Mmm, we don't have a thread to talk about our pets but we have a folder...
We have a hamster un-originally called Hamly or Ham for short.
Here is a picture of her in my son's hands.
Here (http://picasaweb.google.com/alexoedelman/Test/photo?authkey=WghDF1uD2yo#5088000355727694770)'s a really bad picture of my dog that I uploaded to Google a while back.
Aw, she's a sweetie. :)
Here's my dog, Snapper:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x283/diana_malvea/IMG28.jpg)
Sitting in front of our garage door. Old picture, from when he was a bit younger. He's still the same, just a bit fatter.
And a crappy picture of my cat, Moops on my roof.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x283/diana_malvea/seizurekittenontheroof.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2101802418_f59f94dee1.jpg?v=0)
Ludvig our family monster.
He's a Irish Terrier, smart, funny, cuddly and stubborn as h***. ;)
Sounds like your typical Irishman. He's adorable!
What a cutie! Perfect size dog, too. Still cuddly, but not so tiny that you've got to worry about the can mistaking it for a mouse...
An Irish Terrier !!! One of me best mateys was an Irish Terrier ....Good ole Murph ! What a character , I just loved that boy , he had a cast iron stomach . Oh how I miss him , that dog just loved everyone and a good time . He was tough of nails and refused to grow old .
I'm choking at the thought of all the wonderful four legged beasties that I was so fortunate to be pals with .
Snapper and Ludvig are handsome dogs.
I need to get a new picture of Missy and post it. She is gorgeous in her winter coat.
He is quite an imp... ;D
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2135588979_5658986482.jpg)
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2135588979&size=m&context=set-72157603422763256 (http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2135588979&size=m&context=set-72157603422763256)
Take a look on my flickr page I have a couple of other pictures of him there, as well as about 60 other pics.
what shoe?
Ok I'll look at the camera- now hurry it up so I can get back to the shoe thing.
what shoe?
:mrgreen:
I have several captions to that pic now.
"Why won't you chase me?"
"I have a foot in my mouth? Your foot?"
"You look stoopid with that camera thingy in your face"
;D
"Toes! They're what's for breakfast!"
No that would be the caption to this picture...
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/2156494008_fd95a232f2.jpg)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21661703@N07/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/21661703@N07/)
:D
Here are some new pictures of my dog Missy. She just turned 4 yesterday. Unfortunately, the cheap camera doesn't handle bright sun and white fur too well.
(http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/th_Image4.jpg)
(http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/th_Image3.jpg)
(http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/th_Image2.jpg)
(http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/th_Image1.jpg)
What a pretty girl!
Spencer had to look. (He knows Mommy's sounds for Ohhh, doggie!) I think he might be in love. He's OK with her being bigger and all. His last serious GF was a Great Dane. ::)
My boy has delusions of grandeur...
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on January 12, 2008, 04:24:02 AM
What a pretty girl!
Spencer had to look. (He knows Mommy's sounds for Ohhh, doggie!) I think he might be in love. He's OK with her being bigger and all. His last serious GF was a Great Dane. ::)
My boy has delusions of grandeur...
Missy's half Great Pyranese, which is very apparent if you are familiar with the breed. She has something thin...greyhound? Saluki?...in there too. She doesn't have the bulk of a Pyranese. Missy only weighs half as much as her mother, though she is almost as tall.
What a pretty lady! :)
I better not show the pictures to Ludvig or Spencer will get some competition. ;)
She is a lovely girl.
my mom's neighbors have Greats and they are huge-- they have sort of a Dr. Dolittle thing going on (a camel-yes his name is Joe poor darling even if he spits), several alpaca, a few ostrich, 2 zebra, emu, guinea hens, all sorts of chickens including many beautiful and exotic kinds, a horse or 3, a water buffalo thing (it really looks like one anyway), pigs, one seriously pissed at the universe donkey, and I'm sure a partrige or two....
anyway the dogs live with the animals(everyone sleeps in the barn, etc) and they are so lovely and big but you better not mess with their 'flock' -esp at night when the owners are not about to introduce you as 'allowed to be around'. But if they know you then they are lap dogs- well the part of them that will fit go in the lap the rest sort of drapes so you better be sitting on the ground.
I've heard that sheep ranches will raise the puppies with the sheep and they bond and make such great protection for the flock.
Missy says that Spencer and Ludvig are fine looking fellows and will keep them in mind.
Dominic likes Dr. Jack Horkheimer's astronomy clips on PBS.
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/StarGazin.jpg)
And here he is, getting in touch with his inner revolutionary:
"It's my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me...D."
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/Codename_D.jpg)
He's a good sport about being dressed up, and is looking out the eyeholes...
I love the mask one!!
My favorite kitteh type, the black and whites!
I'm missing my Kitkat ! I can't blame anyone for wanting to take her...she is so cute . I would be happy just to know she is in a good home instead of this uncertainty . :'( :(
I know that worry! :pat:
How long has she been missing?
Bloody cat lovers everywhere on here
I now have NO PETS because cats have killed them all
thats right
foot and mouth and ear and nose and throat
murdered by cats
>:(
Quote from: goat starer
Bloody cat lovers everywhere on here
I now have NO PETS because cats have killed them all
thats right
foot and mouth and ear and nose and throat
murdered by cats
>:(
I used to have finches, an aquarium, and a cat. That cat considered a plant shelf topping the cage assembly (2 good-sized cages modified to allow a flight path between) as her own personal deck chair, and spent a lot of time bird-watching. At first I was concerned, but they went about their business the same whether the Giant Whisker Face was peering in at them or not.
I did notice that the fish population diminished at a steady rate. I thought it was 'Eric the Red', a particularly aggressive beta I had installed a couple weeks earlier, whom I had observed bullying the zebras. Then one morning I forgot something on the way to work and ran back in. There was my cat standing on the aquarium shelf, a casual look on her face, trying to conceal an arm behind her back as it was up to the armpit in the tank. I stopped restocking her private trout pool that day and fit the lid more snugly.
I am very sorry about your cat, Bruder Cuzzen.
Quote from: goat starer on March 03, 2008, 12:17:41 AM
Bloody cat lovers everywhere on here
I now have NO PETS because cats have killed them all
thats right
foot and mouth and ear and nose and throat
murdered by cats
>:(
Cats are the original model for the evil anarchists. They have no problems with eliminating any other life form in favor of their wants. (I am the model for semi-evil anarchists...)
I've got new neighbors behind me, and they have a smallish Lab. It does NOT like Missy one little bit. Snarl-growl-bark-curl lip-show fangs sort of dislike.
BC-- I hope KitKat (we had a KitKat once ourselves) shows up --- I too have been through that anxiety. Poor baby girl.
Goat---- sigh---- the job and now cats.
Aphos--- BRIBERY!! let the new neighbor and Missy have some treats at the same time-- even if they are seperated by a fence (and with both sets of parents present to give encouragement and good doggies). See if that helps---- that's going to get old quick-- a new dog who is trying to take over. Baring that Missy was there first and tell the new guys mommie and daddie that you will not accept any violence against your pet so they will need to get some training at the Pet's Mart. But if he's young then you can probably introduce them over a few days and he'll get it.
