Your Animal Companions [Archive]

feranaja

12-04-2006, 10:31 AM

I know there are a whole lot of animal lovers here besides myself, so while we are posting pics, let's see your best friends, familiars, furred or feathered or scaly....And tell us about them too...

I will start off with my dogs. This is Luke, the dear and glorious, my greatest friend in this life, in a meditative mode.
He died September 1st of hemangiosarcoma, a hereditary/environmentally induced cancer of the blood vessels, but his presence in my life was one of the greatest gifts I will ever know and I will cherish his memory forever.
Thank you, sweetheart.
Till we meet again.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Luke%20and%20Lila/etc043.jpg

and this is Lila, my heartdog, my teacher , my funnybunny and dearest of dears:http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Luke%20and%20Lila/tic007.jpg

Lila is 12, and in great health despite some arthritis issues and a mild heart enlargement. She misses Luke intensely, but she's a trooper and she's alwasy, unfailingly, strong for her Mom..plus, she's the funniest dog I've ever known. Gotta love that! SHe can make me laugh when Im full on crying - a rare talent indeed for anyone to possess.

These two dogs have been my best friends, and I've been blessed in the extreme by their presence.

And here, is my new puppy...Hurricane Daniel.
Four months old,goofy as all get-out, but he's already saved my life. and won my heart totally I hope to be worthy of his affection, as I've never had a dog so insanely devoted and overtly loving. Danny loves to train, he's quick, clever and co-operative, but not at all protective as Luke was. Theyre the same breed, but couldnt be more different....
Luke was a tough, macho little nut at this age and made me earn his affection every step of the wa.

Here's my baby when I first brought him home - look at the baby paws, how cute is that:http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Daniel/danny1063.jpg

I have new Mom syndrome so may post a few more later on, and also my cats and snakes. Lets see your furfamily too!

silentjohn

12-04-2006, 02:10 PM

http://www.canr.uconn.edu/ansci/faculty/photos/lcf/red_fox_(juvenile).jpg

YsetEternal

12-04-2006, 03:05 PM

My little Kiki - her name is Momma's little Angel, so of course Angel for shorty.

Though she isnt so little anymore pushing about 20lbs and much longer hair...

Still a beauty though and personality to beat the band...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/babalon/Angel2.jpg

Sibylle

12-04-2006, 03:54 PM

Beautiful, all of them!

http://seasons.noxmanor.com/maggie-curledup-small.jpg...http://seasons.noxmanor.com/maggierelaxes.jpg

MaggieMae is 11 years old, and I got her at the animal shelter. I chose her in part because she was the only dog not barking, and in fact not paying much attention when the door was opened for people to come in and look. When we took her outside to get to know her, she still was not very interested in us. She seemed to have a hard time walking and kinda limped. When we got home, I actually suspected she did not know how to bark. :rofl: We found out the truth soon enough. She is not speech-impaired, and her slow limping walk turned into excited running. I think she was just sad about being on death row, in a single cage without friends or humans loving her in her own home. She is not the calm dog I first saw, and does not act her age now. We and Maggie were in the right place at the right time, because she is a wonderful companion, funny, and thinks her humans are royalty. I couldn't ask for more :D

Aodh

12-04-2006, 05:02 PM

Awww! All of these animals are just adorable as can be, although I have to say, that first shot of MaggieMae with her big old eyes is my favorite out of all of them.

Here's my family dog whom I probably do not spend as much time with as I should but he is an outside dog who is quite hyper-active (even if you spend the whole day with him) and he loves to chase the squirrels and such anyway so...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Feroxyhite/Bully.jpg

And before anyone asks, he is a Boykin-Cocker Spaniel mix. (If you're unaware of what a Boykin Spaniel is, don't feel bad. They're an American breed of Spaniel that apparently came out of the Old South.)

m1thr0s

12-04-2006, 06:00 PM

PEOPLE PLEASE!!! If the images are really BIG, post them as attachments ok?
They will only show up as thumbnails but they will click to full-sized images...

It throws our pages out of sync...I'm not just some sort of pic-nazi or whatever...

