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

[MythnoonA]

Haha, Ive seen people stuffing their cat into whatever they can. Ive seen a picnic basket, backpack, purse, anything really. Some people actually start trying to get their cats into the cage very early in the morning for an afternoon appointment. Good luck next time

that's what I used to do...and had to change the appt more times than not. We had a cat who was always wild--she was shy and afraid of most people. We brought her and her brother in from outside--he was exactly the opposite. I used to have to mentally prepare myself to put her in the cat carrier--a heavy duty one. She would have busted out of the cardboard. She was okay once she was in (she cried some but didn't go nuts)--but getting her was the hardest part. She let my dad pick her up, and after a while me too--but no one else could. I have a few scars on my hand from where she got me.

loveof~sounds like the food the dog is eating is okay, and you know the basic stuff ^^ Our dogs ate the same in small amounts--but we also gave them a good quality dry dog food--no canned stuff at all. The kibble is from a place called Flint River Ranch (distributed right from the people who make it), and our dogs were on it a long time, and we never had one problem with it-- no recalls, no bad stuff in it, etc. Some people will feed an all raw diet, but some dogs aren't as crazy about it as others. I cooked for ours. Brown rice, boiled chicken, fresh squash, natural yogurt, wheat toast, string beans, carrots (we also gave them the baby string beans and carrots in the jars-), pasta, and slightly cooked natural ground beef (they ate raw when they were puppies, but decided they didn't like it when they got older), and a few other things. White rice, too, but only for stomach aches or diarrhea. They got a few other things, too.

I forget if it's on the 1st or 2nd page of this thread, but we did post some things you can read about what not to give your dog (there's info about cats, birds, and fish too if anyone needs it), so that may help you too.

if you want to check out Flint River Ranch foods (they have cat food too---that's what ours gets), here's the website:

http://www.flintriver.com/

pm me if you want to talk about the food more--or you want to try it (the person we get our food from is the best-I can give you his number).

edit: ramology said what I forgot to add ><

OTHERWISE if you still want to feed it cooked food i would suggest you introduce it slowly, like the first day give it a mixture of canned food and cooked food, keep doing that till you have fully introduced the dog the cooked food. best way to do it.

[Guest ramology]

my uncle wants to give away his dog because he can't take care of it during the day..

i have dog sitted my aunt's dog before so i know a few things about taking care of a dog.

the puppy is a year old and is a male. i was wondering how i can convert his diet to human food.

he eats manufactured dog food but this isn't as healthy as whole foods.

my aunt's dog eats apples, chicken, turkey, carrots, and rice. from what i know... and he use to eat a bunch of manufactured dog food.

how do i convert the puppy from eating dog food to eating whole foods?

since i don't believe in the pet store bagged or canned food.

i know dogs cannot eat pork, chocolate, or onions. but what are the foods a dog CAN eat? and cannot? thanks!

hey if your uncle can't take care of the dog, then he shouldn't even have a dog in the first place. Manufactured diets contain a dogs daily required nutrients and such, if you decide to give it whole food then there is a chance you may not be feeding it its daily needs. In my opinion, i would stick to the dog food. In addition you can buy it scientific diets which are healthy, low in fat and such.

OTHERWISE if you still want to feed it cooked food i would suggest you introduce it slowly, like the first day give it a mixture of canned food and cooked food, keep doing that till you have fully introduced the dog the cooked food. best way to do it.

yehh feeding it fruits, chicken breast, turkey and such is a healthy option as it is getting variety. (tip: THEY LOVE PIG EARS but only as a treat LOL)

if you need any help just message me and i will be happy to reply!

[Guest une_fleur]

I have a question about my cat's behavior.

One of my cats always acts so weird whenever I go into the shower. Her name is Xiao Hua, and whenever I go into the shower she sits on the toilet next to the shower and starts crying. She'll bat her paw at the shower door, and if I open it up to see her, she'll peek her head in and cry more at me. Or she'll peek her paw in and try to grab me or something.

Is she upset that I'm showering? I'm really confused why she does this... Does anyone have some insight on this behavior?

[Aziraphale]

I have a question about my cat's behavior.

One of my cats always acts so weird whenever I go into the shower. Her name is Xiao Hua, and whenever I go into the shower she sits on the toilet next to the shower and starts crying. She'll bat her paw at the shower door, and if I open it up to see her, she'll peek her head in and cry more at me. Or she'll peek her paw in and try to grab me or something.

