The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

ShaShaBear

SingItOut wrote: »

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.

It's posts like this that make me wish I had a cat!

tk123

borderlinemeath wrote: »

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,

I'm suspicious that this happened a couple of weeks ago and you waited until now to post lol :pac:

It must have been bold at the beach day because after years of walking on Sutton Beach Bailey climbed up, barked at two gold bags/trolleys and then did a lap of victory zooming around:eek:...then come and sits in front of me all innocent as if to ask 'what's the problem!?' I was mortified apologising - the two men golfing were laughing saying it was fine :rolleyes::o

borderlinemeath

tk123 wrote: »

I'm suspicious that this happened a couple of weeks ago and you waited until now to post lol :pac:

It must have been bold at the beach day because after years of walking on Sutton Beach Bailey climbed up, barked at two gold bags/trolleys and then did a lap of victory zooming around:eek:...then come and sits in front of me all innocent as if to ask 'what's the problem!?' I was mortified apologising - the two men golfing were laughing saying it was fine :rolleyes::o

No, honestly it's another pair of goldies, but the male is also called Bailey and he was the jocks robber! So maybe it was bold Bailey day!

These pair are divils for carrying blankets and soft toys a bit like your Bailey and his ball, so I should have been more aware that they might pick up stuff, but I think that's the first time I ever saw swimmers clothes on the beach in Ireland! In the split second when they were running towards the clothes all I could think of was "don't cock the leg" so I suppose robbing jocks was the lesser of two evils!

SingItOut

ShaShaBear wrote: »

It's posts like this that make me wish I had a cat!

Cats are amazing! It's hard to understand their lingo if you've never had one before but once you do their such loving animals with huge personalities

VonVix

Eee, so excited to start obedience classes this week, hoping we can smoothly move onto the competitive obedience classes afterwards.

ShaShaBear

SingItOut wrote: »

Cats are amazing! It's hard to understand their lingo if you've never had one before but once you do their such loving animals with huge personalities

I had a family cat many years ago. Absolutely stunning Tortie lady called Tigger (we thought she was a boy when we got her ) and I fostered a lovely white girl and her 6 kittens for a rescue a few years back. I've always had a dog since though, and neither of them are/were cat-friendly which is a shame

VonVix

Anyone else watch Rescue Dog to Super Dog on Channel4 tonight? Really enjoyed it.

borderlinemeath

VonVix wrote: »

Anyone else watch Rescue Dog to Super Dog on Channel4 tonight? Really enjoyed it.

I did, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but think that the timeline mirrored what service dogs Europe tried, 9 weeks for a fully trained service dog. It might give some other unscrupulous "trainers" the wrong idea.:(

VonVix

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I did, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but think that the timeline mirrored what service dogs Europe tried, 9 weeks for a fully trained service dog. It might give some other unscrupulous "trainers" the wrong idea.:(

I forgot about that, I see what you mean. I just hope there was enough emphasis put onto the average owner that they have to do the majority of the work themselves for a dog to be successfully completing tasks in their home.

SillyMangoX

I'm pet sitting a mixture of cats, hens and ducks for the weekend. Lovely to spend time with other people's pets (even if one of the cats had a dirty protest at me being here!)
One of the major benefits is the hens have kindly donated 10 eggs to my belly

Sephiroth_dude

SingItOut wrote: »

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.

Awww god that's so sweet

aonb

Just back from our evening walk. We're pretty rural here, on a pretty much unpaved lane we came across what looked like some sort of fancy pigeon in the middle of the 'road'. Course the dogs go nuts when they see something as threatening as this on their walks, so pretty sure from what I could see, there was no ring on it... it was white with brown bits on its head and extraordinarily huge feathers on its feed (sopping wet poor thing) - like this:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/485685141040869968/

anyway, wouldnt let me near to pick it up and bring home (I keep hens so have food/coop). flew a bit but kept landing a few metres ahead when I got near, so not injured. I assume its been dumped :mad: Flew over the hedge into a field so couldnt get near it. Will go back that way tomorrow with some grain, and see if I can see it/approach

Cherry Blossom

I know of a hotel that keeps an assortment of doves in a horrible tiny enclosure. I assume they are for the bride and groom to 'release' at weddings. They aren't all pure white. Is there a wedding venue anywhere nearby?

VonVix

Rescue Dog to Super Dog starting now on Channel 4.

tk123

VonVix wrote: »

Rescue Dog to Super Dog starting now on Channel 4.

Missed it last week - Whats the deal - did they just go a pick a dog they liked the look of or asses them to see if they'd be up to the job?

VonVix

tk123 wrote: »

Missed it last week - Whats the deal - did they just go a pick a dog they liked the look of or asses them to see if they'd be up to the job?

They are working alongside two rescues, they assess a dog (test them for loose leash walking, fetching instinct, etc) they believe may be a suitable candidate for the person with special needs, and then try to train the family to train the dog for tasks inside and/or outside of the home.

tk123

hehe the little boy

muddypaws

I have a new foster dog here, has been here for 10 days, and there is a serious bromance going on between him and Ghost. Where you find one, you will find the other, so cute.

Just watched rescue dog to super dog now. That little poodle was amazing! Awesome kids as well!

VonVix

I preferred last weeks episode. That poodle was ridiculously cute though, but I preferred the Chow lol.

aonb

So picked a ton of gooseberries to make jam tomorrow. Topping and tailing them now in preparation - the dog loves them... gave him 2, nomnomnom - this is the dog who laughs at a carrot or any vegetable - then thought OMG!!! Poison!!! So Ive googled it, and they say gooseberries ARE toxic to dogs :mad: Cant win...

