Pets Anyone?

[VCmute]

Anyone have any pets?
I just got a Maine Coon kitten, from Maine, for my birthday.
His name is Timber and he is now 10 weeks old.
He has 6 toes on each foot and is just the cutest thing.
:D

[Budfred]

Welcome to PCGuide!

I have a Minature Dachshund and a Basset Hound. Sort of a Mutt and Jeff combo for those of you who are old enough to know what that means. The Dachshund is about to turn 5 years old and the Basset is 4 years old. The Basset loves everyone and loves to be loved. The Dachshund is afraid of all strangers and thus tries to remove parts of all strangers. This makes him quite unpopular and cuts into the social life of the Basset since they are typically together. I got the Dachshund when he was about 1 year old and I don't think he was properly socialized in that first year. Dachshunds tend to be feisty and that combined with his fear makes him dangerous to strangers. I got the Basset at 8 weeks and he has gotten along with everyone from day one. They are both great dogs, but I wish the Dachshund was more social.

Budfred:)

[VCmute]

Wow, a min. dachshund, he must be really cute. I don't know much about
them but I know they are fairly small in general.
Bassets never impressed me, but that is only coming from watching Columbo shows.

[Budfred]

The Dachshund weighs about 12 pounds and the Bassett weighs about 75, he is a big Bassett. Bassetts have one of the nicest dispositions of all dogs. They were bred to hunt, but they generally don't kill the prey as much as tree it. Dachshunds were bred to go into the lairs of European badgers and kill them, bringing the dead carcass to the surface, so they tend to be feisty. Both have been bred into odd physical patterns so that they are prone to back problems and arthritis. I would never get another one of either now that I know more about them, but I would not give them up now that I have them. If I get another dog some day, I will get one from the Humane society. Mixed breeds tend to be healthier, smarter and longer lived.

Tell us more about your kitten. What do you know about Maine Coon cats?

Budfred

[kfh]

Hi All,

Yes got three jack russell dogs.
And a British short haired red tabby cat.

kfh.
:D

[Rick]

I have one pet around the house, ( and around other things)
a 4 foot Python named “Link”

Nice little guy likes to curl up around a persons neck and hub them.
Or just crawl up on your head and look around .
Tends to mess up women’s hair when he does it

[Mark Miller]

I've a mutt cat, who is the best friend I and my wife have ever had.
his name is Ash and he is 10 years old. Everyone should have a pet.
Mark

[Fruss Tray Ted]

AHA! And I thought he ran away... I see he was abducted... :D Maine (my home) coon cats and other crosses commonly (not always) have 6 claws in front, 5 in back. Normal is 5 and 4. They are quite fluffy (AAMOF we had one named Fluffy once) and can stand to be brushed especially when the seasons change and their coat goes from winter/summer or vice versa. Otherwise they do tend to have a hairball problem.

I have two BLACK cats, just regular claws.

One is Pepper, the other is Tuxedo for the white patch beneath his neck. Pepper will eat anything ESPECIALLY raw fish when I'm cleaning the catch of the day but Tux will only eat one brand of dry catfood. Turns his nose up to anything else. I guess he doesn't want any sushi on his 'lapel'... :rolleyes:

Here (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16494) is an explanation on how to properly give a 'pill to your pet'.

[jabarnutcase]

I have a pet peeve!!! :p :D
I have had a million pets over the years with three kids and all.
Now, they are grown up and the last one is off to college- Tomorrow! (The kids that is, not the pets) Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

We still have a cat. While I like dogs, after the last one died, I begged and pleaded..."PLEASE...No more dogs".
Needless to say, I lost......Now, we have a new black lab. He is awesome I must say.

