Ask MetaFilter questions in the pets & animals category

Kisses the girls and makes them cry

jeather — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:52:49 -0800

My cat George (previously, and with Conrad) has a rodent ulcer. This is him on 20 mg of steroids a day, plus halfway through a course of antibiotics (it is often infected). Trust that you don't want to see pictures of him on lower doses, but when it gets really bad it starts to cover his nostrils. There is also a patch in his mouth, and he obsessively licks his back left leg. Right now the leg just has shorter fur, but when it flares up he can lick himself bald and bloody. His grooming elsewhere is normal. He just had blood work, and it all came back completely normal.

Given that he has a vet and is in fact being treated, but that this treatment is not a cure, what else can I do to help him? He eats grain free food, but mostly dry (I cannot realistically feed him only wet food, though he gets that a few times a week). I do not use plastic bowls.

He is otherwise a healthy, happy cat; the vet said that although he'd never seen a cat with a worse ulcer or a cat who was happier. He loves visiting the vet, or anywhere. He loves rubbing his gross mouth on things (and it doesn't hurt him if you touch it). He cuddles and plays and sleeps and drinks and uses the litter box appropriately, though sometimes he's drooly. He just can look sort of icky.

How to calm down a hysterical dog?

lipsum — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:50:43 -0800

I'm babysitting a friend's dog (female dog), and she's hysteric. She keeps crying by the door, trying to run away. What are the best ways to calm her down and make her feel more relaxed alone, away from her owner? Thanks MeFi.

Could you pick these fish out of a lineup?

orrnyereg — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:28 -0800

I'm trying to identify these fish. Any tropical fish experts out there? I spotted these fish a couple of weeks ago and would like to know what they are. Sorry the video is pretty poor quality.

The specs: quite small, about 1 inch long. The bodies are translucent white. The tips of the fins are black, with a bit of yellow on the outside of the tail fins. There were about a dozen of them in the group.

The setting: Vanuatu, a lagoon just off the Pacific/Coral Sea. Mangroves nearby but no coral reefs.

Sound familiar?

Please help me find this monkey.

macadamiaranch — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:45:17 -0800

Please help me find this monkey. This is my dog Frankie with her favorite toy (and a quarter for scale). This specific monkey toy is her favorite -- other monkey toys aren't as pleasing. We bought a bunch of these at PetSmart when we last saw them and Frankie has worked her way through them. She is on the last one and it is in bad shape. PetSmart doesn't have them anymore (and doesn't know where they came from). Can you help us locate more of these monkeys for Frankie before this one finally disintegrates? Here's a picture of just the monkey.

Which is the apexiest of these predators? And what are they eating?

ricochet biscuit — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:14:42 -0800

Help me understand the ecosystem of my house. So, I live in a biggish house with a somewhat underused basement (laundry and storage, mostly). I have noticed that I occasionally spot daddy longlegs and/or house centipedes in the basement. I understand that both of these species prey on other insects* but I never see any other critters that could be their food. Very rarely an ant will make its way in on the ground floor via the slightly poorly-fitted stoop of back door, and once in a while a fly gets in an open door or window, but never once have I seen either of these in the basement. There has never been a sign of even a single cockroach. So what are they living on down there? Each other (Indeed, do they eat each other)? Or are they just such efficient predators that their prey gets wiped out without my ever seeing it?

*Yes, I know that one is an arachnid.

The cat's daily barf

markcmyers — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:16:04 -0800

Almost every morning our 15-year-old Annabelle throws up about a half-ounce of clear liquid, without hairball. This has been going on for several years. Otherwise, she is the picture of health. Any ideas?

Should I interfere when my cats are fighting?

insectosaurus — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:43:59 -0800

I have two eight month old kittens. Mostly they get along great - they snuggle and sleep together, and they play-fight sometimes, though not as frequently as they used to. Sometimes this lil guy, Res, harasses this lil girl, Essie, and I don't know if, or when, I should step in. I can definitely tell the difference between play fighting, which is mostly silent with an occasional meow, and Res harassing Essie, which results in Essie hissing at Res. Essie will run away from Res, Res will follow her and bother her, and she'll hiss and swipe at him. This will happen a couple times in a row sometimes, and eventually it seems to resolve itself.

I may be totally making this up, but I think that what is going on is that Res wants to play and Essie does not, and he's just not taking no for an answer.

I have not seen any blood, but I did notice some very tiny scabs under Essie's fur - I can't see them, but they're as if there was a pinprick (or claw prick) and it scabbed over. They are on her neck area and don't seem to bother her unless I touch them. I haven't noticed any marks or scabs on Res.

