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My 2 year old neutered boy has been doing goofy things around my boyfriend. Squeak is super friendly and always wants pets and will lay down and snuggle against my boyfriend's foot and sit by his computer chair and want to be picked up and held. But I've noticed that every once in a while, Squeak will turn his butt toward my boyfriend with tail raised and his tail will tremor slightly and his back muscles will tense up. It only lasts a second or two and he doesn't appear to be in any discomfort as he goes right back for more pets afterward. There has never been an odor associated with this or any other out of the ordinary behavior and he has never done this to me before, only to the boyfriend. Is Squeak marking my bf and just doesn't know how to use his glands? I've never addressed any gland issues with the vet as there has never been a reason to, so I'm not sure what scenting behavior looks like.
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Feb 26, 2010 00:28
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archwhore posted:My 2 year old neutered boy has been doing goofy things around my boyfriend. Squeak is super friendly and always wants pets and will lay down and snuggle against my boyfriend's foot and sit by his computer chair and want to be picked up and held. But I've noticed that every once in a while, Squeak will turn his butt toward my boyfriend with tail raised and his tail will tremor slightly and his back muscles will tense up. It only lasts a second or two and he doesn't appear to be in any discomfort as he goes right back for more pets afterward. There has never been an odor associated with this or any other out of the ordinary behavior and he has never done this to me before, only to the boyfriend.
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Feb 26, 2010 00:50
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archwhore posted:Squeak 2 to 2.5 years is the age of social maturity in cats, many behaviors pop up then. Don't reward it (pet when he's doing it), don't punish at all.
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Feb 26, 2010 01:38
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tail raised and his tail will tremor slightly
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My dog just had to go to the vet because of a case of pyoderma, so she's pretty drat miserable right now. She's been prescribed antibiotics, medicated shampoo, and brushing. But there are lots of patches where the hair is really loose and falling out in clumps, due to the infection. Would it be a good idea to brush those areas out, even if it causes bald spots in her coat? I just want her to be happy again. 
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Feb 27, 2010 03:56
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I've got another question. My dog has never been very vocal. He's pretty quiet in general -- or he has been, until recently. He's now started to flip out at just about anyone who is doing something near my apartment, whether they're parking their car, walking by with their groceries, etc. (I have a balcony and let him out on it a few hours a day when it's nice.) This is very frustrating for me because it's a recent habit, and also because my neighbors hate dogs to begin with; he's not exactly helping his case when he starts losing his mind at them. Are there any good, quick methods for training this out of him? What I'm doing now is just pulling him away and only letting him go outside again when he's calm. I really don't want someone to get fed up and notify my landlord. It pisses ME off and I'm not the one he's barking at!
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Feb 27, 2010 20:41
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 fizz  fuzz Both of these little boys showed up at a shelter near me, can any one assist in helping me identify the breed? A billion dogs have that merle pattern, and the lady who runs the shelter is no help. I want to know what breed they might be so i know what sort of health problems to look out for. Haven't decided which one to adopt yet though.
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Feb 28, 2010 09:25
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Inyourbase posted:
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Feb 28, 2010 10:46
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We just got a kitty about two weeks ago (he is now 11 weeks old). We already have a 2 year old cat and they are getting along great. However, he only purrs when he is kneading a blanket, and he will also rub his face into it. No amount of petting can make him purr unless he is kneading. Is this normal? I figure he is very young and will probably grow out of it, but google has been useless on the subject. Here are some pictures of Azazel. Feel free to chime in on what breed he is.  Click here for the full 640x359 image.  Click here for the full 640x359 image.  Click here for the full 640x359 image. Edit: \/\/\/ Thanks! SnipeShow fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Feb 28, 2010 |
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Feb 28, 2010 20:55
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SnipeShow posted:We just got a kitty about two weeks ago (he is now 11 weeks old). We already have a 2 year old cat and they are getting along great. However, he only purrs when he is kneading a blanket, and he will also rub his face into it. No amount of petting can make him purr unless he is kneading. Is this normal? I figure he is very young and will probably grow out of it, but google has been useless on the subject. Yeah, it's normal. I have a meezer that didn't purr for the first month I had her. Some cats are really vocal and purry and some are really quiet. It might change as he gets older but it's nothing to worry about. SnipeShow posted:Here are some pictures of Azazel. Feel free to chime in on what breed he is. He's not a breed. Well, just a regular domestic long/short hair. He looks like his hair might be long but it's hard to tell so young as kittens that age are always really fuzzy. Cats don't work the same way dogs do when it comes to breeds.
