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KilGrey posted:I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not: Whoops. Dunno how I missed those two sentences. 
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Nov 24, 2008 23:54
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I'm considering getting a pet but I have some eccentric (I think) requirements. It has to be a vegetarian since I am (which rules out cats and dogs of course), it should be affectionate since I don't want a jerk, and I don't want to support a pet industry that treats animals as disposable toys. I was thinking about rats, but I'd probably have to get them from a pet shop, and I was trying to figure out about feeding cats vegetarian, but it seemed costly and risky for their health. Am I screwed? I kind of think I am.
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Nov 24, 2008 23:57
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Saerdna posted:I'm considering getting a pet but I have some eccentric (I think) requirements. It has to be a vegetarian since I am (which rules out cats and dogs of course), it should be affectionate since I don't want a jerk, and I don't want to support a pet industry that treats animals as disposable toys. Definitely don't get a cat. Cats are obligate carnivores and should not be fed vegetarian diets. I don't have any experience with rats, but I seem to remember a lot of PIers saying they can be very affectionate. You can always check in your area for reputable rat breeders to avoid the pet store situation.
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Nov 25, 2008 00:06
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Rats have higher protein requirements than mice or hamsters, so you'd have to work hard to make sure they got all the protein they needed. Get a hamster, they're vegetarians anyway. Or a guinea pig, though they have their own complications of ownership. But they're vegetarians, as are rabbits and some birds. And yeah, definitely don't get a cat. It will die.
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Nov 25, 2008 00:15
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Saerdna posted:It has to be a vegetarian since I am Just out of curiosity, why? Is it because you don't want stinky dog/cat food around?
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Nov 25, 2008 00:30
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100 Years in Iraq posted:Just out of curiosity, why? Is it because you don't want stinky dog/cat food around? Probably because an animal would be killed to create their pet's food?
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Nov 25, 2008 01:18
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Saerdna, I would go with guinea pigs or rabbits in your situation. Both would be very happy to share your vegetables and take care of your carrot tops, veggie peels, and extra leafy greens.100 Years in Iraq posted:Just out of curiosity, why? Is it because you don't want stinky dog/cat food around? The chickens, cows, and other animals that become pet food have lives exactly as horrible as the ones that become human food.
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Nov 25, 2008 01:22
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Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about guinea pigs and hamsters, but I don't have any experience with them, so I don't really know how I'd get along with them. My favorite animal is cat, so I'd prefer something like that, playful, sociable, but not terrified of being alone. A friend of mine had a rabbit when we were kids and it was the least interesting animal I've ever seen. It didn't seem to have a social bone in its body. Would a guinea pig or hamster have something you could call a personality and interest in people? Silly Hippie posted:Probably because an animal would be killed to create their pet's food? This.
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Nov 25, 2008 01:29
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Saerdna posted:Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about guinea pigs and hamsters, but I don't have any experience with them, so I don't really know how I'd get along with them. My favorite animal is cat, so I'd prefer something like that, playful, sociable, but not terrified of being alone. A friend of mine had a rabbit when we were kids and it was the least interesting animal I've ever seen. It didn't seem to have a social bone in its body. This thread made me want a bun, and it's a window into life with them although that isn't it's intent http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2965015 there was a super awesome thread about a one eyed black bunny and a sweet dad that found it at his job, then it had babies, but I can't find it. ChairmanMeow fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Nov 25, 2008 |
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Nov 25, 2008 06:16
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Saerdna posted:Would a guinea pig or hamster have something you could call a personality and interest in people? Hamsters: not really. You can get them to the point where they don't MIND being held, but mostly they are only interested in you if you have food. However, the tiny ones like the robos are hilarious to watch. I would certainly recommend them as a starter pet. Guinea pigs: not really. They do have personality, but again it primarily revolves around food, so they are more entertaining to watch than to cuddle. Mine scream for me when they hear me in the kitchen, and run screaming from me whenever I go to hold them. I got out of cat rescue for the same reason (not because I minded my obligate carnivore eating another animal, I just got tired of the stink of carnivore poo poo in my house). I have both rabbits and guinea pigs, and I've found that both are INCREDIBLY harder to care for than cats or dogs. They both are gregarious and have to be kept in pairs, which have to be bonded by experts so they don't hurt each other. They require much larger pens (8 square feet at least) than are sold in pet stores. They both eat hay which is dusty and gets everywhere. They both require expensive vet care (several hundred per year, easily a few thousand in an emergency). I no longer recommend either as pets to 99% of people.  However, rats should not be off the table. Unlike hammies, rabbits, or guinea pigs, they are social in the way most people think: they actually LIKE people and want to be held, and will come looking for you, and beg to be cuddled. They only live 2-3 years, so if they turn out to be not what you had in mind, you don't have an 8 (guinea pig) to 12 (rabbit) year commitment. Also, whatever animal you want, I can hook you right up with a rescue or shelter. Just give me a zip code. Overall, your best bet might be to find a small animal rescue who has all of these species, and offer to foster different species in rotation. They'll teach you all you need to know, you can return them without issue if they aren't what you had in mind, and you'll have the peace of mind that you're not contributing to the mill breeders (petstore rabbits and guinea pigs are from millers who are just as bad as the dog millers). Hope this helps!
