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Posted By: Ariel Mar 26, 2005 - 06:38 pm

I would love to hear about everyones pets.
A few years ago I adopted a rescued persian kitten
who was living in a dumpster and eating whatever scraps of food she could find.She was terrified of people and hissed and growled whenever anyone would approach.I knew I had my work cut out for me.Straya was deaf,had an ear infection,wasn't feeling well,and highly stressed.To top it off I had to bring her into a home with two other cats.
I just knew that would thrill her !I spent a lot of time with her,learning how to communicate with
her and how to calm her.I nicknamed her the couger
for a while as she was so wild.It took a lot of patience and love but that beautiful little darling with the big ice-blue eyes is now a contented,sweet,gentle and very loving animal.

Posted By: Magus Mar 27, 2005 - 05:02 am

Here is where you can find out about a lot of people's pets on this site.

Posted By: aldan Mar 27, 2005 - 01:58 pm

The only kind of pet I have, and I have a LOT of them (almost a pack) is Peeve. Just like a cat, it will always let me know it's there just by getting in my way all the time.

Posted By: Magus Mar 27, 2005 - 02:41 pm

Nice Aldan... nice...

Posted By: Ariel Mar 27, 2005 - 05:23 pm

That was cute !

Posted By: Ariel Mar 30, 2005 - 03:51 pm

I know I'm not the only one with pets!!

Posted By: MerleZ Mar 31, 2005 - 07:27 am

Sorry, Ariel, I just haven't gotten around to it. Magus gave you a link above to another thread on pets where we'd talked about our furry family members.

We have three cats, all adopted from humane societies, and we feel very blessed by their presence in our lives.

Posted By: Bmat Mar 31, 2005 - 08:10 am

We also have three cats. Two were rescues after being abandoned and one was from the humane society.

Posted By: Ariel Mar 31, 2005 - 02:17 pm

MerleZ,thanks for pointing out the link Magus gave me.I'm a little slow sometimes!I thought when he said (here) he meant in this pet posting column.

You and Bmat have 3 cats,how awesome!!!I used to have 3,but my gorgeous himalayan had to be put to sleep at the age of 19.It was a difficult decision
to make,but he lived a very long and happy life and he might not have made it through surgery.I couldnt see the quality of his life improving and didn't want him to suffer anymore.
He was a sweet,gentle,beautiful creature who touched my soul.I will treasure my memories of him always...

Bmat and MerleZ,tell me about your darling trios.
One thing I love about animals is that they each have their own personality,just like us humans!

Posted By: aldan Mar 31, 2005 - 10:30 pm

19 years old? Um, yeah, that is a VERY long life for a cat! I've never been in a family that was owned by a cat, and I've never been comfortable around them due to an episode with a siamese cat back when I was about 7 or 8 yrs old.

There were a bunch of kids torturing this cat, and it was trying to get away from them when I just happened to walk by. The cat, strangely enough, decided that I'd make a good tree and clawed its way up me onto the top of my head. I was pretty bloody afterward, and I got VERY lucky I didn't lose an eye.

However, my adoptive parents (with whom I don't currently live) have recently adopted an 8 yr old golden lab. This dog I just met last weekend, and it's quite intelligent and very good with people, constantly putting its cold nose onto the hand of a nearby person, requesting a petting... but it also is trained to sit, stay, roll over, play dead, speak, etc.

Posted By: MerleZ Apr 01, 2005 - 07:45 am

Well, ariel, our Chloe is two years old today. She came to us as a 9 week old ball of fur, claws and energy. Now she is a 15 pound beauty, and knows she's pretty. She enjoys getting pets, but will not under any circumstance sit on a lap. Sometimes, she tolerates being picked up. She's still very active and playfull, but the first rule of any of Chloe's games is: Chloe wins. The other two cats sometimes don't understand that. She's white, with a saddle of brown tabby, a brown tabby tail, a few more smaller spots, and brown ears. She has some oriental breed in her, because she has high cheekbones, tall ears, and somewhat almond shaped eyes.

Coco came to us as a six month old boy February of last year. He's a black and white, sometimes I believe called a tuxedo cat. He has a black diamond over his nose, and a black gotee. He has something exotic in him as well, because his facial structure is very different. His ears are quite large as well. His fur is fine and very soft, nearly qualifiying as a medium haired cat. Coco is Peter Pan. I don't think he'll ever grow up. He is still such a kitten. He's overtly affectionate, and not at all afraid to sit in a lap. He tries to dominate the other two, but it's kinda hard for him with Chloe, because she is a lot bigger than him.