Now comes the Pet Peeve. The reason I didn't want another dog is that he has chewed up everything in and around the house already...Including shoes, woodwork, a couple cd's, pillows, flowers,...well, the list could go on and on. My lawn- which I used to take pride in, looks like it has "circlular yellow dead grass disease". Not to mention the carefully placed land mines.
All of these things I knew were coming when I lost my case...it was as if I had written a list of what would happen and then checked them off each day.
The good ol' cat, (which the dog hasn't chewed up....
yet! ), just takes care of herself. Never even see her unless she feels like being seen.
I don't know, just when I thought I finally got the last kid out of the house....Go figure.
Doggone it, just aint fair. :D
But as "ruff" as it is, naturally I'm attached to the little pain in the neck....And so it goes...(It goes on the rug, in the kitchen, in the driveway....well, you get the picture) :eek: :D

[Budfred]

My Bassett used to chew on everything, including a part of the leg on a trestle table and a video tape, but stopped after I started putting red hot pepper oil on things. I had tried the store bought sprays and he seemed to appreciate the flavoring :D , but he didn't seem to have the palate for the hot pepper oil.

Budfred

[jabarnutcase]

Thanks Budfred!
I'll have to try that. First on my wife, and if that works maybe I'll try it on the dog. :D
(Edit) Hey Rick! Can I borrow your Python for a couple of days??? HeHe ;)

[steveo]

I had a cat but she ran away. Had I'd been living in Saskatchewan I could've watched her run away for 3 days.

[Steve]

After 25 years with three dogs, somewhere around 12? cats, a parakeet, a few hampsters, a couple of rabbits, some guinea pigs, a few rats! :eek: I've had it.

Now I feed the birds. Outside. Oh, and a few chipmunks that like the seeds. And a couple of those red squirrels...that fight all the time with the big gray squirrels, and a couple of coyotes that eat the squirrels, and a big black bear that takes down the bird feeder each spring and tears apart the grill and licks all the grease off it!

This is much better... :rolleyes:

[ErnieK]

I have a 16 month old "Rough Collie" called Hedi(Tri-Colour) and a tabby cat (Fergus). Heidi has her problems. Both hips are shot to hell (Bi-lateral HD and JDJ) and she has bad eyesite. But has the sweetest disposition. She suits and old wreck like me though :D
Folks think it's cute when I take the dog for a walk and the cat goes with us as well.

[pavermech]

We have a dog named (this is original) "Dog". So of course when our girls got a cat they named it "Cat"! Dog is a Hienze 57 and is smarter than he looks. Several months ago he was ran over by a car and hurt his hip. He's better now, but he found out about sympathy. So now when he wants something he will limp around the house. Other times he walks just fine! Cat is a black tabby. These two animals are the best of friends. For instance today Cat was attacked by another dog and Dog defended him! After Cat ran inside, Dog came in to check and see if he was okay.:)

[Rick]

Originally posted by jabarnutcase

(Edit) Hey Rick! Can I borrow your Python for a couple of days??? HeHe ;)

Link Prefers RATS.
Not sure what it would think of the black lab :)

[jabarnutcase]

:D Yes, they would probably end up being the best of friends :D
Oh well, thanks anyway. ;)

[rahulkothari]

i have never been fortunate enough to have a pet. :( Back i school, i was almost crazy after dogs (especially the puppies and grown up retrievers). When i asked mom to have one, the reply was NO, Nai , Never. :(

reason: we live in a 650 sq ft flat in a building. there are already 4 of us living and she doesnt want a 5th member. add to it, the extra time and money one has to spend.

real reason: she doesnt like pets. :rolleyes:

my dad also said No :o, but i know he would eventually agree as he loves pets especially dogs. (note the diff in size and color of 'NO')

my sister hates pets too and almost turns mad when she sights one, so i never asked her coz i knew the answer would be a big NO :mad: ..... so there was no one in the house to support me.

so to satiate my desire for pets, i would, almost daily feed street dogs and pups. i still do it sometimes. :)

My uncle has had few colored sparrows, 7 cats, and now a pomeranian.
My aunt has a boxer.
My cousin sister had a squirrel.

..... and all of them live in 650 sq ft flats !!!

[VCmute]

Well, I have been told that Maine Coons can grow up to 20 lbs. and live to 25 yrs., at least that is what I have been told. I did read somewhere
that they are considered to be "the dog lovers cat". They can be quite vocal and can/will follow you around the house. My kitten doesn't do this yet, he is still just figuring out what his name is and why our dog, a min. schuanzer, won't let him snuggle or play with him. Abby, dog, just wants to eat him and for some strange reason we won't let her, gee, go figure.
I have always thought snakes were cool, but I've never been around one
long enough to know if I would really like one.
Last night we went out and got my boyfriend's twin daughters hamsters for their birthday. We got them each a ball to put them in while we went in to McDonald's and had something to eat before going home. Well, we came back out and one was still in the ball and well the other was not! We own a Ford Escape and looking for a hamster in it at 9:00pm was
not the easiest thing to do! Long story short, we found her in with the spare tire underneth, safe and sound, thank goodness!
Now we have 2 hamsters, a kitten, a dog and 3 girls. I would like to have finches, but I will wait.