Kiki is right on the edge of too big...the rest are ok...great shots everybody...

transmission out...

m1thr0s

Sibylle

12-04-2006, 06:19 PM

Thanks, Aodh. Your guy is cute too, but then, this page is a total overdose of cuteness! He reminds me of an Irish Setter, even though he's small, just because of his color.

Aodh

12-04-2006, 06:24 PM

Yeah, that's a bad pic (although it's hard to get any because he's usually so spastic) but he has very pretty colouring. A generally light and slightly rusty brown with edges of blonde around his paws and ears. :)

m1thr0s

12-04-2006, 06:46 PM

MaggieMae is just too damn cute. I can't believe you won't give her that bisquit. You heartless monster!!! lol...

m1thr0s

Ðanisty

12-04-2006, 06:54 PM

My kitty, Lucifer, was born on Halloween 2 years ago. I've found that I have to have a cat. I've tried living without one and it makes me miserable. Lucifer is really small (almost 7lbs) and since we have a lot of stray cats in the neighborhood, we keep her indoors. She seems perfectly satisfied with that though. She's never once tried to run outside. Lucifer sleeps on me at night...not next to me...ON me. She also seems to really enjoy reading. She loves sitting on my shoulder when I've got a book.

Valkyrie, my collie, is about 5 and half years old. She's the best dog I've ever had and I suspect she may be the best dog I ever will have. She's super-smart and really sensitive (pretty common for a collie). I never had to train her to do a thing. She's great on a leash, never needed to be house-broken, doesn't bark at night, and takes good care of our youngest.

Ziggy is a lab-mix that a former co-worker of mine found stranded in a drainpipe. When he was brought into work, I couldn't resist him and took him home without even asking my husband...lol. Ziggy has been a bit of a project for us. He's about one and half years old now and starting to mellow out a bit (but don't let this picture fool you...he really has a LOT of energy). It turns out he has hereditary mange, so we have to treat him for that periodically. The biggest problem we've had with Ziggy is anxiety. I think he still has abandonment issues. He can hardly control himself when we're gone. If he doesn't have one of our shirts and his stuffed duckie toy, he eats stuff...important stuff like furniture. Yes, he's sitting on the back of the couch. He thinks he's part cat.

m1thr0s

12-04-2006, 07:15 PM

what is it with these cute little animals looking up at you like that...I'm all jelly...I can't take this...Satanists have a reputation to uphold...rofl...

m1thr0s

Aodh

12-04-2006, 07:17 PM

My families first pet, a cat named Pumpkin which we eventually had to put down because of leukemia and diabetes was born on Halloween in 1986. (He showed up a couple years before my brother and I but was around until I turned 8 or so)

Kain

12-04-2006, 07:35 PM

Well, here's "Pitsaos", a mixture of dobberman with...something else :laugh: Thrown in my backyard one night as a few days' pup, possibly by her mother's owner who did not want to keep the "impure offsprings" as far as breed was concerned...

Notice the hilarious white-tipped tail...lol...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Goyios/Antonis/PICT0046.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Goyios/Antonis/PICT0100-1.jpg

Sibylle

12-04-2006, 08:05 PM

what is it with these cute little animals looking up at you like that...I'm all jelly...I can't take this...Satanists have a reputation to uphold...rofl...

m1thr0s

You mean like this?

MaggieMae is just too damn cute. I can't believe you won't give her that bisquit. You heartless monster!!! lol...

m1thr0s

She thanks you for bringing it up...:laugh:

feranaja

12-05-2006, 10:09 AM

Oh I love this thread, lol. Maggie Mae has a lot of charisma and I also learned something - the Boykin Spaniel is not a recognized breed in Canada so its cool to learn about them. And your dog is gorgeous Sam - reminds me a bt of a Sussex, my personal favourite of the spaniels. (I like the Irish Water spaniel a lot as well)

And Kain, I absolutely adore that picture with the squeaky toy - its a hedgehog, no? Im sure we have one of those aorund here somewhere. Hpow do you say her name? ANd I'm sure i see Shpeherd in there too...
all gorgeous babies you guys have!

Here's my cat Evita..also known as The Wolverine.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/cats/saturdaynearlammas023.jpg

YsetEternal

12-05-2006, 10:13 AM

girl I can tell shes just about up to no good in that pic... LOL...

