The crazy things we do for our pets!

[ann]

so what crazy things do you do for your pets, who owns who, what are there quirks, demands? last week i saw my cats sleeping on my bed so i went to pet them, and since we found them outside as kittens, one is very skittish ( but the sweetest little thing in the world!) so i didn't want to scare him. so you know what i did? i slept on my chair and gave them my bed, i think its apparent who owns who now. that was the day i became a slave to my cats, but i love it!

 

[Rio Mom]

When I was back living at my parents house for a while after more leg surgery one of their dogs, Buddy, (about 40 pounds) decided that he loved to sleep in my twin size bed with me. He liked to sleep at the bottom of my on his side with his legs all stretched out straight in front of him. This meant he took up easily half the bed. Being the softie I am, I often wound up crammed into just the top half of my bed, pretty much sleeping on my pillow to let Buddy be comfortable lol. I love seeing him and their other dog, Apache (his partner in crime) when I go visit my parents.

 

[Wulfgeist]

That totally sounds like something I would do. My youngest is alot like that, he was found in a box in a dumpster near death. Even living in my house he's still pretty skittish.

People I used to work with thought I was pretty mental when I would tell them stories of my cats. When Oliver was still pretty young for whatever reason I ducked down on the other side of the bed. When he came after me into the room I felt him jump up on the bed so I peeked over the bed and just in a normal voice said "boo". The poor guy jumped and hissed at me but gave me the strangest look. That was all it took, now he totally understands "hide and seek" and I indulge him. He will go hide under or behind the furniture and actually come bounding out right in front of me and there have been a few times he did startle me.

His other silly thing is he learned where I keep the catnip: in a plastic storage bowl on the top shelf of the bookcase in the spare room. I'm not even sure where or how it started but when he wants nip he sort of squeaks to get my attention, runs into the room and crouches in front of the bookcase. This is my cue to get ready because he will spring up and hang onto the bookcase (as best he can) and I have to grab his back paws and support him. He will then rub on everything nearby and purr like mad before finally pawing at the bowl.

I have a number of cats in my life but this one seems by far to have the biggest personality of any of them.

 

[ann]

lol i love both your stories! my cats watch my finches like tv but one ( my scardy cat)just watches like he wouldnt hurt them, i wouldnt take the chance but hes just so sweet! one of my others, keran, pulls his water dish from into the open and lays with his paw diped in it ! maxie used to use his paw as a spoon and eat his food like that

 

[Spiritbird]

I took care of a very frightened but beautiful feral cat for 4 years where I lived before. He bonded to me finally and let me touch him. I even got to clean his ears and took him to be neutered. He was too wild to bring indoors. My neighbors complained and I had to stop feeding him, but I just moved the food further away. He got very ill and eventually I had to take him to the gate of the bridge. I named him wild boy.

 

[roxynoodle]

Geez, I so overindulge these animals! I need to get up but my cat is on my lap cleaning herself so I wait until she's done. I want to do some cleaning but one of the birds is napping so I wait, lol! It's hard though when they decide to each take naps at different times!

And yes, if the cat decides she has to sleep with her head against my face, I let her even though I can't sleep with her whiskers tickling me. And I will stop what I'm doing to pet her because she hasn't been petted for 2 minutes and she's crying like the world has ended.

 

[Wulfgeist]

Right now Oliver is between my lap and on the desk, watching out the window. He loves to watch the squirrels and it became a bit of a joke to a friend of mine. He started doing the "Squirrel!" thing from the movie Up, I in turn started doing it when I saw a squirrel outside. Now it's Oliver's cue to come to the window, tail lashing. He like to be lumbar kitteh too and stretch out behind my back in the computer chair with his front legs resting on the one arm. One day he *appeared* to be quite relaxed and even asleep. With a whisper I said "squirrel" and his head shot up, eyes popped open and tail started lashing all at once.

 

[ann]

Right now Oliver is between my lap and on the desk, watching out the window. He loves to watch the squirrels and it became a bit of a joke to a friend of mine. He started doing the "Squirrel!" thing from the movie Up, I in turn started doing it when I saw a squirrel outside. Now it's Oliver's cue to come to the window, tail lashing. He like to be lumbar kitteh too and stretch out behind my back in the computer chair with his front legs resting on the one arm. One day he *appeared* to be quite relaxed and even asleep. With a whisper I said "squirrel" and his head shot up, eyes popped open and tail started lashing all at once.

