Escape from Elba

Home and Garden => Pets => Topic started by: liquidsilver on July 30, 2018, 12:07:31 PM

Title: Pets
Post by: liquidsilver on July 30, 2018, 12:07:31 PM
Are you a cat lover? Do you need help training your dog? Discuss your pets here.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: bodiddley on August 03, 2018, 11:50:40 AM
This is probably one of those flukes, but pretty scary that a simple dog lick led to dog saliva bacteria entering a man's bloodstream, resulting in septic shock and within a few days his legs and hands had to be amputated.
https://www.thisisinsider.com/man-dog-lick-sepsis-infection-legs-hands-amputated-2018-8

That's why I prefer cats who merely put toxoplasmosis cysts in your brain.

Actually since I was a kid dogs generally don't like me.  Doesn't matter if I look at them or not, dogs sense something and get angry at me, maybe realizing that I'm a cat person.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on October 14, 2018, 11:58:30 AM
Dogs bark angrily at all strangers.   It has nothing to do with with ailurophile tendencies, AFAIK.   I have found that the less hysteric dogs,  if you look at them and speak in a calm low voice, will subside and let you pass by.   It also helps to slow your pace and not make sudden nervous gestures.  They are very territorial and want the sense that you are respectful of their space.   

As for cats,  have you seen all the Henri vignettes?  I think there are eleven or twelve now.   We are big fans.   "Immortalized on the wall, forgotten on the floor."
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: FlyingVProd on November 10, 2018, 04:35:33 PM
On the issue of pets and making money...

You could earn one million dollars per year, gross, if you open your own dog kennel in Anaheim, or in Las Vegas, or other populated area and tourism is a plus.

If you have boarding, at twenty five dollars per night per dog, and if you average eighty dogs per night, then you can earn seven hundred and thirty thousand dollars per year just from boarding.

Then you have grooming. If you have a good sized grooming shop, with six groomers, then you can earn three hundred thousand dollars per year for that, easy.

So just from boarding and grooming you can earn one million dollars per year.

Then you have training. You can charge five hundred dollars for a two week in kennel training, they drop off the dog, and they come back in two weeks and the dog is all trained. If you average ten dogs for every two week training program, then that is one hundred and thirty thousand dollars per year.

So, that is over one million dollars per year, just for getting to work with dogs.

You could also breed dogs, and have champion Dobermans or whatever, and some people like to enter dogs in dog shows.

But, you have the over-head, and salaries for the workers, and insurance, etc, etc, etc.

If you love dogs, then you might consider opening your own dog kennel.

Salute,

Tony V.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on December 06, 2018, 10:31:09 AM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/12/05/peta-wants-change-anti-animal-sayings-internet-thinks-theyre-feeding-fed-horse/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0b4b1b7e452e

Surely PETA has bigger fish to fry?
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: bodiddley on December 06, 2018, 10:58:43 AM
I took my cat to the vet today.   Her ears were bothering her.  I suspected ear mites.  She lived outside for over a year.  They stuck an endoscope into her ear canal, and you could see these nasty critters going about their household routine in my poor kitty's ears.  The horror. 

Now I'm supposed to put medicine in her ear every day for 2 weeks.   This will not be fun for either of us.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on December 06, 2018, 01:06:10 PM
Pilling is worse IMO.  One of our cats like to have her ears massaged when she comes in from really cold weather,  she will push her ears against your hand until you massage them or at least cup your hands around them until they warm up.   She'd probably be easier to do Ear Drops than most cats.   We had another,  an enormous male (not fat,  just large) who seemed to be tolerant to a fault,  and would let children fold an ear wrong side out and not mind. I always had the feeling that he lived to be the center of attention and put up with the discomfort for the sake of audience engagement.  We wondered if he'd been a dog in a previous life.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: bodiddley on December 06, 2018, 01:55:27 PM
My one cat doesn't care when cleaning herself if her ear gets folded over.  Will leave it that way for a while.  Looks silly.

The cat that needs the ear medicine is very easy-going and lets me clean her nose or look in her mouth.  But her ears bother her and are sensitive because of the visitors and crud.  So bothering with her ears annoys her.  It wasn't hard to do with two people -- me and the nurse -- but the cat tried to get her back leg scratching in her ear, and then shook her head flinging medicine out of her ear and all over. 

Once or twice I wouldn't mind much, but every day for two weeks seems like overkill and will be a hassle.  I suppose I'll get good at it and she'll get used to it.  I might just wrap her in a small blanket first and then go to it, so she can't escape or get back legs kicking around and such.

Pills I usually smash into powder and fold into tuna.
My previous cat I used to be able to just push a pill down her throat.  The vet did that today.  But the other two would likely put up a fight over that.  Especially the one who needs to go to the vet due to a mouth problem.  The mouth being her sensitive area.  She loves to be pet, but she can be stubborn and tough when she chooses.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on April 12, 2019, 12:46:34 PM
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/12/protect-your-pets-cats-make-up-one-fifth-of-coyotes-diet-in-los-angeles

Meow Mix.