This thread is great. gotta love the furbabies :D

feranaja

12-05-2006, 10:17 AM

Evita? She just goes from one bit of evil to the next - why else do i adore her when Im not really a cat person? Shes an IMP, thats why!
lol...here's my other non canine love..Gentle Ben, the world's sweetesthttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Snakes/snake032.jpg ball python. And he is a dear!

Kain

12-05-2006, 04:00 PM

And Kain, I absolutely adore that picture with the squeaky toy - its a hedgehog, no? Im sure we have one of those aorund here somewhere. Hpow do you say her name? ANd I'm sure i see Shpeherd in there too...Yup, it's a hedgehog :)

Well, the name is pronounced: Pi (like "pit" - Tsa (like the italian "ciao", or "cha") - Os (like "Dos").

Lol, I love the second pic that Sibylle posted...

Kain

fr.novumorganum

12-06-2006, 05:58 AM

Lila is a darn good looking dog.

I have a pet rat (what eveil wizard could be without) but its really cute
and my mother has a family beagel, Vegas.

While I'm in Florida I want to see if I can rescue a greyhound.

feranaja

12-06-2006, 06:52 AM

Firts of all I just wanted to say how lovely it is to see people's rescued pets - the shelters are so full of needy furkids and so many lost dogs like Ziggy are out there in need of a loving home. danisty, you have taken a dog with a number of challenges and if there's anything I can do to help please let me know. Have you worked with a crate at all? I tackle separation anciety on multiple levels, from dietary manipulation to TTouch - but it is a tough issue, no question. I'd suggest The Separation Anxiety Workbook by James O'Heare - www.dogwise.com (http://www.dogwise.com) has it I'm sure - and you might also look into dog appeasing pheromone - DAP:
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/behavior/a/dogbehaviorprob.htm

You can PM me if you want or I could start a thread on natural pet care, and we can share ideas? :)

This is my new baby; shot one is him en route to puppyclass, with his seatbelt unfastened since he was raising hell - look at the way hes sitting, I think thats hilarious, the hind legs at such a weird angle and the serious little face. Pic number two is on the way home after a bit of hard work!

Indulge me, I'm a new mom,only posting two was an act of great restraint, lol..

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Daniel/danny1145.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/Daniel/danny1153.jpg

Aodh

12-06-2006, 05:14 PM

Yeah, we got Bully last year from the pound where they had him named "Durango", haha.

feranaja

12-15-2006, 12:07 PM

Does Daniel look happy? lol...he wasn't very impressed,but it's his first Christmas and I just had to get this done. The whole room was cracking up watching him try to get away from Santa and back to Mom...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny1200.jpg

Anibis

12-15-2006, 12:26 PM

Here she is in all her nefarious glory, Alice Petunia Creature.... the Pizza Box Predator...

http://Ibisis.zoints.com/image/47801-PizzaboxPredator

She was rescued from a litter that was going to be gassed by the Bell Island Authorities... She is smart... Already knows about misdirection big time... heh heh.
-Ib

Sibylle

12-15-2006, 02:49 PM

Looks like Alice knows where it's at :D

fera, Daniel looks sooo cute!

feranaja

12-15-2006, 03:18 PM

Thank you Sibylle - thats a biiig puppy for four months, no?
(Hes even cuter in person, lol)

oak

12-17-2006, 11:43 AM

what is it with these cute little animals looking up at you like that...I'm all jelly...I can't take this...Satanists have a reputation to uphold...rofl...

yea, something like this would be more appropriate :rofl:

http://web.mit.edu/kmwerts/www/fluffy.jpg

or this

http://www.acc.umu.se/~zqad/cats/dmsxpupu.b.jpg

or this

http://www.acc.umu.se/~zqad/cats/voices.b.jpg

Anibis

12-17-2006, 02:40 PM

Oh, man, that second picture is Truly alien.. I like it...:)
-Ibisis

m1thr0s

12-17-2006, 05:01 PM

That's pretty scary...I think I've seen Fluffy in my dreams...lol

m1thr0s

Radiant Star

12-17-2006, 05:03 PM

I think I have summoned the black one :p

*wonders if m1thr0s is admitting to Fluffy being an aspect of himself* :rofl:

m1thr0s

12-17-2006, 05:07 PM

nah...but I do have a friend who gets this exact expression on his face sometimes...very funny...