Coco is also my Tiny Tim. He has a heart murmur. It was undetected until our vet heard it. I think the humane society vets failed to hear it because he purred constantly and masked it. If they had found it, he wouldn't have been offered for adoption, so we are very thankful. He's such a wonderful little boy, I can't imagine not giving him a chance at life. So far, no ill effects from the murmur.

Clarice is our baby, just turned a year old. She's a calico, with bright orange and black markings, and a little white on her chest and belly. She's a little starlet, posing for the camera whenever you have it out. She's a great companion to both of the other two cats. She plays with Coco, and doesn't try to climb all over Chloe (Coco climbs on Chloe, and she hates it.) She also loves to curl up next to you in bed, and sometimes tunnels down under the covers. You always have to make sure that the lump under the blanket isn't her before you sit on it. She's a petite little thing. I bet she doesn't weigh 7 pounds.

Posted By: MerleZ Apr 01, 2005 - 07:48 am

And ariel, I'm sorry you had to lose your kitty. I know making a decision like that is difficult. Ours are so young, I hope I don't have to make a decision like that for many years.

Are you thinking of getting a third?

aldan, that's a pretty scary story. Poor kitty, and poor you for getting in the way. What happened to the kids who were torturing the cat?

Posted By: Bmat Apr 01, 2005 - 08:23 am

Sorry about your cat, Ariel

Sammy, our orange cat, had a tricky beginning. He was found in a box with his brothers and sisters, and he's the only one who survived. Then a couple years later the person who adopted him neglected him and thought he was being fed when he wasn't. When we discovered Sammy was starving and neglected we adopted him. For a good while the poor kitty lay in front of the food dish. We are careful to keep food in the dishes so the cat doesn't have to worry about starving again. Sammy would love to be an only cat. The happiest he ever was was when we were down to just him. Sammy is about 8. He sleeps in my bed. All day. All night. Although, he doesn't like to sit on laps. Sammy's favorite word is TREAT!

The we adopted Chipper from the humane society. He is our tuxedo cat. Medium size. About 6 years old. He wants very much to be alpha cat. He picks on Sammy all the time. If Sammy would just stand his ground, Chipper would stop it, since Chipper is smaller, but Sammy runs. Chipper wants to be alpha over the humans, too. He is a gentle cat toward humans but not one for lapsitting.

Chewie is about 2, a calico. She seems to be a blend of both Sammy and Chipper. My son rescued her from some kids who were throwing stones at her when she was about 2 weeks old. He bottle fed her around the clock, coming home from work even. Just this year her fur has grown longer, and I guess she has a medium length coat now, very soft, and double layered. She loves people and frequently wants to sit on my lap while I am using the computer. She is the largest of the three and is indifferent to alpha status. Chipper tries to chase her. If she feels like it she'll run, but she could just as well ignore him or start chasing him. When it comes to eating, she picks the dish she wants and eats there. If one of the others is already eating there, the other moves to another dish. It is really funny that she is not the least aggressive but the others give way.

Posted By: Ariel Apr 01, 2005 - 12:22 pm

wow Alden,talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time !!How anyone can torture an innocent creature is beyond me!It's too bad
that experience has left you uncomfortable around cats.I got my butt kicked by a dog once,which makes me leary ,but I still like dogs.

The golden lab sounds like a wonderful dog.

MereZ,Loved hearing about Chloe,CoCoa,and Clarice.
I'm sure there is much joy in your home because of them

Bmat,your story about your son bottle feeding Chewy reminded me of an orange Tabby my husband and I rescued years ago.I bottle fed that one.
When my two don't get along I step in and tell them to knock it off.The amusing thing is that my
Ariel listens!!Yes,I use my cats name for posting.

Posted By: aldan Apr 01, 2005 - 10:50 pm

I find that my discomfort around cats seems to have made cats feel extremely comfortable around ME. For example, a few years ago, the owner of the place I worked at had a cat that she brought with her to work. That cat was older (around 7 years old) and wouldn't let anyone hold her but my boss and me. The other employees were avoided. With me, though, she'd do more than just allow me to pick her up... she would trust me enough that I could hold her with her backside in the crook of my elbow and her head in my hand and all four legs dangling. Now that was odd, but she actually went to sleep when I had her like that once...
Princess (that cat) was one of several cats that seem to just trust me. Most animals do. I just wish that I could do the same...
Oh, and as far as I know the kids grew up and were jerks in high school and then probably got married and divorced and are living in trailer parks in the middle of nowhere... but that's just a guess, since I moved away from there after living there only a few months.

