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Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:46 pm  |
10 Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner
1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any seperation from you will be painful
2. Give me time to understand what it is you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me - it is crucial for my well being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up for punishment. You have your work, your friends, and your entertainment. I only have you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't undertand your words, I will understand your voice when it is speaking to me.
6. Be aware however you treat me, I'll never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, remember that the teeth I have could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I am not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart may be getting old and weak.
9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say " I can't bear to watch it", or " Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember... I Love You |
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Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:46 pm |
This is awesome and heartwarming. I had to call my dog over so I could snuggle her while I read it... had trouble typing the reply because she kept nuzzling my hand for more petting. 
I don't understand people who get pets and then don't treat them right. Really pisses me off! There should be a screening process for pet owners (and parents IMO..  ). As you can probably guess, my Chiquita (a chihuahua) is very spoiled (with love, affection, and good care, not clothes and $500 beds). She is so important to me, and I love her sooooo much!  |
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Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:43 pm |
| puglove wrote: |
10 Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner
1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any seperation from you will be painful
2. Give me time to understand what it is you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me - it is crucial for my well being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up for punishment. You have your work, your friends, and your entertainment. I only have you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't undertand your words, I will understand your voice when it is speaking to me.
6. Be aware however you treat me, I'll never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, remember that the teeth I have could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I am not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart may be getting old and weak.
9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say " I can't bear to watch it", or " Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember... I Love You |
AMEN to that
oli |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:01 am |
Those are very cute! #10 made my eyes water.  Seems so bitter- sweet. Very cool post! |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:53 am |
OMG. I'm tearing up. I love my pups so much but it's important to hear these things as a reminder of their complete dependence and unconditional love. They teach us so much about life.
I love this quote that appears on many greyhound novelty items:
"Lord, please help me to be the person my greyhound thinks I am." |
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36, skin in a "new" phase? Oil/break-out free but now having bouts of sensitivity and surface dehydration. |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:01 pm |
thats so true..... We need our pup as much as he/she needs us. For point 5, my husband always thinks that I am crazy for talking to lulu ( my pup). I talk to her all the time like she is human. Yes ladies... I am certifiably insane....
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:06 pm |
| Oh my god... this post makes me wanna cry, I just lost my little baby last month ... I miss him |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:35 pm |
Dogs (and cats... I am also a cat lover) are amazing. They always know more than you think they do.
I thought you fellow dog lovers might appreciate the following story.
My mom and dad just adopted a border collie that my brother found tied up outside of a store, in the sun- no shade-, on a hot day this past fall. He could tell she needed water and was very dehydrated so he got her some water and waited with her for 3 hours to see if the owner would come back. Luckily by then the sun had moved lower in the sky so the need for shade wasn't a problem anymore. Anyway, the owner never showed up so my brother took her home with him. Since her tags had a contact number on them, my dad tried to get ahold of the owner. He left numerous messages on their answering machine for a few months and NEVER heard from them. How sad is that?!? My parents found out that she is around 10 years old and has a weak liver (which hopefully with the help of the vet and good food it will improve) so they and the vet think she is a victim of dumping. But she's lucky to have found my parents because they LOVE animals.
I feel like my brother was meant to find her though because she has become my mom's dog. My mom is disabled and will be needing even more assistance as she gets worse. (In fact, we as a family had been talking about getting an assistance dog for her especially when she will be in a wheel chair). Unfortunately our other family dog- the beautiful and regal (and calm!) Irish Setter who is also known as "mom's" dog- is very old and they keep each other company when they have to be lying down together. (Which is a lot due to their respective conditions).
Anyway, the border collie, aka Tippy, never ceases to amaze. She is SO intelligent. It only took my mom a few times to teach her how to do things. And she is so well behaved. She got to know our other dog and my cat (who is staying with my mom for now) and they're all buddies. As an example, when my mom took Rosie (the Irish Setter) and Tippy out to the bathroom one night (unleashed on a large unfenced property) Rosie kind of disappeared (in the mountains it gets very dark at night when there's no moon). Rosie's hips will give out on her if she is up too long on them (we are ordering her a wheel chair so she can be more active again!). Rosie is an old lady with the mind and heart of a pup so she has no clue what her weakness are and thus does not know her limits. So my mom, worried about Rosie and needing to find her asap thinking she might have collapsed somewhere, asked Tippy to take her to Rosie and she led her right to her. And this was only a few weeks after Tippy was with my mom! There have also been other instances where Tippy has "corralled" Rosie and helped my mom manage her. It's like she knows right what to do. But that isn't too surprising seeing that it is the nature of her breed. |
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early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:10 pm |
amnis - That is a touching story and your family sounds very loving and kind. I'm so glad Tippy has been able to return the favor and help your mother. I'll keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.
