Pets thread

[Ah_Tibor]

Tell him you’ve been seeing mice and droppings! Bam—CAT.

That’s how I got my husband to let me rescue our first kitten. He acts like he doesn’t like the cats but I walk into a room sometimes and there he is, this big biker-type guy, on the couch with two cats curled up asleep on him and he can’t get up because he doesn’t want to disturb them.
Even tough guys can’t resist kitties.

I realized after having a baby that cats hijack our brains into wanting to take of them by being baby-sized and doing baby things. I knew this but didn't KNOW it, like not wanting to move after the baby falling asleep on me.

Cat cries and baby cries are very similar.

 

[Leeloo]

I realized after having a baby that cats hijack our brains into wanting to take of them by being baby-sized and doing baby things. I knew this but didn't KNOW it, like not wanting to move after the baby falling asleep on me.

That’s really interesting. I’ve never had a baby, so I never thought about it that way, but you hit the nail on the head.

Cat cries and baby cries are very similar.

Yeah they are! I had a Siamese growing up who would yell his head off. I remember my mom would be talking on the phone at home, and more than once people thought she had an infant crying in the background!

 

[Starlight]

Tell him you’ve been seeing mice and droppings! Bam—CAT.

That’s how I got my husband to let me rescue our first kitten. He acts like he doesn’t like the cats but I walk into a room sometimes and there he is, this big biker-type guy, on the couch with two cats curled up asleep on him and he can’t get up because he doesn’t want to disturb them.
Even tough guys can’t resist kitties.

Haha! My husband loves cats (animals in general) and wants to get a pair of sisters. The problem is where to put the cat box. Since we’ve had our fourth child, we’ve had to shuffle our house around to make room so there isn’t a place for it. He told me if I could find a good spot for the cat box, he’ll get some kittens lol.

 

[Leeloo]

Haha! My husband loves cats (animals in general) and wants to get a pair of sisters. The problem is where to put the cat box. Since we’ve had our fourth child, we’ve had to shuffle our house around to make room so there isn’t a place for it. He told me if I could find a good spot for the cat box, he’ll get some kittens lol.

Not a bad deal. You might have to get creative with it.
If you have a spare cabinet you could try a hidden box with a hole cut for a cat door or curtain. Or install those cat “stair shelf” wall units so they can climb up to it. Or a false bottom planter. All pretty much child/baby proof and out of the way.

I’m actually really liking the Wayfair potted plant thing for my own litter boxes. Hmm...

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[stugatz]

This is my best buddy Norman. He's a lazy middle aged bachelor.

 

[Kona]

I realized after having a baby that cats hijack our brains into wanting to take of them by being baby-sized and doing baby things. I knew this but didn't KNOW it, like not wanting to move after the baby falling asleep on me.

Cat cries and baby cries are very similar.

This is very true. I own two cats and one baby.

One cat is black with a white face and lives completely outdoors. The other is a Russian Blue and is indoor/outdoor. We don't have a litter box, they go outside. Baby is Polynesian/Asian/White and goes wherever he wants.

The cats get jealous for real. They will meow like crazy sometimes when we are playing with the baby or giving him lots of attention. They both do the rub-their-heads on his hands though, and he's starting to figure out that means pet them.

It goes the other way though. The baby will start crabbing sometimes when we play around with the cats. It's funny.

Serious question, gals:

I want to get my son a dog. Everything I read says wait until he's three. I think that's too long. I think once I can see my son trying to walk that's when I should order a puppy. They will be best friends, and I think it will get my son walking faster if he's got a buddy to chase around. I know a guy from the Navy that breeds super solid Belgian malinois's, and another guy that has Australian Shepards that cath frisbees and skateboard. Both would be great for a kid.

Any of you get a puppy with a learning-to-walk baby?

Aloha!

 

[Starlight]

This is very true. I own two cats and one baby.

One cat is black with a white face and lives completely outdoors. The other is a Russian Blue and is indoor/outdoor. We don't have a litter box, they go outside. Baby is Polynesian/Asian/White and goes wherever he wants.

The cats get jealous for real. They will meow like crazy sometimes when we are playing with the baby or giving him lots of attention. They both do the rub-their-heads on his hands though, and he's starting to figure out that means pet them.

