The Dog is Weird-A Pet MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

I do not, unfortunately, have a pet at this time (I’d like to get one, but it’s not workable right now). So, I have to live vicariously through the doings of other’s pets. I love to read tales (or is that tails? :)) of quirkiness! We did have a variety of dogs and even a cat or two (my Dad doesn’t particularly like cats …) when I was growing up, so maybe a tale from that time. At one time, we had an Old English Sheep dog. Whew, the hair on that one! In the summer we usually kept her clipped as that was easier on both her and the family. At any rate, she was also, as sheepdogs usually are, a big dog in more ways than one. She loved to eat, and was always looking for a way to get a treat. One of my brothers was fixing a sandwich in the kitchen, it was almost finished and on the counter, when he turned away just for a second. Ooops, too late! Rags had glommed the sandwich and was polishing it off when he turned back. She was a pedigreed dog, but had always been a family pet. The family had several young children and she just proved to be too large for them. Her name was, I think, Highland Fling’s Raggedy Ann and we called her Rags–she loved her re-homed family and we loved her too. But you could NOT leave a sandwich unguarded around her. :slight_smile:

I have been busy today, I made eggplant parmesan, a healthier version. I did not fry the eggplant slices but coated them in panko breadcrumbs and baked them. I also cut down on the amount of cheeses, and used part skim and low fat cheeses. I’ll post the recipe, if anyone is interested, depending on how it turns out - we’ll be having it for dinner (hopefully :)).

Lest anyone thinks I am neglecting cats, I’ve been considering volunteering at one of the local animal shelters, hoping to do something for the cats there. And yes, maybe dogs too. Until then, I have to content myself with Animal Planet, I guess. :smiley:

** Sticky**, I hope that the Schnoodles all get clean bills of health! :slight_smile:

42

We’re all interested on new recipes for the Mumper’s Collection - If it rates 7 or higher, post it. :wink:

43

Cheech and Chong’s Minute Steak?

44

Thanks swampy and seanette. The process has been way less painful than it could have been. In fact as soon as I moved beyond dealing with the local health department over medical exams and false positive TB test results it went swimmingly.

All they asked today was how did we meet and confirm some basic info like birth dates. It was easy. I have been here on a “inter company transferee” visa off and on since 2003 and because we have been married 4 years we appear genuine I guess :smiley: oh I did get asked if I had any intention of over throwing the government which I answered with a big fat no!

The couple ahead of us did not have such an easy time at interview - in and out individually a couple of times and she came out crying twice and stomped away without acknowledging him. So at that point we were terrified. But Yay! I am all kinds of legal now and should have the card in 2 weeks or less!

45

Congratulations mmmms!

Your post made me smile, herbs. I found out today that the Bubster doesn’t have to go to the vet tomorrow because he’s current on all his shots. So it will be just me and Gizmo tomorrow. It actually didn’t go so well with Mick today. They’re doing preliminary bloodwork and we’ll have the results when I go back tomorrow. Since this is the low cost clinic they wouldn’t be able to treat her anyways, we’d have to go back to our other vet.

Today has been exceptionally sucky overall for the usual reason. Guess that’s all for tonight.

46

I also offer my congratulations, Mmmms. :slight_smile:

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When I was a younger fitter guy I would take my dog Flash (Border Collie/Australian Kelpie X) for a jog/run on a dirt access road nearby & play a few games. When he got about 30 yards out in front of me I would turn around and start jogging back the way we came.

I knew when he had spotted this 'cause I’d hear some high-pitched barks & a few seconds later he’d go racing past at full speed. As soon as he over-took me I’d reverse direction and we would start over. After doing that a few times he would still pass me but give me a ‘shoulder bump’ on they way and then look back over his shoulder with a huge grin on his face.

Damn good dog that one. Cancer got him at age 7.

Currently we have cats:

Nimitz: Loves to sit on my shoulder and watch TV while I’m on the couch of an evening, tends to fall asleep leaning against my head and then slowly fall off into my lap. Wakes up & looks offended that I would move him from his favorite spot. Beats up small dogs that wander into our front yard.

Dewey: aka “Stealth cat” seems to have an almost magical ability to curl up next to you and fall asleep without you noticing. Loves to climb onto the roof of the house on icy nights and then not be able to find his way down. Proceeds to sit above the lounge-room window & cry until I go out with something to stand on & retrieve him. He’s a rescue cat who is a better scavenger than some dogs I’ve owned.

Mishca: Ambush ninja cat. Also a rescue and still very much a kitten. Pass-times include climbing to high places and leaping onto the back of the other cats, tail-chasing.

Anushka: my wifes’ cat a pure-bred Himalayan Exotic. Spends the day using her impressive sleeping powers and scaring the local kids with pure-uglyness. Nice nature, but she is an ugly critter.

