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P E T S! All About Pets, Pets Pets Pets!


Guest DOVAHKIIN

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Guest DOVAHKIIN

*Read first post before replying, and I'm serious!*
There recently was a request for a pet sub-forum on soompi, but we concluded that there's not enough demand for there to be an entire section devoted to pets.  However, we concluded to make a pinned thread for pets, so allow me to start off by posting the rules, which you should all read first before posting, followed by the FAQ's, which you should also read before posting anything.

Rules:

Rule 1: Obey the rules of general discussion rules: http://www.soompi.co...howtopic=113196 (but you should already know that.) Going around the 20 characters rule is a big NO.  ph34r.gif

Rule 1.5: AND obey the Soompi Forum rules that apply to all of soompi forums: http://www.soompi.co...?showtopic=1317 (and you should also already know that.)

Rule 2: Absolutely no posting pictures of pets unless it's pet health, pet care, pet purchasing or pet-item/food related!  There is a topic for sharing pics of pets somewhere in the member 411 & pix section, go wander in and find it yourself if you want to share pictures of your pet with no relevance to a question or advice on pets.  If your goldfish is discolored and you're not sure what's wrong with, yes post it.  If you just want to show it off, do not post it here!  ph34r.gif

Rule 3: No unrelated replies! If someone does post a picture of their pet, this is not the thread for you to go commenting how cute it is, or how you have the same pet, etc.  This thread is strictly for discussion about caring and raising pets.

Rule 4: Absolutely no pet for sale ads, or pet giveaways.

Rule 5: No pet jokes.  Jokes regarding animals tend to get cruel and will not be tolerated.  This includes any images depicting animals in a cruel way intended for humor.

Rule 6: Don't ask for name suggestions because we're going to tell you to name it Spike.  At least Range will.  Because he's Range.

Rule 7: Inanimate objects are not pets! No pet rock, no Tamagotchis, no pet koumi,  no Pok�mon, no Neopets, no dinosaurs that magically hatch when you keep them in water, no sea monkeys/brine shrimp (I don't care if they're actually alive, you guys are not talking about lame sea monkeys, unless you're talking about feeding them to fish, which is fine to talk about.)

***Rule 8:  If something terribly wrong with your pet's health, please have it checked out at the vet first before posting here, it may be too late by the time you get a reply here.  And Soompiers aren't super experts on pets, so please, check with a vet first!***

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The other mods of this section and I have put a few things about pets that we know, for your convenience.

1. Do not feed your pets any human food! Unless you own a pet monkey or another primate and give him bananas, do not feed your pet any human food! For fish, some vegetables are acceptable such as chopped up skinless green peas, but please ask in this thread if you're not sure about other food!

2. Give your dogs/cats baths ONCE a month (unless of course, it's covered in mud and dirty or a bad case of fleas.) Cats lick themselves somewhat clean anyway. Bathing your pets daily destroys their natural smell and develops bad skin for them.  Unlike humans, pets don't get acne so relaaaaax.

3. No beastiality.  It's great to love your pet, but its not great to make love to your pet. (This was suggested by Range, don't ask me.)

4. Stray animals need to be vaccinated, they may have diseases so be careful! . If you find a stray animal and take it in, take it to the vet or closest animal shelter first.

5. New cats and dogs should be vaccinated after they're about 4 (someone confirm this) and sterilized when 6 months old (someone confirm this also please)

6. Keep your pets indoors.  Dogs run away when you let them out.  You don't want them fighting other neighboring pets or wild animals and bringing home injuries or diseases. Cats usually return or don't stray off too far, but this isn't Garfield the movie, so take no chances, or else have fun putting up lost pet posters.

7. Flushing fish down the toilet is a bad way of euthanizing them, there are other methods that are more humane.

8. If you suspect your pet got into a scrap with a raccoon or some other wild animal and fear it may have something like rabies, call animal control immediately!

9. Follow the laws regarding pets.  If the law where you live says you need to get a pet license, get one! If the law says you must put a nuzzle over your pitbull outside, do it! Always keep a leash on your dog outside! Always scoop up their feces!

10. When adopting/purchasing new pets, please check the rules with your local vet regarding pets within your country/state/province/town/community/apartment building with a mean landlord/superintendent.

