doesn't want to be held, just to be near and to have his chin rubbed occasionally. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Helen Date: 05 May 07 - 11:29 PM Bat Goddess, that reminds me of when my cat Morgan (the mother of Leo & Patchouli - the leaping-onto-shoulders one - and grandmother of Angelina & Thomas) ran up a tree when she was a few months old. Same scenario: too high for me to reach her, nowhere for her to go forward, and she couldn't come back. She lost her grip and was hanging by her front claws. I reached up and I couldn't even touch her feet. I kept saying, "Drop! Drop!" and somehow she trusted me and dropped neatly into my arms. I know she didn't understand the word "drop", and she couldn't see me below her but my voice was enough for her to let go. Helen |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Helen Date: 05 May 07 - 11:06 PM A number of my cats - past & present - have a thing for broccoli. One of them used to get very excited at meal times when broccoli was on the menu. More excited than over fish or other meat-based treats. Our rough-and-tumble boofy-cat, Leo, loves green beans, raw. If we are preparing beans for dinner then he has to have his share. He also likes the stringy bits inside pumpkins, the parts that the seed are found in. (Now that's weird!) Quite a number of our cats, past and present, like(d) avocado. One of my previous cats started out owning a different human slave and then I was her foster-slave, and she started life with a backyard which had an avocado tree. The avocados would fall and ripen on the ground, and then split open and she would eat it. My cats have two favourite toys which are very simple and inexpensive, and it proves the old saying about buying expensive toys. Most kids would rather play with the cardboard box that the new frig came in than many expensive toys, after the novelty wears off. Aluminium foil balls are a hit. Just take a small piece of foil approx. 5 x 5 inches square, rattle it a bit to get the cat's attention, then lightly fold/squish it into a ball shape - loosely squished so that it makes an irresistable sound as it rolls across a hard floor. It will go fairly fast, and makes a great soccer ball for tack-tack-tacking across the floor in zigzags. An excellent tool for coaxing stubborn cats out of inaccessible places. The other toy cost a few dollars at the supermarket. It is about the size of a tennis ball, with coarse string wrapped & glued around it as a covering. Attached is a tail a few inches long made of fluffy stuff and it has a few feathers on the end. Inside the ball is some catnip, and a bell so that it rattles as it rolls across the floor. The really clever bit, though, is that as it rolls the tail winds round and round in a fascinating and tantalising (for a cat) movement. This toy is also irresistable and very useful for luring them out of hidey holes, like under the house. Just rattling it brings them almost out to see what's happening. One of my black cats has a habit of sitting on the bench behind and watching one of us preparing a meal at the other kitchen bench. When you are totally engrossed in the task she jumps without a sound onto your shoulder. She will stay there, moving forward and back as a balancing act as you walk around the kitchen too, until she gets unceremoniously dumped off. She hasn't done it for a while now, but I'm sure she'll resurrect the trick. She's 4 years old now, but still skinny. She's the only one who does that particular trick. She used to climb up my dressing gown when she was younger. It made no difference that I told her I am not a tree. Helen |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bat Goddess Date: 05 May 07 - 02:17 PM Last Saturday Jazz-min woke me by licking my nose. I don't know if she was just walking past my face and couldn't resist or if she figured that if she woke me gently, I'd pet her. With Jazz, it could be either. Lately she's also developed a tendency to curl up on my feet in the morning when I'm standing in front of the sink brushing my teeth, etc. Especially if I'm wearing the plaid floor length nightgown that then becomes a cat tent. Coupla weeks ago when Tom and I were eating supper on the deck for the first time this season, Jazz (who is now allowed to go outside without a chaperone) leaped about halfway up a good sized tree in the center of the turnaround. Evidently it was the first time she'd tried that because she couldn't figure out what to do next. I tried to tell her from a distance to back down but she wouldn't. (Cats don't listen.) So I went over there and stood underneath her with my arms outstretched (she was up higher than I could reach) and talked her down a little bit. As soon as I could, I put my hands around her tush. She then relaxed completely (wow! she must REALLY trust me!) and sort of "fell" into my hands and I put her on the ground. The next day after Tom came home from work and let her out, he noticed that she was leaping up on