Ace of Spades Pet Thread, August 6

Courtesy Hrothgar

Welcome to this weekly respite from most of the outside "civilized" world -- the Ace of Spades Pet Thread. There's enough love to share with both cats and dogs here.

Thanks for stopping by. Sniff out your best treats, kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Reminder: For current events and politics, the Thread before the Gardening Thread (a couple of threads below) is almost always an Open Thread.

* * *

Well, this segment might be a little too far from civilization for some. If so, just scroll past. But there are some pointers here about protecting yourself and your pets from snakes. Santa Barbara woman credits snake aversion training after numerous backyard encounters between dogs and large rattler

CaliGirl:

I didn't know that snake aversion could be taught to dogs. I don't know how that would work or how successful the training is. I cannot believe a woman in Santa Barbara admitted to killing something, I imagine she'll get grief from her friends.
I don't have any here but some of my friends have the antivenin at their ranches. This makes me want to keep some here.
We kill them here. This rattlesnake was killed up a mountain by a water trough. The pic may be too graphic. When the guy drove up to the clearing on a quad, it was right there coiled up in the road ready to strike, he only had a .22 with him and he shot it a bunch of times and cut the head off. I think it scared him. I'm terrified of startling one.

Snake aversion therapy for dogs sounds interesting. We don't want snakes biting pets OR people!

I didn't know civilians kept antivenin. I think you need species-specific antivenin.

* * *

A working dog:

Courtesy Javems

Meet The PetMorons

&&&

One pic is of my two boys. The human one is now 45 years old. The second is our Rusty when just a pup. Rusty was part of the family for 16 years.
In the end his life just became too painful. He was the most engaged dog
I've ever been with and was part of us, heart and soul. He was a small
(55lbs) and wiry retriever, the son of a champion field dog. When I
would come home and meet him in the back yard he had to bring me
something, if not one of his beloved tennis balls at least a mouth full
of leaves, or grass. He was always excited by Christmas. He knew it was
coming when the tree went up and we didn't need kids to wake us up
Christmas morning. He would wait, trembling with excitement, until it
was his turn to pick his presents. He would carefully pick his from
under the tree and how he never knocked off an ornament I'll never know.
His tail was always a deadly weapon. I made a nice urn for him and he's
with us in the den. I still tear up at the thought of our loss.
Thanks,
Javems

What a sweet remembrance, Javems.

* * *

"NOTE: Someone with no apparent nic sent in a photo of a couple of nice dogs with no apparent names to MisHum. Would you like to clear up your identity just a little? "

Hmmm, might have been me. I'm John, and the boyos are Jack and his brother Winston, 'sharing' a chewy bone...?

"Sharing". Hmmm. They look like great dogs.

* * *

Long time lurker, second time submitter,
I ask the Universe for a replacement Mouse Police shop cat after my beloved Chairman Mao went at it with a coyote a few years ago. Coyote got the best of her, but she went down swinging. The offending coyote showed up a few days later ALL tore up. Mao may have been old and about half deaf but jeeze. She ripped that coyote a new one. I had to put him down.
So time goes by (years) and I'm getting impatient with the Universe to deliver a replacement, so I take things into my own hands. Careful what you ask for stupid human.
This svelte beauty I catnapped from a nearby clowder. She is the current Mouse Police prospect for the shop. This one has mad moussing skills but not so big on the related Mouse Police paper work. We are in talks with management for a waiver on the paperwork though. For my crime of catnapping she promptly dropped me a litter of new recruits. Looks like I'll have a whole Mouse Police Dept. soon. Shop mice be advised. Oh and thanks Universe....mumble ... mumble.
Left handed Penguin.

Maybe we will see photos of the new recruits someday. Mom is a pretty cat! Intriguing pose, too.

* * *

Darth Maul - 5 month old Brahma, appropriately named. He will launch into orbit and use his feet as light sabers.
Euro

Beautiful and deadly!

* * *

Long time lurker and rare commenter here. AoS is my several-times-a-day vice both for the writing of the proprietor and the comment sections.
Pictured from left is Hope and Bailey, both about 7 and adopted as a pair of puppies. Bailey recently soaked up $8,000 in surgery and vets for a cranial osteosarcoma pushing into her brain. She's made a complete recovery and the Vet Center at Purdue University is optimistic that she will be fine. The fur all grew back and she has a bit of a perplexed wide eyed expression now due to the skin being pulled a little tight.
On the right is River, newly added at about 12 weeks old and driving the other two nuts for the past week with the energy of a Husky puppy. With the mismatched blue and green eyes, she certainly turns heads. We just have to get the housebreaking down....

Wow! You have your hands full, with doggie surgery and a puppy! Hope things go smoothly! Sweet looking dogs.

