chiara

That's so interesting to think about! We used to spend so much money on unnecessary things and I think the best thing is to give yourself a budget and try to stick to it. We've saved a lot by going to a bulk butcher where we spend $30 a week and we buy bulk kibble, we like the good stuff so we spend $180 every couple of months for a 15 or 20 kg bag depending on how much the pooch is hungry. We also give him things that we might eat ourselves like pasta or oats and vegetables. We used to spend a lot in toys which he would just destroy in 5 minutes so I now mostly make toys, he loves to play with plastic bottles with treats inside (no cap as he can eat it) also I have a sewing machine and I make little things with old towels and he loves it! We practice obedience at home and at the park ourselves I think once you know the basics you can do it yourself, we try to teach a new trick every few weeks other than that we just go over the old tricks otherwise he conveniently forgets! I buy treats but if I have time I bake them myself. My pooch has hip dysplesia so we spend $10 to $20 a week to take him to a therapy pool where he swims because he has a hard time going on walks. And he has pajamas as he feels the cold at night those cost $50 a pop and he has two but I could make them for half the price but im still practicing for that... The biggest cost is when we go away and pooch can't come we like to out him in a very nice resort in a resort room where he's super pampered that costs $100 a night but we feel we wouldn't have it any other way and if we can afford to go away on holiday we can budget his accommodation in the budget. I'd estimate a total spend of $100 to $200 a week.

btw does anyone that has taken found dogs or cats have to pay for the vet visit? I was totally shocked that the closest vet (not my regular vet) would charge me to see if the kitty was ok and scan him for a chip, I mean who would take a pet found in the streets without a collar to get scanned if it's going to cost you $50!!! I took him to my regular vet who was more charitable and looked at the kitty without charging me. I would just assume that ethically a vet should see an animal in distress that is brought in... I mean aren't they doctors for animals? can you imagine bringing in a baby found in the streets and a doctor saying oh sorry no can do if you don't pay??!!

Haha thanks! I don't really mind at least it shows people care about their pets and other people's pets too! I do think that some comments were made without really reading/understanding the situation. I also might live in a different area but when I spoke to the no kill rescue lady she told me that the RSPCA is not taking any domestic animals at the moment as they are overcrowded and after she shaw the kitten she is sure that it would have been put down at the pound as he was too traumatized, tonight kitten will be sleeping with other cats being taken care of properly in a safe environment I am 100% sure this is a stray and can we all remember we are not talking about a puppy but a kitten who is obviously a stray and was definitely never handled by human. Now about the collars, I'm not denying some dogs might have been hurt by the collars but I have had my dog for 3 years and he has a leather collar he wears when he is outside and never once he's has a problem with it if anything this collar saved his life - I was walking him and two large dogs bolted out of an unsecured gate looking for a fight they came behind me and my brave protector did just that he went for them both... I managed to scream everyone out of their homes and the dogs were called back to their home I was left in shock worrying if my dog was injured, after a careful analysis I found a small scratch in his leg and many many teeth marks on his collar!! If it had not been for the think leather collar he would have been killed or severely wounded! If I had a dog who had issues or a place where he could get caught I would probably change the gate or whatever it was that's a danger alternatively I would put a snap collar ( I think that's what they are called) so they easily snap off if caught on something, maybe it's the way I grew up but I think a dog should have a collar or something and yes if I see a dog wondering around without a collar I cannot help but think it's a stray obviously if they have a chip that's great but my doggie will keep his collar on when left outside so that in the unlikely event he gets out my neighbors can stop him, hold him and quickly call me. Personally think someone with a collarless dog wondering around is asking for trouble and I would not expect anyone to approach a collarless dog to get it off the streets even less to likely to be taken to a vet to be check for a microchip also would not want my dog to end up in the pound or the RSPCA I think he would be totally traumatized and btw the pound keeps animals for 10 days if not claimed they are put to sleep and I would not take that chance with the kitten nor my dog. Also I think I made pretty clear that kitten does not have anyone out there looking for him it was a half feral cat who would have died of anemia from fleas if not found, I can assure anyone who thinks I have kept stolen animals from their rightful owner it isn't the case I have contacted who I had to contact I spoke with the vet I spoke with a knowledgeable rescuer and my neighbors we've all established this is a stray. Yes I did think about possibly keeping the kitten and giving him a home if he wasn't claimed I didn't just find a random cat and thought oh I'll keep this... I took him in because he was going in shock from being barked at by a 50kg Rottweiler, not really knowing anything about kittens I posted here and onthecat forum, spoke with neighbours they all saw mama cat and all confirmed her as a stray, took kitty to vet and established no chip and probably was never handled by a human hence a stray! Spoke with council decided I could definitely not keep him researched a no kill foster place so that kitty could be rehabilitated and adopted. Btw I will be update on kitty's progress which is great and I would recommend little paws rescue to anyone who needs to give up/finds a cat the lady was awesomely knowledgeable and had a great set up at home. I am happy with the outcome. I take your point though this is exactly what I did recently when I picked up a little stray dog - no collar. After doorknocking the immediate area to no avail I took her to the local vet who scanned her for a chip. Fortunately for her she had a chip but I then had to leave my details at the vet and take the dog back home and wait for the person to contact me which they didn't do until late in the day. Therefore I had to cancel my plans for the day while I waited for the person to come and pick her up. Now while I was willing to do that a lot of people would not and would think twice about even bothering to do anything further after discovering the absence of a collar. So on balance I think I will leave the collar on my dog if he is left outside whilst I am out. If he is inside though the collar will be removed. PERFECT my point exactly!!! I'm not totally nuts for saying what I said!! :-)