Still no Kitkat . I've been checking the net every day for a week now . Fritz ventured upstairs for the first time in a year and is marking his spots once again...he seems extra sucky as well .
I guess Kit is on her next stage of her life , she always made it back before but this time i'm not so certain . if she is anywhere within a half mile radius of home she'd be back first chance she gets . If she's really happy where she is now and is getting constant attention , she will stay put .
She would have little problem finding adoptive houses , She is the most skilled bird catcher I've ever seen , so she won't go hungry . I've seen her scale a 7foot fence in a single effortless jump .
I miss her presence , she is quite a character .
In the Picture Association Game, I came across a picture of a chow puppy that looked very much like a dog I used to have. Sending me into terminal nostalgia, I dug up some pictures of my dog Fenris.
He was very much a chow...fiercely loyal...very stubborn...did not like strangers (not vicious, just would let them know he wanted nothing to do with them.) He was 13 weeks old when I got him in 1987 and died in 2001.
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/fenris4.jpg)
4 years old
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/fenris11.jpg)
11 years old
My black cat, Samantha (baby) (not that she's a baby, it's that's her nickname, 'cause she was so little when I got her, even tho she was a year or so....she was the size of a kitten or nearly so)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/BobQuantumFaith/PICT0022.jpg)
My grey tabby, Galileo (stinker):
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/BobQuantumFaith/PICT0005.jpg)
This cartoon brought Missy to mind. She is DEFINITELY not a lap dog.
(http://images.ucomics.com/comics/tmbro/2008/tmbro080401.gif)
Galileo does have that look-- yep he's a stinker-i'm sure he keeps you all on your toes. he even has his ears perked as he know he is being worshipped talked about.
This thread misses something... Hmmm
I know pic's of Spencer!
Spencer! Spencer! Spencer!
;D
The only pic I have is my avatar...He's with his son, Preston.
I'll be making more soon, as I found a cheap disposable camera. (Our digital has died, and the videocam with still pic capability got stolen in Spain at the airport...)
Can somebody make a larger version of my avatar pic show up. I can't do pics, you know. (I'm semi-computer-literate or else photo impaired.)
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on April 07, 2008, 07:34:04 PM
The only pic I have is my avatar...He's with his son, Preston.
I'll be making more soon, as I found a cheap disposable camera. (Our digital has died, and the videocam with still pic capability got stolen in Spain at the airport...)
Can somebody make a larger version of my avatar pic show up. I can't do pics, you know. (I'm semi-computer-literate or else photo impaired.)
I could easily blow it up, but it would look terrible-- blocks and stuff.
Do you know ANYONE with one of those new-fangled camera-phones? They could snap a pic, e-mail it to you, and viola!
Or, next time you get out to Wally-world or K-mart or Walgreens or any number of shops, take an existing print-- any print. They will be able to make a digital copy on their digital photo processing machine.
Or.... let me look around. I "rescued" a cheap digital camera a while back. If I can find it, and if I can get it to work-- you can have it. Let me see if I can find it first. It's only 640 x 480 probably, or even 350 x 200 or something. But, that's more than good enough for the net. And you have to keep fresh batteries in it to keep the pictures from going away, or dump it into your PC. I'll look today.
Thanks, Bob. Dan's got a thingy that'll download almost any card from any camera (Gary that took him on the Europe trip is a bigger thechnodoofus than me...).
In the meantime, here's a link to whoro I loaded the avatar pic to Cheezbrgr and made a 'private' LOLdog outta Da Boyz.
http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=925057
OMG, that was in 2001!!
Maybe this will work (from your site, with a slightly different link)
(http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/4/7/prestonandspen128520921857500000.jpg)
aaaaaaaw!
:D
I have a short film clip (http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh158/roger_dillman/?action=view¤t=missy05-11-12.flv) of Missy from a couple of years ago.
Quote from: Darlica on April 08, 2008, 08:50:19 AM
aaaaaaaw!
:D
I'm not sure if the story on how that pic was made is here or not.
I was in the hospital after my last major surgery, and I wanted a picture of the boys for my room. (At that point, I wan to be in ICU for 3 or 4 weeks, then another 6-8 in hospital.) Dan got them posed on his bed, but they weren't being very "up". He said "Come on guys, smile!! We're taking this picture for Mommy!!" They perked up and he got that picture and two more that were almost as good.
Happy doggies love the Mom...Mom's the sucker when it comes to doggie treats, too...
===============
Bob, Missy's so cute!! That's the size dog that I have always treated like a lapdog...and people are amazed that they adapt to it. (That's a snuggledog size...)
Missy looks like a happy dog!
That clip reminded me of an old boyfriend's dog (different breed, same size and color). When she wanted out at night in the winter, she looked first at his feet. If he was wearing shoes, she went out, did her thing, and returned promptly to the house. If he was wearing socks or barefoot, she went out, did her thing, looked at the house and dog-laughed, and then... Ran! Ran like the Wind!! Ran galloping with bad-dog joy through the snow piles in his back yard, the snow piles in his neighbor's back yard, the snow piles in the next-house-over neighbor's back yard...
By the time he got his shoes or boots on and caught up to her, she was cold and wet and ready to come back in anyway. But she was still dog-laughing.
I'm not normally a dog person [as they are wont to start growling and menacing even before I know they are there and am *able* to send out 'scared' vibes] but there are happy exceptions. That dog, I liked.
Quote from: pieces o nine on April 09, 2008, 12:13:18 AM
I'm not normally a dog person [as they are wont to start growling and menacing even before I know they are there and am *able* to send out 'scared' vibes] but there are happy exceptions. That dog, I liked.
Me neither-- except that I
like dogs, very much.
It's just that I'm not home enough to
have a dog....they are soooo needy. ::) ;D
My cats are more like (when I return home), 'Oh, it's you. Food?'
Quote from: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on March 24, 2008, 12:32:27 PM
My black cat, Samantha (baby) (not that she's a baby, it's that's her nickname, 'cause she was so little when I got her, even tho she was a year or so....she was the size of a kitten or nearly so)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/BobQuantumFaith/PICT0022.jpg)
My grey tabby, Galileo (stinker):
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/BobQuantumFaith/PICT0005.jpg)
* nitpick* Stinker be a brown tabby Bob * end nitpick*
Quote from: Bruder Cuzzen on April 10, 2008, 03:00:57 AM
* nitpick* Stinker be a brown tabby Bob * end nitpick*
The only brown you see is right there.
The rest of him is grey.
He's likely a hybrid.
Unless there's some STUPID rule from those "cat fancier" people who seem to think THEY RULE the cat-world.
As if.
:mrgreen: ;D :mrgreen: :catroll:
If a cat's predominant color is GREY with WHITE stripes-- He's got a bit of brownish on his chest-- and no where else.
His tail is so dark grey, you can barely tell there're stripes. The tip is black, as are his feet, paws, etc.
Belly: white/cream.
so, tell me, how do you get "brown tabby" out of that? ::)
The brown we see makes him a brown tabby . A grey tabby has no brown at all , they are very "grey" , it helps the people at the shelters distinguish one tabby from another since so many are almost identical to another .
Stinker is a twin for my Fritz . .
Only really matters to the shelter folks tho .
Lots of people qualify color by face color, since people tend to look at fares first.