* * *

Love those PetMorons! Thank you for sharing your pets with us. We have some left for next week.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:
petmorons at protonmail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

* * *

If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, July 30. Some special PetMoron stories and photos there.

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 03:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Another round of stellar pets

Posted by: Beartooth at August 06, 2022 03:40 PM (+ksY7)

2 Rusty!!

Didn't realize how dusty it is here today.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at August 06, 2022 03:43 PM (7YGxy)

3 Rusty was a good dog.

No more needs said.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at August 06, 2022 03:44 PM (dNqv+)

4 That must be a German dog because it is working on a Volkswagen.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at August 06, 2022 03:46 PM (bVYXr)

5 I was hiking a few years ago not far from CaliGirl's place and saw a little rattler on the path. I am used to them, but my wife is not, and she was quite startled.

One of about 8,000,000 reasons why gun control is stupid.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 06, 2022 03:46 PM (XIJ/X)

6 Thanks for the Pet Thread, K.T.!

It's always such a pleasure to see the Pet Morons.

Love that top photo too! Truly the look of jealousy on the dog's fine face...

Posted by: Legally Sufficient at August 06, 2022 03:46 PM (xT18z)

7 That is not jealousy. It is deeply hurt feelings. I feel his pain.

Posted by: Pamazon at August 06, 2022 03:49 PM (OBjG6)

8 Nice Pets Y'all!...

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at August 06, 2022 03:49 PM (R/m4+)

9 Think the ballast has gone out on the florescent light in the kitchen. To make this not OT, Ajax is staring at me curiously as I flick the switch on and off trying to turn the light on.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at August 06, 2022 03:49 PM (dNqv+)

10 Happy Caturday everyone

Posted by: Skip's phone at August 06, 2022 03:50 PM (IAr9f)

11 We had a Lab that was used for hunting, so hubby decided it was time for snake avoidance training. The instructor used a defanged rattlesnake and a shock collar. The objective was to get the pet to associate the snake's strike with pain from the collar. Someone was quite stubborn and wanted to go after the snake that she associated with pain, so it took three tries before the lesson of snake avoidance was finally learned. I like to think the training was useful in the field. If nothing else, the Lab would let us know if there was a snake in the vicinity!

Posted by: Legally Sufficient at August 06, 2022 03:50 PM (xT18z)

12 The wife is making me get another cat. She really really had to twist my arm. She tells me I baby mine too much, and this one will be hers. We'll see.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 03:53 PM (qEscH)

13 We have a friend who lost part of a finger to a bite from a baby rattler. Their bites are not to be taken lightly.

Posted by: KT at August 06, 2022 03:53 PM (rrtZS)

14 Cats have a natural aversion I think. At least I hope so. Water Moccasins occasionally venture out of the canal by my house.

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 03:54 PM (V4q4k)

15 Critters!

Posted by: Duke Lowell at August 06, 2022 03:55 PM (u73oe)

16 Just found out the dog days of summer are so called because of the Romans. It’s the time that Sirius the Dog Star holds sway. I always thought it was a baseball thing.

Posted by: Blutarski at August 06, 2022 03:57 PM (iLvV2)

17 The wife is making me get another cat. She really really had to twist my arm. She tells me I baby mine too much, and this one will be hers. We'll see.
Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 03:53 PM (qEscH)

Kitten or adult? How old is your cat?

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 03:57 PM (V4q4k)

18 Haven't seen any snakes around my place, but I assume they're somewhere.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 03:57 PM (qEscH)

19
Kitten or adult? How old is your cat?
Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 03:57 PM (V4q4k)

We have 3, all adults. Likely getting a youngster, if we can get the one we're looking at, he's about 5 months.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 03:59 PM (qEscH)

20 Beautiful non-human household members, and stories. Even the rattlesnake story which had a very happy ending.

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 04:00 PM (gktX6)

21 Beautiful pets again this week.

What is a clowder? Cute description of the new mouse police recruit.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (3cGpq)

22 As a child, we had a Chesapeake Bay retriever that we were later sure had been bitten by a copperhead (a type of snake that we had in abundance on the property). The dog was off his feed and not himself for a few days, but fully recovered.
But our dog chose attack therapy as opposed to aversion therapy as his mode of revenge. From then until the day he finally, and peacefully, crossed the rainbow bridge, he hated all snakes. When we uncovered a snake while clearing brush, he would appear and put on a performance that would have impressed a mongoose.
He would whirl, dance, and strike at the snake until he had worn the snake down enough that he could safely go for a neck bite. The coup de grace for the snake was then a violent shaking movement which broke the snake's spine. Once the snake was safely dead, the dog would drop the snake and go off for a nice well-deserved rest.