Anyone remember Meow Mix, btw?  Used to see it on store shelves, and my parents used to feed the brand to our cats.  Haven't seen it on the shelf in a long time.  Ours currently get either Iams Hairball Formula, or sometimes alternate with Beyond - the one that's just fish and has no poultry by-products or grains.  Shit's expensive. 
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: oilcan on April 12, 2019, 12:56:12 PM
Any coyotes around the Ecuadorian embassy??

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/12/world/europe/julian-assange-cat.html

I remember the really annoying commercial jingle for Meow Mix.  It is, horrifyingly, printed on the brains of American baby boomers unto death.

Title: Re: Pets
Post by: FlyingVProd on May 10, 2019, 04:49:00 PM
San Bernardino needs new animal control facilities, estimated to cost eighteen million dollars.

There are television shows that could come in and help San Bernardino. And also, maybe they could get Habitat for Humanity to help to build the new facilities. The city just needs to ask for help, and then allow people to help.

Many construction workers love dogs, and people will show up to volunteer.

And maybe Petco and some other companies can donate money for building supplies, etc, and they can get advertising and a good reputation.

San Bernardino just needs to ask for help, and people will help, many people love animals and they would help.

https://www.sbsun.com/2018/06/15/san-bernardino-to-consider-closing-animal-shelter-contracting-with-riverside-county/

Salute,

Tony V.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: FlyingVProd on May 10, 2019, 05:09:20 PM
And if San Bernardino needs better management then they need to hire the people who are coming out of the military, who have experience running military dog kennels, etc. The people from the military are disciplined and professional. A kennel manager from the Marines would do a great job.

When I managed a dog kennel, my boss was trained in the Marine Corps, he ran kennels for the Marines, and he was a dog trainer and a dog handler for the Marines during World War II, he was very professional.

Salute,

Tony V.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: FlyingVProd on June 19, 2019, 03:21:48 PM
Here are the prices at the dog kennel which I managed for six years in Lancaster, California...

https://www.caninecountryclub.us/rates

You could make a million dollars per year with a kennel here in Anaheim, or in Las Vegas.

Salute,

Tony V.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on August 09, 2019, 12:54:48 PM
The definition of insanity:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/08/08/we-took-our-cats-beach-vacation-heres-what-happened/

What this article seems to overlook is that, however great the destination, cats generally do not enjoy long car trips.  And many cats are not so mellow as Jasper and Jezebel (the cats in the article) when it comes to finding themselves transplanted to an unfamiliar territory.  These folks got lucky. 
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on May 08, 2020, 08:19:33 PM
.....
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: FlyingVProd on June 19, 2020, 05:45:40 PM
There is a secret with dogs, there can be a kennel with 200 dogs all barking, and if you shout at them then they will just bark more, but if you do a simple "Shhhhh" then they quiet right down. They quiet down so that they can listen, they go from barking to listening. I used to amaze people with that trick when I managed a dog kennel.

Salute,

Tony V.
Title: Re: Tofu, it's what's for dinner
Post by: barton on September 21, 2020, 12:43:36 PM
Am posting this here, instead of Fitness/Nutrition, because it looks like fewer read posts over there.  And this does pertain to animals....


Tofu sales skyrocket during the pandemic, as consumers search for affordable meat alternatives
By Kristen Hartke
September 21 at 8:00 AM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/09/21/tofu-sales-skyrocket-during-the-pandemic-as-consumers-search-for-affordable-meat-alternatives/?itid=hp_health-science

I was sort of unimpressed by tofu on my plate, when I first encountered it.  And remained so, until I found restaurants or home cooks who actually knew what to do with it.  When done properly, it's pretty tasty and can have some of the mouthfeel of an omelet.  And, contrary to the predictions of wacky internet theories, I didn't grow moobs. 
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: bodiddley on September 21, 2020, 01:04:44 PM
Basically my go to comparison is that tofu is the Chinese equivalent of cheese.
Here in chinaland, there are many different types of tofu and other things made from wheat gluten.  My favorite is a deep-fried brick of tofu that you buy cold.  It cooks up really well with broccoli and onions and Thai sweet chili sauce completes the dish nicely. 

I like vegetarian duck but often in Shanghai it's too sweet, whereas I think it shouldn't be sweet at all.  It's basically layers of tofu skin compressed.
There's an interesting product call koff or koffu, which looks like some giant brown sponge.  My issue is that they make a giant wheel of it, much like cheese and then it often sits around for ages.  So the hygiene angle often keeps me away.  There's even "vegetarian intestines" like a veggie sausage which has a thick texture.  The variety of taste, texture and consistency allows for different combinations and dishes.
Title: Re: Marty the Mt Washington observatory cat dies at 12
Post by: barton on November 09, 2020, 06:09:32 PM
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. (AP) — A cat who patrolled the highest peak in the northeast U.S. for a dozen years as its weather observatory’s mascot has died.

