The Chillout Zone (Off-Topic Thread)

SillyMangoX

Reading an article on RTE news about a dog attack in cork today.. the breed? A "Pitbull Mastiff". Would only take two seconds of fact checking to see this is not a breed. Fair enough if it was a cross, but that wasn't stated and from looking at the comments on the article, it was indeed a bull mastiff who had been in quarantine for 30 days, belonged to the lady's partner, and went to attack a cat when she intervened. Hope she makes a full recovery but I will never cease to be amazed with the lack of knowledge of dogs in the media.

Zapperzy

Does choosing the dhl option for postage on zooplus.ie mean it'll arrive with an post? Went with dpd and parcel motel option last time and got stung with €14 charge and had to collect from the depot anyways. Il never hear the last of it if I get another cat delivery at work :rolleyes:

tk123

I stopped using the DHL option because they lost a few parcels on me! I'm lucky where I work - if I order something heavy I drive around to the goods entrance and the mailroom guys will carry the boxes out to the car for me! Is there a DPD depot near you? If you sign up for parcel wizard you can reschedule/redirect/collect at the depot and they give you a 1 hour delivery window - you could hang around the carpark and flag them down lol

Zapperzy

There's actually a dpd depot right next door to work but there's a fence in between, if it wasn't heavy boxes I was getting I could go through a hole in the fence, don't think it's too far a drive to get round the other side. Never heard of parcelwizard before, looks to be an option! I didn't know how to go about asking them to collect at the depot besides having the driver attempt to deliver at home and ring me.

tk123

Zapperzy wrote: »

There's actually a dpd depot right next door to work but there's a fence in between, if it wasn't heavy boxes I was getting I could go through a hole in the fence, don't think it's too far a drive to get round the other side. Never heard of parcelwizard before, looks to be an option! I didn't know how to go about asking them to collect at the depot besides having the driver attempt to deliver at home and ring me.

You can set up schedules and redirections on the website in advance and one of the options is collect at depot - you get an email/text too that gives you the same options. I'd say you could even ring them in advance and ask to collect at the depot. There's a big PW thread in Bargain Alerts - PM one of the reps and quiz them

mymo

Call DPD depot with tracking number and ask them to hold it for collection, that's what I do.

tk123

For the first time since before Lucy arrived to rob everything off him Bailey is chewing a nylabone! I gave them one each with a little bit of coconut oil on the end to distract them from play killing each other and they're both chewing away! There was a few seconds of hawk eye from Lucy while she was watching him and deciding if she should steal his but I warned her to leave him alone and she reluctantly agreed!

Aragneer

Finally got my new apartment with my fella and we can finally get the hamsters we've been researching and planning for for weeks! WOO!

Also - Hi guys! I'm new here and am delighted to find an animal forum where I can procrastinate my day away

Aragneer

Finally got my new apartment with my fella and we can finally get the hamsters we've been researching and planning for for weeks! WOO!

Also - Hi guys! I'm new here and am delighted to find an animal forum where I can procrastinate my day away

aonb

So brought Tux (the rescue cat) to the vet last week. To get her annual shots (she might go to cattery, so have to keep these up to date) - vet suggested a 'new' vaccine for feline lukaemia :eek: - since we were there, decided after discussion to have it - so shes got everything up to date/boosters etc. New vaccine this, in case anyone interested!

Anyway, we were there because shes suddenly started shaking her head, scratching her ears etc. Ive had a dog with ear mites, so even tho her ears were VERY clean looking, symptoms looked the same. Its not ear mites, but the vet did see a flea :mad::mad::mad: So... shes had all her shots/boosters, and 'dosed' for fleas/mites/worms etc - admin'd over a week - poor Tux every chemical know to veterinary science running thru her veins this week

Two things:
1. anyone seen a cat with an allergy to fleas? I seem to remember when I found her, in a bad state, that she had a crustiness around her mouth, the vet at that time thought it might be an allergy to fleas/mites...