Thus my lilac point tabby half Siamese from years ago. Face, feet and tail were perfectly lilac point Meezer...with a grey tabby body. My late husband called him Frankencat, but the vet in New Orleans listed him as a lilac point mixed breed. :dontknow:
Frankencat.....HAAAAhahahaha
Frankenweenie! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087291/)
my oldest daughter brought home a Beta yesterday. this thing is probably 1/2 inch long (not including 'plumage'etc-just his body) and is now in a 1 gallon tank with a fake frog, snake, and snail and two fake plants
my daughter stayed up all night with it-- scared to death it would die or something or starve or something.
what's she gonna do if it decides to go float on her?
give it CPR?
oh and the can of food will surely feed it for about 10 years
but it is a lovely fish!
so we are pet owners again
my mothers neighbors have baby goats again
i want one
When I kept fish, there were always (male) bettas in the tank, sometimes with clear, perforated plastic dividers and plenty of screening camouflage plants to allow for more than one. They are very hardy and were usually the last fish left standing swimming. Eric the Red, in particular, outlived everybody, even a plecostomus.
:goldfish:
They are also fairly inexpensive and available almost everywhere, so in the event of an untimely demise, have a funeral and get a replacement. Meanwhile, they're quite beautiful and she'll enjoy watching its dramatic finnage develop. (She may also be grossed out by the string of betta poo, like a long cigarette ash, trailing behind him!)
nope she don't gross easily--
he is developing his personality already and he's got to be young-he has got to be the smalles betta I have ever seen. He is mainly a speckled greyish blue with fantastic red plumage.
Pieces or anyone-- do you know alot about them? Mainly how they eat--- see below
The pet store lady had/has many of them and seems to know about them and she told anthrochild to just feed him tropical fish flake food and he would do fine and he does eat it and seems to be doing alright, she seems to need to crush it up into smallish pieces but he draws them in and then will spit them out and draw them back in.
However my daughter brought home some betta pellets last night to see if he'd 'like them' better-- he really hit on them but they seem to big for his mouth?
he swallowed about 2 ok-- do they chew? I mean they will eat other fish so some sort of mastication has to occur or is it just tear and gulp like a shark would? Anyway one seemed to be way to big(but not obviously too big) and seemed to get stuck-- he swam around with it for a bit and she finally nudged his back fins with the net and he spat it out.
So naturally we are concerned about
A: getting enough food-- but not too much as overfeeding is a leading cause of fishy death I hear.
B: the correct food, they live about 2 years on average as I understand it and we want him around as long as possible.
C: is it helpful to put in a filtering system? we don't want to overdo it but the water is already a bit cloudy and don't want to overstress the fish by constant catch/clean tank/put back in.
D: light- do they need a lighted tank, or would a sunny but not direct sunlight spot do well--mimicing a natural cycle or sunrise to sunset or do they need more darkness?
as I understand it they are a shallow water fish from areas like ricepaddies and lowlying land that floods- that they do surface and gulp in air (breath)--so probably the water needs to be warm but also shallow water chills faster- so do they have a sort of temperature regulator?
I would like to explore having more, they do well in the shops in small perforated tanks with camo so that more than one can be in a tank.
I used to do tropical fish up in a big way.
Betas natural habitat is quite brackish water-- think "naturally polluted", so the cloudy probabily won't bother him. They are partial air-breathers, and if the water becomes deficient in oxygen, they simply go to the surface, and gulp some air ... it's why they do well enough in a tiny brandy snifter that would suffocate a regular fish.
Betas also seem quite happy in very confined spaces, again do well enough in a brandy snifter.
That being said, ascetics including smell is not to be ignored. So, a larger tank with a filtering system will be more pleasing to the human observer, and the beta won't mind if the water's clean. And it will smell better. MUCH better. ;D
Betas like to be solitary, and like a place to hide. So, if you elect for a larger tank, put many and varied green things in there-- those fake plastic aquarium plants do quite nicely. And, after a bit, algae will grow on the surface, rendering them actually plant-like. ::)
Obviously, real plants are better, but require a deep gravel bed, and a well-established tank with lots of fishes putting out lots of ammonia (from their gills) and solids (from their neither ends) for the plants to thrive.
Alternatively, with a 5 gallon tank and 1 beta, you can add plant food instead. But the deep gravel bed is a must. Wait a couple of months for the fish to "populate" the gravel bed with healthy bacteria and such, for the plant's roots. Your aquarium shop should have both the plants and the food.
Or, you could just stick with the plastic plants--- those never die, and look pretty good.
But, basically, fill up the tank with plants, leaving some "trails" or passages for the beta to swim around in-- he'll make himself quite at home.
Eventually, he will build a nest of bubbles in some corner or other. If you then obtain a female, you can maybe get them to breed-- but it's a bit trickey. You must watch carefully, for as soon as she emits her eggs, you MUST remove her to another locale, or the male will chase her literally to death. He will take her eggs into his mouth, and blow them into his bubble-nest.
He will then watch carefully over these eggs until they hatch, and he will then tend to the tiny babies for a time. Until they grow large enough to be a threat, when they must be removed, or he'll chase them to death, too.
Betas are very territorial. Not unlike humans, in that respect.
------------
Back to your tank-- Cloudy water is usually a sign of grey-green bacteria growing crazy over a large food supply.
As in excess fish-food, a very common thing. Overfeeding fish is so very easy to do-- in the wild, they do not get food every day, but they do get a huge variety, soo....
Cut back on the quantity of food you're feeding him. All he can eat in a minute or less is more than enough. He's just a small animal, and a flake or two is probabily more than he really needs at this stage.
Betas are carnivores, as are most fish. And they typically swallow their prey whole-- little in the way of teeth. The pellets are fine, if you use only one-- let him worry about it for a day or two. Then wait a period for him to digest it, and add another. He shouldn't choke-- if he can get it in his mouth, it's likely not too big.
But, I'd stick to the flake for now. My favorite was Tetramin brand, used to come in a plain yellow cardboard can, with a brown screw-top lid. Other colors meant different things: red lid, blue lid, green lid, etc.
Once every coupla weeks, you can give him a treat, if you like: frozen brine shrimp, or frozen/freeze-dried worms. These usually come in a clump that you can stick to the side of the glass. They will thaw out, and your fish will pick at it for quite a while-- good for his activity. But, don't feed him the regular food until he finishes the treat-- say a day or two.
You can raise your own brine shrimp, too-- it's fun. And a bit of salt in your water is good for your beta anyway.
Another trick to help balance your little pond, is add some small pond snails. Find a local stream that is not polluted with chemicals (farm fertilizer is okay) and gather a handful. Dump'em in after a gentle washing, if you like. Your beta will try to eat them-- let him, it's good for him anyway.
The snails are natural water-softeners, too. They will draw minerals out of the water to build their shells. Then, when they get picked to death by your fish, you remove the shells, and thereby remove some of the water-hardness.
Snails, like earthworms, are hermaphroditic-- so any two snails can make baby snails, if they are of the same species. They will lay a small packet of eggs on the side or in the back of your tank. These will hatch (if your fish don't find them first, and eat them) into teeny baby snails, some species the size of a pin-head or smaller.