m1thr0s

Paeony

12-19-2006, 03:31 AM

These are for you Fera Pythoness - I know you love them and wish I shared that but I have to leave that to you! And this fella would scare the crap out of me. He's a diamond python who got caught on an electric fence - his jaws completed the circuit so continual shocking made for a very angry snake.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y296/griflet/image0041.jpg

Yes some passerbys came along and rescued him, (very brave :no: ) but the farmers whose lambs he'd been feasting on was not happy! I don't know how old he must be to get to this size - any guesses Fera? Enjoy! Lol.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y296/griflet/DP.jpg

silentjohn

12-19-2006, 04:23 AM

http://www.kodiak.org/images/bear-c2.jpg

feranaja

12-19-2006, 12:24 PM

Ahh, MIstress Paeony - those pictures disturb me, I hate to see an animal in pain. It's good someone rescued her. I can understand reticence about trying to do it yourself especially if you arent used to handling snakes - probably very wise. One should never romanticize about animals, especially wild ones - I gave up my beloved Y'lan and Gabriel because living alone I can't deal effectively with full grown boas, so I gave them to someone who can. I don't know the python species here but she looks like a serious animal!

I'll take a pic of my baby python later and post it- she's been having a hard shed and looking a little rough, so I've held off till she's all smooth and pretty again. Oh and Richard - my bearded dragon - if I can get him to smile, I'll post one of him as well.

fera

Mikerocosm

12-19-2006, 09:51 PM

Sam, looking mighty fine.
His hobbies include, eating, basking, and swimming away in terror from rogue pieces of lettuce. :rolleyes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/mikerocosm/Samuel.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/mikerocosm/Hello.jpg

feranaja

12-21-2006, 11:52 AM

Mike - where's the other turtle?? <not sure I should have asked that...>
He is very pretty though!! I rescue about 200 every year off the roads up here...even the damn snappers...
fera

Mikerocosm

12-23-2006, 11:12 PM

Mike - where's the other turtle?? <not sure I should have asked that...>
He is very pretty though!! I rescue about 200 every year off the roads up here...even the damn snappers...
fera

It was difficult but I gave Ellis to Little Ray's Reptile Zoo for adoption.
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3906&highlight=ellis
I donated 100$ for his upkeep and the manager promised that there would be no problem re-homing him. I felt bad, but I'm sure he is better off and Sam is a VERY happy turtle now that he is alone.

My long-term plan is to build an outdoor turtle pond when I get a house and adopt a half-dozen tutles from Little Ray's. I would winter them indoors and put them out in the summer.

Someday.. :yes:

feranaja

12-24-2006, 01:31 PM

Daniel continues to grow - he will be five months on Tuesday. is he beautiful or what?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny2059.jpg

feranaja

01-26-2007, 04:40 PM

This is Big Bad Bill, my partner's RR William, taken last summer on my back deck. Bill passed away last night in his sleep, at the age of twelve. He was a rescue I adopted from US Ridgeback Rescue five years ago;Luke had no tolerance for sharing his Mom so Bill quickly became my partner's boy. That situation worked out well for all. I had needed to get this dog out of a bad situation and so it really didnt matter which one of us became his best friend as long as someone did. After it became clear no one was a threat to Luke's status, even HE decided Bill was ok.
You couldn't not appreciate this dogs big heart and warm spirit. A liver-nosed red wheaten variety, he looked to many like an Irish Setter with a ridge. My partner is very shaken even though this was expected for some time and the passing was as good a death as any of us can hope for; in his sleep, in front of the fire, surrounded by his loved ones.
Bill was one of the sweetest old men you'd ever want to meet., and will never be forgotten.
RIP, Mshindaji's Simba...1994 - 2006

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/red143.jpg

fr.novumorganum

01-26-2007, 04:46 PM

He looks like he was a very peaceful dog.

feranaja

01-26-2007, 04:47 PM

He looks like he was a very peaceful dog.

