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I have a cat. She likes to scratch at the carpet. In an effort to redirect her scratching to something else, she now has a little carpet covered house and another little kitty condo thing with rope scratching posts on it. Since she is a cat, she naturally doesn't want to cooperate with me and instead continues to scratch the carpet on the floor. I've noticed she mostly scratches around things. If I place my backpack on the floor, she will claw at the ground around it. The place in my room where I keep the box fan is showing signs of claw damage as well. She does the same thing for her carpet house and kitty condo. I've tried putting a big, flat piece of cardboard beneath the house/condo in hopes that she'll stop scratching around it and instead claw the darn things themselves, but that didn't work. I've also tried moving them to wherever she scratches, but then she just finds somewhere else. Does my cat just want to destroy my floor? 
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Oct 28, 2008 06:01
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Aranan posted:I have a cat. She likes to scratch at the carpet. In an effort to redirect her scratching to something else, she now has a little carpet covered house and another little kitty condo thing with rope scratching posts on it. It could be that she just loves horizontal scratching, and not vertical scratching. Have you tried those flat cardboard/catnip scratchers? Or maybe the kitty condo isn't tall enough? Many cats won't use them unless they are taller than the cat is, all stretched out. (aren't cats a bitch) Also, you may want to look into softpaws, if she is doing damage to the flooring.
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Oct 28, 2008 07:08
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How common is it for two male Syrian hamsters to get along well in the same cage? I've got a pair from my old roommate that eat and sleep together, and my family and I are completely convinced that they're gay.
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Oct 28, 2008 12:35
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IntoTheNihil posted:Is there a way to stop my year old Guinea Pig from going all killdozer on his cage? Basically he'll sneak behind his igloo/house and push it across the cage and/or dump it. If he still wants to wreck stuff he'll dump his toilet box over and send it flying too. He's got a decent amount of room (upgrading it soon), is in a room with people around all the time, and gets fed + cleaned more than enough. It's cute as hell but is annoying when it's happening every 5 minutes at 3:00 A.M., haha. They are HIGHLY social animals. He's probably lonesome and bored - human companionship does nothing to alleviate the instinctive need for someone of his own species to talk to while the people are asleep. Let me know your zip code and I can recommend a guinea pig rescue near you. You'll want to work with a rescue so that they can help you through the bonding process - pigs aren't like cats, you can't just throw them together and they start playing; you'll need to do supervised introductions until you're sure they won't kill each other. Even with a friend, they may still be noisy at that time of day. There is no way to keep a pig from being active at 3am - they are crepuscular, meaning they are most active in the hours around dusk and dawn. All you can do is move his cage into the living room and away from the sleeping areas. Earplugs are a good investment, too.
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Oct 28, 2008 15:12
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I adopted two kittens Sunday and bought a Drinkwell at the same time. They've been drinking a good bit from it, but it's growing mold already. I know that it needs to be cleaned periodically, but after 2 days? Is there some way to prevent it from happening so quickly?
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Oct 28, 2008 16:06
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Whoa, that seems REALLY quick to be developing mold. I don't think I've ever had mold in mine, and I clean it about once a week, or once every other week, depending on the shmutz I find in it. I'd clean it out thoroughly and replace the filter-- maybe the one you have in there now is defective?
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Oct 28, 2008 16:10
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What would be a good dog breed if I live in an apartment (a good sized one, but still not as big as a house), but am able/want to take the dog out for frequent physical activity, and to dog parks and such. Being able to take it on jogs would be nice too, but not necessary. Basically I'm looking for a dog that can handle being cooped up for a few hours a day in an apartment, but still has lots of energy for when its appropriate. I looked into greyhounds, but frankly I've really been turned off by the ones my relatives have owned; they've all been very skittish around strangers. Any breed that is naturally O.K. with cats/other dogs would be a bonus, as I would take it with me to my parents' house on holidays (they have two dogs).
