Pets

[Lisa0315]

What kind of pet do you have?

My grown daughter recently moved back in with me, and she has a Jack Russell named...Jack! I have fallen in love with this little dog. He has his moments when he misbehaves and he knows what he has done. However, he is funny, smart, and very, very affectionate. Sounds like the perfect man, LOL!

I will post a picture soon.

His favorite thing that he does with me is to go on long walks in the woods. He has a 20 foot leash, one of those retractable kinds. Anyway, he will go as far as he can go, then, go running and dive into a pile of leaves in the woods.

He is also very cute when he sees other dogs. They are like five times his size, so he stands up on his hind legs to make himself appear bigger. He would be no more than a big bite for some of these dogs, but you would never convince him of that.

He loves to play tug of war and fetch. He can sit, lay down, and shake paws. He is only 4 months old and he still on occasion will have an accident. To tell the truth, I don't think they are accidents as much as they are a way to show us we have pissed him off in some way.

My daughter swore that the only liked chicken and turkey flavors, but I bought him some of that gourmet pet food and he loves it. This morning he had "Steak" and he LOVED it. He also loves "hot dog" treats.

He is just adorable. I lubs him.

Lisa

[Puck]

I have a little parrot. A nanday conure. She's a forever two year old, lovable as hell, but a real pain in the ass. She wants a mate so bad she can't stand it, but I can't stand the idea of another bird, so she's left to hump her swing. Poor thing. But, she's got a pretty good life other than that. She's free flighted, and has perches and playstands about the house, and follows me about. She takes showers with us, eats what we eat if it's healthy for her, and like a dog, will nudge your hand to get you to pet her.

[Lisa0315]

I was at the pet store the other night and looked at birds. My grandmother loved birds. She never owned one and I always regret that I never got her one. Anyway, there was the cutest little blue bird that I really considered getting, but nah...

Lisa

[Anne]

sounds adorable!

We have 4 fish, and two dogs. Both pound dogs. One is a 16+ year old Collie who is deaf, blind, arthritic, incontinent, senile and losing his sense of smell.

The other is a 4yo husky who steals food and is scared of people and loves snow.

[Lisa0315]

Oh, let me tell you how this puppy was born!

My daughter has always had a way with animals. She has never met a mean dog in her life. She will have a normally "mean" rotweiller on the floor getting his belly scratched within five minutes of meeting it.

Anyway, so a friend of my daughter cons her into taking her Jack Russell and come to find out the dog is pregnant. Great! My daughter is living in a teeny apartment shared with 4 other college girls at the time.

So, the dog goes into labor and delivers 3 puppies. There is one more but he is breach. My daughter who has no training (although she is a certified life guard) delivers this breach puppy. He is not breathing. She rubs him and blows in his face and finally he begins to breathe on his own. From that moment on, this is "her" dog. By two weeks old, he prefers my daughter to his own mother and will cry to be with my daughter until she would put him in bed with her. The mother allowed it, and this pup would nurse from his mother and then cry for my daughter.

My daughter manages to give away all three pups and the Mom, but she keeps Jack. Isn't that the sweetest story ever?

Lisa

[dancer_rnb]

I was at the pet store the other night and looked at birds. My grandmother loved birds. She never owned one and I always regret that I never got her one. Anyway, there was the cutest little blue bird that I really considered getting, but nah...

Lisa

Thing to consider about birds is some of them live a long time. :parrot:

[dancer_rnb]

Don't have any pets right now, but when I finish working/painting the house I will get some fish I think. Used to have lots of aquariums when I was younger.

[Lisa0315]

Don't have any pets right now, but when I finish working/painting the house I will get some fish I think. Used to have lots of aquariums when I was younger.

One of the best gifts I ever received was a goldfish. Someone gave it to me as a condolance gift when my hubby's grandmother died. We called her "Goodie", and so I named the fish that. I do not know what happened to the fish, but I suspect that my husband overfed it. I had strict rules about my fish and he always hated it when I would make rules.

Lisa

[Goldie]

Well... I used to have just about every strange critter under the sun and many farm animals and horses, both work and riding... I LOVED my chickens. My laying hens were a real joy. I had, at the most 30.

Now, we just have Humbo. In June he'll be 15 and that is old for a Shih Tzu. He's a tuff lil' buddy and we all love him. He's a bit arthritic and he can't read the paper anymore but he's holding up pretty well. After him....no more dogs / pets.
We just got Bumpy a beta-fish (aka Chinese fighting fish) named "Bubbles" but that's it.