no; dogs have died in collar accidents and even though you know about breakaway collars you still consider every dog loose in the street is a stray. Even without a collar, if your dog was chipped and you were actively looking for him, he wouldn't be in the pound for 10 days or PTS would he? You want to keep a collar on your dog then do so but don't belittle the people who choose not to by implying they are irresponsible owners. mmm... yes I would consider them strays and try to approach them to get them off the streets! wouldn't you! and I would probably have a harder time too because I wouldn't just be able to grab them by the collar either! I really didn't mean to belittle anyone im just saying that it's a lot easier to return a dog to owners if there's a phone number on a collar, instead of trying to catch a collarless dog and then either taking him or her to pound or rspca to get the chip scanned, that's just MY opinion and MY dog doesn't have a problem with his collar in MY yard...

Glad it's safe , but Sorry , what about quarantine ? Not sure about that the lady put the kitten in her new arrival kitten room... I think that's where she would put newbies and monitor them. She takes them all to vet to get checked but my vet said apart from the fleas and being skinny the kitten was good.

Haha thanks! I don't really mind at least it shows people care about their pets and other people's pets too! I do think that some comments were made without really reading/understanding the situation. I also might live in a different area but when I spoke to the no kill rescue lady she told me that the RSPCA is not taking any domestic animals at the moment as they are overcrowded and after she shaw the kitten she is sure that it would have been put down at the pound as he was too traumatized, tonight kitten will be sleeping with other cats being taken care of properly in a safe environment I am 100% sure this is a stray and can we all remember we are not talking about a puppy but a kitten who is obviously a stray and was definitely never handled by human. Now about the collars, I'm not denying some dogs might have been hurt by the collars but I have had my dog for 3 years and he has a leather collar he wears when he is outside and never once he's has a problem with it if anything this collar saved his life - I was walking him and two large dogs bolted out of an unsecured gate looking for a fight they came behind me and my brave protector did just that he went for them both... I managed to scream everyone out of their homes and the dogs were called back to their home I was left in shock worrying if my dog was injured, after a careful analysis I found a small scratch in his leg and many many teeth marks on his collar!! If it had not been for the think leather collar he would have been killed or severely wounded! If I had a dog who had issues or a place where he could get caught I would probably change the gate or whatever it was that's a danger alternatively I would put a snap collar ( I think that's what they are called) so they easily snap off if caught on something, maybe it's the way I grew up but I think a dog should have a collar or something and yes if I see a dog wondering around without a collar I cannot help but think it's a stray obviously if they have a chip that's great but my doggie will keep his collar on when left outside so that in the unlikely event he gets out my neighbors can stop him, hold him and quickly call me. Personally think someone with a collarless dog wondering around is asking for trouble and I would not expect anyone to approach a collarless dog to get it off the streets even less to likely to be taken to a vet to be check for a microchip also would not want my dog to end up in the pound or the RSPCA I think he would be totally traumatized and btw the pound keeps animals for 10 days if not claimed they are put to sleep and I would not take that chance with the kitten nor my dog. Also I think I made pretty clear that kitten does not have anyone out there looking for him it was a half feral cat who would have died of anemia from fleas if not found, I can assure anyone who thinks I have kept stolen animals from their rightful owner it isn't the case I have contacted who I had to contact I spoke with the vet I spoke with a knowledgeable rescuer and my neighbors we've all established this is a stray. Yes I did think about possibly keeping the kitten and giving him a home if he wasn't claimed I didn't just find a random cat and thought oh I'll keep this... I took him in because he was going in shock from being barked at by a 50kg Rottweiler, not really knowing anything about kittens I posted here and onthecat forum, spoke with neighbours they all saw mama cat and all confirmed her as a stray, took kitty to vet and established no chip and probably was never handled by a human hence a stray! Spoke with council decided I could definitely not keep him researched a no kill foster place so that kitty could be rehabilitated and adopted. Btw I will be update on kitty's progress which is great and I would recommend little paws rescue to anyone who needs to give up/finds a cat the lady was awesomely knowledgeable and had a great set up at home. I am happy with the outcome.

