Pets ~ Part Two

[pontalba]

Cash, Quin, and Jasper (hope I didn't miss any in the recent posts)...they are all GORGEOUS! But then I tend to think all cats are just too cute for words!

 

My furry kid news:

 

Finally, at long last, my dog is going to have her long awaited dual purpose surgery in a few weeks! Our lab, Keiko (11 yrs old) has such repulsive breath that you can actually smell it (and gag in disgust...I know TMI), but we had to finish paying off one of the kittie's surgery's first. Little bugger went in about a year and half ago for a simple ear infection and came out needing a few teeth extracted that he somehow managed to break. (After getting a complete physical and geriatric work-up only six months before, which he came through with flying colours. ) Of course what we didn't know at the time was that dog's teeth were about to go kaput too.

 

Anyway, she is going to get her teeth cleaned, have a couple yanked and have some fairly large, benign (thankfully!) lumps removed from her sides. Most importantly, at least from her point of view, is her kisses will no longer be spurned!

 

With pets, it's either feast or famine as far as the vets are concerned! Plus never ending. But well worth it.

 

She'll feel so much better after those teeth are out, it's a drain on them.

[wordsgood]

Thank you Weave! I'm sure it will and am really looking forward to better doggy breath!

[Kylie]

I have figured out a way to keep Jasper away from my books (it's a method I've used before, so I'm not sure why I forgot to use it this time!)

 

 

My foolproof (catproof?) way of teaching Jasper to stay away from something is to...use a can of compressed air!

 

He absolutely hates the sound of it and bolts out of the room whenever I use it. Actually, I don't even have to use it very often anymore. One look at me holding the can and he knows there's about to be trouble, so he takes off. I've used it very effectively to keep him away from my TV, and I've now used it a few times over the past couple of days when he has gone for my books. He is behaving much better now.

 

The air is pretty forceful stuff, so it would probably be dangerous to spray it close to animals (especially in their faces), but I'm usually at least one metre away, and I aim it away from him; it's the noise he hates.

[wordsgood]

Pontabla, yup you've got it. Neverending but definitely worth every penny! I'm sure she'll feel much better when bad teeth are gone too. She hasn't actually shown any signs of discomfort or pain, but really doesn't get why no-one wants her kisses anymore.

 

Kylie, that sounds effective! I couldn't do that with mine simply because they are both already very um, let's call it high-strung. Aw well, having furry helpers is part of my existence and I'm pretty sure it always will be.

[emelee]

Here is my sweet baby boy, Neo.

He's a Golden retriever, currently 8,5 months old.

 

 

 

^^^ His favorite position for sleeping.

[frankie]

Martin and I finally got a new addition to our cat collective, it was a hard decision but Quinn was so miserable (us too), this is Cash (named after Johnny), he is very sweet and affectionate, full of fun and trouble (he is living up to his name) ~

 

I haven't read this thread in a while but I've seen pics of Cash on your FB page. I just wanted to say I'm happy you got a new addition to the bunch, Cash is adorable

 

Cash is adorable, Paula.

 

Here are a few recent pics of Jasper (excuse the blurriness). The first one shows how he sits right next to me and stares at me when he's ready to be fed. The second and third pics show him being naughty in my library yesterday. First he lowers his paw after he sees me watching him, then he sits and poses nicely with his paw on the books.

 

He looks so mischievous with his paw on the books, all ready to reak some havoc

 

Anyway, she is going to get her teeth cleaned, have a couple yanked and have some fairly large, benign (thankfully!) lumps removed from her sides. Most importantly, at least from her point of view, is her kisses will no longer be spurned!

 

I hope everything goes well, I'm happy she's finally getting her operation! Keiko's a really beautiful name, by the way.

 

Emelee, Neo is absolutely adorable

[wordsgood]

Frankie, thank you for the well wishes. I'm sure it will be fine, but of course I will have to post about it here! Giggles about her name, we actually named her after a Star Trek Character. All of our pets, past and present, have been named after a TV show character. Keiko was Chief O'Brien's wife in Star Trek the Next Generation and also in DS9. According to Answers.com, it means "it means darling, playful, little girl" in Japanese, which describes her temperament perfectly! She might be 11 and technically well into her senior years for a lab, but she's also a perma-puppy.

