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poser posted:I changed my water in my beta tank last night and I come home from work and they are both dead. Any ideas on what might have caused this? First, "beta" is a pet peeve of mine. They're bettas, from their scientific name Betta splendens. How much water did you change? What kind of water did you refill with? Do you use any additives to the water? Did you have the bettas separated by a barrier of some sort? Is your tank heated and do you have an accurate thermometer on the tank? How big is the tank and does it have any filtration? Do you do any testing on the water chemistry?
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Dec 10, 2007 01:55
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poser posted:I changed my water in my beta tank last night and I come home from work and they are both dead. Any ideas on what might have caused this? 2) If you didn't double check the temperature of your water, the shock may have killed them. 3) If you changed a large quantity at once, the shock may have killed them. 4) Having two bettas in a tank (are the both male?  ) may have killed them.5) Ambient temperature could have dropped enough to kill them. 6) Your tank parameters may have sucked anyways and killed them.
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Dec 10, 2007 02:05
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Antifederalist posted:I was hoping to get some advice on what to expect in the deworming process. The package warns of vomiting, and I can handle that, but is there anything else I need to know or be ready for? The dog will probably have soft or runny, extra-rank shits full of worms. If they're fresh enough they'll be spasmy angry worms. I call these the angry spaghetti poops. 
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Dec 10, 2007 02:37
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:First, "beta" is a pet peeve of mine. They're bettas, from their scientific name Betta splendens. I changed a large amount, I realize that I shouldn't have done this and its probably what did it. I refilled it with dechlorinated tap water. Yes, They are separated. No heater because I live in San Diego and its 70-80 almost everyday. No testing of water chemistry. Cuddlebottom posted:1) If you didn't dechlorinate, the chlorine/chloramines got them. 1. Did that 2. Did not do that 3. This was probably it 4. It has a divider in it 5. It was very cold last night and I didnt have my heater on 6. Possibly. What is the proper way to care for these type of fish? I did some research and some say they dont need much attention and others say the tanks need a lot of work. What type of tank settings and care do you recommend?
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Dec 10, 2007 04:16
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poser posted:I changed my water in my beta tank last night and I come home from work and they are both dead. Any ideas on what might have caused this?
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Dec 10, 2007 04:30
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Thanks for the self mutilation/emo kitten advice earlier. I have another question about the same little guy. By the vet's estimation, he's approximately 12 weeks old. His nose has always been a little runny/crusty, but lately it's started to peel, it looks painful and is usually pretty dry looking. He's active and otherwise seems healthy, but just in case I've got an appointment with the vet. In the meantime is there anything I can put on it to sort of nudge it in the direction of healing or at least to soothe his poor itty little nose? Neosporin, bacatracin, anything?
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Dec 10, 2007 04:42
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poser posted:What is the proper way to care for these type of fish? I did some research and some say they dont need much attention and others say the tanks need a lot of work. What type of tank settings and care do you recommend? Some may think that this site requires more care for bettas than they really need, but doing more is much less likely to cause trouble than doing too little: http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php bettatalk.com has a guide too. It has the minimal sort of care, and they tell you to expect the fish to live two years. The firsttankguide information expects fish to last 8-10 years. I think that in itself should tell you which to try to follow. Bettas do come from murky warm puddles in Thailand...but these aren't like puddles on the street. They tend to be marshy areas or rice paddies. Living in a cup full of water isn't acceptable, no matter what the stupid pet store tells you. A tank with good filtration is really a good idea. It reduces the amount of water you need to change (though you always have to change some water regularly to keep from concentrating the minerals from the water) and it keeps the chemistry of the water more stable. Jayded posted:Thanks for the self mutilation/emo kitten advice earlier. I have another question about the same little guy. By the vet's estimation, he's approximately 12 weeks old. His nose has always been a little runny/crusty, but lately it's started to peel, it looks painful and is usually pretty dry looking. He's active and otherwise seems healthy, but just in case I've got an appointment with the vet. In the meantime is there anything I can put on it to sort of nudge it in the direction of healing or at least to soothe his poor itty little nose? Neosporin, bacatracin, anything? I'd recommend just some plain vaseline, if you can. It will help hold in moisture and soothe the nose a little, but without anything that you don't want him licking. Pure aloe would also be good. Whatever goes on there, though, he's going to lick off, so make sure it's something safe. The antibiotic ointments are probably safe, but I've heard of animals having sensitivities to some of the antibiotics, so it's probably best to go with something safe, hydrating (aloe) and and soothing (vaseline). You or your cat could safely eat pure aloe or vaseline without much more than getting the runs. Crab Ran fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Dec 10, 2007 |
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Dec 10, 2007 04:43
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:I'd recommend just some plain vaseline, if you can. It will help hold in moisture and soothe the nose a little, but without anything that you don't want him licking. Pure aloe would also be good. Whatever goes on there, though, he's going to lick off, so make sure it's something safe. The antibiotic ointments are probably safe, but I've heard of animals having sensitivities to some of the antibiotics, so it's probably best to go with something safe, hydrating (aloe) and and soothing (vaseline). You or your cat could safely eat pure aloe or vaseline without much more than getting the runs. Thank you.  That makes perfect sense, I was just harboring some hope that I'd be told neosporin is great for cats even when they eat it.  Looks like I'm going to 7-11 for Vaseline. That won't raise any eyebrows I'm sure.