Is she upset that I'm showering? I'm really confused why she does this... Does anyone have some insight on this behavior?

My cat meows his head off sometimes when I shower too. Does your cat share the bathroom? Mine does his business there, so I guess sometimes he doesn't like it that I hog the place, lol. Or your kitty could want attention and thinks there's something interesting going on in the shower, and wants you to play with her (or feed her, if you're taking a shower near her mealtime). She could also be afraid of the loud noises from the shower (water noises) and thinks something's happening to you. Just reassure her and pat her when you come out.

[Guest une_fleur]

My cat meows his head off sometimes when I shower too. Does your cat share the bathroom? Mine does his business there, so I guess sometimes he doesn't like it that I hog the place, lol. Or your kitty could want attention and thinks there's something interesting going on in the shower, and wants you to play with her (or feed her, if you're taking a shower near her mealtime). She could also be afraid of the loud noises from the shower (water noises) and thinks something's happening to you. Just reassure her and pat her when you come out.

They do their business in another room. I think you're right about the noise scaring her though. I'll try your advice the next time this happens, thanks

[Guest krnkitty25]

So i just got a kitten about a week ago and theres a few....actually alot of things i'm wondering/worried about.

My kitten just turned 7 weeks and is a rather crazy little male.

My first concern is eating/drinking habits.

-he never drinks water and only kitten milk.

-I want him to eat dry food but he only sticks with the wet. I've bought him two different brands of dry kitten food(one of them meant for baby cats so its smaller and softer) but he still dosn't eat it.

My second concern is behavior.

-I bought him a scratching post but he never uses it. I don't have any sofas or furniture/carpet of the sort for him to scratch on. What should I do?

-Every night I make him sleep outside of my room. He CONSTANTLY meows and scratches the door wanting to get in. I feel really bad so I always let him back in or stay with him until he falls asleep. And from that I am extremely sleep deprived. Should I take a different approach to the situation?

My final concern is FLEAS!

-I just recently found out that he had fleas and ran out to the pet store to get a flea shampoo and comb. So far I've tried the shampoo once and it works okay. It killed some of the fleas but there are still some left. Can anybody give me advice on what else I can do to get rid of them?

-Also, I read about flea eggs. My kitten goes on me and my sister's beds alot and apparently the flea eggs fall off easily from the cats fur. How long before the eggs hatch on the cat and on bedding(outside of the cats fur)? Do the eggs need a certain environment for them to hatch?. Once the fleas are gone from the cat will they be able to re-infest the cat? What should I do about the bed/bedding? Would washing them with normal laundry detergent be good enough? ANY advice or guides to get rid or fleas/eggs for GOOD would be GREATLY appreciated! They're driving me insane

Any advice on these concerns would be very helpful to me as I've never had a cat and am very lost on many things! ><

[Aziraphale]

So i just got a kitten about a week ago and theres a few....actually alot of things i'm wondering/worried about.

My kitten just turned 7 weeks and is a rather crazy little male.

My first concern is eating/drinking habits.

-he never drinks water and only kitten milk.

-I want him to eat dry food but he only sticks with the wet. I've bought him two different brands of dry kitten food(one of them meant for baby cats so its smaller and softer) but he still dosn't eat it.

Have you had your cat vaccinated?

Cats don't always drink water, sometimes we have to prompt them and get them into the habit. What I do with mine is to use a syringe (no needle) and gently pump the water into his mouth. Get your kitty seated in front of the water bowl, squat behind him to prevent him from running away. Gently tilt his head at an angle and nudge his mouth open before pumping the water in slowly. Reassure him that it's good for him to be drinking water and that you're not trying to hurt him. Your kitty will resist, but do it often enough and he will get used to it. If you don't want to keep using the syringe, nudge him to the water bowl and praise him when he starts drinking. This will help him associate drinking with good behaviour. Make sure you provide fresh water regularly and that the water bowl is of a good depth and height suitable for your kitty.

Food-wise, I suggest weaning him off wet food slowly. Mix a little dry food into his wet one and encourage him to eat (praise him and pet him when he starts eating). You should also be consulting your vet when changing from wet to dry food - some cats do not like a particular brand or it may not be suitable for them (mine hates Science Diet).

My second concern is behavior.

-I bought him a scratching post but he never uses it. I don't have any sofas or furniture/carpet of the sort for him to scratch on. What should I do?

