The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

tk123

Boo! Zukes (American treats I get on iHerb) are now part of Purina!

Pumpkinseeds

We had Felix and Molly at the vets for follow up today, thankfully Felixs' ear is fine now and Molly is thriving:)

honerbright

My OH was walking Poppy today and some guy pulled over his car and started questioning about her (if she was neutered/'oh i'd love some pups off her' etc). Thank goodness she's spayed and my OH was quick to tell him that. But I asked him to describe the guy and his car and it actually was the perfect description of someone that done the same thing to me a year ago in our estate, when Pops was only 4/5 months old. Tis rather worrying that someone that obviously lives near us/frequents near us and the amount of owners that let their dogs roam in this estate, they could easily be snatched up

Pumpkinseeds

I advertised Molly on a local forum yesterday and someone PM'd me to ask if they could have her for a few days to see how she gets on with their cat. The rescue doesn't sign over any animals until a follow up homecheck has been done 2 or 3 weeks after the animal has been placed. I PM'd them to explain how it works and they never bothered to get back to me, it'd be really nice if people showed a little courtesy and let me know if they were interested in going ahead or not. Not a snowballs chance in Hell that I'd hand any animal to someone without doing a homecheck.

Pumpkinseeds

Molly is going to spend the weekend with a neighbour of ours and their cat to see if they get on together, if they do she will have a new home:) Fingers crossed for her, I'd love to see her settled in her forever home. Then I can give our cats lots of extra attention before kitten season arrives and we do some more fostering.

SillyMangoX

Dude was sitting on my shoulder, he turned around and put his stump in my ear. Ick!

tk123

I just bought a 'dumb' phone for my mum - her ancient Nokia is broken and she won't step out of the dark ages lol!

Pumpkinseeds

I finally managed to get Jazzy's advocate drops on him last night. He is so so so so, suspicious, I think he's a bit psychic. Whenever I even think about the drops, if he's on my lap he'll look at me then jump off my lap and run. I had to break the seal with the lid off one of the packs, switch it with one that didn't have the smell of the drops then hide the advocate in my pocket and wait for my chance to get him, if you don't get him the first time you don't get another chance for months.

I've got to try to trick him into a crate next week and get him to our vets larger practice in Limerick. We have a great vet and she agreed that so long as he's fasted and we can get him in between 9 and 10 am we can bring him in any week day. He has to be anaesthetised to be examined, he freaks out that much, former feral, and I think he needs more dental work. I'd be surprised if he doesn't need extractions.

Pumpkinseeds

Ooh, I nearly forgot, I saw a fox in the early hours of this morning. I opened the door around 2am as Toby wanted to go out, long story, it stopped and looked over at me then ran off through the fields. We live in a town but with a lot of fields around, didn't know they were coming into the housing areas. Beautiful creatures, especially when they catch the moonlight.

anniehoo

2 weeks....2 whole weeks trying to get information about how the dog I fostered at xmas was doing. I just wanted to know if she was still there or whether she'd been adopted yet. Response when they finally picked up the phone "We don't give out that information, it's our policy. You're just a fosterer".

....and breeeeathe!!!! :mad::mad:

SillyMangoX

anniehoo wrote: »

2 weeks....2 whole weeks trying to get information about how the dog I fostered at xmas was doing. I just wanted to know if she was still there or whether she'd been adopted yet. Response when they finally picked up the phone "We don't give out that information, it's our policy. You're just a fosterer".

....and breeeeathe!!!! :mad::mad:

Ah god that's awful! Could you maybe get a friend to ring up and ask if she's available for adoption because they saw her on Facebook and would like her?

tk123

thats a bit crap surely they'd want to encourage you to foster again?

borderlinemeath

tk123 wrote: »

thats a bit crap surely they'd want to encourage you to foster again?

And particularly as many fosterers become full blown adopters when they can't part with the pet!

That is bad form Anniehoo, would you have caught them on a bad day? I'm always asking how my old fosters were, and never any problem in getting updates either.

anniehoo

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Ah god that's awful! Could you maybe get a friend to ring up and ask if she's available for adoption because they saw her on Facebook and would like her?