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Feb 28, 2010 21:29
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I need a little help from you dog people. I have never had a dog so I'm pretty clueless about their interactions yet somehow I got roped into watching my aunt and uncles two labs. One is 8 years old and very set in his ways and the other is just 9 months. The problem is that they can't interact at all. When the older one sees me giving attention to the younger one he throws a fit barking and whining for as long as it takes to get me to pay attention to him. The younger one just tries to play with the older one who flips out and starts growling and snarling. I can't keep the young one in the crate the whole time and need to pay attention to both. However I can't let the young one roam freely like I can with the older. How do I keep them in the same general area and have them not kill each other and relax?
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Feb 28, 2010 22:54
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Forearm posted:I need a little help from you dog people. I have never had a dog so I'm pretty clueless about their interactions yet somehow I got roped into watching my aunt and uncles two labs. One is 8 years old and very set in his ways and the other is just 9 months. The problem is that they can't interact at all. When the older one sees me giving attention to the younger one he throws a fit barking and whining for as long as it takes to get me to pay attention to him. The younger one just tries to play with the older one who flips out and starts growling and snarling. I can't keep the young one in the crate the whole time and need to pay attention to both. However I can't let the young one roam freely like I can with the older. How do I keep them in the same general area and have them not kill each other and relax? If they're not interacting well to start off with, and you're a temporary pet-sitter, I would just crate and rotate rather than trying to fix the interaction (only have one dog out at the time, leave the other one in a crate or room where they can chill out).
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Mar 1, 2010 00:18
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Oh no! I'm a cat person, but I got dog fever yesterday while seeing an adorable 5 year old basset-mix for adoption at the local PetCo. Remind me how much work they are, and that I'd never be able to whisk away on a spontaneous weekend away again, because that dog was so fuckin' awesome I want it! Tell me about walks in the rain, and landlord problems, and the expense, because I want it! Ugh! (no, I won't get a dog on impulse, but OMG it was so cute, and calm, and seemed so perfect for us)
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Mar 1, 2010 20:50
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Meow Cadet posted:Oh no! I'm a cat person, but I got dog fever yesterday while seeing an adorable 5 year old basset-mix for adoption at the local PetCo. Remind me how much work they are, and that I'd never be able to whisk away on a spontaneous weekend away again, because that dog was so fuckin' awesome I want it! Tell me about walks in the rain, and landlord problems, and the expense, because I want it! Ugh! hahaha Man, you sound like me & my fiance! I'm looking around at shelters because I'm going to be getting a kitty soon, but I wound up seeing a husky for adoption that looks like he could be my dog's brother! I made the mistake of showing my fiance and now he keeps talking about going to get the dog! haha The funniest part is we totally have a plan in place for our next 2-3 dogs and none of it involves getting another husky, but I'll be damned if it isn't super tempting to go get that boy knowing he'd be going to a home that would know how to train him. Just keep reminding yourself that your life completely stops when you have a dog. It's hell trying to figure out your schedule around bathroom breaks and walks, and yeah, like you said, the weather's a bitch. If you don't have any dog experience, training can also be completely overwhelming the first time you jump into it. There's always going to be awesome dogs in rescue, though, so if this pooch has sparked something in you, you can always start volunteering with dogs at shelters to get more of a feel for what you'd be getting in to. Who knows, you might even feel you can do it while that dog is still up for adoption!
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Mar 1, 2010 21:31
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WolfensteinBag posted:hahaha Man, you sound like me & my fiance! I'm looking around at shelters because I'm going to be getting a kitty soon, but I wound up seeing a husky for adoption that looks like he could be my dog's brother! I made the mistake of showing my fiance and now he keeps talking about going to get the dog! haha The funniest part is we totally have a plan in place for our next 2-3 dogs and none of it involves getting another husky, but I'll be damned if it isn't super tempting to go get that boy knowing he'd be going to a home that would know how to train him. Yeah, I think my ideal situation would to be to foster a random dog for a few weeks (assuming my landlord would let me, we have such a perfect dog house/yard) and then ship that sucker off to a loving family. But my husband thinks I'd get too attached, but he's just projecting his feelings onto me. I have a heart of ice when I want to. Plus, the cats would hate it.
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Mar 1, 2010 21:59
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Can anyone recommend a drinking fountain for my cat? She's getting really stubborn about drinking from her bowl, and my old drinking fountain, which she loved, was a pain in the rear end to clean. It had all kinds of little nooks and crannies for dust and hair and grit to accumulate, and I'm specifically looking for a fountain that's easier to clean.