trees again -- and trying out different techniques to get back down. She was PRACTICING!!! And she finally figured out what works best for her. And a lot brighter than a lot of felinities who have called this place home over the years. Linn |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 04 May 07 - 09:14 PM Grommit looks 100% border collie BUT she is half rotwieller/shepard mix. Her brothers looked big and wooley but she is sleek black with a white lighting bolt and is just as quick. She likes walking on two legs for 10 second intervals. She will speak and hush on command. The bark is on the far side of huge. What creeps me out about her is when she gets something really good to eat. Just like a shark her eyes kind of go black and the white of her eyes bug out. It really looks like a shark's eyes when they are about to bite. When they do bite down the eyes close. I can take food out of her mouth without any angry protest but the look in those eyes is the stuff of nightmares. If anything she is too affectionate. She can not tolerate seperation. When she was an excited puppy she did injure me jumping up. It still hurts but I declined the elective surgury. She will not tolerate strangers in the back yard unless they have spent some time in the kitchen. I do not tolerate the aggressive herding displays but I know one can't remove all the herding traits that were specificly bred for centuries. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Scoville at Dad's Date: 04 May 07 - 08:53 PM Apparently my dog likes her freedom. Our fence fell down last weekend so she hasn't been allowed loose in the yard. She's out on a tether right now and looks incredibly insulted that I think she needs to be tied up like . . . well, like a dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 04 May 07 - 08:47 PM Bandit's favorite thing lately has been doing impersonations of Harry Houdini. The stubby-legged little scoundrel has pulled off three escapes in the past three days. He is way too smart for our own good... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Dog Trainer Date: 04 May 07 - 02:00 PM Lady you are off your rocker, completely off. I do pity the dog. I do take joy in the knowing (as much as one can online) that he is doing what you want and hopefully his hearing was not destroyed in the process. I'm not sure what the bishop business is about but it appears that you have some serious issues with someone else who apparently disagrees/has disagreed with you. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 04 May 07 - 11:04 AM I pity people who "out" themselves every time they post as a Guest. I pity people who are so focused on flaming ME, even in a thread celebrating our pets' proclivities, that they can take no joy in the progress of a dog. I pity someone who calls themselves a "Dog Trainer" who tries to train dogs online, even dogs with whom they have no training role. I pity any so-called "Dog Trainer" who would clearly be incapable of dealing effectively with any dog's human owners and who probably has a long list of personal and professional failures that they blame on everyone else around them who has not cared to work with them. I pity people who would rather try to train people like dogs, than treat people like people and enjoy dogs as dogs. I pity people who not only project their need to be experts about everything, onto other people, but who have made a career out of getting endless degrees. I pity people who complain and complain about me, to find that no one is listening because the whole community already knows more than I do about their history of shit-stirring, whiny bullshit. Have a nice day. And oh yes, the director of the local PSPCA is waiting for your call to report the dog abuse-- and the dog yard he has seen and found more than adequate for the dogs who use it, and who trusts us to foster dogs. Better yet, call our Bishop. Again. :~) Better yet, he'll be here next week. Do join us for lunch! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Dog Trainer Date: 03 May 07 - 08:10 PM It seems to be that you think you are an expert on everything. You clearly have the *right* answers to everything or so you think. Dogs have much more sensitive hearing than humans. Do you not understand that? I feel badly for your dog. I hope it soothes his poor little ears to know that you are *right* enough to feel the need to boast about it here. Oh boy. Goodie for you. It also seems that if the opening to let your dog out at night is not large enough for you to fit through, perhaps you should put a leash on the dog and walk him around yourself. Wouldn't that add to your athletic workout schedule that you babble on about? I'm sure a walk out the door wouldn't have been too taxing for you. Again, I pity the dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 03 May 07 - 07:21 PM Faithfully following the pack-mentality training system that so outraged "Dog Trainer" has proven quite happily successful. (The