Socialisation - Puppies And Cats

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

Oooo, a Bengal! I'm jealous!! I'd love to see a pic of her, if you have one. I haven't seen a Bengal in years, since I used to show my boys when they were younger. Back then, the Bengal didn't have the best reputation in terms of temperament, but they are a magnificent looking animal!

Can you tell that my life is ruled by creatures with more legs than me? Even the fish get special treatment at my place! *LOL* I'm going to be one of those mad, old women with far too many animals that little kids down the street think is a witch...

Here's a pic of her:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34919246@N08/...57613106160868/

In sepia tone unfortunately so you cant see her colours too well. The kitten that was curled up with my Staffy was one of hers - she also had a beautiful silver one - striped back and snow leopard spotted belly They are pretty cats - also alot like dogs too arent they, playing fetch and swimming (My Staffy girl loves to swim too so as you can imagine she is rather unimpressed when she finds herself sharing her shell pool with the cat.... )

Dont worry maximum, my life is just the same ;) We have 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 bearded dragons (which we also breed so at times we also have babies beardies too) and 3 siamese fighting fish. I love living in a zoo....really.

Edited January 30, 2009 by Kirra_Bomber_Zeus

[maximum]

Hi maximum! I'm so glad you found some of my advice useful...please keep us posted with your situation - I would love to hear that it's improved down the track. ;)

Bit off topic I know - but I just have to say that I think you have summed up Ragdolls really well! I've never had cats before but since I got my two boys I think I'll always have a ragdoll in my life. They are such sweet affectionate cats always following me around the house and watching whatever I'm doing. Like you said they are very dog like in a lot of ways...and it sounds like Arnie is just like my boy Dash! Dash will often hop up on the bed several times in the night and miaow and miaow until I stick a hand out to pat him. Then when I fall asleep again he'll sit right by my head and I too get the soft paddy paw patting me on the face to wake me up! *sigh* I'm like you though - I love him far to much to find it annoying. Although if I'm really deeply asleep sometimes I'll feel him patting my face but not wake up right away and then I'll feel whiskers on my face and wake up to see him about 1cm away staring into my eyes like he's saying 'Hello in there!' Raggies are such great cats....

ETA: I love the pic of Max - he looks so cute and harmless. And Jordie looks so gorgeous! I love the look of Maine Coons but don't know much about them personality wise....

I'm never going to get any work done today - I'm finding reading old posts FAR more interesting! *LOL*

You know, it's funny, but I think you have to spend time with ragdolls to appreciate just how wonderful they are. I initially decided on the breed because I live in apartments or townhouses and I wanted a breed that was happy living indoors. But right from the moment I met Arnie at his breeder's house at 6 weeks old, I was smitten. They are truly the loves of my life! I've just put a girl I work with in touch with my boys' breeder - she's getting a kitty in about 12 weeks and I'm SOOOO jealous! I've converted many a cat hater after they've had Sly flopping on their feet and begging for his belly to be rubbed!

Sly does that "hello in there!" thing too - cracks me up every time! Even when I'm bone tired and just want to get some sleep, I can't push them away. They're too precious when they want 'lovies', as I call it.

The Maine Coon is an awesome cat to own, although they do tend to be rather destructive! Mainly because of their size. They just do the normal things cats do, but because they're so big they can wreck stuff really easily. Jordie's dad was known to chew all his owner's shoes to death! The breed is known to be a 'gentle giant'. They're very quiet cats and have the tiniest little voices - sometimes Jordie meows and all you see is his mouth open with no sound coming out. But they do have one interesting trait - they 'chirp'. It's hard to explain, but it's kind of like the noise a cat makes when you surprise it - sort of half way between a meow and a purr. At night when I go to bed, Arnie and Sly come up on the bed as soon as I'm in it. Jordie then spends the next 30 minutes or so roaming the dark house, chirping away to himself. It's quite amazing to hear, considering he's usually dead silent during the day, but apparently all Coons do it. Jordie is super affectionate - I just have to look at him and blow him a kiss, and I can hear him purring from across the room. And nothing beats a cuddle from my big, hairy monster when I'm feeling blue. I just lay my head on his big chest and listen to him rumbling away.

