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ForceKin
Dec 22, 2009

I have allergies of varying degrees to everything with fur. My doctor made me promise, after much arguing, that I could have dogs, but no more rats than the 1 I had at the time, and no other pets.

Likewise, my apartment complex is only officially aware that we have one dog.

Current count:
2 dogs, 2 rats, 2 ferrets, and a cat. Is that considered hoarding yet?

But my primary pet-related shame is that when I was 15 I brought home a ferret without my parents' permission and my dad made me give her away. I still feel horrible guilt whenever I think about it. I was such a stupid kid.

I try to make up for it, though! My dogs and cat are all rescues, and I have vowed to never get small mammals from a pet store again. The dogs get Taste of the Wild, the rats get Regal Rat, and I have spent ~$1000 on medical care for rats over the past 4 years.

Yeah, I'm that crazy guy.

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Invalid Octopus
Jun 30, 2008

When is dinner?

ForcedKen posted:

I have allergies of varying degrees to everything with fur. My doctor made me promise, after much arguing, that I could have dogs, but no more rats than the 1 I had at the time, and no other pets.

Likewise, my apartment complex is only officially aware that we have one dog.

Current count:
2 dogs, 2 rats, 2 ferrets, and a cat. Is that considered hoarding yet?

But my primary pet-related shame is that when I was 15 I brought home a ferret without my parents' permission and my dad made me give her away. I still feel horrible guilt whenever I think about it. I was such a stupid kid.

I try to make up for it, though! My dogs and cat are all rescues, and I have vowed to never get small mammals from a pet store again. The dogs get Taste of the Wild, the rats get Regal Rat, and I have spent ~$1000 on medical care for rats over the past 4 years.

Yeah, I'm that crazy guy.

You've sinned by not posting in the rat thread <:mad:>

Buggiezor
Jun 6, 2011

For I am a cat, you see.
My confession is that aside from the first couple months we had them, I have not been treating my cats with any kind of flea preventative. It's expensive and money has been tight, and they're strictly indoors. Now the last day or so they have been scratching. Guess it's time to go spend some money! I'm sorry kitties for putting you through this!

RazorBunny
May 23, 2007

Sometimes I feel like this.

Buggiezor posted:

My confession is that aside from the first couple months we had them, I have not been treating my cats with any kind of flea preventative. It's expensive and money has been tight, and they're strictly indoors. Now the last day or so they have been scratching. Guess it's time to go spend some money! I'm sorry kitties for putting you through this!

If it makes you feel any better, I haven't treated any of our cats for fleas in years. Some places have a low enough flea population that you can get away with it. Hopefully you don't have an infestation!

For my confession, I almost lost my new rat - I knew that the cage that came with him had too much space between the bars, but he had been in it for several days at the pet store and hadn't tried to escape. We put his cage on top of the big boys' cage so they could smell each other without getting too close, and I guess he was just too curious and wriggled out. My husband found him crawling around outside his cage this morning.

It would have seriously sucked to have him disappear already...

Lyz
May 22, 2007

I AM A GIRL ON WOW GIVE ME ITAMS

Buggiezor posted:

My confession is that aside from the first couple months we had them, I have not been treating my cats with any kind of flea preventative. It's expensive and money has been tight, and they're strictly indoors. Now the last day or so they have been scratching. Guess it's time to go spend some money! I'm sorry kitties for putting you through this!

I haven't used any flea preventative on my indoor cats since I got them three years ago and I've never seen them scratching. I always just assumed it was an outdoor cat thing.

Confession: I could take both cats to the shelter right now and not feel bad. Between the neurotic cat that we have to shut half of the house off to so she doesn't decide to use something else as a litter box, and the moron who will go around behind her and "helpfully" cover up her pee smell with his own, I'm kind of done with cats. And the moron, Fred, he isn't doing this furtively, he literally walked up and pissed underneath the desk as my husband was sitting at it. I've soaked that spot with at least a quart of Nature's Miracle by now, there's two goddamned litter boxes, but that night he just had to pee underneath the desk.

I mean I am trying to get the neurotic cat into a new home because most of her stress is that she doesn't like children so she hides upstairs all day, but the other cat really has no excuse. Friggin rear end in a top hat.

Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation
Times I use flea prevention: when I see a flea.

For some reason I've just never really seen or had many fleas. I usually end up having to de-flea dogs maybe once or twice a year, and when I do it's usually because I took them somewhere where there were a bunch of other animals/dogs around.

I am anal about HW meds though, because we have mosquitos year-round here.


Confession: I can no longer post pics of my dogs here because they are so skinny-fat from me being too busy to keep them ripped. I'm scared to put up a springpole because our neighbors are insane, so all they get are walks. Strongly considering buying a treadmill so I can stop being embarrassed about my flabby dogs. :saddowns:

TVs Ian
Jun 1, 2000

Such graceful, delicate creatures.

Superconsndar posted:

Times I use flea prevention: when I see a flea.

For some reason I've just never really seen or had many fleas. I usually end up having to de-flea dogs maybe once or twice a year, and when I do it's usually because I took them somewhere where there were a bunch of other animals/dogs around.

I am anal about HW meds though, because we have mosquitos year-round here.


Confession: I can no longer post pics of my dogs here because they are so skinny-fat from me being too busy to keep them ripped. I'm scared to put up a springpole because our neighbors are insane, so all they get are walks. Strongly considering buying a treadmill so I can stop being embarrassed about my flabby dogs. :saddowns:

No one cares as long as they aren't obese. Post pictures :colbert:

Confession: Social anxiety makes it really difficult to own dogs a lot of the time. Sometimes, too hard :smith:

RazorBunny
May 23, 2007

Sometimes I feel like this.

TVs Ian posted:

Confession: Social anxiety makes it really difficult to own dogs a lot of the time. Sometimes, too hard :smith:

I actually found that having a dog helped with mine a little, because when strangers approached me because of my dog they were usually happy to just talk about dogs. Dogs are a subject I can talk about without feeling like I've said something mortally embarrassing and/or weird. Greyhounds are relatively common in this area but not so much that people aren't curious about the breed when they approach. Either they would know a lot about them and want to admire mine, or they would know very little about them and I could give the breed spiel. It was a bit like having a script I could stick to. I have no problem dealing with strangers if I have a set of parameters to operate within - I was a tour guide for years and met hundreds of people that way, but never had to interact with them as myself, just as a representative of my college. Plus, Husker was such a big friendly mooch that people tended to focus more on him than on me, which helped as well.

Of course not everyone's social anxiety manifests the same way :(

Wheats
Sep 28, 2007

strange sisters

RazorBunny posted:

I actually found that having a dog helped with mine a little, because when strangers approached me because of my dog they were usually happy to just talk about dogs. Dogs are a subject I can talk about without feeling like I've said something mortally embarrassing and/or weird.

Yes, oh my god. My partner's parents have been always been awkward and kind of repressed, whereas my family is always joking around, and sometimes I think the only reason any of us can hold a conversation is because they have a big, goofy-looking dog we can all talk about instead of sitting through the awkward silence until someone thinks of something else to make small talk about.

Working at a shelter was what brought me out of my shell. I was really eager to talk to people about these dogs, and I learned how to sublty push someone towards something (like adopting a dog that would be a good match) or turn them away (like the people who were interested in adopting a JRT that was marked for people with older kids only because they were hoping getting bitten would teach their 7 year old dog manners).

DoggesAndCattes
Aug 2, 2007

I haven't brushed my cats in a month and a half due to a combination of being busy with school and just lazy and burnt out on my off time. Whenever I pet the hairiest cat I end up with a cat fur glove. Their coats still look nice and shiny for the most part, but when I get into some scratching and petting fur just starts to fly off.

Absolute Evil
Aug 25, 2008

Don't mess with Mister Creazil!
I was doing my weekend chores today, mopping, sweeping, de-hairing my apartment. My youngest furbaby, Jasper (almost 12 weeks now) was being his usual helpful self. I filled up a bucket halfway with water and went to the pantry to get the cleaner. I came back and there was a Jasper sitting in the bucket, looking like a drowned rat. He must have gotten too curious and fell in...and not bothered to get back out. If I would've been a good cat-parent, I would've gotten him out, after taking pictures. Instead I just stood there and laughed at him. drat, I wish I'd taken pictures. He's none the worse for wear, and he still keeps getting into the (now empty) bucket. I have such speshul kitties. :catbert:

Captain Foxy
Jun 13, 2007

I love Hitler and Hitler loves me! He's not all bad, Hitler just needs someone to believe in him! Can't you just give Hitler a chance?


