The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

VonVix

Got my place for Chirag Patel's 2 day seminar, wondering if any Boardsies will be there?

tk123

Hehe VonVix is this a cry for help - have you become a seminar addict ? The first step is admitting you have a problem!


Anyways we're all back from our holidays. We were close to the dog beach and saw lots of dogs every day - mostly smallies but a few big ones too. I've found my retirement home - hopefully I win euromillions tomorrow

VonVix

tk123 wrote: »

Hehe VonVix is this a cry for help - have you become a seminar addict ? The first step is admitting you have a problem!

Problem? No, YOU have the problem. I'm 100% fine! :P


*continues to search for more upcoming seminars*

SillyMangoX

Cream has still been very iffy about his food after his teeth problems, and after getting literally every brand in maxi zoo, plus more on zooplus, I saw taste of the wild in petmania today. I put down two bowls, one for him and one for Dude (Peach is on special obesity food so had to miss out!) and my god! I've never seen them clear their bowls so fast!! They absolutely adored it Now if only it wasn't too expensive to afford to feed them every day :pac:

Raminahobbin

Guys I'm not too au fait with all things cats, but I've had a male unneutered cat adopt us in the last few weeks. I went out a few minutes ago to see if I could spot him, and found him lounging under the bush. He's normally quite happy to see me, will give a few stretches and happy loud meows and headbutts, but today was different... Check out noises at around 1.30 onwards, I've never heard him make these and I don't know if they're just a 'f*ck off please, it's hot and I'm sleeping' or if there's something wrong...I'm concerned there might be an injury I can't see and I'm a little nervy about lifting him, he doesn't like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnwkrBCwI7A

I should point out, that I spotted another cat in the garden when I went out just before I started videoing. I haven't heard any fighting in the garden, but there's other cats coming through constantly. This guy just doesn't appear to be particularly bothered by them.

Kovu

That's a cat saying 'Will ya ever feck off and leave me be......Grrrrrrr'. It's possible that the other cat wandering around in his place was aggravating him too. He also might have been nicely hidden while watching it and you gave away his hiding place, hence the annoyed noises.
When you say breathing weirdly, was he 'huffing'? Kovu often huffs while looking at another cat out in the garden.

Raminahobbin

Kovu wrote: »

That's a cat saying 'Will ya ever feck off and leave me be......Grrrrrrr'. It's possible that the other cat wandering around in his place was aggravating him too. He also might have been nicely hidden while watching it and you gave away his hiding place, hence the annoyed noises.
When you say breathing weirdly, was he 'huffing'? Kovu often huffs while looking at another cat out in the garden.

That's alright then he just always seems delighted to see me and very good natured and engages eye contact etc so this was a v different reception. I'll back off and leave him be! Poor harrassed kitty :P

Re the breathing, it was just slightly shallow breathing, but that could have just been the heat, I'm not sure. I was just speaking as I was looking, wondering out loud if it was unusual breathing.

I'm very new to cats!

Other cats in the garden elicit very different responses from him, he usually seems very relaxed about it and doesn't pay attention to them. Even when they're a meter away and staring at him, he's usually totally relaxed. I'm assuming he has a different response to females than males, as I've seen him chase a couple away, but most he just watches. And, like I said, I never hear fighting.

Kovu

Yea Kovu often starts up that low throaty yowl when I've picked him up and he want's to get back down. It's more than likely the heat, being a dark coloured cat he'd feel it a lot more, ours do the same as him and hide out in the midst of a bush during the hotter hours.

Oh, speaking of, he actually did an unexpectedly sweet thing last night. I was feeding Wailey (stray tom cat) out behind the back door and he was wailing and yowling as he was really hungry. So I was giving out to him, telling him to get down and wait etc. Mum told me Kovu got really worked up in the kitchen hearing the tom cat squawking and me (seemingly) distressed! So he jumped up against the back kitchen door, it flew open and he came pelting out all bristled up to attack Wailey on my behalf. :eek::pac:

Raminahobbin

That's fantastic your personal kitty bodyguard!!

Cherry Blossom

I've been sitting in a cafe for an hour and a half now waiting for my jeep to be cleaned. I've another hour and a half to wait and I'm totally bored out of my tree at this stage and very soon I will have outstayed my welcome. I wish I hadn't eaten before I came, that would have passed a while lol.

tk123

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

I've been sitting in a cafe for an hour and a half now waiting for my jeep to be cleaned. I've another hour and a half to wait and I'm totally bored out of my tree at this stage and very soon I will have outstayed my welcome. I wish I hadn't eaten before I came, that would have passed a while lol.

Bwahahah cleaning mine was on my to-do list as was going to Pets in the city... I had a nap instead

aonb

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

I've been sitting in a cafe for an hour and a half now waiting for my jeep to be cleaned. I've another hour and a half to wait and I'm totally bored out of my tree at this stage and very soon I will have outstayed my welcome. I wish I hadn't eaten before I came, that would have passed a while lol.

THREE hours to clean your jeep :eek: crikey it must have been pretty bad?!? My daughter and I cleaned our two the other day - such a treat to be driving around in a lovely clean vehicle (HATE doing it though!)

VonVix

I was able to use the lunge whip I got for the first time with my GSD today, he LOVED it. Huge success, can't wait to play with him more tomorrow.

In case anyone is unfamiliar, lunge whips make brilliant giant cat toys for strong dogs. It's basically like having a fishing rod with a toy at the end for your dog to chase, it doesn't wear the owner out, but wears out the dog wonderfully.

TG1

VonVix wrote: »

I was able to use the lunge whip I got for the first time with my GSD today, he LOVED it. Huge success, can't wait to play with him more tomorrow.