Wow... Who knew there'd be such strong opinions! Im confident I did the right thing as I consulted with neighbours and a vet... Council didn't seem too fussed either, now I am sure this kitten will be well cared for. Btw on the comment about leaving the dogs without a collar, i think that's just silly I cannot imagine how my dog could possibly strangle itself...plus there's so many options out there with all sorts of different collars and harnesses, If I saw a dog without a collar I would assume it's a stray..

Wow that's so cute rotties are the best! I Thought exactly that about shelters they are overun by cats and kittens and I'm determined this one is in for a better future! As for the rottie I'm sure he doesnt want to hurt the kitten and he's not aggressive at all towards it it's just that the kitten is scarred to death of the dog and keeps hissing at the Rottweiler gets all freaked and shakes! It's horrible :-(

Umm... Isn't the first basic rule of pet ownership to keep those pets safe and make sure they are tagged and have a collar on them? If my dog went missing he has a dog tag a council tag a microchip and I can guarantee no one would ever think he's abused. I see your point and again if it was an older cat fine I totally would be out there with poster and all, but the vet said this is a stray, no chip and obviously hasn't been socialized with humans by the eating habits it must have been feeding on carcasses and it was in no condition to be given to a shelter who Im pretty sure would have put him or her down... I'm just making sure this kitty goes to someone with experience who can socialize and train and find a good home... That so wrong?

Mmm... I would love to CDR- capture desex and release mama cat, she's pretty wild we've been leaving food out for her to see if she would come (maybe bring other kittens) but from what we can tell she's not approachable, neighbors tried too and she's been around for years... As for kitten I have high hopes that maybe being around domesticated cats might help.

Little paws will be taking kitty! So happy as it's a no kill foster rescue, as for the chip there is none... I'm very confident this kitten is from a stray mama and I'm even more confident he or she will find a great home... With no dogs! Im very surprised though by the comments made here... Does anyone know that the pound would probably put a non socialized kitten down?! I mean if it was an older cat who would show signs that it's been in contact with human I would agree try all venue to try and find the owner lord knows if my dog ever wondered I would feel totally desperate to find him and would hope someone would not just keep him but this is a stray kitten theres no doubt about it.

I'm sorry but seriously this kitten is definitely not someone's pet and if it was I can find a better candidate than someone who let's a very small kitten run wild... Not to mention how skinny this poor kitty is and full of fleas, with no collar or I'd tag. Also did I mention we are familiar with mama cat and she's a stray, plus I would rather a no kill shelter for this little one the pound or RSPCA are not my first option.

Alrighty... Kitten is still with us and has warmed up to us amazingly, purrs and loves to be screeched under the neck. Has eaten a few times but still no luck with drinking water or toilet. Slept all night and even had a bath, the poor thing had lots of fleas and I'm worried bout anemia so we're going to the vet later. Today we'll go door to door to see if anyone is missing a kitten, and I've emailed a no kill shelter and hopefully they'll take kitty if everything else fails, however kitty is so cute and such a good kitten even my husband is keen to keep kitten if I can get the dog and the kitten to like each other... I need help with that! The kitten is terrified of the Rottweiler but will be ok (no hissing) if I'm holding him/her I guess he/she must feel safe. The dog has gradually got used to the smell, and has slept on his bed next to me while I slept with kitten on my chest... So they tolerate each others presence. Today I tried to get the dog to gently smell the kittens rear and he tried to nip, not aggressively I think it was a "what is this reaction" and didn't even have time to clamp down coz I was right there holding kitty. I've now put the dog outside and I fed the kitten near a window where the dog was staring the whole time... I'm hoping the dog might relate. I'm really not sure what else to do I would like to give it a fair go as the kitten has warmed up to me but not if either pets are in distress about the other's presence, the Rottweiler is so big I'm really not sure how to tell him he needs to be gentle and we can't really do this separation thing for long because the Rottweiler actually lives indoor most of the time... Any suggestions???

haha cat world forum... didn't know that existed I posted there too! thank you!!! I got the dog travel crate we used when the doggie was a pup, I put a towel there but kitty went for the under the sink technique I will go and get kitty litter later... hopefully he/she knows what to do with that!!!

I want to see how he/she does first, I don't want to just dump him/her at the rspca if I can care for him/her ... any ideas on how to get him/her warmed up to me... I keep getting hissed at

I know this is a dog forum but I don't know if there are cat forums so I'm posting this.... My rottie cornered a kitten in our yard... mama cat bolted and this really freaked out kitten was left behind, doggie just barked at it and didn't hurt the kitten, we took kitten inside to make sure he/she was ok, but I don't know what to do with a kitten he/she is really really freaked out and won't even move I put him/her in the bath in the bathroom as it's the safest place with a couple of towels, water and a some food that might appeal... I'm leaving him/her alone but what after that.... How do I know if it's a feral cat and what's the difference I mean it's no older than 12 weeks wouldn't he/she eventually get used to humans? If anyone has any suggestions please help me!!!