dog run Faulkner inherited on our rented property, alas, has no human-sized entry point; thus we must rely on the dogs to come in at night despite the numerous nighttime country temptations.) Faulkner, who is a very smart dog that knows what place he wants to occupy in the pack, has chosen to come in cheerfully, promptly, and cooperatively every night. He continues to receive a food reward most times, and gets to come sleep upstairs with us periodiocally. The two times we used the amp (with its "booming" 5 watts "blasting" through closed storm windows a good distance from the dog run outside) have been sufficient. But he doesn't get martinis, as the cats have clearly reserved them. :~) ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Greg B Date: 29 Apr 07 - 09:21 PM "Try not to anthropomorphosise animals. They hate that." That's true. The cat was just laying on the couch, smoking a cigar. He grabbed the TV remote from me, demanded a martini, opened up a volume of 'The Cat in the Hat' and said those very words. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Walker Date: 29 Apr 07 - 08:34 PM My dogs love to sit and watch me on the treadmill. The cats, however, prefer to sit on the BowFlex in comfort as I walk along. I remember when I first got my treadmill and the dogs saw it move up (as I increased the incline). Their little faces were priceless! Now if I could just get the puppy trained to ride along in the kayak, I'd be set! Animals on the treadmill are a no-no at our home. Walking with the leash is the puppy's preferred method of walking along if we are away from home, otherwise she (actually they) are content to walk along with me. And living near an ocean? That sounds WONDERFUL! I'd trade my treadmill in to be able to walk along the beach on a daily basis with my dogs!!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 29 Apr 07 - 04:15 PM Bandit's new favorite is the soccer ball we fished out of the ocean last evening. Nothing like a little beach salvage to make a dog happy... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Apr 07 - 01:51 PM .... and I forgot until Hardi reminded me, Faulkner loves to cross-country ski, too. Especially between Hardi's feet, pulling him along-- for short stretches, not like mushing. That must be why he took to the treadmill so quickly; thus the cue he'll learn for it is, "Go ski?" ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Apr 07 - 11:13 AM Try not to anthropomorphosise animals. They hate that. I agree. Faulkner is happiest (and most cooperative) when we appreciate his very excellent dogly nature, and work with it instead of suppressing it. I'm sure Pavlov would take a different approach. :~) His new favorite thing is the new treadmill. I wasn't on there 1 minute when he decided it was his new, favorite toy. He'll have to learn how to wait for his turn, though. :~) I think this may actually supplant his love of ponying around the yard with Hardi's lawn tractor-- he just loves to go where we go, even if we're not really going anywhere. "Going for a run? Me too me too me too me too!" ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Rusty Dobro Date: 28 Apr 07 - 05:57 AM Try not to anthropomorphosise animals. They hate that. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Dog Trainer Date: 27 Apr 07 - 07:55 AM Oh gee GREAT Susan. You are SO wise. The Mudcat Fairies are even wiser. It is good to use LOUD amplification to TRAIN your dog to COME when YOU call. It would be WAY too difficult for YOU to move YOUR girth OUTSIDE to actually WALK the dog INSIDE. I am SO glad YOU have AMPS. It sure is a GOOD thing that DOGS don't have MORE sensitive hearing than YOU. Otherwise the DOG'S hearing might be DAMAGED by the LOUD amplification of HARDI'S screaming of "BAD DOG!!!" Seriously, why in God's name would you use an AMP to get a dog to do anything? That is cruel and unacceptable care of an animal. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 26 Apr 07 - 10:28 AM GUEST,Dog Trainer, we're already working with a training system and I am not asking for advice. Nor is this a thread for giving advice. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST,Dog Trainer Date: 26 Apr 07 - 07:47 AM "Hardi has now chastised him twice by remote-- aiming his small battery-operated amp at the window that overlooks the dog yard. If F doesn't come when called and cued, he gets a round of BAD DOG, and he jumps up onto the dog porch and comes right in! And is of course rewarded and praised." Praise after chastisment is confusing to humans, let alone a dog. If he won't come until you add force (Yelling in a negative way = force), there should be no praise. Praise comes for doing something they should have done. If you are speaking of a pup the idea is to SHOW the dog what to do (without the fear factor) and then praise him. For example: Teaching a dog to shake hands. Say "SHAKE." Take the pup's paw and pump several times and excited praise the dog and offer a small reward. Repeat until dog has it. Your example would look like this: Say, "SHAKE." Show the dog. Say, "SHAKE." Yell loudly at the dog (causing fear) for not following command unti lhe does as you wish. Reward. This makes no sense. There is no need to use fear as a way in training a dog. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: catspaw49 Date: 26 Apr 07 - 06:35 AM Luff was a red colorpoint oriental (read: red point siamese) who took to Karen immediately and I became chopped liver when she and I first met. During the remainder of his life he was totally devoted to her. When Karen went to bed she had to lay on her left side or he would howl until she did. He'd go under the covers, turn around and come back up and lay on her arm facing her and purr with one of the loudest purrs I've ever heard. This is how Karen went to sleep EVERY night for 5 years. He died young from FeLeuk which he acquired as a kitten. Everyone told us he wouldn't live very long but everytime he sneezed we went to the vet and he did well till the last 2 weeks and then he went fast. Completely unique in so many ways and now almost 20 years later both Karen and I cry at the very thought of him. I have had a lot of wonderful and very devoted dogs but Sissy may be the biggest "Daddy's Girl" I have ever had. I could write a book............Currently she has become the biggest Fritter Hound extant. Actually she's a Weimaraner but she goes on the weekly shopping trips and the first stop has to be Tim Horton's where Karen and I get coffee and Big Sis has an Apple fritter. This could account for her loss of a young and girlish figure as she's now just shy of 90 pounds! She has to back out from between the van seats as she can no longer turn around! I have GOT to put her on a diet but she's really going to miss those fritters. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bee Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:49 PM Young Tommycat (almost eight months) likes two of my sweaters more than anything. He wants to sleep on them if I'm not wearing them, and wants to snuggle and lick them when I'm wearing them. His favourite thing to do is to lure me outside with piteous mews and ATTACK!, which consists of a hundredmileanhour dash at my leg, wrapping his front legs around my calf, and kicking my ankle with his hind feet, then running away so he can hide behind a clump of weeds and do it again. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 25 Apr 07 - 10:14 PM ... [Faulkner's] developed a yen for sleeping outside, and for refusing to come in at night. I'm working on retraining that behavior, because he gets barky in the middle of the night, or whiny if it's damp (he has shelter out there). His pack (us) sleep in the cave (house) at night and that's one angle I'm using-- he's very pack-cooperative in his basic orientation. Yesterday I made him stay up all day, only one short nap, because I think he's got his days and nights mixed up from too much daytime inactivity and therefore too much nocturnal activity. Tonight he'll get not only the bell cue and treat reward when he comes in, but an invitation to sleep upstairs in OUR part of the cave, as he does whenever Hardi is away overnight. UPDATE: The above strategies worked well but were not foolproof... Hardi had to augment them by going out in the dark to tell F what a "BAD DOG" he was for not coming in when called. The next several nights F came in without that part, then he tried to go back to the "make me do it" approach. But we're not only smarter due to being human-- we're MUSICIANS, and musicians have-- AMPS. Hardi has now chastised him twice by remote-- aiming his small battery-operated amp at the window that overlooks the dog yard. If F doesn't come when called and cued, he gets a round of BAD DOG, and he jumps up onto the dog porch and comes right in! And is of course rewarded and praised. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Becca72 Date: 21 Apr 07 - 01:16 PM Mara Jade, no longer with us, loved to play with coins. She could hear a penny hit the floor from anywhere in the apartment and would come running. I often found them in my shoes (maybe a cat invented penny loafers). Madmardigan, 9, loves his momma. He is my shadow and is always where ever I am. He also likes tortilla chips and will steal them directly from the bag if you don't keep an eye out. Mikey, 1, loves playing with hard, round poop. His own, usually...he will bat it around the bathroom floor for hours. He is also very affectionate and will launch himself at me when he feels it's time to be held, no matter what I'm doing. I either catch him or lose a layer or 2 of skin. Sheldon, 1, loves anything with a string on it. He will chew through the string to "liberate" whatever toy is being held captive. I bought them a toy hamster that "runs" across the floor when you pull the string. I caught Sheldon sitting on the hamster and pulling the string with his teeth (all the while the hamster is vibrating under his butt) trying to chew through it before it could retract all the way. All 3 of my cats love the laser pointer. That is hours of entertainment for everyone in the house. The 2 younger ones also love to play in water and we have a game of rubber ducks floating in a full kitchen sink that keeps them pretty busy. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Dave'sWife Date: 20 Apr 07 - 10:13 PM Ching-ha my siamese cat, her favorite thing is my husband dave. When he comes home at night from work after eating, she has him trained to sit on the floor with his back against the sofa so she can climb up into his arms and put her paws over his shoulder. She expects him to support her feet with the croof of his arm while he reads a book. Come bed time, she drapes herself across his neck. Good thing she has always been a small cat. he calls her "baby" because of her small size and when she sleeps on his neck, she is referred to as his "baby scarf". My younger female marmalade cat who is semi-feral - her favorite thing on earth sadly was our dog Puppers. We rescued her when she was 3 weeks old and the dog took it upon himself to be her parent. He licked her clean, washed her ears and used to let her sleep on top of his head with her paws wrapped around his muzzle. When she got older, she liked to curl up to his belly. They were such good pals. It's very sad now that Puppers is gone. His kitty kat friend still sleeps on the dog bed and scratches us if we try and move it. When Puppers was alive, his favorite things making up new dog games, the rules of which only he knew at first and younger female dogs. He was neutered at 5 months of age (cuz he was humping pillows) and never mounted girls but her sure was a ladies man. he had a pack of female admirers at the Dog park and seemed to know just how to play up to the ladies. he liked his girls tough too, Pit bulls, Bloodhounds, terriers and Viszlas. I miss my dog. he was MY favorite thing after my husband |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Alice Date: 20 Apr 07 - 10:02 PM Leo likes walks. Jingle of the leash makes him go crazy by the front door. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST Date: 20 Apr 07 - 08:45 PM How very forgetful of me. Young Pup 2 absolutely adores empty water bottles and little plastic kitty cat balls, the kind with the bell inside. She plays catch with herself and then breaks the ball into pieces so Mama can clean it all up, great fun to watch for Pup 2, I'm sure! WMP |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Joybell Date: 20 Apr 07 - 08:12 PM Jack Russell -- Elle likes to attack her food with fearsome growling and a graet show of running ambushes. Even better when we pretend, "foot will get it". Her favourite though is sheep poo, possum poo, rabbit poo. Scraping shheep poo of the road with her teeth delays our walks somewhat. We used to have a cat that just adored the banjo. She'd sit on any banjo-player's foot for hours with her eyes closed in a sort of trance. When she had to be sent to cat-heaven True-love played his banjo as she went off. I hope there are banjos where she's gone. Cheers, Joy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: ranger1 Date: 20 Apr 07 - 07:50 PM Currently, Bandit's favorite thing is me. He barks at Jason for hours when I leave for work. His second favorite thing is running on the beach and playing chase with other dogs. Caitlin the cat's favorite thing is food. ANY food. Runners-up to food are writing utensils and rabbit-fur mice. Scoville, Clancy Dog's favorite toy ever was also a rubber squeaky carrot and nothing ever quite replaced it after it got run over by the lawnmower. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 20 Apr 07 - 06:43 PM As long as the chewing toy isn't the floor/door/wall trim, dishwasher, carpets.....pleae tell Sir Fagin that. Sure, IF we catch him he catches hell....but most times we don't catch him. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Jim Dixon Date: 20 Apr 07 - 06:43 PM I once had a cat whose favorite toy was any used tampon applicator. She would fish them out of the wastebasket in the bathroom, and bat them around on the floor, or carry them to any part of the house. Liked the smell, I guess. It was a bit embarrassing to have a guest find one in an odd place. We eventually solved the problem by getting a wastebasket with a lid. Another cat loved the smell of my armpit. He would shove his nose right up there and nuzzle and purr. If I didn't watch him, he would start chewing on the cloth of my t-shirt or whatever I was wearing. Occasionally he would find a dirty t-shirt of mine and chew or suck on it. I don't think he ever did any damage to the fabric, but I would find it moist from his saliva. Only one spot interested him: the armpit. OK, two spots. One of our current cats loves rubber bands. He will play with them, and eventually chew them up and swallow them, and puke them up again. We try to keep rubber bands away from him. The other cat likes twist-ties. (Does everyone call them by the same name? I mean those little plastic- or paper-covered bits of wire that are used to seal bread bags, etc.) He doesn't eat them, but I have frequently found them in the cats' food dish, especially when the food dish is otherwise empty. It's a bit hard to follow a cat's logic: Cats like to play with their food especially if it's alive. This can also likes to play with twist-ties even though they're not alive and you can't eat them. Therefore a twist-tie is, symbolically, food, and belongs in the food dish? Or maybe putting a twist-tie in the food dish is a magic charm that makes food appear later? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: GUEST Date: 20 Apr 07 - 05:43 PM Pup 1 loves any and all toys that Pup 2 might have at the moment. Pup 2 is growing and learning that she can hold onto things and Pup 1 can't take them away so fast. Still, Mama and Papa see to it that Pup 2 has her own special toys in the car, a space where Pup 1 hates to be. Pup 1's all time favorite toy is a twisted rope toy that is tan and white in color and flavored with the essence of peanut butter. Pup 2 has a bright yellow dachsund toy dog that squeaks and has bright blue words embroidered on it's side that say, "BE HAPPY." 'Tis a sweet sight to see a large breed pup chewing on something so dainty. WMP |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Bat Goddess Date: 19 Apr 07 - 07:54 PM Jazz-min's theory is that EVERYTHING is a cat toy (including her peoples' ankles and knees). And Sabine is her special cat toy and Sabine doesn't like it one damned bit. We've also entered the era of scootched up rugs. I'll walk one way through the house and straighten them, then walk back and have to do it all over again. Cat toys. Jazz is young, of course. A year and a half to Sabine's 9. Jazz's favorite game is "chase the kitty" -- another thing Sabine doesn't like. What she doesn't know is the rules say, first Jazz chases Sabine, then Sabine chases Jazz. Repeat until Jazz is worn out. (Never.) Alas, Sabine just thinks Jazz is being aggressive. So swats her then hides under the bed. Or goes outside and won't come in if Jazz is around. Sigh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: mandotim Date: 19 Apr 07 - 05:26 PM Olly the Jack Russell terrier; squaring up to much larger dogs (and watching them run away), chasing seagulls on the beach, 'helping' in the garden, killing rats very efficiently when he gets the chance. Lying behind people on the back of the sofa and snoring softly into their ears. Tim |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 19 Apr 07 - 05:18 PM For Amos Moses cat (now deceased) it was green olive juice/brine. No intrest in the olives, just the brine. It was not safe to eat them around him. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 19 Apr 07 - 04:26 PM Only the shadow knows why Grommit always keeps the basketball from going out of bounds. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Liz the Squeak Date: 19 Apr 07 - 04:22 PM Raven the kitty has a fixation on the pink bow on my purple nightshirt with the pictures of sheep on it - but only when I'm wearing it! Shadow kitty will rip cauliflower off the fork twixt plate and mouth if you aren't carefull... LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: jacqui.c Date: 19 Apr 07 - 04:16 PM SEamus loves soft toys. Not the ones that you can buy for dogs, but the chioldren's toys. I've just filled a bag with them at the thrift store, for $2, and he'll get a new one as soon as he destroys those that are out. We have to play tug o war with them and then he just lies and chewa them or uses them as a pillow to sleep on. Until I stopped him he also liked purse diving and to go after the yarn that was was working on at any particular time. He still tends to have his nose into SINSULL's purse - she indulges him where I won't. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sorcha Date: 19 Apr 07 - 03:45 PM Empty 16 oz soda bottles. All the dogs Boudicca the Cat--to tease the dogs. She half thinks she is a dog anyway. Yentle the Cat--To sleep or pretend to sleep, and be above all the uproar. She is great at ignoring most anything. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 19 Apr 07 - 02:50 PM YES The laser dot! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Greg B Date: 19 Apr 07 - 02:40 PM Boots, the cat--- curling up near a favorite person and taking a nap, ambushing (or being ambushed by) a favorite person, the minute the door opens and that favorite person comes home. A good purr. And a bite of sushi--- just a nibble. Playing with his nephew, Simba (his 'mini-me') Peanut, the cat--- a 'night visit' to get his ears scruffled. That and the play laser dot. Puma, the cat--- his Mommy, or to be left alone Simba, the cat--- playing with his uncle Boots Oliver, the horse--- a nice shared breath, or a five-o'clock shadow, or a roll in the muddiest mud or the dustiest dust in the pasture, followed by a full on thoroughbred run Jinks, the horse--- carrots, to please a person, carrots, a good practical joke involving the water trough and an unsuspecting human, bran mash |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: skipy Date: 19 Apr 07 - 01:54 PM Simba loves things with wings! Sadly. Charles loves his bed & din dins! Skipy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Scoville Date: 19 Apr 07 - 01:24 PM Apart from food? My dog had a rubber carrot that she absolutely loved until our friend's corgi mix destroyed it. We got her a rubber gooney bird to replace it but it apparently did not have the cachet of the carrot and she never really took to it. She also used to love rope bones. I need to get her a new one. She would grab them and shake them to "kill" them, and was always asking to play tug-of-war. In the non-toy department, she loves her fuzzy oval bed. Sleeps in it until the weather is just unbearably warm, and it's completely solved the problem of a hairy white dog sleeping in Mom's best dark-green velour armchairs. * * * * * We tried all kinds of toys for our cat and then discovered that all she really wanted was a wad of paper on a string. Go figure. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Sooz Date: 19 Apr 07 - 12:18 PM So does ours! Sticks and balls are her favourite though. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 19 Apr 07 - 12:02 PM Why is that, our border collie eats poo too |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: The PA Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:56 AM Fly, border collie - eating horse poo Red, horse - breaking wind in time to trotting !!!!!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Wolfhound person Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:39 AM Bentley the miniature wolfhound likes our bed best. He lies upside down with all four (considerable) limbs in the air, snoring loudly, next to his person while he drinks his morning tea. Paws |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:34 AM Grommit watched the movie about sled dogs but isn't a hockey fan. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Apr 07 - 10:36 AM Faulkner loves to watch/listen to hockey games with us because he gets a treat when our team scores, and he knows to listen to the announcers' voices as the play develops and gets hotter. He also knows-- when the goal-buzzer sounds-- whether it's a goal for our team (home game) or for the enemy (road game for us). Now another funny thing he's been doing all year is that he often lies down to eat his supper. He stretches out like a cat with his paws extended and nibbles over the edge of the bowl to pick up the large, semi-soft kibbles. He also will take one out and toss it around the room to play with it, like a cat with a mouse. We didn't teach him eaither of these; it's just his thing. He's always been a front-paws crosser when he gets comfy, but now he's crossing the hind paws sometimes, too. And lastly, he's developed a yen for sleeping outside, and for refusing to come in at night. I'm working on retraining that behavior, because he gets barky in the middle of the night, or whiny if it's damp (he has shelter out there). His pack (us) sleep in the cave (house) at night and that's one angle I'm using-- he's very pack-cooperative in his basic orientation. Yesterday I made him stay up all day, only one short nap, because I think he's got his days and nights mixed up from too much daytime inactivity and therefore too much nocturnal activity. Tonight he'll get not only the bell cue and treat reward when he comes in, but an invitation to sleep upstairs in OUR part of the cave, as he does whenever Hardi is away overnight. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Peace Date: 19 Apr 07 - 10:19 AM Ginger's favourite thing was his pecker. |
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Subject: BS: Our pets favorite things From: Donuel Date: 19 Apr 07 - 10:19 AM The common and expected things our pets love are wonderful enough but there are those things that are so unique that it becomes a well spring of amazment. Kevetch the cat would bring her kittens and put them on my pillow so I would wake up with kittens on my head in the morning which was a real treat for a 5 year old. Natasha the cat would find spare change all over the house and put them in my shoes unseen. Rocky the flying cat would land on your shoulder at any time and any place with the gentle deftness of a dove - and most favorite was to rest in the hood of your parka and go all over town be it the bank or grocery store. Boris the cat would straddle the toilet when I had to pee. Once in the dark I could not hear a splash, I flicked on the light and there was Boris. Rocky II the cat liked to hold deer at bay until the deer would make a whistle like scream. Grommit the dog likes cracking good cheese and to put her snout in my hand and breathe through my fingers until asleep. |
