The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

VonVix

I have a tiny cut on the tip of my middle finger (no idea how I got it) it stings and I keep bashing it off everything, of course.

tk123

ZOMG the drama this morning.

Woman is doing exercise in the park this morning and dogs not interested in the slightest
My friend's dog is strolling past at a distance
Woman flips out waving her arms and screaming 'Please!Please!! take the dog away!!'
Friends dog gets a shock and starts barking at her
Friend runs over shouting at her dog (If that was my dog he would have been on lead because he has a history of approaching people like that and annoying them)
Bailey then decides to intervene and runs over to bark at friend and dog (not the woman I might add)
I go over to get Bailey with Lucy following and put him on lead
Lady is screaming and shouting the whole time
As I lead Bailey away she starts shouting at me - Lucy had stopped and looked back at her afraid after all of the shouting
Told her It was ok - Lucy wasn't doing anything to her and was just looking at her
Took me a few calls to get Lucy to come telling her it was ok etc etc because she was a bit freaked out by the woman..

Next 3 more dogs appeared over the horizon and the woman left.

The dogs were a fair bit away from her and had NO interest until the shouting and arm waving.

All of this before 7:30 :eek:

muddypaws

tk123 wrote: »

ZOMG the drama this morning.

Woman is doing exercise in the park this morning and dogs not interested in the slightest
My friend's dog is strolling past at a distance
Woman flips out waving her arms and screaming 'Please!Please!! take the dog away!!'
Friends dog gets a shock and starts barking at her
Friend runs over shouting at her dog (If that was my dog he would have been on lead because he has a history of approaching people like that and annoying them)
Bailey then decides to intervene and runs over to bark at friend and dog (not the woman I might add)
I go over to get Bailey with Lucy following and put him on lead
Lady is screaming and shouting the whole time
As I lead Bailey away she starts shouting at me - Lucy had stopped and looked back at her afraid after all of the shouting
Told her It was ok - Lucy wasn't doing anything to her and was just looking at her
Took me a few calls to get Lucy to come telling her it was ok etc etc because she was a bit freaked out by the woman..

Next 3 more dogs appeared over the horizon and the woman left.

The dogs were a fair bit away from her and had NO interest until the shouting and arm waving.

All of this before 7:30 :eek:

We had a lovely weekend camping out in a forest, everyone loved all the dogs, loads of people came to see them, interact with them, take photos, not a cross word spoken. Except our camping neighbours, who unfortunately thought the rules don't apply to them, and all dogs must be kept on leads only applies to big dogs, not their two small yorkshire terriers who were running around the site all weekend. Yesterday we were coming back from a walk, all of our dogs walking nicely, all on lead, paying no heed to anything, when the two terriers came charging at us, snapping and barking. One of the dogs with us, the one that the terriers snapped at the most either growled or snapped at one of them, and the abuse that we then got from their owners was unreal. Apparently its absolutely fine for their dogs to do that, but god forbid another dog defends itself. The terrier owners had gone off to watch the football on Saturday and left the dogs in a car for about 4 hours in the sun with a window open a tiny bit, and a bowl of water, so how can you deal with people like that? Such a shame, it is a fantastic place, but there are signs up everywhere saying that dogs have to stay on leads, and they even have a tannoy up in the forest saying it over and over, but so many people letting their dogs off. Dogs will probably end up being banned completely

tk123

It's ok because 'they think they're big' :mad:

loveisdivine

There's a bird in our showroom at work Happens numerous times during the summer. We have to open the doors because it get's ridiculously hot, it's a big glass showroom so basically a giant greenhouse.

Problem is I can't go round trying to usher it out the door because they freak out and fly into the glass. So I either have to wait and hope it find it's way out, or wait till it gets tired enough for me to throw a jacket over it and release it outside.

muddypaws

loveisdivine wrote: »

There's a bird in our showroom at work Happens numerous times during the summer. We have to open the doors because it get's ridiculously hot, it's a big glass showroom so basically a giant greenhouse.

Problem is I can't go round trying to usher it out the door because they freak out and fly into the glass. So I either have to wait and hope it find it's way out, or wait till it gets tired enough for me to throw a jacket over it and release it outside.

