Pets

[TxCat]

I'd love to have a little bird that I could teach to talk, but I have two cats and a friendly but
large dog, so I'm not sure it would be smart. Mom says that when she was younger she had let a budgie out of it's cage. While it was flying around, one of the cats jumped and snatched it mid-air.

It all amounts to responsible management of pets. We keep the budgies' wings clipped; they can glide, but they can't really fly. That way, if they do get out they can be easily caught by humans without injuring them. All my cats and dogs have been taught 'leave it' and 'no'. They will generally obey those commands even if it goes against instinct. Also, we have never let them hassle the other pets. The cats know they are not allowed to swat at the mouse or rabbit habitat nor are they allowed to bother the aquarium. All the same, we make certain everyone is under appropriate supervision when they're together. Accidents do happen, but it's perfectly possible to have different species of pets under the same roof and not have them literally kill one another.

[Imposibibble]

I also wrote an article on Dog Park Etiquette, if any of you would be interested in viewing it. You can read it here: Dog Park Etiquette.

I took a look at it. I'm glad you brought this up:

Keep an eye on your dog and his behavior. A dog park isn't the place to just drop off your dog while you chat on the phone with your sister who is having a big fight with her newest boyfriend. You should keep an eye on your dog at all times. Not only will this help you look for aggressive behavior, but you can see where your dog poops and pick it up promptly. It's fine if you talk with other owners or glance at the softball game going on in the next field over, but your attention should be primarily on your dog and where he is and what he's doing.

Me and my friend (the dog owner) used to go to dog parks. She has a pit-bull. A VERY nice one. A big baby, even. One time we went to the nearby dog park. There were some ladies there and a "pack" of Golden Retrievers and Labs (don't know if they all knew each other, but there was a group of 5 dogs). My friend's Pit wanted to play with them and the pack basically turned on her and pinned her to the ground. What did the owners do? Oh, continue chatting about how so-and-so's kid did so-and-so. My friend got her dog out (she had a can of coins for distraction) and confronted them. One of the ladies (turns out to be the owner of the park) said: "Well, my dog's a Lab. Your dog must have started it. It's a Pitbull."

If they had been watching at all, they would have seen the dogs charge at her Pitbull. We never went to that park again. Not like we could, any way. About a week after the "incident," there was a notice about no Pitbull-type dogs allowed. She generally avoids dog parks now because of that one nasty experience.

[TNHawke]

Hi there everyone

I needed to share this or I'd practically die...

My dog has been with me since I was 1 year old. I'm now almost 14, and she's been wtih me this entire time. We aged together, I cried on her, I hugged her, I lost my friends and I played with her. I love her. She's the best dog ever, and she always obeyed and the such, and was so sweet and patient with our cruelties.

Sometimes we realized we might be getting harsh with her so we calmed down. No matter what, we always loved her. Even when she had little issues and territorial jealously, lol...

Ah...

Today we put her down...
My tears won't stop. They keep flowing. I've tried to force them to hold themselves in but I cannot. I am unable. I just keep sobbing... I couldn't stand it anymore and needed to talk to someone, ANYONE.

I hope-- no, I PRAY-- that she now resides in a bright meadow, with iridescent grass, pastel flowers of glittering beauty, a sky of pure aquamarine and deep, clear lakes of the freshest water.

I love you, Bear. ~<3

*HUGS* I have only one word of advice. Let yourself cry. It's ok to cry. Not crying is worse.

I'd love to have a little bird that I could teach to talk, but I have two cats and a friendly but
large dog, so I'm not sure it would be smart. Mom says that when she was younger she had let a budgie out of it's cage. While it was flying around, one of the cats jumped and snatched it mid-air.

It all amounts to responsible management of pets. We keep the budgies' wings clipped; they can glide, but they can't really fly. That way, if they do get out they can be easily caught by humans without injuring them. All my cats and dogs have been taught 'leave it' and 'no'. They will generally obey those commands even if it goes against instinct. Also, we have never let them hassle the other pets. The cats know they are not allowed to swat at the mouse or rabbit habitat nor are they allowed to bother the aquarium. All the same, we make certain everyone is under appropriate supervision when they're together. Accidents do happen, but it's perfectly possible to have different species of pets under the same roof and not have them literally kill one another.