I can't help myself - here's my precious Arnie!

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

[

I can't help myself - here's my precious Arnie!

Oh wow - thats one beautiful cat!

[maximum]

Here's a pic of her:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34919246@N08/...57613106160868/

In sepia tone unfortunately so you cant see her colours too well. The kitten that was curled up with my Staffy was one of hers - she also had a beautiful silver one - striped back and snow leopard spotted belly They are pretty cats - also alot like dogs too arent they, playing fetch and swimming (My Staffy girl loves to swim too so as you can imagine she is rather unimpressed when she finds herself sharing her shell pool with the cat.... )

Dont worry maximum, my life is just the same ;) We have 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 bearded dragons (which we also breed so at times we also have babies beardies too) and 3 siamese fighting fish. I love living in a zoo....really.

She's beautiful - I just love the 'wild' look that cats like Bengals, Maine Coons etc. have. Something harking back to the 'big cat heritage'...if you know what I mean!

I didn't know they were fond of water! So are Coons, although I don't think Jordie would commandeer a paddling pool!

Ah yes, living in a zoo - I absolutely love it, too. If I had more space, I'd have LOADS more cats and dogs - I already have far too many fish. I know people have far more cats/dogs than I do in houses/flats far smaller than mine, but I don't think it's fair on the animals. That's why I hesitated so long to get a dog. I've really wanted one for aaaaages (particularly after our family dog was put down 12 months ago at 18 years of age, suffering from cancer), but I didn't know whether it was going to be fair on the dog to live in a unit.

That's why I went for the toy poodle/maltese cross breed. Hopefully, he'll remain on the small side. He has plenty of room to run around in my place - I live in an older style building that has high ceilings and REALLY big rooms. The whole place, including the 2 balconies, is about 145sqm. I try and walk Max every day too, but if I don't, he does 'laps' of the lounge room and dining room - usually while chasing the cat! *LOL*

Don't you love the 'bum down, head up' gallop that puppies do when they're really excited? Max will be playing with me, Jordie or by himself when suddenly, he just chucks a spazz and starts doing laps! Cracks me up every time!!!

I committed the cardinal sin and bought Max from a pet shop. I'm still mentally beating myself up over it. I'd been speaking to several breeders and was tossing up between a toy poodle, chihauha or mini pincer (which was apparently a terrible choice for a flat!), when I dropped into a shopping centre to pick up some kitty litter. Walked past the pet shop on the way to Woolworths and there was Max in the window. I thought he was a full poodle and I just fell in love.

I never knew anything much about animals until I owned purebred cats. That's when I started reading up on things that 'destroy' the good work ethical breeders put into the animals they produce - I know that a good breeder does it for the love of the breed, certainly not the money. Which from what I'm told, is bugger all unless you're over-breeding! I'm thoroughly against kitten/puppy mills, as I'm sure is everyone. I had every intention of buying a puppy from a breeder, but I just had a brain fart when I saw Max - it was love at first sight!

I would have rescued a pup from the RSPCA or local pound, but i couldn't be reasonably assured of how big the animal would get, not knowing its lineage at all. Would be a disaster to have anything other than a smallish dog in a flat, I think.

Anyway, I'll get over the pet shop thing one day - it just pisses me off that I went and did exactly what I tell everyone NEVER to do!!!

[maximum]

[

I can't help myself - here's my precious Arnie!

Oh wow - thats one beautiful cat!

Thank you - I think he's pretty special!

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

Yes, the water thing is pretty amazing - when we first got her I literally had to be on the lookout if I was doing the dishes to make sure she didnt jump into the hot water!!

I understand the brain fart entirely Maximum, my latest pup was BYB by one of our friends - I know better than that too and Ive owned dogs for years. However, I fell in love too. Im sure I will be flamed on the forum more than once for my decision, but hey, I love him and I think he's going to be a great dog. I also have issues with 'normal' vaccination schedules and Im sure I wouldnt have been able to be in charge of how that went if I bought from a registered breeder. So at the end of the day Im happy with the pup I have.