Unflappable. It was a most endearing quality. :)

Kain

02-11-2007, 03:36 PM

http://www.yogaisyouth.com/blog/archive/nursing.jpg

http://www.yogaisyouth.com/blog/archive/puppy.jpg

...Not mine really...I was simply doing some research on Mysore, India, and among the pictures these two came up and thought I should post them, thinking they would be appreciated by some here :)

Kain

oak

02-12-2007, 12:55 PM

http://www.yogaisyouth.com/blog/archive/nursing.jpg

that looks a lot like my favourite doggie who was a stray dog in India until my friends brought him here with them. he is the kindest, coolest and most well-mannered dog i've known unless confronted with anything he is not familiar with, that makes him scared and the LOUDEST dog i've ever known.
he does yoga and takes the weirdest postures i've ever seen a dog take, one of his sitting postures is as close to a lotus posture a dog can make.

here's a few pics of him:

http://www.tuubi.net/oakie/pics/abr/baba1.jpg

http://www.tuubi.net/oakie/pics/abr/baba2.jpg

Kain

02-12-2007, 04:06 PM

Hah, most interesting correlation oak! And apart from lineage they are also similar in appearance indeed...really cute dog...hehe...

Lol...You know, I kind of know what you mean about your dog doing yoga. I've had a good deal of dogs in my life and have also observed quite extensively many others in their daily behavior, but my own current dog has had me quite amazed by the postures it always takes ever since being a pup. Never thought of it as a form of asana (posture) practice but hey, it actually begins to make sense now ;)

Kain

feranaja

02-12-2007, 04:14 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04118/306899.stm

Radiant Star

02-12-2007, 06:25 PM

'M' isn't mine but I love him and wish he was :D

Anibis

02-12-2007, 06:36 PM

Kain

02-12-2007, 06:40 PM

Does he do the 'downward facing dog'?
-IbisisAll the time, but I think all dogs do that one...rofl...it also does a commendable shavasana (http://images.google.gr/images?svnum=10&hl=el&q=shavasana) (which is almost impossible for a dog!) and like oak describes, an approach to padmasana (lotus posture) among other things.

Kain

m1thr0s

03-18-2007, 02:07 AM

We've got a new addition to our family...this is Roti, our super-energetic little min-pin puppy, being held by my daughter (Yarrow), since technically it's her puppy...

Here she has taken Roti to the beach for the first time so Roti is finding it very difficult to think about silly things like cameras etc...

http://abrahadabra.com/photos/yarrow.and.roti.002.jpg

m1thr0s

feranaja

03-18-2007, 06:17 AM

An absolutely stunning picture M1thr0s. I bet Roti had a terrific time - did she swim? and Yarrow looks so happy. Thanks for sharing this beautiful picture with us all.
fera

Sibylle

03-18-2007, 10:43 AM

I love the picture, m1thr0s. Congratulations on the new family addition. :)

Kain

03-18-2007, 01:24 PM

Wonderful picture :) . Roti looks rather ecstatic about the beach trip I think...rofl...also, Yarrow indeed looks quite happy. I might also add that I quite definitely see a strong resemblance with you...

Really nice picture, thank you for sharing that one m1thr0s,

Kain

m1thr0s

03-20-2007, 02:19 PM

I might also add that I quite definitely see a strong resemblance with you...we are hoping that with a good education she'll be able to overcome it...lol...

nah...she's actually a pretty cute kid...smart as hell...what a handful...

they tell me that first-borns tend to resemble the father, particularly with girls. The theory is that it's a genetic incentive to keep men from running away screaming...lol...

that nature...always thinking...

m1thr0s

fr.novumorganum

03-20-2007, 02:29 PM

congrats and many happy times!!!

that doggie is cute, but looks like a yelper:D:rofl:

feranaja

03-20-2007, 02:35 PM

congrats and many happy times!!!

that doggie is cute, but looks like a yelper:D:rofl:

Nah, Min Pins are actually quite easy. Much like the Ridgeback, you just give them everything they want, you never have any hassles.

Seriously, not all small dogs are vocal .And most barkers can be helped with things like adequate exercise and mental stimulation - a tired dog is a good dog, right? How is she on that front, m1thr0s? Did you guys do a puppy class?

fera

feranaja

03-20-2007, 03:00 PM

My wonderful, incredible, adorable Daniel, at seven months.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny4077.jpg

m1thr0s

03-20-2007, 03:36 PM

How is she on that front, m1thr0s? Did you guys do a puppy class?No class yet...reading up on the Monks of New Skete a lot...class is slated but hasn't started yet.