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Oct 28, 2008 17:54
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Narciss posted:What would be a good dog breed if I live in an apartment (a good sized one, but still not as big as a house), but am able/want to take the dog out for frequent physical activity, and to dog parks and such. Being able to take it on jogs would be nice too, but not necessary. Beagles are a good mix of athletic and lazy. Up for anything, including long jogs, but also content to curl up on the couch for much of the day. They get along well with other animals (besides rabbits, in my experience) and I've never met one who didn't love meeting new people and going places. They can handle being crated, but they crave attention and companionship, so it'd be a bad choice if you don't plan on spending lots of quality time just hanging out with your dog. They can also be noisy, though the reasons and frequency of their howling varies from individual to individual. Jax, for example, only really gets going when there's actually something to bark at - an opossum, the mailman, etc. Others may bark simply because they're bored and lonely though, same as other dogs really, except hounds are loving good at barking. Their smallish size makes them easy to take in the car; Jax's crate can fit in the backseat of my 2-door Honda Civic, for example.
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Oct 28, 2008 19:19
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why do cats do the head bump thing?
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Oct 28, 2008 19:52
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Does anyone have experience with dogs with Spondylosis? My family's 13 year old cattle dog/border collie mix was diagnosed with it 6 months ago, and although he seems ok now (and has had no fusings since), it is hard to get him to get up and walk, even though it seems to help him a lot. Because of this he's been putting on weight, so I'm worried that that's just compounding the problem. Also, is there an accurate way to gauge his soreness/pain level? Because of how 'hard' of a dog he is, I'm afraid that he's in a lot more pain sometimes then he lets on.
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Oct 28, 2008 19:55
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Toussaint Louverture posted:why do cats do the head bump thing? I always heard it was a sign of marking their "things," and we are usually considered a large mobile thing that cats own. It's a good thing. 
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Oct 28, 2008 20:29
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Toussaint Louverture posted:why do cats do the head bump thing? That depends if you mean nuzzling with the side of their face or full-on headbutting. All my cats nuzzle with their faces (that's normal, scent marking/affection I presume), but only one of them goes round cracking her forehead against me repeatedly. She actually does it hard enough to hurt sometimes. All I can presume is that she's crazy.
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Oct 29, 2008 16:29
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My dog got some tar on her paws and belly. I managed to cut off the hair that was tarred and scrub her paws but they're still black and a bit tarry. How worried should I be about her licking the affected area? She hasn't started yet but I'm sure she will...
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Oct 29, 2008 17:43
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Toussaint Louverture posted:why do cats do the head bump thing? Because they wuv you  I don't know an evolutionary reason for it, but whenever a cat headbumps me it's always been a "Hey buddy!" kind of thing. Some of them go overboard with it (my brother's cat Homer will incessantly headbutt your forehead, shoulders, arms, back, whatever he can reach until you pet him for at least 20 minutes), but most of them are just saying hello and reminding you that their ears need a good scratchin'.
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Oct 29, 2008 17:46
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Toussaint Louverture posted:why do cats do the head bump thing? When my cats do it, it's always a "What's up, dude?" kind of thing, or they're trying to get your attention. Our oldest cat loves headbutting shins if you're sitting on the couch when he comes in, which can be a bit painful if he does it hard enough. At least he doesn't bite to get attention - my youngest cat likes to nip my calves if I'm standing at the counter in the kitchen or taking a piss and not paying attention to her when she wanders in.
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Oct 29, 2008 20:20
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This is my first time posting in PI... I'm not sure if this deserves its own thread, so I'll try here first and maybe ya'll can let me know. About a year ago, my friend adopted two kittens from the local SPCA. One of them, Charlie, had grown up indoors and with people until my friend adopted her. The other, Ginny, was feral and brought to the SPCA, but ended up socializing very well with people and with Charlie and everything had been going swimmingly with the cats since then. About a week ago, my friend woke up to a weird noise. Somehow her front door hadn't properly latched or locked, and swung open in the middle of the night. Charlie was still chilling inside, but Ginny was gone. Since then, she hasn't turned up. My friend swears sometimes she hears meowing outside, though that could be her just wishing her cat could come back or another neighborhood stray. She's put out food bowls that have started to disappear, but that could also be anything... another cat, a raccoon, who knows. We're college students, so she's always got a weird schedule, meaning she can't just park herself inside the door watching the food bowl 24/7. Any suggestions for either figuring out if it is actually Ginny coming around still eating the food? Or a way to trap her/whatever's eating? I did some basic googling, but was having a difficult time finding anything helpful. Any suggestions about potentially finding her, or figuring out/trapping whatever's been eating the food would be wonderful. Thanks so much! Oh, we've been checking the local SPCA for her, too. No dice there. She's declawed in the front and of course had no collar because that would just make things too easy. She put up some fliers around her apartment complex but hasn't heard anything from anybody who may have seen Ginny or taken her in. Apparently Charlie's gotten really lonely, too... being super needy/affectionate and mopey when he was none of those before.