[seashell]

Hi Seashell

It's amazing how much work is involved in owning a puppy, isn't it? First couple of months I had Max, I felt like I had a human baby in the house!!!

I love Singapuras...they have such cheeky personalities! I used to show all my cats and Singapuras were one of the breeds I coveted...So many cats, so little money! *LOL*

The problem with the Raggies is that they can be real wuss bags - Sly, my younger Raggie (he's 10) is a huge, boofy boy, but he's such a big girl's blouse!! Loves every human he comes in contact with, but he's absolutely deathly afraid of fireworks, thunderstorms and now dogs. And unfortunately, once one cat panics, the rest tend to follow suit. Arnie, a tiny boy for a ragdoll at only 3.5kg, is WAY more confident and adventurous than Sly, but Sly now has him terrified of storms. Drives me crazy, because it's SOOOO hard not to comfort them and fuss over them when they're crying and scared. But it just makes it worse if I do anything other than act like there's absolutely nothing wrong. The only concession I make is to let Sly into the wardrobe to hide, or let him get under my doona.

I'll just persevere with the getting the cats to adjust to Max, I guess. If know that if he'd stop charging up to Arnie at a million miles an hour, Arnie would be fine. And once Arnie's fine, Sly will follow him. When Max isn't in sight, Arnie will jump over the baby gate and start to suss things out. Trouble is, he's a 'chatty cat' and always announces his presence - Max then chases him back over the gate! *sigh*

Oh well, it can only get better!

Hi again, yes it is unbelievable how much work puppies are, toffee is still a lot of work at 14wks old and still not fully toilet trained, argh!! It sure is like having a human baby, er not that I've had one but hubby now thinks he can't handle us having a baby, sigh! I think for people like us, who have cats or even other dogs, the job is even harder cos we have these socialisation and controlling the different pet issues!

Aww yeah singapuras are very cheeky, they can jump almost anywhere and they are almost like dogs too, chimpy greets us at the door and always wants to be around us and sitting on our laps! One of the reasons we got toffee was actually because we wanted company for chimpy, and we thought he was too in-your-face for another cat. I love so many breeds of cats too I wish I could have sooo many more! I love ragdolls too, and I'd also like to have a british, burmese, tiffanie, another fold... the list is endless!

That's so funny that Arnie anounces his arrival over the baby gate, lol! Sorry I don't have much more help for you, but I think in time they should learn to live with each other. Especially since you are keeping the baby gate there and the cats always have their own space! Btw, arnie is a beautiful cat!

I can relate to you and the pet shop thing, I am against buying from pet stores, but one day mid last year I saw the cutest cavalier pup while I was buying cat food! I fell in love, and that particular pet shop doesn't keep their puppies in cages but have them out back and sometimes on lead wondering the shop, so I played with him a lot which made me like him more! But at that time I wasn't even thinking of getting a puppy so I left. I couldn't stop thinking about him though, so the next day I rang the shop but he was sold... that was probably what started me looking for another cav and I did end up buying from a reg breeder, but hey if that puppy had not been sold there is a big chance I would have gone back for him... so don't beat yourself up too much, it's hard to resist puppies and it sounds like max is doing well and you're giving him a great home!

[maximum]

Yes, the water thing is pretty amazing - when we first got her I literally had to be on the lookout if I was doing the dishes to make sure she didnt jump into the hot water!!

I understand the brain fart entirely Maximum, my latest pup was BYB by one of our friends - I know better than that too and Ive owned dogs for years. However, I fell in love too. Im sure I will be flamed on the forum more than once for my decision, but hey, I love him and I think he's going to be a great dog. I also have issues with 'normal' vaccination schedules and Im sure I wouldnt have been able to be in charge of how that went if I bought from a registered breeder. So at the end of the day Im happy with the pup I have.