If the snails get too much-- simply crush them one at a time, and let your fishes feast on the meat inside. Then remove the broken shells later. A natural meat-treat.
My fishes got so used to me reaching inside to crush the snails, that they would gather near my hand (I used my fingers) waiting in anticipation of a snail-snack.
________________
My favorite type of filter is the under-gravel kind, with an electric pump on the riser tube. This creates a natural aerobic bed of bacteria/algae that converts the ammonia from the fish's gills and the solid waste into harmless materials, easily absorbed by underwater plants/algae.
The electric pump keeps the surface water moving, too, aerating it naturally, allowing for a denser population of fish that otherwise. No messy/expensive changing of charcoal/pad filter media, either.
You can go months and months without any worries-- just once every two weeks or so, remove about 1/3 to 1/5 of the water, and add fresh back up to top. This keeps the water's acid balance in check. And the tiny bit of chlorine helps keep the microscopic critters in check too.
Then, 2 times a year, you "vacuum" the gravel with a thingy to remove some of the natural "dirt" that collects between the gravel pieces.
You have to do this regardless of the type of filter anyway....
What else? Hmmm. Can't think of anything at the moment....
Thanks Bob
For now she is going to stick with the flake food-- it is stated for tropical fish(for colorful tropical fish) and seems to contain the same things as the pellets and he is having issues with the pellets for some reason. maybe later she can try again to give him some variety.
I have heard that some salt is good but not much and to use aquarium salt only.
We would just wind up making pets out of the snails, but a good idea.
The fake plants she has look fine anchored in gravel, he has already staked out a nice sleeping place, and he has room to 'run' as well. He ignores the fake snake (that is being removed soon thank you very much-it is stupid looking), but he hangs out by the fake turtle-possibly he sees it as what it is, an interesting shaped rock.
She cleaned his bowl yesterday--- we are probably going to go ahead and get a small filter system-not so much to aerate but to help keep the water fresh, he was very happy to be put into clear-treated water yesterday.
We have also discovered via various sources that it is a 'workout' for them to have a mirror placed near the bowl for a few minutes every once in a while- they think it is another male and will display like heck--- but not for too long as it is a workout and one should not over exhaust ones fishies, and not every day or even week as well.
(well crap! I had a nice reply, and my STUPID mouse has some button I never noticed before, that is JUST placed in a spot to be pressed by the thumb-- that acts as a BACK BUTTON! which totally erased my reply.....!
Idiotic "engineers" who "design" stupid things WITHOUT REAL WORLD TESTING! stupid-STUPID-stupid! *sigh* )
anthrobabe: "I have heard that some salt is good but not much and to use aquarium salt only."
You heard correctly, and incorrectly. ::) ;D
I've used ordinary table salt many times. The best source, obviously, is real seawater-- only cost-effective if you live near the actual ocean--AND--if that water is not polluted by inland activity. A big "if" these days.
The next-best (and they're all the same, really) is sea-salt. "table" sea-salt is fine. It contains more than just sodium chloride. The aquarium stuff is usually more expensive than that, but not always.
The concentrations you'll typically use is 10%. By that, I mean, if the ocean is 100%, and distilled is 0%, then 10% of the concentration found in the ocean would do. An advantage of a commercial "salt water aquarium" package, is that it has prep directions-- just use 10% of what it states to make synthetic ocean, by weight or volume, whatever the package says.
Once you do that one time, you can switch to "table" sea salt, if you like. Or even table salt.
The concentrations you're using put the trace minerals in the "too small to matter" column-- and all you're doing, really, is reducing the oxygen carrying capacity of the water a bit (for the most part).
The salt acts as a mild anti-microbe. It cuts down a bit, on the algae growth, and the "cloudy water" effect. And the fish doesn't care one way or another-- he will come to the surface, if the oxygen gets too low anyway.
An aside, ordinary black mollies (a freshwater tropical fish variety) are often acclimated to 100% ocean water. Easy enough, if done over a period of time. Then, you use the relatively cheap mollies as the "first in" fish in a new salt-water tank. The first-in fish are at a very high risk in a salt water tank-- much more finicky water chemistry, here.
If you elect for a filter-- you'll probabily get one that uses in one way or another, activated charcoal. There's a way to be quite thrifty with regards to charcoal. Re-activate the "used" granules yourself. How?
Easy: in your oven. Spread out on a cookie sheet (preferably one with edges, keeps them on the sheet, and not down into the oven). Set oven as high as it will go-- or better, just use the "clean oven" cycle if you have one. Bake for an hour or so--or whatever the "clean oven" cycle normally is. Too long is harmless. Too short, and you don't bake out all the organic detritus. Sun-drying does not get hot enough-- you really do need temperatures in the 400-500 degree (F) range for at least an hour.
The cost in electricity is pennies. And, you get a nice clean oven afterwards. ;D
I'd suggest purchasing a medium container of activated charcoal-- look for a nice sturdy plastic container, as you'll be re-using it for a long time. You'll need a second one for the "used" charcoal, to hold until you've enough. That way, you can immediately re-assemble your filter, and then bake-to-re-activate at your leisure, or when you've enough to make it worthwhile.
If your filter uses those VERY expensive "cartridges"--- examine it carefully. It's likely that you can open it up, to dump out the "used" charcoal. Rinse the bag under warm or hot water-- rinse it backwards (inside-out for a bag-type) from the normal water flow. DO NOT USE SOAP OF ANY KIND! Soap WILL kill your fishies! The bag does not need to be spotless- it's not important, really. It's ONLY there to hold in the "working parts" which is the activated charcoal pieces. Carefully re-fill with new or newly re-activated charcoal, as much as will fit. You can hold it closed with anything that's handy, so long as it can stand being immersed in water. A plastic clip, etc. Avoid metal, unless it's stainless steel. The rust won't hurt your fish, but it could cut your finger next time-- not a good idea. Or, just fold over the top of the bag, and re-insert. Or just leave the top open-- it likely won't hurt anything.
One caveat here: if you use a non-organic medicine to treat your fish for some malady or other-- you cannot re-activate that charcoal. If you're in doubt if the medicine is organic or not (that is, if it is destroyed by high heat or not), discard the charcoal after the treatment is done-- say a day or three after you've stopped the treatment. Most typical fish "medicines" are not destroyed by heat, so to be safe, I always discarded after-treatment charcoal.
In my pure undergravel-filter-only days, I had an "extra" simple charcoal-only type filter I'd have to put into the tank, to remove the medicine-treatment chemicals.
As for the "workout"? Fish don't need regular workouts like us mammals do. But once in a while is harmless-- too much will stress him out, and that leads to various diseases.
right about the workouts-- fish don't need no stinkin pecs mon!
anyway-- thanks for the tips on the filters-- I think it would be less stressful on all involved.
and I forgot about sea salt sold at the regular grocery!
I've been doing pretty well with a betta and 6 white cloud mountain fish (aka the "whities") in an approximately 4 - 5 gallon vase. I change about half the water at a time using an improvised water pump (any type of siphon setup would work fine) - I am supposed to do this more than once per week, but the fish don't seem bothered if it goes up to 2 weeks (3 weeks? Maybe longer? :oops:). I have 3 stalks of lucky bamboo in the vase (had formerly floated a spider plant at the top) to help soak up some of the extra nutrients. I wanted to avoid a filter or any other equipment with the setup, and it's done fine, so don't presume a filter is a necessity. I used to have algae issues but moved the tank away from the window and don't have problems anymore.