Quality Pugamutes now available, APR/APRI/NKC approved breeder. PM for details.
I kicked a dog today.

This lady comes and drops her St Bernard off for a simple bath, no frills (we do basic grooming on top of daycare/boarding/training/rescue/every loving thing) and beams like an idiot as she tells me 'Oh and she likes to 'hug' you while you're doing it, it's so cute, you'll see!'. I shrug, figure the dog will want to wrap a paw around my back or shove her nose under my arm like most big goofy moron dogs like to, and tell her no worries.

I get the dog into the tub mostly okay, after some initial balking, but then as soon as I turned the water on her, she screamed like a chihuahua and leaped into my arms. I am not kidding; all four paws came right at me and I fell hard on my back with a whining, scrabbling, shrieking 150lb dog trying to force her way onto my chest. The wind was knocked out of me and it took several moments to recover, during which I was legitimately terrified that I would suffocate because this idiot dog would not stop slamming me back down every time I sat up. Finally, absolutely at my wit's end and fearing that I would never be able to breathe again, I yelled 'NO YOU STUPID gently caress' and slam-kicked her in the chest with both feet. I'm not proud of it, but she cowered and whimpered and backed off, so I was able to get up. Somehow I managed to cowgirl up and finish the bath, though god knows how, and I gleefully informed the woman that her idiot dog nearly killed me by 'hugging' and that she was not welcome back for baths. The best part about it was charging her full price for a service that costs less than half that, because gently caress you, that is a St Bernard, do not let it loving hug you.

So there you go PI, I have become what you made me.

Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation
I would have done the same thing, gently caress that.

ForceKin
Dec 22, 2009

Another confession- I think designer dog "breed" names are hilarious.

I don't support irresponsible breeding but giving stupid-sounding portmanteau names to mutts is right up my alley. My family raised me on puns and word games, I can't help it.

My best friend's ex had these two stupid poodle/shih tzu mixes that I always referred to as "poo poo-poos" (when he wasn't around to hear me.) I also call my chihuahua/god only knows wtf mutt a "chiwoozle" "chiwaffle" and "chiwhatever." I'm sure he would be embarrassed if he had any sense of shame.


Confession #2-
I guess this is more of a case that proves I'm such a crazy animal dude that I totally belong here than an outright confession along the lines of this thread, but I do feel kinda bad about it.

I have kicked out roommates and broken off a nearly decade-long friendship (separate incidents) because they didn't like my dogs.

If you are a dog racist, I hate you a little. Particularly the hypocritical folks who are the first to yell "Punish the deed, not the breed!" re: pit bulls, but write off every small dog as terrible without even getting to know them.

Tasty_Crayon
Jul 29, 2006
Same story, different version.

Captain Foxy posted:

I kicked a dog today.

This lady comes and drops her St Bernard off for a simple bath, no frills (we do basic grooming on top of daycare/boarding/training/rescue/every loving thing) and beams like an idiot as she tells me 'Oh and she likes to 'hug' you while you're doing it, it's so cute, you'll see!'. I shrug, figure the dog will want to wrap a paw around my back or shove her nose under my arm like most big goofy moron dogs like to, and tell her no worries.

I get the dog into the tub mostly okay, after some initial balking, but then as soon as I turned the water on her, she screamed like a chihuahua and leaped into my arms. I am not kidding; all four paws came right at me and I fell hard on my back with a whining, scrabbling, shrieking 150lb dog trying to force her way onto my chest. The wind was knocked out of me and it took several moments to recover, during which I was legitimately terrified that I would suffocate because this idiot dog would not stop slamming me back down every time I sat up. Finally, absolutely at my wit's end and fearing that I would never be able to breathe again, I yelled 'NO YOU STUPID gently caress' and slam-kicked her in the chest with both feet. I'm not proud of it, but she cowered and whimpered and backed off, so I was able to get up. Somehow I managed to cowgirl up and finish the bath, though god knows how, and I gleefully informed the woman that her idiot dog nearly killed me by 'hugging' and that she was not welcome back for baths. The best part about it was charging her full price for a service that costs less than half that, because gently caress you, that is a St Bernard, do not let it loving hug you.