Many years ago, I saw a National Geographic episode about dogs. It was narrated by the actor Richard Kiley, who had a beautiful and sonorous voice. The show was about some of the ways dogs have enriched and aided our lives, from helping during disasters, wartime, their tireless and skillful sheep herding abilities, and assisting people with disabilities. This segment was particularly moving for me since it was about a withdrawn, handicapped boy who came out of his shell with the assistance of a specially trained dog who could help him perform simple tasks. Since I take care of my eldest brother with CP, it hit close to home.
At the end of the show, in his deep and resonant voice, the narrator said something like, "We give them our spare time, our spare food, and in return THEY GIVE US THEIR ALL". It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it, and about the love and joy companion animals bestow. I couldn't agree with you more, LandB, when you say they teach us so much about life. And christine, my heart goes out to you for your loss. Our dear friends fill us up so much, and when we lose them, there's a sad and terrible void left behind.
And now I must go to bed and snuggle with my dear little Billy, an orange tabby. He doesn't know it, but he's going to a cardiologist Monday morning for an ultrasound. We must see if his heart is healthy enough to withstand the anesthesia administered during radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism. He's 13 and lost hid best bud and brother Bustopher about 6 weeks ago. Busty was also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a year and a half ago, and while he was cured of that, Chronic Renal Failure followed, and then liver cancer. He was the best boy, and now rests in the "family plot" with his predecessors. We miss him so very much, and hope little Billy's condition will turn out better. Please say a prayer for him! |
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 11:16 pm |
Pets really are so much part of our lives. I know with my husband and I, we spoil him so much (bad, I know). He is basically our child!
Its important to remember that they are also 100% part of our family, and not just somthing to play with or keep us amused when we are bored.
They are loving animals who want to be loved in return. They shouldn't be purchased on a whim etc.
Its good to keep this in mind...plus pets are known to reduce stress  |
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Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:07 pm |
Thank you m.april, I appreciate your words. I am sorry to hear about your kitties and I wish you the best. You too, Christine. My family cat passed away a few years ago when I was in college and it was so hard on me (duh!). She was basically there my entire upbringing (ever since I was 6 years old) and such a part of the family that it was a huge loss to me and I was surprised by how affected I was by it.
As you have probably already noticed from my last post and then this one is that one of my greatest passions and enjoyments in life are animals. I thought you might like the following (either that or I am becoming one of those "parents" who brags about her little darling too much and makes much ado about ordinary things!  ). Whatever, it's up to you to read. So heres more about my cat...
My Kiki, a very fun-loving character of a cat whom I dearly, is amazing and I cannot wait until she comes back to me (she staying with my mom). Since I cannot have a dog where I live (apartment rules) its like I have the best of both worlds with Kiki. She's a cat and dog in one. The dog things or cute things she does:
-runs to the door when someone knocks and greets the person or at least has to be there with me if it’s a stranger
-sits on command (yes! I taught her this!)
-rolls over and loves to have her tummy scratched and rubbed
-I pat her like a dog
-she loves to go bye-bye in the car
-she plays ball with me (actually, we roll a ball back and forth to each other on the floor... she literally pushes the ball back to me with her little paw)
-she eats almost anything and even chews on some kinds of lettuce when you hold it out for her!
-she has two special toys; one is always headquartered on my mom's bed and the other on the rug in the living room. The dog thing about her toys is that she literally runs up to you with her toys and drops it in front of you and sits there until you play with her.
-Oh! And how could I forget this one: her love of water. When I'm on the road (like when I drive the long drive to Oregon and Kiki is with me or when we are out and about running errands) she always drinks water when I place it in front of her on a driving break or in between errands. It is my understanding that cats will only drink when they feel like it; not when it's offered to them. She also drinks an incredible amount of water on a normal basis and loves playing in it (although the deepest water she has been in is up to her paws or if it's deep water she hangs over the side of the sink or tub). She will not drink out of a bowl but has to have fresh water filled to the very top of a glass. If anyone is around she must have her water straight out of the faucet (I think Carekate's cats do this too). She will even let the water run down her cheek and chin.