In case anyone is unfamiliar, lunge whips make brilliant giant cat toys for strong dogs. It's basically like having a fishing rod with a toy at the end for your dog to chase, it doesn't wear the owner out, but wears out the dog wonderfully.

I had a brief moment where I was imagining you lunging a GSD like a horse!!! I was slightly dissapointed when I got to the explanation of how you use it!!

Cherry Blossom

aonb wrote: »

THREE hours to clean your jeep :eek: crikey it must have been pretty bad?!? My daughter and I cleaned our two the other day - such a treat to be driving around in a lovely clean vehicle (HATE doing it though!)

No my mum smokes in it so it was a full valet, seats, ceiling the works. No more smoking in it now though!

Cherry Blossom

You know those little packets of stuff that comes in dog chews to absorb moisture or something?

I just found one on the floor with the contents eaten. Is this a problem or does anyone know the name of it so I can look it up?

Kovu

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

You know those little packets of stuff that comes in dog chews to absorb moisture or something?

I just found one on the floor with the contents eaten. Is this a problem or does anyone know the name of it so I can look it up?

Silica gel? No idea if it's harmful

Cherry Blossom

Im at the vet's now it's oxygen absorber. Looked it up and if it's iron its toxic. I tested it with a magnet and it stuck to it.

muddypaws

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

Im at the vet's now it's oxygen absorber. Looked it up and if it's iron its toxic. I tested it with a magnet and it stuck to it.

Hope everything is ok with no long lasting effects.

aonb

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

Im at the vet's now it's oxygen absorber. Looked it up and if it's iron its toxic. I tested it with a magnet and it stuck to it.

jeez, what the heck!!! thats terrible! of course our dogs will turn their noses up at the most delicious food, but give them something thats bad for them/stolen/rubbish etc and they gobble it up Hope your dog is ok... let us know how it goes? And the rest of us will add that to the memory banks of things to know and worry about...

PS Just reread your post, and it was a pkt out of some dog treats - so probably smelled lovely to your poor dog - I would DEFINITELY be contacting the manufacturer to tell them to get their act together!

Hope your dog is OK cherry blossom.

Cherry Blossom

All seems ok, she gave them some sort of white powder to make them sick. It was just about an hour after dinner time so there was dog sick everywhere in the vet's surgery! No food till tomorrow and limited access to water.

Cherry Blossom

It was Lukullus chews if anyone is wondering.

aonb

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

All seems ok, she gave them some sort of white powder to make them sick. It was just about an hour after dinner time so there was dog sick everywhere in the vet's surgery! No food till tomorrow and limited access to water.

PHEW! Thats good news - Just as well you brought them then - Ive just been reading about this whole issue with these sachets in treats, and it seems to be a real issue - with incidents reported widely. Why on earth would a manufacturer continue to put something into dog treats that could/would be harmful - incredible. Glad your dogs are ok CB, poor things are probably wondering what hit them

Cherry Blossom

Some of them are charcoal which is harmless so I don't see why they don't all just use the charcoal ones. I thought maybe that's what it was at first because the stuff was black and charcoally like texture. Glad I got the fridge magnet out though to make sure.

VonVix

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

Some of them are charcoal which is harmless so I don't see why they don't all just use the charcoal ones. I thought maybe that's what it was at first because the stuff was black and charcoally like texture. Glad I got the fridge magnet out though to make sure.

Lots of valuable info in this post, learnt something new today. Glad your pooch got sorted out.

muddypaws

Very clever to use the fridge magnet, good tip. I've seen the sachets in treats, and tbh haven't bought them because of it, I just wonder why they have to put them in, well obviously its to keep them fresh longer, but I don't like it.

Cherry Blossom

From now on I'll be throwing it away as soon as I open the pack rather than keeping it till the pack is empty. They got the end of the pack today and I left the empty pack on top of the little chest of drawers I have in sitting room for toys and bedding and things and somebody obviously wanted more.

borderlinemeath

I've never been more embarrassed than tonight on the beach.

Myself and my friend went down for a walk, I took 2 of my setters, she had her spinoni and I took 2 visiting golden retrievers as well, great dogs, fabulous recall, no trouble at all. We tend to go down late, so as not to disturb other beach goers in the good weather, so it was about 9.30pm and there were a few dog walkers and a couple of joggers, as well as 3 people who were out swimming. Visibility was ok, a bit hazy but only just getting dusky.

When we got close enough to the swimmers I saw a mound of stuff on the beach, which was obviously their clothes, but unfortunately the goldies had seen it before I did. They were over in a flash and in true retriever style decided to "retrieve" some of the swimmers possessions. One took a tennis ball but the other decided to bring me back two pairs of boxer shorts :eek::eek::eek:

The swimmers were just wading and could see everything that was happening and thought that it was hilarious, although they obviously couldn't see how red my face had gone. Plus I ended up getting my feet wet as I had to jump a wide dip full of water to bring their jocks back, and their tennis ball. I squelched the whole way home, mortified. My friend was only annoyed she didn't get the whole thing on camera.

SingItOut

My eldest pet is my chubby cat Beau, he rules the house hold. When he came into my care 7 years ago as a kitten he was feral and terrified of everything. It didn't take him long to trust me but it did take him about 4 years to approach anybody else let alone let anyone else pet him. He doesn't enjoy being picked up but doesn't struggle to get down, he just sits there with a grumpy face.

Last week, after being out of the country for a week, when I got home I sat on the floor to say hi to the other pets. Beau came over, sat into my lap and then stood on two legs and rubbed his face into mine a few times while purring! In 7 years he has never done that! I was so emotional I almost cried with happiness

Just goes to show that feral cats can make a complete turn around no matter how long it takes.