Pets chit chat thread

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Thal, I'm sure it's fine, but I just need to check... when you say 'puff balls' you don't mean like those craft type pompom things, do you? And they aren't small enough that kitty can swallow them? I just want to check because lots of the small toys you get from dollar stores are actually too small and thus hazardous for a grown cat. Lots of cats love them, which is why they are sold and why so many people get them, but I've seen a LOT of unsafe cat toys on the market. I know yours is just a kitten at this stage, but make sure you've thought about that when using this sort of toy.

Otherwise, all the other toys and environmental enrichment things you suggest here and in Danie's thread are fabulous

Lol, thanks!

We had plenty of time to do research and figure out what we could and couldn' do in our apartment...there's some odd stuff that I didn't think of, but hey...that's life!

And its not a pom pom...more like...a velveteen-ish sort of fur over one of those jingle balls about the size of a ping pong ball...I really don't know how to explain it, lol. I got it more for the mice, but he likes to chase the balls when you throw them.






By the way---any ankle attack advice?

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Lol, thanks!

We had plenty of time to do research and figure out what we could and couldn' do in our apartment...there's some odd stuff that I didn't think of, but hey...that's life!

I wish more people would do this. Most people just go to the pet store, buy the cheapest cat post and a bunch of toys and then wonder why the cat scratches the furniture, climbs the curtains and knocks stuff off the benches.

And its not a pom pom...more like...a velveteen-ish sort of fur over one of those jingle balls about the size of a ping pong ball...I really don't know how to explain it, lol. I got it more for the mice, but he likes to chase the balls when you throw them.

That sounds fine. I just had to check, because I've seen little fuzzy pom pom type toys for cats that are not safe. Pet shops make me want to scream sometimes.

By the way---any ankle attack advice?

Sure do! lol.

Ignore it. Seriously... ignore it. He's doing it because it gets your interaction (and I bet it particularly gets a reaction from the kids!). Is it ambush type attack (it usually is in cats)? Every single time you react, you're encouraging the behaviour. So you need to figure out a way to be able to completely ignore it for a few weeks... even if that means everyone walks around with thick socks and pants on... when he jumps out at you, stand still, don't look at him, don't talk to him, wait a second then calmly ask someone else in the house to come and get the kitten. Then the second person either picks him up without talking to him, goes and puts him down on the ground near the toys or gym or whatever and plays with him for a minute, or (if he's responsive to being called) calls him into the other room with a happy playful tone and plays with him for a second.

Then make sure he has an outlet for ambush play... get him a hidey hole that he can hide in and jump out at one of the feather toys... rather than just waving the feather toy around for him, actually encourage an ambush play. What I used to do with Tomas (before he got arthritic, as he now has issues with certain types of play) was to get down behind a wall or the couch where he couldn't see me, then flick a string toy (we have a 'string on a stick' toy, but I've also tied ribbon onto a stick for this purpose... just DON'T leave string toys out with cats unsupervised) out onto the floor so that he could see the end of the string, then slowly drag it towards me. Usually he'd wait until it was out of sight before he pounced on it. The whole thing is kind of like fishing... you cast the string out into the room where they can see, then reel it in real slow. It gives them the chance to watch the 'prey', get themselves into the whole 'quiet hunting cat' posture, wait until the right moment then pounce when the 'prey' is not looking. Which is what the ambush attack is all about.

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Gotcha!

I've been not pulling away, since I figure that's a prey behavior, and (while telling him "no", like he's a kid or something) picking him up and putting him by his ball on the track with the mouse on a stick toy...but the extra person thing...didn't think of that! Totally doable, most of the time...

Mostly (thank goodness?) its just Scott and I...the kids are more...something kitty tolerates than seeks out (they aren't mean or anything, but they want to carry him around and such so he doesn't instigate playing with them)--and he's a laid back cat. My feet though (and my hands, if I'm sitting), seem to be fair game.

[Heka]

All my tetras are gone. I had 5, with black stripes, all bigger than my biggest guppy, and I'm sure technically too big to fit in Hammonds mouth... anyway, all gone! Which doesn't make sense, he has never caught one...

So I tested the water... pH is a bit high, but it nearly always is, ammonia is fine, nitrite is fine, and nitrate is a bit high, but thats usual too.

I'm thinking that the mass of water I added last weekend may have something to do with it, but I de-chlorinated and treated it before it went in.

I dunno, I figured they died/slowed down and Hammond ate them.

Greedy shit. He's eaten 5 tetras in about 4 days....

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

male or female? pros and cons for cats by gender... also. Long or short hair? Your preferences and why?