Posted by: Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ This year in Corsicana! ~ at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (hOUT3)

23 In my locale in WI the 'hood has TONS of of plain old garter snakes. If you do any work in the yard at all they erupt. I can always tell when my neighbor down the street is gardening because I can hear her scream at intervals.
"AHHH! Fuck!"
Most are small but I've seen some bigger ones sunning on my front walk. Four feet stretched out isn't unusual.
But, between the snakes and the inside cats, not many mice in a 100+ year old house with a limestone foundation.

Posted by: LenNeal at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (43xH1)

24 Such beautiful pets

Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at August 06, 2022 04:02 PM (eGTCV)

25 Also in WI, snakes climb my mulberry tree, which makes it interesting when mowing the grass as they'll drop on you.

Posted by: LenNeal at August 06, 2022 04:04 PM (43xH1)

26 The coup de grace for the snake was then a violent shaking movement which broke the snake's spine. Once the snake was safely dead, the dog would drop the snake and go off for a nice well-deserved rest.
Posted by: Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ This year in Corsicana! ~ at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (hOUT3)

Snakes have decided to make themselves my enemy. If it takes a lifetime, I shall teach them the folly of that decision.

Posted by: Chesapeake Bay Retriever, staring off into the distance at August 06, 2022 04:04 PM (dNqv+)

27 When the small snakes get into the house my older cat loves it, Best Toy Ever. She throws them around, oh, she just has the best time. Then she kills them and comes whining to me screaming and yowling, throwing the dead husk at my feet.
"Get me another one!"
"Well, if you keep breaking your toys...!!!"

Posted by: LenNeal at August 06, 2022 04:06 PM (43xH1)

28 roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 03:54 PM

Our cats tried to play with gopher snakes. They look a lot like rattlers.

Posted by: KT at August 06, 2022 04:06 PM (rrtZS)

29 I've discovered it's no more effective to tell my female dog to calm down when she's barking too much as it is to tell a human female to calm down.
That was just a joke

Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at August 06, 2022 04:06 PM (eGTCV)

30 Sorry for your loss, Javems. Made me tear up too and it's been awhile since I lost my last golden.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at August 06, 2022 04:06 PM (9WSy4)

31 The doggie looks Iike he is saying
Who is the new interloper?

Too cute Hrothgar

Posted by: Skip's phone at August 06, 2022 04:07 PM (IAr9f)

32 Cats do NOT all have a natural snake aversion. Back when I had Black Burt, indoor outdoor cat he would occasionally get an abscess on a leg. I was puzzled at how he could get in a fight and only get a paw bit; then one day I caught him red pawed playing with a bull snake. Luckily we've never had rattlers on the property. They are in the region but I've only seen one close by in 20 years. I went back down the road with a shotty after I got the horse home but didn't spy him. I was tromping around briefly in the CRP where I thought he might have gone and then decided that was stupid since I could startle him and get bit w/o ever seeing him in the sagebrush.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:08 PM (3cGpq)

33 Jake is so jealous of my cat. If she's on the couch, he gets up there even if he has to climb on the back of it. If I'm petting her on the floor, he'll sit right in front of my legs. Jake gets plenty of attention but just wants all of it.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at August 06, 2022 04:10 PM (9WSy4)

34 How can cats be afraid of cucumbers but mess with snakes? Weird creatures that I love.

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:10 PM (V4q4k)

35 We have 3, all adults. Likely getting a youngster, if we can get the one we're looking at, he's about 5 months.
Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 03:59 PM (qEscH

Do all of your three cats get along?

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:11 PM (V4q4k)

36 I mow the property on a Kubota tractor. You'd think I could just run over a snake and that'd be the end of it.

That would be a wrong assumption.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 06, 2022 04:12 PM (BFigT)

37 That begs for more details Martini Farmer.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:13 PM (3cGpq)

38 Just found out the dog days of summer are so called because of the Romans. It’s the time that Sirius the Dog Star holds sway. I always thought it was a baseball thing.
Posted by: Blutarski at August 06, 2022

***
Hello, all! I think there is also an American folk tale that the heat of August, if it's bad enough, makes dogs go mad.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:15 PM (c6xtn)

39 LOL. Funny picture and caption from Hrothgar. The dog's expression is priceless. Beautiful pictures of all the pets. Sorry about cat Chairman Mao; What a stately lady she was. Nice, nice story from Javens about their dog (I laughed at the picture of Rusty helping out on the car, Javems) and I loved the picture of their son with puppy Rusty. I also liked the colorful chicken!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 06, 2022 04:17 PM (snPsk)

40 That begs for more details Martini Farmer.
Posted by: PaleRider

True dat!

