Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets

[ALawPoker]

This is Jaeger. He's a 1+ year-old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix. He's a punk sometimes, but he's so lovable that he can get away with it.

[JuntMonkey]

I've been casually thinking about getting a kitten. The thing is that I want it to stay a kitten forever. I want a really tiny one that will pitter-patter into my room while I'm on the computer.

1) How long do they stay small for, and do you get attached to them and love them just as much when they're bigger?

2) Before I moved out of my dad's house we had a cat, but I mostly kept it out of the rooms I lived in. I am allergic and got mostly used to it, but again I was never living up close and personal with it. Will I adapt to a new cat after a while, even with it rolling around my bed?

[mntbikr15]

Google "munchkin cat" or something like that.

I recall a friend showing me a link of these things, pretty much kittens that never grow.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

That's an awesome pup, Daryn. Stay "tough" on the crate training - it'll pay off. Pretty soon, he'll probably actually like to go into his crate - that's your (short-term) goal. Stuff some kongs with food and treats and put them in the crate. He'll learn to like his crate and also learn what he can chew on at the same time.

I've taught my dogs that they can't bark, except to go outside. I did that by putting them outside immediately any time they bark like they want something and busting them (putting them in the small dark bathroom for about 30 seconds) any other time they bark. If you're consistent, you'll get a dog that will let you know when he needs to go out, but won't be barking otherwise.

The first couple nights are the hardest with the poor little guy whaling away, but you kind of just have to live through it and it'll get better. After the first night or two, when it's reasonable for him to be scared/lonely, start busting him for making noise. Go down, tell/yell "uh-uh!" and put him in a small, dark room (bathroom's usually good) for up to 30 seconds. Then, put him right back in his crate and leave again - make sure he doesn't get anywhere with whining. It'll be a pain in the ass to do this all the time for the first couple weeks, but it'll pay off. Maybe take him outside the first time to make sure he's not whining to go pee, but be sure to put him right back in the crate and then start busting him after you know it's not because he has to pee. You'll be able to tell which is which after a little while.

[SomethingClever]

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BTW, even though you're prolly not reading words, SOMETHINGCLEVER your dog is amazing!

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I hadn't checked into the thread for a few days, but I caught this. Thanks!

[tuq]

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1) How long do they stay small for, and do you get attached to them and love them just as much when they're bigger?

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Well, my oldest one is 10-11 months and he's gotten huge, as in I hope he doesn't grow any more. The younger one is about 7 months and has a bit of growing to do yet.

It's way too early for me to answer the second part of your question, but I find them just as cute now as I did then. I've heard from others that they get cranky as they get older, we'll see about that. The one I had growing up was an outdoor cat and hated me anyway (I was always picking it up and chasing it around) so I have no basis for comparison.

[BigSoonerFan]

A great thread that I hope I can contribute to. My love for animals began a long time ago, as an eight-year old picking out his birthday present at the local animal shelter, a shivering scared mutt (half-chihuahua/half-terrier) that became my best friend until eight years later when I was devestated by a car hitting him.

Right now we have four cats, having lost three dogs and two cats in the last four years. I'm an animal lover, so my love for dogs and cats doesn't lean either way. As soon as my daughters are older, we'll get them a dog (from a rescue organization).

Joker's question has been answered but I must back up the opinion that two cats is necessary if you are working outside of the home (or just out a lot). There are exceptions, like one my current cats who lived eight years with my grandfather and his dog. He would probably prefer to be alone, which is why he spends each night in the basement alone (he whines and scratchs until we let him down there). All of the other cats I have had are very social.

Someone mentioned that feral (wild) cats usually don't make much noise, which is true. I happen to feed a colony of feral cats who live behind the store of a friend of mine. You won't ever hear them make a noise. Until I got them all fixed, the males were quite noisy when fighting.

Some notes about cats......

Usually males are more friendly than female cats. Seems counterintuitive, but that's the general consensus and also what I've noticed.

When moving cats from one home to another, always put it/them in one room for a few days to let them get used to the sounds/smells. A vast new area can be overwhelming to a cat and they are very resistant to change. Change may cause them not to eat.

Cats must eat. Not eating for 2 or 3 days can sometimes cause severe internal damage. (off the top of my head, I can't remember what it is though) Also, cow's milk isn't good for cats!

When introducing a new cat into a household, keep the new cat in a separate room and slowly introduce them (via window/glass door/screen door if possible).

Now, where are the pet llama stories?

[daryn]

pet thread for dom

[JordanIB]

Have 2 cats in the apartment now. One female grey tabby (Chula), about a year and a half old that we've had since the summer that is owned by my roommate. We got her a playmate on Super Bowl Sunday...a black domestic short-hair, 4-month little guy (Apollo). He's awesome. Will chase and play with anything -- his own tail, the hair net from the bathtub, his water bowl, and of course his toys.

I'm so glad I got Chula a playmate. The first week was a little up and down, pretty much all territory fights. Now they can be often found cuddling and licking each other, and the fighting and chasing is of a much more playful nature. Although Apollo still likes to play "Take Chula's Spot" as much as he can, even if he has no actual interest in being where Chula is.

2 issues I'll ask of the group:

1) Feeding issues: Apollo eats his own food. Apollo eats Chula's food. Chula doesn't eat her food too much. Chula tries to eat Apollo's food. Normally I wouldn't care too much, but Apollo has kitten food and wet food which has higher fat content and Chula is already gaining unnecessary weight by eating it. I want to leave food out during the day because I'm gone from 8 until 7.

Any tips on getting them to each eat their own food and only their food?

2) Cat Tree

I need to buy a cat tree. After looking at a few sites, www.cozycatfurniture.com seems to have some really good prices and free shipping, which saves like $40-50. They have good reviews at http://www.bizrate.com/ratings_guide...id--69651.html

Anybody have familiarity with them? Or any other recommendations?

Thanks!

[RunyonAve]

This is our dog Bailey, she's a Puggle (half pug half beagle)