The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I haven't tried them but I hear they're very popular in America. I wouldn't put them on a cat that has access to the outdoors as they'd stop the cat from protecting themselves. At least they stop some Americans from declawing cats. I don't know how anyone who claims to love their cats could possibly subject them to declawing.

Well I'v already ordered 2 packets so I hope they'll work out ok Fully indoor cats, says on the website not to use them on cats that have outdoor access for that reason. Declawing really is barbaric, how anyone can do that to an animal they seemingly care for is beyond me when there's so much info readily available about it

Zapperzy wrote: »

Well I'v already ordered 2 packets so I hope they'll work out ok Fully indoor cats, says on the website not to use them on cats that have outdoor access for that reason. Declawing really is barbaric, how anyone can do that to an animal they seemingly care for is beyond me when there's so much info readily available about it

Thankfully declawing isn't as common anymore here in Canada. I was thinking about getting those clawcaps thingys too. Pepper is indoor only but she loves to scratch under the bed and the couch... not fun! She has a cat tree and a scratching post too but I guess destroying the couch is way more fun! She loves to go under the bed and lie on her back and claw her way around. Extremely loud and annoying at 4am!

I think there's a tummy bug doing the rounds with my guys, first peach was
Vomiting but is better now, then Dude had the runs yesterday and even though most people wouldn't worry about it with his condition he had to be seen straight away, now he's better and Cream has the runs! I have a different cat in the crate in my room each night!!

Hope they get better soon sillymango, moone has been sick all evening too. She's been narky (more than usual :P ) with Alli and whining to sit on the sofa with me. She even went over and picked up her teddy to snuggle in beside me hopefully she'll be better in the morning.

The house is so quiet without Alli here, she went off with the vet no problem. Hopefully she won't be too bad after her operation, our cat was a little sick after hers. Moones actually going around looking for Alli

nala2012 wrote: »

Ahh Nala for some reason decided to chew up Bruce's eye cream so had to get new one at vets. The rescue had paid for first one but seen as nala ate this one i said i'd buy it not realising it's €37! It's called optimmune. It's only tiny tube but his eyes have improved so it should last a while. Anyone have any idea's where i might find cheaper one online?

I wAs going to suggest trying on amazon but i think with anything like that you'd be safer getting it in the vets as it's genuine. Is there not a cheaper brand you could ask for? My labrador had eye problems a few weeks before he passed away and we had to get him eye drops from the vets that cost about €15, I can't remember the brand though

Just out on a walk with moone and some woman allowed her child to run up behind us and went to grab moone and my leg! apart from me having a mini heart attack moone turned around and started barking at the child because she got a fright too. I opened my mouth to apologise to the mother (I don't know why as it wasn't our fault) and The mother just walked past me and didn't even call her child! I had to ask the child to leave moone alone (moone was relaxed at that stage and rolling over for a belly rub) No wonder there's so many attacks on kids with parents like that! :mad:

I used to get that a lot with moone when I took her to my old job, a lot of the kids were really gentle with her but only a handful of parents would say "ask the girl can you pet her first". The only major incident was when a woman, her two kids and off lead cairn terrier came into the shop and the dog went all teeth barred for me behind the till so moone came out growling to protect me, they were fighting but I had Moones lead on is I was able to pull her away. That was the last day I brought her into that job, ever since then she's been so over protective of me.

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I've got to say that a total lack of common sense around dogs is a big thing I've noticed when doing flag day collections for an animal charity I support. A few of the volunteers will bring their dogs along and I've seen everything from people literally picking up a dog they don't know, before the volunteer can even say no, to people just letting their young kids get down on the ground to dogs they don't know and manhandling them.

Absolutely no cop on whatsoever and if the dog gets hurt or scared the dog is the one that'll pay the price for it. I'm not afraid of dogs, but I know a few people who for various reasons are terrified of them and the amount of people that leave their dogs off leash is ridiculous. I had some womans dog run up to me today and jump all over me, it didn't bother me at all, the dog had no recall whatsoever and just ignored her completely.

