Pets' Corner

Mike1

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/670636#Comment_670636

YEP!! If it wasn't for the fact that I have to take her each year to keep her insurance valid I would not put her through the trauma.

KazandNoo

Vixen is beautiful, her mum's a stunner too 🥰

crinkly1

Our retired racing greyhound is normally the easiest animal imaginable to handle but she paid my husband a huge compliment at the Vet's today.

For her annual check-up she, too, had to be collected from the waiting room and taken into the examination room by the Vet alone. Usually extremely compliant she froze, refusing to move without her 'dad,' so the poor Vet had to lift and carry her!

No problem to examine or treat, she had her jab, was weighed, given a clean bill of health then positively rushed back out to my OH, demonstrating just how important her human family is after the years of living in racing kennels..

We've had many different dogs over the years (among numerous other pets) and Pearl is our second ex-racing grey and a better companion who needs remarkably little exercise couldn't be found.

Tomorrow it's the cat's turn so we get one chance of putting her into a carrying box before resorting to the blanket trick and the Vet has to wear gauntlets and administer the necessary by slightly opening the lid of the box - strictly no weighing and a quick glance at the threatening teeth.

There's no question as to which creature rules the roost and no chance of taking both to the Vet at the same time!

crinkly1

Success - feline Mackerel was duly lured with treats into her carrying box and my husband made his way to the front door with her. Pearl got off her bed to investigate whereupon Mackerel (she's a tabby and was named by young grand-daughters who own her but now live in Dubai) lashed out from behind bars with a volley of unprintable words.

Some 15 minutes later the Vet handed back box with hyper-healthy cat still inside but was too polite to comment on any language that may have been exchanged in the privacy of the treatment room.

All done and dusted until next time!

Lilymary

Oh my, naughty mackerel! (Great name btw). I’d heard that greyhounds weren’t good with cats(presumably because they chase them?) but sounds like your two get on ok

frogmorton

Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! look at them! Precious little soul❤️❤️❤️

Thank you Mike.

Lilymary I am forced to totally agree!

crinkly1

Lilymary, you are right in that greyhounds are not naturally cat-friendly as the hounds are bred and trained to chase anything small, quick-moving and furry.

In time many can be deterred from chasing and learn to tolerate pet cats, with some becoming fast friends.

In our case there were initial wild chases but by now, after two years in the same household, the very large dog cowers into a corner of her bed as far away from her small, feisty home-mate as possible confirming our experience of many years living with both species simultaneously that a cat nearly always has the upper paw.

I admire the independent, multi-tasking smartness of cats and the best relationship between a cat and another creature of ours was in the days when we had horses. More than one cat was found in a neat, warm straw 'nest' in the corner of a stable or even sleeping on the back of a horse - perhaps with half an opportunist eye open for unwary mice.

Mike1

Vixen loves it when my baby sister comes over with her Yorkie, Daisy. Vixen stalks Daisy and goads her into chasing her and as soon as she does Vixen quickly turns the tables and chases Daisy. It is extremely funny to watch. One of Vixen's favourite tricks is to jump up into a raised bed I have across the width of the back garden; she jumps up into the left hand corner in full view of the dog and then commando crawls to the other side before jumping out, much to the surprise of Daisy.

Another tale of cat v dog interactivity comes from my military days. When I was Adjutant on 23 Sqn in the Falklands we had a feral cat which became a mascot, called Rambo (He was neutered by a doctor on the camp and his "bits" were preserved in a glass jar on the squadron!). Anyway, each night large Alsatian guard dogs would patrol the area, Rambo would sit on top of a tunnel through the revetments and jump out onto the back of the dog before running off. On more than one occasion one of these supposed vicious and well trained guard dogs would resist his handler's attempts to walk through the tunnel.

Yep, cats will always come out on top 😸

Mike1

Fancy giving a cat a fishes name! Anyone would think that cats lived in the sea!

🐟️😸🐟️

Mike1

Vixen on my bed as usual, I like the blue eye effect from the flash as opposed to the usual red eye.

I was watching Countryfile the other week about the annual calendar photographic competition. I don't get out and about to be able to take wildlife photos but when I was watching another programme on the telly I had my camera to hand and snapped this off the TV:

I have not got the nerve to send it off for the competition, although they don't stipulate that the photos have to be taken in the wild just that the entrant has to have taken the photo this year and is not a professional. 😁

Mike1

Well, nobody has posted on Pets Corner for nearly a month so here are a few shots:

I made a garage style bird table for a mate of mine who complained the other day that he was not getting birds on it, have a look to see if you can tell why

My Vixen outside her new cardboard house:

and here is my Vixen with her new tunnel and scratch board

Shell_H

I love the garage bird feeder. I am currently pet free, but I get a good dose of cats from my parents. I’ve had a lot of cats over the years, here’s a picture of one of my old cats Thyme:

Lilymary

Here’s Elsie helping with the gardening

Lilymary

And Toby checking out the garden tools

Mike1

Here is another bird table that I made for another friend, each table takes me about a week as I can only do about 10 or 20 minutes at a time before the pain sets in.

frogmorton

Your bird tables are amazing Mike.

I have been feeding one of my daughter's cats this week and one day it was so sunny that I went over in my Figaro

Two curious cats seemed to like her!

Lilymary

@frogmorton Aww, that’s so sweet! Lovely car too

frogmorton

Me in 'penelope' Lillymary

Lilymary

@frogmorton lovely to see you. 🙂 Your car suits you! Love the floral decorations too xx

frogmorton

A bit hippy eh? That was the previous owner, but I decided to keep them 🙂

No pets in this bit I'd better shut up!!!😁

KazandNoo

You got a Figaro frogmorton! I'm so happy for you,not been feeling the best lately and your car/ cats have really made me smile.😎😻😻

frogmorton

Aw @KazandNoo

I am sorry you are not feeling at your best ATM ((()))

Yes I did indeed get a Figaro isn't she fabulous? She already had a name - Penelope as in Penelope Pitstop from the Wacky races. She runs so well for a 28 year old lady and is automatic too.

The cats are Oreo and Jessie two of my 'Grandkits' . They belong to one of our girls and I was feeding them last week.

Take care of yourself and I hope things improve for you soon

jaybees

I love all your pictures and stories of your animals, I used to have a little rescue terrier who certainly kept me busy and active, everybody loved him - he looked a bit like a teddy bear with big brown eyes . Sadly he passed away last year but at a good age. Now I live near a farm and visit the pigs ( Gloucester Old Spot ) who never fail to amuse me as they push each other around and snort and snuffle. Animals and nature are good for us 🙂

frogmorton

Definitely @jaybees

All animals are good for us!

You must try to get a photo of the biggies! I love them 🙂

Or a photo of your beloved terrier much missed ((()))

jaybees

Will have to wait for pig picture as on my phone and I'm not sure how to get photos from there to here !

However I hope I can find a photo of Max, my sister looked after him for the last two years of his life as I was struggling a bit, but was still able to see him so all good. Miss him now when I see other people with their dogs and go to the places I used to walk with him

😥