Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets

[pete fabrizio]

Beagles are the best.

[jbird]

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there are some really cute dogs in this thread, although it looks like most you paid $250 bucks for them instead of saving one at the pound.


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My lab mix was found in a drainage ditch on the side of the road in West Virginia and cost me $25. The bulldog cost a little more.

[Soulman]

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and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them.


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This is a question I was going to ask: should I really get a second cat? I'm wondering if Chiba gets lonely when I'm gone at work.

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A second cat can be tricky. Some cats are very territorial and will not get along well with a second cat. If you want more than one, it's best to get two kittens about the same age at the same time. They will usually be friends for life. If you are going to bring in a second cat, one of the opposite gender of your first cat usually works better. Of course, if you are going to have a male and a female cat in the same house, spaying and neutering is essential, if you don't want to have 150 cats after about two years.

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This is a bit old, but I'm gonna answer anyway [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Getting a second cat really should depend on whether your cat is lonely. Some cats want company, others don't. If your cat seems content, I really wouldn't bother.

We originally got one cat, but after a year or so it became very clear she felt very lonely when we were at work (she's extremely sociable). It became clear to us that we really needed to get her a friend.

Now, getting a cat to accept a new cat can be tricky. There's really not too much you can do, it's going to depend on the cats in question. In our case, they hissed at each other for two days, and after that became best of friends. I've heard stories that it might take months before they accept each other though.

On the gender thing: there really is no consensus here, I've heard both. FWIW both our cats are female.

Don't have any other pics available right now, here's one from where the spotty one (Amber) was a kitten and the brown one (Chili) is about a year and a half:

[jhall23]

Stumbled on this thread and realized I haven't ever put pics of our dog up. This is Rufus. My first dog ever. These are from when he was a young pup, he is now 7 months old, but I don't have any new pics on this computer. He is super crazy and fun. He likes to be best friends with anything that moves.

[firstyearclay]

Absolutely Awesome Jhall. Lets see some current pics! Dont be lazy....


fyc

[supafrey]

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there are some really cute dogs in this thread, although it looks like most you paid $250 bucks for them instead of saving one at the pound.

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I got my black Chow Chow from a family that was hitting it. A stern conversation, an offer to adopt and a few thank yous later, I had a 4 month puppy for free AND saved it from gettin' broomed.

[Dakotasdad]

Mrs. Utah, is Harry a Newfoundland?

One of my neighbors have 2 of them and they dwarf my 95 lb German Shepherd.

Can't imagine what their food bills are a month.

[xxThe_Lebowskixx]

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there are some really cute dogs in this thread, although it looks like most you paid $250 bucks for them instead of saving one at the pound.

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Is this really the worst thing in the world? Yeah, saving one from the pound is definitely a great thing to do, noble, etc., but you have no idea what you're getting. This is an animal that you're welcoming into your home and into your family for the next 10-ish years and could be totally fubar for all you know, with regards to both its health and its mental state. Some people can handle a [censored] up dog and others can't. Of course it's not like every dog from the pound is messed up, but you're for sure taking a risk.

If it's the money you're worried about, then that's not really that great of an issue. For one, you still have fees to pay at the pound to cover vet expenses and you have a decent chance of having more health problems that will cost you more than a dog from a breeder. In the end, though, the up front cost of a dog is really lost in the noise in the long run. The real cost is in food, vet bills, toys, and whatever else.

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These are fair points. I would only adopt a puppy from the pound.

These pure breed dogs are alot cuter, it makes me feel bad to say this but all of my mutts were uglyyyyyyyyyyyy.

[tsearcher]

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These pure breed dogs are alot cuter, it makes me feel bad to say this but all of my mutts were uglyyyyyyyyyyyy.

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Pure bred is really just another word for inbred. Inbreeding is bad for hillbillies, European Royalty and dogs.

There are ways to avoid the dangers of inbreeding which I believe are being used in Germany. But in the U.S there is no regulation. We are breeding dogs that are destined to live short, sick lives. And a lot of dog owners don't seem to be bothered by this as long as their dogs are "cute." Hybrids, mongrels are almost always genetically superior and healthier than pure breds.

[Mrs. Utah]

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Mrs. Utah, is Harry a Newfoundland?


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Harry is a Newfie. He is the sweetest dog too, not a mean bone in his body. I have never heard him even growl and has never snapped. You can walk up and take a bone from his mouth and he will just look at you.

He is a very big dog, 160 pounds, and he sheds and drools.



He does eat a lot but I have never kept track as to how much. He is pretty good at stealing food and has stolen bread off of the top of the refrigerator.
He even opened and ate Utah's sandwich that he had secured in the glove compartment while he ran into the store. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]