If youre concidering becoming Vegetarian (which is such an important thing in my opinion, not only because of the animals involved but for the planet as a whole) look at these two web sites...

http://www.vegsoc.org/

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/

Jim Dandy: Hi, I had two females cats, both were rescues which I had had for years. I decided to have a dog rescue exactly the same as youre thinking of doing now, & had the exact same concerns & worries you have too as my cats were both so happy.

Well a dog came along, hes was a rough collie (like lassie only black & white) I brought him home on trial for a week to see if he would get on with my cats. I thought if it doesnt work I just simply cant have him as I didnt want to upset my cats who had been through alot previously. I desperately hoped all would be well though. Anyway, the first day or so there was alot of hissing and bushy tails from my cats & he was scared of them! He was such a big laid back dog, had been badly neglected & was in a very bad state...it took a few months  to get him  back in shape. He had previously lived with a cat aswell.

Thankfully they all eventually got on a treat & it was a happy family. My one cat used to snuggle up next to him!

I think the main points that really helped us, that have been mentioned in previous posts, were:
1 He was older & very laid back not boisterous in the house
2 He had lived with a cat before
3 The cats were there first

Hope this helps a little :o)

or becoming VEGETARIAN a massive step in stopping the abuse of animals & a huge step for environmentalism aswell!

anastasia: sorry to hear about Nikis hips.
How about getting in touch with some special needs schools, pet petting can be great therapy for kids, so Niki may be great for that?

Jim Dandy: Great Danes are one of my most favourite breed! Huge & so cool!

anastasia: I was just imagining if I was that polar bear! She probably has mental problems anyway with being in a zoo. When I visited Sea World in Florida (not my choice cos I dont pay to see animals in zoos) the polar bears looked extremely traumatised! Pacing back & forth manically, loads of people staring at them, no privacy, kids banging on the glass etc etc etc....enough to send anyone mad!!

anastasia: or maybe she didnt want her young to suffer the life of incarceration she has had to indure!? 

Jim Dandy: LOVE that name...Strudel the Poodle
sorry to hear what happened to him, yes I agree we do learn alot of things from our pets....they are really important for our children to learn about responsibility & caring etc & even death

Jim Dandy: alot of labradors are used as guide dogs for the blind

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL YOU GORGEOUS ANIMAL LOVERS XXXX

Jim Dandy: Yes very true, but not all zoos are equal....lots of abuse still goes on unfortunately

Jim Dandy: my thoughts are....I hate zoos!!! Animals like that should be in the wild where they belong, not locked up in some cage to be goggled at. Im all for rescue centres which rehabilitate such animals who are injured or sick etc but I hate zoos.

anastasia: yes these are very tradgic sad stories, Id never recover from anything like that happening...to lose the life of a child...shudder!!!

I love dogs but I would never ever leave my kids alone with one, I dont even leave them alone with our cat!!

poor little baby boy, the family must be devastated....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7163696.stm

anastasia: yes absolutely correct!! too many animals would be far better off without human intervention....... 

anastasia: Thing is I DO UNDERSTAND what you are saying! Again,.....no Ive NEVER said any animals should be destroyed, I said they should cease to breed!! BIG difference!! Yes so that breed will no longer exist! It wasnt there before, it didnt happen naturally....

Yes the 'criminals' will probably go on to another breed....cross that bridge when we come to it! 

I have had some personal experience with pitbulls...some good, some bad...I personally dont have anything against them, which if you understand what Im saying you will know that already.

anastasia: Ive never once said any dog should be destroyed! I strongly believe in animal rights, which is exactly why I think they should NOT CONTINUE breeding certain dog breeds who could then end up being destroyed. The pit bull debate is a classic example of this!

http://From 1979 to 1998, pit-bull-type dogs and rottweilers accounted for more than half of the 238 fatal attacks on humans.24

Any dog's temperament is influenced by its breeding, its health, its socialization, and its environment.

This is a link to a Pit friendly site ......http://www.badrap.org/rescue/resources.cfm
They say Dog on Dog aggression within this breed is NORMAL....so thats bad enough for other dog owners taking their pooch for a walk!! AND ofcourse the risk to humans....

 

Jim Dandy: exactly!!

anastasia: You know I love you, and I also love your love for animals. I agree in the main about most of what you are saying but my thoughts on this subject remain the same....
HUMANS should NOT breed this type of dog in the first place! Then none of this would ever happen. Its not the dogs fault its the HUMAN genetically breeding such a dog, as usual!


Ive stayed quiet about all the hunting debate because it makes my blood boil!! I agree with you about if I was out hiking etc....  

Jim Dandy: that restraint was only at first & partly habit etc. Once I was fully weened from meat mentally it has been incredibly easy. Weird aswell, because the longer you dont eat meat for the more repulsed you become by the sheer thought of eating it. I found this common with a majority of veggie folk Ive chatted with.
Yes & you saying about the taste in mass produced meat being in decline, I have heard that alot....I think more people who eat red meat are turning to organic, small farming methods for better taste etc.

Jim Dandy: Hi I am an animal lover, I am also a vegetarian. I chose to go veggie because I wanted to opt out of the meat industry & the all of the cruely aspects surrounding it.
Also I could not kill or prepare an animal myself so why have some one else do my dirty work?
I love the taste of meat though....from what I remember, such a long time ago now since Ive eaten any, probably about 20 years! I remember craving it for a couple of years after first becoming veggie but never now.

srnity: Aww the poor thing!

srnity: Yes maybe although I have never heard the Snowy Owl referred to as a Polar Owl before....I even had to check up to see if there was another species

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=all&by=commonnames

 srnity: Looks like a Snowy Owl to me! Ive never heard of a Polar Owl? But yes, great pics!

