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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 9:26:18
It's another day. At least it's Wednesday, not Monday and not Tuesday, but I don't have therapy until tomorrow, so I wish it was Thursday. But, alas, it's not.
Not feeling too chipper. Even with taking my meds early last night, I could NOT pull myself out of bed this morning and here I am, rolling into work just before 10 a.m. Not a good thing, considering I'm supposed to be here at 8.
Sitting in my dark office feeling really sleepy and worrying about the cat my roommate brought home last night. He's beautiful, gray and white short-haired, about 2 years old, but he apparently is terrified of my dogs, and the feeling appears to be mutual. When I got home last night, my roommate was freaking out (she has NO experience with cats) as he was under the guest room bed hiding and the dogs were curious and staring at the bed. I lifted up the dustruffle and looked at him, but when he saw one of my dogs he growled and hissed and lashed out with his claws. Not a good sign, obviously.
My dogs, once they get used to a cat, are okay. They certainly don't like to hurt the cat but are curious. I rescued a cat once who was very gentle and laid back and would just climb on the back of a chair if she wanted a break from the dogs. I have pictures of all of them laying on the couch and on my bed together. They got along fine.
This cat had been with another cat, but not with dogs, and I just don't know if this is a good idea. I told my roommate to give it a chance, to not expect kitty to just come out and play his first night in our house, especially with the dogs, and the dogs are crated in the daytime, so I'm hoping, with the quiet, he'll get the urge to explore and get a little more comfortable today. But we'll see.
At the same time, I certainly don't want fighting animals around, and I don't want a cat who is going to be clawing everything and scratching me and so on. A friend of mine from college had an 'evil' cat who would, for no reason at all, lunge at you with his claws out and land on your arms or legs, or try to bite you, and would hiss at you when you walked in the house. He was like that from kittenhood, and he wasn't feral, but he never did outgrow it. I hated that cat. He was beautiful, but I hated him, especially when I would leave her house with scratches and cuts on my arms from that cat, and I didn't even do anything to him!!! It was very frustrating.
So, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't need more drama in my life. And I don't want my dogs walking around afraid of the cat either. He's bigger than my smaller dog, and almost as big as my larger dog, and they wouldn't hurt him, as I said, although they might fight back if he attacks. I dunno. They've always been fine with cats, as long as the cats were fine with them. I kind of feel the same way...
Anyway, enough of my babbling. I'm tired and I want to take a nap. But I've been doing so well with staying awake all day. :-(
P
Posted by giget on July 16, 2003, at 9:51:18
In reply to And so..., posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 9:26:18
Now we are talking a subject I know well... Cats.
The cat will be fine if the dog have encountered cats before, the dogs will not kill it or mame them. The cat will be frightened at first, for about a week my cat hid from even a empty house.
The evil cat had to have boundries set when he was young, just like a child. If you let them do what they want they will do it. So just make sure that you have a spray bottle if anything, or if she is not going to set boundries then if she is not home then the cat goes in her bedroom.
I have gone through cats that are evil, nice, afriad of kids, everything. They just need love and someone to take care of them. The dogs and cat will be good friends in a couple of weeks!!!
Posted by fallsfall on July 16, 2003, at 10:20:54
In reply to And so..., posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 9:26:18
Hey, you made it to work. That is an accomplishment.
You could use Babble as incentive to work: 20 minutes of work gets you 10 minutes of Babble.
It is grey and raining here. Turning on the lights bright helps.
Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 10:56:12
In reply to Re: And so... » Penny, posted by giget on July 16, 2003, at 9:51:18
I hope you're right about the cat! I tried telling my roommate last night to just give him time - I mean, how would you feel if you woke up one morning in a house you knew with people you knew only to be taken and given to someone else and placed in a house you were unfamiliar with and one that had two dogs? Poor kitty.
The people who had him are moving and couldn't take him with them b/c of where they are moving. I can't imagine, because I would do almost anything to keep my dogs, ya' know?
Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 11:00:49
In reply to Re: And so... » Penny, posted by fallsfall on July 16, 2003, at 10:20:54
> Hey, you made it to work. That is an accomplishment.
I suppose so - I just tried what the sleep doc told me - to set an alarm to take a 20 minute nap - so I did and I guess it helped a little, though I could so easily go back to sleep now...
> You could use Babble as incentive to work: 20 minutes of work gets you 10 minutes of Babble.Hee hee...that would require discipline, of which I have none.
> It is grey and raining here. Turning on the lights bright helps.I really think I feel better in the dark, actually. I am pretty sure my depression is summer-related, as I feel much calmer in the dark. I know I didn't used to be that way, but now I can barely stand to be outside when it's bright. The sun is shining here and my blinds are closed and my lights off in my office. I do have a little lamp I keep on my desk that I turn on occasionally, as it's not too much light but softer than the fluorescent lights overhead which I hate!
Hope you are doing well today!
Posted by giget on July 16, 2003, at 11:22:07
In reply to Re: And so... » fallsfall, posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 11:00:49
It is so different to hear that people have seasonal depression to summers. In Michigan we seem to take in as much sun as possible and it puts alot of people in wonderful moods. Well when you have over have your year with bearly any sun and really cold, we look forward to the warm sunny days.
I am extremely sensative to light, and the flouresants at work are driving me up the wall... so I understand. I wish I had an actual office to go to where I could turn off the lights... I am just in a cube like almost everyone else.