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Nov 25, 2008 16:02
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ChairmanMeow posted:It seems you're on step one, so whatever direction you go as you narrow it down there is probably a group of PIers who can hook you up with a place to spend some time with an animal before you bring one home. Maybe a rescue be it for bunnies or hams or whatever. Yeah, I might contact a rescue and ask them what animals they have. From that thread the rabbits seem more affectionate and interesting than I thought they could be, so maybe I'll look into that. alucinor posted:Hamsters: not really. You can get them to the point where they don't MIND being held, but mostly they are only interested in you if you have food. However, the tiny ones like the robos are hilarious to watch. I would certainly recommend them as a starter pet. Thanks alot for this. I'm in Norway, so I'll look for a rescue/shelter and see how I feel about the different animals. I always thought you could only get cats and dogs from shelters so this is really good news if I can get a rescued animal. Rats seem like they could be fun. I'll have to interact with some, and maybe it'll click.
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Nov 25, 2008 18:13
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aunt moneybags posted:I called back and sounded distraught. They said they'd try to fit me in today. If not, I'm going tomorrow AM. No fever, no infection, "she is such a sweet orange kitty", goodbye 200 bucks. (I had to get more revolution) Oh well. at least she's okay.
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Nov 25, 2008 18:24
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My cat has a bump between her back legs. We just noticed it this morning, and I don't believe it existed before this weekend (we were out of town for the weekend). We are taking her to the vet tonight at 5. I'm a wreck until then thinking it could be the worst.
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Nov 25, 2008 18:28
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Saerdna posted:From that thread the rabbits seem more affectionate and interesting than I thought they could be, so maybe I'll look into that. Rabbits aren't cuddly or affectionate and dislike being held. Hellblazer187 posted:My cat has a bump between her back legs. You sure she's not a boy?  I now what the feeling like a wreck is waiting for an appointment. I wish you the best.
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Nov 25, 2008 22:04
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OK. So Robin has one of two things wrong - either an infection, or a false pregnancy. I guess it could possible be both. The vet told me that there wasn't a tumor there. She stuck a needle in the bump and out came... apparently milk. She said what sometimes happens is that the cat is spayed, but the original surgeon doesn't remove all of the ovaries, so there are some microscopic amount in there and they begin to grow back. This gives the cat the hormones that put them in heat. Robin hasn't behaved like she's been in heat. She said it might just be an infection, so she gave us antibiotics. In a few weeks, if the bumps aren't gone, she'll have to open the cat up to get rid of whatever ovaries are left over. The fact that it's not a tumor makes me so happy. I bought the cats two lambskin toy mice and they seem to love them.
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Nov 26, 2008 00:40
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I'm bringing my 4 year old kitty Diana home from Orlando to Jacksonville, about a 3 hour drive. I adopted her a couple months ago and she's still a little scaredy cat, and she gets stressed out easily. How do I make the trip easier for her?
