So how do we even begin to ensure our four-legged pals know they're loved and also taken care of?
Curious to hear how we can make our pets happy, Redditor TimeMasterBob asked:
"Veterinarians of Reddit, what is something most pet owners can do to make their pets lives better?"
Being tactile was a common suggestion for pet owners.
Reach Out And Touch
"10 years working at a Animal Hospital. Help your pet get used to being touched. Especially when they are young. You and by extension your vet needs to be able to look into your pets mouth. Look into their ears. Touch their feet and toes. Vet visits are tourture for animal who don't like being touched. And you can miss something important if you don't look at these things yourself regularly, because 'he doesn't like it.'"
Handle With Care
"I think the best thing you can do for your new pet, especially a puppy or kitten, is handle it A LOT when they're young. Getting them used to have their feet handled, nails trimmed, mouth opened (even extra benefit if you get them used to teeth brushing daily - gold standard for at home dental care), ears touched (particularly breeds prone to ear infections - huge benefit in the future if you have to administer topical ear medication)… Restraint is also a big thing. I always tell my clients to practise restraint with their animals. That wriggly puppy that is cute when it nips when you hold it still grows up into a large dog that can't be safely examined because it hasn't learnt to be okay with restraint."
Interaction
"Rather than just getting them a bunch of toys and hoping that keeps them entertained...just sit on the floor and actually interact with them for a bit. Establishes a connection, and is cheaper than a bunch of fancy products that you toss to them and hope they are enthralled."
Being attentive to their health was another topic of discussion to ensure the happiness of pets.
About Cages
"For small pets, stop shoving them in tiny cages and then forgetting about them!! Most pet store cages are incredibly tiny compared to the bare minimum the specific animals need. Do your homework and make sure you are getting something large enough. And for pets that you can, LET THEM OUT! Guinea pigs, rabbits, some birds, they want to be let out and love the extra space. Just do it safely. Again do your homework to make sure you create a safe space for your pet to play."
Health
"Removing a mass when it's small is faster (less anaesthetic risk), less invasive, less painful, less expensive and has a better chance of curing cancer should the mass turn out to be cancerous. This is even more pressing on delicate areas like eyelids and feet where there may not be a lot of extra tissue to work with should a large lump need to be removed."
"Cartrophen/pentosan/zydax injections are relatively cheap and can keep your pet comfortable by not only helping to prevent future arthritis but by helping to ease any that is already present."
"Dental disease is serious! Pets will continue to eat even with their teeth forming abscesses. The infection can spread through their body, including to their heart. Removing rotten teeth is the kindest thing you can do for your pets as they age, especially if you haven't been proactive in preventing periodontal disease. They can still eat even with full mouth extractions, and will be /so/ much happier! People often tell me how their pet seems younger again after their rotten teeth are extracted."
"Edit: To add - regular checkups are very important! At least annually. People often come in saying 'my dog is so healthy he hasn't been to a vet in years.' After looking at the dog I can usually find a few major issues that should have been addressed years ago."
Keep A Healthy Diet
"Not let them get overweight. Get their nails trimmed regularly. - licensed vet tech."
Active Nose
"One of the best things for a dog is sniffing! You can crumple up paper and hide treats in the pieces and scatter them about, toss treats into long grass, or just let your dog really take the time to explore a new area! Anything that gets that nose going is a good place to start :)"
These veterinarians gave detailed points about how to take better care of your pets.
Make Them Members Of The Family
"I am a veterinarian. I'd like to see people focus not just on quantity but quality of their pet's life. The best thing you can do for that is just incorporate them into your life as much as possible. Pay attention to them! Love them! Lots of walks! Lots of games! You'd be surprised what they can learn. Play hide and go seek. Play fetch. Sit beside them when you watch TV, pet them. Train and socialize them early and well so you won't avoid them because they're not well behaved."
"We're all so busy, it's so easy to make them an afterthought. You are their whole world and unless you live on a big farm where they run free, you are their only outlet for activity and happiness. They get bored fast, just like we do. They can't wait for you to get home. They've missed you! Take them for a walk. Do a fun training or agility class with them if you'd like."