I managed to get hold of a volunteer I know who said she was adopted last week.(edited: not adopted but back out on foster ) That's all I wanted to know.

tk123 wrote: »

thats a bit crap surely they'd want to encourage you to foster again?

You would think so!! All I simply wanted to know was she ok and had she been adopted. The way the foster coordinator went on repeating it "wasn't policy" you'd swear I was asking for top secret information. Saying I was "just a fosterer" really p*ssed me off. :mad:

Just.A.Fosterer!!!

borderlinemeath wrote: »

That is bad form Anniehoo, would you have caught them on a bad day? I'm always asking how my old fosters were, and never any problem in getting updates either.

I know they're very shortstaffed alright but she sounded very calm on the phone just plainly saying she wouldn't give out any info end of story.

Still thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience but if that's the level of respect they have for their fosterers, then good luck!

Pumpkinseeds

Ahh Anniehoo, that's a bloody awful way to be treated. They could have had the courtesy to tell you if the dog had been rehomed, it's a simple yes or no question. You'd think they'd show a bit of consideration to the person who fostered the dog. Most rescues are overwhelmed at the moment, upsetting fosterers isn't a smart move.

Pumpkinseeds

I'll be taking Molly to her new home this afternoon, they're going to see how she gets on with their cat over the weekend, if she gets along with the resident cat she'll have her forever home, fingers crossed, I'm all edgy about it now, like a mother hen. It's unnerving trusting someone I don't know with her.

SillyMangoX

My mam said that we're gong to do something next week to make up for the fact I basically had no Christmas this year. I thought she meant that we'd go for lunch or to the cinema, but nope, she's bringing me to Dublin to go to the zoo

boomerang

anniehoo wrote: »

Still thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience but if that's the level of respect they have for their fosterers, then good luck!

Anniehoo that's unforgivable, I'm sure if the management knew that's how a fosterer had been spoken to, they'd be absolutely horrified! Fosterers are gold dust! And for that attitude to come from the foster co-ordinator???

For the sake of the rescue, would you consider writing to them to notify them of what happened? It's bang out of order. And any decent animal-loving person would perfectly understand a fosterer wanting to know how their former charge was getting along.

Feck's sake. :mad:

boomerang

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I'll be taking Molly to her new home this afternoon, they're going to see how she gets on with their cat over the weekend, if she gets along with the resident cat she'll have her forever home, fingers crossed, I'm all edgy about it now, like a mother hen. It's unnerving trusting someone I don't know with her.

Make sure the introductions are made very slowly. No face-to-face encounters for at least the first week. Set Molly up in a "safe room" within the home. Allow either cat to sniff each other under the door. Feed the resident cat outside Molly's door, exchange blankies between them, etc.

Cats don't get over a bad start as well as dogs do, so it's best to be painstaking to get it right - time and patience are key!

anniehoo

boomerang wrote: »

For the sake of the rescue, would you consider writing to them to notify them of what happened?

I will alright, but I already know it'll fall on deaf ears. I was choosing to ignore a lot of what I was hearing about the politics in this place but wow I was not expecting that reaction. I just needed to calm down first because I can be a divil for losing the temper and saying/writing things when I shouldn't.

mymo

I would be disgusted if I got that kind of response, I'd go elsewhere to help in future and tell them exactly why.

Good luck to Molly!

Have fun at the zoo sillymangox, you deserve a great day out after everything.

I just persuaded a woman I know to spay her cat now, rather than let her have a litter or two first!
Sadly my work friend lost her cat to FELV and he fathered the four kittens she has, so she has to get them tested now.

boomerang

Oh mymo, that's so sad. But even if they are positive it needn't be a death sentence for them and hopefully they will have lots of healthy, happy time left to them ahead.

aonb

Sick of the smell of wet dog. I cut up an old rain coat of mine, and using a warm winter dog coat (didnt get much use out of that this year!) as a template, Ive made two rain coats for the terriers. Took them out for a 'test-drive' this afternoon. They are hopelessly bad. They look stupid. The dogs are NOT impressed. I will be embarrassed if I pass any other walker on the lanes. BUT! No stinky wet dog smell

mymo

boomerang wrote: »

Oh mymo, that's so sad. But even if they are positive it needn't be a death sentence for them and hopefully they will have lots of healthy, happy time left to them ahead.