She's a pretty good barker but doesn't carry on terribly...it's pretty cute actually. She takes her guard dog duties fairly seriously...still has the cats in an uproar. They'll be fine as soon as they get used to the idea that she isn't a terrible "mistake" that will probably be leaving soon...lol...

The funny thing is they are both bigger than she is...Min-Pins know no fear...she prefers playing with bigger dogs etc...

m1

feranaja

03-20-2007, 03:45 PM

Yep thats typical attitude - sometimes smaller dogs are the best little guardians.

Good that you plan to do a class as long as you have a modern, P+ trainer. And I hope the monks have updated their books - the old verison are considered very outdated, coercive and punishment-based; I believe they are even still using the "alpha-dominant-submissive" paradigm. There are some fabulous training books out there, if you want a recommended list, let me know. The Monks may have updated, but if you see stuff like the "alpha-roll" and so on - take it to a used booskstore, better still, burn it. :(

fera

m1thr0s

03-20-2007, 03:57 PM

no...these are both new books...they seem ok...but they're just books you know...just to get ideas going really...

m1thr0s

feranaja

03-20-2007, 04:04 PM

I did think I heard about an updated version. Good to know, I bought the older ones like 20 years ago and they are VERY old fashioned and heavy handed. Glad to see they've changed with the times. :)

And - "just books?" I think books about dog behaviour and training can be very powerful. People like jean Donaldson and Pat Miller have revolutionized the way average dog loveJs interact with and understand canine behaviour...even Suzanne CLothier who I don't always quite see eye to eye with.. Pat McConnell is a genius...the written word has a lot of power, no?

Keep up the good work at any rate - you will love the classes. Danny and I are going into Level Three soon and also registered in both freestyle and SAR (search and rescue) for the spring - I can't wait to start, but then, I live for this stuff, lol.

fera

Zifiriskenoxa

03-22-2007, 11:57 AM

My wonderful, incredible, adorable Daniel, at seven months.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny4077.jpg

very lovely, foal like, squeezable, slappable on the ass :D

feranaja

03-22-2007, 12:40 PM

Its funny you say that lol - DanDan loves a good bumslap (gently of course) and I often "spank" him and say Oh look at the bad Ridgeback bum! lol, he loves it. He's the cuddliest dog I've ever known in forty plus years of all kinds of dogs.

He does kind of look like a little foal too. He's the sweetest boy. I wish i could get a picture of Lila that does her justice - wouldnt want my Angelicka to get lost in all this puppystuff!

Thanks for the reply, fera and DanDan

feranaja

05-14-2007, 06:23 PM

Daniel and The Wolverine, a few weeks ago, beside my computer.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny4215.jpg

Kain

05-15-2007, 09:08 AM

That's great...! :D Do they always get along so well fera? Amazing, I've been having dogs and cats in the house for almost two decades and I've never seen them get along...

Kain

feranaja

05-15-2007, 09:16 AM

If your dog has very high prey drive it can be a problem. Although Daniel is a Ridegback and *should* have high drive, he just adores cats. And they like him, lol, as this picture evidences. he can get a bit boisterous, but that's just puppy stuff and they seem to know it. All my dogs have friendly attitudes so the cats pick up on it. I've never had much of a problem othr than occasional aggressive play. Now my friends with Huskies, that's another story, lol.

Daniel has been a real blessing in that he just loves everything around him, he's a ray of total light and joy. He does go a bit berserk when I take a rabbit out, but he'll get over that. He's still only 9 months old.

Remind me what kind of dogs you have? Often it's breed related, but not necessarily. Is the issue that the cats don't like the dogs or do the dogs chase and herd them? I've known dogs who would kill a cat given the chance, but I don't see it often, thankfully.
fera

Kain

05-15-2007, 09:36 AM

I'm still surprised when I am reminded he's only 9 months old...he's huge...lol...
Remind me what kind of dogs you have? Often it's breed related, but not necessarily. Is the issue that the cats don't like the dogs or do the dogs chase and herd them? I've known dogs who would kill a cat given the chance, but I don't see it often, thankfully.Well, for many years I had german shepherds...They were mostly female and they would eventually be allowed to mate, bringing their offspring into the family to continue the lineage. The last one was quite against mating for some reason however, so after passing away wothout producing an offspring we soon found ourselves with a dog someone threw in our back-yard as a puppy, which we took in. It's an extensive cross-breed case...I'm not sure what's exactly in it, but dobberman is the most prominent.