"For health, the biggest things are 1. Exercise, 2. Pay attention to what can be dangerous/toxic for them and avoid it (heads stuck in potato chip bags is one people miss lately, and keep your drugs out of their reach! They're small and more easily affected), 3. Brush their teeth."
"Enjoy your pets! They love you!"
Overall, "Be Nice"
"Vet here. Here's my best advice, condensed."
- "Thin pets live longer than fat pets. Google a BCS chart and make sure your pet has a visible waist and palpable ribs. No crash diets."
- "Dental disease is WAY more serious than you think. Get the scale and polish. If we have to extract teeth (and believe me, we would prefer not to), they will still be able to eat."
- "Get your pet a series of cartrophen (or zydax, or pentosan polysulfate) injections when they turn 8. They help slow down the progression of arthritis and are safe and cost-effective."
- "If your cat is stressed at the vet, take home some gabapentin to put on her food before her next visit. She will be safe, happy, and calm, and the vet will be able to examine her more thoroughly."
- "Know what's toxic for your pet. DEFINITELY don't have lilies in the house if you have a cat."
- "Discuss finances. Your vet wants what's best for your pet, and is obligated to recommend all your best options....but if you tell us what you can afford we can usually come up with a reasonable plan."
- "You deserve a vet you trust. If you don't trust yours, find one that you do."
8 ) "Put your 24-hour ER vet's address into your google maps/GPS favorites so you don't have to find it in an emergency."
9) "High-quality kibble is fine unless your vet tells you otherwise. Don't feed a dog a grain-free diet unless YOUR vet tells you to (like for an allergy)."
10) "You can almost definitely give your cat a pill. Ask us for tricks."
11) "BE NICE. We are human and we all care INTENSELY. Even if we hate YOU, we probably love your pet."I've never had a pet growing up, but I've always known someday I would get a dog.
Seeing other pets always makes me happy. And while I know being a pet owner takes a lot of work and dedication, I have a feeling that wouldn't be a problem.
After all, they are a member of the family.
But when the time comes when I become a dog dad for the first time, I'll definitely be keeping these helpful suggestions in mind to ensure my new best friend will be a happy pet.
My one dog, Juliet, is the worst. She will actually scratch at my leg and then when I turn to say "WHAT?" she will dramatically, a la Scarlett O'Hara, twist and throw herself to the floor. I can actually feel the vapors. Like really girl? Who else knows what I'm talking about?
Head First
Happy John Oliver GIF by Last Week Tonight with John OliverGiphyMy dog head butts me in the leg. She walks over, and head butts my leg. Then she holds her head against my leg and won't move until I scratch behind her ears long enough to please her majesty.
Cornered
My cat learned pretty quickly that if he messes with the papers on the counter, he gets attention. It's negative attention, but he gets it and apparently loves it because he'll sit down and get comfortable and just start flipping his paw through it like it's his paperwork. If I ignore that he escalates to biting off corners. He knows that'll get me every time.
Poop Gifts
Our dog bring us toys when she needs to go potty. And when you let her outside to the deck you have to tell her to go down to the grass, or she'll forget why she's outside and sit at the door. Smart.
Fighting Fur
Mine attacks my other cat. He knows if he does that I have to get up to break it up. I don't know how to break this cycle. If I ignore it, he gets frustrated and takes it out even worse on the other cat. People are like "Just ignore him", but I don't really want a full blown cat fight happening, fur all over my apartment, and my other cat being beaten up because my first cat is a jerk (who is currently curled up, sleeping contentedly against my leg).
Gnawing
guinea pig eating GIFGiphyGuinea pig grips the cage door with her teeth, shaking it so loud it sounds like an old washing machine on spin cycle.
See, these fools know what they're doing. My other dog, Rocco, he will stare at me. I mean like serial killer, no blinking, stare me down dead. Then every few minutes lick one lip. Just one. He's a bit much. Just like that guinea pig. Moving on...
Creepy Cat
Cat Ear GIF by swerkGiphyMy cat has found that licking my lips wakes me up pretty quickly.
Mine too! I don't mind the kisses though. I just give him the attention he wants. My fiancé says, he gets on my pillow during the night and stares at me. And he'll do that all through the night. He must get enough of me sleeping and can't wait a moment longer. Once I'm awake he will come near me and raise a paw to let me know he wants attention. Such a little gentleman.
