Animals we share our lives with

[Purron]

Love Ruby and her Doggles.

 

[powerplay]

Love Ruby and her Doggles.

+1 What a great idea.

 

[martyp]

One revelation related to her blindness was the realization of how little sight was required for her to navigate. I would put sight at about 30-40% of her use of her senses. Hearing, smell, and touch are all important to navigate. She obviously knew her way around the house but it was amazing to see how well she did on her outside walks. In fact, there was about a week when we couldn't tell if she had lost her sight or not. A retinal scan at the UC Davis Vet School confirmed it.

 

[veremchuka]

Animals are amazing in how they cope and adapt. I thought this was a typo and you meant googles and then I got it. Glad this helps Ruby!

 

[Major Tom]

There are so many great pictures of pets here. In fact, I like every single one of them! It's the main reason I haven't posted more comments in this thread as I'd just be repeating myself, but animals really are the greatest thing and it's wonderful to see all the pictures that you guys post.

The sun was getting very low in the sky this afternoon and for just a few minutes, there was a very weak golden yellow light cast over my youngest, who has just turned 1 year old. I thought I'd share.

 

[keegs]

Beautiful cat and photo Major

 

[Sarah in SC]

Whoa! That is a great shot! Thank you very much for sharing it.

 

[cj]

Love that picture, Major Tom!

 

[Snowcat]

Two of our three pets. The betta is a new addition. In light of the cat's behavior, we are concerned about the fish' longevity.

 

[Major Tom]

Oh my gosh - please keep that fish well away form the kitties Snowcat!

 

[FIREd]

I always have 2 pairs of eyes trained on me when I am working on the computer:

 

[Snowcat]

Major Tom, As soon as the behavior was viewed, a cover was added. No worries.

 

[cj]

Awwwww, FIREd, I love the calico & tortie! I'm so partial to them.

So here are three of mine (cat #4 is my avatar). They were watching the stinkin' rabbit eating my flowers...

 

[simple girl]

Ha ha ha snowcat! That fish definitely is in trouble!

 

[Beryl]

+1 I also use a spray solution of cedar oil and water for as natural insect repellent just make sure your pet is not allergic to the oil (even a weak solution works)

I love, love LOVE Cedarcide. I've never tried to make my own solution though.

I spray my furniture whenever strangers leave my home.

 

[Meadbh]

This bear obviously wants driving lessons.....thank goodness the keys were not in the ignition!

Bear caught opening truck door on video - British Columbia - CBC News

 

[Nemo2]

They're baaack........at breakfast time, (ours, perhaps not theirs), the Mourning Doves showed up at the planters again.......they checked out all three, and have just started nesting in their 'old home'.

 

[REWahoo]

Russell the Rooster

At dawn on Monday, June 24 I was rudely awakened by the distinctive sound of a rooster crowing - loudly. This guy was in a tree right outside our bedroom window.



Although we live in a rural subdivision, farm animals other than horses aren't allowed and in the 14+ years we've lived out here we've never seen or heard any chickens. We have no idea where he came from. We checked with the neighbors who were as surprised as we were at his sudden appearance. I suppose he must think he's home because he's still here 10 days later - although just barely.

The grandkids named him Russell and thought it fun to watch him do the chicken walk around the yard and crow - whenever the mood struck him. We put some water out for him and he hung out in the two heavily wooded 5 acre lots between us and our neighbors. Did I mention he liked to crow? Didn't matter if it was day or night, Russell isn't shy about speaking up - or to be more accurate, I should say "wasn't".

The neighbors (father and son) were working on a car project into the wee hours on Wednesday morning and said Russell crowed off and on all night long but stopped at about 3 am. They assumed he'd finally gone to sleep - until the sun came up and they saw all the feathers on the road between our houses.

They called Wednesday morning to tell me it looked like something (fox, owl, coyote, mountain lion, or Col Sanders) got Russell. But that wasn't the case...

Earlier that morning as the sun was just coming up, our two old labs went nuts. They live on our deck, with a fenced off grassy area on one side and gates at the top of the other steps from the back yard up to the deck. When I investigated what had them so upset, I found Russell on the top step, just outside the gate, 6 inches from two very excited dogs. He was calmly sitting there and paid no attention to them or me as I walked up to him.

I calmed the dogs down (food is a powerful distractor) and noticed Russell had hopped down from the steps and was slowly walking towards the garage. That's when I saw he was absent a significant number of feathers from his backside.

On closer examination it looks like whatever tried to make a meal out of him came within an inch or so of success. Other than losing a bunch of plumage, he suffered no other physical injury that I can see. But he is suffering from some serious PTSD. He walked into our open garage, hopped up on my work bench, and didn't move for 36 hours. No crowing, no nothing.

We put food and water on the garage floor in front of him, but he wasn't interested. After a day and a half, I slowly moved a bowl of water next to him on the workbench and he started drinking. I managed to coax him out of the garage but as soon as I turned my back he was inside again, roosting on the workbench.

I got him outside again this morning and he actually crowed a few times. He's getting more comfortable in the yard but I expect him to be back on his roost when the sun sets tonight. The chicken is now chicken.

Whaddya do all day? Asked and answered.

 

[Nemo2]

Go Russell!!

 

[keegs]

We have a cat bird that lives in the underbrush on a thin strip of unmaintained property between our house and the next door neighbor. Cat birds have quite a song repertoire and it seems to really open up shortly after sunrise. It's a nice way to start the day.

 

[ls99]

Russell. A heckuva rooster [-]tail [/-]tale.

 

[grasshopper]

I don't put up with hungry bears or rattlesnakes, but our house/pet sitter did while we were in Alaska looking at bears.

 

[Keim]

Here is a picture of my lab Chloe, that just passed away on Monday.

 

[MRG]

Russell. A heckuva rooster [-]tail [/-]tale.

I'll say he gorgeous, I've seen dominant chickens go chicken after trauma.

I've also seen roosters get "dumped". Many of the fancy breeds are sold "straight run", so some hobby farmers get the pretty ones , end up with 50% roosters that like to crow and part pet so they get "gifted" to areas that look like good homes. Not saying how I know that.

MRG

 

[REWahoo]

Here is a picture of my lab Chloe, that just passed away on Monday.

So sorry, I know how that hurts. We have two old labs (sisters) who just turned 10...