"Just get your cat out of your apartment."

[Silence]

My best friend has horses and donkeys. One weekend a bunch of her family was coming over to spend the day. Her sister was bringing her son and son's friend and they wanted to throw the football back and forth. Sister's thought process was that they could do so in the horse pasture. BF told them that they in fact could not throw the football in the pasture, because the horses were there, but were more then welcome to hop the fence and walk down the little path to the park that contained a HUGE field behind the pasture. (Pasture and field were seperated by a fence and a tree line.) Her sister threw a fit because she didn't want the boys off the property (they were both 16) and DEMANDED (not asked!) that she move the horses for the day.

She honestly expected BF to load up two horses and two donkeys (one of which was only a month old) and put them somewhere else for the day.

BF canceled the get together.

[Harriet Jones]

Br33der is used as an insulting term by some people, that's why it's filtered to 'irresponsible parent' in the forum.

[MrsJWine]

One of our kitties, Bootsie, is portly and has arthritis, so she's a 2-dimensional cat.  She can't jump up on anything except the hamper placed next to the bed so she can get up on it.  The hamper is placed there for that purpose, although I'll come & pick her up/put her down if she asks.  The impact from jumping down leaves her limping for the next couple steps.  I hope she starts responding soon to the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) we started her on recently.  Bootsie only gets up on the bed - no other elevated surface.

OT:  My mother-in-law swears by glucosamine--both for her and for her old dog.  Studies are supposedly inconclusive, but she says it's helped immensely with her joint pain and that it seemed to help with her dog's problems.

[VorFemme]

Actually - I think fancier is a good substitute for the term that comes up as "irresponsible parents" as you can have horse fanciers, dog fanciers, cat fanciers, rat fanciers, and rabbit fanciers - or whatever other domesticated animal you are thinking about..........

Although generally we don't call those who are raising them for FOOD by that term - but neither do they get referred to by the other term.........

(edited to add a letter that got left off)

[ccnumber4]

You know, I can respect non-pet-people and their preferences just fine.  I expect them to extend the same courtesy to me.  And for the most part, my non-pet friends respect that my dog LIVES here and is a member of my family.  I do put her in the bedroom when someone is making their first visit to my home, and certainly for those who are allergic.  But the guy mentioned in the OP would not be getting an invitation from me to anything, ever again.  Even events that were not held in my dog-infested home.

I had a friend show up announced, very late one night as I was packing for a trip, and because she was a friend, I didn't turn her away.  Among her complaints to me later was that she felt I owed her an apology for not dropping my packing to sit and chat with her in the living room and not putting the dog "out."  Now she wonders why she gets no more invitations to my home.   

[Midnight Kitty]

BTW - My husband grew up in a big city.  He couldn't understand why anyone would have a rat for a pet.  To him, rats are just another pest, like cockroaches, to be exterminated on sight - NOT fed!  I had Peter Rattit for 5 years.  He was a good rat, just not a good buddy to the rabbit.

You had a rat? Is there anything I should be prepared for before my cousin introduces me to her rat?
I'm actually a bit afraid of rodents (trying to get over it; plus, if he's my cousin's pet he can't be bad or dangerous).
As I've never met a pet rat before... (I feel silly writing this!)

Do NOT put peanut butter on your finger!  For some reason, rats love peanut butter.  The only time Peter came close to biting me was when I offered him some peanut butter on my finger.  He grabbed my finger & took it into his box where he removed the peanut butter.  Yes, my finger was still attached to my hand.  It was either let him take the finger or lose the finger; He bit pretty hard.  He didn't break the skin, but that's because I let him take my finger.

Other than that, rats are pretty much like hamsters and other small animals.  Hold them gently, but firmly.  Don't grab a limb and pick them up, dangling by the leg.  Better to grab the tail if they are playing hard to catch.

I had a Golden Retriever/White Shepard mix dog before I moved to Hawaii.  She had her own cat.  The dog had been around our older cats since she was a puppy, so she was socialized to cats.  Then we took her to my ex-BIL's where his cat had a litter of kittens.  GingerBear played with the litter and picked one of the kittens, so we let her keep it.  She cared for that kitten like it was her own.  She even tried to nurse the kitten! The kitten grew up to be a 20 pound "Great White" cat.  She would hold the dog's face between her paws & lick her face clean.  They would sleep cuddled up together. So cute!

[Elaan of Troyius]

Do NOT put peanut butter on your finger!  For some reason, rats love peanut butter.  The only time Peter came close to biting me was when I offered him some peanut butter on my finger.  He grabbed my finger & took it into his box where he removed the peanut butter.  Yes, my finger was still attached to my hand.  It was either let him take the finger or lose the finger; He bit pretty hard.  He didn't break the skin, but that's because I let him take my finger.

I used to play a game with my rats every now and then -- I would slather large amounts of peanut butter all over both my hands and put them in the rat cages. The worst they did was occasionally nibble (I never got actually bitten or hurt doing this, and I'd stick my hands in a cage with four or more rats in it). I thought it felt really neat to have them licking my fingers, plus I found it amusing in a semi-psycho kind of way (I called this game "Eaten by Rats!"), and of course my rats loved the treat! Playing "Eaten by Rats" wasn't an everyday thing, just every now and then (too much peanut butter wouldn't be good for them). But yes, yes, yes, rats most certainly do love peanut butter!

 

~Elaan.