11. Do not raise male betta fish together! They WILL fight to the death!

12. Cats do not always catch mice/rats.

13. Do not eat your pets! For example: pet fish require certain chemicals and solutions to be added in theirwater for their health, but it's very dangerous to be consumed by humans, even if you cook it thoroughly! Do not feed your pets to other pets! This means no dead fish or bird going to your hungry cat!

14. If you want your dog fixed, spay/neuter your dog when it's 3 months old. 6 months is recommended for cats.

15. Avoid buying pet food first from department chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Safeway (see iloveren's post below), consult your vet and local pet shop first.  If your pet needs to be on a specific diet, please take it seriously.

User contributed advice:

Important advice before buying a dog

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Guest jenniifer xOx

oooh i'm getting a baby tortoise (hermann's) soon!

i'm sooo excited.

i was gonna come to people on soompi to see if they were selling any...(yes, people DO ship turtles), but i didn't knwo where to go.

if only there was a pet forum :rolleyes:

1. Do not feed your pets any human food! Unless you own a pet monkey or another primate and give him bananas, do not feed your pet any human food! For fish, some vegetables are acceptable such as chopped up skinless green peas, but please ask in this thread if you're not sure about other food!

heh...unless it's a turtle then you can give it salads and other various greens/fruits

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Guest CriticalHit

I have four parakeets, two males and two females~

Chicken (F) Blue (M)

Baby (F) Baldy (M)

Baby is an absolute coward. When I walk near the cage, she's the first to run. Also I stick my hand into the cage sometimes so the birds can eat from my hand and not be afraid of it. Baby never comes near because she's afraid. Also, the other birds "bully" her, especially Chicken. When Baby first arrived, she tried to get close to Blue. I think Chicken got jealous because chicken and blue arrived together, so Chicken pecked Baby on the head REALLY HARD and didn't let go for like five seconds so that Baby started screeching like crazy! And once, Baldy literally kicked her off a perch so she fell down to the bottom of the cage and had to climb back up. And i thought kids were cruel O.O They're all so mean to Baby probably because she's a coward.

My question...Should i just let the birds have their own drama or separate them?

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Guest jenniifer xOx

I have four parakeets, two males and two females~

Chicken (F) Blue (M)

Baby (F) Baldy (M)

Baby is an absolute coward. When I walk near the cage, she's the first to run. Also I stick my hand into the cage sometimes so the birds can eat from my hand and not be afraid of it. Baby never comes near because she's afraid. Also, the other birds "bully" her, especially Chicken. When Baby first arrived, she tried to get close to Blue. I think Chicken got jealous because chicken and blue arrived together, so Chicken pecked Baby on the head REALLY HARD and didn't let go for like five seconds so that Baby started screeching like crazy! And once, Baldy literally kicked her off a perch so she fell down to the bottom of the cage and had to climb back up. And i thought kids were cruel O.O They're all so mean to Baby probably because she's a coward.

My question...Should i just let the birds have their own drama or separate them?

seperae them! the bigger ones will learn to take advantage. possibly even hurt/kill your baby (i don't know how bad the circumstances are)

maybe this way, baby will learn to trust you.

please seperate them! that is what I would do.

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Guest tramy

oooh i'm getting a baby tortoise (hermann's) soon!

i'm sooo excited.

i was gonna come to people on soompi to see if they were selling any...(yes, people DO ship turtles), but i didn't knwo where to go.

woah~! i didnt know turtles were shipped. O.O kind of odd.

anyway..reserving this place..when i get a pet. my last pet was blind so my parents gave her away. :(

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Guest sugar_puff <3

I have a dog that's a lil over 3 years old... he thinks he's the prince of the house.. he's spoiled.. he owns us lol and he hasn't been socialized with other pets so he barks at any other animals he sees like dogs, squirrels, cats etc.

so our friend's cat gave birth to kittens and we were thinking of taking one kitten in... what are the chances that it wouldn't work out? i mean the kitten is a baby so my dog shouldn't be too worried... he's only scared of animals bigger than himself..

can dogs and cats live together? or are they how we see them in cartoons? -_- anyone has any experience with that?

EDIT: But if the kittne is a baby, wouldn't my dog want to take care of it?? it's not like im bringing in an adult cat?