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Nov 26, 2008 18:57
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I don't know what's wrong, and the vet doesn't know what's wrong...I thought maybe if I post about it on the internet, one of you is bound to have some advice for what it may be. Last Thursday was an uneventful day. I took Dallas (my new dog) to get her booster shot and the kennel cough vaccine. I bought her some new toys at Wal-Mart. I ate some food. No big deal. But, that night, Dallas started making this strange coughing noise and then dry heaving. She's never done this before. I thought she might have had some fur or hair from a toy caught in her throat, and gave her some water. It didn't help. Nothing special seems to be causing the cough. She doesn't have to be over excited, she doesn't have to be chewing on something, it's not after she eats or drinks water, it's not just when we go on a walk, it's not when she's around a certain item...it's just random coughing fits followed by dry heaving numerous times a day. I can't find anything else that seems to be associated with the coughing. I called the vet and there haven't been reactions to the kennel cough vaccine in the past, so it wasn't that. One of the receptionists suggested it was reverse sneezing, which is harmless, but she HAS reverse sneezed a few times, and it doesn't sound the same. I took her to the vet Tuesday, and he doesn't know what's wrong either. He listened to her lungs, he pushed on her throat, he examined her, nothing. He also looked down her throat and said that she has a few random red spots that look like little lacerations. He suggested I stop feeding her hard food, which she hasn't been eating much of lately because I have to mix her staph infection medicine with soft food. The doctor also gave me a prescription for a cough suppressant, but that's only stopped the coughing fits and the dry heaving; she's still coughing, just once, quite frequently. It's been going on since Thursday, so I don't think she has anything stuck in her throat. She doesn't have any other symptoms, and seems to be a happy healthy dog other than that. I've been told to keep giving her her cough suppressant and see how she does over the weekend. If she's not worse by Friday, I've been asked to wait until next week to schedule a follow up examination. Does anyone have any ideas of what it could be? Has anyone ever dealt with this before? I'm worried about her...
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Nov 26, 2008 19:07
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Plucky posted:I'm bringing my 4 year old kitty Diana home from Orlando to Jacksonville, about a 3 hour drive. I adopted her a couple months ago and she's still a little scaredy cat, and she gets stressed out easily. How do I make the trip easier for her? I gave this advice a few pages back. Thankfully, you're not moving too far, so it shouldn't be too horrible. Get a harness that fits her, and put it on her the morning of the trip (you may want to get her used to it first). Then, stop about once an hour, clip on a leash, and give her a chance to walk a bit, have some water/kibble, and, if you're lucky, do her business. But, to be safe, be sure to line her carrier in newspaper and have more of it, plus paper towels handy.
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Nov 26, 2008 20:08
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LorneReams posted:My question, is it ok to give cats turkey for thanksgiving? Hell yes. My wife and I are planning on bringing leftovers home from the in-laws tomorrow so our cats will definitely get some. If you're the one making the turkey, you can cook the giblets and give those to the cats too. My mother used to do that every Thanksgiving for the cats we had when I was growing up - they loved that stuff.
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Nov 26, 2008 20:57
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I don't know if anyone can help, but I'm a little worried about our mice. Quite frequently, when they're up and around, they'll start twitching and spazzing out, hoping around. It seems to upset them because I've seen them try to eat something when one of these fits hit them. All three of them do it - I've read that occasionally mice get "fits" that cause them to spaz and run around, but to me it seems like they're being bitten. (I react the same way when I get a bug bite...) They also itch themselves pretty often, but I don't know if it's abnormal or if they're just being animals. They've been doing it for a couple weeks now, but they aren't showing any hairloss (which, the Internet tells me, is a common sign of mites) or other symptoms (eyes and nose are clear, they're active and eating, drinking) just the weird violent twitching. They're bedded in aspen shavings, which we change every 4-5 days... I've given them some small amounts of timothy hay too. They're probably just being small spazzy rodents, but it's so violent when they freak out that it worries me sometimes.
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Nov 26, 2008 21:23
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Meow Cadet posted:Are ramshorn snails murderous? Snails will quickly consume dead fish that fall to the bottom, but they are definitely not the cause of death.
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Nov 26, 2008 23:05
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UGAmandy posted:I don't know what's wrong, and the vet doesn't know what's wrong...I thought maybe if I post about it on the internet, one of you is bound to have some advice for what it may be. What breed/size of dog is this, and how old?
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Nov 26, 2008 23:11
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Has anybody tried automatic litter boxes instead of scooping their cats' litter? I was looking at this http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1009516 or maybe this http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1135201 (which honestly seems to be really expensive in the long term). Does anyone have any experience trying either of these or have a better solution?