The Mat
My new cat started scratching at my standing mat in my home office (NO!!!) so the second she scratched at the wood bridge I put in the kitchen to link the top of the cabinets for her, I gave her treats. I continue to reward her for scratching there, even if it's just attention. She will escalate to scratching at other things up there but none of it matters so I just give her attention for that. She has not touched the mat since so I guess it worked.
RESET
Oh No Facepalm GIFGiphyMy cat thinks she can "reset" the affection/attention levels by leaving and reentering the room.
If I leave my cat alone for a while, she'll eventually leave... only to come right back a few minutes later, pretending like it's the first time that day that she's seen me.
Funny thing is it works.
Popcorning?
Oh, I have 2 guinea pigs and they get my attention by flipping over their igloos, then popcorning on them.
I had to look up what popcorning was. Oh my god that's adorable!!
Tip: when you look up something, share it here.
Popcorning is the name for those crazy leaps your guinea pig does in the air, and there's a reason for it. If your little piggy is bucking, squealing, and just generally acting crazy, then you're probably looking at a popcorning guinea pig.
McUluld
"The Attention Spot"
White Dog GIFGiphyThe way our living area is set up, we have a short couch in front of our computers with a dog bed at armrest-height next to my partner. It's really only a big enough space for one dog.
We have a collie mix and a gshep mix. When the collie has decided the gshep has been in "The Attention Spot" for too long, he will run to the front door, bark a "Mailman is Here" alarm, and the gshep will run to the assigned Barking Position at the guest bedroom window.
Then the collie will casually claim The Attention Spot while the gshep frantically barks at nothing.
Clever little menace.
Little Noises
I stopped working in 2019 for health reasons, and my cat has gotten used to me being home every day. When she wakes up, she squeaks/yowls at me until I follow her to the couch, where I have to sit down and put a blanket on my lap so she can curl up and get her morning pets. She's got me trained pretty well.
I'm glad I'm not alone. But regardless of their suspicious actions, we'll never stop loving them and trying to vie for their attentions. Maybe not my cat. She likes to jump, from and to everywhere, and it freaks me out. I prefer she stay upstairs. LOL...
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But there are some things that just make pet owner facepalm – whether it's a dog staring out a window all frickin' day or a cat doing a number two outside the litter box.
There may be rational explanations for their odd behaviors, but no logic will convince us they're not the brightest bulb in the household.
Curious to hear from pet owners online, Redditor vxah asked:
"What is the stupidest thing you've seen your pet do?"
Dogs
We love 'em. They're loyal and stupidly hilarious.
Pretty Lion
"my dog was sniffing around a tree and bumped into a dandelion. he yelped and hopped away."
"i never let him forget that time he was scared by a dandelion."
– buckut
Who's There?
"My dog wouldn't come in from the front garden so I rang the doorbell and she ran straight in so she could look out the window to see who was at the door."
Foul Offender
"She farted and then looked over her shoulder, growled, and barked at her butt."
"Same-ish, my dog used to think he was gunna get in trouble for farting, so he'd sneak away. Like a ninja farter. Walking into rooms, farting then leave. Tbh, I think he knew his farts were rancid."
– anarae
Cats
Felines aren't necessarily smarter than doggies, as these Redditors can attest.
Swimming With Fishes
"my cat bit a glass plate and got angry bc she couldn't eat it then went to bother the fish and fell into the fish tank."
Time For Breakfast
"At 4am I woke up to the sound of my cats 'I've hunted and caught a thing' noise. It's a high pitched squeak/meow/trill/music of the happiest of cats."
"She was running closer and closer, squeaking all the while, muffled slightly by the fact she obviously had her prize in her mouth as she ran."
"I live in a place that rarely gets mice or anything nasty, so as usual, I just assumed it was her toy and she wanted to show it off."
"Then she dropped a full bag of bagels on my face."
Airborne Kitty
"My parents were staying with us for the weekend in our upstairs bedroom. The cat was outside the door looking to play and had brought it's toy mouse with them. So my dad tosses the toy a little too hard and it ends up going over the upstairs railing. At which point you would assume the cat would be like, nah, but not our little guy. He jumps straight off of the ~12' cliff after this toy."