I (and my fiancee) have been staying completely out of the fighting so far to let them work it out by themselves, but I would appreciate thoughts on whether I should interfere now or if there is a point at which I should interfere (probably by squirting Res with water, which he thinks is the Worst Thing That Could Ever Happen To A Kitten).

The fighting / harrassment has been happening several times a week, but not every day, mostly in the mornings. It hasn't seemed to affect the kittens' relationship the rest of the time - as I mentioned, they still play and snuggle together.

Name. That. PUPPY!

BlueHorse — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:30:06 -0800

So, new-to-me pound hound, red heeler mix with golden eyes. She needs a name. MeFites are good at this, so please help me name her.

As an adoptee, they know nothing about her at the pound, other than they said she is picky about her people. She's still a pup--probably under a year. Weighs about 35lbs and stands about 20in high. Apparently she's potty trained in several ways: both housebroken and including knowing how to drink out of the toilet (ick!) so I think she's been someone's pet. She's less than a year old and very, VERY active. I don't know how they got a picture of her to post on the adoption website. Loves Frisbee and squeaker toys. Right now she's working on a peanut butter kong next to me--otherwise she'd be zooming around the house.

What might be causing these cats' allergies?

Kitty Stardust — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:31:31 -0800

Three cats all have allergies and overgrooming issues. What might be causing this? My mom's three cats have been suffering from the same allergic condition for some time now. I didn't realize how bad they all had it until I visited for Mother's day and saw that they have all overgroomed to the point where they have no fur on their bellies or back legs. They also have scabbing around their heads/necks from scratching. Two of the cats are littermates. The third cat was raised from kittenhood by me until she moved to my mom's place when she was about 1 year old. It seems odd to me that unrelated cats are all harboring the same allergies.

The vet they go to has shrugged it off as an allergy, but we haven't been able to pinpoint what they're allergic to so we could eliminate it. All three cats get cortisone shots which are really pretty temporary solutions. The vet has suggested a flea allergy, but all three cats are on Frontline. They have open access to a large screened-in porch, so they are exposed to the outside environment fairly often. They also eat regular grocery-store dry food supplemented with Fancy Feast. Other than their overgrooming issues, all three cats are healthy and hearty. The vet has also mentioned stress issues as possible triggers, which could be. The two littermates really dislike the other cat, but she seems to have found ways of avoiding them.

I suggested wheat-free food as a possible allergen reducer, and my mom is planning on ordering some. I've also suggested she get a couple Feliway plugins to deal with the stress issues.
Are there other potential avenues to explore here?

Animals lovers: what would you do?

Jess the Mess — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:05:02 -0800

Strange but true: I need help rescuing a pet turtle that was boarded up alive in a house by an evil property company. So, this happened in my neighborhood. Setting aside the disgusting injustice of it all, I am really bothered by the fact that right now, in my neighborhood, there is a house with a small animal boarded up and left to die in it. I want to get him out and make sure he's cared for and eventually reunite him with his owners. How do I go about the first part?

I feel strongly enough about this that I considered breaking in myself but I don't want to get arrested (and also I don't know how). I contacted animal care and control through their website and will follow up by phone on my lunch break but I'm afraid I don't have a lot of faith in city services here in Chicago. Does anyone have any experience with calling in a neglect/cruelty call? How long does it take them to investigate? And what do they do if the house is locked and no one is home (as will definitely be the case here)? Do they have the authority to break in? Are there any other animal welfare orgs that could help me? It doesn't sound like the company who owns would be reasonable enough to let me in...though maybe if I threatened them with an animal cruelty charge they'd change their minds. Anyone have any other ideas? The thought of the little turtle slowly dying in there is killing me.

Is there any way to de-worm a feral cat before catching?

R2WeTwo — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:19:19 -0800

A feral cat we're trying to catch, neuter and release is absolutely ravenous each time she comes to feed, 2-3 times per day. She's very small, yet she can easily eat more than two large cans of Science Diet (what we feed our indoor cat) along with a large portion of crunchies at each feeding. We've tried hiding a little crushed garlic in her food and she does get it down eating with such urgency, yet it hasn't seemed to help much. Besides being so hungry and small she has a sunken appearance around her hips. Last night she shrew herself at the screen door to reach food on its way to her, just inches away. She frequently comes when the raccoons are prowling around for leftovers as well as twice during daylight hours. The vet can treat her when we catch her but this may be some time and she's obviously suffering.