48

My new favorite website is http://dog-shaming.com/ - sounds like many of these pets would be featured. :smiley:

49

I strongly object to this week’s topic; I have to do some other things today :wink:

I am not OBL’s original owner & from what I know about him he was an absolute a-hole. I came to this conclusion because 1) the vet/kennel that he was rescued from told me they found the (4-legged) beast tied up outside one morning before they opened with a note that he was being abandoned; he (the two-legged beast) didn’t even have the cojones to take him inside to leave him. 2) The other thing I know about him is that he beat the woof. I know this because when we got 'im, if I raised my hand for any reason, including to scratch my ear, he would cower. :frowning:
I beat this behavior out of him; I (playfully) hit him so much, that when I start to bop him, he now turns & runs away, not with the tail low, but up high, going back & forth, eyes searching the room for…that toy. “oh boy, oh boy, it’s play time!”
Sometimes I’ll swing hard, intentionally missing his muzzle by a few inches, sometimes I’ll get him on the butt, or in the ribs, or in the cheeks, but they all bring about the same reaction of play. He’s very used to me ‘hitting’ him & likes it a lot. (after all, what fun is a dog if you can’t 'rassle 'em a bit?) But every once in a while, he’ll be sitting there & I’ll reach out a hand to give him a scritch as I walk past, & this is when he’ll cower from me. Really? :confused: When I’m being a softie?

I can make steak, or chicken, or fish, or even pasta for dinner & he’s no where to be seen. Yes, if offered a piece, he’ll gladly eat it but he’s usually not even in the same rooms as the meal being prepared &/or eaten. OTOH, get out the stuff for salad? I’ve never seen a dog beg so much for lettuce, & carrots, & peppers, & string beans. He’ll even sit there begging for the onions & garlic, which he’ll sniff & then turn away from & won’t eat. Guess he doesn’t want to foul his dog breath. :rolleyes:

50

Dennis (it is a Plant family tradition to name reds “Dennis”) climbed fifty feet into a dead limbless tree one morning and cried piteously to be rescued.
I told him to hang in there while I fed the other cats and figured out what to do.
When I came back outside with the food, he was the first one to the dish.
:slight_smile:

51

Tried that, Dewey runs over the roof and stares down at the food bowl with the intensity of a Jedi trying to force-juggle five active lightsabres and a baby.

52

Yay!

53

Vincent is a 17lb pewter gray British Shorthair mix. I adopted him from the shelter when he was 5 years old. He was just sitting in his cubicle, with his back to the window, horribly depressed. :frowning: His original name was Winston (I’m assuming, Winston Churchill). It does explain his attitude at times.

He can be very serious and sometimes a real grump. He will sit on the other cat’s track-ball toy to keep him from playing with it, because he hates the noise. Vincent hates most noise. Any noise from the outside world - kids yelling, sirens, etc. - and his ears go back. But he loves to listen to me talk; his ears perk up and he watches me like I’m the most important thing in the world. Crazy. :wink:

Vincent may also be a bit psychotic. He’s come up to me at the computer desk, put his front paws on my hip, and meowed for attention. Usually I pet him and that makes him happy. Recently, though, he bit me! He also bites if you pet him “too much” (how much is “too much” varies - it’s best to jerk your hand away preemptively). He also bit me as I was putting my CPAP machine in its traveling case; heaven forbid I leave him, even for an hour or two!

One time the little bastard even bit me on the nipple. Seriously. This cat has scarred up my right hand/wrist/forearm, to the point of which co-workers suggested I take him back to the shelter. But he has a softer side too. He loves to sleep by me, has the cutest little meow, and if I leave my clothes on the bed, he will nap on them. :slight_smile:

At this point he has been with me for four years, so he must be nine years old now. I would love to have him lose some weight - he looks like he swallowed a football - but he refuses to eat anything but his particular variety of Science Diet kibble. He will not eat other food, or even cat treats. If you put them in front of him, he tries to bury them.

Oh, and he’s gotten into the habit of wanting his food/water refreshed at 4-5:00am. I think my mom got him spoiled; she gets up that early, has a smoke, derps around on the internet, and goes back to bed a couple hours later. :smiley:

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Congrats Mmmmmmm!

55

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 78 Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 89 and not as much rain as originally forecast. Seems Isaac will mostly ignore us but we will get some rain this mornin’/afternoon. I was hopin’ for a deluge. Oh well…

I am enjoyin’ all the pet stories. Again, they highly entertain me. :smiley:

Now I shall find more caffiene and feed rumbly tummy. Then, alas and alack, irk purtification must commence. Lots and lots of paperirk to keep me occupied. Rah.

Happy Tuesday Y’all!

56

Congratulations mmmm on beating La Migra! The Red Tape Dragon is a scary one, much worse than any St George faced…

No misbehavin’ pets here, unless people who took over my job and did not bother read a single fucking document count. How do I know they didn’t read anything? Because of the amount of items which were created using the wrong codes.

57

Up, caffienated, off to irk.

58

Thankyou cplant, doggio and Nava!

I had yesterday off and so I really donwanna go back to work today especially when it involves a supplier meeting with a good supplier but also the incompetent supplier manager. But work I must.

59

Pictures, or it didn’t happen. Oh, and welcome to the MMP, WitchyWoman.

I have the squid. Someone find the goat.
Blurf, y’all.

60

Shortly I will attempt to install our new modem and wireless router. I hope to be successful as our other internet service will cease to exist in about 2 days. After that I’ll be heading off to the vet again. Then, later today, I get to do the school thing once more. Yippee.
ETA: Forgot to mention that if you’re so inclined and there’s a Walgreens in your area that they have 40% off all photo stuff today and tomorrow.