God, I'm so pleased you didn't flame me for that one! I wasn't going to admit it, but as Max is a poodle/maltese cross - 'Moodle', which sounds stupid to me - I figured most people with breeding knowledge would guess anyway. I didn't actually know he was classified as a 'designer dog' until after I bought him and looked up Moodle on Wiki! *LOL*

I wanted a poodle because I'd grown up with them and I love their intelligence (and the non-shedding coat!), but Max just suckered me in with one cuddle. I'm lucky he seems to have a lot of poodle in him, physically - he has a poodle coat, very curly on the body, head and ears, a little straighter on the legs. His tail is curly, like a maltese, and his ears are currently too short to be poodle. His snout isn't as long as a poodle pup's, either - our last poodle used to get called Needle Nose! And his eyes, how you can see the whites quite a lot when he's looking around, they seem very maltese too, judging by other maltese I've known. But he's an amazingly intelligent dog - I've been reading the old threads on this forum all day (bugger work!) and I've realised how comparatively lucky I am with Max in terms of training and behaviour etc. Particularly toilet training. At 4.5 months old, Max is damned near 100% with his toilet training now and has been for some weeks - and we live in a flat!

When I used to participate in Ragdoll forums as a new owner, long term forum members would absolutely CRUCIFY new owners who came on and talked about their new ragdoll kitten that they'd got from a BYB or shelter or whatever. Yes, we all knew it most likely wasn't a purebred cat, but some people were REALLY nasty. Actually, that's why I stopped showing my boys - the cat world is so...ummm...catty!!! 90% bitches, 9% freaks, 1% normal people! *LOL*

Can you give me your thoughts on vaccinations, please? I've done quite a bit of reading into cat vac protocol and came to the conclusion that my cats didn't need to be vaccinated at all, after we got back from USA and they were out of quarantine. They never leave the house, I have a pet minder who comes in and looks after them while I'm away, they haven't been to a vet in at least 7 years etc. Really no point in filling them full of antibodies etc. they don't need.

I'm terrified of the annual heartworm injection for dogs, after what I've been reading on the internet over the past couple of days...

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

God, I'm so pleased you didn't flame me for that one! I wasn't going to admit it, but as Max is a poodle/maltese cross - 'Moodle', which sounds stupid to me - I figured most people with breeding knowledge would guess anyway. I didn't actually know he was classified as a 'designer dog' until after I bought him and looked up Moodle on Wiki! *LOL*

I wanted a poodle because I'd grown up with them and I love their intelligence (and the non-shedding coat!), but Max just suckered me in with one cuddle. I'm lucky he seems to have a lot of poodle in him, physically - he has a poodle coat, very curly on the body, head and ears, a little straighter on the legs. His tail is curly, like a maltese, and his ears are currently too short to be poodle. His snout isn't as long as a poodle pup's, either - our last poodle used to get called Needle Nose! And his eyes, how you can see the whites quite a lot when he's looking around, they seem very maltese too, judging by other maltese I've known. But he's an amazingly intelligent dog - I've been reading the old threads on this forum all day (bugger work!) and I've realised how comparatively lucky I am with Max in terms of training and behaviour etc. Particularly toilet training. At 4.5 months old, Max is damned near 100% with his toilet training now and has been for some weeks - and we live in a flat!

When I used to participate in Ragdoll forums as a new owner, long term forum members would absolutely CRUCIFY new owners who came on and talked about their new ragdoll kitten that they'd got from a BYB or shelter or whatever. Yes, we all knew it most likely wasn't a purebred cat, but some people were REALLY nasty. Actually, that's why I stopped showing my boys - the cat world is so...ummm...catty!!! 90% bitches, 9% freaks, 1% normal people! *LOL*

Can you give me your thoughts on vaccinations, please? I've done quite a bit of reading into cat vac protocol and came to the conclusion that my cats didn't need to be vaccinated at all, after we got back from USA and they were out of quarantine. They never leave the house, I have a pet minder who comes in and looks after them while I'm away, they haven't been to a vet in at least 7 years etc. Really no point in filling them full of antibodies etc. they don't need.

I'm terrified of the annual heartworm injection for dogs, after what I've been reading on the internet over the past couple of days...

