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Chaco posted:There are no snakes that could safely or happily live with a red-eared slider (or any other water turtle). If you want to give it a tankmate another turtle of a similar size is feasible, but keep in mind that having two turtles will mean that eventually you will want a tank larger than 50 gallons. Not for several years, but eventually. If either of them are female red-eared sliders (will be difficult to tell for a few more inches) they will need a much larger tank; even one large female could use at least 75 gallons. Thats unfortunate, I was hoping for a water snake or something. So are turtles really the only species? No weird geckos or something? Also I had no idea how fast and active these things are. I took it out and put it in my hand and the thing took off running, hand over hand, and continued to the entire time. edit: hey what about a frog The Wonder Weapon fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Aug 22, 2009 |
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Aug 22, 2009 14:31
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Settle an argument, PI. Some people I know insist on calling animals "it," and some people I know insist on calling them by their genders (when known). For example: "Let that dog out, it's been standing by the door for 5 minutes." versus "Feed the cat, she's meowing like a banshee." Do you think that "it" is disrespectful, or do you think that genders are overly-cutesy? Do you have your own reasoning entirely? I don't want to sway you by telling which side I'm on, but what's your preference?
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Aug 23, 2009 01:26
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I try to use he/she when possible. If I'm asking someone about their dog, I try to refrain from using "it," I usually say "your dog" or "the dog." I don't really even try, it's pretty much an unconscious thing. I wouldn't be offended if someone said "it" about my pets, I just prefer to talk about animals with gender-specific pronouns when the gender is known. Animals have genders, I'm not sure why someone would think it was overly cutesy to refer to an animal with the proper gender-specific pronoun.
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Aug 23, 2009 02:11
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As a hardcore English major, I tend to use "he or she" if I don't know the animal's sex.
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Aug 23, 2009 04:35
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McDougirl posted:Settle an argument, PI. Some people I know insist on calling animals "it," and some people I know insist on calling them by their genders (when known). For example: "Let that dog out, it's been standing by the door for 5 minutes." versus "Feed the cat, she's meowing like a banshee." If its your own dog, I would think its weird to call the dog "it" rather than by the dog's sex, but do whatever you like if you're paying the vet bills and all that jazz. If you're calling someone else's dog an "it" and you 100% know the sex, then you're being a dick. Pets are (usually) clearly male or female, and its not that hard to find out if you can't remember. If you're just being too lazy to remember the sex of a friend's pet, then you're a dick. I'd say the same rules apply to cats, birds, and similar pets but not to animals like fish. gently caress fish.
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Aug 23, 2009 05:24
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Thanks goons, you guys backed me up! Tons of people I know constantly refer to my dog as an it. (She is a she, fyi.) For whatever reason it really drives me crazy, and I'm glad I'm not that far out of line with some other pet owners.
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Aug 23, 2009 11:16
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I'm not sure this question deserves its own thread, so here it is! When breeding dogs, what is the proper minimum age you would want both the sire and the dam to be? I know some tests like for hip dysplasia can't be accurately done until the dog is at least 24 months old, so it would seem to me that it would be irresponsible to breed before this point. I'm looking at buying an Australian Shepherd puppy from a breeder, but I'm a bit concerned at the age of the sire. He's only now 2 years old (and the puppies are currently 3 weeks old and are CKC registered), and I'm holding off on committing until I get his newest medical information due in next week. Are there any other risks involved in siring a litter so early?
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Aug 24, 2009 02:23
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a life less posted:I'm not sure this question deserves its own thread, so here it is! Well, if the dam and sire already has their championships, AND the OFA comes back a-okay, then you might be in the clear. Maybe. Ideally, the breeder would wait longer and make sure the dog is conformationally sound at full maturity, not to mention its unlikely that the breeder can't find a better, already proven high-quality stud for the litter than the fairly young male it appears was used for this litter. Even strong working ability, if that was included in the decision to breed, wouldn't be much to brag about with a dog that's only been working for that short a period of time. Based on the limited amount of information you posted, I say the breeder sounds sketchy at best. Where did you find this breeder? Do they show their dogs in any sort of show/competition/field trials? Go ahead and make this its own thread, since breeding related stuff stirs up a lot of strong opinions. PI loves helping people make sure they get a puppy from a responsible breeder and not getting bamboozled by someone with a good sales pitch and lovely breeding stock. Make sure to include the website and/or kennel name in the OP. MoCookies fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Aug 24, 2009 |
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Aug 24, 2009 04:19
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If the CKC is Continental Kennel Club, I think you ought to run. If it is the Canadian Kennel Club, then what MoCookies said.