So there you go PI, I have become what you made me.

Oh I hope you reamed her out good. That is loving horrible.

Rabbit Hill
Mar 11, 2009

God knows what lives in me in place of me.
Grimey Drawer
Confession time: I think that pugamute in Captain Foxy's avatar is adorable and I kind of want one. The widow's peak makes it look like a little vampire.

Fluffy Bunnies
Jan 10, 2009

Thirding would've done the same thing. Giant breeds in a panic are nothing to gently caress with, especially if they're crushing you.

A friend of mine has her dog on a shock collar and I've told her about twenty times that it's worthless. Her dog listens to me 95% of the time. He never listens to her. I give him treats.

I feel smug as gently caress about it :smug:

E: #2: Someone at an old group asked me if I had "animal magick" or "animal speech" because most of what I do with my dogs involves asking, not telling, and I tend to talk to them. So I told them, in all seriousness, that I totally talk to my dogs daily and I listen to all of their answers back and we have several hour long conversations that only I can hear. They spent 6 months begging me to teach them. Trolling crazy people is fun.

Fluffy Bunnies fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Jun 30, 2013

Name Change
Oct 9, 2005


I had to almost literally dig a cat out from behind a washer/dryer unit today and will probably need a repairman to stop by to reconnect the dryer hose. I am recovering from Hodgkin's Lymphoma so I don't withstand pushing washers around in 86 degree weather that well (don't worry, I am well on the mend).

It is not even my cat. The actual owner paid the pet deposit and bought a bunch of its food though. Today is day one of its stay. This is very obviously a one-person cat.

Name Change fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Jul 7, 2013

Pardalis
Dec 26, 2008

The Amazing Dreadheaded Chameleon Keeper

ForcedKen posted:


If you are a dog racist, I hate you a little. Particularly the hypocritical folks who are the first to yell "Punish the deed, not the breed!" re: pit bulls, but write off every small dog as terrible without even getting to know them.

I am a blatant dog racist, even within breeds I like, and I am unrepentant. I probably hate your dog and you by extension for totally arbitrary reasons and am not sorry. I blame PI.

RazorBunny
May 23, 2007

Sometimes I feel like this.

Pardalis posted:

I am a blatant dog racist, even within breeds I like, and I am unrepentant. I probably hate your dog and you by extension for totally arbitrary reasons and am not sorry. I blame PI.

Oh yeah? Well I love all breeds and all dogs, and a dog has to be a real shithead to convince me otherwise.

(That's not to say I would own all breeds, but when I meet a dog on the street I always want to be its friend, no matter what kind of dog it is.)

Pardalis
Dec 26, 2008

The Amazing Dreadheaded Chameleon Keeper
Well some dogs are just gross or dumb and it is not my fault if I notice it :colbert:

By that extension, I judge people for having to repeat commands to their dogs but lately my shitheads don't listen at all sooooo

Writer Cath
Apr 1, 2007

Box. Flipped.
Plaster Town Cop
I have met some absolutely awesome chis at the dog park, but my opinion on them is soured by this horrible little jackass chihuahua that my friend's aunt was guilted into adopting. This ridiculously overweight little rat waddles over and starts hollering at me whenever I walk in the door. One day I hear this clicking sound and look down. Turns out the dog was trying to bite me. Thankfully she was only getting my jeans :mad:

Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation
I verbally poo poo all over every dog that ever existed, including my own, but then when I am confronted with dogs in real life I like them and pat them and am their buddy because it's not their fault they suck.

Except toy breeds with long hair, gently caress those.


Edit: Also I think stupid looking mixes are hilarious and usually want every Interesting Mutt I see because I love "comedy option" dogs. Especially the ones that sorta act like they know they look ridiculous and are a little sorry about it. (See: Frankie.)

Supercondescending fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Jun 30, 2013

Siochain
May 24, 2005

"can they get rid of any humans who are fans of shitheads like Kanye West, 50 Cent, or any other piece of crap "artist" who thinks they're all that?