I actually stopped coming to this forum for a few years because of that sort of attitude from some members - but Ive come back and decided to just ignore those nasty few

re vaccs, I did tons of research a few years back after my Staffy had a massive reaction to her second needle. She now has life long allergy problems due to her immune system basically shutting down. I can fully understand the decision on whether to vaccinate and how often is a really hard one - we want our dogs to be safe but over vaccinating is dangerous. Theres plenty of information out there showing that annual vaccinations are most definately not required, my issue was trying to decide what to do for first vaccinations with our new pup. Basically my decision this time is to vaccinate once at 11 weeks for Parvo and Distemper then again at 6 months. thats it. Personally I would definately not vaccinate your adult cats. If they had their vaccinations when they were kittens they should be immune. You can not get 'more immune' you either are or arent. Booster shots do not make sense to me.

I personally dont give my dogs heartworm injections at all. maybe if we lived in an area that was mosquito infested and well known for heartworm I would. I think it needs to be assessed on an individual basis depending on the greatest risk for your animals.

If you want more info on the dangers of vaccinations let me know, I'll PM you with some reference material. Im not saying that we should never vaccinate or that every dog would be at risk of having a reaction, but I think its a good idea to be armed with all the information to make an informed decision.

This is another thing I talk about that seems to get people's back up, but hey I think there are people who are very 'for' vaccinations and all the conventional medicine they can buy and then there are people who arent. Depends up your personal experiences and research I guess

[maximum]

Kirra-Bomber-Zeus:

I'd love to read your info on vaccinations, please - I know very little about dogs and their care and I really want to edumacate myself, as a certain Homer Simpson would say! *lol*

I know what you mean about certain topics getting people's backs up - I've found that feeding is another. One of my cats was extremely intolerant of preservatives in food and I reckon I must've read everything there is to read about cat food! Not to mention ask a million vets... And you know what? Almost everyone gave me a different answer!

I was horrified to find out what's in the majority of commercial pet food and I've since become a bit of a Nazi when it comes to what I feed my pets. I think everyone who loves their animals is the same way - we all have certain brands that we 'swear by'. For me, it's Nutrience or Eagle Pak for dry food, plus raw meat and veg, grain etc. that I make myself.

The heartworm vaccination scared me because I read in a few places how a lot of dogs had died or developed severe health problems after having the shots. One of the health issues was seizures. Our family dog was never given heartworm prevention until he actually tested positive for heartworm and went through treatment - Mum started giving him tablets after that. When the annual vaccination came out here, he started getting that. I don't know exactly how old he was the, but probably around 11. Not long after that, he developed mild epilepsy - I say mild because the seizures didn't happen very often. Now, I don't know whether it was anything to do with the vaccination because I recently read that one of the health issues that can plague poodles is epilepsy. But it makes me wonder if it's coincidence or not...

I think that vaccinations are important for both people and animals, but you're not alone in your thinking that we over vaccinate. As I said, what's the point in me vaccinating my cats when there's almost zero chance of them picking anything up?

I did wonder about one thing you said - about booster shots and it not being possible to become 'more immune' to something. When I took my cats to the USA, they had to be vaccinated against rabies. This was a Govt.requirement and the fact that they were indoor-only cats made no difference. During our time there, they were all given annual boosters and when it was time to come home, their blood titre levels were measured to check the level of immunity each cat had. Well, what a disaster that was!!! Sly, the youngest ragdoll, failed and showed zero immunity; Arnie JUST scraped through. I didn't have Jordie at this stage. . To cut a long story short, we had to leave Arnie and Sly behind with friends for 30 days due to Government regulation (Aust.Govt.) so they could be re-vaccinated and susequently re-tested, then they had to spend the full FIVE MONTHS in quarantine upon return to Australia. Damned near broke my heart!!!

Anyway, they were none the worse for wear from their experience (it hurt me more than it did them, lol!) but it's made me think a lot about vaccinations when it comes to Max. So, any info you have would be much appreciated!

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

Kirra-Bomber-Zeus:

I'd love to read your info on vaccinations, please - I know very little about dogs and their care and I really want to edumacate myself, as a certain Homer Simpson would say! *lol*

I know what you mean about certain topics getting people's backs up - I've found that feeding is another. One of my cats was extremely intolerant of preservatives in food and I reckon I must've read everything there is to read about cat food! Not to mention ask a million vets... And you know what? Almost everyone gave me a different answer!

