The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

SingItOut

I saw that on some rescues pages, I thought it was extremely hypocritical of them. A lot of well known rescue won't adopt out animals during the month of December which is the right thing to do.

Pumpkinseeds

I think for most responsible rescues the cut off for adoptions is the second week of December at the very latest, with no further adoptions until the middle of January. As far as telling rescues what they want to hear goes, it's the same at any time of the year. You can only go with your gut after doing a home check and hope that it works out. The rescue I used to help with always did a follow up home check 2 to 4 weeks after all adoptions, to make sure everything was working out. Sadly, there aren't any guarantees.

I refused to give a rescue kitten to a neighbour last year as she's a very young single parent still living at home and judging by her facebook page she spends more time binge drinking than looking after her child, which is her business, but she wasn't getting a cat from us. A few months ago she'd posted that she'd gotten a kitten and it went missing, was found but I haven't seen it or heard mention of it for at least 5 months, so it clearly didn't work out.

muddypaws

tk123 wrote: »

What about the christmas adopt don't buy campaign atm from one of the rescues - it's ok to get a pet for christmas then as long as it was adopted?! And before anyone says they home check/vet owners - I know plenty of people locally who told rescues exactly what they wanted to hear to get the dog then the novelty wore off..

SingItOut wrote: »

I saw that on some rescues pages, I thought it was extremely hypocritical of them. A lot of well known rescue won't adopt out animals during the month of December which is the right thing to do.

I used to agree with this, but that was when my Christmases were really busy with kids etc, and I guess I just assumed everyone was the same. But then someone said it to me a few years ago, that not every has a busy Christmas. Some people have no kids, and may not have much family, or just spend Christmas day with their family, but are off work for nearly 2 weeks, no real extra noise or bustle in their home, so it is actually the perfect time for them to introduce a new dog to their home.

SingItOut

That's not what we were talking about in our posts muddypaws. Adopting a rescue dog for Christmas doesn't put that dog at any lower risk than an online bought dog of being dumped in January when the novelty has worn off. Of course some dogs bought/adopted as presents for Christmas will be loved family family members but the majority will be dumped in the new year.

Graces7

Came home weary after a looooooooong day at a craft fair two hours away... let the dogs out and into the kitchen while I unloaded what I needed from the car in the dark.. came back to the sweet aroma of dog poo.. poor collie is disoriented with her loss of vision and getting urgent and disoriented and was wandering round the kitchen in collie style dropping as she walked.. what a welcome home!

muddypaws

SingItOut wrote: »

That's not what we were talking about in our posts muddypaws. Adopting a rescue dog for Christmas doesn't put that dog at any lower risk than an online bought dog of being dumped in January when the novelty has worn off. Of course some dogs bought/adopted as presents for Christmas will be loved family family members but the majority will be dumped in the new year.

Sorry, I thought you were talking about rescues that rehome during December, and just pointing out that it can actually be the perfect time for some people, and rescues should judge everybody as individuals, and take their circumstances into account. I would allow someone in the circumstances I describe to adopt in December.

tk123

Well it took a year and a half but Lucy got her wish of her big bro cuddling up to her lol He's been jumping up on the bed to his old spot the last few nights instead of perching on the end of the bed and moving to the crate after a while. On Thursday night he stayed sleeping on the bed all night, last night he stayed again and Lucy got down off the bed after a few hours and slept in his crate - best night's sleep I've had in ages because he just sleeps all night instead of her moving around non stop lol!!

ferretone

muddypaws wrote: »

Sorry, I thought you were talking about rescues that rehome during December, and just pointing out that it can actually be the perfect time for some people, and rescues should judge everybody as individuals, and take their circumstances into account. I would allow someone in the circumstances I describe to adopt in December.

Totally agree about rescues judging people as individuals. I also know some people who have been completely honest with the rescue in every way, but have still ended up with a dog that did not suit their situation at all. Not that they were bad dog owners, but just some big rescues just tick boxes on a form, and don't put in the effort to evaluate each dog or prospective owner adequately.

They very often don't get the breeds right in the first place, even when it's patently obvious to experienced doggy people what they are, and then when it all goes pear-shaped, do not even bother to update these vital stats on their files for the benefit of further potential adopters! I've also tried messaging them, in a friendly and constructive way, to let them know that other dogs on their site have been obviously wrongly labelled, in one case to the point where the adopters will be unnecessarily be imposed with RB status, but they just completely ignore it, and leave things stand.