When we get our own place... I know we'll have chickens and maybe rabbits and horses...and we might even get an outdoor/shop border collie... but never another house pet. We are just too close and it's hard to watch them go. Too hard. :(

[Lisa0315]

I was the same way, Goldie. Growing up, we had horses, mules, chickens, pigs, dogs, cats, and piegons. We had goats on occasion too. Oh, and the hogs? I was not allowed around them because I would scream at my family for being murderers when hog slaughtering time came around. Also, those two calves that we raised to become veal, that didn't work out too well either. ;)

My dream used to be to own a farm and fill it with all kinds of critters, but alas, that is one dream that does not look like it will come true for me in this life. I am okay with that because I feel so fortunate to have grown up on a farm. Now that my kids are grown, it seems pretty pointless.

I am happy with the one little dog and I know when the kids move out, I am going to miss the little guy. I will definitely be getting my own dog when they leave.

Lisa

[Goldie]

Lisa,
I wasn't raised on a farm. i was raised in a bad area near Detroit.
My husband and I sold our 40 acres of woodland area in Nov of '06. We have been renting in town.... still looking for a place that we like. I took care of critters as an adult. So...I've been there, done that. And... while I'd enjoy having a few around if we have room at the new place, they won't be priority. Animal have pretty much dictated my life as an adult and I am done with it, tbh.

[miss djax]

i have 3 kitties. the two older ones are 14 and 15 - one my friends named evil kitty because she's mean and the other bfk - big fat kitty :D but she's the 15 year old and as an old lady, she's doing pretty well ;)

the last one, louie, is a giant fluff ball. 3 kitties is too many, thankfully i live in a decent sized house, but i couldn't resist him. my friend john had shitty neighbors who moved and left him. who could do that? he was a starving scared thing when i got him.

the other 2 kitties aren't really fans. evil HATES him and bfk endures him. i'll post pix one day.

i can't imagine life without a pet. i couldn't ever date anyone who didn't have pets. a house without an animal isn't quite a home, i don't think.

[Christina]

I grew up in tiny apartments but I had every pet that my mom would let me have - fish, turtles, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and once a very small dog. I've had dogs from the day I got my first apartment and have never been without one for more than a few weeks since then. I never liked cats much but they keep moving in with me anyway and now I have 4 of those as well as a dog and I've come to appreciate them. My dog doesn't have much time left and I may get 2 puppies when he dies.

[Goldie]

I know so many people who have animals and don't care for them properly...or they THINK they do, but they really don't know what is in the best interest of the animal. You find that a lot in rural areas.
Animals take time and commitment and lots of love. Like children, if you don't have the time...if you really aren't sure that you can commit to the animals well being, you shouldn't have them. You aren't doing then any favors.
Also...I've met many people who are gone 10 and 12 hrs a day and leave a dog penned up and to them selves. That's not fair to the animal....that is not love. In my opinion..that is selfish. Then, people complain that their animals act out. Well...yea! They are in jail! DUH!

That's why I don't really want anything but farm animals for awhile. I plan to do some traveling and I don't feel like dragging an animal /dog along...which is what I have to do now.
I'll stick to outdoor animals who need fed and watered, but not my attention 24/7. I know that I need a break from it after Humbo is gone. I'm not sure I can replace him, anyway. He was my son's dog and is now my granddaughter's dog. He's been ours since '94. Our other animals that we were very close to, we had to put down at age 15 (another dog and a house cat)
I'm not doing it again. 3 is enough.

[Free in Freeport]

Too damn many!!

I have 2 chow mixes, a HIV-positive cat (who is also insulin-dependant), and a rabbit. The aggravating part is they are all my daughter's! She took with her another cat, her cockatiel, and a smelly turtle. I'm campaigning hard for her to take one of the dogs. When all the animals were here, along with her and her husband, it was mighty cramped!

[Anne]

How many square feet do you have again?

[nygreenguy]

I have 3 kittehs and a constant rotating supply of foster kittens.

[Free in Freeport]

How many square feet do you have again?

My shoe size is 11 AA, so they're hardly square! I had 2, last time I counted.

Oh my house, it's 900 square feet. Smaller than my daughter's 2-bedroom trailer, if you disregard the basement.

[miss djax]

I have 3 kittehs and a constant rotating supply of foster kittens.

awwwwwww pix please :)

i'd love to foster kitties. do you read this blog?

http://www.theittybittykittycommittee.com/

major cuteness factor ;)

[Goldie]

cuteoverload.com
If you are ever in need of a "cute" fix.

[Anne]

How many square feet do you have again?

My shoe size is 11 AA, so they're hardly square! I had 2, last time I counted.

Oh my house, it's 900 square feet. Smaller than my daughter's 2-bedroom trailer, if you disregard the basement.

mighty cramped indeed.