I don't know why people get dogs if they aren't going to put in the work with them.

Totally agree but as the dog paying the price?
Ive made it clear to my neices / nephews (and their parents) that if they annoy my dog so much he growls / snaps... then tough cookie on them.

He's never so much as growled in his nearly 9 years but as he gets older he'll get less and less tolerant i suppose, but if he ever snaps / bites etc its tough on them my cocker wont suffer... it tough love really.

The amount of times I have to say leave him alone, he's in his bed / tired / sleeping and the parents say "ahh sure they are only playing with him", "they just want to see hom etc"... so i "save him from the torment" by letting him out the back ....so thats the rules in my house - my guy wont suffer even if it causes a family rift then so be it.

You are correct though loads of kids just run over, bend down and pet straight away... or pat him on his head from behind...a few times it has startled him a bit... stupid idiot parents.

borderlinemeath wrote: »

We really do live in a generation where there seems to be no responsibility taken for childrens shortcomings. Having worked in nursery retailing for a number of years I was pretty much astonished at the lack of parenting from some people. I recall somebody wanting a booster car seat for their little darling and I asked which one had they in mind and they wanted 'the best, the safest' etc, and I said I'd need their childs weight and to bring him in or did they know it. "Oh he's here, somewhere" - next thing there's an almighty crash and a display toy fort came crashing down from about 7ft as he had climbed up the bays of toys to get it down:rolleyes:. That's just one example, kids were just let run riot, it was scary sometimes.

Back when I was young, if you got a nip it was because you were teasing the dog, and it was your own fault. (And looking back, it absolutely was) Now the parents are abdicating any responsibility and looking for the dog to suffer for their child getting a warning nip.

Exactly... I find nowadays everyones "little darlings" are so precious that they can do no wrong and heaven forbid they get told "no" all hell breaks loose - but i dont blame the kids they are a product of their up bringing etc.

I had dogs growing up froma very young baby infact... in particular a dachshund, and my god she hated me (probably beacuse i was always trying to pick her up), they are very small and petite, she used to run away from me, my mum told me time and time again leave her alone, she will bite you etc..... and she did... a good few times and I mean bite me, not so hard I needed stiches but always drew blood - she never bit another single person - my mother used to kill me when the dog bit me as I pushed her to it (which I can now see i did)... the dog didnt go infact i got introuble for not leaving her alone.

She also would shred you if you approached her while eating... now this I never did, so she was resource guarding, we ALWAYS left her alone while eating it was a rule in the house - most people now get rid of a dog for resource guarding etc.

you know the funny thing is I read on another forum a poster said the following: her son shouldnt have to learn not to pull the dogs tail etc, her dog will have to learn not to react - or else it goes... seems we have a very "precious" generation at the moment.

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

People just don't see that they or their child may be the problem if a strangers dog nips and they'd probably try to sue the owner for compensation or try to have the dog pts. I thought I couldn't hear anything more ridiculous until last night. I listened to an emergency services call in America. The cat had scratched a 7 month old child, who knows why, and the father then kicked the cat. The cat chased him and the result was that the guy and his family, including the dog, were hiding in a bedroom asking for the police to come deal with the 2 stone cat.

He described the cat as violent? For a scratch? For getting annoyed after the pain of being kicked? It was their own cat for goodness sake. Sadly the poor cat will probably be pts now, hopefully someone will adopt it though, I think the incident went viral.

yip outargeous BUT the cat scratched the baby, as it pulled the cats tail..(so it says on skynews anyway). then then dad openly admitted to kicking the cat up the ass... and the cat went crazy??? ehhh am I surprised? no... poor cat, he needs a better family...

Appartently the cat will be given counselling.. as in its the cats fault...

http://news.sky.com/story/1224620/therapy-for-hostile-cat-that-trapped-family

Poor cat looks terrified... hopefully he can be rehomed to a proper family who dont go around kicking their animals.