I was horrified to find out what's in the majority of commercial pet food and I've since become a bit of a Nazi when it comes to what I feed my pets. I think everyone who loves their animals is the same way - we all have certain brands that we 'swear by'. For me, it's Nutrience or Eagle Pak for dry food, plus raw meat and veg, grain etc. that I make myself.

The heartworm vaccination scared me because I read in a few places how a lot of dogs had died or developed severe health problems after having the shots. One of the health issues was seizures. Our family dog was never given heartworm prevention until he actually tested positive for heartworm and went through treatment - Mum started giving him tablets after that. When the annual vaccination came out here, he started getting that. I don't know exactly how old he was the, but probably around 11. Not long after that, he developed mild epilepsy - I say mild because the seizures didn't happen very often. Now, I don't know whether it was anything to do with the vaccination because I recently read that one of the health issues that can plague poodles is epilepsy. But it makes me wonder if it's coincidence or not...

I think that vaccinations are important for both people and animals, but you're not alone in your thinking that we over vaccinate. As I said, what's the point in me vaccinating my cats when there's almost zero chance of them picking anything up?

I did wonder about one thing you said - about booster shots and it not being possible to become 'more immune' to something. When I took my cats to the USA, they had to be vaccinated against rabies. This was a Govt.requirement and the fact that they were indoor-only cats made no difference. During our time there, they were all given annual boosters and when it was time to come home, their blood titre levels were measured to check the level of immunity each cat had. Well, what a disaster that was!!! Sly, the youngest ragdoll, failed and showed zero immunity; Arnie JUST scraped through. I didn't have Jordie at this stage. . To cut a long story short, we had to leave Arnie and Sly behind with friends for 30 days due to Government regulation (Aust.Govt.) so they could be re-vaccinated and susequently re-tested, then they had to spend the full FIVE MONTHS in quarantine upon return to Australia. Damned near broke my heart!!!

Anyway, they were none the worse for wear from their experience (it hurt me more than it did them, lol!) but it's made me think a lot about vaccinations when it comes to Max. So, any info you have would be much appreciated!

No problemo, I'll PM you later with some info Yup, I raw feed too and yep, that can be a bone of contention with some people also

I know what you mean, the epilepsy may have been caused by the heartworm injection, may not have been. I guess thats why I just try and limit my pups exposure to that sort of stuff as much as possible

With what you said about the blood test (would have been a titre test): This is why Im not super keen on re-vaccinating just because a titre test comes back 'insufficient'. If this makes sense, the was it was explained to me was: Antibodies show up and come into effect when the immune system is threatend by the disease the antibodies need to fight. So, if the titre test shows 'no antibodies' and therefore 'no immunity' it doesnt necessarily mean that they are not there, just that they are not showing up, which could be because the body is not threatened by the disease at that time. It is a complicated subject and one that I find rather hard to explain without writing 10 pages - lol. Of course opinions differ between people who say immunity lasts for 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, life of the dog etc etc. I guess each person will come to their own conclusion on what they believe is correct and what they will be comfortable with...

My 11 year old dog was vaccinated once as a puppy and once when he was 5 years old. My 6 year old dog was vaccinated twice as a puppy and never again. Im comfortable with that and dont believe they are at risk

[colliepaws]

I'm never going to get any work done today - I'm finding reading old posts FAR more interesting! *LOL*

You know, it's funny, but I think you have to spend time with ragdolls to appreciate just how wonderful they are. I initially decided on the breed because I live in apartments or townhouses and I wanted a breed that was happy living indoors. But right from the moment I met Arnie at his breeder's house at 6 weeks old, I was smitten. They are truly the loves of my life! I've just put a girl I work with in touch with my boys' breeder - she's getting a kitty in about 12 weeks and I'm SOOOO jealous! I've converted many a cat hater after they've had Sly flopping on their feet and begging for his belly to be rubbed!