 

Emelee, OMG that's one adorable doggy you have there! How much does he weigh right now? Go ahead Neo, let it all hang-out! Being a four-legged guy, that pose is both adorable and socially acceptable. Now if you were a two-legged guy, it would be a little different....though it definitely seems to be a favourite of males in all species, judging from my own personal experience.

[frankie]

Frankie, thank you for the well wishes. I'm sure it will be fine, but of course I will have to post about it here! Giggles about her name, we actually named her after a Star Trek Character. All of our pets, past and present, have been named after a TV show character. Keiko was Chief O'Brien's wife in Star Trek the Next Generation and also in DS9. According to Answers.com, it means "it means darling, playful, little girl" in Japanese, which describes her temperament perfectly! She might be 11 and technically well into her senior years for a lab, but she's also a perma-puppy.

 

Of course, and we are all looking forward to hearing how the operation goes! I had no idea the name comes from Star Trek, the only Keiko I know is Keiko Agena, the actress who played Lane on Gilmore Girls (one of my most favorite TV series)

 

I love it when senior dogs still remain perma-puppies (haha, what a wonderful term you've come up with, perma-puppy )!

[emelee]

Emelee, OMG that's one adorable doggy you have there! How much does he weigh right now? Go ahead Neo, let it all hang-out! Being a four-legged guy, that pose is both adorable and socially acceptable. Now if you were a two-legged guy, it would be a little different....though it definitely seems to be a favourite of males in all species, judging from my own personal experience.

 

Neo is a bit overweight. He eats everything. Pinecones, bark, sticks, grass... And his normal food. So he weighs 30 kilos now. Trying to diet him down.

Also, he is CRAZY. A complete lunatic. Such a playful puppy. Happy happy happy. And excited. Trying to get him to stop biting people. He doesn't bite hard, cause then he could cause some serious harm, but enough.

But at times, he is just the most amazing boy on the planet. :wub: And funniest.

[emelee]

A friend of mine took a few new pictures of Neo. Photography is one of her major interests ---- lucky me!

 

[wordsgood]

Emelee: Yup, he's a retriever! Indiscriminate food choices are definite trait for any of the retriever/lab breeds. Basically they are four-legged garbage cans! Neo is one gorgeous boy!

 

And not to worry, he will outgrow that teeting phase, it's just gonna take a while.

[emelee]

Emelee: Yup, he's a retriever! Indiscriminate food choices are definite trait for any of the retriever/lab breeds. Basically they are four-legged garbage cans! Neo is one gorgeous boy!

 

And not to worry, he will outgrow that teeting phase, it's just gonna take a while.

 

Agree! It's disgusting what they can eat. But then again, he's not yet eaten an animal like some other dogs I know... No dead rats or birds. I hope that will never happen.

 

He also has a special love for chewing on towels and bathrobes. Can't walk out of the bathroom with something like that on, or he will jump all over me.

But....... at least he's cute!

[bobblybear]

Some more pictures of Reuben, taken last month so when he was around 7.5 months old:

 

 

Here is my sweet baby boy, Neo.

He's a Golden retriever, currently 8,5 months old.

 

Love these pics. He's gorgeous!!

[poppyshake]

Oh look at Reuben .. how sweet, he's so full of character. I like pic 3 the best Neo is one gorgeous doggy too .. very noble .. he doesn't look in the least bit naughty

 

Just gone back a page and seen the gorgeous pics of Cash, Quinn & Jasper

Kylie? how did you manage to get that pic of Jasper with his paw on your books? ... beautiful. Did you use flash? Molly won't look at the camera .. she hates the flash and whether I use it or not she turns away .. so I can only get her by stealth.

Edited September 30, 2012 by poppyshake

[frankie]

Oh my dear, Reuben is soooo adorable! Such hilarious pictures. It shows that he loves life

[Weave]

Tiny cat, tiny hooligan ~

 

[chaliepud]

Reuben is growing into such a handsome boy, is he still a good boy? Looks like butter wouldn't melt, but I know Labs, that's often a front for food stealing and shoe chewing..

