What did your pet(s) do today?

[FireSignFemme]

Monte the Magnificent spent his day going – What the hell is she up to now? Listen here lady this is my domain! As I spent mine moving large boxes and heavy pieces of furniture around to make room for the computer desk coming tomorrow. It took awhile for him to settle but having missed his morning and afternoon naps he's zonked out now. Thankfully. It was crazy him supervising the move.

[Gemme]

Well, Gracie found a cricket. And then played with the poor little guy. She was like an Orca with a seal; picking it up and flipping it in the air and then grabbing it again. But she didn't eat it. She doesn't like food that wiggles in her mouth. Loki is now my resident cricket eater but by the time he investigated, the poor little thing didn't have any fight left in him and Loki walked away because it wasn't fun or interesting any more.

Now, I have a cricket laying on the carpet in the living room.

I feel like the Sensei in The Karate Kid. "Finish him!"

[Bèsame*]

I was watching Big Brother after dark. ( yes, I'm one of those, lol)

During certain times they switch to a camera in a kennel with puppies or kittens and even a rabbit. Well it caught Jellybean's attention. When the rabbit was on she hopped onto the TV stand and watched super close. At one point , she reached onto the screen to touch it. That just made me laugh!

[FireSignFemme]

Monte woke me up for breakfast a little early. So sleepy it almost looked like he was sleep walking. Made it to the bowl, ate two little nibbles, then climbed right back into bed. Slept until regular breakfast time. Ate like he hadn't eaten since July. Ah that was hard work. Time to take a nap. We were up late last night.

[Gemme]

They performed acts like Houdini! Loki disappeared for an hour and Gracie for four.

I had a visitor and they don't take kindly to strangers.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Diva Kitty and I played with the laser pointer. She was feeling pretty frisky for such an old kitty.

[Gemme]

Last night Loki found, hunted (as it tried to get away) and ate a cricket. Gracie put herself in the corner. Not sure why; she just sat there with her head down and staring at the corner for 10 minutes until she moved, faced another direction and stared at that spot for another 15 minutes. It was kind of weird, to be honest. She doesn't stare that hard unless she's hunting, normally, and there weren't any bugs. I checked. Weird.

Today, it's business as usual for them both.

*shrug*

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Today, Diva Kitty went on a trip to the vet. She was very chill about the whole thing. Usually, she screams the entire way in her crate, coming and going - today, just a few mews. I thought it was because she wasn't feeling well, but the vet reported that she had been friendly, curious, and explored the treatment area. She also managed to turn her vet appointment into a spa day - she made a mess in her crate at the last minute, earning herself a shampoo and her crate a good cleaning. I thought this would upset her no end, but no, she remained very laid back. When we got home, she very calmly left her crate, ate a few bites of kibble, drank some water and then settled down on her (my) blanket in front of the washing machine for a nap.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

I've been adopted by a beautiful dog, who is female, and she's a mixed breed of part Golden Lab and part Bulldog. She's about 7 years old, she's got cataracts developing in her eyes, but she is extremely smart, terribly loving and she comes to see me practically every day. She belongs to a tenant at my work campus, and he walks her twice a day: early mornings and late afternoons. He's an engineer, who has his own consulting practice and his dog just loves me. Her name is.... Sausage. I bought some organic treats for her today, so next time I see her at work, I have a special treat just for her.

Well, since a few weeks ago, when I posted about my pet friend, Sausage, I learned that she has been depressed since she and her engineer daddy moved from the work campus neighborhood. I learned about it today at work, is how I found out. Apparently, Sausage won't go for walks or eat much or is generally just not in the mood to do anything and of course, it's all my fault, according to my friends at work. *LOL*

So, we're all gonna go drop in and visit our engineer pal and his sweet girl-dog, Sausage, next week sometime. I will no doubt have to go buy some special dog treats for her, that I can leave with her so she won't miss me so much.

I honestly do not know why she is acting up like this. You'd think I was her owner, but I'm not. I think I will have to have a long 'talk' with Sausage, when we go over to see her.

[Gemme]

Gracie has declared that corner hers and she is sleeping in it right now. She is freakin' adorable all curled up with her paw across her face, blocking the light from the lamp, and not showing one single white hair which is pretty impressive as she has white on her paws, belly, chest and face.

Loki has been a little needy lately. More so than usual, that is. I was on the floor, going through a bookcase to sort donate-able stuff and whatnot and he did his damnedest to crawl into my lap. I can't do that anymore as I am sensitive/allergic (some days I respond better to him than others) to him and he is a super shedder. I look at him sideways and tufts fly off of him. Anyway, he was soo cute, trying to wedge himself closer and closer and tighter and tighter against me until he was halfway underneath my crossed knee. I do love the guy but he is not good for my health. I like breathing. Breathing is awesome. I just can't do it very well when he's rubbing on me.

I wonder how long it would take for the fur to grow back if I had him shaved.

[easygoingfemme]

I put my dog down today. It is horrible.

[Vincent]

Originally Posted by easygoingfemme

I put my dog down today. It is horrible.

I'm so sorry for your loss
It;s so painful

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by easygoingfemme

I put my dog down today. It is horrible.

My condolences. It's the hardest decision we'll ever have to make.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Diva Kitty is responding well to her meds. That's why I'm up at almost 3 a.m. - to give her her meds. Hopefully there will just be a few more nights of this. We sanitized her cat boxes while she supervised this evening. I also ordered her some diabetic-friendly cat food that has great reviews, isn't too expensive, and doesn't require a vet's prescription. My only concern is that the protein content is so high, will she continue to get urinary tract infections? However, all of the diabetic management cat foods seem to be this way. I know diabetic cats are prone to UTIs also. I will just have to keep an eye on her and see how she does.