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Aug 24, 2009 04:31
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My kitty just got skunked. Help. All the stores are closed by now so we can't go get tomato juice yet, but we do have tomato sauce that we tried... It didn't work immensely well. Any suggestions?
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Aug 24, 2009 07:23
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So our boy kitty has started chewing my boyfriend's 360 controller wire and we're looking into bitter apple to deter him. I've found that there appears to be bitter apple for dog and for cats. Is there a large difference between them? (I.e, if I use the dog one will it be bad for a cat?) I ask because I'm in the UK and can't find any reasonably priced roll ons for the cat version online.
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Aug 24, 2009 10:21
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SynthesizerKaiser posted:My kitty just got skunked. Help. All the stores are closed by now so we can't go get tomato juice yet, but we do have tomato sauce that we tried... It didn't work immensely well. This recipe works well (not mine, but it works): 1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide 1/4 cup Baking Soda 1 teaspoon liquid soap (Dawn Dishwashing Detergent is often recommended, but any dish soap will work) Rubber or latex gloves Mix in an open container (bucket or bowl); it will be fizzy, a clue that you shouldn't try to mix it or store it in a bottle or other closed container. Thoroughly wet your dog with warm water and then the solution while it is still bubbline. Knead it well into his coat, to chemically alter every bit of the thiols on his hair. Be careful to keep the formula out if the dog's eyes, nose and mouth; you can use a sponge to carefully wipe it onto his face. Let the solution stand for 10 minutes before rinsing. Follow the bath with a thorough rinse. Be sure to protect the eyes when rinsing the head. Chances are you will not get all of the smell off of the face and will have to live with that as it wears off.After bathing, check your dog's eyes. If they are red and watering, your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face. Skunk spray won't blind the dog, but it's very painful. Contact a vet.
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Aug 24, 2009 15:15
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MoCookies posted:Well, if the dam and sire already has their championships, AND the OFA comes back a-okay, then you might be in the clear. Maybe. Ideally, the breeder would wait longer and make sure the dog is conformationally sound at full maturity, not to mention its unlikely that the breeder can't find a better, already proven high-quality stud for the litter than the fairly young male it appears was used for this litter. Even strong working ability, if that was included in the decision to breed, wouldn't be much to brag about with a dog that's only been working for that short a period of time. Based on the limited amount of information you posted, I say the breeder sounds sketchy at best. Where did you find this breeder? Do they show their dogs in any sort of show/competition/field trials? Quoting all this for the truth. Although breeding a young male obviously doesn't put the same strain on the dog that breeding a young female would, most dogs don't finish filling out and leveling off until they're at lest 3-4 years old. So, either the breeder has some REALLY great reason for using this dog, or it was a quick, easy sire to use. Even if the dog is healthy and championed, or amazing in the field, it's impossible to tell exactly how the dog is going to turn out down the line. A lot of really reputable show breeders will tell you that they put a lot more stock in a dog that finished its championship once it's older than a dog that finishes before 2 years. It's not like Australian Shepherds are a rare breed by any means, so it's not like there isn't a large gene pool to choose from when deciding on a sire. Does the breeder own both dogs by any chance? That can be a red flag in itself, since it's possible they got the dogs just to breed and produce puppies, even if they take the time to title them. I agree, you should start your own thread. 
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Aug 24, 2009 15:20
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Fishbulbz posted:This recipe works well (not mine, but it works): Just to warn you, a client at my work used a recipe containing peroxide when her dog got skunked. Oh yeah, it sure got rid of the smell better than anything I've ever seen, but her black dog turned brown with blonde highlights!!! 
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Aug 24, 2009 15:22
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Can you take your cat to a vet/groomer to be washed? I wouldn't want to mess with bathing a skunked cat, unless the cat was already used to regular baths.