Posted by: Commissar Hrothgar (hOUT3) ~ This year in Corsicana! ~ at August 06, 2022 04:17 PM (hOUT3)

41 Love these threads. Sorry for no content.

Posted by: Burrrton at August 06, 2022 04:20 PM (wbQhW)

42 Sorry I read too fast. The beautiful striped cat is your current one and a mother.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 06, 2022 04:21 PM (snPsk)

43 I'm here with Stirling the Evil Black Kitten of War and Pestilence! Next week will be 2 months that he has been plaguing me and making my life more . . . interesting, shall we say. He has not stopped trying to get milk out of my neck or arm; I have to lock him out of the bedroom when I sleep. Maybe he'll outgrow that behavior.

I tried to weigh him just now, holding him in my arms when I stepped on the bathroom scale, then letting him go. It looked as if the needle dropped a good 8 lbs. from our combined weight of 159. I have no idea how accurate that scale is -- but if he's closing in on 8 lbs. at only 5 months of age, I'd say he's going to be a solid cat.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:21 PM (c6xtn)

44 >>When the small snakes get into the house

These are words that would cause me to move.

Give me a moray eel any day of the week.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 06, 2022 04:22 PM (ZLI7S)

45 Incredible photos this week, very sweet looking faces all around. Even the jealous ones.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 06, 2022 04:24 PM (EZebt)

46 > 37 That begs for more details Martini Farmer.
___________

The mowing deck "floats" above the ground on wheels. There's not enough suction to lift the bastards out of the ground and grind 'em up. I've run over one with the tires, but they move fast and the ground/grass can be thick so they are hard to see over the hood.

I've been meaning to buy the so called "snake loads" for my .22 Ruger SR-22. Still would be an interesting situation riding around on the tractor. It's not exactly "flat."

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 06, 2022 04:25 PM (BFigT)

47 Do all of your three cats get along?
Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:11 PM (V4q4k)

Generally, yes. My female cat is getting older, she used to take no guff from the boys, but now the bigger male picks on her a little. Not too bad though.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 04:26 PM (qEscH)

48 Martini Farmer, you had a snake get on the tractor with you, right?

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 04:26 PM (gktX6)

49 then one day I caught him red pawed playing with a bull snake. Luckily we've never had rattlers on the property. They are in the region but I've only seen one close by in 20 years. I went back down the road with a shotty after I got the horse home but didn't spy him.
Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:08 PM (3cGpq

I've been told that if you gave bull snakes, then you don't have rattlers. I don't know how reliable this information is. I heard it from a firefighter.

Posted by: Emmie at August 06, 2022 04:27 PM (t62xj)

50 What is a clowder? Cute description of the new mouse police recruit.
Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (3cGpq)
----
A "clowder" is the technical term for a group of cats, like "pack" is for dogs and "herd" is for horses.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 06, 2022 04:29 PM (K5n5d)

51 If you have an Ollie's Discount store in your neighborhood, they have quite a range of pet supplies, including food. I picked up a bag of Blue Buffalo dry kitten chow, very much like the Baby Blue feed from the same company that I've been giving Stirling. $6 for 2 lbs. They had a 4-lb. bag of a similar concoction for $10, even cheaper. In contrast, the 5 lb. bag of Baby Blue from Petco is close to $20.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:30 PM (c6xtn)

52 > 48 Martini Farmer, you had a snake get on the tractor with you, right?
___________

On the mowing deck. Not "on the tractor" proper. Still too fucking close. I think I basically scooped it up with the edge of it. Probably a run of the mill garden or black snake, but I still hopped off and ran away like a little girl.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 06, 2022 04:30 PM (BFigT)

53 I tried to weigh him just now, holding him in my arms when I stepped on the bathroom scale, then letting him go. It looked as if the needle dropped a good 8 lbs. from our combined weight of 159. I have no idea how accurate that scale is -- but if he's closing in on 8 lbs. at only 5 months of age, I'd say he's going to be a solid cat.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:21 PM (c6xtn)
---
Dang. I have a ten-year-old cat that's only about 8 pounds. So, yeah, Stirling will be a muscular little dude when he reaches his potential, I think...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 06, 2022 04:30 PM (K5n5d)

54 I was clearing some pretty wooly brush with a D6 and looked down at the right track , there was about a 5ft rattler. I ran her forward and dropped the blade 3 or 4 times, still had to kill the front half. Scary.

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 04:33 PM (gktX6)

55 Yay pet thread! Javems what a wonderful story about Rusty. He was beautiful inside and out.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:34 PM (nxdel)

56 Dang. I have a ten-year-old cat that's only about 8 pounds. So, yeah, Stirling will be a muscular little dude when he reaches his potential, I think...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 06, 2022

***
Perfessor, I'm only guessing. He was vet-weighed at 4.2 the week after I adopted him. A month later at his follow-up vet visit, age 4 months, he was 6 lbs. and something. He's still got to grow into his ears and paws, so I have hopes he will be impressive as an adult.