-And I almost forgot about another unbelievable thing she does. If I hold up her "bye-bye collar" she comes over and lets me put it on when she knows I am going somewhere (like when she sees me with my purse and hears my keys). And waits by the door for me.
And yes, I am totally telling the truth.
One of the most amazing things about her, I think, is how perceptive to emotions she is. She comforts me and my mom when we are upset. A few times over the past few years when I have been crying face down into my pillow on my bed she has run up onto my bed and nuzzled me until I turned over then gave me kitty kisses on the nose! And when I was living at home with my mom to help her over a year ago, there were a few instances where she ran to my mom when my mom was upset. One of them I remember was after she had received bad news from her doctor. I came upon her in hysterics sitting on the edge of her bed. Before I myself could get to her to comfort her, Kiki ran and jumped up onto the bed to her, stretched up and put her paws on her shoulder and then licked my mom's cheek and nuzzled her neck and then sat there looking at her. It was amazing! And observing the positive effect it had on my mom was incredible.
yup, that's definitely a long post. I can never help it!  |
_________________
early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:41 pm |
Dear Dogs and Cats,
• The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other
dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the
middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food
and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
• The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me
to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall
faster than you can run.
• I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about
this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your
comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is
not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the
fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and
having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but
sarcasm.
• For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some
miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not
necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under
the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I
entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine or feline
attendance is not mandatory.
• The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I
cannot stress this enough!
• To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our
front door:
Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Like to Complain About Our Pets:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
(That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly. Dogs and cats are better than kids. They eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are
easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, and don't need a gazillion dollars for college - and if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
Signed,
Anonymous |
_________________
Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:26 pm |
amnis,
| Quote: |
| One of the most amazing things about her, I think, is how perceptive to emotions she is. She comforts me and my mom when we are upset. A few times over the past few years when I have been crying face down into my pillow on my bed she has run up onto my bed and nuzzled me until I turned over then gave me kitty kisses on the nose! |
My dog does the same thing! If I'm crying or even just upset, she can totally tell and will come and nuzzle me until I move to a position where she can give me kisses. It makes me smile and feel better every time. I really don't know how I lived without her before. (And I've only had her less than 3 years. Her 3rd B-day was on Saturday) Aren't animals cool? |
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:45 pm |
Well, little Billy's heart condition isn't bad enough to preclude the radioactive iodine treatment, so that's a tremendous relief BTW, I misunderstood why my regular vet wanted his heart checked out -- I thought it was to see if he could withstand anesthesia but he'll only be sedated for the treatment, not put under. Rather, the cardiologist told me the ultrasound was scheduled to see if he was too far gone to even bother! As it is, his heart condition could improve once the hyperthyroidism is treated. Maybe not, but that's my great hope!
But now I have some questions for the cat lovers here, so please bear with me.
My downstairs tenant had a party 6 weeks ago and one of the guests did something to freak out his gorgeous and adorable Maine Coon mix, Simba. Simba turned around and promptly did #1 AND #2 right in front of everyone, and my tenant punished him by shaking him, etc. Ever since, Simba and he haven't been getting along, to the point where there's been some biting and resultant confinement in the cat carrier. This escalating situation has been upsetting me because Simba was always a darling and sociable kitty. So last weekend, I asked if Simba could stay in my handicapped brother's apartment where it's peaceful and serene (hint hint). Last night, I wanted my tenant to come up to see if Simba [hopefully] missed him and would want to go home. But he hissed at the first sight of him, so I'm going to keep him at least the rest of this week until his long overdue vet appointment this Friday. About 2 weeks ago, my tenant started giving him Prozac, and I was perturbed that his vet prescribed it without doing a physical exam first. The arduous pilling process has probably only made matters worse between them. If there's no physical problem detected that could account for all of this, then I guess some kind of behavioral treatment is necessary, but I don't know if my tenant (a recently-divorced 30 year old juggling a gaggle of girlfriends, but who nevertheless was always a caring cat father) wants to bother with any therapy -- he's getting fed up. I know he's hoping I'll adopt Simba but I'm not ready yet. Billy will have to be kept apart as I don't want to add to his problems at this stage of his life (he's 13 and Simba's 5), but Billy likes to hang out upstairs at my brother's, so it's problematic on a long-term basis. I'll have to see how things evolve, but FINALLY, my question is this: does anyone know if there's much success in treating psychological/defensive/aggressive behavior in cats when it's their owner who upsets them? If so, does it take a long time for things to be resolved? I hate to say it, but I'm hoping Simba has a [minor] health problem that explains it all and once treated, things will revert to normal. I'm prepared to let him spend a LOT of time with us, but not quite ready to adopt.
