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Our dog is having surgery on his knee tomorrow. We are worried about his recovery and how to care for him and make sure his surgery is successful and he's not miserable. [more inside]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 5:33 AM - 8 answers

I'm interested in activities to do with my (future) dog, like search and rescue, agility, frisbee, surfing, kayaking, hiking, scent work, hospital therapy dog, etc. Looking for anecdotes/experience about activities you and your dog have enjoyed, whether casually or competitively/professionally. Obviously the doggo's interest is primary, but what other factors are there? [more inside]
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:00 AM - 10 answers

We may be moving soon, and there are four semi-feral outdoor-only cats that most likely need to move with us. We are not sure how to do this, if it is even possible, or even if it’s a good idea. Do you have any experience here? Lot of details inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 6:18 PM - 9 answers

A few years ago, the Cat Distribution System got me. I've slowly transitioned him to indoor-only, yay! Is he... bored? [more inside]
posted by functionequalsform at 9:13 AM - 28 answers

Our 2 year old indoor only, light tabby, short hair, female cat has been diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. What remedies we can try? [more inside]
posted by jabo at 11:49 AM - 14 answers

Do you think I’m being overly cautious about the risk of giving parvo to a pup in this situation, considering everyone involved either has gotten or is getting the proper shots? [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena at 11:37 AM - 8 answers

Our dog died of old age around the beginning of Covid, and since then we (older couple) have not been great healthwise. Partner is mobile but restricted because of being immunocompromised and undergoing chemotherapy. I definitely cannot undertake long walks, and physically pay for even short jaunts. We used to take our dog almost everywhere with us, so he had tons of activity. A new dog would not get the same benefits... [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 2:02 AM - 27 answers

Brushing my young kids' teeth in the evenings is much easier when I offer to show them a two minute video of an interesting animal while I do it. As it's for children, there are some stipulations. [more inside]
posted by distorte at 8:19 AM - 16 answers

Our cat is at a point where the vet wants to keep treating and I'm on the fence. Experience with cats and chlorambucil is especially helpful. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 3:45 AM - 13 answers

We have inherited from our son a cat with arthritis/pain issues. We also inherited a little bottle of CBD oil he was using. It works really well, but we can't find anywhere to buy it again. [more inside]
posted by feelinggood at 11:06 AM - 4 answers

We've finally bowed to the reality of the situation and are adopting the outdoor cat that adopted us these last few years. Help us make the transition for both parties as smooth as possible. I'd love to hear advice, tips, and best practices around how to both move them indoors. [more inside]
posted by Carillon at 7:29 PM - 8 answers

I dehydrate raw chicken breast and keep it in the fridge. Each night, I chop up a small amount (about a tablespoon) and put it a little hot a little water then add the "chicken soup" to her kibble (Pica is ~9 lbs and not very food motivated). Given the current bird flu issues and that the chicken is not cooked are there health risks?
posted by pmaxwell at 5:48 PM - 7 answers

What was that Squarrel picture I recall? - a squirrel with a square body [more inside]
posted by Danni Oxblood at 10:11 AM - 4 answers

Our elderly and medically fragile cat is having frequent watery diarrhea. She is drinking but not eating. We saw the vet yesterday. [more inside]
posted by Frowner at 7:49 AM - 14 answers

Given the recent news about raw cat food being infected with the bird flu, should I stop feeding it to my cats? [more inside]
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 5:16 PM - 15 answers

This morning, in a case of mistaken identity, our male cat (Max) attacked our female cat (Milo). Does anyone have any good ideas on how to get them to reconcile? Or just some reassurance that they will be friends again! What we've tried already and some more background below the fold. [more inside]
posted by toebeans at 1:58 PM - 10 answers

I have a notion for how to design an easy-to-sift pine-pellet litterbox. It's inspired in some part by the ideas behind the Omega Paw Roll'n'Clean and compost tumblers. It's lodged in my head and I need to either be talked out of it or given a sense of how I might turn this idea into reality. [more inside]
posted by jackbishop at 7:24 AM - 6 answers

We’re likely losing our dog to a tumor, and I’m having a hard time dealing with both the grief and the relational aspects. Looking for support options… [more inside]
posted by LngGrnd at 8:18 PM - 4 answers

Recently I learned that porcupines and wolverines climb trees. What other US/Canadian mammals climb trees? So far, I have squirrels; opossums; bobcats; Canadian Lynx; racoons; mountain lions; bears; porcupines; wolverines; and various polecats/minks/stoats/weasels. Also some foxes in the deserts in the south of the US. What mammals am I missing?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 4:26 AM - 25 answers

Graham is an orange cat that we adopted three years ago. He was a stray, and was not socialized to humans during the critical window. Now, we are struggling to manage him for vet visits. Please advise, how might I get to the point where he comes when called, takes medicines, and is not afraid of me? [more inside]
posted by rebent at 11:16 AM - 17 answers