-Every night I make him sleep outside of my room. He CONSTANTLY meows and scratches the door wanting to get in. I feel really bad so I always let him back in or stay with him until he falls asleep. And from that I am extremely sleep deprived. Should I take a different approach to the situation?

I don't use a scratching post either, but mine rips my cardboard boxes to pieces, lol. Try dangling some toys and rubbing catnip onto the scratching post to entice your cat. Don't drag him there or put his paws on the post hoping he'll scratch - that's the mistake I made and my cat never went back to the post again.

As for sleeping... you could be heartless and ignore his meows, sooner or later he will understand and stop scratching your door. Or since he's so small, you could just let him sleep with you - leave the door slightly ajar so that he can go in and out if he wants to.

My final concern is FLEAS!

-I just recently found out that he had fleas and ran out to the pet store to get a flea shampoo and comb. So far I've tried the shampoo once and it works okay. It killed some of the fleas but there are still some left. Can anybody give me advice on what else I can do to get rid of them?

-Also, I read about flea eggs. My kitten goes on me and my sister's beds alot and apparently the flea eggs fall off easily from the cats fur. How long before the eggs hatch on the cat and on bedding(outside of the cats fur)? Do the eggs need a certain environment for them to hatch?. Once the fleas are gone from the cat will they be able to re-infest the cat? What should I do about the bed/bedding? Would washing them with normal laundry detergent be good enough? ANY advice or guides to get rid or fleas/eggs for GOOD would be GREATLY appreciated! They're driving me insane

Any advice on these concerns would be very helpful to me as I've never had a cat and am very lost on many things! ><

A couple of articles 1 & 2 on how to get rid of fleas. You should make sure all bedding and whatever the cat has come into contact with are thoroughly cleaned and sunned. Spray the house with a flea spray or insecticide. I would also suggest a trip to the vet asap to help your cat get rid of the fleas - I wouldn't recommend self-medication because your kitty is still very young and you may not know how best to treat the flea problem on your cat. Risks of flea infestation are greater in very young animals. You might want to restrict your cat's activities outside of the house while the flea problem is being dealt with.

Good luck!

[Guest AMIbunny]

I'm planning to get a puppy soon....

I want a puppy that I can carry around XD So i was thinking about a TEACUP puppy o__o... Buuuut... I'm afraid those might be too fragile T^T and I might hurt it..... But I want one! Should I just get a teacup puppy or a regular small breed dog? XD (Teacups are soooooo cuuute)

[Guest CitrusFlower]

this is kinda a random question but I've been nagging my parents to get me a puppy but they still won't. For those of you who parents were like that what did you say that finally convince them to get you a pet?

[Guest LacedOut]

I'm planning to get a puppy soon....

I want a puppy that I can carry around XD So i was thinking about a TEACUP puppy o__o... Buuuut... I'm afraid those might be too fragile T^T and I might hurt it..... But I want one! Should I just get a teacup puppy or a regular small breed dog? XD (Teacups are soooooo cuuute)

Haha, those are really cute.

Uhm, here's some cute reg. small breed dogs:

Maltese

Yorkshire terrior

Chihuahua, obviously.

Well, I don't know the name of this on breed, but it's soo cute & small, it looks like a freaking stuffed animal. :3

& whichever one you like more, you should get. The more you like someone/something, you'd probably be more careful with them. =)

[Guest k25]

this is kinda a random question but I've been nagging my parents to get me a puppy but they still won't. For those of you who parents were like that what did you say that finally convince them to get you a pet?

I bagged and cried and went down on my knees and "promised" her I'll do the dishes "everyday" and do "everything" in the house(Was 16yrs then). She didn't care SO I went and GOT myself a puppy (beagle) (long story how I got it, so better to not say). She basically yelled at me for a year. I'm 20yrs now and she STILL yells at me about my little Allie. But she's more chilling now.

BUT two weeks ago I just bought a yorkshire terrier. Two dogs now.

She yells here and there, just not that much anymore maybe because I'm 'older' now?

So my answer is, from my experience, let time chill out your parents? lol

If you have those evil parents, don't even go near an animal.

[Guest CitrusFlower]

^

I'm currently 13 and I want them to get it for me because I can't afford one ><" I tried begging and nagging but they say I have to wait until I have a family. It's more funner when you have a pet in your younger days

[Guest k25]

It might just be an Asian thing. Most Asian parents don't like dogs. They want you to concentrate on school.