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Guest iced*chai.latte

can dogs and cats live together? or are they how we see them in cartoons? anyone has any experience with that?

There are some miraculous cases in which dogs and cats live together are friendly with each other.

But if your dog doesn't even socialize with other pets, I think it's a bad idea.

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Guest orphannies

I have a dog that's a lil over 3 years old... he thinks he's the prince of the house.. he's spoiled.. he owns us lol and he hasn't been socialized with other pets so he barks at any other animals he sees like dogs, squirrels, cats etc.

so our friend's cat gave birth to kittens and we were thinking of taking one kitten in... what are the chances that it wouldn't work out? i mean the kitten is a baby so my dog shouldn't be too worried... he's only scared of animals bigger than himself..

can dogs and cats live together? or are they how we see them in cartoons? -_- anyone has any experience with that?

it's probably not a good idea to take one of the kittens. if your dog thinks he's the master and doesn't socialize with other pets, you're going to have a really BIG problem. Anytime you introduce a new pet into your household (whether it be another do or other animals) the pet you already have will most of the time get all territorial, just like your dog now when he sees other animals.

But to answer your question about dogs and cats living together, yes it can and does happen. I have a friend who has a bullfmastif and a cat living in harmony :)

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Ok. So I decided to buy a few goldfish. I was told by my younger brother that plants make enough oxygen for fish

so i didn't buy a filter/bubble thing.. And, all of my fishes died except for one, which is still LIVING.. it's amazing!!!

but my roommate said that the kind of fish that i bought are meant to live like 2 weeks max.. but i disagree

because the feeder goldfish, the ones you feed to other BIGGER fish, that my cousins had lived for like

5+ years....

So, my questions is that do i really need a bubble thing? I just clean my fish tank like once a week, or

when the water is dirty with the fish poop. Oh, how much should i feed it? It's like only 2 inches long...

and 1.5 cm tall..

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1. Do not feed your pets any human food! Unless you own a pet monkey or another primate and give him bananas, do not feed your pet any human food! For fish, some vegetables are acceptable such as chopped up skinless green peas, but please ask in this thread if you're not sure about other food!

...:mellow: It really depends on what you're feeding it. Obviously no instant noodles, hamburgers, and what not. But one of my dog's 13+ years and he eats what I eat everyday. Kinda. without the flavoring. :lol: like rice+boiled chicken..and I eat rice with bbq or swt&sour chicken. =]

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...:mellow: It really depends on what you're feeding it. Obviously no instant noodles, hamburgers, and what not. But one of my dog's 13+ years and he eats what I eat everyday. Kinda. without the flavoring. :lol: like rice+boiled chicken..and I eat rice with bbq or swt&sour chicken. =]

I think you'll be quite surprised that certain food that may seem harmless to us will be poisonous and toxic to pets. You may not realise it, but by the time your pet suffers the ill-effects of having eaten food not meant for him, it'll be too late. We should never assume that human food is safe for pets.

Some foods that are toxic for pets include chocolate, onions, grapes, garlic, pear & apple pips, raisins, macadamia nuts, avocado.

I think we should all be responsible pet owners and learn what is best for the animals we care for. They are different from us and we should feed them food that is best for them, not what we think is best for them simply because it is okay for us.

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Guest Tetra

12. Cats do not always catch mice/rats.

I learned that the hard way. Both of my cats let the mice walk past them wtf.

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Guest DOVAHKIIN

Ok. So I decided to buy a few goldfish. I was told by my younger brother that plants make enough oxygen for fish

so i didn't buy a filter/bubble thing.. And, all of my fishes died except for one, which is still LIVING.. it's amazing!!!

but my roommate said that the kind of fish that i bought are meant to live like 2 weeks max.. but i disagree

because the feeder goldfish, the ones you feed to other BIGGER fish, that my cousins had lived for like

5+ years....

So, my questions is that do i really need a bubble thing? I just clean my fish tank like once a week, or

when the water is dirty with the fish poop. Oh, how much should i feed it? It's like only 2 inches long...

and 1.5 cm tall..

The roommate who told you that goldfish lived 2 weeks max is on crack. Mine have lived several months, with great care, they can live several years. I believe the world record for the oldest goldfish was around 42 years.