Budgies, finches, and even cockatiels can still fly with clipped wings. They just flap harder! We had a keet with two clipped wings... she was last seen gaining altitude against the wind, more than a block away.
I prefer not to clip their wings, because if they do get out, and there is a 'predator' in the area (ie, one of the cats) they need to have a better chance of escape. I also enjoy allowing my birds out of cage free flight time. A large net is your friend if your birds won't come when called, or return to the cage when instructed. Sam knows the command "Cage" and will hop back into it- usually after I chase him around the room at least twice, just because it's fun... The keets knew that when the net came out, it was time to go back, and as long as they had worn themselves out, most of them would go back into the cage with out a fuss. If you can't catch them when they are flying around, you can turn off the lights and give them 5 to 30 minutes and then net them up after they've settled to roost. Or... like me... I'm a ninja and can catch them with my hands mid-flight. *devious grin*
If you do decide to clip anyways- do NOT do it until the young birds have learned to use their wings. Plus, you never want to clip blood feathers anyways, it doesn't take much for a little bird to bleed to death.
I'm a bit surprised that the petco was selling birds that weren't fully feathered yet. Usually, that means they are still getting supplemental feeding from a parent (be that bird or human).

As to birds and other pets... I've always had cats. For a while I had ferrets. And I have enjoyed the company of birds for many years now- at the same time as I had the others. The cats have a four on the floor rule- they may be on chairs and beds, but no other surfaces. The cats are never in the same room as the birds when they are out. I did recently have a horrible incident where my unreleasable rehab House Sparrow got into the Raven's cage... it was all over within 10 seconds. Now I take the diamond doves into the bathroom and leave everyone else out in the main room to clean their cage.

[LucifersFallenAngel]

People say the Pitbull dog breed is bad and needs to be done away with. I don't know why they say this, because the Pitbull breed is no different than any other breed of dog. Any dog can turn on their owner if they feel like it. Pitbulls are quiet sweet and protective IF they are raised the way a dog is supposed to be raised. Most reasons people dislike this breed is because they are the most associated with dog fighting (which I HATE!!!!! ).

What's your opinion on the Pit bull?

I love pits, a friend of mine has an albino one that I just took a picture with and she's the sweetest thing in the world.

[TxCat]

Budgies, finches, and even cockatiels can still fly with clipped wings.

I ought to have clarified: we got them that way. They're young birds (about two to four months old, the pet store said) but they've learned how to use their wings already. Whirr is younger than Wobble; his wings were not clipped, I don't think, because I still see flight feathers coming in.

They'll have to remain clipped because here in Florida we HAVE to use fans to clear the house. They're unlikely to be able to get the altitude they need with clipped wings since the ceilings are vaulted but I'd worry about that if we didn't keep them clipped. Not only that, but with me being the only one home most of the time and in the wheelchair, if they do get loose, I have little chance of catching them if they have full flight capability. Their wings get plenty of exercise, though. They love the cage we bought them, it's huge.

Also, I've only had these guys a couple of days. They're still being socialized and so they wouldn't likely return to the cage easily yet. Jenna, on the other hand, knows exactly what that command means. Her latest thing is to perch on the headboard at night. We used to let her sleep there, but she's mad at Dee for some reason. Since neither of us likes being awakened by being crapped upon followed by a sinister raven chuckle, into her cage she goes for the night.

I'm a bit surprised that the petco was selling birds that weren't fully feathered yet. Usually, that means they are still getting supplemental feeding from a parent (be that bird or human).

Only Whirr doesn't have all his feathers (it's real weird looking, I'll try to get a pic). It's not the result of plucking or clipping, they just plain haven't grown in yet. He still has the light colored ring around his eyes too so he's fairly young. Wobble is obviously older and you can see where his wings were clipped.