[david eaton]

Just this cat. She has taken to this spot for a while now, and I'm wondering if I should get another fan!:D

David

[Steve]

Ummmm...Does the term "ESD" apply...:eek:

[Budfred]

My miniature Dachshund likes to curl up on my chest while I am on the computer, although he hasn't been doing it so much since I got a new chair. It is pleasant having him there, but awkward when I need to type.:)

Budfred

[jabarnutcase]

My Black Lab wants to EAT my computer...:(
That's why he's not allowed in my office. :eek:

And funny we are talking about pets. You may remember the dispute I had with my wife and why I didn't want another dog.
Well- Guess what???

I can add a new line to my "list of reasons".
I just got back from the police station. It seems after my wife got a mile or two down the road, (bringing my daughter back to college), good ol' "Pistol Pete" decided he wanted to go too!
Apparently, someone saw him running down the road in the middle of nowhere and picked him up and brought him down town.
My dog is a convict!!!
My wife will never hear the end of this one! :mad: ;)

[Rick]

jabarnutcase

This is How I handle Escape artists

http://home.wi.rr.com/nasons/link010a.jpg

Lock them behind Glass :)

[jabarnutcase]

Wow! Cool snake!!!
You sure he wouldn't be interested in a black lab??? :mad:
He would probably get really bad indigestion.
:D
Boy, if my wife could hear me now! :eek:

[yawningdog]

I have two dogs.

One is a smallish shepherd/spaniel mix. She weighs about 26 lbs and has medium length brown and black coarse fur. Her name is puffy (my wife's idea) owing to the way she looked when she was a pup and she is the sweetest thing on the planet.

The other is a purebred American Bulldog. He's small as they go, about 60 lbs., but he's a whole lotta dog for the size. Most folks think he's a pit bull, and in fact the two breeds are closely related, but he has a more mild temperament. He's pure white except for some brown hairs on his ears, and in the summer, the black spots on his skin can be seen. His name is Kenworth, after the truck.

The two dogs couldn't be more different. Puffy is calm, gentle, sweet and loves giving and getting affection, while Kenworth's life is just one long Kodak moment, full of thrills and spills, and he wants attention and affection NOW

I'll always be dog people. My mom raises Siberian Huskies in Southern Maine (hey, Fruss Tray Ted) and has anywhere from 25 to 35 dogs on hand at any given time.

[VCmute]

Well, the snake is great and I am sure that he would love to be in
our house at this moment - 2 hamsters, 2 gerbils and a kitten. Our dog
wouldn't let it get a foot near her.
I love the cat on the computer, but I am hoping to keep mine off my work
space. Is is a Maine coon?

[Rick]

Gerbils and Hamsters !!
Don’t let them near the cage.
The last time I feed Link a gerbil he wouldn’t touch a Rat again for a Month
Picky Little Bugger


It’s a good Idea to Keep those Little FUR balls away from the computers.
Unless you enjoy cleaning the Fur out of the system case
Surprising how fast the fans pick that stuff up..

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Yawner,

What Timing!

Do you, Think I could borrow Half-A-Dozen Huskies this winter ? I'm kinda', 'in-between', snowmobiles... :rolleyes:

I will NOT eat ANY "Yellow Snow"... Promise. :eek:

:D

[kenja]

I inherited a long haired cat when a roomate moved into an apartment. He's got an extra claw on each paw and is a three-color male (quite rare, I believe): white, brown, and orange. Loves to sit on my lap at the computer.

The roomate's kids named the cat Surf, not because of the internet, but because Dennis is something of a surfer. Surf is very content to be tied up to a long leash, staked in the front yard. He grew up being tethered in a trailer park. My present roomate nicknamed him "Doggie".