Why is my dog shaking?

mibo — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:43:13 -0800

Why might my dog be shaking and what can I do to help him? Petey is my 11-year-old rat terrier. Today was a normal slow day around the house; he slept under the covers for several hours like normal, ate his food, and we've gone outside twice like we always do. Maybe an hour or so ago he came on to my lap and is trembling. He doesn't seem to be in pain anywhere. He seems alert, he's following me around like usual when I get up, but then he just sits close to my feet and shakes. There's no noises -- I vacuumed the floor but that was hours ago. He turned up his nose at his treats, but got very interested in some cookie dough I dropped -- I took it away, so I know it's not sugar or chocolate.

What's going on? How can I help him? I need to take these cookies over to a friend's in a little bit, but I'm worried to leave Petey alone when he seems out of sorts.

My beloved dog has cancer

cecic — Sat, 11 May 2013 08:20:13 -0800

My sweet 8 1/2 year old golden retriever has been diagnosed with an aggressive peripheral nerve sheath cancer this week. She can hardly walk on one leg and is on a lot of pain medication and she still is quite uncomfortable. We have been offered palliative radiation as a method of reducing some of her pain, not extending her life. Have you ever chosen palliative radiation for your dog? Was is a good decision for your pet or in hindsight would you have chosen euthanasia instead? Money is not an issue. Her comfort and happiness are. I know it's my job to know when to let her go when it's time and to keep her from suffering, I'm just not sure how proactive I should be in trying to treat her in the meantime.

Help me hack my cats

angrycat — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:32:22 -0800

The Angrycat household is getting a rescue kitten, which brings the total cat population in said household to three, and, I'm aware, pushes me into cat lady land. Whatever. There are more important cat issues at stake. So, here is the cast, all with up to date shots and recent examinations:
Cat A: A, well, regular-sized house cat, age maybe eight, not really into jumping, but very strong. Likes to chase Cat B but never inflicts damage (and sometime Cat B chases Cat A, so it's kind of a draw). A is fiercely jealous and sometime freaks out at a drop of a hat. If I gently shove her out of my wheelchair seat? FREAKOUT. But it's only dramatic hissing unless I try to do something to her (clip her claws, for example) that she doesn't want. She is something of a coward in that all Cat B has to do is stare at her long enough for Cat A to get weirded out. Cat A will eat anything and seem pleased by it (see a profile picture of her after my pizza).

Cat B: Small, skinny, on kidney failure watch, fifteen years, on the frail side. She loves everybody and everything. She has food allergies (so she is kept on a limited diet) but that doesn't stop her from eating dead basil leaves and random bits of fluff on the floor. I need to monitor her carefully to make sure she doesn't eat something that will make her barf, as weight loss is the big battle with her.

Cat C. Eleven week old male kitten friend describes as "rambunctious." Eats a baby cat dry and wet food.

My schedule: Working obnoxious hours for three days a week, off for four.

The premises: Large apartment, but only one room could be used to sequester a cat.

The kitten is arriving in about two weeks. I am trying to figure out how do I feed a herd of cats two separate diets? That's the main worry. The other worry is the reaction of Cat A to Cat C. I can sequester Cat A -- but is that going to make her hate Cat C? Cat A holds grudges, I shit you not.

The main concern is the food, although I do want to take seriously the possibility of violent cat grudges that lead to cat harm.

Thanks guys

New Kitty Won't Clean Himself. Help?

scaryblackdeath — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:55:47 -0800

My gf and I picked up a second cat last Friday from a no-kill rescue shelter. He looked perfectly healthy, had a clean record and tests from the shelter and acted very friendly and energetic. This new kitty has been diaretic for three days, and he doesn't clean up after himself. That factor has us a little freaked. He's a mostly black kitty with an obvious bit of Siamese in his family tree. He's 2 years old, and again, he seems healthy. As he's our second cat, we've followed advice and kept him in our big bathroom so he & our current cat have time to get used to one another's smells and such. We go in to hang out with him several times a day, and he's always very affectionate and curious.

The worrisome thing is that we've had to clean poop off the walls, floor and his paws once each day since we brought him home. A little diarrhea doesn't seem odd--new home, kitty on the other side of the door, etc, is bound to lead to some stress--and he does use the catbox, but again, he's not showing any sign of cleaning himself. He isn't eating much, either, be it dry or wet food.

We're concerned that he's got some serious behavior issue that we won't be able to handle. Both my gf and I have had cats in the past, and neither of us have seen a cat act like this. FWIW, we got our first cat from that same rescue, and he's a complete doll. No problems at all.