I could not picture that. Or, I can.

:eek:

[miss djax]

cuteoverload.com
If you are ever in need of a "cute" fix.

for reals...i love me some winston, the cute cat they always post video's of :D

[Goldie]

Bumpy and I look at baby bunnies...
After about 50 "AWWWWWWS" I have to log off. :D

[sohy]

I have two older toy dogs, a chihuahua and a toy fox terrier. They are my minions, my constant companions. I even travel with them. I wouldn't want to live without dogs. It would be very difficult.

I am also a slave to two spoiled rotten parrots. What were we thinking! Jammer is an 18 year old Goffin's Cockatoo and Harley is an Africas Grey about the same age as Jammer. He was a rescue from a Harley enthusiast that lost interest in his pet. Both were hand fed babies that have turned into little monsters. Jammer is attached to me and Harley only allows my husband to touch him. The little bastard tried to bite my eye out several years ago when I was cleaning his cage. That never happened again. I can handle him if I wrap my hand in a small cloth so that's what I do. Jammer likes to be wrapped up in a baby blanket and cuddled before bedtime. If allowed, Jammer will chase my husband and bite him viciously. Birds tend to pair bond with one person, at least the larger parrots do. Everyone else is a threat.

They spend most of their time in my sun room. They have huge cages and I let them out to play in the afternoon. They have sleeping cages in a bedroom where they retire at night. Like Puck's bird, they like some human foods as well as high quality bird food, fresh veggies and fruits. They both love rice. They are very happy, believe me you can tell. They both talk but Harley knows more words, expressions and sounds than Jammer. Harley can speak in my voice, which is probably done in an effort to get my husband's attention.

Jammer has a "love toy" in her cage. During the mating season, she spends hours masturbating. I don't think she would know what to do with a bird mate. She and Harley tolerate each other, but they aren't very close. Even parrots of the same species won't mate with just anyone. They're not sluts like dogs and some humans. They are very fussy, so even if you brought the same type of bird into the house, chances are they might not like each other.

I regret the day I brought these two into my house and yet they are a part of my family and I feel responsible for giving them a good life. They do provide us with a lot of entertainment but they are also a hell of a lot of work. Since they might outlive me, I will have to think about making other arrangements one day. I would discourage anyone from getting anything bigger than a bird like Puck has. Jammer once had a love bird of her own. She loved that little bird and they would often perch beside each other. Love birds are wonderful pets if you don't mind them humping everything in sight, including the top of your head. It takes a lot of effort to make a happy home for a pet cage bird. They are very intelligent, needy, emotionally moody and they fucking bite. Still, I do love the little bastards, even if they've made me their slave. They are both sitting in the sun room right now, taking an afternoon nap, looking so innocent. Oh how they fool you. :)

[RBH]

I have two big dogs, Sherlock and Watson, both around 75 pounds in great physical shape. Both were strays out in the country where I live. Sherlock is a Doberman/Rottweiler mix, and is the best-natured dog I've ever had (and I grew up with Goldens!). Watson is a goofball. I built them a 4,000 square foot run where they can run around like maniacs and work off energy. Sherlock plays soccer with enthusiasm. Watson (who was right on the edge of starving to death at 42 pounds when he appeared) doesn't play with soccer balls, but he and Sherlock wrestle outside. (NO wrestling in the house allowed!)

Sherlock is black and tan with some white trim and has the skinny legs of a Dobie with the squarer head and bigger chest of a Rottie. Watson is coal black and has the build of an Irish Setter. They're my boys. :)

They're both very territorial and protective of the place, and notice anything that's changed or is out of place since we last walked, including if the neighbor across the road has merely moved his tractor. I like that, living out in the rural part of the county as I do. Sherlock in particular has given the UPS man a heart attack. :D

I don't really regard them as pets but as companions. They are, after all, my evolutionary cousins. :) Plus they get me out from in front of the computer and walk me several times a day.

[Cheetah]

This is my cat, Tiggy.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1577/tiggy.jpg

[Puck]

Jammer has a "love toy" in her cage. During the mating season, she spends hours masturbating.

I tried offering Poco a stuffed toy, but she uses her perch. And if anyone thinks female birds don't orgasm, come watch this one. I suppose the reason it doesn't seem to happen in the wild, is that the males are so quick. Sometimes I consider getting her a companion, but the idea of another bird in the house is too much.

[Criada]

One dog (chocolate labrador, brainless but very affectionate), two cats, two rabbits, one guinea pig and three hamsters.
And a lot of shoe boxes containing woodlice... which my youngest collects, and I liberate at intervals.
Also 3 convalescent hedgehogs, though I think that at least 1, possibly 2 have left for the open fields and the lure of boy hedgehogs. Hard to keep tabs on something that only appears in the dark.. but not all of the food is being eaten.

