The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

Zapperzy

I'd love to foster but id be afraid of bringing a strange dog into a house with a cat, everythings perfect at the moment between our own lot and I'd be afraid of upsetting the balance of it all One day, hopefully not too far away, when I'v my own place with the cats I'd like to handrear or foster kittens

SingItOut

Still no word back from the rescue to organize a home visit for the young puppy since they received our application and were happy about it, in the mean time we heard back from from another rescue (within a day!), regarding a slightly older female puppy, and a home visit has been scheduled for during the week. I wasn't sure if I was ready for another dog after Frankie but I must admit after the new pictures of the female puppy went up on facebook (she went to an adoption day) she's tugging at my heart strings she's just beautiful! I just can't believe how she ended up in a rescue center with her sister.

Cherry Blossom

Just in case anyone was wondering what happened today, see the explanation here.

rannerap

anniehoo wrote: »

Absolutely. The thing that I kept reminding myself was...it's not about me, it's about the dog. She would've gotten nowhere near the amount of love and attention for the last couple of weeks in the shelter as she did with me.

It's funny as I got a mixed bag of opinions from friends and family. Some thought it was "mean" handing her back So I just asked them "would she have had a better time sitting in a kennel by herself for 23hrs a day for the last few weeks?" That quietened them down lol.

Do you want me to PM you the video I made of her?

Yeah exactly!It does them a world of good to get some love and attention before they are off to their forever home! Ohhh yes please

aonb

Caught the tail end of an interview on NEWSTALK radio last week. A doctor talking about cardiac care/recovery.

He said that his mentor (cardiologist), many years ago, when discharging his patients from hospital, after recovering from a heart attack, would phone the pound next door. The patient on leaving the hospital would be met by a worker from the pound WITH A DOG, which would be handed over to the recovered heart patient. It seems this was not optional. The doctor, a dog lover, believed that the patient would recover better/quicker with a dog in his life. Makes absolute sense to me - exercise and the destressing effect of having a dog around! Nice story.

sotisme

Just back from dropping my foster greyhound, Lucy back to the rescue, I really will miss her :(

She was so lovely, fantastic with kids, gentle around other dogs, toilet trained, a couch potato that was the most docile creature.
I really hope she'll be rehomed soon, she's only 11 months and when she came to us she was terrified of men, loud noises. Once or twice I yelled at her for not listening to me and she cowered until I'd spent 10 minutes telling her that she wasn't in trouble :o By the time she went back she had decided that my bed was better than hers, that it was funny to stand in front of people (resulting in them tripping over her) and she was responsible for the multiple items that we're mysteriously being moved from one room to another;)

16 days ago when we collected Lucy, we were asked if we'd take 2, 5/6 week old kittens also. They had been dumped on the roadside hours earlier and were literally being carried in by the shelter's inspector as we were leaving. How could we say no?!

So I had an amazing Christmas with these furries, but was forced to bring them back to the shelter today. I'd fostered over 15 kittens to date so I wasn't too upset parting with the kittens, but little Lucy really pulled at my heart's strings. We'd have kept her if it wasn't for us being out of the house for 6+ hours/day and her not fitting through the dog flap that we use for my cavalier.

After an emotional goodbye with Lucy, the kittens were handed over to the shelter's vet for their first vaccination. It turnsed out that they were way younger than they'd thought and couldn't receive the vaccination. They would only be able for rehoming in 6 weeks! (after 2nd vaccination) So of course, I took lucky Mylo and Oreo home with me, for some more hectic fun!:p I Will be bringing them back for their 2 vaccinations, but it looks like they'll be staying for me for a good while!:D

I've attached pics of the crew, and anyone interested in rehoming a stunning greyhound with a wonderful temperment, or 2 adorable black/black and white kittens, PM me and I'll pass you on the rescue's details. It's the biggest rescue in Dublin, you've probably guessed!