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Dec 10, 2007 04:54
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Okay, this may be a crazy question, but hopefully I won't be laughed out of the thread for it. We've had a cute black kitty hanging around our yard/fields lately (my house is surrounded by fields), and my mom and I have been putting food out for him. (We think he might be living in one of our abandoned outbuildings - or she does, anyway.) I tried to approach him once or twice while making enticing noises, but he ran away - my mom claims to have gotten as close to a few feet away while he's been eating. Does anybody have any tips to try to get the cat more adjusted to people (i.e., me)? I actually haven't seen him for four or five days now, but I'm hoping that's more because the weather is really lovely, and not because he's gotten torn apart by coyotes or hit by a car or something.
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Dec 10, 2007 05:14
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poser posted:What is the proper way to care for these type of fish? I did some research and some say they dont need much attention and others say the tanks need a lot of work. What type of tank settings and care do you recommend? You can keep bettas in unfiltered water but it's not recommended. You want a filter that doesn't churn up the water too bad because of their sensitive fins, so don't over-filter the tank. (Many filters have variable intake, so turning it down to "low" is a good idea.) Also be sure there's a lot of surface area to the water (wide tanks, not tall ones) since a betta needs to supplement its gills with its labyrinth organ and get air from the surface. Getting a few plants is highly recommended - pet stores will sell little "betta bulbs" that are basically impossible to kill and will grow anywhere. Don't forget to cover the tank, bettas are jumpers. Finally, invest in a set of test strips that include chlorine, ammonia and nitrates as a minimum. You can buy products such as "biospira" to cycle your tank without fish if you decide to start up again. Franziska Von Karma posted:Does anybody have any tips to try to get the cat more adjusted to people (i.e., me)?
Cuddlebottom fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Dec 10, 2007 |
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Dec 10, 2007 06:44
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I have two young chinchillas that I've had for about a month. When I was setting up their cage, I bought a water bottle for them to use, but since their setup at the rescue where I got them from included a bowl of water, I put a water dish in there just until they found and got used to drinking from the bottle. Problem is, it's been a month, and they still haven't found the water bottle. I'd really like to get that water dish out of there, because I'm afraid that one of the times when they're rough housing they're gonna end up landing right in it. Any tips on getting them to use the water bottle instead?
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Dec 10, 2007 07:16
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e: never mind. my browser is hosed up or something. this can be deleted.
Little_Dead_Pets fucked around with this message at 08:47 on Dec 10, 2007 |
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Dec 10, 2007 08:44
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Rin used to be an aloof sort of kitty. She was sweet and she liked getting petted and stuff, but her attitude was always "pet me or not, whatever." She was fairly independant up until about the past two weeks when all of a sudden she's become a huge clingy mess. She has to be in my lap all the time, if I'm in the bedroom and she's in the living room she cries and cries until I come get her. She stands on my pillow at night and whines until I snuggle her. There's two other cats in the apartment, so it's not like she's lonely. She gets along very well with her brother Professor, and doesn't mind Poko at all. The only major change that's gone down in the past 2 weeks has been a food upgrade - they used to be on Science Diet, now they're on Nutro Balance. I can't think of any big trauma that would've caused such a drastic switch in personality. I don't think she's sick or anything (eating, drinking, playing, using the litter box are all normal), and while I don't really mind her being such a huge mama's girl I just want to know if I should have her looked at or not. Franziska Von Karma posted:Does anybody have any tips to try to get the cat more adjusted to people (i.e., me)? Next time you see him eating, just hang out close by. Don't approach him and don't force it or anything. Gradually get closer and closer. Try to reach out and pet him while he's eating. If that's too much for him, maybe take a towel and rub it on yourself or your mom, then set it close to the food bowl so that he can get used to your scent and associated with good things like food. Also be careful about just leaving food out like that. We used to do that for a stray in our neighborhood when I was a kid, but it attracted raccoons who very much enjoyed the food. They got into a fight with our real cats and poor Tommy had his cheek torn to poo poo by them. Raccoons like cat food and they don't like competition.