[sohy]

Originall posted by RBH. I don't really regard them as pets but as companions. They are, after all, my evolutionary cousins. Plus they get me out from in front of the computer and walk me several times a day.


I feel the same way about my two little toys. Regardless of size, a dog will love and protect you. My chihuahua once backed down a huge dog that had gotten out of his kennel and was acting very threatening.

Posted by Puck. I tried offering Poco a stuffed toy, but she uses her perch.

Jammer's love toy is one of those big, cloth, ragged rings. I didn't know she would fall in love with it, but it does seem to keep her happy when she's in the mood. And yes, female birds sure seem like they have orgasms or at least they have a lot of pleasure when the masturbate.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Just my one cat, Whisper. She's a grey, and pretty lazy. She's not figured out that "kitty bite for attention" should not equal "OMG KILL IT!", but otherwise she's very affectionate. I'm very happy to be her manservant. :D

[Ray Moscow]

No pets currently.

We're friends with several cats in our neighbourhood, and we occasionally cat-sit for a friend's cat when she is out of town.

[Christina]

It's such a relief every morning when I wake up and find that the dog is still hanging in there. Sometimes his breathing is so shallow that I have to watch for a while to be sure. He's gone from wanting to be resting against my leg all the time to wanting to be in my lap with his head on my shoulder and I'm not sure if that's a bad sign. It's a good thing he's small so that I can carry him from place to place. We put in another pet door in a room with no steps to the outside and he can get in and out on his own again. His back left leg is just about useless at this point but he gets around slowly on the other 3. He still doesn't have that look of misery that will let us know that it's time. With all of the strokes and seizures I think it's likely that he'll go during one of those. My oldest cat is 15 but isn't showing any signs of aging other than laziness. I'm not sure what signs to be looking for with the cat because this is the only one I've ever had before the kittens.

[Lisa0315]

*hugs to Christina*

[Christina]

Thanks. There have been so many times now where I didn't think he'd come back from a bad seizure or small stroke and he has that I'm getting almost a little numb to it. I've gone through the "he's gone now" hysterical crying at least 10 times when he didn't regain consciousness for over an hour and it's so draining. I just have to focus on making him as comfortable as I can and enjoy him while I still have him. The warmer weather seems to be helping his legs along with the aspirin. For all I know he could still have months left instead of weeks. He's a tough little guy.

[hecaterin]

Two cats, brothers, gorgeous big short haired tabbies. Dumped as kittens, rescued by the RSPCA. Plummet is blond and Shadow is dark, but they have the same pattern of markings.

Here's Plummet (http://thecanberracook.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-is-it-march-already.html) helping me make vanilla essence.

[Loren Pechtel]

Nothing since I went to college. I had a wonderful black cat growing up. Short fur but incredibly soft.

[laughing dog]

Three Old English Sheepdogs own me: Archie, Sherman and Sophie. Archie is almost 10, while Sophie and Sherman are 3. Here's a photo from my local newpaper from last year

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/mhyle/Post-Bulletin_PBR-04-01-2008.jpg

[Cliché Guevara]

I have a Jack Russell, too! He's one o'them wire haired ones, he'll be 10 years old in August, and his name is Lochie (though we call him Lochie Doggy for short). He's beautiful and I love him to bits.

[Cliché Guevara]

Three Old English Sheepdogs own me: Archie, Sherman and Sophie. Archie is almost 10, while Sophie and Sherman are 3. Here's a photo from my local newpaper from last year

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/mhyle/Post-Bulletin_PBR-04-01-2008.jpg

Nice dogs! :cool:

[Lisa0315]

I have a Jack Russell, too! He's one o'them wire haired ones, he'll be 10 years old in August, and his name is Lochie (though we call him Lochie Doggy for short). He's beautiful and I love him to bits.

My first and always love are German Shepherds, but Jack Russells are a close second. They are bright, well mannered, funny, great personalities, loyal, sweet, affectionate, and have that ability to sense your mood and respond to it. I love our Jack. I haven't had a dog since I was 13 and this one isn't "mine", but I am surely going to get a dog of my own when my daughter moves out again.

Lisa

[sohy]

Three Old English Sheepdogs own me: Archie, Sherman and Sophie. Archie is almost 10, while Sophie and Sherman are 3. Here's a photo from my local newpaper from last year

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/mhyle/Post-Bulletin_PBR-04-01-2008.jpg

How much time do you have to spend grooming those beautiful giants?