You need to do something REALLLLLLLLY good to earn their trust. Sometimes straight A+++++++++++ isn't even good enough. Asian parents man

I feel ye. Been there

[Guest Nana]

this is kinda a random question but I've been nagging my parents to get me a puppy but they still won't. For those of you who parents were like that what did you say that finally convince them to get you a pet?

I didn't have to convince them with our first dog because it was my dad's idea but when I asked for a 2nd one they were completely against it, NO CHANCE they said. So I cried a bit for a few weeks and eventually my dad gave in.

When we got our first dog my dad wanted it to be an outdoor dog (guard dog cuz we have a huge German Shepherd 104lbs) and he made him a dog house... which is EVIL! So one day it was raining and the dog was in the dog house and I asked dad to let him in but he said no because he didn't want him to get used to being inside and I went on the balcony and stood half way in the rain under the roof for 20 mins. Eventually dad gave in and both our dogs are house dogs now sleeping in my room. My parents used to be real old fashioned with dogs, making fun of other people who treat their dogs like they're kids now they've totally turned into those type of people even though they still nag a bit about having 2 dogs reminding me it's my fault... You just gotta be persistent but not overly annoying... make them feel bad for you.

To whoever wanted to feed their dog Human food... I would talk to your vet see if she/he thinks it's a good idea because no one knows what's better for your dog than they do and I'd listen to whatever the vets says. I personally don't think it's a good idea to switch a dog over if he's doing fine on his regular dog food. But I'd consult with a vet before you do that because that's a rational choice.

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[Guest Swtess]

^ yeah I feed my dogs a mix of the cesar meat and dry dog food.

My two dogs are the most pickiest little thing ever.

We have to feed them with a spoon or else they won't eat.

Before we fed them dried food that we got from the vet but they got bored of it.

We had so many ways in trying to feed them.

First it was throwing the small pebbles at them and then switching bowls, now we have to mix it and feed them with a spoon.

Sigh we spoil them too much but my bf's mom doesn't want them to starve themselves so she spoils them.

I suggested letting them starve a few days. They'd start eating

[GOOMBA]

as for the human food... i feed my dog human food at the time, but i suck on it so there's no seasoning on it... the only bad side about it is that it makes my dog's feces more liquidy... i wish my dog would eat dog food... but it refuses and starves 3-4 days before it even touches its dog food and acts all stubborn and doesn't want to listen to me...

^ *sigh*

i've said this a million times in this thread but everybody keeps telling me human food is good for dogs! it's notttttt. i mean, these aren't wild dogs. they're domestic. and their tummies aren't strong enough to digest human food! it makes them get an upset stomach and they get diarhea this is why they make dog food, people! =( unless your dog has been eating RAW meat from the day he was born, it's not gonna be healthy!!!

and btw you spoiled your dog so he doesn't respect you. start disciplining it =(

I'm planning to get a puppy soon....

I want a puppy that I can carry around XD So i was thinking about a TEACUP puppy o__o... Buuuut... I'm afraid those might be too fragile T^T and I might hurt it..... But I want one! Should I just get a teacup puppy or a regular small breed dog? XD (Teacups are soooooo cuuute)

nope, you won't hurt it as long as you're careful. no roughhousing or throwing him around (you shouldn't be doing that anyway)

i have a chi/pom and he's quite small 5lbs

also have a pom/maltese and she's small too o_o 9lbs

[Guest k25]

Don't baby your dog too much. Get over the fact that they're cute. They need to do things the dog way.

My first dog starved herself for a good 3 days (she wasn't sick for sure, she was still all hyper and stuff and as normal as she can be, except the eating part). I refused to give her human food. Day 4 she ate like a normal dog again. She learned her lesson. It all started when I couldn't eat my Big'Mac anymore so I gave it to her. It was half my fault.

^ but feeding them from a spoon??! That's the cutest thing! haha

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[Guest miss wonderland]

^^^^^^^

it really depends on WHAT human food you feed your dog

some things that humans eat are GOOD for your dog and some things are really bad (like chocolate & certain types of fruit)

but ask your vet what kinds of human food is good for your dog

DO NOT GIVE HUMAN FOOD THAT IS OVERLY SALTED, sauced, sweetened, etc....

chicken, rice,... is okay.

and just to let you guys know some dog food is actually bad for you dog too

it's all processed and you don't know what goes on in those food making factories....

science diet and natural nutro = pretty good for you dog

i wouldn't trust iams or grocery brand dog/cat food. and canned food is supposedly not as good as dried.