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Aug 24, 2009 16:00
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How do I get my cat to use her scratching post?
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Aug 25, 2009 04:29
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juliuspringle posted:How do I get my cat to use her scratching post? It really helps if it is tall, it should be at the very least, taller than the cat is all stretched out. If you got one of those cheapie 1-2 footers, your cat may never like it. You might try putting catnip on it, or trying different materials (sisal/cardboard/carpet) until you find one your cat likes. Also, if you ever catch your cat scratching at something undesirable, like the couch, calmly pick her up and put her to the scratching post instead.
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Aug 25, 2009 06:44
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You can also try getting a catnip spray and dousing the cat tree in it. Something like this.
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Aug 25, 2009 10:01
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juliuspringle posted:How do I get my cat to use her scratching post? Some cats also prefer to scratch horizontally, so you could try one of those cardboard scratcher things.
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Aug 25, 2009 14:19
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Why does my new puppy start barking at nothing?
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Aug 25, 2009 17:54
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Fontoyn posted:Why does my new puppy start barking at nothing? Welcome to owning a puppy 
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Aug 25, 2009 18:01
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How much can I walk my ~9 week old Weimaraner? He's full of energy and seems to like going out for walks (cars give him pause, and city buses fully freak him out, but other than that he has fun). I know that running would cause problems with his developing joints and bones, so I'm just curious as to how much he can safely walk? Fontoyn posted:Why does my new puppy start barking at nothing? Well, I can't answer you, but I can sympathize! Puppies are so joyous!
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Aug 25, 2009 18:31
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wrok posted:How much can I walk my ~9 week old Weimaraner? He's full of energy and seems to like going out for walks (cars give him pause, and city buses fully freak him out, but other than that he has fun). The general rule for exercise I heard was 5 minutes per month of age. However, I have a 5 month old Boxer puppy and there is no WAY 25 minutes a day is enough for her; she needs 2 walks of 20-30 minutes at the moment to make her even vaguely manageable. She's very very high energy.
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Aug 25, 2009 20:00
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Can anyone recommend any fine dog literature for my boyfriend's mother to read? I've read the stickies, and most of it is about how to get a dog and one book about training puppies--it doesn't seem like the best application and it's far to late for her to not get a dog. I'm looking for things on dog behavior, basic obedience training, health and nutrition because right now her three dogs are ~1-1.5 years old, poop and pee all over the kitchen on a nightly basis and she thinks it's okay to feed them Pedigree, leftover bones and KFC. I was going to get her Dogs for Dummies or something like that but I suppose people here would have better suggestions. Websites like ThePetCenter.com are kind of what I was looking for, but she requires me or boyfriend to sit by her side every time she checks her email "in case something goes wrong" and I don't have the time and energy for her to slooooowly click and read through an entire website and then ask me what it means. It also somehow means much more to her when I tell her things that "I read in a book" rather than "I read on the internet."
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Aug 25, 2009 20:09
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I enrolled my puppy into a training class for beginers. The class is only us and one other dog. At four months old, how important is it that we be in a bigger class with more dogs? With such a small class we do get a better chance at one on one work, but does that out weigh he benefits of more puppy play time? The other dog in the class is very timid, so staying here would mean no interaction with that dog till she becomes a little more out going. I ames in towards moving to a bigger class, but I'd like to hear from you guys.
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Aug 25, 2009 21:36
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I'm moving to a new (thankfully cat friendly) apartment next week about an hours drive from my current place. I'm doing the big move in one day and think it'll take me 2 or 3 trips. My cat, Meeshka, has MAJOR abandonment issues (goes apeshit if i leave for over 12 hours) due to crappy past owners passing her around like a toy. Here's my question/ can you give your opinion on: Should I a) move all of my stuff and get everything set up before moving her (this will probably involve an overnight stay for her in my old, almost empty apartment -> abandonment freakout) OR b) do I move her with all my stuff and try to keep her calm as I unpack everything around her?