And when people land in it up to their eyeballs, through no fault of their own, as they were wrongly informed, instead of being helpful and constructive, they just do hateful mutterings about irresponsible behaviour, and no excuse being good enough to abandon a life companion. Even if they have already proposed a perfectly good alternative home for the dog, which turns out to be more than acceptable to the rescue, so they don't even have to take the dog back :mad:

SingItOut

Moone has been extra snuggly the last few days, and it's not even cold in the house with a fire going in the sitting room and kitchen. Moone would get into the fire to stay warm if she could! Even in the summer we have to bring her inside as she'd gladly lie out in the scorching heat all day. She doesn't normally want to sit on the sofa or sleep on my lap but she's been wanting to all week, good thing I don't mind

Dad found a rat in the shed so he wanted moone to run it out, she just looked at him from the sofa, wagged her tail, rolled over onto her back and wouldn't budge

Pumpkinseeds

We put a new duvet on our bed today, it's not all fluffy and deep like the old one so Poppy's not impressed. Toby hasn't seen it yet but I'm guessing he's gonna think 'what the feck are they changing everything for? He loved to sit on the end of the sofa next to the radiator in the living room but that sofas in the kitchen now to fit the Christmas tree into the living room and he loved having his armchair from the kitchen where his sofa used to be, but Felix has taken up residence on it since we moved it in from the kitchen:rolleyes:

So basically Toby is spending most of his time on our bed or in the kitchen. There was a breath holding minute last night when he jumped up on the chair not realising that Felix was already on it. Thankfully there was no bloodshed, I think Felix was too dazed and comfortable to respond so Toby just ran off.

tk123

Somebody reversed into me today!

muddypaws

tk123 wrote: »

Somebody reversed into me today!

Oh no, I hope the damage isn't too bad, and they're paying for it

tk123

muddypaws wrote: »

Oh no, I hope the damage isn't too bad, and they're paying for it

She admitted liability straight away and will be paying - I was stopped, saw her coming towards me and beeped at her but she kept going. Panel is out of place and scraches/scuffs all the way down to the bumper It's a 2012 car that I spend years saving for and have since last year - up until today it was spotless! The dogs were in the back too and it's made me rethink their travelling arrangements - if she had of hit the car in a different place one or both of them could have been hurt AND there was a race going on in the park so we didn't even get a good walk...although Bailey ran crying after a squirrel which was funny lol! :pac:

Pumpkinseeds

I'm impressed with the Spirit Essences. I got 4 different types and I've been using the Bully Remedy plus the Trauma one on Poppy. She hasn't been bolt eating then throwing up and she's almost stopped pulling her fur out, I was putting the trauma one on the area nearest her stumpy tail which is where she pulls most of the fur out of. We weren't sure if she does it from pain in the area or anxiety so we wanted to try something natural for anxiety first before going onto anything prescribed.

Toby seems calmer with the Self Esteem one and Felix is definitely more chilled on the Bully remedy and Peacemaker one. Long may it continue, even if the Bully one doesn't seem to be making much of an impact on Poppy.:D

Tea Tree

Just heard that another neighbour has rehomed their dog. That's 3 neighbours (5 dogs) in a couple of years. For every one of them it was for reasons that were completely predictable before they even got the dog in the first place. I just don't get why people can't think beyond next week when they get a dog

honerbright

I just filled the cats water bowl and Cinnamon ran straight over for a drink. But when she drinks now I've noticed she puts her right paw in the bowl and holds it to the left side of her face while she drinks. Anyone seen anything like that before? It's a little odd, even for Cinnamon!

mymo

Ours have been known to put a paw on the edge of the bowl, or in it at times.
Only in larger water bowls, not in small ones or the buckets etc in the garden.
Strange I know, but I checked teeth etc, and one cat we had played with the water all the time.

Graces7

tk123 wrote: »

She admitted liability straight away and will be paying - I was stopped, saw her coming towards me and beeped at her but she kept going. Panel is out of place and scraches/scuffs all the way down to the bumper It's a 2012 car that I spend years saving for and have since last year - up until today it was spotless! The dogs were in the back too and it's made me rethink their travelling arrangements - if she had of hit the car in a different place one or both of them could have been hurt AND there was a race going on in the park so we didn't even get a good walk...although Bailey ran crying after a squirrel which was funny lol! :pac:

Awful when you see it coming and can do nothing.. glad no one was hurt. I had a head on with an Italian tourist this year. He was turning right into the main road and forgot which side of the road he belonged on. Too much traffic to avoid him and that moment when you know there will be a collision

tk123

My mum just text me to say poor Lucy has been getting sick all morning!