BobTheCow fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Oct 29, 2008 |
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Oct 29, 2008 22:21
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TheNateLaw posted:I adopted two kittens Sunday and bought a Drinkwell at the same time. They've been drinking a good bit from it, but it's growing mold already. I know that it needs to be cleaned periodically, but after 2 days? Is there some way to prevent it from happening so quickly? Are you on well water or something like that? Our cat dishes would grow algae (not mold) really quickly when I lived out in the country and had well water. Here on city water, with chlorine and fluoride added, Charlie's fountain stays clean for a pretty long time.
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Oct 29, 2008 22:43
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There are live traps that you can borrow/rent from your local shelter. You place the food in the back of the trap, set it, and then check on it every so often - I checked the trap every 45 minutes when I was trying to catch JJ. They're idiot proof - I'm one of those people that couldn't nail two boards together without instructions and I figured it out. Sometimes you get a smart cat who'll step over the trap, but there are ways around that - initially JJ would step over the plate, so someone here in thread gave me the idea to cover the plate with a piece of folded up paper. It worked like a charm. Sometimes there's a waiting list on the traps though, so the sooner she calls the shelter about it the better. I had to wait about a week to get my live trap. In the meantime, I'd keep leaving out food. It may not be Ginny though, and your friend needs to be prepared for that. Lost pets are a terrible thing to go through
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Oct 29, 2008 22:43
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Women's Rights? posted:There are live traps that you can borrow/rent from your local shelter... Oh cool, I hadn't even thought of the possibility of borrowing/renting a trap, I'll look into that. Thanks for the tip. And yeah, as soon as it happened she was sort of in denial and just knew she'd come back. She's been a little upset since then, but remains cautiously optimistic. You're absolutely right though, she needs to be prepared for the possibility that Ginny is gone. I may try to gently broach the subject if I get a chance.
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Oct 29, 2008 22:57
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gyroball posted:My dog got some tar on her paws and belly. I managed to cut off the hair that was tarred and scrub her paws but they're still black and a bit tarry. How worried should I be about her licking the affected area? She hasn't started yet but I'm sure she will... Have you tried using baby oil to remove the tar more completely? It works wonders on my feet every time I go to the beach, and if you can get most of it off that'd be better than trying to guess if tar is toxic.
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Oct 30, 2008 00:06
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This is my first winter with my Roborovski hamsters and I'm worried they are not warm enough. They have plenty of bedding and there are four of them so they sleep in a little bundle, but lately they have not been as active and I am worried it is lethargy because they are cold. I've been putting the heating on as much as possible, keeping the window closed and closing the door to that room to keep the heat in. Is there anything else I can do?
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Oct 30, 2008 02:43
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gyroball posted:My dog got some tar on her paws and belly. I managed to cut off the hair that was tarred and scrub her paws but they're still black and a bit tarry. How worried should I be about her licking the affected area? She hasn't started yet but I'm sure she will... Dawn dish soap is what they use for animals caught in oil spills. I bet that would work pretty good.
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Oct 30, 2008 03:40
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Narciss posted:What would be a good dog breed if I live in an apartment (a good sized one, but still not as big as a house), but am able/want to take the dog out for frequent physical activity, and to dog parks and such. Being able to take it on jogs would be nice too, but not necessary. They're a lot of work, but from my personal experience so far Shiba Inus are very good apartment dogs (and so pretty!). They're very smart and very good at entertaining themselves. Mine is ridiculously friendly to strangers, and gets along very well with other dogs.
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Oct 30, 2008 16:28
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Noctone posted:They're a lot of work, but from my personal experience so far Shiba Inus are very good apartment dogs (and so pretty!). They're very smart and very good at entertaining themselves. Mine is ridiculously friendly to strangers, and gets along very well with other dogs.
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Oct 30, 2008 16:41
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CagedLiberty posted:This is my first winter with my Roborovski hamsters and I'm worried they are not warm enough. They have plenty of bedding and there are four of them so they sleep in a little bundle, but lately they have not been as active and I am worried it is lethargy because they are cold. I've been putting the heating on as much as possible, keeping the window closed and closing the door to that room to keep the heat in. Is there anything else I can do? Update on this, I've just kept the heating on for a long time and they've been much more active last night and even got up early today, so I think it's fine.