The german shepherds would always kill cats on sight and we have had many casualties over the years if a local cat would meet them in the yard. Our current dog however is a bit less 'direct' in that departement, chasing them but feeling kind of uneasy when it actually manages to corner a cat. It is even known to sometimes delay on purpose to allow the cat a head start etc...but they don't really get along even remotely, even in this case.

As for friends with Huskies, oh yeah, that's even worse that german shepherds apparently from what I hear...

Kain

feranaja

05-15-2007, 12:32 PM

Yes, the Siberians and Malamutes are very cat aggressive. SOme RRs like to chase, but my experience with my breed is they don't want to do harm, just corner and quarry. Luke couldnt be bothered with such small prey, he was more concerned with humans who might be dangerous than anything as trivial as a housecat..

My border collie/Lab mix loooves to herd cats but aside from annoying the hell out of them she never causes any harm. She doesn't care for them rubbing up against her, but Danny doesn't mind, he'll snuggle anybody, lol.

Do you have cats yourself Kain or are these neighbourhood visitors? My experience has always been that dogs make exceptions for whoever actually lives with them. That's why I can hand feed a houserabbit with five large dogs standing by, but in the field, it's a different story altogether. I may not be a catperson(or else I'm in denial) but I wouldn't tolerate any of my dogs harming one. Maybe they pick up on that...or maybe the fact that one of my cats has been here 14 years grants felines some seniority in this household...

fera

Kain

05-15-2007, 05:30 PM

Well, they could be termed as very frequent and almost constant visitors...they stay right outside the house, in the garden, where a small wooden house is provided for them and they are fed 2-3 times a day. So they are not exactly *my* cats and I guess the dog understands that, although they are not exactly simply visiting either. I've never really had cats into the house as a personal pet throughout these years, but this small semi-independant cat colony has been perpetuating itself in this very area pretty much for 16 years now...

Due to this extreme animosity of the german shepherds, the garden had to be divided, allowing a part for the dogs and another one connected to the back door for the cats. Perhaps quite an extensive measure, but it kept everyone happy as the cats couldn't be sent away since beside being pets, they were the main reason the area around the house was kept rat-free (in those years, the area where I live was so rural that we had hordes of them marching about).

So I guess they could be termed visiting, at least to the dog's eyes, thus intensifying the reaction...I suppose it would be different if they lived in the same area.

On a slightly irrelevant side note as we have mentioned visitors, we've managed to attract a hedgehog family in recent years which is quite fond with the cat house area and spends the winter months with the cats themselves, sharing food and shelter, even cuddling together during the periods of snow...you know they're there when you hear the occassional rustle and feline complaint, as the hedgehog on the bottom of the bundle (they sit close and on top of one another to keep warm) repositions itself and stings the nearby cats by mistake...heheh...

Kain

feranaja

05-15-2007, 06:06 PM

Oh that hedgehog story is too cute! It would be cool if you could get a picture of them..I love hedgehogs. they don't make great pets IMO, but they're definitely funny little beings.

As for my puppy being big?? Really? Do you think he's big?? lol...he's actually small for a male RR of this age, but smaller is better in growth ( slower, I should say) terms. Here he is out considering leaping into the herb box. He saw me watching and thought better of it. :)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny4277-1.jpg

Kain

05-15-2007, 07:05 PM

Well, I actually have pictures of them although I can't seem to find them for the moment...if I do I'll be sure to post them fera. I really like hedgehogs too by the way...