And also get rid of anyone who has posted retarded shit on the internet."


Pardalis posted:

By that extension, I judge people for having to repeat commands to their dogs but lately my shitheads don't listen at all sooooo

I have become what I hate.

The wife and I are fighting off a summer cold from hell, we feel like poo poo. So Asa hasn't been getting much exercise. And she's turning into a little shithead.
I want to send her to my parents for a month. But then she'd be worse. Blah.

cryingscarf
Feb 4, 2007

~*FaBuLoUs*~

Superconsndar posted:

Except toy breeds with long hair, gently caress those.

If a dog is one of those dogs with a long beard that is stained dark brown and is constantly wet, I will never pet it unless forced to. UGH. And those are always the dogs that will shove their nasty spongey beard between your legs and then it leaves a slightly slimy wet splotch so it looks like you pissed yourself AND it smells bad. Or they will keep trying to lick any exposed skin (face, ares, hands) and it is so loving gross. I am so glad Dex's beard stays dry (also I clean it obsessively)

Fraction
Mar 27, 2010

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL

FERRETS ARE ALSO PRETTY MEH, HONESTLY


I got gerbils to fill my 'useless pet' quota and I have barely even touched them. I've held them twice. They take food off of me and are content to do their own things. If someone I knew had been like 'yeah I'm gonna get some gerbils, feed them, watch them and otherwise ignore them' I'd have annoyed but I am a total hypocrite, so :iamafag:

Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation

Fraction posted:

I got gerbils to fill my 'useless pet' quota and I have barely even touched them. I've held them twice. They take food off of me and are content to do their own things. If someone I knew had been like 'yeah I'm gonna get some gerbils, feed them, watch them and otherwise ignore them' I'd have annoyed but I am a total hypocrite, so :iamafag:

This is me with basically every caged pet.

Lyz
May 22, 2007

I AM A GIRL ON WOW GIVE ME ITAMS

Fraction posted:

I got gerbils to fill my 'useless pet' quota and I have barely even touched them. I've held them twice. They take food off of me and are content to do their own things. If someone I knew had been like 'yeah I'm gonna get some gerbils, feed them, watch them and otherwise ignore them' I'd have annoyed but I am a total hypocrite, so :iamafag:

I pretty much did this with my chickens, I was all like "I'm gonna get them young and hold them daily and they'll be nice tame birds" and apparently I didn't hold them enough because they loving hate me and run away every time I go to give them food. Whatever, just give me eggs and I don't care.

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

I judge people after meeting their dogs, and compare them all to my fiance's dog. Your dog jumps up on people and tries to steal food right off of plates? It's not cute, it's obnoxious, and I assume you're very stupid for not even bothering to do the very simple training required to prevent these extremely rude behaviors. Your dog is fat in a way that can't be explained by having recently acquired him that way or a legitimate health issue? You're a bad pet owner. It is so easy to get pets to lose weight. Feed them less.

I don't even really like dogs, and I taught my fiance's dog how to stay, go away, leave it, get it, and drop it. She would be nearly perfect at not jumping up on people, except that everyone is constantly ruining that training by not reinforcing it, so instead of telling her down, they actually pet her and encourage it. It's the one behavior I can't completely get rid of, so she jumps up on everyone except my fiance and me, who actually remind her when she lapses and reward her for patiently sitting and waiting for pets. Ugh, stop untraining my dog, jerks! :argh:

The only person I've ever found to be a better person than I realized after meeting their dog was my sister. Her BC mix is polite, knows a ton of tricks, and expresses her boundaries with their toddler very well. A+++ great dog, would pet.

Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.
I yelled at the dogs when I discovered they'd knocked over the trash can again when I got home today. I know they won't make the connection between me being mad and the trashcan being tipped, but it made me feel better. :colbert:

The dogs have been incredibly irritating all weekend, actually. They keep getting in my way then I get pissed off after about the 3000th time I've nearly tripped over one of them and then they notice I'm upset so they get extra clingy and leave toys in my path to make me feel better but goddamn it dogs leave me alone I have things to do.

Then they look all sad and like their worlds are collapsing around them because they were Bad Dogs and then I feel bad that I made them sad and give them hugs and cookies to cheer them up. I am going to be the world's worst parent if I ever have human children.