 

Neo is gorgeous too, sadly I have to avoid all male Goldies on our walks as Obi is not a big fan and they don't seem to understand his body posture and murmurs of disapproval like other breeds do, but the males of the breed are particularly stunning and affectionate as a rule.

 

Tiny cat, tiny hooligan ~

 

 

Oh I don't believe that for a minute,he looks like an angel . Were you not tempted, even just a little, to switch the fan on?

[Kylie]

Kylie? how did you manage to get that pic of Jasper with his paw on your books? ... beautiful. Did you use flash? Molly won't look at the camera .. she hates the flash and whether I use it or not she turns away .. so I can only get her by stealth.

 

Well, Jasper looked over at me when I started slowly picking up my phone to take the pic. If I'm careful not to make any sudden movements, Jasper will sit quite nice and still for a while. I think he has a kind of 'rabbit caught in the headlights' look about him - probably because he knew I had caught him being naughty and he was waiting to see what my next move would be. Usually I would leap out of the chair straight away, but I guess I confused him. And no, I didn't use a flash. I usually have to photograph him by stealth as well, which is why 95% of my photos are of him asleep (that and his sleeping poses are the most adorable).

 

The poor little tyke has not been quite right recently. He had been throwing up his food every couple of days for about a week. Then I had some cleaners in to clean my place. The last time they came, he was pretty traumatised by all the action and he hid behind a bookcase for hours. This time I tried to spare him so locked him away in the bathroom. When it was all over, I went to get him and found him huddled under a blanket in the bathtub. He had managed to completely cover himself with the blanket (I thought he had pulled a Houdini because I couldn't find him). He has been quiet for days and hasn't been following me around anywhere or waiting at the door when I get home. He hasn't been eating much either, but I think his appetite is slowly coming back. He came and sat next to me for a while this morning to try and get my attention for food, which he hasn't done for a while. I'm not sure what his problem is with the cleaners - they use environmentally friendly products and are friendly people (I know they haven't had problems working around other cats). The noise can't be a problem because Jasper sits nearby when I vacuum, and he's never been scared of storms or other loud noises.

 

Does anyone else's cat/s periodically throw up? The vet once told me that it would happen occasionally if he eats his food too quickly, and I've tried different ways of apportioning his food, but it doesn't seem to make much difference.

[Weave]

Hi Kylie, how are you? I hope Jasper feels better soon, Quinn does occasionally throw up when she has been eating too fast. We did what you did but we ended up letting it run its course.

[emelee]

Reuben is adorable!

 

Neo is gorgeous too, sadly I have to avoid all male Goldies on our walks as Obi is not a big fan and they don't seem to understand his body posture and murmurs of disapproval like other breeds do, but the males of the breed are particularly stunning and affectionate as a rule.

 

Goldies are so social and curious that they don't understand that everyone else may not be like that too. Of course there are major differences between one Golden and another. Our former Golden wasn't very interested in greeting others, while Neo is VERY excited to meet others.

[Kylie]

Hi Kylie, how are you? I hope Jasper feels better soon, Quinn does occasionally throw up when she has been eating too fast. We did what you did but we ended up letting it run its course.

 

Thanks Paula. He does seem to be doing better. He has regained his appetite and is being a lot more active. Hooray!

[koontzfanx]

I love all my adopted pets...

Sam- dog, Ruby- dog ( got icky tummy at the mo :-( ) Bobby- cat, Homer-cat, Jess-cat, Angel-cat, Millie-cat, Gizmo-bunny, Gadget-bunny, Herman- Tortoise......and many fish...

[Weave]

Reuben is growing into such a handsome boy, is he still a good boy? Looks like butter wouldn't melt, but I know Labs, that's often a front for food stealing and shoe chewing..

 

Neo is gorgeous too, sadly I have to avoid all male Goldies on our walks as Obi is not a big fan and they don't seem to understand his body posture and murmurs of disapproval like other breeds do, but the males of the breed are particularly stunning and affectionate as a rule.