I grew up with cats; my parents always had them altered when they were young. Surf was a tomcat when I came to own him. He had such a cool personality, I didn't want that to change by having him neutered. I was working tons of overtime then, and I'd only see him every four days or so (I think the elderly couple up the street adopted him). He was an excellent fighter, having grown up thrashing with a "Toto" type dog.

Took him to the vet because of a leg wound that wouldn't heal. Turns out he has FIV (http://web.vet.cornell.edu/Public/FHC/fiv.html). Eventually had Surf neutered. It's a myth that their personality changes. Well, it did, but only for the better (no more inappropriate aggression).

Surf's gums got infected, so almost all his teeth have been pulled. Anyway, he's been perfectly healthy (outwardly) for the past two years.

[david eaton]

VCmute. Not a maine coon, just an ordinary moggy from a rescue centre. Too small - only about 8 lbs.

I agree not the best place, but better than on top of the laser printer! Had paperjams/ misfeeds- looked inside - cat fur EVERYWHERE!:mad: didn't know she had been there, but have stopped that at least.

Cats are a love/hate relationship all the while.

David

[yawningdog]

Ah yes, you bring back memories Fruss Tray Ted. I drove a team myself for a while when I was young, but the serious racing was left to my mom and older sister. If you're serious about putting together a team, mom can help. Beware though, once you start, you'll never go back to those loud, annoying, pesky snowmachines again. And although Huskies are common at pet stores in the mall, good pulling dogs can be hard to come by, and a smart lead dog can be yet more rare... and valuable to a serious musher.

Do tell, what part of Maine are you from? I'm from a silly little town on Rt.5 called Waterboro about halfway between Portland and Kittery. I mean to get up that way this winter and experience the snow again.

[VCmute]

Here's Timber a day after we got him, about 2 weeks ago.
He traveled all the way from Oxford, ME with us. It was a very interesting trip.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Them there is some 'claws' at'll pick up a few bait outa' the bait bucket pert quick!.. :)

[Budfred]

VCmute,

Did you read about and see the picture of the Maine Coon cat that now has the world record for claws? It has 28 altogether. Apparently the previous record was 27.

Budfred

[VCmute]

Budfred - No, I haven't, I'm sure that is quite a site. I get alot of people comment on his paws with this picture.:D

Looking at David's picture of his cat at 8lbs. I can't wait to see Timber at 15-20lbs! Alas, I have a long wait, since he is only at 2.7lbs at the moment.

Fuss Tray Ted - How big was your coon, Fluffy, and how old was she?
Timber is still working on his 'hook' & 'scoop', he did 'fetch' the other night but I haven't been able to get him to do it since.

Kenja - Surf does sound like a really neat cat, they are hard to come by. I wonder if he wasn't part coon somewhere.

[kenja]

VCmute: When I saw Timber's picture, I thought the same thing about Surf's "pedigree"! He was obtained from a pet shop by my friend's girlfriend, but I always assumed him to be a mix.

He fattens up every fall and thins down in the spring. Surf weighs around ten pounds. Amazingly similar coloration as Timber, except a little more white in the face; Surf has a pink nose. He has the same subtle tiger-striping, and white tufts protruding out of his ears.

I'm very glad you posted the photo. Now I can describe Surf as being like "a Maine Coon cat".

Oh, I found a photo of Surf to scan.

[LadyGrey]

Yes, pets here too!
One husband. :D
Two Full Collies, AKC
One black and tan the other Lassie colored.
One Beta fish named Shredder
Two birds, one Rosey Bourke named Gizmo
and the light of my life, my Congo African Grey Parrot
Lady Grey Eagle.
Lady Grey "helps" me alot with my computer too. Loves to help me type by taking the keys!

LG;)

[kenja]

LadyGrey prompts me to mention my current roomate's pets: a very large angel fish (named "Mr. Angel Fish") and a Congo African Grey (named Igor).

Igor usually says "Doggie" when he sees me, because he associates me with Surf. Igor meows at the cat, but Surf does his very best to totally ignore him.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

VC,
How does a kid at 12 years old measure a cat? I guess he was about that big. :)

Yawningleaddog,
Central. Winslow, 15 minutes north of capitol of Augusta. ;)

Ladygrey,
You forgot one...