Sly does that "hello in there!" thing too - cracks me up every time! Even when I'm bone tired and just want to get some sleep, I can't push them away. They're too precious when they want 'lovies', as I call it.

The Maine Coon is an awesome cat to own, although they do tend to be rather destructive! Mainly because of their size. They just do the normal things cats do, but because they're so big they can wreck stuff really easily. Jordie's dad was known to chew all his owner's shoes to death! The breed is known to be a 'gentle giant'. They're very quiet cats and have the tiniest little voices - sometimes Jordie meows and all you see is his mouth open with no sound coming out. But they do have one interesting trait - they 'chirp'. It's hard to explain, but it's kind of like the noise a cat makes when you surprise it - sort of half way between a meow and a purr. At night when I go to bed, Arnie and Sly come up on the bed as soon as I'm in it. Jordie then spends the next 30 minutes or so roaming the dark house, chirping away to himself. It's quite amazing to hear, considering he's usually dead silent during the day, but apparently all Coons do it. Jordie is super affectionate - I just have to look at him and blow him a kiss, and I can hear him purring from across the room. And nothing beats a cuddle from my big, hairy monster when I'm feeling blue. I just lay my head on his big chest and listen to him rumbling away.

I can't help myself - here's my precious Arnie!

Thanks for telling me about Maine Coons...they sound lovely! I think I will have to add them to my 'cats I would love to have one day' list.

And Wow! Arnie is gorgeous!

I can't help myself either and I hope no one minds but here's a few pics of my two Raggies...;)

This is Dash...

And this is Cosmo

Oh and btw my backyard has special cat fencing all around it so my boys can't get out. Good thing too because they learnt to use our big dog door to get into the backyard within a week of me bringing them home!

And the two of them doing what raggies do best.

I've only got a couple of pics of them with Luka (Luka's always running all over the place so it's hard to get them in the same shot together)...

Luka was munching away on a dog treat and wanted to lie near Cosmo. I think Cosmo's giving him a 'what on earth are you eating?!' look.

And here's Luka and Dash investigating the yard together...

And Dash being unimpressed by being smooched by Luka.

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

Awwww Fluffy Paws your cats are gorgeous too!

[maximum]

Thanks for telling me about Maine Coons...they sound lovely! I think I will have to add them to my 'cats I would love to have one day' list.

And Wow! Arnie is gorgeous!

I can't help myself either and I hope no one minds but here's a few pics of my two Raggies...

Fluffypaws, your boys are just gorgeous! Cosmo reminds me of a young Arnie. Isn't it interesting watching coat colours and patterns develop as animals age? I look back on photos of my lads when they were younger and the difference is amazing!

Luka looks like a little sweetie! God, I hope Arnie and Sly end up like that with Max some day...Max, who is currently chasing poor Jordie around the lounge room!

Yes, the old "add (breed name) to my list of cats/dogs to own someday" just gets longer and longer, doesn't it? I'd dearly love a standard poodle,but not til I have a yard...and I'd love a japanese spitz. As for cat breeds I'd love to own, don't get me started! I used to wander around the judging rings when I showed my cats and add to the list in my mind...

Animals - how great are they?!

[Cat]

aw those kitties are gorgeous! I wish my dog could get close enough to give mine a smooch on the head

[shoemonster]

A little OT but Fluffypaws, can you post a pic of the top of the cat fencing?

ETA we have a run out the back but Id love to cat proof down the side of the house too

Edited January 30, 2009 by shoemonster

[maximum]

Kirra-Bomber-Zeus:

Ah, ok, I think I get what you're saying about immunity vs antibodies - I always wondered about the whole titre test thing.

Australian quarantine laws are a wonderful thing for us all, but I can tell you they're a pain in the proverbial when you can't get your beloved pets home! And then there's the looooong stay out at Eastern Creek - the handlers are wonderful, but the facilities suck. I used to sit in the boys' cage and cry when I visited them! Lol!

I'll look forward to reading the immunisation info. If you have any info on dog diet, I'd appreciate that too - once again, the vet tells me one thing, Max's trainer tells me another (BARF), and then I read other stuff on line!

Aaaaarrrrgggghhh!!! What's a concerned owner to do???? Lol!