Could you take a picture of your fish tank? I wouldn't recommend cleaning it every week, I clean mines every few months and just change the water every 2-3 weeks. Then again, I'd need a picture of your tank to know whether you should be cleaning it or not so frequently.

Goldfish should be feed 1-2 times day (I feed mine twice a day), and only as much as they can eat within 2 minutes. They may always seem hungry and keep eating, but they will be bloated and die. Personally, I refrain from using a air pump/bubble thingy, unless it's actually part of the filter itself. Depending on how many fish you own, you may or may not need a filter. Like I said, a picture would help me.

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it's probably not a good idea to take one of the kittens. if your dog thinks he's the master and doesn't socialize with other pets, you're going to have a really BIG problem. Anytime you introduce a new pet into your household (whether it be another do or other animals) the pet you already have will most of the time get all territorial, just like your dog now when he sees other animals.

But to answer your question about dogs and cats living together, yes it can and does happen. I have a friend who has a bullfmastif and a cat living in harmony :)

yes--that's actually kind of a myth that cats and dogs can't live together. My family has always had both, until we lost our last cat a couple of months ago. It depends on the personality of whichever animal was in your house first--introducing a new one just takes some time. It also has something to do with the owner's personality, because animals pick up on that. We used to have a cat that actually got up on one of our Irish Wolfhounds, mixed dough on him, and would curl up and go to sleep. She was smaller than his head, and he was really gentle with her.

His brother (owned by someone we used to know) actually killed a couple of cats--but he hated other dogs, too. His owner was was not a nice person.

I think you'll be quite surprised that certain food that may seem harmless to us will be poisonous and toxic to pets. You may not realise it, but by the time your pet suffers the ill-effects of having eaten food not meant for him, it'll be too late. We should never assume that human food is safe for pets.

Some foods that are toxic for pets include chocolate, onions, grapes, garlic, pear & apple pips, raisins, macadamia nuts, avocado.

I just read for the first time that mushrooms are toxic, too.

YES. >___< I'm going to go after a couple of links I've posted before. From some posts in the past, especially from first-time pet owners, some people don't know that there are things that can be deadly to an animal. I do cook human food for my dog (edit: figured I'd batter add 'on the advice of the breeder'), but of course stay away from the bad things.

White rice--for stomach upset only-- and brown rice and boiled boneless chicken for her, too.

http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/storytemplate_process.cfm?story_no=257

just some of the info there (a lot of this also applies to other pets, icluding fish, rabbits, exotic birds, etc):

your vet will know more--don't hesitate to ask.

CHOCOLATES

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic.

When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise.

After their pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat.

more important info here:

http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/a/poison_food.htm

toxic to birds:

http://birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_...s_and_toxic_foo

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Guest Malice_Kaiser

^ We have three cats and one dog. They're not too bad to eachother. My dog certainly isn't violent, but he likes to play and he's WAY bigger than my cats so they don't like it. All my cats act differently around the dog. The youngest is afraid of him (though getting better), our five-year-old is pretty indifferent and just tries to avoid him as much as possible, and my 16-year-old cat has totally got my dog whipped. In other words, she's not afraid to kick his a** should he bother her. :lol:

But as far as cats vs. dogs go, our household is pretty peaceful. :]

I learned that the hard way. Both of my cats let the mice walk past them wtf.

Hah, I don't know what's worse. Cats that won't catch mice, or cats that catch too many mice (and moles, and birds...) and leaves them decapitated all over the yard (a la my three cats).

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Guest touche`

My mom has three parakeets and one dove. All of them seem cute and friendly but one of the parakeets, T.I (I know my sister named him. =_=) is so bossy when it comes to ruling the top house. We have two sticks, one on the top and one on the bottom. Like, he would peck hard on the dove's head and bite her butt feathers. Now, the dove is nearly going bold AND T.I is being the dominant one. Sometimes the dove do fight back and uses her big long peak to poke T.I so he can go away.

I just don't get it. Is it the fact that the dove doesn't fight back makes T.I the dominant one?

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Guest ccsg1

My minnie poodle is such a princess we only feed her special diet dog food from her vet but for a treat we give medium rear steak.

she loves ice cream (vannilla only and warm milk but these are treats). I never give her anything that is not natural, but i do know chocolate is not good for dogs. Anywho........ she is rather old but so beautiful. :D

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