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I much prefer Female Cats for their general better temperment,Male Cats if not fixed can be very problematic as to general overall behavior

[DanieMarie]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Fixed male cats usually have a pretty mild temperament as well though. It's important to fix cats anyway, even if you never let them out...male cats spray and get super territorial when they're not fixed and female cats go into heat. Some friends of mine thought they wouldn't bother fixing their female indoor cats, but after their first heat, they said "nope, not doing this again" and promptly got them spayed (think constant howling and rolling for a good week or so).

That being said, neutered male cats are prone to bladder and urinary tract infections. It's not like every male cat will have problems, but it's something to think about. I found that it wasn't anything major...my old kitty just had to go to the vet more often (Albert doesn't seem to have problems, so we're good for now).

I have a preference for adopting adult cats. Kittens are cute, but they're also really annoying. But more importantly, adult cats have a lot more trouble finding homes. I find that any behaviour quirks they have are usually workable, barring a few extreme circumstances. All cats grow up eventually and adult cats will love you just as much!

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

My baby ducklings are so damned cute. I just wanna squish 'em. I don't want them to grow up, I want them to stay adorable little babies forever.

Anyone know a fancy alternative name for a tumbler or acrobat? The little one we're thinking of calling 'Tumbler', because it's one of those active babies that runs and trips and somersaults, or gets excited and jumps into or out of your hand when it gets close to the ground and then does a somersault landing. Tumbler will be okay if it's a boy, but maybe something nicer if it turns out a girl? We wont know gender for at least 4 more weeks.

The little one is a wild 'rescue' orphan that some clients bought into work after trying to find the parents. I'm fairly certain it's a Mallard as the facial markings are more Mallard than Pacific Black Duck. The other one came from Fauna Rescue and the lady told me it's a Muscovy, but there are several domestic breeds that have big yellow ducklings, so we'll see. The big one is much more placid and laid back, a little bit lumbering and more watchful in a quiet way rather than a curious way. We don't have a name for the big one yet. At the moment they are 'Baby Duck' and 'Yellow Duck' until we decide on proper names.

[Fire Nymph]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I've got 4 rats who are literally the cutest things ever (and three slobbery dogs!). The ratties are getting on in age and I'm scared that they're going to die really soon - they've already started falling when climbing, which they used to be pros at, and they can no longer perform the tricks I taught them :'(. I've vowed not to get more rats for a good while, maybe never. I get way too attached.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Anyone know a fancy alternative name for a tumbler or acrobat? The little one we're thinking of calling 'Tumbler', because it's one of those active babies that runs and trips and somersaults, or gets excited and jumps into or out of your hand when it gets close to the ground and then does a somersault landing.

Sounds so cute! I would name him/her Wallenda, after the Flying Wallendas.

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Anyone know a fancy alternative name for a tumbler or acrobat? The little one we're thinking of calling 'Tumbler', because it's one of those active babies that runs and trips and somersaults, or gets excited and jumps into or out of your hand when it gets close to the ground and then does a somersault landing. Tumbler will be okay if it's a boy, but maybe something nicer if it turns out a girl? We wont know gender for at least 4 more weeks.

Literally the first thing I thought of was Eglantine for the House from the Kushiel series, if you've read it... if not, their the house known for tumbling and performance (all the houses are houses of prostitutes, though in a very elegant manner...) After that, I thesaurused it and found aerialist which, if shorted to aerial, could make a decent girls name.

[Juniper]

Literally the first thing I thought of was Eglantine for the House from the Kushiel series, if you've read it... if not, their the house known for tumbling and performance (all the houses are houses of prostitutes, though in a very elegant manner...) After that, I thesaurused it and found aerialist which, if shorted to aerial, could make a decent girls name.

I second this

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[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Oooh good suggestions, people! I will have to put them to Torey and see what he thinks.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

One of my ducklings is wheezing and sneezing (Yellow Duck). Got rid of all the hay, gave her a warm bath so she (it) could head dunk properly and clear her nares (which she did with gusto) and spent half an hour on the bathroom floor steaming the three of us. Now they are snuggled on my lap. The wheezing has settled but still intermittent sneezing. Barbatos has been petitioned (and paid). Antibiotics are on order and they'll come into work with me tonight for a proper check up.

I hate this :upset:

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

One of my ducklings is wheezing and sneezing (Yellow Duck). Got rid of all the hay, gave her a warm bath so she (it) could head dunk properly and clear her nares (which she did with gusto) and spent half an hour on the bathroom floor steaming the three of us. Now they are snuggled on my lap. The wheezing has settled but still intermittent sneezing. Barbatos has been petitioned (and paid). Antibiotics are on order and they'll come into work with me tonight for a proper check up.

I hate this :upset:

Yeah - one of our geese got sick. It was so bad it would fall over backwards every time it tried to stand. I took it to the vet, she put it on antibiotics, and within a day or two was showing amazing improvement.

Which was surprising because I thought for sure it would have to be out down.

It only cost $100... for a $10 gosling.