I'm used to big, though not gigantic, cats. Rusty my boyhood red tabby hit 14 without being fat, as did Arizona the part-Maine Coon and Wolf the big black longhair. And Chekov D. Siberian was 12 at his peak.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (c6xtn)

57 Bog Dog was bitten by a rattler. An IV and the antivenin and overnight he was none the worse for the wear.

His Vet had previously given him the viper vaccine. Not sure it made a material difference

I have come to find out that for those who don't have pet insurance or the wherewithal to pay for the anitvenin the solution which is supposedly pretty effective is a saline drip to keep the blood pressure up while the body breaks down the snake venom. YMMV

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (Jzz++)

58 Been a rough week at Shep's. We had to help our sweet Churro cross the rainbow bridge. He had many health problems but seemed to be doing okay. He went on a field trip and met some schoolkids. It was very hot that day and later he had trouble breathing then suffered 2 seizures.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:38 PM (nxdel)

59 My sister and brother kittehs are 12 lbs and 19lbs respectively . Luckily they get along very well.

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:40 PM (V4q4k)

60 Been a rough week at Shep's. We had to help our sweet Churro cross the rainbow bridge. He had many health problems but seemed to be doing okay. He went on a field trip and met some schoolkids. It was very hot that day and later he had trouble breathing then suffered 2 seizures.
Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022

***
Sorry to hear that, Jewells. How old was he?

That hot weather can get even the toughest of us, 2-legged or 4.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:40 PM (c6xtn)

61 Great pets!

Posted by: m at August 06, 2022 04:41 PM (r8enq)

62 Then we found out Roscoe has an inoperable tumor on his anal gland. This is why he's been chewing everything in sight. Probably has pain and anxiety.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:42 PM (nxdel)

63 Wolfus he was 10. Honestly they should have nixed the field trip knowing his health wasn't good. Poor sweet guy. He loved to lick everyones leg lol! Such a goof.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:43 PM (nxdel)

64 Then we found out Roscoe has an inoperable tumor on his anal gland. This is why he's been chewing everything in sight. Probably has pain and anxiety.
Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:42 PM (nxdel)

Since you believe he is in pain does your facility euthanize? Or will you medicate?

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:45 PM (V4q4k)

65 When we had our property in rural southern Indiana, we always had many outdoor cats, including a grizzled male runt that developed quite the relationship with me. I can't count the number of times he would disappear for days and come back to our house missing an ear or just beat up. I'd try to render him aid or bring him in the house to heal up, and he would decline and go back about his business in the woods, whatever that was. He was very fond of snakes, his most notable achievement was catching and killing and EATING a 4 ft long black snake...or at least some of it. Cats are unbelievable hunters. He fathered many litters over our 7 years there.

Posted by: Skeptical Schnauzer at August 06, 2022 04:46 PM (lIDCz)

66 I'm used to big, though not gigantic, cats. Rusty my boyhood red tabby hit 14 without being fat, as did Arizona the part-Maine Coon and Wolf the big black longhair. And Chekov D. Siberian was 12 at his peak.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (c6xtn)
---
Jasmine is my lightest kitty at around 8 pounds. Both Penny and Kaylee are around 14 pounds. Penny is solid muscle. Kaylee is fluffy (though not really long-haired) and fat.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 06, 2022 04:46 PM (K5n5d)

67 On giant cats: In '06 I attended a cat show. One lady had a big black Maine Coon kitten for sale. She said he was already 14 lbs. -- at 8 months old.

I'd have snapped him up, but $800 at that point was way too much for me. I hope he's had a good long life.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:48 PM (c6xtn)

68 Poor doggies, Jewell. It must sometimes be like working in hospice, but with dogs instead of people. You have a tender heart.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 06, 2022 04:48 PM (snPsk)

69 43. Weigh something with a known weight, ie. a 5 lb bag of sugar, to help gauge accuracy of your scale.

Sterling sounds like a big personality for a tiny cat. ; )

Posted by: Lola at August 06, 2022 04:49 PM (NIYa7)

70 My GSD acts like his right ear is bothering him but he won't let me examine or clean it. I have some ear wash but he doesn't like that.