LOL that must be hysterical to watch!

 

[ann]

Geez, I so overindulge these animals! I need to get up but my cat is on my lap cleaning herself so I wait until she's done. I want to do some cleaning but one of the birds is napping so I wait, lol! It's hard though when they decide to each take naps at different times!

And yes, if the cat decides she has to sleep with her head against my face, I let her even though I can't sleep with her whiskers tickling me. And I will stop what I'm doing to pet her because she hasn't been petted for 2 minutes and she's crying like the world has ended.

lol my cat maxie did the same thing, if i woke up in the middle of the night he would just find out some how and make me pet him and i couldn't go back to sleep, one morning he even woke me up by meowing in my face! i woke up to these big cat eyes and inch away from my face with him standing on my chest, was more like a dog!

 

[ann]

I took care of a very frightened but beautiful feral cat for 4 years where I lived before. He boded to me finally and let me touch him. I even got to clean his ears and took him to be neutered. He was too wild to bring indoors. My neighbors complained and I had to stop feeding him, but I just moved the food further away. He got very ill and eventually I had to take him to the gate of the bridge. I named him wild boy.

it sounds like he had a wonderful life and that you took wonderful care of him. we got my cats from outdoors and still feed their mother who recently started let me pet her while she eats. we feed and have fed many stray cats one who we found as a kitten was even tamer than one of my indoor cats. i understand the pain of loosing an outdoor cat and you have my condolences. i think the bond you have with them after you gain their trust is like no ther and your story is a true example of that.

 

[roxynoodle]

My cat has woken me up during the night to make me pet her. She will start by kissing my face, and then giving little nips, and then petting me with her paw. She has also stuck her paws in my mouth!

 

[Mare Miller]

I have a 110lb. German Short Hair Pointer named Pete, love him more than life! He's going on ten yrs. old this year. HATES!!!, Scared to DEATH!! of, lightning and thunder! When this event happens, it's normally middle of the night. He has his own bed in our bedroom, knows it's his bed, loves his bed. But that first crack of thunder and explosion of lightning, he is wrapped around my neck, shaking, panting, and whining like there will be no tomorrow! My husband and I will just wrap our arms around him, till it's over, and let him know it will be alright.

 

[roxynoodle]

I have a 110lb. German Short Hair Pointer named Pete, love him more than life! He's going on ten yrs. old this year. HATES!!!, Scared to DEATH!! of, lightning and thunder! When this event happens, it's normally middle of the night. He has his own bed in our bedroom, knows it's his bed, loves his bed. But that first crack of thunder and explosion of lightning, he is wrapped around my neck, shaking, panting, and whining like there will be no tomorrow! My husband and I will just wrap our arms around him, till it's over, and let him know it will be alright.

I had a huge German Shepard mix that was also terrified of lightning and he had to be allowed to go down the basement when it happened. One night a storm came in and he JUMPED THROUGH THE GLASS WINDOW in the door that separated the kitchen from the enclosed back porch. The porch is where you have to go to get to the basement. I didn't even hear it happen over the storm. I woke up and discovered the power was out. Thankfully he was not injured, not was or I or the other 2 dogs when I realized the broken glass was all over the floor. Boy, I first thought my ex husband or someone had broken into the house when I realized there was broken glass all over the floor. It was 4am and pitch dark.

 

[ann]

OH MY!!! your poor dogs, thank goodness they were ok! mare miller LOL its funny how such a big tough dog can be so afraid of thunder, poor dogie! is that like a shepherd thing? both of you had shepherds who were afraid of thunder and lightening... coincidence?

 

[roxynoodle]

You might be right, Ann. It seems I remember my grandmother's German Shepard being afraid of it as well.

Another time I put the dogs out and laid down because I had a migraine. Rain always gives me them. I have one now because it's going to rain tomorrow. Well, that dog also knew when a storm was coming even before it got anywhere close. This was a huge, lazy dog that laid down to eat and that I had to pick up to get in my truck (130lb dog! I had to get in the front end and then the hind end). Well, that dog climbed my 6 foot fence somehow. Next thing I knew one of my neighbors was at the door asking, "Do you have a really big, fat German Shepard?" I said yes, and he said, "It's in my garage." I was like, no way! No way did he get out! But, sure enough he did!