VonVix

I struggled to walk one of my dogs today because he kept randomly sitting down. Why? The wind was blowing his tail upwards and cold air was hitting his bum... once we got down the hill he was fine.

:rolleyes:

Graces7

My semi feral cat forecasts bad weather. Whenever a storm is about to hit, he vanishes. Have not seen him since the day before yesterday... Bad! Now the mating season is over it is not that so he must be holed up somewhere. Maybe I should take up forecasting! Like the Donegal Postman

cocker5

Tea Tree wrote: »

Just heard that another neighbour has rehomed their dog. That's 3 neighbours (5 dogs) in a couple of years. For every one of them it was for reasons that were completely predictable before they even got the dog in the first place. I just don't get why people can't think beyond next week when they get a dog

Well my "friend" (I use this term lightly), is now on his 3rd dogs in 5 years... first a black lab (too hyer as he was NEVER walked), next a cocker (barked too much as he was NEVER allowed in the house or walked)... and the newest addition is a "chavacon"... 3 months they have him (still NOT house trained) - i give this dog 1 year..... its a disgrace...

:mad::mad::mad:

Graces7

cocker5 wrote: »

Well my "friend" (I use this term lightly), is now on his 3rd dogs in 5 years... first a black lab (too hyer as he was NEVER walked), next a cocker (barked too much as he was NEVER allowed in the house or walked)... and the newest addition is a "chavacon"... 3 months they have him (still NOT house trained) - i give this dog 1 year..... its a disgrace...

:mad::mad::mad:

There were some lovely hand made stuffed toys at the craft fair yesterday... maybe they would be better with one of those :rolleyes::(

I am sure most of us here did not choose our dogs anyways. I certainly didnt; there was need simply. We just doour best with what came our way

tk123

My head is melted with the car - main dealer quoting €1100 :eek: to replace the bumper and fog light.. At lunchtime he said it'd be around 800..called other driver to let her know and she was shocked to say the least at 800.. Indpendant body shop can repair the damage for €450 max..

mymo

Tk, that's shocking, but then I had someone damage the front wing and door on my car when it was just 4 months old (I had it about 3 weeks) and the paint alone came to more than that (fancy paint kinda changes colour in light) I didn't know that when I picked it, I looked nice shiny grey to me??
I think altogether it cost just over 3k, their insurance paid thankfully, as I wasn't even in the car.

tk123

My dad said go with the independent...then I was saying how the main dealer guy was taking photos underneath it but indy was more interested in taking photos of the scratches and I wasn't sure... After looking underneath it himself he agrees with the main dealer now that the bumper, trim and fog light DO actually need to be replaced - instead of just fixing the scratches. The whole back is off centre which I didn't really notice myself until we were both looking there... whatever way the light hit it you could see straight away that the bumper pushed our. Nightmare. Tbh I'd rather deal with the insurance - she wanted to just pay herself because she thought it'd be around €250... (she's not from Dublin so not used to the prices!)

SingItOut

Hope lucy is doing better tk!

Vogue has caught four rats in the last three days (my next door neighbors garden is filthy but she is too "ill" to clean it), my mam is terrified of rats/mice , even dead ones. She makes me and dad check the doorstep before she'll go into the house!

Pumpkinseeds

SingItOut wrote: »

Hope lucy is doing better tk!

Vogue has caught four rats in the last three days (my next door neighbors garden is filthy but she is too "ill" to clean it), my mam is terrified of rats/mice , even dead ones. She makes me and dad check the doorstep before she'll go into the house!

I hate mice/rats and Jazzy is such a good rodent killer. It drives me nuts when he brings mice into the house though. I get freaked out about it being in the house and Mr Pumpkinseeds gets upset that something is being murdered. We always know when he's got rodents as he plays with them in the hall. :eek:

SingItOut

I don't Mind mice and rats but of course don't want them in the house, the cats never bring them into the house thankfully. I hate seeing them killed aswell, if the mouse seems relatively ok I'll catch it and release it but if it's pretty banged up I'll leave it to the cat as awful as that sounds! I've never had to rescue a rat, their usually deceased when their "gifted" to us.

ferretone

tk123 wrote: »

My mum just text me to say poor Lucy has been getting sick all morning!

Sorry to hear Hope she's better very soon. My neighbour's dog had a tummy bug last night and today, but seems better now, and thankfully Nyssa is fine.