Marty, a black Maine coon cat, succumbed to “an unforeseen illness,” Mount Washington Summit Operations Manager Rebecca Scholand said in a news release Monday.

“As a past observer who lived on the summit for four years, I can tell you Marty was a special companion, entertainer and so incredibly loved by observers and state park staff and will be sadly missed,” she wrote.

The Mount Washington Observatory staff have had a cat at the 6,288-foot (1,915-meter) summit, called the “home of the world’s worst weather,” since 1932. The observatory had recently shared the news that Marty would retire from the mountain early in 2021.
Title: Doorkins Magnificat
Post by: bodiddley on November 10, 2020, 10:00:46 AM
Then there's Doorkins Magnificat in the UK who also passed on recently, but was given a nice send-off.

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/memorial-service-doorkins-cat-6910005/

Quote
Ever since she first wandered into the Gothic cathedral in search of food in 2008, Doorkins became a permanent fixture on the church’s grounds and quickly attained celebrity status. She has met the queen, starred in a children’s book, and even has her own vastly popular social media accounts.

The special service itself for anyone who has the time and inclination.
Supposed to be quite nice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTg62XS31gI
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on November 16, 2020, 09:25:16 PM
More on the late Magnificat...

https://youtu.be/ffdTroxzhP8

If she had been able to have kittens,  and pass on her genes,  it might have been fitting to name one of the male kittens "Richard Doorkins. "   
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on December 05, 2020, 12:01:50 PM
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/05/942214125/he-will-be-a-happier-elephant-vet-describes-what-it-was-like-to-rescue-kaavan

An interesting detail is them getting the elephant to lose several hundred kilos so it could go on a certain type of plane.   

A touching story,  overall.   
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on March 28, 2021, 03:22:12 PM
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/27/us/dog-steals-purple-unicorn-gets-adopted-trnd/index.html

This a fairly standard dog shoplifter rewarded for its criminality story. 

Another perk of being canine:  if police approach and you run away,  you're less likely to be shot.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: barton on May 30, 2021, 12:52:42 PM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/05/28/cicadas-dog-humor/

Hello, my name is Max and I have a cicada problem.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on August 31, 2021, 06:30:17 PM
It's odd that no one here lately seems into the topic of pets.   (Harrie Butz used to post on the subject here,  but hasn't been around for a few years, so those posts are gone in the Great Deletion)

Anyway,  this business of exotic pets and people keeping them in apartments really ticks me off....

https://www.npr.org/cougar-new-york-city-apartment-removed-bronx-zoo

Wild things need wild places.   
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on July 23, 2022, 10:01:51 AM
Blowing my cover as tough-minded prairie male, but this is the cutest thing ever....

https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1550576930302443520?s=20&t=UxxqajHxmq99hlTXRJIN9Q

Title: Re: Pets
Post by: NotYourAverageSockPuppet on August 08, 2022, 08:17:35 PM
Commemorating International Cat Day......

(https://i.postimg.cc/w3ypXxGn/DSCN5838.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w3ypXxGn)

(https://i.postimg.cc/N5Fr7XcB/Flaca-on-couch2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N5Fr7XcB)

Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on September 04, 2022, 11:45:57 AM
Diana Treadwell (aka Nutwalker) looks very similar to the bottom pic, though a bit shorter and stockier.   Your black beauty looks more like the cat in the popular Moulin Rouge poster.  Your other one looks like the combing task that is never finished.  We once had a fluffy cat, who developed a bad habit of napping along the curb.  Not the brightest cat.  It didn't end well. 
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on October 02, 2022, 07:02:34 PM
https://youtu.be/4Nwo7LI8U5o

A relaxing and cute paradise.

"I found a cat snack capsule, so I'll try it."

The slow pan shot was memorable.
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: josh on October 06, 2022, 04:26:08 PM
https://youtu.be/4Nwo7LI8U5o

A relaxing and cute paradise.

"I found a cat snack capsule, so I'll try it."

The slow pan shot was memorable.

I loved how the cats with little guidance sorted themselves out to one per bowl.

And their guiding paws to make sure the treats went to their mouths.

Very nice.

That white cat was huge!
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on October 06, 2022, 09:39:23 PM
Japanese cat management and etiquette training is clearly far more advanced than in the Barton household.  Or the farm my father grew up on, which at one point had around 24 cats.



Did someone say huge cat?

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/10/05/mi-tallest-living-domestic-cat-world-record-affil-dnt-cprog-vpx.wdiv
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Holly Martins on November 06, 2022, 03:39:27 PM
https://www.npr.org/2022/11/06/1134615997/the-national-park-service-wants-humans-to-stop-licking-this-toad
Title: Re: Pets
Post by: Oilcan on February 12, 2023, 06:17:08 PM
https://www.theonion.com/loyal-dog-spends-hours-each-day-humping-owner-s-grave-1850042397