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

Kirra-Bomber-Zeus:

Ah, ok, I think I get what you're saying about immunity vs antibodies - I always wondered about the whole titre test thing.

Australian quarantine laws are a wonderful thing for us all, but I can tell you they're a pain in the proverbial when you can't get your beloved pets home! And then there's the looooong stay out at Eastern Creek - the handlers are wonderful, but the facilities suck. I used to sit in the boys' cage and cry when I visited them! Lol!

I'll look forward to reading the immunisation info. If you have any info on dog diet, I'd appreciate that too - once again, the vet tells me one thing, Max's trainer tells me another (BARF), and then I read other stuff on line!

Aaaaarrrrgggghhh!!! What's a concerned owner to do???? Lol!

Maximum, I would have cried too! that would have been awful

I'll send you over some info on diet too, no worries. I know what you mean - it is all so confusing when you get different info from all different sources! I had a real "WTF? moment" the other day when a friend told me that their vet told them puppies were unable to eat raw meat. Interesting. soooo in the wild their mothers obviously made the kill and then came back and lit a fire to cook it for them?

[colliepaws]

Awwww Fluffy Paws your cats are gorgeous too!

Thanks KBZ. Of course, I think they're gorgeous but then I think I may be just a little bit biased!

Fluffypaws, your boys are just gorgeous! Cosmo reminds me of a young Arnie. Isn't it interesting watching coat colours and patterns develop as animals age? I look back on photos of my lads when they were younger and the difference is amazing!

Luka looks like a little sweetie! God, I hope Arnie and Sly end up like that with Max some day...Max, who is currently chasing poor Jordie around the lounge room!

Yes, the old "add (breed name) to my list of cats/dogs to own someday" just gets longer and longer, doesn't it? I'd dearly love a standard poodle,but not til I have a yard...and I'd love a japanese spitz. As for cat breeds I'd love to own, don't get me started! I used to wander around the judging rings when I showed my cats and add to the list in my mind...

Animals - how great are they?!

I completely agree about how much the coat colour and patterns change...I look back on their 'baby' kitten photos (only taken a year or so ago) and I am amazed at how different they are now....even their change from the winter to summer coat is amazing! Cosmo used to an absolutely pure snowy white when he was a baby with just little smudges of seal points....so cute!

Here's a couple of baby pics. ;)

And that's my other collie Molly in the background looking folorn because the little fluffy creatures have taken over her bed! I'd feel bad but she has four other beds around the house she just happened to want to lie near that one looking sad.

Oh and I found one more pic of Luka and Dash...

I'm sorry maximum - I feel like I'm hijacking your thread! Please post more pics of your cats...we haven't seen a pic of Sly yet!

aw those kitties are gorgeous! I wish my dog could get close enough to give mine a smooch on the head

Well if it's any consolation Dash didn't stick around for long! He stayed still for one moment of outrage when I took the pic then he was off!

A little OT but Fluffypaws, can you post a pic of the top of the cat fencing?

ETA we have a run out the back but Id love to cat proof down the side of the house too

I've just flicked through all my backyard photos and I only have one pic with the cat fence in it...and it's this one!

My apologies for the absolutely terrible photo! Totally out of focus but if you squint you can kinda just make out the cat fence attached to the top of the regular fence....Oh and if anyone is wondering what that weird contraption in the middle of the yard is - my cats both use this big dirt pit (where a tree used to be) as their 'litter tray' the weird wicker thing (a relic from an old piece of furniture) propped up with patio chairs is to keep the dogs from bothering the cats when their using it and to keep them from eating the cat poo! Blech....

I'll see if I can get a better pic of the fence in the morning.

ETA: Doh! shoemonster I just remembered what the company's name was that did my cat fencing... isn't it always the way! It's called Secure A Kat and they have some waaaay better pics on their website of the cat fencing I've got. Secure A Kat - Cat fence Hope that helps!

Edited January 30, 2009 by Fluffypaws

[shoemonster]

Ahhh awesome, thank you!!!

Makes me laugh about the wicker thing, it looks like a papasan