Anthro, I find that a full tank cleaning & fish removal is not necessary in most cases, and have heard that totally changing the water can be risky since the fish will acclimatize to the ambient conditions and may be shocked by the change to clean water. When I've been very neglectful and suspect the water is really nasty I will do several smaller water changes spaced hours apart. I've only done a total drain to get at the algae once, and the worst of it can usually be gotten at by draining down the tank by about 2/3 and leaving the fish in place. I keep gravel in a perforated plastic tub (ok, it's the bottom of a 2L pop bottle) so that it's easily removed for cleaning when it collects too much poo.
I feed with frozen bloodworms, with flakes as a 'snack'. We try to feed daily or every 2 days, but the fish aren't bothered if we miss a couple of days - I've left them for almost a week without food.
Re: changing the water in the tank.
The person who got me all set up explained that as follows: Hmmm, looks the air around you is getting polluted. We'll just scoop you up, put you in a room which has had all the air pumped out of it for a few minutes, then pop you back into a sterile room with 100% fresh, clean air. It'll do wonders for you!
IOW: gentle on the tank changing. It sounds like you're getting lots of good technical advice from other aquarium-maintaining sibs. Stopped re-stocking mine when the fish kept disappearing at an accelerated rate. Kept blaming the hyper-aggressive Eric the Red until I returned home unexpectedly one day to find Eidolon (old cat) trying to use her body to block that her arm was under the flap and into the tank up to her armpit. A-ha.
Re: the 'workout' mirror.
I tried this a few times because it was interesting to see the "AGRESSION: ON!" reaction. But it also seemed kind of mean to wind 'em up like that. Besides, they needed all their energy to elude that wily criminal, 'the Fishing Paw'...
:goldfish:
Water-changing is somewhat an art-form. according to some of the aquarium books I've read.
I had best luck, changing 10% at a time, about every 2 weeks or so. That way, I could just dump in pure tap-water, no de-chlorination chemicals or anything. The tiny bit of still-active chlorination is harmless to the fish, as is any fluorine.
The other sibs are right-- changing too much water at a time messes with the chemistry that the fish have acclimated to.
Betas are cool, though-- they don't need much at all.
Frozen bloodworms are fun to feed'em. So are freeze-dried tubifex worms (I only now remembered that name).
Since betas are such carnivores, when a bit larger, they will enjoy the occasional fresh-caught bug, like a cricket or cockroach. Or flies, etc. Anything small enough that he can catch and eat whole.
If you've the stomach for it, you can obtain a female guppy (she will be gravid with eggs-- they are similar to rabbits, actually...)
Once she "hatches" her eggs, the babies will be live-born into the water. You can then net these, and put in with the beta--who will gobble them up over the next few days.
Some people would find that disturbing, though.... ::) I used that method to weed out the undesirable babies.... so heartless, I know. :mrgreen:
After years of fishies, I switched to freshwater turtles. Talk about fish-snacks.... I used to purchase live bait to feed my turtles-- they loved it. The fish would last about 2 weeks, and there was always 1 or 2 who managed to elude the turtles.
I had one "bait fish" for nearly 2 years that way-- he just kept on eluding and eluding. Eventually, the bait-fish got so large, I removed him to the local lake (he was a local fish species anyway). His reward for eluding the turtles.
The turtles "suffered" the same fate, too: when they would get more than 8" across, off to the lake (from whence they originally came, as babies).
My last pair actually laid some eggs, but alas they wouldn't hatch. So I set the parents free.
*sigh* That takes me back....
Right-- I am learning that total water changes are not the way to go.
I could do guppies but not my daughter.
Today he seems to be taking to the mini-betta pellets just fine, possibly he was just in shock from the move--- imagine that ;). So she is going to feed the pellets, with flakes and dried worms/shrimp as treats and maybe a caught bug or two now and again.
On another note the 35 'feeder goldfish' that were placed into a campus fountain in the middle of last summer by some still as unknown pirate ::) are still doing very well, they are getting BIG and just love the algae on the bottom--- the entire group just cruises and nibbles. They survived the winter with few losses--- I wonder if they will lay and breed? Best $3.50 a pirate ever spent in a mini free willy sort of way.
Added bonus-- there don't seem to be as many people disposing of cigarette butts in the fountain anylonger ....
Quote from: anthrobabe on May 09, 2008, 02:49:09 PM
Added bonus-- there don't seem to be as many people disposing of cigarette butts in the fountain anylonger ....
I wonder if there is a method to keep smokers from disposing butts out their car windows.... disgusting habit, really. As if the whole world's their ashcan... ::)
Feeder goldfish are often "leftovers" from hybrid breeding projects. If they are not closely related, they ought to eventually breed--if there's enough places for the babies to hide. Else the parents will go all Jeffry Dahamer on them.... :mrgreen:
OH JOY ! My calico " Kitkat " is alive and well .
Apparently , when my (ex) crack addict tenant was so high and forgot to let my baby girl back in the house 3 months ago , see cried and cried outside ( I was ill and bedridden for 24 hrs.)
Anyway at 4.30 in the morning she was heard by neighbors not 50ft. from my abode who took her in .
Yesterday as I was walking to the grocer , the owner of the corner building tells me that my cat is in one of his apartments .
I look up and there she is !... at the window , i called to her and she spoke to me .
Well, it seems the young couple was up there listening in . I rang the bell ... no answer , " guess they nay be home " , sez I.
" No they be there" , replies the landlord ( the new custodians tells me he doesn't like animals in his building).
There was no way in Heaven or on this earth that they were going to give her up , this was obvious since I had to converse with them by hollaring up to them ( they would not answer the door.
I was so happy to know she was alive and safe with a couple who love her to death , so I said they can keep her and i'd bring over her medical records .
They were so happy they came out to talk to me .
Works out fine for me , my place has become the halfway house for cats . I have a grey "torpie" sleeping on my bed at the moment , a beautiful affectionate thing that Fritz ( my main man ) seems to tolerate since " Hansel " knows his place .
Last summer someone abandoned a big ole tabby that was crying and a crying Itook him in and let stay here , fritz and Kitkat bullied him a wee bit , but " Fatboy " seemed happy to have company , fresh food and water .
I found him a home with cat lovers and ole Fatboy is happy , has constant attention and is being spoiled rotten , they brought home a hamster and they tell me the cat treats it like his baby !
Har har har cats are such fun !
Three months ago , i would have fought tooth and nail to get her back , but my grieving ended and I don't want to go through another round of it with her or do I wish to inflict it upon this young couple .
They keep her house bound , so she isn't having the fun she used to , however, she will live to see future birthdays and is close by . I allow cats to be cats and run wild if that be their inclination .
I realize it may mean heartache for me when they don't return which is another reason for my decision to let her go .
YAY!! Kitkat's doing well, and you've shared the kittehluvvins!!
We've got a half-grown barn kitty that is warming up to Spencer, who loves kitties. He's NOT gonna be a housecat, though. One housecritter at a time!!