Seems to me that a lot of people think using mum and dad and furrykids and so on is weird and or are embarrassed about it, however I find it weird using the word owner. It never sat well with me as I don't really think I own my dog he is part of the family and we all feel privileged to have him with us, he shows us love and teaches us everyday about patience and understanding, he entertains protects and we love him so. I own my house and two cars I don't feel I own my pet. So yes I do use mum and dad and we refer to him as our much loved pet when talking to others and I couldn't have it any other way!

I used "human food" for my pup it's often cheaper and better for the dogs than commercial treats, and you'll be sure to get your pup's attention. Depending on what your pup likes some big hits in my house were roast chicken, sausages or hotdogs (which are great if it's hot as they'll keep in your pocket) cheese cut in little cubes, biscuits in small doses, apple bites... it's good to have different treats in hand as they might loose interest if it's the same treat all the time... Good luck

That's interesting, a tablet for leas I use the liquid and it's so messy I will definitelly try the tablets as long as they're safe for the pooch.

That's so true! I was the same, NO dogs insede NO dogs on the bed NO licking... a dog is a dog and should be outside where they belong... oh boy was I wrong. When our rottie came home with us at 8 weeks there was no way I could leave him outside... and he cried all night so I eventually gave in and put him in bed with me, all he wanted was to snuggle between us and he went to sleep and slept all night. He's now an inside dog although I wish he would go outside more often but if we're home he wants to be inside, I even leave him in if it's too hot (AC and TV on) or if it rains! I share my food with him, I always make a little extra dinner so he can have some, he's spoiled I know but for the unconditional love and security he gives us we just can't seem to be able to give enough back.

aww so cute!!! I've been thinking about getting one for my rottie... problem is I don't know when he'd use it...

Maybe he knows they are not good people, my in laws had a fox terrier when they had workmen come to the house they would take them at the back to see the dog's reaction, without fail if the dog didn't like them they would later find out they were dodgy... without fail I tell you it was quite amazing really! Just my two cents... maybe you pup can sense this person is not right.

Right so Hugo the rottweiler might have fleas!!! He's two and a half and never had a flea or tick, he's inside most of the time. About 5 days ago I noticed little black specs in his bed, I didn't know what it was and the next day found more so I went online and searched, I did the paper napkin test and I am quite certain it's flea dropping the problem is I am pregnant and can't use any of the products for fleas so I've been online searching natural remedies this is what we did: We put Hugo outside for the day and cleaned the beds and carpet with vinegar vacuumed and washed all sheets, opened the windows to allow fresh air and sun, we then took hugo for a bath and hubby used a tick and flea shampoo. He was then allowed back inside. We looked him over but couldn't find any fleas on him at all. We've since (this was two days ago) vacuumed everyday and haven't seen any droppings on his bed, however he's been occasionally scratching... I might be going paranoid here a little he migh scratch 5/6 times a day but he never used to... so my dilemma is does he still have fleas although there are no droppings, could he be scratching because of the shampoo we used... does anyone think this might have worked and maybe he had one or two fleas and we took care of it or I am being optimistic and should fumigate my entire house??? Would love any help as I've never dealt with fleas before.

I told Grumpy off yesterday for not minding me when I was in the shower. I said it wasn't the little girl's job to mind me, it was his. This morning, there he was outside the bathroom. Good boy, Grumpy! Haha it's so funny how they do that Hugo will stand on attention like a little soldier in front of the shower/bath facing the door... little privacy doesn't hurt... makes me feel safe!

I once saw on TV (I think it was rspca rescue or something) this old man was caring for his also ageing dog, someone had spotted the old man walking the dog and it looked (to the onlooker) like the dog was having a hard time keeping up and looked exausted and like he was not walking right, now the rspca was awesome talking to old man about the dog's diet the age and exercise turns out the old man was worried too but didn't know what to do and after going to the rspca vet (he couldn't affort to go to the vet) we find out the old man was walking the dog too much which was inflaming the poor old pooch's joints and also was giving him a human diet of white bread and sausages so change of diet and 10/20 min walks in the early morning/evening, they visited again months later and the dog was is great shape and doing much better, the old man was so happy that his old friend was better and even thanked the person who reported the problem to the rspca!! So might not be always the case but maybe just maybe your imput on those poor dog's well fare will be taken well by the owner personally I would leave it to the rspca, they are trained to deal with all sorts of people and that way if the owner is a not so stable person you won't have to fear retaliation as you will be anonymous. Good luck