 

[ann]

LOL my dogs the same but squeezed into the body of a mini daschund! shes always sneaking bites of the cats food and sleeping, but when shes motivated there's no stopping her. Your dog sounds adorable btw!

 

[lizardsmells]

We are nuts about our pets. My best friend of 20+ years says she wants to come back as one of our animals when she dies.

The bird got his own room and gets more hot meals than I do.
The dogs got a brand new futon when we moved here because we felt bad they didn't have any furniture to lay on. (We replaced our couch with two recliners so we could be even lazier.) They each also have their own crate that is one size larger than the required size and full of all sorts of pillows and beds and blankets for them to root around in and rearrange. They also get fed a raw diet I prepare each day.
The cats have an entire room all their own, exclusive, dog-free access to the garage at all times, a large sleeping area that is made up of many bed pillows covered with blankets in front of two large windows, two window perches, a huge cat tree and they get fed a premium grain-free diet.
The turtles get a high quality pellet but also a lot of fruits and veggies too and they each have their own enclosure. This summer the box turtle is getting a huge outdoor enclosure all his own.
And finally, as much as I need my coffee, everyone gets taken care of first in the morning and only after everyone's been fed and let out and had their water changed do I get to sit down and have my coffee, which is about the time the bird is done eating and wants his after breakfast cuddle and nap.:emoticonc

 

[roxynoodle]

We are nuts about our pets. My best friend of 20+ years says she wants to come back as one of our animals when she dies.

The bird got his own room and gets more hot meals than I do.
The dogs got a brand new futon when we moved here because we felt bad they didn't have any furniture to lay on. (We replaced our couch with two recliners so we could be even lazier.) They each also have their own crate that is one size larger than the required size and full of all sorts of pillows and beds and blankets for them to root around in and rearrange. They also get fed a raw diet I prepare each day.
The cats have an entire room all their own, exclusive, dog-free access to the garage at all times, a large sleeping area that is made up of many bed pillows covered with blankets in front of two large windows, two window perches, a huge cat tree and they get fed a premium grain-free diet.
The turtles get a high quality pellet but also a lot of fruits and veggies too and they each have their own enclosure. This summer the box turtle is getting a huge outdoor enclosure all his own.
And finally, as much as I need my coffee, everyone gets taken care of first in the morning and only after everyone's been fed and let out and had their water changed do I get to sit down and have my coffee, which is about the time the bird is done eating and wants his after breakfast cuddle and nap.:emoticonc

It's because we don't have children

 

[lizardsmells]

We are nuts about our pets. My best friend of 20+ years says she wants to come back as one of our animals when she dies.

The bird got his own room and gets more hot meals than I do.
The dogs got a brand new futon when we moved here because we felt bad they didn't have any furniture to lay on. (We replaced our couch with two recliners so we could be even lazier.) They each also have their own crate that is one size larger than the required size and full of all sorts of pillows and beds and blankets for them to root around in and rearrange. They also get fed a raw diet I prepare each day.
The cats have an entire room all their own, exclusive, dog-free access to the garage at all times, a large sleeping area that is made up of many bed pillows covered with blankets in front of two large windows, two window perches, a huge cat tree and they get fed a premium grain-free diet.
The turtles get a high quality pellet but also a lot of fruits and veggies too and they each have their own enclosure. This summer the box turtle is getting a huge outdoor enclosure all his own.
And finally, as much as I need my coffee, everyone gets taken care of first in the morning and only after everyone's been fed and let out and had their water changed do I get to sit down and have my coffee, which is about the time the bird is done eating and wants his after breakfast cuddle and nap.:emoticonc

It's because we don't have children

Oh man, and all this time I thought it was because I'm a giant sucker

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, a giant sucker, that, too! Although I think if I had children, I would be spending more time and money on them. Instead of building cat trees, I'd be building them book cases. Instead of buying 100 bird toys I'd be buying the kids Ipods.

And I bet small children sometimes get jealous if the pet gets a new toy, but they didn't.