BTW, I'm not giving him Prozac. He ate a lot the first day with us but now isn't eating very much. He sleeps under the couch a lot of the time, and while this could indicate a health problem, it's not out of the ordinary since he's in a new environment. He slept with my brother one night, and also with my mother-in-law when she stayed over for Easter. He's otherwise been his darling self with me, wanting to be petted and purring too (although I know purring doesn't necessarily indicate good health). The loss of appetite is a real concern, but again, being in a strange environment could explain it.
Any feedback or ideas are very very welcomed. |
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:55 pm |
I just re-read puglove's 10 Commandments and see that Simba's father broke a few of them. I hope things can be patched up. I've never had any trouble like this with any of my pets -- this is unchartered territory for me.
amnis, KiKi sounds incredible. I never knew a cat like her!
carekate - I've read that "anonymous" letter before, but it made me laugh out loud AGAIN! |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:21 am |
| m.april wrote: |
My downstairs tenant had a party 6 weeks ago and one of the guests did something to freak out his gorgeous and adorable Maine Coon mix, Simba. Simba turned around and promptly did #1 AND #2 right in front of everyone, and my tenant punished him by shaking him, etc. Ever since, Simba and he haven't been getting along, to the point where there's been some biting and resultant confinement in the cat carrier. This escalating situation has been upsetting me because Simba was always a darling and sociable kitty. So last weekend, I asked if Simba could stay in my handicapped brother's apartment where it's peaceful and serene (hint hint). Last night, I wanted my tenant to come up to see if Simba [hopefully] missed him and would want to go home. But he hissed at the first sight of him, so I'm going to keep him at least the rest of this week until his long overdue vet appointment this Friday. About 2 weeks ago, my tenant started giving him Prozac, and I was perturbed that his vet prescribed it without doing a physical exam first. The arduous pilling process has probably only made matters worse between them. If there's no physical problem detected that could account for all of this, then I guess some kind of behavioral treatment is necessary, but I don't know if my tenant (a recently-divorced 30 year old juggling a gaggle of girlfriends, but who nevertheless was always a caring cat father) wants to bother with any therapy -- he's getting fed up. I know he's hoping I'll adopt Simba but I'm not ready yet. Billy will have to be kept apart as I don't want to add to his problems at this stage of his life (he's 13 and Simba's 5), but Billy likes to hang out upstairs at my brother's, so it's problematic on a long-term basis. I'll have to see how things evolve, but FINALLY, my question is this: does anyone know if there's much success in treating psychological/defensive/aggressive behavior in cats when it's their owner who upsets them? If so, does it take a long time for things to be resolved? I hate to say it, but I'm hoping Simba has a [minor] health problem that explains it all and once treated, things will revert to normal. I'm prepared to let him spend a LOT of time with us, but not quite ready to adopt.
BTW, I'm not giving him Prozac. He ate a lot the first day with us but now isn't eating very much. He sleeps under the couch a lot of the time, and while this could indicate a health problem, it's not out of the ordinary since he's in a new environment. He slept with my brother one night, and also with my mother-in-law when she stayed over for Easter. He's otherwise been his darling self with me, wanting to be petted and purring too (although I know purring doesn't necessarily indicate good health). The loss of appetite is a real concern, but again, being in a strange environment could explain it.
Any feedback or ideas are very very welcomed. |
OMG, somebody should pick up your tenant and shake him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One should NEVER EVER EVER use pain as a way to punish a cat for a toilet mistake. EVER. All this dumbass has done is caused the cat to associate going to the bathroom AND being touched by his owner with pain. You don’t spank a cat, you don’t slap a cat, you don’t rub a cat’s nose in it. Even when you are disciplining a cat (i.e.: teaching a kitten not to bite too hard, claw the couch, etc), the most force you are ever supposed to use is a firm tap on the nose, and even then you only do that as an absolute last resort.