I'll call the shelter this morning as soon as they open up, but I wanted to ask the collective, too. Anyone seen this before? Any advice?

When do you become "the neighbor with the barking dog"?

patheral — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:21:28 -0800

When we first got our dog, Brandy, we didn't even know she *could* bark because she never barked. Now that she's come to realize this is her forever home, she's bound and determined to let everyone and anyone know it, so she barks at everything. My dog Brandy has over time become quite territorial and will bark when our surrounding neighbors come into their back yards. We have a four-foot concrete block wall on three sides, so they're quite visible. We do plan to put up a privacy fence in the future, but it's not in our budget right now...

Anyway, she'll also bark when someone comes to the door, when someone pulls up to our next door neighbors' driveways, when the garbage truck comes by, when the mailman delivers the mail, etc...

However, her barking doesn't last more than a couple of minutes each time. For example, if the neighbors go into their back yard, she'll rush the wall with a burst of barking (barkbarkbarkbarkbark) then come back to the house and follow with about three minutes of intermittent barking (bark......bark......bark....bark) when she realizes they're not coming into her yard, then she's done. She never tries to go over the wall, she just goes up to about a foot of the wall. Just let them know they're too close to her space.

Let a cat stroll across the wall though... well, she's a dog. That's when she tries to get over the wall and it's a barrage of barking for as long as the cat is on the wall. And some cats like to sit up there and taunt her. I'm home most of the day, so if she barks more than five minutes, I'll bring her in.

She also barks at anything that moves in the night, and we have a huge back yard that isn't well lit, so... a lot of things move in the night. Sigh. We try to not let her bark very much -- less than a minute -- at night.

Our other dog, Cocoa, doesn't bark at hardly at all. But neither did Brandy when we first got her, so I'm thinking he's just biding his time.

The thing is, I don't want to be the "neighbor with that barking dog". But dogs bark. That's what they do. I'm so not going to punish her for barking. It's her yard, she wants to protect it and defend it. So, I'm asking, how much barking is too much barking? When does it become excessive? Am I over thinking this? When should I be concerned about the neighbors?

Can we raise a dog as full time workers?

like_neon — Mon, 06 May 2013 02:21:42 -0800

My husband and I work full time. What does it take to be responsible dog owners? I really want a dog. Husband wants a dog. Husband is super responsible and I really want to be responsible. Did I mention I really want a dog? We've talked about this dog in a "maybe in the future" kind of way but I want us to start taking steps towards making this a reality. The main problem as far as I can tell is that we both work full time. We are both pretty into our work and so we are out of the house from 8am to about 7:30 pm. It's just the two of us.

Surely there are people like us who own dogs responsibly? So my question has two parts:

1) If we wanted a puppy, what do we need to be able to manage in the beginning? Like, do I have to be able to take a 2 week vacation to take care of the puppy? What happens after that? How could it be different if it was a more grown up dog? I really want a puppy but I really really want a dog so if it's going to be multitudes more likely if we got an older dog then so be it.

2) What is then the normal routine we would have to adjust to? Would a daily dog-walker be a mandatory expense we should budget for?

Basically, how do we line up our ducks so that we can have a dog?

Kentucky Derby winner's huge nostrils

Smalltown Girl — Sun, 05 May 2013 14:03:16 -0800

Anyone else think that Kentucky Derby winner Orb has larger-than-normal nostrils? As I watched the race on TV and saw close-ups of Orb and other horses, I thought Orb's nostrils had been cut so they'd flare more. Am I seeing something that is not there?

How awful is it to give a cat fluid injections?

Ursula Hitler — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:04:59 -0800

My aged (but still quite lively!) kitty has had kidney disease as long as we've known him. We've switched him to K/D prescription cat food and we've done everything we can think of to convince the stubborn little dope to drink more water, but on our last vet visit the vet told us that unless he shows signs of improvement soon, we may need to start giving him regular fluid injections. I'm hoping for a little more info about the process, and our options... Of course I'll ask the vet for more info the next time we see her, but I'm hoping somebody with experience doing this can tell me a little bit about what the injections are like. Are the supplies expensive? How much do cats freak out during the injections?

I read the info on this page and it scared me half to death. It sounds like we'd be giving him an IV drip a couple of times per week, and in the past it's been a real chore just to give him topical meds. I have read that drugs can be an alternative to the injections. Does anybody have experience giving their pet drugs for their renal problems? Can you tell me anything about that process, and how effective the drugs are, compared to the injections?