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Nov 27, 2008 00:00
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The Metal Avenger posted:Has anybody tried automatic litter boxes instead of scooping their cats' litter? I was looking at this http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1009516 or maybe this http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1135201 (which honestly seems to be really expensive in the long term). Does anyone have any experience trying either of these or have a better solution? We have an automated litter box. For a while we had two (single cat, multi-story house), but one gave out on us, and he didn't seem to have a problem with just having one as long as it was centrally located. Ours was definitely cheaper than either of these, but it has a larger footprint (takes up more floorspace). One of the ways you can cut the expense is by not throwing away the plastic catch liners unless they get really scuzzy. A clumping litter is going to prevent the poop from getting on the liner, and you can just dump it into a trash bag and throw it away. I will say they use more litter than an equivalent sized regular box with a human scooping, because more gets swept into the bin. Ours also has the problem that if the power blinks it shuts off and doesn't come back on when the power comes on, so if you forget to turn it back on you can be unpleasantly surprised. They are also prone to jamming if a particularly large clump gets caught in the opening of the catch tray. But it works for us, especially since I'm probably the only one who would remember to scoop and I already attend to most of the cat-related chores (took over feeding when I realized the guys were forgetting to give him wet food every day), so I refuse to do it. They can barely remember to clean the catch once a week, and that's trash day, so it lends itself to that chore. I would not recommend it for more than one cat unless you were planning on getting several of them, since they fill up pretty quick. Even the cheap ones are freakishly expensive compared to a Rubbermaid bin and a slotted scoop, so I can't imagine buying more than one at a time.
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Nov 27, 2008 02:26
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I do petsitting on the side and I'm taking care of a little Daschund for a few weeks. Up until now most of the pet owners I have experienced feed high quality food. The kid who owns him is young and probably doesn't know about proper dog nutrition and is currently feeding him Iams. Would it be rude of me to switch his food while he's here? I know that he doesn't have any food allergies - or should I just wait and have the talk with him when he gets back?
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Nov 27, 2008 15:17
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Ms. Fabulosity! posted:Would it be rude of me to switch his food while he's here?
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Nov 27, 2008 15:21
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I was just thinking because he could see the improvement firsthand. I did this with a relatives dog and all they could do was rant and rave about how much better he looked/acted. But thanks for the answer.
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Nov 27, 2008 15:23
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Ms. Fabulosity! posted:I was just thinking because he could see the improvement firsthand. I did this with a relatives dog and all they could do was rant and rave about how much better he looked/acted. But thanks for the answer. Maybe you could just get some samples and then when the owner comes back say "I noticed you were feeding Iams. It's not terrible, but maybe give some of these a go and you'll be amazed at how much difference it makes." That way they're not shamed into thinking they're a terrible owner (Iams isn't wonderful but it beats the hell out of Ol' Roy) and they'll already have some examples of good food on hand to try out.
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Nov 27, 2008 16:37
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More of a comment that doesn't deserve a thread, not a question. We asked our new neighbor to watch over the cats while we were out of town for a couple days. No biggie. But now our friendlier cat reeks of perfume. I hope it's just from snuggles, and not from the neighbor spraying the cats with poo poo. Do you think someone would do that?
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Nov 29, 2008 05:48
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Meow Cadet posted:More of a comment that doesn't deserve a thread, not a question. Does your neighbour have a kid? Kids do that kinda poo poo. Adults? Less likely. Unless drunk maybe. In fact, I don't know anyone who would do that.
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Nov 29, 2008 23:12
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My 13 week old Pembroke Welsh Corgi has something in his eye. The breeders vet said nothing was wrong, but someone else said it could be a cherry eye. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/UberSpiffyChik/1227999636.jpg Left hand side of his eye.
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Nov 30, 2008 00:13
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xboobookittifkxx posted:My 13 week old Pembroke Welsh Corgi has something in his eye. The breeders vet said nothing was wrong, but someone else said it could be a cherry eye. What does YOUR vet say? Did you take it in for a check up within 72 hours of picking it up from the breeder? If not, do so now.
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Nov 30, 2008 00:46
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100 Years in Iraq posted:Maybe you could just get some samples and then when the owner comes back say "I noticed you were feeding Iams. It's not terrible, but maybe give some of these a go and you'll be amazed at how much difference it makes." That way they're not shamed into thinking they're a terrible owner (Iams isn't wonderful but it beats the hell out of Ol' Roy) and they'll already have some examples of good food on hand to try out. Thank You!  On another note, has anyone ever tried crate training with two crates? In other words, have one crate that is the "safe spot" for sleeping, has plenty of bedding, toys, etc. The other crate would be a "punishment" crate, where the dog went for time out, barren, no blankets, no playthings, a removal from the stimulation that was making them go nuts. I heard someone talking about this at work, and thought it would be an interesting idea.