Swallows come into my kitchen on a regular basis, no idea how, but with a house full of dogs with a high prey drive it doesn't always end well Add to that the fact that I am petrified of birds :pac:

SillyMangoX

Had a mad evening adventure last night. Cream is normally the first cat to come inside in the evenings, he never wanders too far so when he wasn't at the door at 6.30 as usual I started to worry. Spent the next hour searching the garden and calling him in case he was stuck in one of the sheds but no sign of him. I asked my mam to walk out the road and look for him because I'd be terrified if I found him and something had happened.
After about ten minutes she came running back up saying she could hear him but couldn't see him (he has a really distinctive meow) so I ran back with her. We thought he was trapped in a little overgrown alley type thing between my neighbours house and another building so the neighbour let us in to have a look for him. We could hear him, he was crying the whole time and I was fully sure he was hurt and not able to move. After a good 40 minutes looking through all the bushes with my neighbour digging some away with a shovel he decided to leave in case he scared off the cat.
5 minutes later we heard the loudest meow yet, looked up, he was stuck up a tree! Took another 15 minutes to coax him down, he could get down no bother but was terrified. I was covered in scratches and nettle stings but managed to hold onto him once I caught him. He was so terrified he peed all over himself and myself. But we got him home in one piece and after about an hour of jumping at every noise he settled and seemed okay.
The neighbour was saying a pine Martin killed 14 of his chickens that day.. Would it be possible that he could have climbed the tree to escape if it was chasing him? I don't even know if they would chase a cat.
Hoping this is the little stir my dad needs to get around to building a catio for me!!

muddypaws

Ah no, glad you got him home safely, pine martins can climb, but yeah, maybe he could defend himself better up there. I have a friend that has lost 3 cats recently, they think to pine martins, they are in a very rural area, they found one body, but the other two have disappeared

Ms Doubtfire1

muddypaws wrote: »

Ah no, glad you got him home safely, pine martins can climb, but yeah, maybe he could defend himself better up there. I have a friend that has lost 3 cats recently, they think to pine martins, they are in a very rural area, they found one body, but the other two have disappeared

Pine martens kill cats? I never knew that. I always suspected foxes...>wow<

DBB

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Pine martens kill cats? I never knew that. I always suspected foxes...>wow<

There's a thread, I think in Nature + Birdwatching, about a pine martens killing cats. One poster saw a pine marten dragging a kitten up a tree!

Ms Doubtfire1

DBB wrote: »

There's a thread, I think in Nature + Birdwatching, about a pine martens killing cats. One poster saw a pine marten dragging a kitten up a tree!

Crikey..I have many cats, and live quite remote, I know there's pine martens here.I had 2 go missing over the years, both extremely large cats ( close to 5 kilos). makes me wonder...:-(

angeldaisy

Dogs are on high alert here after spotting 2 foxes in the field behind us. Thankfully the chickens had been put into bed. Hopefully the sound of 2 vicious dogs has put them off!!!!!

aonb

angeldaisy wrote: »

Dogs are on high alert here after spotting 2 foxes in the field behind us. Thankfully the chickens had been put into bed. Hopefully the sound of 2 vicious dogs has put them off!!!!!

Keep the dogs outside for a few evenings - the more barking they do the better for your hens! Dont assume that just cos the girls are in their coop (unless its very very secure) that they are safe - a fox ATE through the door of my friends coop the other day, and killed all her hens :mad: They have cubs at the moment, so they are very hungry

angeldaisy

aonb wrote: »

Keep the dogs outside for a few evenings - the more barking they do the better for your hens! Dont assume that just cos the girls are in their coop (unless its very very secure) that they are safe - a fox ATE through the door of my friends coop the other day, and killed all her hens :mad: They have cubs at the moment, so they are very hungry

I will do alright, they are very good to let me know if they see or hear anything outside. I guess that if a hungry fox is that determined there isn't a huge amount I can do about it. They are relatively secure but if a fox was that determined there are ways and means to get in.

Fingers crossed that the dogs scared them off and that they will stay away:(

Ms Doubtfire1

you could consider getting a pair of geese.No bird makes more noise in warning..you'd know asap if something was off.