I've kind of been in denial the last few months, just assuming he's getting better, but he'll be due for his next vet visit soon and the it's not unlikely that the vet will say it's time to start giving him injections. Yikes. Of course YANMV, but any info or advice about what we should do next would be much appreciated.

Questions on adopting a dog, with consideration for desert and a baby

filthy light thief — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:09:53 -0800

My wife and I have talked of adopting a dog for a while. Following the untimely passing of one of our cats, this is more feasible, and could help console us. But we have questions for adopting a dog in our desert climate, and on dogs coming into a family with a baby, and a cat. And we're concerned about being good owners, as our time at home is limited during the week. Also, we're discussing what a good age range for an adoptable dog would be. Details inside. My wife and I had two cats, one a big, scared fellow, and the other is a feisty lady. They're both cuddly cats, though the little lady is also mostly made of claws. We dog-sat for a while, and the little lady was OK with the dog, but the big guy wasn't so sure, even though the dog was fairly oblivious to the cats. The dog didn't stay with us for very long, and we didn't want to subject the big fellow to another intruder in his house. The fellow had to be put down this week, due to health issues, and we're still recovering from that.

We've talked about getting a dog for a while, as our 20-month-old son is really excited to see dogs, let alone get near enough to one to pet it. He's fairly gentle, though he'd spook our now-gone cat (though most things could spook that guy). Our son is gentle enough that our lady cat will stick around while he pets her and plays with her tail.

Like many yards around us, our open space is "landscaped" with rocks, and not a lot more. There are a few things that sprouted up recently, and we'd like to plant more. Some of our neighbors have dogs on their rocky yards, while others have barren yards of sandy soil. We don't want to get rid of our rocks, but we want to have a good yard for our dog. We have nice, deep over-hangs to provide shade during the day, and there's a near-by part with a nice big grassy area, so our dog could have places to get away from our yard of rocks. But my wife and I work away from home, and by the time we get home, we're preparing dinner for ourselves and our son. We could take a 10-20 minute walk after dinner, but we also have to get our son to bed before too late.

As for the age of the dog, my wife is hesitant to get an older dog, after losing our cat so recently. I like the idea of adopting an older dog because they'd be house-trained, more relaxed, and I'd like to give an older dog a nice home for the rest of its life. Also, I wouldn't feel as bad as leaving a younger, lively dog in our yard all day. But a younger dog could be more playful with our son, and they could grow up together.

I'd love to hear ideas and insight into my quandaries. Thanks!

Should I give my cat a bath?

derbs — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:10:23 -0800

My cat, Gem, got into her first fight today. Heard some screeching, saw her getting chased, but managed to get back home. She doesn't appear to be hurt, just a bit roughed up and shaky. Thing is though, she smells of poo now. Do I give her a bath, and if so, how? I'm not sure how she managed to get poo on her. Maybe she sharted due to the fear? Anyway, I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't bath cats... she normally keeps her coat in excellent condition, but she does smell pretty bad. I've given her a wipe down with a damp cloth, but that hasn't really helped.

I also don't want to traumatise her again. I can imagine dunking her in the sink would not go well without thick gloves!

Attractive Cat Poop Setup?

ethidda — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:54:33 -0800

Where do I store the scoop? The poop? The poop bag? I splurged on a Modkat litter box. My cats are happy with it and though I still get some litter tracked out, it's totally manageable. I dislike the scoop and don't know where I've put it now (the brush part just gets in the way).

I have a plastic scoop, which seems unsanitary, but even that is not the problem.

Right now, the litter scoop sits on a plastic bag by the litter box when I'm not using it. I scoop everything into a litter bag, which comes in rolls and sits in a drawer elsewhere, which I then toss in the trash can. I would like (a) a metal scoop, if one exists that won't tear the lining, (b) a scoop holder that is attractive (ceramic or metal), and (c) a dedicated and attractive looking poop holder so that my partner doesn't have to deal with the cat poop smell when he's throwing something else out.

I've looked online. The Litter Genie looks like a possibility, but the reviews say the scoop is small, which still leaves me the problem of how to hold the scoop. There is a "New Age" scooper holder that is attractive, but plastic and not rated well (and I don't know the size of the scooper anyway). I've seen DIY options out of cardboard boxes... but cardboard boxes and cat poo... long term...? Ew!

I've even gone so far as looking on Etsy, but there are not people making hand-made scooper holders (though I would totally pay maybe $40-$60 for an attractive ceramic kitty that holds a litter scooper).

Does such a combination/setup exist? What have you used?