Of course, we have numerous barn kitties, it seems. Then again, we have a barn, so it's to be expected... We also have many fewer snakies about!!
Congrats on re-establishing contact and sharing her records with her foster parents.
OY ! Fritz just came in from the rain , he is STINKY !
he always cowers during a storm , he must have hunkered down in some sort of detrius and corruption , how am I going to get him in the tub without being torn to shreds ?
Quote from: Bruder Cuzzen on June 04, 2008, 12:43:50 AM
OY ! Fritz just came in from the rain , he is STINKY !
he always cowers during a storm , he must have hunkered down in some sort of detrius and corruption , how am I going to get him in the tub without being torn to shreds ?
Run the water until it's blood-warm. No, really, that helps. Not too hot, not too cold.
Next, obtain a piece of carpet that will fit into the tub-- rinse it off FIRST if it's not new, so as not to foul the water.
Obtain a pair of leather gloves. Wear denim jeans and long-sleeved jacket. Prepare to get WET yourself. Climb down into the blood-warm water yourself.....
Keep one hand AT ALL TIMES on the cat's ruff-- it helps your cat cope with the indignity and fear of being totally wet.
Have a large fluffy towel handy BEFORE you climb into the tub with cat.
Wash and rinse and wash cat in about 3 to 6 inches of water-- enough to let your free hand dip (with a cup, helps) the water over him. If you've a shower arm with a hose-- use that instead of standing water--but the water MUST be blood-warm.
Keep one hand FIRMLY on his rough/neck-- do NOT let go.
Speak calming tones to cat, constantly. Doesn't matter WHAT you say-- your calm voice helps, too.
Then, when done, drain the water, or shut off the arm -- a helper is good for this task.
Cat STILL on the carpet, onto which he will have sunk his claws (which is the POINT).
Let cat drip for a bit, you STILL sitting in the tub, STILL talking in calm voice, STILL keeping a firm hand on his neck/rough.
Use free hand to squeege excess water from tail, etc.
When he stops dripping profusely, grab towel, and wrap COMPLETELY in towel, rolling up like a cat-in-a-bun. Rub dry as best as you are able, but allow cat to squirm out of the towel, drying him quite a bit in the process.
Then, with fresh towel, if you like, locate where he's now hiding and licking himself, and assist with new towel. He will likely tolerate this, if you're gentle, and keep up the calming tone....
No, really! I've actually used the above method on several occasions on cats that HATED water....
And, you must best try to ignore their plaintive whine during the whole process.... ;D
After it's all over-- treat your cat to a plate of his favorite food-- a can of real people tuna is not out of the question.
He WILL remember the food at the end, next time.... and demand it, as his due, too!
Ok it's official-- I love you two old cat guys.
I believe that cats have more than one life (it's not an old wives tale at all-because they seem to survive unsurvivable things old wives tale) they do have past lives-they also remember them and the people who were good to them, you two are on the A #1 list of cats-- they will remember and that is why they seek you out BC, they know and they pass the word. Wait till word gets out that Bob not only gives tolerable baths but also TUNA--- better install a kitty door.
About two months ago or so we got 2 cockatiels which by my son's suggestion got their names after their Linneus classification, so now I officially present you Nimphicus & Hollandicus:
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/anon1mat0/NimphicusHollandicus_tn.jpg)
Nimphicus is on the right and Hollandicus is on the left. My son took this picture 2 days ago while they enjoyed making a mess over my shirt a piece of aged cheese.
:update:
The betta that lives on my stove (in a bowl silly), y'all remember, name is Maniac-- well he's made such a beautiful bubble nest the last couple of days. I guess it's spring and all and well if we had a female i'd probably put her in and see if she'd furnish his nest. And he is eating like a-well -a horse. Poor thing-- he's got this great nest going and he's all getting bulked up in preparation for what ever it is that males do besides the obvious-- don't they nest sit until the eggs hatch? and
no lady love.
I wish I had some pics- the anthrobaby has taken a few with her phone- I will have to get them.
Quote from: anthrobabe on May 02, 2009, 09:51:15 AM
:update:
The betta that lives on my stove (in a bowl silly), y'all remember, name is Maniac-- well he's made such a beautiful bubble nest the last couple of days. I guess it's spring and all and well if we had a female i'd probably put her in and see if she'd furnish his nest. And he is eating like a-well -a horse. Poor thing-- he's got this great nest going and he's all getting bulked up in preparation for what ever it is that males do besides the obvious-- don't they nest sit until the eggs hatch? and
no lady love.
I wish I had some pics- the anthrobaby has taken a few with her phone- I will have to get them.
I knew someone who successfully mated a pair of Bettas. It's not easy: as soon as she lays her eggs, you *have* to get her out, or the male will kill her. Seriously. My acquaintance talked of sitting up all night until he noticed the male chasing the female away, and netted her outa there. Took a couple of days of closely watching events...
I do not recall if the eggs hatched or not, but there was a successful laying...
Bettas are too cool.
This be me shippe's catte, Dom thee Danger Catte:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/CapnDom_Argh.jpg)
He's moste tollerant ov warin costoomes an bein deck o rated wiv stuft myce an sech.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
An this be me onner airy nef yoo, vizzitin wiv Benji, wot be no slowche in thee costoome-warin deparrrghmint hisself:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/SaltyDogge.jpg)
Quote from: pieces o nine on June 01, 2009, 07:43:47 AM
This be me shippe's catte, Dom thee Danger Catte:
Dom looks less than entirely pleased....
::)
That's a bit of an understatement. Dom looks like he's about to go totally postal and start disembowelling...
Don wurry 'bout 'im.
Dom Thee Danger Catte spends aboot 87% ov 'is toime loike this:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/DomRelaxes.jpg)
Everyone meet Elvis! :)
That's one hunka hunka furry sleepin love!
he's thinking(and Dom too for that matter)
oh what a nice bed they've given me here- oh my bed-my whole bed I can stretch out on and it's all mine-
Here's a shot of my hitchhiker from yesterday. I think she had already laid her eggs, I found her around 8:30AM crossing Route 8. I did my Department of Conservation Employee thing with my flashers and everything in the middle of the road, blocked an 18-wheeler, 2 pickups and a car. She was pretty energetic, but I scooped her up anyway and tossed her in the back seat. Five miles later I let her off at Great Pond on a nice sandy beach, and she was off like a turtle-y shot.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/06-25-09Smithfield10-12lb1.jpg)
WOW!
I see a few box turtles now and again and always heard them to the other side of the road.
Fine looking lass there- and I'd have loved to see you if you'd been in traffic at a stop light with her in the back window!
Imagine the double takes.
Last year I had one riding there when I went through the drive-through window at a fast food joint. I made sure I went real slow, trying to get some kind of a reaction -- nothing. They didn't even notice. One of these days I'll have one there and get pulled over - I know several of the local state cops and sherriffs and a couple of the local town cops, they sometimes pull me over to chat or just give me a hard time - that ought to be good for a few laughs.