"The cat full on bounced off the floor and went right back to playing with my dad. Only later when I heard the story did I realize that I had my security cam facing that direction. When I went to check it, this is what I found. https://youtu.be/TGd5R8yAWH8"
"The cat was all good after this incident, but it scared the crap out of all of us."
– Guyver_3
Guinea Pigs
The domestic cavy is a very social animal, and their interactions with others can be highly amusing to witness.
Fresh Veggie Ritual
"My guinea pigs get so excited about fresh veggies that they have to throw it around in celebration first before eating it. The best is whole tomatoes, they brain each other with them and they're so focused on stealing their buddy's tomato that they just keep getting smacked in the head."
– Zukazuk
Troublesome Veggie
"My two piggies once fought over a piece of veggie neither of them liked, but because one of them had food the other had to steal it, then drop it because it tasted disgusting, then get it stolen, then get mad because his brother had food, steal it AGAIN.... I finally removed the veggie."
Take Us To Church
"My mom caught one of our guinea pigs sitting in the hay feeder and the other two in front of him like they were acting out a sermon. The 'preacher' is now dubbed 'King Leo of the Hay Feeder'."
I have never had a pet in my life. But after reading through some of the ridiculous anecdotes shared by Redditors here makes me want to become a pet owner more than ever.
Because nothing sounds more entertaining than watching a dog get confused while standing in front of a mirror, chasing their own tail, or forgetting that the screen door is not open.
Sloppy doggie kisses, however, is something I can probably do without.
Aurora isn't the only cute animal out there. So many pets outdo themselves every day with how adorable they are. Here are a few stories from the pet owners of Reddit.
U/clickstorm7 asked: What's the cutest thing your pet has done?
Always gotta start with the pups. Doggos are almost always huge hams, and always make for great stories.
Boop!
My brother's dog was laying in the stairs yesterday. My parent's stairs have a gap in the railing bars. Big enough to stick my face through.
So as I was walking by I stuck my face in to talk to the dog.
He ever so gingerly bopped me in the nose with his nose. Too cute.
They’re such funny sleepers.
Sleepy Family GIFGiphyMy dog has a funny bedtime ritual; he has to circle my laundry rack three times before we go to bed at night, and then he grabs his stuffy, lays on the bed with it and makes little weird soft screamy noises at it, then holds it in his mouth and kneads the bed like a cat making biscuits, huffing softly until he falls asleep. I have no idea why this is required but it is.
Edit: I also had a foster dog for a while. My other dog got a multipack of 15 antler chews, and foster dog took them upstairs to my bed one by one and stuffed them under the covers, and the sound of getting into bed was like a medieval ossuary.
Creeper pupper.
My schnauzer 100% reacts to and can emulate laughing. My wolfhounds can't. They can play, they can indicate play, they can show submission, but my schnauzer 100% understands laughter. She knows how to encourage it, how to react to it, and that it's a positive thing.
I’m a cat person, so I’m really excited to share these cat stories.
A good big brother.
I have three cats and the oldest one is a very grumpy old man sometimes. He doesn't like change. I was genuinely worried how he was going to adjust to us bringing home newborn twins. But from day one those have been his babies.
They're 8 months old now. This cat has tried to push them in their swings when they were crying, he snuggles up next to them when they're fussy, and he'll even encourage them to use him as a bottle prop so their hands are free to grab at him despite their not yet having any idea of the concept of "gentle".
I love old man cats.
cat lady pet GIFGiphyHe purrs. Like all the time.
He's an old man now so he doesn't move around much. Since I started working from home, he just sits on my bed and purrs while he watches me at my desk.
He'll gets extra excited and start wheezing when I get close or pick him up because he's purring so loud.
But the cutest? Before he takes a nap he'll curl into a fluffy purring ball, then let out a single sigh before closing his eyes and going to sleep.
EDIT: He's purring in his sleep right now. It's going in and out because he's snoring. The cuteness. I can't.
Sweet baby.
My cat (then a very tiny kitten--he was a rescue from the yard and we never found mom) laid on my face after my wisdom tooth surgery and batted my husband away every time he tried to get close. They've worked out their differences now that he's not a baby anymore and my husband is his "day" person and I'm his "night" person.