The cat that died was a feral they have been feeding for over a year, although they rarely got to touch him, they were mad about him.
The mother of the kittens was a tiny scrap that turned up, semi feral, by the time the got close enough to pick her up and bring her inside, she was ready to drop the kittens.
All are now neutered, tame, well fed and loved, that's a triumph I suppose. But one of the now just over a year old kittens, is smaller, weaker, and my friend thinks he's starting to have trouble with his teeth.
So sad.

baby and crumble

I had a horrible dream last night that I dropped Twitch in the loo! He got really sick after (since he nearly drowned!) and I woke up in a right tizz. Waiting for him to wake up now so I can say sorry and give him a sultana as a treat! :rolleyes: I'm the bigger eejit!

SingItOut

When we adopted Alli the rescue gave us loads of vouchers for Petmania and one was for a free small bag of Clinivet puppy, only opened it the last few days and the two dogs love it. Moones really skinny so there's no harm in her eating it aswell to bulk up a bit. Moone is on royal canin mini adult at the mo and it's going to be too expensive to buy a 15kg RC for them when Alli's an adult. Clinivet seems to have better ingredients. Anybody know how much a 7.5kg or 15KG bag of clinivet puppy costs?

DBB

aonb wrote: »

Sick of the smell of wet dog. I cut up an old rain coat of mine, and using a warm winter dog coat (didnt get much use out of that this year!) as a template, Ive made two rain coats for the terriers. Took them out for a 'test-drive' this afternoon. They are hopelessly bad. They look stupid. The dogs are NOT impressed. I will be embarrassed if I pass any other walker on the lanes. BUT! No stinky wet dog smell

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/hi_viz/274291

These are the bizz if you're thinking of buying nice raincoats: they're raincoats only, no fur lining or anything like that.
They keep the belly clean as well as the torso, and sit quite nicely on the dogs.
My Cocker x wears a 35cm one, she's about the size of a Fox Terrier ish. A JRT would take a 30cm one

Pumpkinseeds

I'm so bloody annoyed today. I told Molly's adopters how to integrate her slowly and went through it all at great length. Got a phone call this morning to tell me it wasn't working out and they brought her back to us, why? Because instead of doing what I told them to do they kept her in the living room with them, noisiest room in the house, and she didn't come out all night, then they brought their own cat into the living room and of course the cat hissed at her.

So basically they did everthing I told them not to do and they didn't even give it 24 hours. Wtf is wrong with people? Well she's back now and she's safe and well and none the worse for her adventure.

aonb

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I'm so bloody annoyed today. I told Molly's adopters how to integrate her slowly and went through it all at great length. Got a phone call this morning to tell me it wasn't working out and they brought her back to us, why? Because instead of doing what I told them to do they kept her in the living room with them, noisiest room in the house, and she didn't come out all night, then they brought their own cat into the living room and of course the cat hissed at her.

So basically they did everthing I told them not to do and they didn't even give it 24 hours. Wtf is wrong with people? Well she's back now and she's safe and well and none the worse for her adventure.

so maybe its better that she got back to you after only 24 hours, since the home wasnt going to be ideal in the first place, from what you said... Poor Molly - prob wondered what the heck she was doing in that strange place for an overnight visit! As you say, what on earth did these people think was going to happen in less than 24 hours. Sigh....

aonb

DBB wrote: »

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/hi_viz/274291

These are the bizz if you're thinking of buying nice raincoats: they're raincoats only, no fur lining or anything like that.
They keep the belly clean as well as the torso, and sit quite nicely on the dogs.
My Cocker x wears a 35cm one, she's about the size of a Fox Terrier ish. A JRT would take a 30cm one

ah but DBB, those coats would cost me E30, when I have a perfectly good sewing machine & perfectly good raincoat for recycling so couldnt justify not trying to do the home made option. Regardless of the rubbish/embarrassing/ill-fitting disasterous results (Course everything I try to do on my sewing machine ends up with the same sad results - but I live in hope!!!)