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Aug 25, 2009 23:13
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Cinderwitch posted:I'm moving to a new (thankfully cat friendly) apartment next week about an hours drive from my current place. I'm doing the big move in one day and think it'll take me 2 or 3 trips. My cat, Meeshka, has MAJOR abandonment issues (goes apeshit if i leave for over 12 hours) due to crappy past owners passing her around like a toy. Here's my question/ can you give your opinion on: Should I a) move all of my stuff and get everything set up before moving her (this will probably involve an overnight stay for her in my old, almost empty apartment -> abandonment freakout) OR b) do I move her with all my stuff and try to keep her calm as I unpack everything around her? I would move her with all the stuff, and settle her in a bedroom or something with her carrier, her bed/toys, food, water, etc before unpacking the rest. Make sure she has somewhere to hide. That way she can settle in and you can pop in occasionally and let her know you're still around. I'm moving this weekend with my two cats (and two turtles, one snake and 5 squirrels....), one of which has stress issues, and that's pretty much what I'll be doing.
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Aug 25, 2009 23:44
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porkypocky posted:Can anyone recommend any fine dog literature for my boyfriend's mother to read? I've read the stickies, and most of it is about how to get a dog and one book about training puppies--it doesn't seem like the best application and it's far to late for her to not get a dog. I'm looking for things on dog behavior, basic obedience training, health and nutrition because right now her three dogs are ~1-1.5 years old, poop and pee all over the kitchen on a nightly basis and she thinks it's okay to feed them Pedigree, leftover bones and KFC. I was going to get her Dogs for Dummies or something like that but I suppose people here would have better suggestions. I recommend the book The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller to get started with obedience. The book has sections on behavior, housebreaking, and a week to week training guide. It doesn't have any real feeding/nutrition stuff though.
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Aug 26, 2009 03:33
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Chaco posted:I would move her with all the stuff, and settle her in a bedroom or something with her carrier, her bed/toys, food, water, etc before unpacking the rest. Make sure she has somewhere to hide. That way she can settle in and you can pop in occasionally and let her know you're still around. I'm moving this weekend with my two cats (and two turtles, one snake and 5 squirrels....), one of which has stress issues, and that's pretty much what I'll be doing. Thank you! This makes sense. And the new place has multiple rooms unlike my current set up so it should be easy to make her comfy in one room. >edit< also, wow. Good luck. That is going to be one hell of a move! Cinderwitch fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Aug 26, 2009 |
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Aug 26, 2009 13:03
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My wife and I are thinking about adopting a dog from this place http://www.puppylove-lovecats.org/index.php I wanted to run it by you all and see what you guys thought of the place. It seems fine to me. vvv we already narrowed it by places that have Corgi's because that is what we are looking for, but yea we plan to make some trips by. Problem is this place currently does not have a building. It is attempting to gather the funds. Most of their animals are currently fosters and in one kennel club place. Scrotos fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Aug 26, 2009 |
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Aug 26, 2009 20:16
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Scrotos posted:My wife and I are thinking about adopting a dog from this place http://www.puppylove-lovecats.org/index.php Looks good to me. Their adoption process looks pretty stringent which is a plus. A good way to check rescues out is to make a trip to an adoption event to meet the volunteers and animals. That's how I narrowed it down between the handful of rescues and shelters in my area.
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Aug 26, 2009 21:03
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Took my 4.5-year-old formerly feral cat to the vet the other day, they said he has really bad teeth and that he needs an operation to have at least 8 of them removed. However, it's $1200 and we've already spent more than that on him this year thanks to crystals. We don't want him to be in pain and we certainly don't want him to die - the vet said the teeth could get infected and the infection might spread and kill him - but I'm out of work and the surgery is going to cost more than our rent. Has anyone been through this or know if it can wait a few months or so? This vet has been really nice to us and likes our cats, but they're in an extremely expensive neighborhood and I'm afraid they're ripping us off. 
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Aug 27, 2009 19:47
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Any suggestions on how to keep our puppy from jumping on chairs/tables in the house? We tell her to get down every time she starts to and she does get down, but still after 3-4 weeks of constantly doing this she is jumping up in the first place. It's gotten to the point that as soon as we hear her front paws on the chair or dining table we just say her name and she gets down, I'd just like it to completely stop if possible.
