Our Pets

[The Albatross]

My Boomer isn't doing so well... this may be his last spring and summer. We are both working together to keep his diabetes managed, but he doesn't want to walk much anymore. He wants us to carry him to the food, to water, to the litter box, to go out on the back porch. We have not been able to decide what to do, but it is contributing to the amount of stress in our household day to day. He is my Zen cat. Never had one like him. He reigns supreme in this household and all the other animals check on him and stay near him. He is never alone.

Boomer is the grey Maine Coon, Clara Belle is also a Maine Coon and a year older. Boomer is mine and was part of an abandoned litter with the mother on the dirt road of our fish camp. Our friend ran outside as a neighbor was shooting the mother and the litter, he could only save two. Boomer grew up being fostered by a Manx in a wood pile and when it became clear that our friend wasn't going to vaccinate them or take care of them I got him and went back for his more skittish sibling. Too late, she was shot too. I had simply ran out of time and tried everything but couldn't get her.

Clara Belle is named after a former client and she got to see the kitten who was her namesake before she died. She was my friend who I cared for on an Alzheimers Unit for 6 years. My husband brought her home from a flea market "free" because he wanted his "own" kitty. She was a therapy animal while I was on the unit. The unit ultimately got their own cat.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

When I moved in with my daughter I tried to get my dog Belle used to being an outside dog that slept in a kennel at night. It did not work out. I adopted out my two cats at the shelter but I had Belle put down because I was not being fair to her. I do not think she would have done well being adopted out and I cried and cried and had her cremated and the place also made a plaster of paris paw print done. She is by my bed.

It took me a long time to get used to her being gone. She was a tiny dog a Japanese Chin and she would not learn house breaking.

Now one of my daughters cats has taken to sleeping and cuddling with me at night in bed. I love it. A life without animals is a very lonely life. I just love that she has chosen me. What a comfort she is.

 

[The Albatross]

My Elsa (a tabby Siamese mix) Gracie (her sister, mostly spotted tabby) and Crystal are our bed buddies. When I have nightmares, Gracie grounds me by moving to lay on my feet, and I have Elsa on my left and Crystal on my right hugged in tight. It is very calming and my mister is a pretty tolerant man I think.

(Elsa, Gracie, and Crystal - Crystal's photo is only at about 9 weeks old)

 

[The Albatross]

We dance/exercise to Pharrell Williams song "Happy" in my Zumba class... but I found this parody with dogs and hope it is good to share:

 

[a3a2]

Brought home a 12 week old kitten....I am gleaning that in his last home, the tub was the litter box. I have never before had a cat completely unaware of what a litter box is used for. I have tried putting water in the tub. He jumped in only once, and after that he stood on the side of the tub and peed. We put two litter boxes IN THE TUB! He pooed BETWEEN them. Any ideas?

 

[NIKI]

I just love that she has chosen me. What a comfort she is.

So happy you have a new cuddle buddy!!!!!!!! <3

 

[a3a2]

Ha! My husband, the cat psychologist! Put down a litter box. Left the center free of litter, and little Clover is happy!

 

[The Albatross]

I had to take up everything that might look like a litter box to a cat, and thought putting water in the bath tub was a good idea. Glad you figured it out.

 

[Candleflames]

We got a new rescue bearded dragon from our vet a couple months ago. He had been with two other families, both of which abused him and malnourished him. Our vet had had him for about 3 months nursing him back to health so they could place him with a family they felt would make a good home for him. They basically confiscated him from the city animal shelter to do this as the second abusive home was one they had placed him in.

I was in doing some follow-up testing on our other reptiles when they asked me if I would want him. I was indecisive so the nurse brought him out and it was all love at first sight. When I first met him he was still dark green, which is a sign of poor health, but his color has greatly improved. He also has a significant dent on his head near his left eye and he can't really see out of that eye, but it doesn't stop him from having an active life. He is also super snuggly and nestles himself against my neck and watched documentaries with me and falls asleep almost instantly when I hold him. Here he is exploring the sofa.

 

[Britt.f7]

I like that, lately, Buddy likes to curl up right next to me and take her naps.

 

[amethist]

Our cat has not been right for the last couple of weeks, not eating properly and crying a lot.

It was not that she could not eat because when we tempted her with fresh chicken or fish she gobbled it.

Yesterday I decided to buy her some different food, just to try her with a different brand. Well that did the trick and she has been eating like a horse since yesterday.

We now have a contented cat again.

 

[KP the nut]

I was sat in the sun room last week. It was a sunny, windy day and my sheets were blowing on the line. We have a cover for the drier and Hubby had tied it around the handrail by the steps.

Next thing, I notice Max pacing across the lawn, looking suspiciously at something, growling and giving little woofs. I was laughing so hard when I realised what had spooked him. I went into the garden and to protect me he ran up to the cover tied to the handrail. When I showed him what it was, he raced around the garden like a mad thing.

He had seen the cover slide down the rail in the wind.