Simba’s trust in his owner has been broken and I don’t know what, if anything, Dumb-ass can do to regain it. The fact that the cat is okay in your company but freaks out at the sight of Dumb-ass most likely means that Simba will never be okay with him again and will likely need to find a new owner.
Seriously, Simba is going to continue to be aggressive toward Dumb-ass and – if he hasn’t already – will begin taking his revenge not only by biting and scratching Dumb-ass, but also by urinating and defecating all over the house, possibly even in Dumb-ass’s shoes or on his clothing or in his bed.
I think someone needs to stage an intervention and get Simba out of there.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a little pissed off with your tenant! |
_________________
Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:14 am |
Hi carekate - Thank you for taking the time to consider this problem and to respond. Sadly, you've confirmed what I've been suspecting. I have to admit that I think Simba's father is a jerk. He's the one who needs medication -- the guy has to be doing something CONSTANTLY. He's in and out of his apartment several times a day. He goes clubbing with one of his girlfriends every night. He's always been a high-maintenance tenant. He calls me all of the time. Maybe some Ritalin is in order. He seems to be going through an early mid-life crisis. Up until the infamous party, things were pretty calm down there, and he had a long-term girlfriend. When they broke up, the excessive partying and loud stereo playing started. I don't think it's a coincidence that Simba's behavior changed around the same time.
I may have to keep Simba, but like I said, Billy's age and health problems make him my #1 priority. I just hope (maybe futily) that Simba will like his father again, but I'm not optimistic. I wonnder if his loss of appetite may have something to do with not getting Prozac now that he's with us (he was given it for about 10 days leading up to). I'm not familiar with this drug's side effects, etc. especially when given to animals. If anything, I would've thought a tranquilizer would've been indicated. But maybe Simba just needs to be away from his hyperactive, a**hole father. |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:33 am |
| m.april wrote: |
| ...But maybe Simba just needs to be away from his hyperactive, a**hole father. |
You've got it right in one! Simba needs to be removed from that home and taken into 'protective custody'!!!
I find it ironic that this jerk is having his cat treated for aggression using Prozac for a problem which he caused the cat to have in the first place. I bet he didn't tell the vet about THAT! He probably just told the vet that Simba was suddenly acting aggressive for no reason at all....
For the record, here's whatwww.peteducation.com had to say about using Prozac on kitty:
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It is used to treat behavior problems including obsessive compulsive behavior such as constant licking in dogs and cats, and feather picking in birds. It is also used to treat aggression. It may take 1-4 weeks before you see an effect. It may cause aggression in some previously unaggressive animals. Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences stomach upset, tiredness, anxiety, restlessness, panting, irritability, jaundice (yellowing of the gums, skin, or whites of the eyes), vomiting, or a persistent lack of appetite while being treated with fluoxetine.
If TX wasn't so far from Cincinatti, I'd offer to adopt Simba! Please try to find a suitable arrangement for that poor cat, it's not healthy for him to return to that environment.
And please tell me that Dumb-ass doesn't have any children that he will shake and mistreat if the kid has a toilet problem!! |
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Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:51 am |
P.S. If it helps at all, a five-year old cat isn’t going to do much more than eat, sleep and poop. Simba is way past kittenhood and the need to constantly play, so I honestly doubt that he would bother your dog. If anything, I suspect that Simba would actually go out of his way to AVOID the dog (i.e.: sleeping up on high places where the dog can’t see/reach him, only seek you out for “loving” when the dog isn’t present, etc.).
The only place where they might come in to contact with each other would be in your bed, if both animals are accustomed to sleeping with you/in a bed. I had the same prob with my two cats (one of whom was a Maine Coon, so you can understand my affinity for Simba!) and my German Shepherd, but they came to an affable agreement whereby the dog slept on one side of me, I was in the middle and the cats were on the other side. So long as everybody stayed on their own side of the bed, everybody was happy!
Seriously, unless Simba has an actual TRUE health problem necessitating daily medication and not this Prozac crap because Simba “suddenly became aggressive,” I don’t think it would be disruptive to Billy to introduce Simba into your household. Again, I think they would go out of their way to avoid each other.