>
> I really think I feel better in the dark, actually. I am pretty sure my depression is summer-related, as I feel much calmer in the dark. I know I didn't used to be that way, but now I can barely stand to be outside when it's bright. The sun is shining here and my blinds are closed and my lights off in my office. I do have a little lamp I keep on my desk that I turn on occasionally, as it's not too much light but softer than the fluorescent lights overhead which I hate!
>
> Hope you are doing well today!
Posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 14:07:36
In reply to Re: And so... » Penny, posted by fallsfall on July 16, 2003, at 10:20:54
> You could use Babble as incentive to work: 20 minutes of work gets you 10 minutes of Babble.That's about what I do!
Posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 14:08:45
In reply to Re: And so..., posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 14:07:36
Where did your roomate get the cat? And why? It seems kind of sudden and not thought out.
Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 14:40:04
In reply to Re: And so... - Penny, posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 14:08:45
She talked to someone yesterday who is moving and needed to find a home for the cat because she couldn't take him with her. It wasn't very well thought out, though my roommate has been thinking about getting a cat for a while, but hasn't really taken the time, I don't think, to realize what she's getting herself into. She did the same thing when she got a puppy - a dog she got rid of last year. She never did get her fully house-trained and the dog was 2 years old. It seems to me that she doesn't become as attached to her animals as I do to mine. Her dog was a large breed and she left her crated most of the time. When the poor thing was let out, she was extremely hyper and uncontrollable, so my roommate would keep her out very briefly and then put her back up. I felt so bad for that dog. My roommate wouldn't really walk her - she would take her outside briefly and then back in the house. Would only walk her occasionally. She needed more attention and more activity and I was glad when she found the dog a new home b/c I think she's getting all of that now.
Her family seems the same way, though, as though animals are disposable. They'll get a dog and have it for a little while and then get rid of it and that's that. Like it's just a 'thing' not a living creature. My roommate loves my dogs and treats them well and they love her too, but they are small dogs and easier to take care of than her large dog was. Plus, I'm home more than she is so they get more attention.
I know she loves animals, but just like recently she got a fish and two african dwarf frogs for her office, and I didn't say so but I thought she was overcrowding the little tank, and they all died pretty quickly, but she was nonchalant about it and just took them back to the store and was going to get new ones. I don't know if she did or not. Me - one of my froggies died and it bothers me and I had a problem getting a froggy anyway, but now that I have him I really like him. You can't really get overly attached to a frog, esp. one that is in a tank and you can't even touch him, but I'm worried about his well-being. I don't particularly like the fish he's in the tank with, but they're all doing better now that the fish don't pick on him. He swims around a lot and 'plays' so he seems happy, as happy as a swimming frog can be, I suppose. I just want him to live out his life, as long as he can.
I dunno. I have real issues with people who don't take care of their pets, even if they're taking them to the vet and feeding them and so on, but not really giving them any attention. The family I used to nanny for was like that, and they finally found homes for both of their dogs, which was great b/c they just didn't give the dogs any attention. It was sad.
P
Posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 15:22:30
In reply to Re: And so... - Penny » yesac, posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 14:40:04
Yeah, one reason I'm afraid to get a cat right now is that I'd be afraid of not having enough time for it. Even cats need a lot of attention. I used to have one when I first moved here in my old apartment, but then when I moved I had to give her up. I was so sad. I had plenty of time for her, but then when I started working I felt so bad every day when I left the house and she'd be staring at me wondering when I'd come back. I think roomates can help with the attention if they like the pet.
I don't know how on earth people can just give up their pets. I go to the shelter to look at the kitties, and there are quite a few labeled "surrender" and the others are stray, meaning that they were probably turned out by some unwanting owner who didn't have the decency to at least bring them to the shelter. I'm just shocked at how many pets are there without homes and loving owners, new ones all the time. It's so sad :(
Posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 15:53:08
In reply to pets, posted by yesac on July 16, 2003, at 15:22:30
I can't even go the shelter here b/c it's not a no-kill shelter and it just breaks my heart.
I found a couple of puppies on the side of the road on I-85 coming from Charlotte one day and when I got here my roommate tried to convince me to leave them at the shelter, but the people there couldn't promise me that they wouldn't be put to sleep and wouldn't let me adopt them if it came to that b/c I was surrendering them (how stupid is that???) so I refused to leave them there. We ended up taking them to her vets office where the vet techs agreed to foster them and find them homes. I felt so much better after that. They were so sweet.
P
Posted by Dinah on July 16, 2003, at 16:27:41
In reply to Re: And so... - Penny » yesac, posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 14:40:04
I love older dogs. Which is what I have at the moment. Five of them. But that's the only way I plan to get them in the future, rescuing through the breed rescue societies older dogs. It amazes me that people can just take their old friends that have served them with so much love all their lives and get rid of them because of a few health problems. Then there are the older dogs whose older owners can no longer take care of them.
There's something about a grey muzzle that just grabs me.
Posted by yesac on July 17, 2003, at 9:33:54
In reply to Re: And so... - Penny » Penny, posted by Dinah on July 16, 2003, at 16:27:41
Posted by stjames on July 17, 2003, at 23:13:39
In reply to And so..., posted by Penny on July 16, 2003, at 9:26:18
> Sitting in my dark office feeling really sleepy and worrying about the cat my roommate brought home last night. He's beautiful, gray and white short-haired, about 2 years old, but he apparently is terrified of my dogs, and the feeling appears to be mutual.The bset way to integrate is with a baby gate.
Give the cat its space and the dogs their space.
they can see, hear, and smell each other but generally the dogs cannot get past the baby gate but the cat can. So the cat feel it has its own safe space.
This is the end of the thread.
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