Renzuko
Oct 10, 2012


Our dog was...I guess skinny fat? we could feel bone relatively easy, but the vet said he was too fat for a golden retriever so we started to feed him less, but he was still to fat apparently.

We found out why relatively quickly when I went to put him outside and one of my grandparents tupperware containers full of soup was sitting on our stairs, apparently they were treating him like a garbage disposal for leftover's they didn't want anymore.

Mocha Frost
May 1, 2006
I'm having a battle of the wills against my cattes and I swear I will win. My wife is out of town for 10 days, 4 so far and the cattes turn their nose up at all but the dry food, and they look at me like I'm some kind of monster for taking away the normal food provider. Every morning they jump up and stare at me expecting, well I don't know what, but dammit they will eat the food they have eaten for the last year and they will like it. I've tried bargaining and reasoning with them, but to no avail.* Just now I clearly pointed to their food and said "go eat now so daddy cat won't have to sleep on the couch next week". With no response other than :catstare:


*I should add they are perfectly healthy and I'm probably just giving them too much food.

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME
Oct 9, 2012

by Pipski
.

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME fucked around with this message at 12:26 on Jul 7, 2013

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME
Oct 9, 2012

by Pipski
e: computer acting like a poo poo

BAKA FLOCKA FLAME fucked around with this message at 12:26 on Jul 7, 2013

Cat Plant
Feb 11, 2007

There used to be green cats but they turned into plants because they slept too much.
I am a bad cat mummy.

I live in a studio apartment; the queen bed folds up into a row of cupboards. One of those cupboards is actually my bedside table. I keep a mug of water there for the cat. Last weekend my partner and I did yoga at my place so I put the bed up and close the bedside cupboard.

After we did yoga, I packed a bag and went to my boyfriend's for the night (normal).

It wasn't until I returned the following evening that I realised that I had effectively cut off my seventeen year old cat from her main source of water. The toilet lid was done and I hadn't used the shower in a day or so. She promptly drained the mug which was mostly full. I felt AWFUL.

Almost as bad as when I accidentally dropped my iPhone on her sleeping head and she leapt a foot in the air.

Never having kids, not responsible enough.

BlueOccamy
Jul 1, 2010
I had birds when I was younger. Started out with a zebra finch in 6th grade, got another one and then a few more from a friend of my grandma's and then figured I'd try to breed them. Big loving mistake. Only two chicks survived out of a billion eggs between the two pairs I had, and he pulled out a ton of his dad's feathers one day which killed him so I didn't feed the son for a few days and when I got home and went to feed him afterward he was dead in the food bowl. And his mom had died too in the nesting box thing, no idea why but it was probably my fault for not giving them the care or nutrition they needed. I was a loving idiot. Grandma's friend also gave me two lovebirds at one point and one of my high school boyfriend's Mom gave me two cockatiels. Those four plus the second surviving zebra finch chick were all that remained of the... oh god it must've been ~12 birds all told... when I went to college. By the end of Sophomore year I finally found people who would take the lovebirds and tiels, the finch died at some point. The lovebirds are with a friend now who loves them and lets them out to fly in her room and gives them treats and actually cleans the bottom of their cages more than once every two months. Haven't heard from the lady who took the tiels in awhile but from what I understand they love their new owner.

Like some people in this thread I have issues with depression and it took way too long for me to realize that I was loving up their lives and not giving them the amount of care they needed. Once I figured that out I found people to take them. I wish I could drum the same thing into my parents' heads with their three dogs, they're stuck in this tiny concrete and wire fenced pen and only let out very very sporadically. The thing hardly ever gets shoveled out and when I lived there it only got hosed out maybe a few times a summer and never in the winter. I'm incredibly tempted to call animal control on them but the two girl dogs are overweight and ~10 years old and the boy dog is fairly large and has a ton of energy and doesn't know how to control himself. I just can't go through with it because then my family will hate me and I have a feeling all three of them will get put down because my parents live out in the country and I don't think there are any no-kill shelters in their county.