It goes the other way though. The baby will start crabbing sometimes when we play around with the cats. It's funny.

Serious question, gals:

I want to get my son a dog. Everything I read says wait until he's three. I think that's too long. I think once I can see my son trying to walk that's when I should order a puppy. They will be best friends, and I think it will get my son walking faster if he's got a buddy to chase around. I know a guy from the Navy that breeds super solid Belgian malinois's, and another guy that has Australian Shepards that cath frisbees and skateboard. Both would be great for a kid.

Any of you get a puppy with a learning-to-walk baby?

Aloha!

It is a really special moment when your child helps choose which puppy, kitten, etc, to make part of the family and they should be old enough to at least have an inkling of what that memory was and be able to actually help take care of it, like give it food in the morning or a treat or whatever. But, in all honesty, it doesn’t *really* matter... My husband had a male German shepherd when our first was born and the dog absolutely loved our baby. So, (imo) it comes down to the temperament of the breed and whether you want your son to have a real memory of picking the puppy. It’s not really whether the kid is “ready” or not but that you might want him to remember the moment for a special bond with the pup.

Edit: With a just-learning-to-walk toddler, there’s a good chance that a puppy might *bump* them over. I would also worry about the child getting scratched. Just some more things to think about.

 

[Leeloo]

This is very true. I own two cats and one baby.

One cat is black with a white face and lives completely outdoors. The other is a Russian Blue and is indoor/outdoor. We don't have a litter box, they go outside. Baby is Polynesian/Asian/White and goes wherever he wants.

The cats get jealous for real. They will meow like crazy sometimes when we are playing with the baby or giving him lots of attention. They both do the rub-their-heads on his hands though, and he's starting to figure out that means pet them.

It goes the other way though. The baby will start crabbing sometimes when we play around with the cats. It's funny.

Serious question, gals:

I want to get my son a dog. Everything I read says wait until he's three. I think that's too long. I think once I can see my son trying to walk that's when I should order a puppy. They will be best friends, and I think it will get my son walking faster if he's got a buddy to chase around. I know a guy from the Navy that breeds super solid Belgian malinois's, and another guy that has Australian Shepards that cath frisbees and skateboard. Both would be great for a kid.

Any of you get a puppy with a learning-to-walk baby?

Aloha!

From what I know of Malinois, they are wonderful, gorgeous, highly obedient dogs. I’m sure you’re aware they are the highly sought after top pick for military and police K9 work around the world. If you have a buddy that can hook you up with a Mal puppy, that’s great.

That being said, they are EXTREMELY high energy, especially when young. More so than a Shepherd or Dalmatian or most any dog. They will need 4-6 hours of exercise each day at least and they love to be mentally engaged with training exercises, games, etc. If you’re willing to put in the time, you will end up with an absolutely amazing dog and friend for your son.
But the high energy of a Mal may be too much for a toddler, and for your household. The dog would not intentionally harm your child, but it could be a strain on your family to care for. If you’ve never owned a dog, they are not a good first-time-dog-owner type animal.
Anyway, this is just my two cents of caution; you’ve probably already done your research and talked to your buddy about raising a toddler and Mal puppy together. If he’s a decent breeder, I’m sure he can advise better than I.
Good luck and post pics of whatever puppy you decide on!

 

[Pdalion]

Will animals be in heaven? I like to believe so:
"Ecclesiastes 3:21 speaks of the spirit (ruwach) of the animal. There is no doubt that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24. To worship God one must have a spirit. Yet the Psalms and Revelation repeatedly speak of animals worshipping God. Yes, animals are not created in the image of God – but neither are angels and they will be in Heaven.

 

[Vigilant]

Thank you, I respect your view. Whenever I eat meat, (that God calls clean) I am mindful and grateful for the sacrifice the animal represents of Jesus' perfect sacrifice.
(And for those who refuse meat, we are not given any biblical grounds today to go around criticizing people for their diet, Christian or non-Christian.)

 

[Mrs.DanielH]

This is very true. I own two cats and one baby.

One cat is black with a white face and lives completely outdoors. The other is a Russian Blue and is indoor/outdoor. We don't have a litter box, they go outside. Baby is Polynesian/Asian/White and goes wherever he wants.

