Dogs vs. Cats

[chrischris]

Without any blatant disrespect for the preferences of individuals, tell us if you are a Cat or a Dog person, or both, and feel free to talk about your pets. To some of us, our pets are like family members.

[CRABBY]

I have 10 cats and 2 dogs...I love them as family...they are quite entertaining at all hours....I love them and they get along beautifully....8 are ferrell and live under my couch for the last 8 years...and only come out to eat...I call them mogwogs (gremlins) only come out at dark and usually when I'm sleeping...I can here the pitter patter of they're feet across the floor and then Hekaya chasing them.....(loud noise) would never be without anyof them...Theo just watches the excitement....

[chrischris]

I'll start

I am both a dog and cat person, plus I am an aquarium hobyist. Actually, I love all animals, including snakes.

Currently, I have two large dogs. My female is getting sicker by the day and we're on a wait and see basis. She has just been diagnosed with hyper-thyroidism and is losing weight rapidly. If she dies, I will certainly be saddened, and because we have another dog, I will replace her immediately with a shelter dog so the male has a companion. They have full reign of a large back yard and I love my dogs. I am the one that takes care of them, picks up their poop, and nurses them when they are ill. They love me unconditionally.

I have always had a house cat, and only one at a time. We have tried to add another cat, but it just didn't work out. Maui is my cat. She sleeps at my feet and loves only me. I've had her for 6 years and NO ONE would ever know I had a cat. When someone comes to the door, she disappears under my bed and won't come out until they are gone. Maybe somewhat anti social to others, but she knows me; when I'm sad she won't leave my side. She is very low maintenance. I don't scoop out poop since my injury. I completely give her a fresh litter box once a week. She is my baby.

My fish aquarium is a 50 gallon tank, with oak wood lid and base. I had it custom made about 7 years ago and the original fish I put in it then are still alive. It's a fresh water tank with community fish of all sizes. The sucker fish keeps it pretty clean, and I clean the filter once a week, and my husband cleans the tank about once a month. This was my project, but since my injury, I can no longer clean the tank. It's gorgeous when the light is on and all the fish are active. Very relaxing too!

The only pets I won't have are tarantulas, or any kind of spider for that matter. Spiders and Bees freak me out!

[chrischris]

Crabby, you are quick at the keyboard! LOL!!!

[CRABBY]

chrischris Wrote:Crabby, you are quick at the keyboard! LOL!!!

bout the only thing I'm quick at now...LOL...
It is so hard to loose one of the babies...but I think you getting another shelter doggie would be the best....I've usually was only one doggie owner at a time and when i had to put my ELMO down few years ago Oct 9, I was so devastated and decided I would get two this time around (one to keep each other company) and selfish reason...I would hope that the pain would not be as severe if I had another on e to look after (but I know in my heart, it willstill kill me)and hurt like heck....I usually had 1 dog and 1 cat...when Imet my hubby I had an australian terrier named (bandit) and I had him first....then one night I was getting ready to work midnight shift and we had a blizzard going on...it was horrible, and I kept hearing a kitten crying outside, so I went to investigate and there she was in a pile of snow shivering and crying and I picked her up and brought her in the house and told the dog and her, you both need to get along and I'll see ya in the morning, when I came home they both were curled up together in chair sleeping...I named her sabrina...Now JIm didn't like cats...he had a black rabbit named "harvey" who he use to take sledding and had a car seat made for him!!!!so we became one happy family...and they all got along....then we got another rabbit named Jessica...then one day Sabrina got out and was gone ....after a month Jim said to go to humane society and get another cat...So I did...but I came home with 2....Groucho and Harpo..I family was expanding....when me moved up hear, we aquired a stray and named her Chico....a few years later...Mommy was a stray left to fend for herself for 1 1/2 years outside...I didn't know it , but hubby was feeding her when he would leave for work at 4am....it got to the point if he didn't have the food out, she would bang on door til he fed her...one morning she had 4 babies with her...so he brought them all inside...and then one had 3 babies...so we were up to 12 cats...Then our little bandit passed away and 10 days later, we found a little puppy who was 3 weeks old that was thrown from a moving van into snow bank, and we had "elmo"...he was part rodesian ridgeback and lab (the hunters of lions) well you can just imagine what he would do to the cats at first, he would hold them down with his paws..until we would tell him let them up...eventually they all became friends and would sleep together....and it is basically the same with Hekaya and Theo...they all get along....another book ...sorry

[sweet tooth]

we havent got over max yet will we ever?