[Vincent]

Is the story about the vet going to Iraq,about his dog and the letter he left at the rescue an urban myth or true?

I can't help but read the story,and I always cry and cry and hold Scout,and hope she goes before me.
She is the only dog I got on my own as an adult,and it has been just her n me.
I never thought I would own a Pitty,she is "English Staffy" and we rescued each other,when she was 12 weeks old.
She is now 10
and I love Scout more than any human or thing in the world

My fear having been so sick,is leaving her behind
that story always makes me think,I should write a letter.

BTW I love all critters
I believe every puppy needs a kitten,every kitten needs a puppy.
sadly our kitten "lil Bit" died 5 yrs ago.

[nhplowboi]

Well, we took on 2 female kittie siblings to be future helpers in the barn. They had their first vet visit today and $400 later we hit the road to go home. Really?! Anyway they are not named yet and went by K1 and K2 at the vet. So we were wondering if it would be wrong to name K1.....Jelly? Always great to know how a naming came about.

[Gemme]

Jelly and Toast? Jelly and Peanut Butter? Jelly and Fish? Jelly and Jam?

Let us know what you decide!

Today hasn't been especially spectacular on the kitty front over here. Loki is either hungry or lazy and in his cat tree and Gracie is burning up the calories playing and jumping into and out of my lap. Like Mutt and Jeff, these two!

[nhplowboi]

LOL LOL LOL Bevi and I just realized we jumped from K1 to KY! Maybe jelly makes more sense now.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by nhplowboi

LOL LOL LOL Bevi and I just realized we jumped from K1 to KY! Maybe jelly makes more sense now.

We knew what you meant, you rascal.
My personal vote is for Jelly and Jam. It's freakin' adorable.

[Gemme]

Okay, so....I've become allergic to my cat. I have two, through default, and may be allergic to both but only one of them insists on loving me up from sunup to sundown so he's the problem.

I've tried antihistamines and bee pollen and de-shedding tools and have spent a small fortune on lint rollers and silicone mitts and food that's supposed to help with shedding. It was getting to the point that I was rejecting or redirecting him when he came to love on me, which made me feel badly and hurt his feelings.

I inadvertently found a solution. I got him a new cat tree for Christmas since he's too large for the one Gracie uses. He's over 20lbs so he's a big boy. The tree doesn't have flat platforms; they are curved and encompass him nicely. I started to notice that he had a small hair mat just before they got their shots at the beginning of the year. The vet took care of it then but as the months went by, more cropped up. Small ones and all at the ridge of his back.

It took me a couple of months to figure it out but it was the cat tree. Before, he always hung over the edge so there was nothing against his back. With the new tree, he lays in it and wiggles back and forth and tosses and turns in it all while rubbing against the inside of it, so his fur gets matted, even with regular brushings.

I was able to purchase some clippers and do away with the smallest ones farther away from his skin but there were 4-5 that I didn't feel comfortable trying since he moved around so much and cat's skin is so thin, it's very easy to nick them and they get infections very easily from broken skin. I called the vet and due to restrictions now, they only clip or shave mats if it's medically required and my allergies don't count as medical in this case. I asked if they could refer me to someone that could and they did. They gave me the name of a groomer that they use from time to time.

So, we packed up and drove there in a snowstorm. In October. Which hasn't happened in about a decade. Thank goodness the groomer had a huge sign because all the smaller signs along the road were completely coated in white. My GPS had crapped out too, so we were winging it. I brought both the babies in for nail trimming and to look at Loki's mats and possibly shave him fully.

Once there, the groomer said they could do a lion cut on him. He's shorthaired, technically, but it's thick so in the end he did wind up with a bit of a 'mane'. And his tail is the cutest thing ever. But, the most important thing is, this is the solution I needed! With the bulk of his fur shaved, I was able to snuggle with him in my lap for the first time in a couple of years.

The groomer thought he might be bashful and hide after getting home...embarrassed or whathaveyou...but she doesn't know my boy. All he needs is food and love and he's content. A lot of both, but just those two things, really. A bonus is how soft and velvety he is. AND he still has his kitten spots on the top of his back. He's got leopard spots on his back, tabby stripes on his sides and a raccoon tail! He's so adorbs right now I can't even stand it.

She also said he behaved wonderfully given it was his first time being shaved professionally. He did try to get away but never hissed or scratched or clawed. That's not his style anyway. He was most content with his head pushed into my mask and chest as I rubbed his ears. He's a darling boy, really. And now I can breathe around him. Score! Also, the cost was far less than I anticipated so that made my day, especially when I saw the sign on the counter saying they didn't accept credit cards.

So the plan for the future is to bring them both in every couple of months to shave Loki and trim both of their demon claws. After some time, he'll become more used to it and should fight a little less, especially when he knows he's going to get treats and extra love when he gets home.

I've ordered some dander wipes as well per the groomer's suggestion that will help as his fur grows back in before he's shaved again. Finally, I think we have a solution that will allow me to keep my beloved boy and breathe freely at the same time.

To be thread compliant, they are both snoozing comfortably now. Loki's on the top tier of the cat tree, as he prefers, and Gracie is tucked into the corner of the sofa. The wind's raging outside and the heat's on so it's a lovely day to be inside.