The cats get jealous for real. They will meow like crazy sometimes when we are playing with the baby or giving him lots of attention. They both do the rub-their-heads on his hands though, and he's starting to figure out that means pet them.

It goes the other way though. The baby will start crabbing sometimes when we play around with the cats. It's funny.

Serious question, gals:

I want to get my son a dog. Everything I read says wait until he's three. I think that's too long. I think once I can see my son trying to walk that's when I should order a puppy. They will be best friends, and I think it will get my son walking faster if he's got a buddy to chase around. I know a guy from the Navy that breeds super solid Belgian malinois's, and another guy that has Australian Shepards that cath frisbees and skateboard. Both would be great for a kid.

Any of you get a puppy with a learning-to-walk baby?

Aloha!

My parents got a puppy when I was a baby and it was difficult but nothing went terribly wrong lol. My mom said she probably wouldn't do it again but she managed it. A toddler, infant and puppy are a lot to handle. But in your case you only have one kid so that's a little better.

 

[Lamkins]

I agree about the Malinios. I’ve never owned one, but many times I’ve read they aren’t good dogs for newbie owners. The subject was an obsession of mine awhile ago. You probably already know this, but they’re the only dog (I think the only breed) that is still human aggressive, which is why police and military use them. All other dog breeds have that trait bred out (generally) and can’t be counted on to attack a human (my favorite episodes of Cops were when they’d send in the K9’s!!). My understanding is they require a firm and consistent hand due to their energy and intelligence. If you talk to your friend who breeds them please let us know what he says. I’d be really interested.

Australian shepherds are also very high energy and very intelligent. They too need a lot of exercise. Due to their intelligence if they are bored or not exercised enough they can get into trouble. They also will herd your baby I can almost guarantee it, lol. This will involve nipping his legs. Maybe this trait has been bred out though. I had a border collie/Aussie rescue years ago, and I swear she was as smart as me. Looking into her eyes was like looking at a person. If she had the physical ability to speak we’d have held deep philosophical conversations!

 

[Kitty Tantrum]

I want to get my son a dog. Everything I read says wait until he's three. I think that's too long. I think once I can see my son trying to walk that's when I should order a puppy. They will be best friends, and I think it will get my son walking faster if he's got a buddy to chase around. I know a guy from the Navy that breeds super solid Belgian malinois's, and another guy that has Australian Shepards that cath frisbees and skateboard. Both would be great for a kid.

Any of you get a puppy with a learning-to-walk baby?

Not a dog person myself, but my (late) ex-MIL was a dog breeder and this was one of the things she talked about, actually trying to talk me into getting a dog after my first son was born. The main difference/thing to consider from what I remember of what she said, was where the baby and dog will be, relative to each other, size-wise and development-wise. Will the dog belong to the boy? Or will the boy belong to the dog?

Also some breeds can be very boisterous and all-over-the-place physically when they are all grown BIG but still puppies on the inside, which doesn't always go well with toddlers.

 

[Kona]

Thank you for all of the wonderful advice, ladies! Today we ordered the Belgian Malinois.

Our reasoning is the average lifespan for a dog in Hawaii is 10 years. We figure that dealing with the death of a pet at 11-12 is much better than 14-15. At 11-12 our son could learn some coping skills then move on to raise a dog himself. At 14-15 the death could lead him to spiral into alcohol and drug addiction. This is just a theory, of course. Also, when I was about 16 we had a Doberman. My dad told us that it was a drug sniffing Doberman, hence we walked the straight and narrow. I plan to do that.

Regarding pets, I was able toget a picture of another of ours today. This is DJ Lizzzard:



He lives in the outside shower, behing the speaker. He comes out when you play music. He will let you pet him if you are really calm.

Thanks again.

Aloha!

 

[guccigirl7]

I can't resist a chance to show off my Guccigirl. I now ban anything with 'horns' on it, I do think the heavy unicorn marketing is grooming the next generation in the same way the rainbow was used when myself and my kids were growing up.... But, I did take this picture before I realized it. She's still adorable

 

[Kitty Tantrum]

I say my cat is good at killing small animals. Yesterday she got a rabbit!

But not squirrels. She is afraid of squirrels.

There were a couple of them outside the sliding door just now chattering at each other, and she slunk past them with her tail between her legs and looked at me pitifully to be let inside.