Edited to add: just closed the curtains and found the very squashed gooseberries on the mat - he probably thought they were balls, bit them and YUKKY!!! 8-)

muddypaws

aonb wrote: »

So picked a ton of gooseberries to make jam tomorrow. Topping and tailing them now in preparation - the dog loves them... gave him 2, nomnomnom - this is the dog who laughs at a carrot or any vegetable - then thought OMG!!! Poison!!! So Ive googled it, and they say gooseberries ARE toxic to dogs :mad: Cant win...

I might get some gooseberry bushes for next year, my grand parents had them in their garden, loved the smell of them, and my Nana's gooseberry jam was amazing. Have you made it before?

aonb

muddypaws wrote: »

I might get some gooseberry bushes for next year, my grand parents had them in their garden, loved the smell of them, and my Nana's gooseberry jam was amazing. Have you made it before?

I like gooseberry jam too. I make it every year - SO easy - the gooseberries grow like weeds - I could make dozens of jars I get so much fruit. I freeze a lot of the gooseberries, and have tarts & crumbles through the winter. I also make rhubarb jam and I grow apples, plums, pears, blackcurrants, raspberries. Nothing grows so well as the gooseberries though.

Tomorrow Im making the first (very late) batch of Elderflower Cordial too - the best and easiest treat!

I went to Aldi on the way home from work for TEN bags of sugar - Im sure the people in the queue wondered what the heck!!!

muddypaws

I bought a jar of rhubarb and strawberry jam from Lidl a couple of weeks ago, it is lovely, they didn't have any this week

I always mean to make things like that, but seldom actually get around to it. I made blackberry vodka for Christmas presents last year, that went down well

Choc Chip

So my parent's border terrier did come to live with us... 2 weeks in and the daft thing has already tried to kill himself. I'd left him messing with a cardboard box with some scrunched-up paper and a tiny bit of dried food in the bottom while I did something in the utility room ... and came back 2 minutes later to find him gasping for breath on the kitchen floor.

I panicked and did completely the wrong thing (totally forgot about checking his airway or anything sensible), just hoisted him up off the floor and started squeezing at his distended belly in some approximation of the heimlich maneuver until the piece of kibble flew out. That dog is going to be the death of me. How on EARTH does a dog choke on a piece of kibble? :rolleyes:

Kovu

I'm pet sitting a few cats at the minute and one was handed over to me this morning to mind in her own house. Walked into the kitchen to see a massive bunch of exotic lilies (the coloured ones, not the white ones) in the window and the cat sitting beside them looking out.
Just how toxic are they to cats? I immediately moved them into the sitting room but jeez, a dead cat is all I'd need!

tk123

Kovu wrote: »

I'm pet sitting a few cats at the minute and one was handed over to me this morning to mind in her own house. Walked into the kitchen to see a massive bunch of exotic lilies (the coloured ones, not the white ones) in the window and the cat sitting beside them looking out.
Just how toxic are they to cats? I immediately moved them into the sitting room but jeez, a dead cat is all I'd need!

7 years ago I had an operation and work sent me flowers which had some lilies.. My cat would sit up on the table sniffing them - he was dead 2 weeks later of kidney failure. Now it could have been a co-incidence? The vet said one kidney was huge and the other tiny when she was examining him.. He was sick and not eating so we brought him to the vet on a wed/thurs but it was too far advanced got him back on the sat and I made the decision to take him back on the Monday and my poor Doug was gone. If I had of know their other clinic was open on the Sunday I would have brought him there. :(:(

Kovu

tk123 wrote: »

7 years ago I had an operation and work sent me flowers which had some lilies.. My cat would sit up on the table sniffing them - he was dead 2 weeks later of kidney failure. Now it could have been a co-incidence? The vet said one kidney was huge and the other tiny when she was examining him.. He was sick and not eating so we brought him to the vet on a wed/thurs but it was too far advanced got him back on the sat and I made the decision to take him back on the Monday and my poor Doug was gone. If I had of know their other clinic was open on the Sunday I would have brought him there. :(:(

Oh gosh, I'm sorry about your poor cat
I hope these weren't in the kitchen too long but they looked fresh enough. The smell off them was really strong too. I'll keep a close eye on her now for the next week, all her food was eaten so she must be feeling ok.

aonb

muddypaws wrote: »

I bought a jar of rhubarb and strawberry jam from Lidl a couple of weeks ago, it is lovely, they didn't have any this week

I always mean to make things like that, but seldom actually get around to it. I made blackberry vodka for Christmas presents last year, that went down well

If you have SLOEs growing near you (wild) it makes seriously good Sloe Gin!!

If you are anywhere near Naas/Newbridge I could give you a jar of today's GOOSEBERRY jam

Im steeping a big bowl of Elderflowers at the moment - will be ready in 3 days - I can let you have recipe if you'd like to make Elderflower Cordial!

tk123

hehe I need to brush up on Lucy's obedience for a course I'm doing. She's very good already but I've been lax with her compared to Mr BB so far as getting commands to be solid. I need to work on keeping her motivated - she'll only work for treats for so long and I also need to be more enthusiastic to make her enthusiastic. Having a practice this morning and I was over the top each time she sat down - much to a passers-by's amusement lol!