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Dec 10, 2007 15:28
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Women's Rights? posted:Also be careful about just leaving food out like that. We used to do that for a stray in our neighborhood when I was a kid, but it attracted raccoons who very much enjoyed the food. They got into a fight with our real cats and poor Tommy had his cheek torn to poo poo by them. Raccoons like cat food and they don't like competition. Here's why I stopped leaving food out overnight: 
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Dec 10, 2007 18:28
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Our kitten doesn't bury it's business when it's done in the litterbox and it starts t o stink up the place quite a bit. We used to use one of those self cleaning litter boxes (littermaid) and this might have contributed to the lazy behavior. Any suggestions would be appreciated?
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Dec 10, 2007 19:08
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obsolete absolution posted:I have two young chinchillas that I've had for about a month. When I was setting up their cage, I bought a water bottle for them to use, but since their setup at the rescue where I got them from included a bowl of water, I put a water dish in there just until they found and got used to drinking from the bottle. Problem is, it's been a month, and they still haven't found the water bottle. I'd really like to get that water dish out of there, because I'm afraid that one of the times when they're rough housing they're gonna end up landing right in it. Any tips on getting them to use the water bottle instead? Some animals just don't like water bottles. My ferrets much prefer open containers of water. The best product I've found are crocks made for bird and other animal cages. They're easy to remove/replace and stay in one place. You can put them up high enough that they can get to them without getting too much bedding into them. http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...&utm_source=cse
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Dec 10, 2007 19:16
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Any tips on how to hold down your cat while you clip her nails? I got one paw and one nail on a second paw done before she just about killed me.
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Dec 10, 2007 22:54
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:Some animals just don't like water bottles. Or they might just not be enticed to figure it out, since they have dishes. I've never kept a chinchilla, but we had a rabbit who wasn't bottle-trained. I think my folks picked him up and bumped his nose against the bottle until it wet his face a little. He figured it out pretty well. I bet you anything the various chinchilla websites will have advice on this. And if they never take to it, Housecat's crock idea is good. I'm so glad my rats came knowing how to use the bottle. They make such a mess with a dish.
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Dec 10, 2007 23:28
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Myok posted:Here's why I stopped leaving food out overnight: Haha, we had skunks living around our house last summer (possibly in a brushpile). They would trot up the driveway in the morning, right around the same time my mom went out for her morning jog. And, yeah, we've mostly been putting food out during the day. The woods and fields nearby contain all kinds of fun critters (one of the reasons why our cat stays in at night). Thanks for the towel idea, I'll have to try that the next time the cat shows up.
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Dec 11, 2007 00:08
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vikingstrike posted:Any tips on how to hold down your cat while you clip her nails? I got one paw and one nail on a second paw done before she just about killed me. Wrap him tightly in a towel & just pull out one paw at a time. But, I think it's easier to just do one paw a night.
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Dec 11, 2007 00:52
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I've got a pretty big tropical freshwater fishtank (~30 gallons). Living in it are three fancy guppies, three black hi-fin tetras, a big fat mottled brown pleco, one mini puffer and his kissy-face buddy the gourami. They're all male, in good health, brilliant colouration, etc. The tank is temperature controlled. It's very sparsely planted but well aerated. I'd like to add another fish, preferably a showy one, or another small school. Are there any that won't mess up the vibe they've got going on now?
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Dec 11, 2007 01:20
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Franziska Von Karma posted:Thanks for the towel idea, I'll have to try that the next time the cat shows up. You can also try a pillowcase, if you have any that aren't all fancy and unable to tolerate being outside for a little while.  The oils from your face and head are ones that'll really smell like "you". When we go on a trip and have our ferrets stay with someone else, we give them dirty pillowcases.