Posted by: fd at August 06, 2022 04:50 PM (sn5EN)

71 Indoor cat sees a bear for the first time.
Great reaction from the cat.
Goes to Rumble

https://tinyurl.com/2p8h3ucz

Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 04:50 PM (jTmQV)

72 I have come to find out that for those who don't have pet insurance or the wherewithal to pay for the anitvenin the solution which is supposedly pretty effective is a saline drip to keep the blood pressure up while the body breaks down the snake venom. YMMV

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (Jzz++)

I know that it is quite pricey for humans...on the order of thousands of dollars/vial...and people often require much more than one vial.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 06, 2022 04:50 PM (XIJ/X)

73 Since you believe he is in pain does your facility euthanize? Or will you medicate?

We are trying medication for now. They will take him to the vet when they think it's time. We give them every opportunity to still have a good life but don't want them to suffer.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:50 PM (nxdel)

74 Sorry to hear that, Jewells.

Posted by: Toni at August 06, 2022 04:51 PM (PgM6e)

75 My old feral cat, Momma, was a skilled snake killer. Big, tough, short tailed and mean when she wanted to be.

She would spot a snake out sunning itself and she would maneuver behind it then slowly creep up before the fatal pounce on the head. How she learned that I have no idea but after awhile I would actually go and shoo snakes off if I saw she had one in her sights. Poor bastards didn't stand a chance.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at August 06, 2022 04:52 PM (R/m4+)

76 Oh Fenelon it's very tough sometimes. I get very attached to them and when one is in pain or has to be euthanized it just breaks my heart. But I give myself the pep talk. You chose this, you are giving them a second chance to love and be loved and when it's their time you have to let them go and make room in your heart for the next dog..or two.. sometimes 3 lol! Russell is so soft hearted we can sometimes get 3 new dogs in a week.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:54 PM (nxdel)

77 Out two cats, dearly missed, together didn't weigh 15 pounds their whole lives. And they ate to their hearts content all day.

Posted by: Skip at August 06, 2022 04:55 PM (k8B25)

78 Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:50 PM (nxdel)

You guys do it the right way. Good for ya'll.

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 04:56 PM (V4q4k)

79 fd, you probably should take him to the vet if he won't let you take care of the problem.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:57 PM (nxdel)

80 You guys do it the right way. Good for ya'll.

Thank you.

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:58 PM (nxdel)

81 We had to take our momma cat to the vets on Thursday. She'd been bitten by something and the wound abscessed. Nasty looking. And smelling.

Never heard a thing the night it happened. The cats hang out on our front porch and our bedroom is on the front of the house too.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 06, 2022 05:03 PM (BFigT)

82 Martini Farmer.. spider maybe??

Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 05:05 PM (nxdel)

83 Posted by: Hairyback Guy

Truly the ultimate ambush predator. Loved having that pack of cats. Never even saw a mouse, let alone having a problem. They would travel to the nearest neighbor's house to get mice for their kittens. And I never brought a cat there. They all just sort of showed up over time. When we got our latest schnauzer, the day of the cat had ended. He absolutely cannot abide cats, and if left to his own devices, he would personally kill each one. You could say he is not a cat lover.

Posted by: Skeptical Schnauzer at August 06, 2022 05:06 PM (lIDCz)

84 Weigh something with a known weight, ie. a 5 lb bag of sugar, to help gauge accuracy of your scale.

Sterling sounds like a big personality for a tiny cat. ; )
Posted by: Lola at August 06, 2022

***
I'll try that.

Oh, yes, he's got quite the personality . . . like a charming serial killer. Not his fault, that's the nature of cats, to kill things. He spotted a wasp in the hood over the stove one night this week, and I killed it and gave him praise and some kitty treats. My hope is that he will make short work of even small bugs. My previous 2 monsters, like the Doomsday Machine, ignored anything too small to be interesting.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 05:07 PM (c6xtn)

85 Being a city dweller, all my cats for the last 25 years or so are indoor cats. I let them roam for a while, they would get into predicaments, all expensive.
One came home shot by an arrow. He expired on my deck.
Ever since, my cats are indoors all the time. If I am hanging out in the yard I will allow them supervised outdoor time. They all live 20+ years ever since I made the change.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 05:08 PM (jTmQV)

86 Old Dog, Old Cat, and the Butler are still trying to adjust to being without New Old Dog. For the most part, we muddle along, but all of a sudden Old Dog is waiting by the back door for his cohort or Old Cat is hissing and punching at a shadow. I really miss him today while watching my toddler granddaughter be a perfectly obnoxious 3yo. New Old Dog knew exactly how to distract and deflect so I could get whatever away from an irate toddler. We were so incredibly fortunate to have him even for such a few years.

Posted by: mustbequantum at August 06, 2022 05:10 PM (MIKMs)

87 Gourmand, I'd love to meet that 'archer' that shot your cat. Oh yeah.

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 05:12 PM (gktX6)

88 Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 05:08 PM (jTmQV)

I always had indoor outdoor cats as a kid. When I finally decided to get my kittehs 4 years ago I decided they would be inside only because I could handle something happening to them, I did start teaching them immediately as kittens to take walks with me without a leash. I screwed myself though because now they demand I take them for walks more than if I had a dog.