I've had e few beagles (hunting) while growing up and a black lab/Welsch Corgie mix. Great pet she was. I've had numerous cat's and a couple gerbils. 2 cockateil's for awhile and 18 aquariums at once if you include the brine shrimp tanks to feed the fry with.

Angel's, Oscars, Jack Dempseys, Firemouth's, Jewel Cyclids, a couple breeding pair of Blue Gourami's and many other live bearers like swordtails and Mollies.

Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, frogs (from tadpoles), and one snapping turtle. :eek: Almost lost a finger...

Budfred,
That's not a record, it's a pincushion. :D

MUSH!

[VCmute]

Ok, Fruss, do you at least know how old he was? How about color? I also had a beagle growing up, but she wasn't for hunting. Her name was Ginger and boy, could she make a racket when she took off in the woods!

Kenja - Surf is very handsom! Yes, he does look like Timber. I will have to contact the breeder in Maine and she if she could send me a pic of Timber's parents.

LadyGrey - Wow, that is alot of animals. I take it you don't have any kids. I love Collies, but not the grooming part. I have never heard of a Rosey Bourke. Are they a big bird?

Steve - I forgot to ask, what is 'ESD"?

[rond36]

I have a dog named Abbie, a cat named Sebrina and an 8 1/2 foot long Boa Constrictor named Rockie. Had a guinnie pig until it bit the wife and she fed it to Rockie. I also have a 5 foot long corn snake named Skeeter.

[VCmute]

rond36- You and Rick have something in common!

[Julgeek]

Three dogs: Duncan, a Flat Coated Retriever, Minstrel, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi/Finnish Spitz mix, and Benny, a purebred PWC. Two cats:
Rusty, a orange tabby Persian mix, and Merlin, a Russian Blue. The
dogs are all shelter rescues, the cats are street rescues. Merlin insists on being in my lap while I'm trying to work at the computer. He's also a master mouser! Rusty just washes everyone, including the dogs.

Julgeek

[LadyGrey]

FTT was right I did forget one, my son Donnie :D

VCmute, Rosey Bourkes are about the size of a budgie. Gizmo is a true fantail parakeet from Australia. The blue, green, yellow things you see in pet stores are not true parakeets, they are budgies. Any way Gizmo is about that size and just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. He is mostly pink, with shades of aqua, and green and yellow and black. He is a male as he has the bright plumes. The females are much darker and quite brownish. I really have never seen one for sale in a store. I brought Gizmo home from a private breeder, which is where you want to get birds, not ever in a store.

Kenja, sounds like you have had you hands full with Surf and the vet. You must be a very special person to take that much care of an animal that was just kinda wished on ya! :)

LG;)

[rond36]

VCmute
Steve - I forgot to ask, what is 'ESD"?

Electrostatic Discharge. The spark that can jump from your finger (or cat) and damage electronic components such as RAM, CPU, or any other IC chip that gets zapped.

[kenja]

(From an old thread I replied in:))

From the "I shoulda known betta!" files:
1.)Dry winter's day.
2.)Wearing a synthetically insulated nylon vest.
3.)Reaching down to pet a long-haired cat.
4.)Immediately touching the unplugged, ungrounded chassis of the computer I was working on.
5.)Static "Snap!"
6.)Doh!
7.)A very confused BIOS.
8.)Using the motherboard jumper "CMOS Clear" cured what ailed it. (Removing the button-cell battery for a little while would have worked also.)

[VCmute]

LadyGrey- Your birds sound lovely. I would like to have a bird but now I have a cat, I'm not so sure. Finches have always apealled to me. Oh maybe someday, like when the kids move out and I can use their room for birds. Yeah!! That sounds like it could work.

[Budfred]

My miniature Dachshund, Buddy, is in crisis right now. He fell to the problem that Dachshunds have with their long backs. He somehow blew out a disc on Friday night and spent the night in an emergency vet hospital. He has been on Prednisone since then and has remained stable. He can't control his back end very well and certainly can't jump anymore. He falls over and walks on his knuckles at times. I have to keep him as still as possible to help him heal, but he really doesn't get that there is something wrong, so he would still chase squirrels (badly) if I let him. If he improves in the next day or two, he will get away with no surgery this time. If he doesn't improve or he gets worse, he will have to go for surgery and it is hard to say how he will be after that. He will always be prone to the same problem again.