If you are still allowing Simba to stay in your brother’s apartment, I’d like to suggest that you test out my theory by bringing Simba in to your house for an hour or so and see what happens. Billy is probably already accustomed to the cat’s scent if you’ve ever petted or held the cat and then went and handled the dog without washing your hands/clothes first so the introduction should be relatively painless.
Obviously if it is distressful to the dog in any way, you should take Simba back to your brother’s right away, but I honestly believe that after an initial hiss and a bark, Simba will jump up on a high place out of the dog’s way and Billy will forget he’s there! |
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Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:09 am |
Hello again carekate - Billy's a cat, and just this morning, I let Simba out in the hallway (he's been in a frisky mood today). Where did he end up? Right outside my door. I opened it a crack and he and Billy sniffed and hissed. I suppose it may be possible to eventually integrate them -- I just really worry that it'll stress-out Billy, who's already got enough to deal with these days.
And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Simba's father failed to tell his vet the whole story. I'm thinking of asking him if I can go along to the appointment this Friday. I also think the Prozac was a mistake. I'm just glad he doesn't seem to need it now -- he's not behaving aggressively with me or my family.
One of my nieces is a cat person and has expressed doubt that things can be patched up.
So, do Maine Coons (Simba's a mutt -- Dumbass says his mother was a black short hair) pose any particular challenges (other than the very long hair) for owners, vis a vis special health concerns? I noticed something about hip dysplasia (sp?) on one Maine Coon website I checked last week, but didn't read about it. I've had enough illness to deal with these last few years, and worry about taking on more. But in truth, other than the poor appetite (he IS eating a little), Simba doesn't seem to be sick to me. I guess I'll find out before too long.
PS - My tenant has a 3 year old son from his failed marriage. He has Zach over a lot and seems to be an attentive father. But I'm not a fly on the wall so I don't know what's really going on down there. I don't know if I WANNA know! |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:52 am |
Whoops, how did I get the impression that Billy was a dog??
Does Billy go all over the house or does he usually stay in one particular place in the house? If it’s the latter, it would be fairly simple to integrate Billy and Simba into the same household. Actually, it’s fairly simple to do, regardless. Perhaps your niece would be willing to take Simba on? If not, I can give you instructions on how to introduce Simba into your home with minimal stress to both cats.
As for Maine Coons and their potential health problems....
How big is Simba? The reason I ask is because full-blooded Maine Coons can weigh anywhere from 25-40 pounds! My Caprice was “only” a 30-pounder so she was actually very small for her breed, but people were constantly astounded as to how large she actually appeared in comparison to other house cats.
Hip dysplaisia (sp!) Can be a problem for large-breed dogs and cats, when their body weight/mass puts too much stress on the animal’s frame/skeleton. It’s sort of like a overly endowed woman who weighs a hundred pounds but wears a size 38-EEE bra – she’s going to experience a lot of back pain because her boobs are too big for her frame (my brother’s wife is a prime example of this)! So long is Simba’s weight is managed so that he maintains a healthy body weight/size, he shouldn’t have any problems with his hips. A bigger concern for cats and osteo-arthritic problems is actually declawing! When a cat is declawed, they actually amputate part of his toes (in human terms, it would be the equivilent of cutting off half your digit, past the first knuckle) so that after the cat has recovered from the surgery, he actually has to learn how to walk/balance himself all over again to compensate for the missing joint. As a result, this throws off the entire alignment of the cat’s backbone and skeleton and can cause him to have severe back pain as he ages. That is a more likely cause of cat developing problems like hip dysplasia, especially if Simba is only a half-blooded Maine Coon and doesn’t tip the scales the way that the full-blooded cat would.