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 05:15 PM (V4q4k)

89 I hear ya, Eromero
Monsters live amongst us.
Hell must be full.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 05:16 PM (jTmQV)

90 Could = couldn't

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 05:16 PM (V4q4k)

91 My wife lost her travel companion, a blue heeler, about 3 weeks ago. Old age. Today I'm out running errands and wife sends me a pic of her and a baby red heeler. I call her and she starts telling me all about the dog. Never did mention if male or female, or its name. Guess I'll find out tonite.

Posted by: t_bodie - Lurker. Unless you are reading this. at August 06, 2022 05:19 PM (6jpby)

92 Posted by: t_bodie - Lurker. Unless you are reading this. at August 06, 2022 05:19 PM (6jpby)

Ya gotta love women. Especially if they're your wife. 😀

Posted by: roc Ingersol at August 06, 2022 05:20 PM (V4q4k)

93 2+2=4 And don’t ask an attorney to cut your hair.

Posted by: Holy Crap at August 06, 2022 05:21 PM (glGDV)

94 Gourmand, I'd love to meet that 'archer' that shot your cat. Oh yeah.

29 years ago in coastal Ventura a certain element amused themselves "fishing" on the pier for seagulls with a hooked bait.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at August 06, 2022 05:26 PM (7YGxy)

95 Yeah, I am completely intolerant of cruelty to animals. I can witness a drunk getting his a** kicked, no problem, but if I see someone mistreat an animal, it turns ME in to an animal.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 05:28 PM (jTmQV)

96 That is an especially great collection of pets today!

Posted by: April--dash my lace wigs! at August 06, 2022 05:30 PM (OX9vb)

97 Gourmand, I'd love to meet that 'archer' that shot your cat. Oh yeah.
Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 05:12 PM (gktX6)

Same here.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 06, 2022 05:31 PM (qEscH)

98 If anyone is averse to animal cruelty, never watch the movie "War Horse".
It is a fantastic movie, but I was in tears for most of it.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, making tater salad at August 06, 2022 05:33 PM (jTmQV)

99 I don't kill an animal unless I plan to eat it. It is the way.

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 05:33 PM (gktX6)

100 100

Posted by: Duke Lowell at August 06, 2022 05:34 PM (u73oe)

101 And lay off of that pet shop dame.....women weaken legs.

Posted by: redenzo at August 06, 2022 05:35 PM (E7vND)

102 Wiley (aka Littleman) got bit by a rattler 2 years ago. Had to have 3 vials of snake venom at $500 a pop and an overnight stay at the vets. This was right around the start of covid. Government sent us a check for $2400, and the next day the vet bill was $2800. Easy come easy go. Our neighbor is an old time cowboy and he says that when his dogs got bit growing up, they would put them in a corner on a blanket with a bowl of water and they would be fine in a couple of day. Not sure I could risk it. It is also supposed to be pretty painful, so not sure I could just let them be in pain for days. Anyway, now he is a great snake alert-er. Barks like mad when he sees one now. He knows EXACTLY what bad snakes do.

Posted by: WeeKreekFarmGirl at August 06, 2022 05:35 PM (iplQb)

103 That was just a joke
Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at August 06, 2022 04:06 PM (eGTCV)

Gasp! Speechless!

*stomps off....wait a minute, that's just what he wanted, isn't it??

*stomps back

Posted by: April--dash my lace wigs! at August 06, 2022 05:37 PM (OX9vb)

104 Too good and funny to wait for the gub thread. I guess it's true. The black guy's is biggest.

https://bit.ly/3QmVtoW

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now Is the Summer of Our Discontent n at August 06, 2022 05:40 PM (FVME7)

105 Posted by: jewells45 at August 06, 2022 04:54 PM (nxdel)

That's a wonderful attitude you have, and Russell sounds like a good man. I'm not RC of course, but I bet St Francis smiles at your work.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 06, 2022 05:42 PM (snPsk)

106 I need to make $85 an hour working from home. Anyone have any ideas?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at August 06, 2022 05:43 PM (u73oe)

107 Nood

Posted by: Duke Lowell at August 06, 2022 05:44 PM (u73oe)

108 Duke Lowell, are you really Sarah?

Posted by: Eromero at August 06, 2022 05:45 PM (gktX6)

109 >>>I'm not RC of course, but I bet St Francis smiles at your work.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke

>I thought Fenelon was RC. What's up with that?