What’s a nice hat.
My cat likes to sleep directly on my pillow right above my head. Like a cat toupee. I guess we keep each other warm that way, but I like waking up and seeing his little nose. He's super affectionate and I'm lucky to have him.
Although cuteness does exist in all animals. They’re all perfect in every way.
Snakes can boop too!!!
snake GIFGiphyMy son has an 8-month-old corn snake. When we pick her up, she likes to stretch out and bump her nose against human noses. My daughter calls that a "snakey nose boop."
Awwwww.
I have a green cheek conure (type of small parrot for those who don't know). He can speak quite a bit. "I love you." "What's that?" "Peekaboo!" "It's okay." "No." "Time to go to bed." and "Wanna take a bath" among other phrases.
One night I woke up probably near 1 am because he had a nightmare (I assume?) and started screaming. I opened the cage, picked him up, and put him on my shoulder. I started scritching his head and whispering "it's okay."
After a moment of silence, he said in the most tender voice: "I love you."
If y'all need a bird tax, I have some videos of him in my post history.
Give the girl some gummy sharks!!!
Try to steal my candy. One day I was sitting down playing video games while munching on some gummy sharks. My iguana jumps on my lap and starts eating them. I let her have half of one, but none after that. She wasn't happy with that, and chased me around while I found a place to hide them where she couldn't get into.
One thing is for sure- humanity is blessed to have pets, and we definitely don’t deserve them.
A good older sibling.
kitty kitten GIFGiphyI brought home a blind kitten. When I let him out of quarantine, my older cat walked side by side with him around the perimeter of my home. I'm pretty sure Gabey was showing the kitten the layout of the house.
Ashley is a good kitty.
My kitty will demand a treat and then when I'm about to go down stairs; she will lay on the stairs, wagging her tail, making little meow noises and will only move if you say, "Ashley treat?"
She will also go and lay across our shoes when she knows we are leaving for a bit.
My favourite is when she attacks my fiancé wrapping her legs around him and pretends to scratch and bite him, but her claws never come out and she never actually bites. She is very protective of him and will "guard" him when someone is in the condo fixing something, usually growling. I laugh because he is 6'6 290lbs of muscle and a 10lb kitty is all "dont you touch my HOOMAN!!"
Cats always know.
My son must have been about 2 and was sick for a couple says, nothing serious but he had a fever. He fell asleep on the couch, and my (then) 13-year-old cat cuddled up right beside him and started purring. She stayed there until he woke up a few hours later. It's like she knew he didn't feel good and was trying to make it better.
What a sweet, trusting pup.
2 Chainz Dog GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphyMy dog trust falls. I've had her since she was a puppy and have held her a lot and never dropped her. Now she's 50 pounds and reaches up for me to pick her up and will fall backward onto me so I rub her belly.
Congrats, you now speak cat.
My cat was 17 and geriatric. She had a lot of experience being a cat and was spoiled. She got whatever she asked for. My bathroom door and my bedroom door share the same corner basically. I laid down some pest repellent and had to keep her out of the room for a while.
I was standing at the toilet taking a leak when she walks up to the bedroom door, looked at me until I looked at her, and nose booped the door asking me to open it. I tried to explain to her I couldn't let her in, but she didn't know English. She tried and tried, but I wouldn't open the door.
This cat.. I swear.. she walks into the bathroom and walks over to the laundry hamper sitting against the wall. She stands there and stares at the wall for a second, Then she looks at me to make sure I'm looking. And she nose boops the hamper where it meets the wall, then looks at me. I stand there puzzled and ask her "What are you doing? What do you want?" So she boops it again. Eventually I just pull the hamper out away from the wall to make a space. She squeezes through the space, comes out the other side, and walks directly back to the bedroom door without pause and nose boops the door again.
This cat just communicated to me. She established a signal with me as a means of communicating, then used it to communicate.
As for Aurora, the cutest thing I see her do is hang out with our two corn snakes. She'll sit on top of the cage and watch them all day long. I mean, she probably wants to eat them, but we ignore that.
Give your pets a hug today!!! They're the best.