 

 

 

Oh I don't believe that for a minute,he looks like an angel . Were you not tempted, even just a little, to switch the fan on?

 

At the moment hen ~ yes

[wordsgood]

Some more pictures of Reuben, taken last month so when he was around 7.5 months old:

 

OMG, Bobblybear, how did you get in my house to take pics of my dog?!!! Right down to the tongue hanging out the side of the mouth!

 

Emelee, when mine was that age she had this thing for remote controls. Fortunately (for me at least), my parents did puppy daycare during the first two years so it was their remotes that got eaten. That and my Dad's slippers. We weren't living in place that could accommodate a large, teething pup while we were working and they had this big yard, so......... I guess karma's getting me back though, 'cause now my Dad lives with us..... If he starts eating the remotes though, it's off to the home with him!

 

Kylie, yes once of my cats has this problem as well. After adopting him at six months old and having him do so much that we ended up having a slew of tests run on him, but all came out well. The final conclusion was that since he was on his 4th (and last) home, was that he goes into the whole "feast or famine" mindset, so gobbles his food way too fast. And it frequently did, and still does, come right back up. That was 11 years ago and now he's fat, despite low cal food and portioning, but otherwise healthy and happy. Jasper's issue could be related to his food too. Like a human, he could be allergic, or just intolerant, to one or more of the chow ingredients.

 

My dog's has many such food issues and the only way to really narrow it down is to gradually - emphasis on the gradually - try changing his food. If you do it too quickly, it will likely upset his tummy and he will have more upchucks problems. A good rule of thumb for cat's and dog's is the less filler and preservatives in their food, the better. Also, I wouldn't make any changes at all without consulting your vet's office. I don't know what it's like with your vet, but I've found the staff where I take mine very knowledgeable on such issues and the advice is often free.

 

Oh, a couple more things. One cat I had several years ago had some very poor taste in non-authorized snacks. Paint, the neighbour's toxic flowers, and several other things not on the menu. Have you ever caught Jasper chowing down on stuff not put in his bowl? Also, if you currently provide any kind of kitty treats, you might want to consider cutting them out completely for several weeks to see if that makes a difference.

 

Some cats are also just neurotic by nature and a simple case of nerves can cause everything from upset tummies to nervous ticks, to plucking themselves bald. The same cat who had the exotic taste buds, was very neurotic and it often manifested in any number of physical ways. (Including plucking himself bald!) Any changes in their routines, such as having the cleaners in as you mentioned, can upset them terribly and it could take days, weeks or even months before they feel secure enough that any resulting symptoms settle down. Even introducing them to a new piece of furniture, or another human, can set them off. One trick I found that helps is to leave an unwashed piece of your clothing where he likes to hide, and wherevery you put him when you need to isolate him. You don't have to leave the same stinky piece of laundry all the time, but switch it for a "fresh" one with your scent all over it, while you wash the other one.

 

Hope some of this helps and I hope Jasper is feeling much better very soon! Sadly there is no quick fix, and every animal is different.

[emelee]

 

Emelee, when mine was that age she had this thing for remote controls. Fortunately (for me at least), my parents did puppy daycare during the first two years so it was their remotes that got eaten. That and my Dad's slippers. We weren't living in place that could accommodate a large, teething pup while we were working and they had this big yard, so......... I guess karma's getting me back though, 'cause now my Dad lives with us..... If he starts eating the remotes though, it's off to the home with him!

 

That's funny!

I hope your dad isn't too fond of plastic objects then!

So far, Neo has only ruined one slipper. A pair I got for free with a magazine once. And my internet cable when he was very small. Other than that, he's not ruined anything major. He prefers chewing on people, his toys and bones instead.

 

 

I love all my adopted pets...

Sam- dog, Ruby- dog ( got icky tummy at the mo :-( ) Bobby- cat, Homer-cat, Jess-cat, Angel-cat, Millie-cat, Gizmo-bunny, Gadget-bunny, Herman- Tortoise......and many fish...

Lots of animals! Terrific!