SillyMangoX

Dude was in the vets today for his boosters. It was the same vet who wrote him off a couple of times when he was going through his bad patch a couple of years ago. According to my mam his exact words were "I don't know what the hell ye have done with him but keep it up, he's as healthy as a horse!" not too bad for a little kitten who only has about 2 of his 9 lives left

tk123

I posted in another thread but Bailey has a sprained toe! It was a bit scary - I let him off lead to get a look at how he was walking because we thought he had a hoppy leg.. then he got zoomies and next he was yelping and crying on the ground holding up his leg!! He's never ever cried like that when he was in pain even after his operations so we thought it was something serious - his cruciate was gone or worse the pins/plate in his hock. He was very good being examined - normally he wouldn't let that vet touch him but he only cried when the toe was being examined. Painkillers and rest for him now for the next while..
While we were waiting Lucy got up on the chair beside me... then stepped onto a low SHELF(!) with books on it and towards the thin window sill... one of the books fell off so her bum and back legs went off the shelf and she was left with her front legs on it... We quickly lifted her off - I can't believe it held her weight lol!!! The nurse/receptionist had stepped away lol so nobody saw it! We were crying laughing!! :pac: . My friend came over with me and took Lucy while I took Bailey in to be examined!! SO glad I trusted my instinct and didn't go off for our usual long walk - I just had him in the park beside us 2 mins from the vets.

Zapperzy

Has anyone else got a cat that sounds like a little lamb?? Freyas about 1 year old now and she still looks like a little kitten, but it's like her voice never grew up with her. She has the most pitiful little desperate meow that sounds like a baby lamb. Is it a tortie thing or have I just got a permanently kitten-like cat?

Dandelion6

Zapperzy wrote: »

Has anyone else got a cat that sounds like a little lamb?? Freyas about 1 year old now and she still looks like a little kitten, but it's like her voice never grew up with her. She has the most pitiful little desperate meow that sounds like a baby lamb. Is it a tortie thing or have I just got a permanently kitten-like cat?

Yes! Sammy is about three and a fairly big boy, usually very quiet, but when he does miaow it's this tiny little yelp. A baby lamb is a good way to describe it. His younger smaller brother has a much bigger voice!

Cherry Blossom

What ever happened about the RB signs in Meath? Were they taken down? All the Facebook activity just went away.

tk123

Lucy just got a text to my phone(haha) reminding her it's time for her health check and vaccinations... My annual vaccination dilemma begins. She's only due lepto and KC this year but have our first practical assessment (OMG :eek: ) next weekend for the course I'm doing so I don't want to get it before then and risk her being sick like last year! She had very bad runs for days after the vaccinations last year

aonb

I would have zero qualms about putting her check-up until after your course assessment. A week wont make any difference?!

I used to have annual qualms about vaccinations. One of my dogs as he aged had very violent reactions to some of the boosters. The vet told me that once they had had several boosters of various vaccinations, at his age I could easily stop giving them to him - in light of his reactions, but also because after a few years of shots, they were no longer neccessary, there was immunity built up. KC vaccination is unfortunately necessary if you want your dogs in kennels - even though its very hit/miss (my dogs had KC twice even though vaccinated, its like the human flu jab, the strain in any given year might be different to the one the vaccination is built to fight. Oddly the other dogs didnt get KC from the one who had it, and neither time was either dog very ill with it) So maybe talk to your vet about Lucy and her vaccinations going forward, shes young still I think? My vet - a very experienced older one, was very anti unnecessary chemicals etc - but it was good to have him endorse the decision to stop vaccinating the dog with the reactions...

Good luck with your assessment!

tk123

Yeah she's still a baba - only turned 3 this month. We don't need KC for where they stay so I don't see the point in it but she guilt tripped me into it last year!