Shes no longer scratching/shaking her head, but her ears are a bit scurvy/scabby looking. The vet took a scraping or whatever, and phoned today to sa nothing is showing up on that culture... I'll bring her back next week if necessary

2. Im pretty much anti giving my animals too many chemicals - when the dogs have had a few vaccines to build up antibodies, I dont keep them up (had a dog with a very bad reaction to vaccines). Im so cross that Tux had a flea (or more) that the dogs have now been treated too. Are cats 'prone' to getting fleas??? I never treat the dogs for fleas - or the hens/horses! I will treat the cat again next month - especially since she may be allergic to fleas - but a total pain to have to do this every month. Alternatives? Suggestions? I'll treat her if necessary - HATE fleas - are they inclined to get them - she spends several hours/day outside

TG1

aonb wrote: »

2. Im pretty much anti giving my animals too many chemicals - when the dogs have had a few vaccines to build up antibodies, I dont keep them up (had a dog with a very bad reaction to vaccines). Im so cross that Tux had a flea (or more) that the dogs have now been treated too. Are cats 'prone' to getting fleas??? I never treat the dogs for fleas - or the hens/horses!

Do horses get fleas? It never even crossed my mind that they might and I'm religious about treating Bob ever since I found some of his fleas in the carpet! I'm fanatical about Lucy's wormers but fleas on horses had never even crossed my mind!!

aonb

TG1 wrote: »

Do horses get fleas? It never even crossed my mind that they might and I'm religious about treating Bob ever since I found some of his fleas in the carpet! I'm fanatical about Lucy's wormers but fleas on horses had never even crossed my mind!!

Horses are probably more inclined to get lice - they CAN have fleas - but I seem to think that because fleas lay their eggs in bedding/whatever - off the host, then jump back onto the host when they hatch, is this right? - they probably dont get into the cycle with horses that they do with cats/dogs/hens/bed-using-animals?

Are Bob/Lucy cat and dog?!

Cherry Blossom

I worked in livery yards and trekking centres for a few years and have my own and on occasion other people's horses at home and have never heard or read anything about fleas in relation to horses.

TG1

aonb wrote: »

Horses are probably more inclined to get lice - they CAN have fleas - but I seem to think that because fleas lay their eggs in bedding/whatever - off the host, then jump back onto the host when they hatch, is this right? - they probably dont get into the cycle with horses that they do with cats/dogs/hens/bed-using-animals?

Are Bob/Lucy cat and dog?!

Dog and horse! But I already spend all my time and money fussing over the two of them, if I had another thing to worry about I don't know would I manage!

mymo

I have 4 cats, I only treat if I see a flea or see them scratching a bit, I check the skin behind ears, base of tail, areas like that, for flea dirt, and treat if I see that. (Wet a tissue, rub black specks you suspect to be flea dirt and if there's a pink tinge it's flea dirt, warning: use warm wet tissue or your cat may disembowel you for this, or may do it anyway, one of mine tries most days).
Cats are prone to fleas if they are out much, or hunt.
Only treatment I do regular is worming!

mymo

I have 4 cats, I only treat if I see a flea or see them scratching a bit, I check the skin behind ears, base of tail, areas like that, for flea dirt, and treat if I see that. (Wet a tissue, rub black specks you suspect to be flea dirt and if there's a pink tinge it's flea dirt, warning: use warm wet tissue or your cat may disembowel you for this, or may do it anyway, one of mine tries most days).
Cats are prone to fleas if they are out much, or hunt.
Only treatment I do regular is worming!

Zapperzy

Is it normal for cats to love chickpeas?? Jesse has devoured loads since I opened a tin yesterday, she usually begs for anything edible but gives it a lick and walks away if it's anything unusual.

NamelessPhil

^^

One of mine loved chickpeas. If you opened a can she'd be over like a shot begging for some. She also loved anything with tomato sauce i.e. bolognese sauce and would sometimes lick the remains from the chopped tomato can. Other cats have loved raisins, curry, avocado skins (she'd dig them out form the compost bin), smoked salmon, milk from your breakfast cereal, crisps, fruitcake and tea.