[jayne]

no but soon he will be a sweet memorie to look back on.......If I had to choose a favorite pet it would be cornbread my jersey cow...her eyes are so big and brown and soulful..........next would be my st bernard dogs they are a beautiful creation........and then a blk and white paint filly would be nice............hey Santa would you fix Jaynes discs so she can ride a horse again...please

[Pooh]

I love both cats and dogs - however, after I had to get rid of trixie after my oldest was born, it was just hard to get another dog. I mean what do you do if the dog and kid don't get along - right? Can't get rid of the kid, but the shelter did find Trixie a nice home and it was known - no small kids - teens were fine and so were cats.

Driller is also one that loves all types of animals - he still needs to build me another double decker bird house for the back yard ..... lol But after he lost babygirl and schotsie he found it hard to get another dog as well. Yet he wanted another dog - little hints he was dropping. But then he would think about the cats - Angel being the oldest at 16 and grew up with the other 2 dogs of his, ET, BB (or binkie B) and patches - none of the younger ones had really been around dogs and bringing in a dog might cause trauma to them.

Well when my son joined the army - driller decided that it was time to get a dog - but we needed one that we felt would get along well with the cats as well - so when driller seen someone's Pomeranian puppy and found out that one of his hands had a couple for sale - he decided to get one. Bugsy is the right size as he is the same size as the cats in height and they all get along great together. Of course you couldn't tell that he is my puppy other than he follows me everywhere I go in the house.

As far as sleeping arrangements - the cats have moved the puppy out of the bed where they were first ..... so he now sleeps under the bed or by the bed on my side. and I have the cats sleeping by me. Normally one at my feet - one by my back and one by my legs and if I am lucky one will sleep in the bed that they have if not it will sleep between driller and me.

We also have Simba that is coming around again now that it is getting cold - he's a wild cat that roams the neighborhood. But since I leave food and water out back - he knows where to go to get something to eat. So he will be here until spring then he will be gone again most likely. lol

[Babebahn]

I love both even though I am allergic to cats! I have a godlen retriever/spaniel who is 16 yrs old, he has hyperthyroidism, incontinence, Cushions disease...but he is still doing as well as expected. He had a stroke in January at which time the Vet said don't put him down so we didn't. Lucky D has the most expressionist face. When I use to take him to the park, there were times people would ask if they could take his picture because of his expressions...he is just my "Angel Face"! Lucky D is very quiet, very easy going. He has been like that ever since we got him. He was a pound puppy. He was found on our freeway all bruised up & abused. They said he was dumped there. When we got him he weighed 15 lbs, he is not 26 lbs.
His brother/companion, Trouble, passed away from melanoma 10/18/04. He was a character. So fast & mischievious! That little thing was a mix of daschund & terrier. He broke his nails so many times just from running around! He got into a pound box of See's candy, birthday candles, a jar of vaseline, and he loved to play with pennies! I had a separate fish bowl filled with his pennies, some rolled most loose...if you went near his pennies prepare for your fingers to be bit! I miss my little guy. After he passed away, Lucky D mourned for about 6 months. I thought about getting another dog for Lucky D but decided not to as the Vet said it would be too hard for him so the neighbor next door cut an opening to her fence and Lucky D would sniff the dog next door until we moved.

I have decided that once Lucky D passes away, I will not gt another dog. Instead I plan on volunteering for Tony LaRussa's ARF Association where I can love all the animal there.

Lucky D & Angel Trouble's MOM
Babebahn

[chrischris]

Babe, that is such a good plan you have to volunteer at the ARF Assn. I think that is why my daughter-in-law and I get along so well. All through her high school and jr. college years, she volunteered at the SPCA, and she will not allow her kids to be without pets. She regularly brings bags of pet food to the shelters, and the boys love to go on these field trips and play with all the animals.