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Oct 30, 2008 20:07
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CagedLiberty posted:Chilly Hamsters I have a pair of gerbils who seem to get a little chilly in the fall/winter, so a few years ago I got a little tiny reptile cage heating pad. I put it outside the cage, with a lightweight dishtowel between it and the cage. When I first did it, I just let a tiny corner get warm, and they seemed to love it. By mid-winter when it's super chilly, I have the whole heating pad under (it's only like 4x4in) and I take the towel off. (I regularly check to see how warm the floor is.) But they will move their nest right over that spot, and add more insulation between it and them depending on how hot they get. When they're not asleep on it, they are back to their activity levels of the summer. I would heartily recommend this if your hamsters are getting too cold, but be sure you check it regularly (at least for a while) to make sure there is not chance of burning them. edit: spellin' McDougirl fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Oct 31, 2008 |
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Oct 30, 2008 21:46
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McDougirl posted:I have a pair of gerbils who seem to get a little chilly in the fall/winter, so a few years ago I got a little tiny reptile cage heating pad. I put it outside the cage, with a lightweight dishtowel between it and the cage. When I first did it, I just let a tiny corner get warm, and they seemed to love it. By mid-winter when it's super chilly, I have the whole heating pad under (it's only like 4x4in) and I take the towel off. (I regularly check to see how warm the floor is.) But they will move their nest right over that spot, and add more insulation between it and them depending on how hot they get. When they're not asleep on it, they are back to their activity levels of the summer. That's a good idea, I'll look for one of these. I've heard of them before but never thought of keeping it outside the cage, that sounds better. Thanks!
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Oct 30, 2008 21:54
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CagedLiberty posted:That's a good idea, I'll look for one of these. I've heard of them before but never thought of keeping it outside the cage, that sounds better. Thanks!
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Oct 31, 2008 02:17
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Whats the proper course of action for dealing with stray animals? I live in a college town so there is a fair number of stray cats that people have let go or even who were born wild. I can only assume that the local humane society is full to the brim because of this so I can't really see calling them as being an option. I myself can't take in a cat but if I had my way I would take in every single one. Since I can't, what should I do? Ignore them? Its getting cold out down here and I wonder if putting out boxes for sleeping or something or food would help or hurt more. I have to ask after being meowed at plaintively by a young and adorable gray cat outside my boyfriends apartment. It took everything I had to not just scoop it up and take it inside.
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Oct 31, 2008 07:40
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A lot of areas have organizations that will come and "clean up" the feral population: humanely trap, then spay/neuter and release them (sometimes with FIV/FeLV testing so that they can catch the disease vectors too). Search around for TNR (trap/neuter/release) programs in your area. Sometimes they have funding, more often they don't, but usually they can work with you and/or other concerned people in your neighborhood to get the cats taken care of. The cats will just keep reproducing all year round until they start to become a real nuisance (if they haven't already...) if the cycle isn't stopped. Alley Cat Allies is one example of a national organization that assists with these efforts, and Feral Feline Organization is one that started in my area (but has begun to spread its wings a little). Sekhmet fucked around with this message at 10:45 on Oct 31, 2008 |
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Oct 31, 2008 10:38
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How are Fancy Rats as pets? I hear they smell (Bad), are really clever, and darn cute. Confirm, deny? Advice?
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Oct 31, 2008 18:20
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sucks to ur assmar posted:DO NOT get a shiba inu unless you want an extremely difficult dog that will remain a challenge for its entire life.
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Oct 31, 2008 19:20
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Noctone posted:What makes you say that? Mine is about 16.5 weeks old and she's already very well behaved, and it didn't take a ridiculous amount of work. Every Shiba Inu that I've ever met has been very well behaved. Congrats on your 16 weeks of experience. How many Asian spitz breed dogs have you raised and trained in your life? I have been around asian spitz dogs my entire life, and let me tell you - they do not become people friendly well behaved dogs on their own. It takes constant work and the right kind of owner and discipline. ----------------
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Oct 31, 2008 20:05
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Zombiesinmyshower! posted:Congrats on your 16 weeks of experience. How many Asian spitz breed dogs have you raised and trained in your life? I have been around asian spitz dogs my entire life, and let me tell you - they do not become people friendly well behaved dogs on their own. It takes constant work and the right kind of owner and discipline. 2 months, assuming he got the dog at 8 weeks. Yes, I'd take breed and training advice from a novice owner with 2 months of experience.