I might add that we never actually fed them deliberately with those foods, but if something got dropped on the ground it would get gobbled. Sometimes you'd find a paw coming over the edge of the table to cadge something.

mymo

Mine like baked beans, or butter beans or whatever I put in the stew or chilli.
Also butternut squash seems popular with my lot too, one loves spag Bol, lumps of tomato and all. Toby drink coffee too if he can get it, we don't drink it, he sometimes goes for our tea, but one whiff of coffee and he appears like magic!

Kovu

Kovu goes nuts for mashed sweet potato, mayonnaise and black olives. He's actually just demolished a few of the latter as I was making a salad. They do drive him a little dotty though, something akin to catnip.

I really have to wean him off the mayo, he's getting a little tubby....however he knows the taste difference between the full fat and the low fat one :pac:
When he was in getting his vaccine booster on Thursday, the vet opened the fridge door to get the vials and he magically appeared out of the carrier looking for his treat!

TG1

I got up in the middle of the night to pee, and Bob my dog didn't move... I came back in and he still hadn't stirred from the bed. There was no snoring either which is unusual. He's thirteen and a good bit so panic was quietly setting in... I poked his legs with my crutch and still nothing so I started to give myself the "at least he died in his sleep" pep talk, then turned on the light and just got a big sigh and a glare as if to say "eh, do you mind, I was sleeping"

I'm still a bit of an emotional wreck now 6 hours on, and he's just getting annoyed with all the hugging and kissing. Brat!

mymo

TG1, we have a 15 year old cat that was a very sick kitten, we were told he wouldn't have a long life, suffers recurrent infections in recent years, and over the last couple of years we have regularly poked him as he looked like he was dead!
He just sleeps very deeply, possibly getting a bit deaf, but at least he's always happy we wake him and will purr himself back to sleep after a few hugs.
Meanwhile we take hours to recover

It's awful when they get old

Queen-Mise

Does anyone fancy helping name a foster kitten? I'm at a loss for a name at the moment.

I name all kittens from Nerd-verse, so we have had a Penny, Princess Leia, Thor, Loki, Rigby, etc.

The current kitten is mainly white with patches of grey/black fur. The few marks on his face make it seem dirty. And he is also the quietest and most chilled kitten I have ever seen. Only for the fact he was checked out by vet, I'd be worried about his laziness, most unkittenlike.

aonb

Queen-Mise wrote: »

Does anyone fancy helping name a foster kitten? I'm at a loss for a name at the moment.

I name all kittens from Nerd-verse, so we have had a Penny, Princess Leia, Thor, Loki, Rigby, etc.

The current kitten is mainly white with patches of grey/black fur. The few marks on his face make it seem dirty. And he is also the quietest and most chilled kitten I have ever seen. Only for the fact he was checked out by vet, I'd be worried about his laziness, most unkittenlike.

a photo would definately be required before we could possibly try to name him!! (really just an excuse to see such a cute sounding kitten!)

NamelessPhil

Queen-Mise wrote: »

Does anyone fancy helping name a foster kitten? I'm at a loss for a name at the moment.

I name all kittens from Nerd-verse, so we have had a Penny, Princess Leia, Thor, Loki, Rigby, etc.

The current kitten is mainly white with patches of grey/black fur. The few marks on his face make it seem dirty.

Is he a Rorschach or a Mort or a Ripley?

Queen-Mise

aonb wrote:

a photo would definately be required before we could possibly try to name him!! (really just an excuse to see such a cute sounding kitten!)

No objection to photo, forget how to do it. I wonder is the test forum still there.

I was thinking Baloo, although I like the name Ripley, but then that is a distinguished name, this kitten is more of a stoner.

Could call him Wayne.

NamelessPhil

^^
.
There's always "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski. (I know there's a Dude on the forum already).

Kovu

Ooooh naming a kitten, isn't that how we ended up with Finbar Cobblepot :P
Chairman Meow Or Pepé (le Pew!)

TG1

I like Radagast since his markings sound like they look a bit messy!

mymo

Definitely need a photo, sometimes a face or markings call for a certain name.