Posted by: Dr. Bone at August 06, 2022 05:46 PM (WHt4f)

110 I'm used to big, though not gigantic, cats. Rusty my boyhood red tabby hit 14 without being fat, as did Arizona the part-Maine Coon and Wolf the big black longhair. And Chekov D. Siberian was 12 at his peak.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (c6xtn)
---
Jasmine is my lightest kitty at around 8 pounds. Both Penny and Kaylee are around 14 pounds. Penny is solid muscle. Kaylee is fluffy (though not really long-haired) and fat.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 06, 2022 04:46 PM (K5n5d)

The old normal spread was 12-15 for males, 10-12 for females. Orientals run a bit lighter.

Some of the current purebreds Persians and allied have a strain that runs quite a bit smaller. Males are 10-11, females 9 or so, at least the ones of those I have. Some extreme versions are several pounds lighter than that.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 06, 2022 05:54 PM (eoQWY)

111 Euro, beautiful bird. I see some nice trout flies in those colorful feathers.

Posted by: jd at August 06, 2022 05:56 PM (NJHRx)

112 Looks like someone is going to be getting a new baby red heeler!
Thanks to all who send photos and stories. Happy tears, sad tears, all things good and healing on the Pet Thread.

Posted by: LadyS at August 06, 2022 05:58 PM (5WgUb)

113 We had to take our momma cat to the vets on Thursday. She'd been bitten by something and the wound abscessed. Nasty looking. And smelling.

Never heard a thing the night it happened. The cats hang out on our front porch and our bedroom is on the front of the house too.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 06, 2022 05:03 PM (BFigT)

It might have happened quite a while ago. Cats hair skin is loosely attached, and a puncture can put germs between the skin and the muscle layers. These can burst, heal over sealing in infection then burst again, and the cats clean it best they can.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 06, 2022 06:01 PM (eoQWY)

114 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at August 06, 2022 04:36 PM (c6xtn)

We've always had the opposite. Mischa was less than 10 pounds her whole life, Scout is less than 10 pounds currently, and may have been 11 in her prime (she's 17), and our "beefy" calico Bug was maybe 12 to 14 pounds in her prime. Pretty svelte for a calico.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, A Pox on Your Minkey at August 06, 2022 06:06 PM (x8Wzq)

115 109. Fenelon is not Catholic. She is a Protestant woman considered by some here as “Horde chaplain” because she’s ordained as a pastor by the terms of a Protestant communion.. She prefers to retain anonymity as to her denomination. Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Synod Lutherans, and Southern Baptists don’t ordain women. We may appreciate some, many, most or all of her posts without considering her our “chaplain.” Hope this is helpful.

Posted by: LadyS at August 06, 2022 06:17 PM (5WgUb)

116 I want to talk about a taboo subject: "Void Cats!"

Now I've been a cat person since I was a young lad. Mainly because every dog we've ever had SMELLED BAD, no matter how many times you washed them, they'd find something NEW to ROLL in. Sorry to all the dog lovers out there.

But all of the cats in my 60 years of life had had some amount of "color" to them; grey, yellow, calico, tortie, etc. UNTIL my daughter brought home the VOID!!!!!

This is the blackest of black cats with only the laser-beam eyes that let you know where they may be lurking. Unfortunately that seems to be under my feet, on the stairs, when the power is out due to the thunderstorms...

I'm just wondering, does anyone make a long lasting led collar for the DANGEROUS VOID CAT NINJA?????

-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Voter at August 06, 2022 07:03 PM (SEa82)

117 69 43. Weigh something with a known weight, ie. a 5 lb bag of sugar, to help gauge accuracy of your scale.

Sterling sounds like a big personality for a tiny cat. ; )

Posted by: Lola at August 06, 2022 04:49 PM (NIYa7)
----
Good advice.
Also most scales are pretty good when weighing by difference, not so good on accuracy. One way to weigh cats is to put them in a box. Of course you must weigh the box separately too and subtract.

Posted by: Ciampino - Sorry about the Math advice at August 06, 2022 08:01 PM (qfLjt)

118 What is a clowder? Cute description of the new mouse police recruit.
Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at August 06, 2022 04:01 PM (3cGpq)
----
A "clowder" is the technical term for a group of cats, like "pack" is for dogs and "herd" is for horses.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at
August 06, 2022 04:29 PM (K5n5d)
----
A little more info:
A group of cats is called a clowder if they seem to know one another (formerly “clodder” in 18th century English). A group of cats unfamiliar to one another is called a “glaring”.

Posted by: Left Hander Penguin at August 06, 2022 08:02 PM (buGB6)

119 Very good Ьlog! Do you have any suggestіons for aspiring writеrs?
I'm hoрing to start my own site soon but I'm a little ⅼoѕt on everything.
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Posted by: ferocious at August 07, 2022 09:51 AM (J4m7e)

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