Both Dorie and Dee are familiar with birds and so we shouldn't have any trouble keeping them clipped. These guys are amazing, such a mood lifter! Yesterday, we'd been on a long ride and I needed the rest room right away. They started out cheeping sweetly at me and then turned into a full fledged budgie scold when I didn't stop to talk to them!

One of them has started mumbling and I can hear distinct pitches we've been repeating being incorporated into the calls. I think these guys will talk eventually. I'm just not sure what they'll say. Knowing this household it will either be "STUFU" or "Uh-OH".

The cats have a four on the floor rule- they may be on chairs and beds, but no other surfaces. The cats are never in the same room as the birds when they are out.

Same rules apply here, though the birds are nowhere near tame enough yet to be out. Cats who put paws in the bars get squirted with a water gun. They don't enjoy that. Ironically, the bobcat hybrid leaves them alone. He alone seems to understand that if it's brought into the house, it's not food. He never bothered the rabbit either and the rabbit lives in a hutch in the kitchen.

These little guys have been even better than medication for me. I could sit and watch them or talk to them for hours and they'll often regard me with a side tilted head and a wink. I'm so glad I did this!

[FennecFyre]

Pitties are some of the sweetest dogs ever! Mine likes to cuddle, is scared of one of our cats, and grooms the other.

One of the ladies (turns out to be the owner of the park) said: "Well, my dog's a Lab. Your dog must have started it. It's a Pitbull."

-eye twitches- Excuuuuuse me for a moment. -sticks head underwater-

Spoiler

YOUMOTHERFUCKINGASSBITCHCUNTWHATTHEHELLISWRONGWITHYOUI'DLIKETOSHOVEYOURLABUPYOURASS

Sorry bout dat. Anyway, I simply can't believe somebody would be ignorant enough to say that.

[TNHawke]

I'll admit that my first few experiences with pits were BAD.
The very first time I ever saw one, my Mom and I were coming out of a store, and two cars were passing each other in the parkinglot. For some reason, one of the two dogs in the back of the one car decided to jump out the window (which was open) and start clawing at and snarling and barking at the lady driving the other car. Fortunately her window was up. The dog was a brindle pit, and I'd never seen a brindle colored dog before, and I even wondered for a moment if it was a tiger! My mom kind of panicked and told me to get into the car, quickly, but not to run. And she told me that it was a pitbull and that they had been known to maul and kill people. This was back in the early 80s. Because we were headed for the car, I didn't see how the whole thing resolved.
My next experience with a pit was when we were giving away kittens in front of a store in the late 80s. Why this guy decided that I, a 10 year old kid, needed to know that he kept pits, and even he called them dangerous dogs. He said he'd told one to guard the house when he was leaving for the store one time, and when he got back, the dog continued to guard the house against HIM.
My third experience was probably the saddest. It was actually later that year. I had a classmate in school who had a beautiful brindle pit puppy named Star, because of the white spot on her forehead. They did everything right. She was socialized, fixed, vaccinated, seen by a vet, well groomed, well fed, indoor/ outdoor, obedience trained. And one day she just snapped. She snarled and bit at her family, she wouldn't let them get close to her, it go so bad that they finally had to have animal control come out, tranquilize her and then had her put down. To their knowledge, she'd never been teased, let alone abused, there was no sign of illness.
After that, I was quite convinced that pits were just BAD dogs, and that no one should have one.
And then I started meeting the nice pits, and my views started to change.

A couple years ago at the dog park, there was the obnoxious little black pit puppy with white markings. His name was Joey. How do I know this? Because while the dog was going around trying to be dominant and mounting every other dog nearby, his owner stood a good 50 yards away, going "JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY! " and that was IT. I ended up taking the little idiot dog by the collar, rolling him and growling at him, when he'd mounted my very submissive, neutered male dog one time too many. One of the other dog owners had the gall to tell me, "You shouldn't do that to dogs." I told him, "If his owner isn't going to get her ass down here and take care of him herself, then he's going to get disciplined by others. He wants to make my dog roll? I make him roll." Stupid little Joey then gave ME wide berth, but continued trying to mount my dog. And his owner STILL just stood there calling his name. ARGH!
Had nothing to do with Joey being a pit, and everything to do with his owner shouldn't have dogs.