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Dec 11, 2007 01:24
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My roommate has a generally sweet black bear hamster, but I have noticed that since winter has finally shown up, she isn't coming out and running in her wheel, or chewing on stuff as much as she used to. She only comes out a few times at night that I know of to drink and eat. This is a very big change to what she would do during the summer, when she would run in her wheel for what seemed like hours at a time. What I would love to know is, do hamsters hibernate or go through some version of it? I don't think that the apartment is too cold, in fact most of the time I think it is too hot at home, so I don't know if the temperature is the problem or just the fact that they just slow down during the winter. Any ideas PI?
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Dec 11, 2007 02:57
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RazorBunny posted:Or they might just not be enticed to figure it out, since they have dishes. I've never kept a chinchilla, but we had a rabbit who wasn't bottle-trained. I think my folks picked him up and bumped his nose against the bottle until it wet his face a little. He figured it out pretty well. I bet you anything the various chinchilla websites will have advice on this. And if they never take to it, Housecat's crock idea is good. See, I considered that, but chinchillas really seem to dislike being held. They're both quite happy to jump into my hand and stay there while I pet them, but if I actually need to pick them up by putting a hand around them, they freak out a bit, so I don't know if I'd be able to have enough control over them to get them to notice that the bottle has water in it and isn't just there for decoration. The good news is that other than the occasional piece of alfalfa, they don't really get anything in their water dish. And no, I checked various chinchilla websites before posting here. Maybe if I registered at one of their forums and asked someone would have a clue, but no luck just browsing faqs and tips.
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Dec 11, 2007 17:28
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We went to Petland last night to kill some time and pet some furry things. Oh dear god, the hideous mutant puppies they had there. I've seen adorable schnoodles; the one there was a wreck. There were several ugly Maltese crosses, a couple of gross-looking Shih Tzu crosses. PI has convinced me how bad the BYB/mill situation is, but I wasn't really against the idea of purebred crosses until last night. Those little things were so ugly. The only truly attractive dogs they had there were a boxer puppy and a golden retriever. And they had a young kitten there with some of the grossest eyes I've ever seen. This wasn't a rescue they were showing off for adoption, this was for sale. Cute long-haired tabby, and so, so friendly, but those poor weepy little eyes and the oily, matted fur... I think I may be permanently traumatized.
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Dec 11, 2007 20:53
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I have a four-year-old American shorthair cat named Isaac, and I'm wondering about his behavior. When I scratch the top of his back, anywhere near rear half, he gets a psychotic look in his eyes and starts looking backwards, and often begins to compulsively lick anything around. What's the origin of this behavior? (Or is my cat just odd?) (I'm rather new, sorry if this is common knowledge). Ed: More generally, why do cats pop their rears into the air sometimes if you stroke down the back? I know this can't be unique, because comedian George Carlin noted the same thing with his cat. platzapS fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Dec 11, 2007 |
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Dec 11, 2007 22:35
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We had a cat who used to do that. If we did it too much, she would bite us. I think it's just one of those things some cats do.
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Dec 11, 2007 22:41
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How necessary is it to get indoor cats vaccinated every year? I have two 1 and a half year old boys who got their full shots when they were kittens and again a month ago. They are 100% indoor, have no exposure to any other animals, and I plan to keep it that way of the rest of their lives. Do they really need anything other then a regular checkup?
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Dec 11, 2007 22:42
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What would be the best/easiest sorts of snails to breed as food for my dwarf puffers? Would snails need a very complex set up to breed? How many would I want? I figure I want a sort that are hermaphrodites...
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Dec 12, 2007 00:23
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Button posted:How necessary is it to get indoor cats vaccinated every year? I have two 1 and a half year old boys who got their full shots when they were kittens and again a month ago. They are 100% indoor, have no exposure to any other animals, and I plan to keep it that way of the rest of their lives. Do they really need anything other then a regular checkup? The respiratory vaccine (FVRCP) is usually recommended anyway because you can bring the germs in on your clothes even if the cats never leave the house. Leukemia isn't recommended for indoor cats as it's the most risky vaccine reaction-wise and you need pretty direct cat-to-cat contact to get it. Rabies is up to you, again it's unlikely if you keep the cat indoors, but some people do it anyway, to protect the cat in case of escapes or maybe just for peace of mind in case the cat bites soemone and the person freaks out about rabies. If you license your cat (I think most people don't) rabies may be required depending on where you live.
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Dec 12, 2007 00:44
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I have seen a few people on here with walking jackets for their cats. Where can I find these at a reasonable price? We have harnesses right now but the cats one, don't care for the pressure and I think that the jacket will spread it out to where they don't nice. Two, they are getting too small for my fatties. I want to let them explore but I am not having any luck finding the jackets.