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Oct 31, 2008 20:07
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Zombiesinmyshower! posted:Congrats on your 16 weeks of experience. How many Asian spitz breed dogs have you raised and trained in your life? I have been around asian spitz dogs my entire life, and let me tell you - they do not become people friendly well behaved dogs on their own. It takes constant work and the right kind of owner and discipline. SachielDVangel posted:2 months, assuming he got the dog at 8 weeks. Yes, I'd take breed and training advice from a novice owner with 2 months of experience. It's actually been about 6 weeks. I'm not pretending to be an expert dog trainer (hence why I asked what assmar's reasoning was), I was merely describing what has been my experience so far. Based upon how my Shiba Inu behaves, it sounds like the breed is just about perfect for what Narciss described. I'd appreciate it you two would cut it out with the condescension bullshit. It's really not that hard to give out advice without being a dick.
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Nov 1, 2008 06:39
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OMFG FLEAS!!! My dog and 2 cats are covered in fleas. I have been giving them Frontline, but it just doesn't work. I am buying K-9 Advantix today, but I can't afford to buy another treatment for my cats, at least not until Friday. I have been doing some reading and it seems that at least here in the South, Frontline just isn't as effective as it once was. Are there any cheap treatments that work for cats? Also I tried baths, and I won't be doing THAT again.
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Nov 1, 2008 13:05
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Noctone posted:It's actually been about 6 weeks. I'm not pretending to be an expert dog trainer (hence why I asked what assmar's reasoning was), I was merely describing what has been my experience so far. Based upon how my Shiba Inu behaves, it sounds like the breed is just about perfect for what Narciss described.  People are being condescending because it's absolutely ridiculous for someone to suggest a shiba inu to anyone but the most experienced dog owner. "What makes you say that? Mine is about 16.5 weeks old and she's already very well behaved, and it didn't take a ridiculous amount of work. Every Shiba Inu that I've ever met has been very well behaved." This reads like a joke, and if you honestly are totally baffled and surprised by anyone saying Shibas are an extreme pain in the rear end, congratulations sir you're up for an entertaining next 15 years of your life. Truly and honestly, how much research did you get when you bought the dog? It is absolutely beyond me that anyone would own a shiba inu puppy and had never heard that they are difficult dogs. Also beyond me that anyone would breed them and not explain to their potential homes exactly what they were getting into.
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Nov 1, 2008 14:48
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The Dregs posted:OMFG FLEAS!!! Frontlive does work, but it won't clear up an already present infestation. Go looking for bargain flea meds for your cats and you can end up with some seriously sick or even dead pets. A thorough flea bath is a good idea, did they actually get the bath or did it not even get to that point? Bath the dogs at least, thoroughly. Buy some Fleabusters powder and apply it to your house. It will work for a whole year and kill any fleas hiding in the carpet or couches. If the fleas are really that bad you can go to your vet and get a pill called capstar, which kills every flea on the animal in 24 hours. They have to bite to get killed, which is why you need to have a couple days worth of the stuff.
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Nov 1, 2008 14:53
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Frontline isn't working. At all. A trip to the pet store just confirmed this..they are selling out of alternatives. I have no idea why. I will look into this powder, though. thanks! And I did bathe the dog. The cat tried to desleeve my arm.
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Nov 1, 2008 15:37
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The Dregs posted:Frontline isn't working. At all. A trip to the pet store just confirmed this..they are selling out of alternatives. I have no idea why. I will look into this powder, though. thanks! And I did bathe the dog. The cat tried to desleeve my arm. You ought to go to your vet ASAP for some help. Capstar is pretty amazing if you've never seen it work before. It will kill ALL of the fleas on your pets in 24 hours. The longer you spend trying OTC flea killers, the more flea eggs are going to get all over your house. If the problem is as bad as you describe, you're going to need a multi-pronged attack on those little flea bastards. Capstar + Advantage + Flea Busters powder / Diatomaceous Earth. I'd also warn you away from using K9 Advantix since you have cats; permethrin is seriously dangerous for them, and it would be best to avoid its use as much as possible. Permethrins are also used in most of the cheap-o OTC products, so make sure you check out the active ingredient before buying anything.
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Nov 1, 2008 16:13
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