"The 3"
As I type this I can see them stationed at three different points of the room. They are pretending to sleep. Every once and awhile they change positions, which is merely subterfuge to survey where the others are. This way once there is movement, they can leap into action at one another for no apparent reason. Or maybe the reason is to drive me insane? Who else can attest?
Hopeless
Wiener Dog Listening GIF by OriginalsGiphyThe dachshund will NOT stop invading the beagle's personal space (crate) to suck on her ears. The beagle has HAD it and wants it to stop. Two things tho:
- Beagles have a really hard time being stern and intimidating
- Dachshunds are NOT easily intimidated
So this morning we had 40 minutes of beagle "growling" (not very convincing sounding) and dachshund "sass" (barking back) ending up AS USUAL with an annoyed beagle with soggy ears.
It's hopeless.
EDIT: Here they are
Creepy Cat
In college, we lived in the second floor and would leave the sliding glass door open with the screen door shut on nice days. We'd often come home to find my dog, stuck on the balcony. We figured out that my roommate's cat was opening the screen door to let the dog out and then closing the door.
The Growl
My roommate has 2 large male dogs and I have a small female dog. My roommates male dogs like to rough house and play around sometimes. Whenever they get too loud my little dog will raise her head and growl ever-so-slightly. Just enough for them to hear her. As soon as she does, they stop for a minute and start playing quieter. Freaking surreal to see.
It's all soft...
Tired Sleeping Dogs GIF by TikTokGiphyMy two dogs like the same bed so they will fight over it until the end result is they just both sleep on it (while the other bed just goes unused-I don't see the difference between the two they are both super soft?!).
youngest child syndrome...
3 cats (2 on purpose, then we had a happy accident for the third) Miku, Chloe, and Oliver. Oliver wants to play CONSTANTLY, and both the girls hate that. They'll cuddle with him in order to share a lap, but they get so mad at him when he tries to play. They don't hurt him though, just swatting with no claws and growls. Whenever they try to do that though he runs to my mom and cries until she picks him up. He's definitely got youngest child syndrome.
"Looney Tunes"
So I'm not the only one with looney pets. Good to know. Maybe I should bring them around animals more? It could be they aren't as social as possible. They aren't mean, just conniving and energetic. The next few stories may shed some light.
Dog Tricks
Dog 1 is trying to trick dog 2 into following her into the garden so that dog 1 can then storm back indoors to take dog 2's bone she is enjoying. Dog 3 is sitting in the on the couch quietly waiting for this to happen, to be the actual winner of this scheme.
The Fury
We got a puppy two weeks ago. Our elderly cat is furious when we do dog training sessions because cat deserves the treats instead. We end up doing joint training sessions and the cat is actually much more consistent than puppy.
In my house, if a package crinkles, it must be treats. And if there are treats, they must be for kitty and puppy, but kitty first. KITTY. FIRST.
leading the stampede
cows GIFGiphyOn my Uncle's farm a cat got into its head that attacking a cow was a good idea. Jumped on it, bit it around the neck. Of course when one cow runs, they all run... Cat caused a mini-stampede that took out several fences. And somehow walked away unscathed.
Open Windows
Two cats. I opened the window for the first time this year since the weather is finally nice. They have been pushing each other away for the best spot to smell the air.
Same! One open window in the house, in my office next to my desk. My two girls usually share really well but the window has been causing squabbles.
Edit: Photo evidence - https://imgur.com/gallery/roSasax.
The Look
Mad Grumpy Cat GIF by MOODMANGiphyThe dog doesn't like when the cat gives him dirty looks. The cat knows this, will deliberately stare him down, and then expertly leap out of the way when he goes to chase her.
Triple Détente...
Three cats until several months ago, now four. All from different litters. All fixed.
When it was just the three girls they had a shifting power dynamic that my wife and I called the Triple Détente. When the male was added, things got weird. He terrorizes one, creepily stalks another, and is terrified of the third. This has created a bizarre new dynamic with a top cat (the female that terrifies the male) for the first time in years.
Shame...
Love this question haha I have 2 cats one that is a bit dramatic and there is always this stray cat that comes to stare at her from the distance, the never gets close but my cat yells like she is being attacked. When I go out and check it out the stray cat is on the other side of the sidewalk and my cat is at my door all curled up. All this happens and my other cat just stares through the window with dislike for my yelling cat.