Pumpkinseeds

Toby is on a spraying mission indoors this week. I'm watching his behind constantly. He got the curtain over the back door while I was ironing earlier on but I got him before he got the curtains on the window, they're floor length. He got the laundry basket the other night:(

honerbright

I was browsing through old photos on my computer and came across one of Max from what I think must have been one of his visits to our house. I didn't realise he was so small and scrawny when he turned up. As I write this my now not-so-little man is curled up beside me having a purrfest

Top photo: August '13, bottom jan '14

Pumpkinseeds

It's scary when they're so small and skinny and homeless. He's grown into a strong handsome chap. He looks very snug:)

SingItOut

We passed our home check! Our new rescue puppy should be with us by the end of the week. She's a 4 month old collie X Springer who was on death row in a pound with her 7 siblings before the rescue took her in. Exciting times ahead

SillyMangoX

Congrats on the new puppy, can't wait to see pictures

A little ginger cat came jumped up on my windowsil today, meowed at Dude through the window and walked off again. Dude was very happy about it, I wondering was it one of his old outdoor friends calling to see how he is!

SingItOut

Their will be tons of pictures don't worry

Hope dude is doing better

toadfly

How is dude getting on SMX?

SillyMangoX

toadfly wrote: »

How is dude getting on SMX?

Still more of less the same, he still has the catheter in so we still don't know for sure how is bladder is recovering but he has feeling in his bum and a bit of his tail stump. Still taking things one day at a time!

Pumpkinseeds

We suspected that Toby is spending his nights in someone elses house, as he's been disappearing most nights. My husband says he toddled in this morning, licked the jelly off his food, ignored the dry food which he usually loves, then headed straight back out. I didn't see him til after 4 this afternoon. I bet he was in a house with someone who has kids and decided to leave when the kids got back. It would fit with the fact that he's normally here til late at night. Probably heads off to the other house when he knows the kids will be asleep.

He wasn't particularly hungry then either. He's sound asleep on the sofa now. My husband went back to work last night after 3 weeks off and within 15 minutes of him leaving the house Felix tried to attack Toby, he automatically uses Toby as a whipping boy whenever he's annoyed. Felix hates any kind of change. He's back at the vet for a check up tomorrow, I'd been going to reschedule it til the end of the month but he's at his ear a lot again and the ear feels hot at the base:(

RubyGirl

Pumkinseeds you should put a note on his collar to see where it end's up.

tk123

RubyGirl wrote: »

Pumkinseeds you should put a note on his collar to see where it end's up.

Oh I hope it's another boardsie lol! :pac:

Pumpkinseeds

tk123 wrote: »

Oh I hope it's another boardsie lol! :pac:

Yep, if anyone has a large tuxedo cat with ragged ears and scratches on his head visiting, his name is Toby and he's fabulous, he just needs to learn to protect his head when he fights:)

Pumpkinseeds

RubyGirl wrote: »

Pumkinseeds you should put a note on his collar to see where it end's up.

He won't tolerate a collar but he's microchipped.

SingItOut

We're picking up our new rescue puppy tomorrow evening, I feel like a 5 year old I'm so excited!

Zapperzy

Got an order from zooplus this morning, off work today so I had to answer the door straight out of bed in my pj's Didn't realise I had ordered as much, it came in a HUGE box which the poor postie had to lug out of the van on her own as I'd no shoes on. No kidding but I'd say the box is big enough for me to curl up in :P
I had just wanted to order a jacket for Charlie and I ended up getting a new litter tray for Jesse and a few tins of food for Bunty, didn't realise how many tins it all added up to and I wasn't even very short on food It looks like were expecting a nuclear war the amount of tins of cat food I'v got now

I probably should have properly measured the new litter tray too, poor Jesses going to get lost in it it's so big Delighted with the jacket though, it fits him like a glove and it seems to be warm, waterproof and good quality Only €10 too for the 35cm so good value http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/waterproof/129629

Pumpkinseeds

Zapperzy wrote: »

Got an order from zooplus this morning, off work today so I had to answer the door straight out of bed in my pj's Didn't realise I had ordered as much, it came in a HUGE box which the poor postie had to lug out of the van on her own as I'd no shoes on. No kidding but I'd say the box is big enough for me to curl up in :P
I had just wanted to order a jacket for Charlie and I ended up getting a new litter tray for Jesse and a few tins of food for Bunty, didn't realise how many tins it all added up to and I wasn't even very short on food It looks like were expecting a nuclear war the amount of tins of cat food I'v got now