Now, the best pit EVER, was this GIANT all white male who just had a black patch around one eye, and a couple of small spots on his body. His name was Pirate. I met him at the Petco Pet Kissing contest. I thought Pirate should have won, not the stupid little Yorkie who was all licks and wiggles. Pirate's 'dad' stood in front of him while his 'mom' held his leash. He sat at a beautiful stay, and only looked at the other dogs and people, just grinning, happy to be out with his family. His dad said, "Gimme a kiss!" and his mom dropped the leash. Pirate jumped up on his daddy, knocked him over on his back, stomped across him and slurped his face over and over. Pirate's tongue was big enough to cover one half of his dad's face at once!

[TxCat]

What's your opinion on the Pit bull?

The responsible pet owner researches a breed's history thoroughly in order to understand the dog's original purpose (most of them were never 'just' pets) and to understand the dog's probable behavior. I truly believe there's no such thing as a bad dog. They're created by ignorant owners, whether those owners got the wrong dog because they specifically wanted it for its reputation or they simply don't know how to properly deal with any sort of dog.

Daisy and Anubis both have pitbull in them. It's not as obvious on Anubis (he just has that thick muscle and the skull ridge attaching to the jaw line) as it is on Daisy (when she smiles and you look at her head on, you know you're looking into a pit bull face). Both of these dogs are amenable, sweet personalities. I'm aware of their issues (they were both rescues) and I treat them appropriately to make sure our malfunctions don't become others' malfunctions.

Most of the pitbulls and mixes I have encountered have the same sweet and willing personality that Daisy exhibits as well as a sharp mind, an eagerness to please, and a quick learning curve. Unfortunately the breed and all mixes are not allowed by my home owner's insurance (we had to certify the two dogs as service animals, which they are, in order to keep them). I'm likely to attribute any aggression to owner failure rather than dog failure.

[Littlemagi108]

Shadow the cat (Boy)

Description: Black, with a white spot between his back legs, on the belly. Yellow eyes. Shorthair.

History:

• Once was feral.
  Survived euthinazation procces(With his sister).
  Adopted from Humane Society.
  Purpose was "I really want a cat, and we have some extra space".
  Chose him because he walked on dad's shoulder, and was SO cute in the bed with his sister.

Age: 1 year, and 8 months. At adoption, 3 months.

Birthday and Adoption date: Birthday, September(unknown date). Adoption, December 15, 2009.

Habits: Likes to shove cats out of bed, groom Wattson(Oldest cat in family(Older than me )), sitting on the DVR, and getting in fights. Negative habits are trying to cover wet food plate, rejecting affection(Even biting will do with the aftersrike), and attacking my feet in bed(Reason why I keep the door closed).

Attitude: , when playful




EDIT: Can I get some advice for Wattson? He occasionaly throws up, and sometimes gunk is coming out of his eyes.

[LucifersFallenAngel]

I've never had a bad experience with Pits. I've come across few but everyone single one was just like Zhoe-the pit who just left my house a few mins ago to go back to her home (I was dog sitting). I personally have a dog whos 75% lab and 25% pit, and you can see she's part pit because of the way her head is shaped. My sister's dog, the father of the dog we have, is half pit half lab and you can really tell by his head and some of his muscle features. He's really sweet toward people he knows but to other dogs (except his girlfriend) and random strangers that walk up and down the road in a way that's creepy, he'll attack.

In the other day's paper a woman had found a blue pit puppy who had been chained up and abandoned and was in poor condition. She cut the chain off of it and took the pop to an animal shelter. Few days later she went to go check on the puppy and it had died from the fact that the shelter didn't feed it. >/. It's bad when the people who are supposed to help don't do their job.

If ya'll wanna see Zhoe, here's a pic of her I took earlier today. She is beautiful and really sweet. I think she's an albino.