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Dec 12, 2007 01:06
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Chaco posted:If you license your cat (I think most people don't) rabies may be required depending on where you live. I run a vaccine clinic and we have to ask people if they would like us to register their cat with the health department (about their rabies vaccine) and only like 20% actually do. I know in TN it's required by law to get a rabies vaccine every year, most states are either every 1 year or every 3 years. Getting annual vaccines is a good time to just get a general check-up done anyways.
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Dec 12, 2007 01:49
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My cat doesn't bury her own poo poo. Which is weird, because she's very bright about where the litterbox is. We got her from a shelter and she has never once not poo poo in there. Even when I had to move her from the suburbs to downtown Chicago and back within 4 days she always right away picked up where the box is. So far I've only tried 2 different kinds of litter so I guess it could still be that. I mean it's not that big of a deal, whenever she shits I just clean it out right away, but I'm still curious as to why she doesn't bury it.
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Dec 12, 2007 06:24
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Yeet posted:My cat doesn't bury her own poo poo. Which is weird, because she's very bright about where the litterbox is. We got her from a shelter and she has never once not poo poo in there. Even when I had to move her from the suburbs to downtown Chicago and back within 4 days she always right away picked up where the box is. So far I've only tried 2 different kinds of litter so I guess it could still be that. You obviously don't read PI very much. A lot of cats don't bury their poop. It might have to do with the training they did or didn't get from their mom (taken too early?) or they just don't find it particularly necessary. Maybe they're getting more domesticated and don't even think about hiding their tracks anymore.
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Dec 12, 2007 16:00
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Button posted:How necessary is it to get indoor cats vaccinated every year? I have two 1 and a half year old boys who got their full shots when they were kittens and again a month ago. They are 100% indoor, have no exposure to any other animals, and I plan to keep it that way of the rest of their lives. Do they really need anything other then a regular checkup? One of my roommates a couple of years ago had a cat living in the house when a raccoon decided to crawl down a vent pipe and die. We didn't discover it until we could smell it, and by that time it had already coated one corner of the basement with all kinds of nasty fluids. There wasn't enough bleach in the world to make that corner okay again. No matter how hard you try to keep your cats safe, there's always a bizarre chance that a bat or raccoon or other potential carrier will break in. That probably falls under the "some people keep their cats vaccinated for peace of mind" category.
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Dec 12, 2007 17:29
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platzapS posted:Ed: More generally, why do cats pop their rears into the air sometimes if you stroke down the back? I know this can't be unique, because comedian George Carlin noted the same thing with his cat. I hate to tell this to people because it really freaks them out, but it's a mating response. You're turning your cat on by stroking it on the back. It's called "lordosis behavior." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordosis_behavior
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Dec 12, 2007 20:02
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platzapS posted:I have a four-year-old American shorthair cat named Isaac, and I'm wondering about his behavior. When I scratch the top of his back, anywhere near rear half, he gets a psychotic look in his eyes and starts looking backwards, and often begins to compulsively lick anything around. What's the origin of this behavior? (Or is my cat just odd?) I have no clue of the origins of this behavior, but I had a himalyan cat that did the compulsive licking when you did that (and I think a psychotic look was present too, but it was many years back).
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Dec 12, 2007 21:41
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randomity posted:I hate to tell this to people because it really freaks them out, but it's a mating response. You're turning your cat on by stroking it on the back. It's called "lordosis behavior." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordosis_behavior That article also says it's part of a reflex arc, which means that you could be eliciting that response without the accompanying hormonal interactions as I understand it, which would explain why males and spayed females exhibit the same behavior.
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Dec 13, 2007 03:14
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randomity posted:I hate to tell this to people because it really freaks them out, but it's a mating response. You're turning your cat on by stroking it on the back. It's called "lordosis behavior." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordosis_behavior Bullshit. If you hated to tell people this, you wouldn't. You obviously enjoy shocking them.
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Dec 13, 2007 03:15
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I have a question. I have two kitties who have been living together for maybe 5 weeks so far. They're both female, both spayed, and both around 2-ish. But I've been noticing that one of them will sniff the other's butt incessantly, and then leave her mouth half open for maybe 10 seconds after that. I remember seeing on the Discovery Channel that male lions will do that to see if female lions are in heat by using some gland on the top of their mouth, but two female house cats??? I iz confuzed. Please help a confused human.
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Dec 13, 2007 03:27
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