Rattling about the assessment! Sometimes Lucy just isn't bothered and doesn't want to play at training - whereas her bro would do it all day long! I felt like I'd be cheating taking him lol

mymo

We've had a beautiful young Tom cat hanging around the last couple of months, I'm not feeding him, but he is friendly, long haired tabby, and has taken a liking to our Figgy, who is neuterd but he still follows her around.
He also wails loudly, day and night, setting my dogs off barking, not so good at 3am.
So far I've had Toby (cat) so stressed he developed cystitis, 2 vet visits, and Ruby needed a vet trip after giving him a hiding and getting a small claw ripped off. Now yesterday Oliver ran out of the the door for the 3rd or 4th time before 10am only to slip and twist himself, hurting his back. He couldn't walk and was panting and in pain, vets all out on emergency calls, so had to travel two towns over to see a vet. Thankfully he was back standing and walking a bit by time we saw vet and she said it was minor and gave anti imflams, for few days, with injection.
I'm catching this fella and getting him the snip asap, he's costing me a fortune in vet bills, and I will find a home for him, far from our house!
I just wish people would neuter!

angeldaisy

We had yet another incident yesterday with Elly and Tara, they decided to fight over a ball yesterday evening. We had been monitoring the toy situation after their last fight, they now only get their cuddlies when they are alone.

Anyway we now know they can't have a tennis ball when they are together.

As Tara is a terrier cross she locked onto Elly and there was no letting go! Poor hubby got a bite to his finger as he tried to separate them and I got a bite to the hip as Tara made another go for Elly as I had her in my arms.

best of buds again after 30 mins cool down. Thankfully we know it was down to a trigger, one that we can avoid. But I can honestly say I am never going to have 2 bitches again once these go. It's way too much like hard work!

mymo

In the last 10 days I have had 5 people ask if I know anyone wants a kitten, that's 5 litters, plus 2 others I know of. I just had to say no, I can't afford to take in and rehome kittens this year, the annoying thing is, 3 of these litters I told the owners months back that their male kittens were female and would need to be neutered, and one other the cat had 3 litters last year.
What is wrong with people, I know some of these cats will be producing another litter in a couple of months.

Ms Doubtfire1

is a simple 'THEY DON'T BLOODY CARE'. :mad:

borderlinemeath

Went to Ardgillen Castle in Skerries today, have been avoiding the beach as there's poor water quality and 2 dogs that I know have been sick from it (both fell sick on the same day, and word came through a few days later that swimming was prohibited as the water wasn't safe:()

So anyway, went to Ardgillen, lots of lovely dog walking trails, loads of space, and also they've a new dedicated cafe specifically for dog walkers - so no more horrified faces from people who take issue with dogs being within 10 feet of them. There's a full indoor section too, it'll be great for the winter when it's too cold or windy to sit outside. It was packed today, with lots of lovely well behaved dogs, enjoying a nice cold drink as each table had their own water bowl, and people delighted to be able to have a coffee or some lunch with their furry pals

muddypaws

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Went to Ardgillen Castle in Skerries today, have been avoiding the beach as there's poor water quality and 2 dogs that I know have been sick from it (both fell sick on the same day, and word came through a few days later that swimming was prohibited as the water wasn't safe:()

So anyway, went to Ardgillen, lots of lovely dog walking trails, loads of space, and also they've a new dedicated cafe specifically for dog walkers - so no more horrified faces from people who take issue with dogs being within 10 feet of them. There's a full indoor section too, it'll be great for the winter when it's too cold or windy to sit outside. It was packed today, with lots of lovely well behaved dogs, enjoying a nice cold drink as each table had their own water bowl, and people delighted to be able to have a coffee or some lunch with their furry pals

I contacted them months ago to see if we could hold a dog event there, still waiting for a reply, would be a fab place I think.

tk123

Oh my friend sent me a pic of the cafe part in Ardgillan the other day! Have to check it out especially since Lucy is from Skerries! Last time we were in St Annes having coffee outside a couple arrived with a new baby and sat 2 tables away from us..Lucy was passed out on the ground and barley lifted her head as they lifted the pram in etc etc two aul biddies behind us started with their "Tsk Tsk you can never trust a dog with a baby" - She was zonked out asleep! :mad: We stayed even longer then to annoy them lol! Couple were all smiles to the dogs and couldn't have cared less lol!!
Anyways Bailey is injured but at the bouncy/I can still run laps even on lead stage.. He's due back on Thursday but I'm off today after training with Lucy all weekend so I think I'll take him over to see if he had actually improved like I think he has .. I can't handle the suspense waiting until Thurs lol!