P.S. My cats leave large pee clumps. I use World's Best Cat Litter, which is supposedly flushable, but I don't know how much I trust that.

Why is my young dog sometimes weird about entering the house?

mireille — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:14:04 -0800

Our two year old Husky has some sort of odd and inconsistent anxiety about crossing thresholds. Please help. Maia (turning two this month) was quite skittish when we first got her at four months old. She was being re-homed because the previous owner who bought her from a breeder turned out to be allergic (or so he said, I suspect that he couldn't handle the challenge that is Puppy). We're pretty sure she experienced... something before we got her because she absolutely screamed when picked up. With a lot of gentle practice she's now fine with being lifted and shows no signs of her previous fear.

Fast forward to now and she's an extremely sweet, ultra-high-energy, very curious little dog. Standard husky puppy crazy but not neurotic or high-anxiety at all. Much loved, and we've worked through all the standard puppy behavior problems and really have no issues except this one thing.

So: the door to our porch/backyard is sliding glass and located in our living room. Our dogs are basically allowed to come and go as they please, and they're pretty good about only coming in and out when they have a reason (food, water, temperature regulation).

The problem is that sometimes (but not all the time, which is why this is confusing), Maia asks to come inside and then... won't come in. Just stands there. Occasionally whimpers a bit. When I close the door she's pawing at it again before it's fully shut. Open it again, still won't come in. This happens about 70% of the time she asks to come inside. The other 30% she just enters the house normally. Strangely, if Belle (her "sister" and idol) comes in, Maia trots right in too.

There are only two ways to get her to come in when she does this. One is to stand at the door and throw a treat into the living room to draw her in. This is totally inadvisable behaviorally as well as unsustainable, and only occasionally effective at that, so after a couple of tries we abandoned this experiment. Second method (that currently works 90% of the time) is to open the door and then go sit on the couch, at which point she kind of delicately pads inside, allowing us to get up and close the door. This is also bad, not just because she's "training" us, but also because it regularly gets into sub-sub-sub-freezing temps here in the winter and leaving the door open is ridiculous.

The times that she just wants us to come outside and play are really obvious because she's ten kinds of fired up. But the rest of the times are totally confusing. We can't figure out what she's afraid of and why she's only afraid of it some of the time. The contents of the living room don't change around. It happens regardless of who opens the door and whether Belle is inside or outside at the time. When going through regular doors she does tend to dart through (on a leash she'll go through behind me then dash through quickly). This makes me think it's "threshold" related but I don't know what to do with that. There's also the part where someone had her before us and we don't know what happened during that time.

Any ideas? Would love to figure out the "why" and a solution would be a bonus. My winter heating bill is bad enough as it is, and we're about to trade out the glass door for the screen door because bug season is coming. Happy to answer any questions if clarifications can help!

(Second pic: Maia stretching in front of the door in question last spring during Mud Season.)

ISO Small table to replace Keyboard Tray for Cat Comfort

one4themoment — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:05:57 -0800

Dayton likes to work/hang out with me. Help us work this out! His favorite thing is when I pull out the keyboard tray on my desk because he can be directly between me and the computer (ie center of attention). And I love it too. But he's broken 2 keyboard trays. He likes to jump from the keyboard tray to the top of the hutch, or from the keyboard tray to the floor. The force of the jump is too much for the cheap desks I buy.

What I'm looking for is a small table that will fit under the desk when he's not using it, that I can then pull out so that he can lay on. Something with 4 legs that can take the jumps. Having trouble finding something suitable. His great grandparents even searched ikea on their last trip. Price is a consideration, I'm not willing to spend a whole lot. But it's a big part of our bonding time and he's getting more and more reluctant to lay there each time it breaks.

Obligatory cat pic... ignore the mess we're bachelors, but wanted to give you an idea of exactly how this currently works for us.

Approx desired dimensions: Depth 14.5, Width 29, Height 25.5-27

Unless you think this is the wrong direction to go, in which case point me in the right one!

Full time work, less people time for dog.

Blisterlips — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:57:43 -0800

Our dog, Apple who you might remember from some other puggle-problem questions- is doing really well. She no longer shows signs of separation anxiety and we've even got her to stop barking hello when we walk in the door. But for the first time in her little life with us- I will be transitioning from working at home to working at an office full time. Poor little apple will be alone for a good seven hours five days a week. So what do we do to make it easier on her? So a dog walker and doggy day care are out. Our plan so far is to specifically dedicated more time each day to giving her attention, but is there anything that you can think of?