He is a wonderful, lovable and overly feisty little guy, but I would never recommend that someone get a Dachshund or Bassett Hound because of what I am seeing him go through. If I get a dog again in the future, it will be a pound mutt.

Budfred

[NiroTToriN]

Thought I'd add my two cents worth. Or three dogs worth...

We have 3 miniature dachshunds. Freida, Tasha a Franz. Freida is the orginal dog and the mother of the other two. Tasha is the little black overacheiver, Freida is brown with black highlights and is "stomach-centric" and Franz is our special needs dachshund.

A little more about Franz. He was born with a hereditary defect called megalosophagous. In plain speak, that means his esophagous is about 10 times the size of a normal dachshund esophagous while the muscle at the base of the esophagous is normal sized. This means food, water or anything else he ingests can get stuck and suffocate him. =( Sometimes they can perform surgery and fix it, but not with Franz. So, we have to feed him while he's upright and let him hang for about an hour after he eats or drinks in order to let gravity help the food/water on its way. We used to have a bag we'd made out of jean fabric that hung on a doorknob, but we've upgraded to a freestanding backpack with an internal frame.

When he was younger, we'd carry him around in a "snugglie" like you'd have for babies. Hanging on your chest... Get some strange looks when you'd answer the door with him hanging on! Still convinced the UPS man thinks we're crazy!

Anyhow, as a result of all this attention that he has received, he's one of the most lovable dogs. He also can be very protective and growl or nip at those he doesn't know. He's got the sweetest temperment of the bunch the rest of the time tho.

Anyhow, I'd include a pick of him in his backpack, but that'll have to wait until later. Need to get some batteries for the digital camera!

Budfred~~~ Sorry to hear about Buddy. We work very hard to keep ours slim. If they get too big, that exacerbates the back problems. Occasionally we have to "de-pork" them, but so far, no back problems with ours and we got Freida almost 10 years ago.

[Budfred]

Buddy's build was described by one vet as "athletic", so I don't think it is a weight problem. He could stand to lose a few ounces, but I don't think that is what caused the problem. As you probably know NiroTTorin, they acutually make miniature wheelchairs for miniature Dachshunds because these back problems are so common. I am hoping Buddy doesn't end up needing that, but time will tell.

I have considered going by Petsmart to pick up a small dog carrier they sell that is like a Snuggli because then I could take him on walks, he hates being confined while I walk the Bassett. However, I am in such a hurry to get home to let him out of his kennel, I don't have a chance to get by and pick one up. Hopefully I won't need it by the time I can get it.

That problem with your little guy sounds like a difficult one. I am glad you have found a way to deal with it.

Budfred

[VCmute]

Budfred - I am sorry to hear about Buddy's condition! I do hope that he(and you) pull through ok. As I read back, Buddy isn't that old is this condition uncommon for the age?
Timber, the Maine coon, just went to the vet's the other day and is looking good. He is up to just over 5lbs. at 14 weeks old and he passed his blood test with flying colors. I do hope that he stays that way until he is at least 20.

[NiroTToriN]

Budfred~

I know about the wheelchairs for the dachshunds! Hehehe. My grandfather's dachshund had severe back problems, so he got him one. Worked well, but it looked kinda funny. Like a chariot, sorta... I guess I shouldn't talk since we used to hang Franz in a bag from a doorknob after eating... LOL. Anyway... Back to UT2003...

[Budfred]

VCmute,

Buddy just turned 5 on Sunday, not a good birthday for him. Apparently this is a problem that can hit Dachshunds at any age, but chances get greater as they age. Buddy is not doing well, he is actually a little bit worse and the vet is having me keep the Prednisone dose higher because of this. He will see the vet tomorrow afternoon, but I am not sure what she can do other than send him in for surgery. I wish I had one of those little wheelchairs now, just to reduce his misery a little bit.

Thanks to all for the kind wishes.

Budfred

[VCmute]

Budfred - It has been awhile since I have been on. Is there any
new news on Buddy?