Posted By: Ariel Apr 02, 2005 - 03:39 am

Perhaps Princess and the other animals sensed that you were someone they could trust.

My sister at one time never cared for cats.One day her son came home with a kitten and she frieked.She told him to find it a home elsewhere,
in no way did she want that "thing" in her house !

Well, not only has the cat been in her house for years,she and her husband went out and got another cat !!She couldn't imagine life without them!Cats have a way of charming people with their natural beauty and humerous antics,and even the ferals have the potential to become sweet and gentle animals...

Posted By: Magus Apr 04, 2005 - 06:09 pm

My Westie's 12 now. We're getting her a puppy Westie to help keep her company. She should be born around Christmas. Does the idea of preordering a puppy seem kind of... I don't know... weird?

Posted By: Ariel Apr 05, 2005 - 04:45 pm

No way!What a wonderful xmas it will be for the whole family!Your westie is sooo cute!Saw a pic
going back in the postings somewhere.

What will you choose for a name if it's a girl/boy?

Posted By: Dragonfleet Apr 08, 2005 - 06:44 am

I've got five pets. Three dogs and two cats. >< They're quite a handful. My cat, Mickey, is a Abyssinian who we bought from a lady going overseas - Probably Europe. Since my 11th birthday was around the corner, he was a nice gift. It was only 8 years later that I would discover how much of a nuisance he really is. Yowdeling in the corridor at 3am, demanding to be picked up to reach his food on the washing machine (despite the fact that he has no difficulties climbing over fences) and hogging all the biscuits.

Our other cat, Lilly is a one of those white fluffy Persian breeds but with bright yellow eyes. She acts as if she is the Queen of the world and sometimes she really looks like it too! She spends most of the day sleeping in the linen cupboard or attacking people's ankles from under the dining room table. Her light as a feather weight is directly caused by MY cat's food hogging. No surprises there. Lilly was my stepdad's cat whom he received from some tenants.

As for the dogs. Well, they're a pack. Our largest dog Ivy, a Rhodesian ridgeback/boxer cross suffers from arthritis but that doesn't stop her food radar. The slightest sound of a packet opening and she's bolting into the kitchen, begging for food despite the large bowl of dog biscuits that she had cleaned up a few minutes ago. Not quite a food hogger but close enough. She has a fear of hoses and we suspect that one of her previous owners was a male plumber who beat her since she seems to go aggro whenever she sees them.

Then there's Piccolo (appropriately named due to his grouchy mood), a terrier type dog who loves to go for car rides but can be quite tentative and shy. And lastly there's Candy, a Shitzu who has a tongue which can be comparable with a lizards; she never stops licking people and most visitors find her adorable. We got Picollo from a pet store and Candy from a Yugoslavian lady who breeds Shitzu's.

Despite all the problems we've had with them (chewing the furniture etc) we give them lots of love and we get a lot back (from Candy no doubt -_-).

Posted By: Ariel Apr 08, 2005 - 02:27 pm

Dragonfleet(cool name),Thanks so much for sharing
your story!!What a wonderful pet family you have!!

Havn't seen your name here before,so WELCOME new friend!!

Posted By: Dragonfleet Apr 08, 2005 - 06:40 pm

Thanks Ariel. Yeah, they're good company and I feel somewhat secure with three yapping dogs around.

Posted By: Magus Apr 08, 2005 - 07:17 pm

Hmmmmm... names? Well, I guess we have all year to figure that out!



But I think we're getting another girl... I just don't know... All suggestions are available.

Posted By: Ariel Apr 09, 2005 - 05:49 am

Dragonfleet,I guess I'd feel secure too
with 3 yapping dogs!My cats are pretty quiet except for an occasional little meow.The birds are small but chirp(more like beeping)a lot.The turtle,well she's a cute and quiet pet.

Well Magus, we'll have to take votes on a new name for your pet.We all have plenty of time to think about it.I look forward to the creative efforts of our friends here.