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Mar 2, 2010 00:43
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Well, what kind of fountain was your old one? I use a Drinkwell and reservoir, and I don't find it that hard to clean, especially since I got a set of cleaning brushes made specifically for it.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:31
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MY GIRLFRIEND and I are moving across the greater metro area within the next few months. This is worthy of question to PI because of our little friend Charlie, who will be making that move with us. He's ready to go!  Actually not. He hates leaving our place, and when put into a carrier, which is then placed in a car, he carries on in a way that could only be described as ungodly. I won't put the windows down in the car, because I'm afraid of someone thinking he's in serious distress. The question is, what is the best way to go about this little transition for him. The car trip will be a half hour, which is twenty-eight minutes more than any human could be in the car with him alert and distressed. I am terrified to give him any sort of medication, but could the vet give us something? Is this worthy of giving him tranquilizers? It's not even just for me having to drive him around, but he is absolutely terrified for the entirety of the trip. It's got to be taking months off of his life. Charlie demands an answer. 1.jpg)
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Mar 2, 2010 05:19
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When I was a child, we took our Siamese on a 9 hour drive, 1-way, on a camping trip. She didn't stop howling the whole way. I don't know what my parents were thinking. I think you both can survive your little 28 minute drive. Yes, your vet could give him something, but many cats react badly to sedatives and make even more ruckus because they are now confused as well as agitated. I suggest just you pack charlie up in his carrier, add a dirty T-Shirt that smells like you in there with him for comfort, and drive. At the new place, have a dark quiet room where he can chill, preferably with his toys, litterbox, favorite furniture already in there. Let him hide for as long as he wants to (might be hours, might be days), before you let him scope out the rest of the new digs.
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Mar 2, 2010 05:27
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My cat goes batshit in the car also. It's constant screaming, and she doesn't stop in the vet waiting room either, it's heart breaking. I put my dirty sports bra and her favorite cloth mouse in there and I think that makes her feel a tiny bit better. A half hour isn't going to take anything off his life no matter what he tells you. It sucks but he should be OK. There's no harm in asking the vet what they think though.
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Mar 2, 2010 05:30
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Fire In The Disco posted:Well, what kind of fountain was your old one? I use a Drinkwell and reservoir, and I don't find it that hard to clean, especially since I got a set of cleaning brushes made specifically for it. If you have to buy a special set of cleaning brushes for it, then I don't think it's particularly well made! I don't remember what my old brand was. It had a transluscent blue reservoir though.
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Mar 2, 2010 19:29
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Sounds like a PetMate, which I hated. As for the Drinkwell brushes, I bought them to make my life easier. You could probably get away with not getting them. But all pet fountains are going to have smaller places that need to be cleaned regularly, so I don't if you'll find one that doesn't require attention every week or two.
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Mar 2, 2010 20:05
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Fire In The Disco posted:Sounds like a PetMate, which I hated. As for the Drinkwell brushes, I bought them to make my life easier. You could probably get away with not getting them. But all pet fountains are going to have smaller places that need to be cleaned regularly, so I don't if you'll find one that doesn't require attention every week or two. I need the brushes, the little tube part on the right feels slimy and I can't get it clean, I didn't realize they had them until I saw your link. I'm sure other fountain owners are more industrious but I give up pretty fast.
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Mar 2, 2010 21:43
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Any suggestions on what to look for in an obedience class? Our dog has started to get less and less well behaved in public and around other dogs. I'm hoping to be able to do some work to curb her excitement over everything, but know basically nothing about dogs or training them. I've checked around and we have PetSmart(Of course), a franchised dog trainer(Camp bow-wow), a local non-profit obedience training club and a private school. I've looked around and found a smattering of reviews that might be reliable. So drat frustrating to have a dog that's chill and well behaved around the house and on walks when no one's around, then have her spaz the gently caress out around anyone else.
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Mar 3, 2010 02:13
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Citizen Z posted:Any suggestions on what to look for in an obedience class? I'd probably pick a positive-reinforcement class to start out with, which may not narrow your choices down too much. Look at trainer bios if they're available as well as various reviews.
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Mar 3, 2010 03:18
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DrKennethNoisewater posted:MY GIRLFRIEND and I are moving across the greater metro area within the next few months. This is worthy of question to PI because of our little friend Charlie, who will be making that move with us. Ugh, sounds like our cat, Katie. And she also terror-pees! We had to drive her when we moved from Ottawa to Montreal (2 hour trip) and she was pretty upset. Yowled the whole way, with a brief stop when we stopped at a rest area. But I think drugs would have just made her feel more shaky and disoriented. Anyway, she adjusted just fine once we arrived. You may want to think about getting some Feliway plugins, though. Those seemed to help Katie a lot with our previous move. (two blocks - we just carried her!) This time, she seemed to be so drat relieved that she wasn't in the car anymore that she adjusted to new apartment without much trouble.