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Aug 28, 2009 05:59
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CK07 posted:Has anyone been through this or know if it can wait a few months or so? This vet has been really nice to us and likes our cats, but they're in an extremely expensive neighborhood and I'm afraid they're ripping us off. I'd avoid leaving it, but perhaps get a 2nd opinion from a different vet? You could also look into something like CareCredit to help you afford the vet bills now. rivals posted:Any suggestions on how to keep our puppy from jumping on chairs/tables in the house? We tell her to get down every time she starts to and she does get down, but still after 3-4 weeks of constantly doing this she is jumping up in the first place. It's gotten to the point that as soon as we hear her front paws on the chair or dining table we just say her name and she gets down, I'd just like it to completely stop if possible. Try something she doesnt like, such as a can filled with pennies that you shake at her, or a water bottle you spray. My puppy doesn't jump on stuff so far, so I haven't had this problem myself.
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Aug 28, 2009 10:48
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rivals posted:Any suggestions on how to keep our puppy from jumping on chairs/tables in the house? We tell her to get down every time she starts to and she does get down, but still after 3-4 weeks of constantly doing this she is jumping up in the first place. It's gotten to the point that as soon as we hear her front paws on the chair or dining table we just say her name and she gets down, I'd just like it to completely stop if possible. Actively work on training her at a time you know she's likely to jump up. Make sure you have some awesome, delicious treats on hand. When you see her going for it, move in the way of her so she's blocked from getting up there, give a sharp "AHT!" or whatever you use to get her attention, then give a command for not going up there, like "Off" or "Down". Since you're in the way, she HAS to comply, so praise the hell out of her and give her a treat. Work in quick sessions so she doesn't loose interest, but also keep up with the "AHT!" and blocking if you happen to catch her in the moment, similar to what you would do with housebreaking. Eventually, she should understand that she just shouldn't get up there in the first place.
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Aug 28, 2009 11:55
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My girlfriend is taking her cat to get neutered tomorrow. He is 4 or 5.. so he isn't a kitten. She is afraid it will change his personality and isn't sure if she wants to go through with it. We just moved into a new apartment and we assume the tenant before had a cat, as he is scratching and peeing in some spots. We think the neutering will (hopefully) fix that. We are just worried that he will get traumatized by the surgery or something. Plus he hates car rides. Any suggestions on what to do? Also this cat never goes outside and is our only cat.
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Aug 28, 2009 17:03
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What kind of harness do you suggest for medium size dogs? I have a 45 pound skinny girl, and a 65 pound Barrel-shaped lab. I'd prefer something that a retard (myself) can put together. I had one that required like 5 cinches, straps, and loops... gently caress that. Walking with a collar is okay, but when you have 2 of them on the same leash it is hard when one has to pee. They get tugged by the collar around their neck while trying to squat until the other one notices/hears me and stops moving.
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Aug 28, 2009 17:15
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Polish posted:My girlfriend is taking her cat to get neutered tomorrow. He is 4 or 5.. so he isn't a kitten. She is afraid it will change his personality and isn't sure if she wants to go through with it. We just moved into a new apartment and we assume the tenant before had a cat, as he is scratching and peeing in some spots. We think the neutering will (hopefully) fix that. His personality will change just because he's not going to have all the hormones running through his system. More than likely he'll just be more laid back. And if he's scratching/peeing, it's probably territorial and directly related to still being intact. Cats can be fickle and he may be a little wonky after the surgery, but I doubt he's going to hate you guys forever and be traumatized form a car ride. Get him fixed, it's for his own good. And if he hates car rides, bring along some treats or something and make the experience fun. Though I've never met a cat that actually liked car rides in the first place, so your guy probably isn't any different than any other cat.
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Aug 28, 2009 17:17
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The sounds he makes when he goes into that cage.. I swear I am playing Doom or something. Yeah he is a very very laid back cat now.. and I'm sure he won't hate us. I just didn't know if having that done at his age would do anything to him. Also, what do you mean get him fixed for his own good? I know you should have your cats neutered, but if he is the only cat in the house and doesn't go outside.. what is the difference?
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Aug 28, 2009 17:45
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Polish posted:I know you should have your cats neutered, but if he is the only cat in the house and doesn't go outside.. what is the difference? Less of an urge to roam, mark territory and search for a mate. Overall, less stressful.
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Aug 28, 2009 18:41
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