Tuesday: I know how much you love your dogs & care for them well

Tuesday: I havent got the time or the extra energy to look after a dog right now with my kids being so very young, but maybe 3 - 5 years or so time I would definately concider getting another dog.
Yes my daughter loves puppies (in pictures) and all animals for that matter lol

Tuesday: Aww yes, one of my friends dog used to chase the ice cream van & go ballistic barking & growling! I dont think he liked the music the van was playing lol but yes could be fatal, you do good to keep  her away from the bus! 

 Tuesday: awwwwwww

Tuesday: thanks, aww that is sweet! 

Tuesday: Aww & I bet they are keeping you very busy!! Will you end up keeping her? How do you pronounce her name, its very unusual & beautiful! dont think I know the movie)

Tuesday: He sounds very mixed up!!

Tuesday: Yes but thats what I dont get....hes a conservationist for a living & then partakes in trapping as a hobby??? The two just dont gel...hes either just doing his job for the money without any passion or....well I dont know what???
 

Tuesday: doing what he does for a hobby doesnt come under conservation in my book! Im glad youve turned him down, he doesnt sound like your type at all.  Yes I know what you mean about finding the right one!!

Tuesday: I dont like the sound of that bloke, how anyone can do that for a living is beyond me!

anastasia: Fantastic pics!!!!!

srnity: Thats upsetting about the rabbits too....Cats unfortunately just have hunting in their nature...and excellent hunters they are too! Im not sure all of them are as preditorial though...my last cat just loved all other animals & used to mother them...this included my cockateil I just mentioned & a chinchilla! In all the years I had here I never once saw her even stalk another animal, let alone attack or kill it. My cat I still have now is different though, shes forever hunting & killing small furry things.

edited to just add.....anyone with a cat who doesnt want them to kill things (like me) can try making sure your cat has a collar with a bell on...its enough to warn birds atleast

Tuesday: OMG Im so sorry to hear that! You must be heart broken! What a terrible thing to of happened! You do a good turn & rescue the cats only for it to be disasterous to your bird....I really am sorry....its touched a nerve with me because I had a cockateil attacked by a cat & she later died....I was devastated

wetware: some great tips there! I think I did all of that apart from the foil thing.

Rose: Aww  poor kitty! I hope you get her settled & rehomed soon, ewww having to have a litter tray in your bedroom!

Tuesday: lemongrass/citronella or a weak solution of eucyliptus(cant spell tonight Im tired lol) oil can repell fleas but doesnt kill them

Tuesday: I agree whole heartadly(sp?) with you!! A dog on antidepressants, rediculous!!!
As for the t'shirt...hmmm lol

Jim Dandy: for me or my cat?
I think I needed it more....she was happy about the pooing but I wasnt!!

No I dont know of any cat psychologists...is that what you are going to do for yours? Do you know of a cat psychologist? 

Jim Dandy: Yes both of mine were/are rescues too. So things in common are...
*previous ill treatment
*age/ pooing on carpets didnt start until after a few years
*loving & normal behaviour otherwise

It really does sound more psychological

I hope your vet is more helpful about it than mine. Although mine did recommend some excellent enzyme spray which killed any smell/stain left on carpets or wood floors.

Jim Dandy: I had my cat all checked out too at the vets when she was doing it, but physically she was absolutely fine! I think its got to be psychological but I havent a clue what could cause it, I even looked for info on the net & found nothing of great use. She was generally a very happy playful & extremely loving character.
Can I ask what 'brang up' is as you mentioned?
Does she have regular spots she uses or is it just random? My cat once even pooed in the plug hole of the bath!!! What the heck is that all about???
My cat was originally a rescue, I never knew if she had had kittens but she was very motherly to all other animals & people, I got to thinking she was pineing for kittens & got a mental problem over that which manefested itself in her behaviour...but thats just a guess.

Jim Dandy: my other cat (who died last year) used to do the exact same thing!! I know exactly how you feel, it used to drive me up the wall. I honestly dont have any tips though because I couldnt get her to stop. I had her for about 14 years, she was about 16 when she died & she started pooing on the floor after Id had her quite a few years. She used to wee on the litter tray & then go & find somewhere in the house to poo!! She even used to come in from the garden to poo! Infuriating...I just thought she was going senile or something, but my other cat who I still have is about 16 now & has never done it once.
Im sorry I cant help because I really do know what its like.
Hope you have better luck than me.

Tuesday: awww poor Gracie! Does the spray wash off easily?

anastasia: Aww your dogs are beautiful! I looked at all the pics in TS aswell, thanks for sharing

Jim Dandy: Not all humans are equal & certainly dont act the same. Overall we have a strong sense of right & wrong, we are intellegent & have a conscience (some much more developed than others). Therefore I believe that gives us the right to judge our behaviour as we know when others and ourselves are doing wrong etc. We need certain guidelines & boundries or it would be all out anarchy.

But if you are talking on a basic level about people just getting on with others, then I totally agree! I love people & try not to be too judgemental. I am very passionate about things I believe in but totally understand others see things differently, and we are all entitled to that. I talk to anyone. Love meeting new people & making new friends. 

anastasia: Yes I completely agree with you!! Humans are the most selfish animal on this planet & we think we own it & we dont!!!