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Mar 3, 2010 07:05
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Citizen Z posted:Any suggestions on what to look for in an obedience class? Our dog has started to get less and less well behaved in public and around other dogs. I'm hoping to be able to do some work to curb her excitement over everything, but know basically nothing about dogs or training them. I've checked around and we have PetSmart(Of course), a franchised dog trainer(Camp bow-wow), a local non-profit obedience training club and a private school. I've looked around and found a smattering of reviews that might be reliable. What Engineer Lenk said, you definitely want to look for positive reinforcement classes. You'll also want to look at the credibility of the teachers. This isn't limited to their schooling they've had, but also the length they've been working with dogs, the types of dogs they've worked with, and that they're willing to try a variety of things depending on the situation. If you're basically looking for socialization, even PetsMart isn't that bad just because you're looking to get your dog around other dogs. However, if you're looking to get lots of solid advice from your trainer, it'd probably be good to look elsewhere because PetsMart training is very cookie-cutter and you might not get the help you're looking for. Obedience clubs are usually great because the people involved are in it just for the sport. However, you'll definitely want to sit in on a class or two (no matter where you go) and see if it's a good fit for you. Most clubs are really great, but every so often you'll get a club that's SO serious about getting titles on their dogs that they're not concerned about people just having fun and training good family pets. Like I said, though, most clubs are going to be great and are going to love the fact that you're trying to help socialize your dog.
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Mar 3, 2010 13:16
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Okay, one of my pregnant friends needs some help with her cat. I have given her a bit of advice, but want to dig into all y'all's minds for more. She has three cats- two male adults, ages 6 and 5, and one female adolescent (maybe 1.5?). At night, all the cats sleep in her bedroom with her and her man. The 6 year old male and the adolescent female sleep just fine through the night. But lately, the 5 year old male has become a royal jerk. Somewhere between 2 and 4:30 AM, he'll decide it's time for everyone to get up. He'll jump from dresser to window to bed to other dresser, etc, over and over. He'll knock poo poo off their nightstands. He'll meow (he has a really small, high meow, but he does it incessantly). He'll basically do everything he can think of to get her out of bed. And when you're 8 months pregnant and sleep is already at a premium, this really, really loving sucks. I assumed at first that he was doing it so she'd feed him, but she says he's really not at all food motivated, so I'm now not sure that's it. Her dilemma, however, is that the other two cats snuggle down so nicely for the night that she doesn't want to kick them all out of the bedroom. She doesn't think it's fair to the other cats. I've suggested that she move a litter box to their bathroom, or put a new one in there, and close the jerk cat out at night, while letting the other two stay in. She says that it might work, but what she's noticed when she kicks jerky out at 2 or 3 AM is that the adolescent female wakes up and starts playing with him under the door, so she's not sure of that solution. I also suggested that she keep a spray bottle by the bed and be diligent about spraying him, or spraying at him if that works, when he's being an rear end in a top hat. Any other suggestions, PI-ers? Sorry for the wall of text; short story is, how to keep jerky cat from being a jerk while not punishing other cats?
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Mar 3, 2010 14:43
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Fire In The Disco posted:Any other suggestions, PI-ers? Sorry for the wall of text; short story is, how to keep jerky cat from being a jerk while not punishing other cats? Kick the jerk out and send the 1.5 year-old with him to work off some energy, since she'll go play under the door anyway. It's not really a punishment if he's entertaining her.
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Mar 3, 2010 18:14
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how much should I be feeding my young hedgehog? I saw things on the internet that said 3-4 tbsp of dry food...I tried doing this one night and he ate all of it at once, and then later was searching my bedroom for crumbs because he was so hungry. 
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Mar 3, 2010 20:41
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What are you feeding him, and how young is 'young'? I free-fed my hedgehogs a mixture of high-quality dry cat kibbles in their food dishes, but I also hid different foods (meal worms, chicken, blueberries, etc.) in small dishes around their cages so that they could forage. I would say that 1/4c (4 tbsp) of food is enough dry kibble for a hedgehog, but you should still be supplementing with other things. I also wouldn't necessarily take his search for crumbs as an indication that he was especially hungry; foraging is just instinctive behaviour.
