Posted by IsoM on November 20, 2002, at 15:20:02
In reply to Re: Pet lovers and acceptance » IsoM, posted by bluedog on November 20, 2002, at 7:57:53
Bluedog, I've had a dog too. She was a German shepherd, rescued from a puppy mill. She was covered in feces but a good bath fixed that. Though she was supposed to be pureblood, she was a little shaggier than most shepherds & looked wolfish. We did everything together. She knew more than 30 separate words & commands but she always remained a puppy at heart, even when she was older. I miss her dearly still after almost 20 years gone.
I had a cat when I had her & their relationship was funny. They were good friends but both would compete for my attention & feel snubbed if I showed it to the other. My dog & cat would sleep snuggled together in summer under a big tree. But every morning when they woke, my dog would grab my cat's tail in her mouth (gently) & run around like crazy till my poor cat was soaking wet with dew. I soon stopped that when I found the cause of why my cat was wet every morning.
I still love big dogs best, but they must be gentle. My neighbour's dog's convinced I'm just another big dog, part of the family, she gets excited whenever I visit. I love er as she looks a lot like mine did.
As for indoor only cats, I have a huge outdoor upstairs deck filled with plants. There's bird feeders too so the cats get lots to do in warmer weather & in winter can watch the birds. Still, it doesn't stop my fixed boy from jumping off it regularly if he sees a neighbour cat on our property. At least, he comes right back when I call "beans!" (he's addicted to raw green beans).
My cats are just mixed domestic short hairs, nothing special. I couldn't afford a special breed.If you provide plenty to do for indoor cats, interesting places, & a changing variety of toys (cycle through them regularly), they won't be bored inside. I sometimes have joined a number of diff sized cardboard boxes together with hot glue, cut out passages from one to another & peek-a-boo windows on the sides & tops & cat's love it. HAul it out for a few days, then put it away for a couple of weeks & cycle through it. I don't buy toys. A sheet of newspaper folded a bit in the middle so they can crawl under it, a open big paper bag, bits of outside stuff brought in that smells interesting to play with like pinecones, pieces of bark or wood, a small nontoxic plant branch - things like that. A good perch by windows so they can watch the outdoors - after all, when a cat goes outside, most of the time they just sit & watch anyway. And if you're inventive, building ramps & walkways on the inside walls of your house can be great fun for them, giving them higher up places to play & observe. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
Having had a Russina blue/Burmese before, you may find that a cat who isn't so energetic might be disappointing. Ragdolls are sweet but not nearly so active & inquisitive - a little too laidback for me. Abyssinians are great for activity as are most Orientals.
poster:IsoM
thread:32435
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20021120/msgs/32562.html