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Nov 30, 2008 02:13
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xboobookittifkxx posted:My 13 week old Pembroke Welsh Corgi has something in his eye. The breeders vet said nothing was wrong, but someone else said it could be a cherry eye. I haven't ever seen a "cherry eye" (prolapsed eyelid gland) be in the outer corner like that, but I don't know enough to say it's impossible. Regardless, anything growth-like on the eyelids should be checked out by a vet, because even if it's deemed to be a benign growth, depending on where exactly it is it potentially could rub on the cornea and cause an ulcer. Definitely have your vet look at it and decide if it's a foreign body, or a growth that might need to be removed, or a cherry eye that needs fixing.
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Nov 30, 2008 02:34
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Ms. Fabulosity! posted:Thank You! I don't quite see how a dog would be able to make the distinction between the two different crates. The dog only sees a small dark area, it doesn't equate the items in the crate with the crate itself, so having one filled with toys and the other barren wouldn't really create any separation. It's in my opinion that you don't punish a dog, you work to correct the behavior through positive reinforcement. Punishing a dog by shoving it into a small space not only probably won't correct the problem, it also seems particularly cruel. It seems like it would just cause complete confusion and a total breakdown of the crate training system. And on top of that, if it worked, you'd be teaching the dog that crate=punishment, so how would he ever feel secure in one?  I wouldn't recommend trying it.
Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Nov 30, 2008 |
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Nov 30, 2008 02:57
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Captain Foxy posted:
Well, I was trying to equate it with what i've seen other dog trainers do which is remove the dog from the situation. Like, if a dog does a behavior that you don't like, you remove it from any positive stimulus in order to "punish" it. Like, you don't get to hang out with people if you don't act correctly. I know that with more destructive dogs, putting them in a room or gating them off in an area isn't an option, so this could be an alternative? And I don't know (emphasis on the don't know part, I'm just speculating) that it wouldn't necessarily mean that crate=bad because there would be a distinction between the crate that is associated with bedtime and warmth and comfort and the other than is associated with misbehaving.
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Nov 30, 2008 03:17
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Ms. Fabulosity! posted:Well, I was trying to equate it with what i've seen other dog trainers do which is remove the dog from the situation. Like, if a dog does a behavior that you don't like, you remove it from any positive stimulus in order to "punish" it. Like, you don't get to hang out with people if you don't act correctly. I know that with more destructive dogs, putting them in a room or gating them off in an area isn't an option, so this could be an alternative? Removing a dog from a situation is not a punishment; it's just another reinforcement tool. And again, a room is very different from a cage, in the dog's perspective. Dogs are designed with a denning instinct, and by making the den the place where it cannot interact with its family, you make the den a punishment. quote:And I don't know (emphasis on the don't know part, I'm just speculating) that it wouldn't necessarily mean that crate=bad because there would be a distinction between the crate that is associated with bedtime and warmth and comfort and the other than is associated with misbehaving. I still don't think so. Read above where I said a dog doesn't equate what's in a crate with the crate itself. Also, dogs don't know that they've 'misbehaved', they'd only know that they were being locked up. Again, it does not seem an effective training strategy for correcting a problem, instead it would seem to make training harder. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Nov 30, 2008 |
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Nov 30, 2008 03:24
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Sounds like an awful idea. What if you need to board your dog? Borrow someone else's crate? How is the dog going to react? Totally bad idea.
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Nov 30, 2008 03:25
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sucks to ur assmar posted:Sounds like an awful idea. What if you need to board your dog? Borrow someone else's crate? How is the dog going to react? Totally bad idea. Exactly. Any time you put a dog in a crate, no matter what you believe the function of the crate is, it's going to equate it with punishment and be miserable. You need to pound this into your brain: crates are only effective when NOT used for punishment.
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Nov 30, 2008 03:29
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Captain Foxy posted:You need to pound this into your brain: crates are only effective when NOT used for punishment. Jesus Christ, it's not like I believe in the method, I'm just pondering a potential training idea. I do disagree that dogs don't know when they have misbehaved. How many times have you come home to the dog with it's tail between it's legs only to find out it pooped on the carpet/chewed up something/raided the fridge. Dogs know what behaviors they do and do not get punished for, maybe not what is "right" and what is "wrong" but they certainly know what they get in trouble for.
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Nov 30, 2008 04:52
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