Lol, that's a very nice picture...and yes, I certainly think he's big, even if you consider him a relatively slow grower compared to others of his breed... :)

Kain

BrotherM

05-16-2007, 03:53 AM

Kain

05-16-2007, 10:29 AM

I also love a hedgehog, they have the cutest little walk. Scrap likes to chase them but is wise enough (i.e. scared) to stay at least a foot away. It is the funniest thing to watch a hedgehod wondering about doing its thing totally ignoring Scrap who is bounding about it making gruffs and little growls. When we lived near a park in Oxford Scrap used to ask to go out after dark to look for hedgehogs, it was quite sweet. Kain, post pics, I would love to see them.Lol, yeah, that's how it works with dogs and hedgehogs...my dogs were less able to hold their temper though and even though they complained intensely, whining as a hedgehog even appeared on sight, their sense of adhering to 'dog duty' was usually stronger than their sense of self-protection it seems as they had at the hedgehog anyway...:rolleyes: . You could tell it was a hedgehog meeting by hearing the dog's frantic and complaining tone of barking, and once there you'd see the dog with 2-3 spikes sticking out it's nose and a worried look on it's face...the hedgehog ever going about it's buisness unimpeded, paying no attention to the dog whatsoever...lol...

I'll see what I can do, haven't managed to locate them thus far BrotherM...

Kain

BrotherM

05-16-2007, 12:04 PM

hehehe, the "Dog Duty" really rings true and is an amazing thing to watch and can be very funny especially when the dog is struggling between "I am scared of this 'THING'" and "Dog Duty says I must investigate and make loud noises". Scrap hates black bin-bags and when he sees them blowing in the wind, the front half of Scrap attends to Dog Duty by trying to get closer and investigate whilst making strange grumbling noises, and the back half of Scrap responds to the 'I am scared of this thing' by staying put and refusing to move... Thus producing a very elongagted Scrap, I'll try find a photo, it's a crack up :D

Neshamah

05-16-2007, 12:50 PM

This is a picture of my youngest baby. Her name is Pixie and she is a Chihuahua. She is about 4 mos. old and weighs about 3.5 lbs. She is so active and has such a short attention-span that she can drive her mommy and daddy crazy faster than any of our other babies. But, she is just so darned cccuuuttteee !!! :yes:

I love my dogs,

Neshamah

feranaja

05-16-2007, 01:14 PM

Oh what a darling Neshamah. Chi's are very smart, funny, charismatic little dogs. I'm working with six of them right now, lol! Thanks for sharing...

I don't know how to do thumbnails...but I had to share this. It's a friggin cat conspiracy around here. I came back from walking Daniel and look what was waiting for me. I mean, they put themselves there, as if to say, we ALL have to stay...

Damn. I'm stuck with this lot!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/feranaja/danny4294.jpg

BrotherM

05-16-2007, 05:17 PM

I love the way cats are cozy, not matter how they lie. Our cats in South Africa used to sleep curled in a ball, but vertically against the back of the sofa, like how the hell can that be comfortable????? It looked a bit like this @

Fera, that long haired tabby is going to grow up to be a very handsome an large boy. I expect the house may have a new leader in its midst :P

BrotherM

Kain

05-16-2007, 05:39 PM

Lol, a pic of elongated Scrap would be wonderful if you manage to get one BrotherM, sounds hilarious indeed (and I know the drill all too well, too)...! :laugh:

Neshamah, that's a very cute dog...heheh...and as for fera's 4 kittens, that's a great shot!

Kain

feranaja

05-17-2007, 02:42 PM

Fera, that long haired tabby is going to grow up to be a very handsome an large boy. I expect the house may have a new leader in its midst :P

That's Rasa, he is a total character! Reminds me of a Maine Coon cat...and he may well be an alpha cat, but The Wolverine is a force to be reckoned with, he'll have to get her approval first..

I still can't believe I have 8 friggin cats in here!:laugh:

Kain

06-11-2007, 04:45 PM

Well, I managed to get a few pics of a small hedgehog today, seeing that I had no luck finding the previous pictures I have of them. You can hear them coming two or three at a time each night, making immense noise eating the cats' food...heheh...

Didn't manage to take a shot of the actual face though as it was busy cleaning away at the bowl in front of it, but I hope you all enjoy, regardless:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Goyios/Forum%20stuff/Hedgehog1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Goyios/Forum%20stuff/Hedgehog2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Goyios/Forum%20stuff/Hedgehog3.jpg

Kain