[artk2002]

I only stopped after my last rat, Pestis, died, because I had become allergic;

I'm sorry to hear that you became allergic. My ex and sons keep some rats.  She was fine with the previous ones, but is having trouble with the current ones.  Not sure if this is an overall rat allergy, or something specific to the breeds they have now.  Their current rats are "Vincent" (missing an ear) and "Tolouse."  Did your rat have a mate named "Yersinia"?

[Elaan of Troyius]

I only stopped after my last rat, Pestis, died, because I had become allergic;

I'm sorry to hear that you became allergic. My ex and sons keep some rats.  She was fine with the previous ones, but is having trouble with the current ones.  Not sure if this is an overall rat allergy, or something specific to the breeds they have now.  Their current rats are "Vincent" (missing an ear) and "Tolouse."  Did your rat have a mate named "Yersinia"?

Uh-oh. I've been outed!  No, my rat didn't have a mate named Yersinia, buuuutttt.... Yersinia happens to be my actual online name everyplace else but here! Pestis's last cagemate was named Locutus, actually; he died only a month before Pestis did.

Yeah, I really wish I wasn't allergic, but alas I am. It didn't matter what kind of rats I had (everything from various types of hooded and blues to rexes to solid colored ones to "plain" white lab rats), and, I'm also allergic to cats and dogs. I don't mind being allergic to dogs because I don't like them anyway, but the rat allergy tears me up and the cat allergy bothers me (I know people with cats, I like cats, but I can't pet them or let them near me unless I'm in the mood for nonstop sneezing, hives and itchy runny eyes). Oh, and on that note -- I have never once asked the owners of those cats to lock them up or get rid of them for the duration of my visits, and they always clean/vacuum when they've invited me over, so I'm OK allergy-wise as long as I don't play with the cats or let them climb on me/sit on my lap (they try, maybe they sense that I do actually like them, even if I can't show it; I get up and move, or me or my friends shoo them gently away).

[CG]

Oh, and on that note -- I have never once asked the owners of those cats to lock them up or get rid of them for the duration of my visits, and they always clean/vacuum when they've invited me over, so I'm OK allergy-wise as long as I don't play with the cats or let them climb on me/sit on my lap (they try, maybe they sense that I do actually like them, even if I can't show it; I get up and move, or me or my friends shoo them gently away).

My friend's cat and I have an understanding. I walk in the door and tell Jasmine hi. She stares at me until I do. Then she ignores me. Now, if my boyfriend walks in, he durn well better be petting her. She knows that if I play with her, my eyes tear up and I get sniffly, so she leaves me alone.

[Calypso]

I have a question for the severely-cat-allergic: are you ok with a cat owner away from the home where the pet is?

I suspect (no, I know) that even my fresh-out-of-the machine clean clothes probably have some cat hair on them by the time I put them on. If I went out to lunch with you, sat next to you in a crowded movie theater, or hugged you, would I have enough "cat' on me to give you a problem?

[Midnight Kitty]

OT:  My mother-in-law swears by glucosamine--both for her and for her old dog.  Studies are supposedly inconclusive, but she says it's helped immensely with her joint pain and that it seemed to help with her dog's problems.

Both my husband and I have tried Glucosamine and Chondroitin.  We gave them a good, long trial - over 6 months.  No improvement.  The NSAIDs help us much more and DH says he thinks Boots is moving a little easier after only a month on NSAIDs.  I have a friend who put her horse on Glucosamine and Chondroitin.  It's really, really expensive.  I'd put my money into NSAIDs before I'd buy Glucosamine and Chondroitin again.

[andi]

I have a question for the severely-cat-allergic: are you ok with a cat owner away from the home where the pet is?

I suspect (no, I know) that even my fresh-out-of-the machine clean clothes probably have some cat hair on them by the time I put them on. If I went out to lunch with you, sat next to you in a crowded movie theater, or hugged you, would I have enough "cat' on me to give you a problem?

for my mom and hubby, it totally depends on the cat.  i've seen my husband start having an asthma attack while mowing the yard and hitting a hairball from the neighbor's cat.  mom has had one i think from being in the car of a long haired cat owner (the cat was never in the car)

[Stormtreader]

You had a rat? Is there annything I should be prepared for before my cousin introduces me to her rat?
I'm actually a bit afraid of rodents (trying to get over it; plus, if he's my cousin's pet he can't be bad or dangerous).
As I've never met a pet rat before... (I feel silly writing this!)

Try and think of them like a kitten - most like to play, some are very shy, and they are very curious. They can also be very devious if theres treats about! One of mine used to bee-line for unguarded pens and then jump away merrily, kicking her heels up, fully enjoying being naughty! She also loved real ale and coffee

If youre brave enough to let them climb on you then their little toenails feel quite sharp when theyre running about, but theyre just trying to stay on, try and give them a flat surface and theyll be less pointy.

[matf]

I have a question for the severely-cat-allergic: are you ok with a cat owner away from the home where the pet is?

I suspect (no, I know) that even my fresh-out-of-the machine clean clothes probably have some cat hair on them by the time I put them on. If I went out to lunch with you, sat next to you in a crowded movie theater, or hugged you, would I have enough "cat' on me to give you a problem?

Usually, unless I'm getting REALLY close to the person, I'm okay with hanging out with them. One of my friends keeps a lint roller in her car and before coming to visit, she attempts to get most of the hair off. Which works for me in terms of allergies. But, of course, it depends on the severity of the allergies.