I probably should have properly measured the new litter tray too, poor Jesses going to get lost in it it's so big Delighted with the jacket though, it fits him like a glove and it seems to be warm, waterproof and good quality Only €10 too for the 35cm so good value http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/waterproof/129629

There's no such thing as a litter tray that's too big. We've a huge one under the tabe in the kitchen(we rarely eat at the table) and a big corner one in Molly's room and they still manage to strew litter everywhere:D

Zapperzy

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

There's no such thing as a litter tray that's too big. We've a huge one under the tabe in the kitchen(we rarely eat at the table) and a big corner one in Molly's room and they still manage to strew litter everywhere:D

Little feckers, you'd swear they do it on purpose Bunty has a covered one with a mat in front so not too much escapes from hers but Jesses a site altogether for spreading it everywhere :rolleyes: Well the new one will be a huge upgrade from her current hamster tray base that wasn't supposed to be a permanent fixture, come to think of it Jesse wasn't supposed to be a permanent fixture either :rolleyes: They have a way of wriggling in without you realising

seamus

So recently Darcey has managed to get her mouth on a couple of the baby's toys and destroy them. She's a staffie, and as staffies do she destroys anything she has in her mouth. But we've unintentionally trained her to not destroy anything which hasn't been given to her. For two years she shared a room with an Eeyore teddy without harming it, even though she originally thought it looked tasty.

So it surprised us when we found the stuff wrecked. She'd gone 14 months without even a hint that she wanted to take something and kill it. Was she stressed out about the baby? No, doesn't seem to be, she'll happily snore away on her back while the baby plays beside her. She probably just got confused; as the baby gets older, the toys have become wooden or plastic, so they look a lot more like dog toys.

But she seemed to do it without us seeing. Right under my damn nose one day, somehow she got a hold of something and had it half eaten, while she was right in my eyeline. WTF.

Then yesterday, the baby takes a toy, walks over to Darcey's bed and places it in there. Darcey picks it up and the baby laughs. Penny drops. Goddammit. She hasn't learned to talk yet, but she can communicate with the damn dog.

Zapperzy

Worlds youngest dog trainer They'l be a right pair when there older, imagine the mischief

Morf

Morf wrote: »

Just back from the vet with Bertie.

Eye still watery/red or brown discharge but nothing the vet could see again. 3rd time having it examined.

Ears filthy. Was very upset having the ointment put in. Cut his own ear badly. Quite a bit of blood about and clumps of hair.

His back teeth and tonsils are inflamed. Either FIV (blood test taken) or a recurring condition that will need treated each time.

I'm emotionally spent. Very distressing to see him so upset.

Worst is the prospect of doing his ears in 3 days time.

No FIV for Bertie.

Vet did his ears again and gave him the injection for auto-immune thing affecting his gums/teeth.

Big sneezy but better form generally.

DBB

Zapperzy wrote: »

Delighted with the jacket though, it fits him like a glove and it seems to be warm, waterproof and good quality Only €10 too for the 35cm so good value http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/waterproof/129629

Snap! I ordered a few of these jackets at that price for my scraggly rescue dogs who need to be shaved when they come in... they're a super coat for the money, really fit tremendously well and really well made.
I'm also somewhat relieved to know I'm not the only one who over-shops when I go on zooplus... a few weeks' worth of food turns into months' worth of food, training toys, coats, training leads, dried meat chews... the GLS guy doesn't even bother to take the mick out of me any more

boomerang

I ordered some tins of Rocco to keep us going... Ended up buying a cat tree as well. And I don't even own a cat.

anniehoo

boomerang wrote: »

And I don't even own a cat.

How DO YOU not "own" a cat...:pac::pac:

bluecherry74

I get my Zooplus orders sent to me at work and I usually have to ask someone to help me carry it down to the car. In my defense, it's usually mostly cat food and litter. Usually.