The other thing about Maine Coons is they seem to have a longer life expectancy, at least that has been my experience. Caprice was 12 when I had to put her down, but her brother who is also Maine Coon is 15-years-old and still relatively healthy for his advanced age. Domino “only” weighs 20 pounds himself, but he hasn’t experienced any skeletal problems as yet, other than the aforementioned amputation of his toes (If I had known then what I do now, I NEVER would have allowed my mom to declaw Domino) which has caused him to become a bit sway-backed as the years pass. I have had Domino since his mother abandoned him and Caprice when they were 3-weeks-old and I had to bottle-feed them for a couple weeks until they learned to lap milk on their own. Domino means to me what your Billy means to you and I thank God every day that Domino does not have any health problems yet because he is my baby and I know I’m not going to have much more time with him so I understand exactly how you feel about Billy. In fact, I got a new kitten last summer (a month-old Siamese-Ragdoll/mix who had been abandoned by her mother) and Domino was so pissed off at me. It was so funny when I brought Opal home and tried to introduce them. Domino was hissing at the baby and the baby just wanted to snuggle and cuddle with Domino because she was still missing her mother and the cat that was fostering her suddenly decided she had had enough of raising kittens so began to snub Opal so my poor little girl had been orphaned twice. Anyway, I laid down on the floor next to Domino and Opal, putting both of them and talking to them, and Domino absolutely refused to look at me. He would look everywhere but at me. He knew I was talking to him but he was like, “Leave me alone, I’m mad at you – how could you bring this little whippersnapper in to the family?” For two hours he completely ignored me – my son told me Domino was “giving me the stink-eye” (I can only assume this was a variation to the ‘evil eye,’ or the ‘shit eye’...) – and the kitten is climbing and romping all over him and he’s hissing at her and she’s not having any of it, until finally Domino gave me this look that was just so long-suffering and pregnant with disgust, then he sort of shrugged his shoulders and said, “Alright, I give up!” And he and the baby have been fast friends ever since. Now Opal treats Domino like her 3rd surrogate mother (me being the 2nd) – she snuggles up to him and tries to “nurse” a tuft of his fur on his chest, making muffins against him with her sharp little claws and Domino just looks at me with the most disgusted, long-suffering look on his face but he tolerates her and – in his secret heart of hearts – I think he loves her just as much as she loves him.
So anyway, to get back to the point, Maine Coons don’t really have any special health problems or issues that you must contend with and Simba should live out his years in relative health and happiness – providing he doesn’t have to go back and live with Dumbass, of course! |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:01 pm |
Thank you carekate for all of the info. I don't know Simba's weight but he's a lot bigger than Billy! It's hard to tell with all of his fluffy fur (he's light grey with charcoal legs, white paws, darker grey markings about his face -- just gorgeous), but I'm sure he'll be weighed at his doctor visit Friday. I know I could hold him and weigh him but I don't want to pick him up yet -- he's still a bit wary of his surroundings. He's already been declawed, as is Billy. I didn't know all of that about declawing, but before Bustopher and Billy were declawed, they tore up our living room furniture and ruined some of our clothes! As much as I love animals, I don't think I could tolerate the damage, and Bill (as well as all of my other cats) have seemed to be fine after they've been declawed. BTW, Bill's parapatetic -- all over the place -- and it's bugging the hell out of him that I haven't let him follow me up to my brother's apartment.
I was spoiled by my first cat Monty -- he lived to be 2 months shy of 20 years old. I had a hard time accepting Buster's death at 13, but I realize this is close to the norm.
Again, I appreciate all of your input. Simba's still not eating much today (he hasn't had a bowel movement since Saturday, after eating a lot Friday night -- his first night with us) so I haven't ruled out that he may have a physical problem. Maybe he's experiencing a bit of withdrawl from the 10 days of Prozac -- I just don't know. But don't get me started again about his father... I could go on and on. He's broken some of the 10 Commandments, and probably shouldn't be a pet owner. |
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:09 pm |
| Can't we edit after the fact any longer??? Peripatetic, not para... |
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Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:18 am |
| m.april wrote: |
| I didn't know all of that about declawing |
I didn't know about the horrors of declawing either! I had planned to get my new baby declawed so one day I was researching the procedure to see if there was any pain relievers I could give her, etc., while she recovered and came upon this article: http://www.theanimalspirit.com/declaw.html -- I was absolutely horrified because growing up, we'd always had housecats and they had all been declawed so I just thought it was as routine as getting them fixed. After I read that article, I swore I would never again put one of my furry little children through that kind of torture! You ought to read it if you get a chance -- it's a real eye-opener. |
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Über-oily,semi-sensitive, warm/fair-skinned redhead, 38...Will swap/shop for members outside U.S. and/or make homemade skincare products upon demand-PM me for details. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:56 am |
I read the first paragraph of the procedure and that's enough for me! Poor little kitties! Also, all the things about being able to protect themselves and jump/hold on to things makes perfect sense. |
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