I really wish my family was better at having pets. My husband and I have two cats and scoop the two litter boxes about once a week and feed them that blue diamond chicken flavor dry food, and try to clip nails and brush them when they're sleepy. If we ever start neglecting them like my family had/has neglected the other pets I'll find a new home for them, not gonna put Nimitz and Laptop through what the others did :(

Ugh and this doesn't even cover the two rabbits and I forgot to mention the budgie I had for two years or so and the other dogs we had before the current three that are still at my parents' and holy balls I'm pissed off at myself right now for all of this despite it being years ago and if we were dog people I'd totally just kidnap the girl dogs from their house and keep them here and ugh why did I have to find this thread when I was already feeling like poo poo.

Edit: here's a picture of the kitties playing with their snake on a stick toy. So glad they seem happy living here :unsmith:

BlueOccamy fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Jul 9, 2013

Lucha Luch
Feb 25, 2007

Mr. Squeakers coming off the top rope!

Oh god, I thought you were my ex husbands wife for a second.
Many a year ago, my ex and I found this little kitten by the Nimitz museum in Texas, and named him Nimitz. He was a good kitty but kind of crazy and I only fed him purina and cheap canned cat food. My ex was really emotionally unstable and would kick nimitz when he'd jump out from behind the couch/if he was meowing too much. When I eventually left him, I did not take nimitz with me because I didn't have a job or anything planned out, I was just going to stay with my brother. I should have found him a better home.

BlueOccamy
Jul 1, 2010

Dandy Shrew posted:

Oh god, I thought you were my ex husbands wife for a second.
Many a year ago, my ex and I found this little kitten by the Nimitz museum in Texas, and named him Nimitz. He was a good kitty but kind of crazy and I only fed him purina and cheap canned cat food. My ex was really emotionally unstable and would kick nimitz when he'd jump out from behind the couch/if he was meowing too much. When I eventually left him, I did not take nimitz with me because I didn't have a job or anything planned out, I was just going to stay with my brother. I should have found him a better home.

:O I'd kick the rear end of anyone if they kicked my cat! My Nimitz is a girl kittie named after the treecat in the Honor Harrington series who was named after Admiral Nimitz, though I didn't know that til after we'd named her- we joke sometimes about how she'd better not grow to be aircraft carrier sized :v:

Our kitties fight sometimes and I can never tell if it's playfighting or not, so I just make sure there's no blood and boop Laptop on the nose for it. It's almost always Laptop who starts them (she's the calico). I also use the spray bottle to get them out of the bedroom cause my husband brings them in to wake me up some days and they aren't supposed to be in there but they're so cute and okay they can stay for like two minutes except they really stay for an hour or two and then I have to chase them out and shut the door.

The thunderstorm yesterday freaked them out so I opened the bedroom door and they zoomed under the bed to hide. Then once it was all over I squirted at them to shoo them out. Nimitz came over and cuddled on my lap on the couch a bit after that and she was still wet and I felt bad about getting them wet when they'd been terrified of a rainstorm :/

catamar
May 23, 2008
The hermit crab thread reminded me about this. :( My parents bought my youngest sister two hermit crabs when she was in middle school but I think my other sister did most of the care and feeding. My sisters were both at camp the next summer so I took the hermies to my apartment while I was doing an internship. I did a lot of research and took super good care of them. I upgraded them from one of those 4"x6" critter carriers to a nice aquarium with appropriate substrates and I even got Hermione through a molt! I gave Hermione and Crabcakes back to Liz in the fall and I'm 99% sure that she stuck the aquarium on the top shelf of a bookcase and never looked at them again. They died a slow and terrible death by neglect. I should have taken them back to college with me and stuck with them instead of getting hedgehogs when I graduated. Sorry little dudes, you were awesome!

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RazorBunny
May 23, 2007

Sometimes I feel like this.

BlueOccamy posted:

:O I'd kick the rear end of anyone if they kicked my cat!

We have an acquaintance whose husband beats the poo poo out of their animals when they do something "bad" and it's had a serious negative impact on their personalities. The cats were staying with some friends of ours for a couple of weeks and suddenly they're much nicer, hmm, wonder why? Their chow mix doesn't seem to give a poo poo when they mistreat him, thankfully.

Of course the wife is pregnant. I really hope their concept of how to deal with a child is completely different from how they handle pets :smith:

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