[Budfred]

VCmute,

Thanks for asking. He is still on Prednisone, but has partially regained use of his back legs. He can walk and run, but falls over a lot and his legs splay on slick surfaces. He has had acupuncture and I have started giving him Ester-C on the advice of some web sites about this problem in Miniature Dachshunds. The vet says that most improvement that he will attain is at 6 weeks which is in 2 weeks. However, I am hoping he may continue to improve after that. I plan to build some ramps so that it is easier for him without having to jump, especially off of the back steps. He is still confined each day and has gained about 5 pounds between bloat from the meds and inactivity.

Even if he recovers fully, he will always be prone to this, particularly since he has already had an episode. I plan to do what I can to minimize risk, but he doesn't get it, so he tries to jump like he used to. I am grateful that he has recovered as much as he has and didn't need surgery.

Budfred

[VCmute]

Hey All!
Any more new pets in the group?
My cat Timber is doing well. He just turned a year on June 13 and is getting big! His personality is getting better and he is starting to
understand some of our routines, like: we like to sleep ALL night and I don't get up when the sun comes up!
The other week I was at a pet store and they had a litter of ferrets! They were so cute and I am sure that Timber would have a ball with it but I am not so sure it would feel the same way. Anyone else own a ferret and a cat?
Hey Budfred,
It has been awhile and I am all most afaid to ask, but I will, how are your dogs doing?

[Budfred]

The Bassett is still fine and the Miniature Dachshund has actually improved a lot. He is jumping again (too much) and his back is almost flat again. I give them both glucosamine in their food, some of their snacks and in a powder supplement. I have ramps in the house, but haven't taken time to train him to use them yet. I will be working on that during my next vacation unless he figures it out himself. He has actually done better than I feared, but he could have another problem anytime and would probably need surgery if he does. One day at a time....

[LadyGrey]

Birds, Dogs, and Fish here. African Grey Parrot, Lady Grey Eagle. Rosy Bourke, Gizzmo. Two Collies, Tara Marie and Sherlock. Two Beta fish that are just fun to watch. Lady Grey is the star of the house. She rings like a phone, beeps like the microwave, quacks,barks,meows,and yells rock n roll and dances. That's just a little of what she does, I could go on and on with all the things she comes up with. Got her(or rather she got me) a 14 weeks and she will be 4 years on July 29th.
LG;)

[gracious]

Budfred, I hope your pooch is doing better. I have a black/white pomeranian named riply, she is a cutie. She will eat everything, jalepeno peppers, peanuts with red spice on it...I also have a black/white cat named Max and when we go anywhere and have to have them boarded, they stay in the same cage. They are buds. I also have a rat named Sweet Pea and and an African Albino Dwarf frog named Herbie. I am so glad to see so many pet lovers!

[Fruss Tray Ted]

I had 18 tanks active at one time once. And only ONCE! :rolleyes:
Small stuff, no salt water, Started out Swordtails and Mollies, breeds like that. Got more into it, started breeding Gourami's. Got more tanks. So I needed a way to hatch brine shrimp for the yungun's. Mo-ore tanks, jars, shelves to hold the weight... Then,

Oscars,,, bass,,, Jewels,,, all kinds of cichlids, a snapping turtle we found, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, frog eggs to hatch so the cichlids would have some live food...

Snapper got pretty big on a diet of Beefheart and Crawlers... Handfed. The frogs needed a piece of worm sewed onto some monofilament line with no hook (ok, bait needle time..) so you could entice them to eat. Another :rolleyes: The turtle on the other hand, went from a mini CD or a floppy disk's disk, to a small dinner plate for a shell, probably weighed a pound, 1-1/2.

Once It Decided my finger was a better mouthfull than the crawler I was holding for it... Yep. Back where we found it you go.... with a bandaged finger... :eek:

It was actually tame, it never even drew blood. :cool:

End Chapter 2... :D

[VCmute]

Budfred -- That's great, I am glad that they are both doing well!
Fruss Tray Ted -- So do you have any pets now? While growing up I had Mollies and Guppies, they were fun.
Lady Grey -- Sounds like Lady grey could of been put on animal planet's contest show and won you some money.
Gracious -- A rat, humm.... I don't think we've had that come up as a pet, just as food for the snake lovers in the group. And a white frog? That must be a sight.