Show us your pets!

[TsPoet]

Scaldedcat,
Wow, you have a menagerie!
I've got 2.5 dogs, 6 budgies, and 1 Meyer's parrot.
guess I need several cats to keep up with you (not going for the snake, though, nothing I have to clean up after like that).

[bmccasland]

Scaldedcat,
Wow, you have a menagerie!
I've got 2.5 dogs, 6 budgies, and 1 Meyer's parrot.
guess I need several cats to keep up with you (not going for the snake, though, nothing I have to clean up after like that).

Um, TsPoet - how do you have half a dog? Joint custody? Do you get the cute part?

[ScaldedCat]

Scaldedcat,
Wow, you have a menagerie!
I've got 2.5 dogs, 6 budgies, and 1 Meyer's parrot.
guess I need several cats to keep up with you (not going for the snake, though, nothing I have to clean up after like that).

6 budgies! How do you stand the noise?

[Pascale]

My newest pet that I just picked up yesterday - he's a four year Honduran Milk Snake (light colored variety).

[TsPoet]

Um, TsPoet - how do you have half a dog? Joint custody? Do you get the cute part?

I have a 9 week old puppy, she's with her breeder at IG nationals right now. When they get back, she'll finally come live with me and be my pet. But, we are co-owning. I want a fun agility dog, the breeder wants to show her - so by co-owning it'll be possible to have a champion in different fields (or she'll bomb out of all of it and just be a pet, LOL).

6 budgies! How do you stand the noise?

I have a "bird room". It was supposed to be a bedroom, I had french doors built into the wall with the livingroom. When they get too loud, I close the doors. I also love that chatter, it's a happy noise. I also watch TV with closed captioning, I'm just so used to the noise and reading my TV it works fine. My SO hates it, so the doors get closed more.
They aren't so much pets, though. I've always had very tame pet budgies flying around, but these are all rescues from people who got them, let them sit in a cage ignored for a few years, then got tired of changing the paper. So, my dad built a beautiful flight cage (5x5x6ft tall), and they have each other, but they aren't tame. I keep trying to scale back, but everytime one goes to the bridge, seems like karma knows it and I get a phonecall from someone wanting to rehome one.

[TsPoet]

My newest pet that I just picked up yesterday - he's a four year Honduran Milk Snake (light colored variety).

He's beautiful. Is there a pattern to his coloration, or is it more random?

[NoNo]

A bit of a scare last night as Ruthie and I made our first trip to the emergency clinic. The devil cat just wasn't being very devilish. She was very lethargic and was going to her litter box a lot and occasionally meowing and scratching at things. I thought she wasn't happy with the litter box, but I had just cleaned it out and added new litter. She was constantly in the box so I started watching and she was trying to pee but only a few drops came out. I called the emergency number and they referred me to the clinic who then told me to bring her in. So at 9:15 in the pouring rain we headed to downtown New Haven. Just how I wanted to spend the night! Two hours later we finally saw the vet, whom Ruthie greeted with plenty of hissing. Without a sample they couldn't be sure, but it sounded like an infection and she needs antibiotics. I'm pretty sure I could wrap anything in one of those Greenies pocket things, because she was licking the floor looking for more. Still mopey this morning, but there was some waste in her box, so that's good. I feel bad, she's never been sick before so it's tough to see her like this. Hopefully she'll be back to normal soon!

Here's a picture of her waiting in her crate.

[stephanie1129]

My mountain biking and trail running partner.

[TsPoet]

A bit of a scare last night as Ruthie and I made our first trip to the emergency clinic. The devil cat just wasn't being very devilish.

Oh, I hope she's doing better!

[NoNo]

Oh, I hope she's doing better!

Thank you! I have a question. The vet said to feed her wet food as a means of getting more fluid into her. If I'm reading the can correctly, I'm supposed to feed her the full 12oz can in one day. That seems like a lot to me. And how long should I leave it out for her? I can't imagine having that sitting around for very long could be good. This whole thing is a learning experience, especially trying to give her those pain meds!

[Catrin]

Thank you! I have a question. The vet said to feed her wet food as a means of getting more fluid into her. If I'm reading the can correctly, I'm supposed to feed her the full 12oz can in one day. That seems like a lot to me. And how long should I leave it out for her? I can't imagine having that sitting around for very long could be good. This whole thing is a learning experience, especially trying to give her those pain meds!

Could you scoop portions out at different times of the day? Giving meds to cats isn't any fun at all...at least I have never had much luck with it.

[bunny_ninja]

a full 12 ounce can!?! my big boys are on diets (10lbs, 16.8lbs), and I don't really feed them dry food -- unless I want to sleep at night. I give them each half a can morning and night. So -- each gets a total of 5.5oz a day. You can also offer tuna juice to get her through the uti (assuming that was the problem).

[bunny_ninja]

OH and one more thing. Greenie Pill Pockets are the most genius things ever!!!
http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Produc...llpockets.aspx

trust me. pure genius.

[Pascale]

I totally agree on the Pill Pockets. I have a 21-year-old, hyperthyroid cat who's needed medication twice daily for 3 years. Her life is MUCH easier because she gets her Pill Pocket "treats" twice a day .... she even reminds me when I am late or forget! I've used with dogs too, with great success!

[NoNo]

a full 12 ounce can!?! my big boys are on diets (10lbs, 16.8lbs), and I don't really feed them dry food -- unless I want to sleep at night. I give them each half a can morning and night. So -- each gets a total of 5.5oz a day. You can also offer tuna juice to get her through the uti (assuming that was the problem).

It said half a can per day for every 6-8lbs. She's 15lbs, so that's how I was coming up with a can per day, which just seems wildly excessive. She ate it, but has been sleeping the past few hours. She normally grazes on her dry food for several hours, but I don't think I'd want to leave wet food out that long. I don't want her to be hungry, either. Maybe I'll put out some dry food overnight to be on the safe side. Yes, they're thinking UTI, but she said no tuna for now as the protein is too hard to break down. She recommended chicken baby food mixed with some water, or the wet food.

Yes, the Pill Pockets are what she's using! I think she likes those more than the regular Greenies. Tonight she ate the Greenie part and I saw the pill pop out of her mouth. She licked it back up, not wanting to miss part of her "treat"