Spike will probably be gone by the time I get home tonight. He has not been doing very well the past few days. He has had a grade 5 heart murmur for about four years or more - they only gave him six months to live back when it was diagnosed. He's the smartest cat I've ever known. He figured out how to operate the mechanical mouse we got for xmas a few years back, and would send it chasing after the other cats. Very responsive to us, knew what he should and shouldn't do. When he was healthy he helped keep the other cats in line, chased them off things they weren't supposed to be on, etc. We'll miss him.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/cats_0224.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/Spikeonthewindowseat.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/PB300029.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/PB230020.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/spike1.jpg)
:-\ It's so difficult to say good bye to smart cats :-[
OK, just in case anyone thinks I'm not completely off my rocker, here's my latest project. Me missus went to get the oil changed in her car last Tursday, and had them change the air filter while they were at it. Inside the air filter, they found these two little buggers. No sign of mom, so now I'm surrogate mother to two orphaned mice, in a house full of 31 cats. :catroll:
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/mousies.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp199/ETtheExtraTerrestrial/mousie1.jpg)
Awwwww! :D
Sooooooo cute!
I hope the cats doesn't scare then to death though. :(
Benji:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/s_Benji.jpg)
Yoda:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/s_Yoda.jpg)
;D
Such cute little boys!
And I just love Yodas expression. :D
What cute lil fellers, Pieces! I bet mosta my cats are bigger than them.... :o
OMG! Dressed dogs!
Do they by chance enjoy mailmen's heels on their diet? ;) :D
Nope, they pose no danger to man nor beast.
Unless, perhaps, licking them to death...
They are very cute in the back yard, where they race around the young trees like [VERY TINY] barrel-racing horses, their out-sized ears blowing straight back in their own speed-induced wind. Benji (chihuahua) lives with her son, so only visits now and then. During his times away, friend makes another round of matching doggie-union suits for them (which I, rather immaturely refer to as *$$-le$$ chaps, in a nod to both the local biker and cowboy cultures). ;D
My cat usually perches on a chair above them, staring in disbelief.
Despite being very much a dog person I think I'll side with your cat if I got to witness that... ;) :D
Here's a photo of my Pooka by the tree.
cute!
Two pictures of Ludvig the Irish Terrier:
1) I was trying to get my mothers laptop up to date Ludvig thought I needed some help. :D
It was a really cold day hence his sweater once he got it on he wouldn't let us take it of... BTW I knitted that thing without a pattern to go after, just his measures, it's ugly but I'm proud, it keeps him warm. ::) :D
2) Portrait, the light isn't the best and my cellphone cam isn't either... There's nothing wrong with the model though he just wondering what I'm doing...
So that is the Irish Terror, I mean, terrier? ;)
He looks cute in that sweater.
So cute!
I tried to knit a chihuahua sweater with no pattern, minimal experience, and really fuzzy yarn. I do not know what it was, but it was not a sweater...
He's nice!
Quote from: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 08, 2010, 11:47:23 PM
So that is the Irish Terror, I mean, terrier? ;)
He looks cute in that sweater.
Thank you!
He has more names than anyone can remember...
The Red Menace is one, Little Terror, The Fuzzy Monster are other common ones ;D
He isn't that bad, just a bit stubborn, and generally terrierish. :D
Quote from: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 08, 2010, 11:47:23 PM
So that is the Irish Terror, I mean, terrier? ;)
He looks cute in that sweater.
I think the
i was only put in place of the
o to lull us into a false sense of security... ;)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/boats/YoungJoe-1.jpg)
Me and my dog Rex...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/boats/Simon1.jpg?t=1271021849)
This is my best friend Simon aka Simon Bear ... We have been best friends sense November 1999. As soon as he sees me in the morning he knows it is almost time to take me for a walk. He has two sisters, Miss Ashly and Miss Daisy (both chihuahuas).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/boats/BabyBear.jpg)
This is Simon when he was a baby.
That's a 1938 Chevrolet Master Touring Coach you're sitting on. That would make you around eight me thinks? :mrgreen:
Quote from: MentalBlock996 on April 11, 2010, 11:24:08 PM
That's a 1938 Chevrolet Master Touring Coach you're sitting on. That would make you around eight me thinks? :mrgreen:
Most impressive ID of the car, dude!
Most impressive indeed....!
:)
My Rain Man moment of the day is all.... :mrgreen:
Hey MB- where did the funny kitty bath photo in the TM gallery come from?
Some chick. :D
Yesterday a neighbor found this guy:
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/anon1mat0/PICT5842.jpg)
He took it to our house because he knows that we have parrots (and he has dogs), after asking he doesn't seem to be from our building. He is cute but he already bit one of my 'tiels in a toe. He bit my wife yesterday too. :-\
He seems to come from a Spanish speaking house because he knows the word "cotorra" (the generic term for a small parrot) and "pasito" (easy, softly) plus the word "OK".
He'll be going to the vet for a check up (and my 'tiel too :-[).
He looks like he's posing!
...or is he just eyeballing whom to bite next...
Oh he is a sweet guy, don't get me wrong, the thing is that he is sweet if he likes you, both my son and I haven't had any problem with him (BTW, the vet said that it was very probably a he), but my wife got his wild side, and also a nurse at the vet had a clear warning to stay away while the other nurse got on his good side.
He's cute! How did your neighbor catch him?
He didn't, the bird flew to his shoulder. More pics:
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/anon1mat0/P4230003.jpg)
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/anon1mat0/P4230006.jpg)
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l252/anon1mat0/P4230009.jpg)
Probably a male owner then, by the patterns of friendliness and aggression?
Possibly although it makes me wonder who was telling him "cotorra" or "la cotorra"* rather than a name. I would expect a talker to know his own name**, which makes me think that perhaps he spent more time (on the window?) with someone who wasn't his owner.
*the generic for a small parrot.
**unless I'm not understanding it, he mumbles different things that I haven't been able to decipher yet.
Hmm... are these guys naturalized in Florida? I was thinking that he might be a released former pet rather than a lost bird; your suggestion fits that theory.
Those guys are VERY naturalized in FL, in fact according to a page about invasive species in the U of F site, there are an estimated 100K feral monks in the state. As a side note there is no biological impact so far, they haven't displaced the locals because the live in urban areas and their biggest enemy is Florida Power & Light because they make their nests in electrical transformers and towers.
--
That's the other reason I know he is tame, he doesn't fly as well as my 'tiels and in theory he could've joined one of the flocks that occasionally fly by.
He may have been released, but OTOH he is very keen of doors and already flew to the apartment one at some point when I was trying to place him on a cage. He doesn't like being alone, and he didn't seem particularly fond of the (relatively small) cage he was placed in. Yesterday we got a larger one (~4 times the volume) that we already considered for the 'tiels for those cold days when we're not at home, as they live in the balcony where they have a fair amount of space. So now at least he wont be as constrained.
Update: The owner called two days ago and came to pick him up. The lady is Hispanic and came with her daughter. I'll miss the guy even if he made my 'tiels antsy.
Dom thee Danger Catte is spending thee night at thee Veterinarrrrghian.
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/pieces_o_nine/DominicIcon.jpg)
It looks like a rapid-onset abscess was to blame, but I was worried that he wasn't waiting for me when I arrived home, and horrified to not find him anywhere until he suddenly appeared behind me, almost unable to lift his head, one eyelid drooping, with what appeared to be a large, bleeding bite taken from his neck!
[He was not in any fights, I can't find anything that he might have scratched himself on, his teeth & gums are healthy.] The vet called to say that he's coming around from the anesthesia and I can bring him home tomorrow morning.
