Self-indulgent pet thread

[Sea Star]

As this is so catcentric - I might post up some old pics of my dogs.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

As this is so catcentric - I might post up some old pics of my dogs.

and of course there's also the question of whether cats consider the term 'pet' (as a noun that is) acceptable in the dynamics of the multi-species household

 

[mrs quoad]

 

[strung out]

This is Milo (named after the drink)

We picked him up this morning from the cat shelter, where he'd been living for the last couple of months after being found as a stray. He hasn't come out of his carrier yet, but we're hoping he will tomorrow

View attachment 119897

6 months later and Milo has brought us our first present. He was very proud of himself:



Now I'm just wondering - rat or mouse?

 

[Epona]

6 months later and Milo has brought us our first present. He was very proud of himself:

View attachment 136740

Now I'm just wondering - rat or mouse?

Unless your chairs are out of Gulliver's Travels and your kitty is a panther, that is a small mouse

 

[trabuquera]

Milo *should* be proud, he's done a mouse, just like a proper working cat should. Good to see his instincts, reflexes and claws are all working.

 

[Sea Star]

I is a vegetable

 

[fishfinger]

I is a vegetable

"You forgot to order my catnip!"

 

[Baronage-Phase]

I is a vegetable

Oh my....he could double for xsunnysuex's Tobytoes..

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Oh my....he could double for xsunnysuex's Tobytoes..

or is he a time-share kitteh?

 

[xsunnysuex]

Aww a tobytoes 2

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Aww a tobytoes 2

TwinnyTobyToes

 

[Epona]

Milo *should* be proud, he's done a mouse, just like a proper working cat should. Good to see his instincts, reflexes and claws are all working.

Oh definitely, whenever any of mine catch one (they are indoor cats so if they get their paws on one they are doing a good job of pest control!), although I don't like to watch, and I don't let them eat one in case of poison (they prefer cat food tbh), they do get a bit of praise for doing their job.

Radar is ridiculously swift with mice tbh - grabs one, steps on its hindquarters and yanks its head up, breaking its neck - over in seconds. He doesn't torture them or anything, if he finds them they are dead mice within seconds.

 

[Sea Star]

Siblings being weird on the stairs in the early hours of this morning. And Chester attention seeking from earlier last night.

 

[Doctor Carrot]

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my beautiful, angry pretty pants chameleon, Isambard has exited this mortal coil this evening. At ten and a half (106 in human years) he has simply and peacefully succumbed to the ravages of time. I know several of you enjoyed seeing his updates so wanted to share the sad news with you and to be self-indulgent one last time. Tata Isambard, may the wax worms cover the trees of your rainforest in the sky.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

((((Doctor Carrot ))))

 

[Calamity1971]

Sorry to hear this ((Doctor Carrot)) x

 

[a_chap]

(((Isambard)))

As a child I remember seeing Chameleons when I lived in Africa; they are truly remarkable creatures.

 

[Libertad]

Sorry to hear this Dr.Carrot (((Isambard)))

 

[StoneRoad]

Condolences Doctor Carrot Isambard had a good life with you, thanks to your care.

 

[trabuquera]

Rest In glorious Colours, Isambard. Truly one of urban's most charismatic life forms. My condolences Doctor Carrot and thank you for sharing some wonderful pictures of an awe inspiring creature. I've seen live chameleons but never with enough time to watch them behave, or change colour in real time, and always wish I could have.

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Sad for you that your little colourful friend is gone.

 

[Sprocket.]

Sorry to hear your sad news.

 

[BoatieBird]

RIP Isambard

 

[Doctor Carrot]

Thanks all. I think I gave him a good life. He lived longer than most chameleons, in captivity or otherwise and was certainly well loved... From a distance

 

[Manter]

Sorry to read that

 

[existentialist]

Right, then.

Bump.

Meet Trwffl and Pwdin:



A bonded pair of rescue rabbits - she's the brown/grey one on the left, he's the pure brilliant white one on the right. They were rescued, along with quite a few of their offspring, over a year ago, and seem to have languished there for quite a while. I wanted a bonded pair, and they fit the bill perfectly, so the arduous (and educational) process of rabbit adoption began, and they arrived on Monday. They're "medium lops" - smaller than previous rabbits I've had, but...well, he's 2kg. Probably just the right size for this flat, really.


Rabbit care has come a long way since a bunny in a hutch he couldn't sit up in at the bottom of the garden. Cages are out (unless they're enormous, with built-in runs), and it's all about careful diet, shedloads of hay, and "enrichment" - stuff they can interact, play with, etc, so they don't start "interacting" with your wallpaper or woodwork.

The adoption people told me that he was no respecter of personal space, and that she could be quite timid. Initially, the reverse turned out to be the case - she responded readily to bribes in the form of treats and bits of leafy veg, and follows me around, especially if I go into the Treat Cave (kitchen). So we've graduated to noserubs and headscratching quite quickly. He, on the other hand, is doing a combination of things - he's being almost exaggeratedly chilled at me, but from a distance, and is very suspicious if I approach him. I suspect there's a bit of a him/her thing going on there! But, with judicious application of treats, he is slowly coming round, and let me scratch his head very briefly today. We'll get there.

And they're great fun to watch interacting together. They groom each other, but they also compete (especially for food) - loads of pushing and shoving, but absolutely zero aggression. One evil trick I have, muahahaha, is to give them one "bunny crack" (fenugreek cracker) between them, and watch them tussling over it, then independently hoover the vicinity for any homeopathic crumbs. And then, it's all forgotten and they're back at me for a repeat performance. Better than telly

I have a sneaky feeling his vision isn't that great - I am sure I remember something vaguely about blue-eyed rabbits and vision problems, but Google seems to be coming up blank. He's not always good at noticing things near him (like food presented by hand), although he can clearly see movement at range, and his first "noticing" is when he smells it. I'll, ahaha, keep an eye on that.

Just for a laugh, I plugged a webcam into a Raspberry Pi, and so there's a live bunnycam at http://appliedzetetics.plus.com:8081 I can't promise it'll be up for ever, and if it starts caning my bandwidth, I'll have to think of something else, but enjoy it while it lasts

 

[Aladdin]

Great to see the live footage!!
They look very cute. ...and good company too

 

[JuanTwoThree]

Presumably they'll be doing what rabbits do. Or has one or both been neutered?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Or has one or both been neutered?

if we get pictures like this soon, we will know the answer