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Mar 3, 2010 22:38
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He's about 9-10 weeks. I feed him a Hedgehog diet that I got at my local pet shop which is apparently really good for him. I keep his food dish half full and he doesn't eat all of it every night. His food actually has dried meal worms in it, and up until tonight I couldn't get him to eat a live one. I just really don't want him to get too fat
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Mar 4, 2010 07:00
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If you're really concerned, you can monitor his weight and make sure he's growing at a healthy rate (a kitchen scale works well for this). But honestly, it's not something I would be too worried about yet. Assuming he has a big bucket wheel and lots of out-of-cage time, he's not going to balloon up on you at 10 weeks. I am somewhat skeptical of the food you're feeding him if it's a 'specialty hedgehog' food, though. Maybe there have been strides made in the years since I owned hedgehogs, but a few years ago, every commercial hedgehog diet was full of crap, and a mixture of lower-fat varieties of high quality cat kibbles was the best diet out there. You don't want anything higher than 20% fat, moderate protein (25%-35%), and you want to avoid corn and wheat fillers or anything with 'modified chicken meal by-product' type ingredients. Also are there pictures of him anywhere in PI? Little known fact: hedgehogs are closely related to kittens. You don't want to risk explosion 
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Mar 4, 2010 17:14
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Orfeo posted:My dog just had to go to the vet because of a case of pyoderma, so she's pretty drat miserable right now. She's been prescribed antibiotics, medicated shampoo, and brushing. But there are lots of patches where the hair is really loose and falling out in clumps, due to the infection. Would it be a good idea to brush those areas out, even if it causes bald spots in her coat? My dog gets periodic patchy skin infections as a result of an autoimmune disorder. We just have to treat the infections with antibiotics as they show up (usually a new one pops up about a week after finishing a course of antibiotics). As the infections heal, the hair in those spots gets really loose. I just slowly work it out with my fingers, because the brush can snag the skin or rip out the clumps too quickly/painfully. It's gross work because there's always skin flakes and sometimes some dried pus in the area. The first time I just kinda did it on a whim, when I told my vet about it she told me to keep doing it, just make sure the infection spot has fully healed before I do it. Here's a terrible pic that shows her biggest spot, this one popped up around Christmas and we had to wait a couple days before we could get the antibiotic. You can also see the gross flakes in her fur behind the spot. Most of them are about silver dollar-sized, and she probably has about 10 or 12 spots now.  So yeah, not a vet, but my dog has similar issues and my vet told me to gently work the clumps out with my fingers. It doesn't hurt her, although she does get a little uncomfortable at times. I stop when she starts showing signs of discomfort and start back up the next day.
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Mar 4, 2010 17:37
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Engineer Lenk posted:Kick the jerk out and send the 1.5 year-old with him to work off some energy, since she'll go play under the door anyway. It's not really a punishment if he's entertaining her. I suggested this, but she's not on board for it. She loves the girl tons and wants her cuddling at night. I think the spray bottle's going to be about her only option at this point.
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Mar 4, 2010 18:34
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Fire In The Disco posted:I suggested this, but she's not on board for it. She loves the girl tons and wants her cuddling at night. I think the spray bottle's going to be about her only option at this point.
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Mar 4, 2010 18:46
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Yeah, that's how they get the 1.5 year old to sleep through the night. The other two participate in it, but never as much as the girl.
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Mar 4, 2010 18:52
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Ha ha my cat was sticking his tongue out when I was rubbing his belly today what does that mean. Also he always jumps in my chair when I get up do cats like butt heat??
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Mar 5, 2010 00:13
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We have just adopted a new dog and I have a couple of questions about him. He is a grazer. He likes to have a couple bites of food once in a while over the course of the evening. Is this a bad thing? Should he eat the whole meal when we give it to him and take it away if he doesn't finish? I'm not sure what is the best way to correct bad behavior. We are doing well with training using positive reenforcemnt and NILIF, but that doesn't help me when he is trying to eat cat little or barking out the window. Seems like everyone has a different opinion about the best way to do it. He also like to chase the cat, who makes sure to let him know when he has had enough. Should we be stopping this? Or should we just let the cat smack him around (claws in, so he doesn't feel threatened) ?
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Mar 5, 2010 19:56
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Demon_Corsair posted:We have just adopted a new dog and I have a couple of questions about him. No real advice for the barking stuff but how is he chasing the cat? Is it like a vicious thing or prey drive or is he just playing? (lots of play bowing and barking)
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Mar 5, 2010 20:19
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Kerfuffle posted:Grazing is fine, some doggies just like eating slow. Good to know. It's strange, we have a dog that grazes and cat that until recently would just inhale all his food. It seems like he is just playing. Chases the cat, then when the cat gets tired of running and lays down and prances around the cat dodging the swipes. It's pretty funny, he will bounce in rear end first and then twirl around before running away. Generally the cat seems ok with it. If not he hisses and runs somewhere that the dog can't access.
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Mar 5, 2010 20:23
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