I'm ashamed of my cat because her yelling is like super loud and all my neighbors know it's her causing drama.
Hey Pooh
Winnie The Pooh GIF by DisneyGiphyI have two sibling cats, a boy and girl. The girl developed heart problems and wasn't eating as much, so the boy cat took advantage and was eating a lot of her share. Now she's a little too skinny and he's gotten fat.
Ok, so I need to separate their food - So I got an automatic feeder for the boy cat, and made a feeder box that only the girl cat could fit in, which made the boy cat mad. He eventually gained the confidence to Winnie-the-Pooh himself into her feeder box, which is frustrating if I ever need to be gone for the weekend, as he'll literally eat all her food before she touches it.
So far my solution is to put a little inflatable collar on him when I'm gone, so he has a barrier besides his fat to keep him from going in.
Also I had to barricade his automatic feeder because he kept beating it up to get loose kibbles. Now he stares longingly at that feeder all day.
No Touching Game
We adopted a puppy last year (german pointer/mutt female). Our 6 year old pup (corgi/border collie male) was fine at first, but gradually decided he was not having any of her shenanigans and will growl/bark at her when he doesn't want to play. Now she's turned it into a game and whenever she wants attention she lays in front of him on her back, belly exposed, wags her tail and wiggles her body - she never touches him during this. He ALWAYS responds with low tone growling and a random bark. It's the dog version of "I'm not touching you."
T & J!!!
I have a cat, a puppy, and a dog. Cat likes to lure the puppy under the bed and he can get under but gets stuck in the middle where it's the lowest. I have to rescue him (usually around 2 am and he wakes me up by scratching the floor trying to get out). Cat also likes to knock off things from the counter he knows puppy should not be chewing on. Puppy and cat like to wrestle with each other.
But dog doesn't like the ruckus and barks at them to stop. Cat doesn't like the barking so then he chases dog. Puppy follows cat and there's a train of 3 Tom and Jerry style through the house. At the end of the day tho they are always in a big cuddle pile so I think they'll be okay.
Alex cat looked at Natalie cat which she doesn't like so she screamed and poop shot across the floor. And now Natalie has taken Summer's favorite sleeping place so Summer threw up on the carpet.
Pretty much a normal day in other words.
On Patrol
My 15 year old cat just died a week ago. He had a heart condition and we knew he was close to the end of his journey. His sis yellow lab has been looking for him all around the house since then. She won't sleep cause she is patrolling the house looking for her bro.
Leading the Blind...
cat playing GIFGiphyWe adopted a heavily abused and partially blind dog who was full of anxiety.
We also have 4 cats but only 2 of them are brave enough to go visit her.
The drama is that when she hears all the cats running around playing she wants to join but being semi blind and a 50/50 chance it won't be a friendly cat she just gets sad and whines.
Familia...
We have 2 dogs, a very large all black German Shepherd, and a recently adopted miniature dachshund. At first they were getting along fine but now the German Shepherd literally follows the little dachshund around everywhere he goes! They're literally inseparable now and it's kind of adorable lol.
The only real drama that's come from this is that now both dogs fight for attention whenever the other seems to get some.
Here's a picture of them in case y'all wanted to see them
Edit: Omg I just got off of work and saw this post blew up! I'll let the good boys know that Reddit loves them when I get home lol.
Oh Jenny
Old drama, but when i moved into my last apartment my cats met my roommate's cat: Jenny. Jenny is an incredible creature, talkative and cuddly and weird but also passive aggressive as hell. She would get a lil jealous if my cats got more attention, but mostly she just got mad when she didn't get to go outside. When she got angsty she took it out on the other cats. In my first week she pushed my oldest off the balcony. Marzipan hit the iron fencing below and lost a tooth 😭. Somehow Marz still loved Jenny.
"Covid"
During the pandemic it's been noted that many animal shelters are now empty. So many people took pets into their homes to spread the love and warmth. Our pets may be crazy from time to time, but they're worth it. That's why... if you adopted or bought a pet during Covid, please don't return them after. That's just cruel. They aren't toys. They're part of the home now. Treat them accordingly.
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