I was sad this weekend that I had to cancel my initial plans to go to the Reason Rally. As I was running with him to V (very good with pet emergencies) one of the thoughts zipping through my mind was, "I'm really glad I'm not in Washington DC right now!"
Glad he's okay
you all need to meet dippi..
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/anthonywad_2000/225113_10150162866292050_670302049_7407481_7797304_n.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/anthonywad_2000/media/225113_10150162866292050_670302049_7407481_7797304_n.jpg.html)
OoooooOoooo! Dippi is like a teddy bear with the wrong sort of ears.
dippi looks cute.
awwww. :)
I think one could use that pic as a definition of cute!
He (or she) is adorable! I loves da bunnehs!
he is a he... that said he doesnt look so cute on the halloween card i made..
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/anthonywad_2000/bunnyhalloween.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/anthonywad_2000/media/bunnyhalloween.jpg.html)
perhaps better on the christmas card...
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/anthonywad_2000/Christmasdippi2.jpg) (http://s93.photobucket.com/user/anthonywad_2000/media/Christmasdippi2.jpg.html)
:ROFL:
Note to self:
Goat starers back, stop drinking hot tea while reading on TFM...
Hot tea in nose is uncomfortable... ;) :D
What? No easter card?
What are those green things in front of Santa Bun?
He looks to tasty, (I mean,) so cute...
:mrgreen: :devil2:
Valentine's Day Card? :)
...and that's what a life of heavy carrot abuse leads to. Remember, kids: Just Say No!
Quote from: Opsa on June 07, 2013, 10:58:43 PM
What? No easter card?
What are those green things in front of Santa Bun?
sprouts :mrgreen:
Meet Milo:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/12662441543_950bb486c4_z.jpg)
...and Molly:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/12596862993_0f113dcc8d_z.jpg)
A pair of right energetic hounds, as you can tell.
They are adorable! Are they as sweet as they look?
That is two very relaxed doggies. :D
What breed are they?
(Not that it matters I know heaps of lovely, lovable, loving, mutts) :)
Is that your cute doggie, Darli?
Quote from: Darlica on February 25, 2014, 04:56:12 PM
That is two very relaxed doggies. :D
What breed are they?
(Not that it matters I know heaps of lovely, lovable, loving, mutts) :)
Milo is a Staffordshire bull terrier / collie cross. He's amazingly smart, a great problem-solver, a fantastic communicator and a complete poser for the camera. Molly is a Staffordshire bull terrier / boxer cross. She's as dumb as a sack of hammers, and as neurotic as hell. Very sweet when she's calm, but if she gets riled up she's a nightmare. She's about twice the size of Milo, too.
Where Milo will work out how to open a door handle by a process of trial-and-error and observation, Molly will dig a hole in the door with her claws and jam her muzzle into the gap, barking frantically. Milo wants to be everyone's friend, Molly wants nothing to do with anyone she doesn't know and trust.
We've had Milo since he was a puppy, he was very well socialised as a youngster. We got Molly as a rescue dog when we moved to a house with a garden, to keep him company during the day when we were out at work. We suspect she was a puppy factory, creating the kind of dogs that people who shouldn't have dogs want, to make them look tough. It's not her fault, but she's not been socialised properly and she has huge trust / abandonment issues. When I come home from work she will literally pin me to the wall to say hello.
Quote from: Opsa on February 25, 2014, 07:20:14 PM
Is that your cute doggie, Darli?
The family dog yes, he lives with my mother and her hubby. He seems to consider me to be his big sis, wrestling fella, and personal squeeky toy...
He's not really the cuddly type, but every time I visit he will pester me untill I have chased him, caugt him, and carreid him to the couch where i put him on his back in my lap. After 30 seconds he givs up, rest his head against my chest and closes his eyes, says "mmmmnf" and fall asleep. ::)
If he gets to chose we'll be sitting like that for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
I'm pretty much the only one allowed to turn him on his back for other means than cutting claws or pick ticks.
He's more than happy to share the couch and have his head in someones lap or sleep beside you in the bed, but I'm the only one who get to treat him as an over sized teddybear. He has days when he's "mommys dog" and days when he's "daddys dog" but when I visit he's my dog. :D
Darlica, is he an Irish Terrier? It's hard to tell lying down like that - could be an Airedale or a Welsh Terrier, something like that. It's nice to hear that other terriers have the same loyalty / trust things going on as my two have.
In the future, Mrs O'Boogie wants to get a couple of Border Terriers, like Andy Murray the tennis player has. Apparently they are terrible diggers, which doesn't go down so well with the whole garden thing.
Yup. He's an Irish Terror eh Terrier. ;)
There are more pictures of him earlier in this thread.
I think all terriers are diggers. It sort of comes with their rat and rabbit catching ancestry. Ludvig here does his fair share of garden rearrangement every year but mostly in areas of our yard where we have field mice. He does catch some too...
He is very loyal and trusting, when my mother or her hubby are sick he won't let them out of his sight. He goes out does his business and then come straight back in and if one of them is in bed due to a cold or something he can lie on the bed watching over them for hours.
One time W (the hubby) slipped in the bathroom the dog opened the door from the outside, took a quick look at "daddy" and then rushed away to fetch my mother who was outside. He was barking in a high pitched voice circling her and then running back and forth between the house and her. She got the message loud and clear. No one has ever trained that dog to do anything like that...
Unfortunately he's been having a bit of health problems lately so he has spent quite a lot of time at the vet. clinic last time the nurses didn't really wanted to let go of him, it seemed like he had charmed them all, being the perfect patient letting them take blood samples and give him shots with no need for a nose-mussel or other restrictions. He just wagged his tail and gave them a kiss.
The laying on the back thing I think that's a question of dignity... He sleeps on his back when he's inside the house. He just don't like having to sit in somebodies lap like that and unless the claw nipper is out or we are picking ticks of him he just will wiggle his way out of the hold.
He never growl or show teeth, he'll just give you the stinky eye and shrug (one can almost hear him say I ain't a darn puppy!) and then he goes to another room. He does this to me to sometimes too, when the novelty of me being back at my mothers house has worn of... :D
Do you think Milo has inherited his smartness from his collie parent?
A lot of Stafforshire terriers, Pit-bulls and Amstaf's I've met are really sweet and loveable creatures albeit a bit on the thick side... ;)
I meet a lot of dogs at work (at the underground) and I always ask if I can greet them. I make a bit of a point to do that. As I'm a person in uniform, I think me greeting dogs like Staffordshire terriers, Pit bulls, Rottweilers and what not helps bringing down the nervousness some people feel around these dogs, of cause I always check with the owner first and I also try to read the dog. Few persons say "no", one who did was contradicted by his dog who put his head in my lap before the owner could answer (I was sitting on the seat next to them on the train).
I'm sad to hear about Mollys insecurity, but I think that's quite common with rescue dogs it sounds like she has found a good home now at least. :)
Alas, the Missy Dog passed in Feb. 2016. I now have the smaller Peneolpe Dog, a terrier mix. She is a rescue dog and will be 2 in December.
(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/aphos-the-mathematical/Image1_zpsg0ghkhkw.jpg)