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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Friday Night Open Thread

Friday Night Open Thread

by John Cole|  January 16, 20158:07 pm| 107 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads, Pet Rescue

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Sorry for my disappearance the last few days, but I have been hammered by the damned cold that Shawn had for a week, and have been doing nothing but sleeping and drinking fluids and being pissed off for the past couple of days. There were a lot of things I wanted to write about, including the fact that some idiot pig farmer from Iowa will be giving the Republican response to the SOTU, but I would get halfway through writing the post and say oh, fuck it. Someone else can cover it.

At any rate, my sister works with furkids and spends a lot of time rescuing pit bull and pit bull mixes, and you know how I feel about those fucking things, but I did tell her a while back that I would foster other dogs until they can be placed. This afternoon, she called me and said they have a special case they can not find anyone to foster, so I am going to take it on. Devon (my sister), used the old foot in the door technique on me, asking me if I would take care of a 10 year old poodle and her puppies, and I agreed. Then she told me that she had been mistreated and her toenails had grown in her pad. And oh, btw, they think she has breast cancer. Can you still do it?

I had two thoughts simultaneously- “Devon, you bitch” and “I could quite possibly be the worst person in the world if I don’t take care of this dog.”

So here is Ginger and her puppies:

ginger

Devon will drop them off some time tomorrow, so I’m going to head to Petco and get some supplies tomorrow and basically put them in my bedroom and put a doggie door up in the bathroom. Devon says she came from some scummy people downstate and that she is super sweet, so I guess I will set up an appointment with the dog groomer and get her cleaned up and ready to find her forever home. I also demand naming rights, and if her puppies are male I am naming them Skipper and Gilligan.

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Reader Interactions

107Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    January 16, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    I was sick recently. Something bad has been going around.

  2. 2.

    different-church-lady

    January 16, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    Kitty appears to have a spot of ringworm on his ear. Any advice? (Other than just burn the house down and give up, which I’m seriously considering?) I’m going to try to get him to the vet for official diagnosis tomorrow. I’m just wondering how much the “vacuum the house for all of eternity and throw your furniture” advice I’ve seen on the internet is trustworthy.

  3. 3.

    Bobby Thomson

    January 16, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    I’d go with Fred and George. If they’re also gingers, that is.

  4. 4.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 16, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    Congratulations on all your new puppehs!!

    I didn’t know Furkids was a national organization. I’ve been donating to them in Atlanta the last few years but thought they were local.

  5. 5.

    eemom

    January 16, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    omg. That photo.

    I’m dead. RIP.

  6. 6.

    BAtFFP

    January 16, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    Hooray for puppies!

    I am a little concerned/confused, though. The dog had breast cancer? Or your sister? Am frankly hoping that the answer is “whoops, neither.”

  7. 7.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 16, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    @Baud:

    I was down for a week with a horrible cough-sore throat-drippy sinus-low grade fever thng. I basically stayed in bed and every now and then would take a Claritin-D and wash it down with a slug of NyQuil.

    If I hadn’t done all that, it would have taken seven days to get rid of.

  8. 8.

    Poopyman

    January 16, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Mrs. P had the crud (probably caught from me), got better after a few days, then it came back with a vengeance. She figured it was another one of her sinus infections so went to the urgent care. Nope, sez the doc, that’s the way this year’s bad colds are behaving. Lots of folks have had the same rebound.

    My crud has malingered and sort of morphed into a continual post-nasal flow that requires periodic and disgusting clearing procedures.

    Anyone placing odds on at least one of these three dogs staying at chez Cole? Although it’ll be interesting to see how the other 2 girls take it.

  9. 9.

    RoonieRoo

    January 16, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    One of the many reasons why I love you Cole.

  10. 10.

    notoriousJRT

    January 16, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    How could someone not take good care of that little girl? Puppies at 10 years? Brutal.

  11. 11.

    EthylEster

    January 16, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    JC wrote: being pissed off for the past couple of days

    so..business as usual!

  12. 12.

    Howard Beale IV

    January 16, 2015 at 8:21 pm

    Yer a better man than I am, Cole. Mamma looks so innocent. And at 10 years old, too-amazing. You should set up a 24-hour webcam and take donations.

  13. 13.

    Baud

    January 16, 2015 at 8:21 pm

    Jesus, French TV is making fun of Fox News. (via Chris Hayes).

  14. 14.

    Kristine

    January 16, 2015 at 8:22 pm

    I hope that little girl isn’t sick.

    Adorable puppies.

  15. 15.

    MomSense

    January 16, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    I’m exhausted just dealing with one puppy so I can’t imagine fostering a whe litter of pups but bless you for doing so. Mama poodle is so sweet and the pups are adorable little fluff balls.

    You are going to be very busy.

  16. 16.

    scav

    January 16, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    @Baud: If it’s the one I saw, it’s grand, esp. if one speaks French eye-rolls. This also.

    ETA. And that is a poodle to change opinions.

  17. 17.

    Sandra R.

    January 16, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    Puppies.” So shines a good deed in a weary world.” They’ll sleep well tonight even if you won’t.

  18. 18.

    scuffletuffle

    January 16, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    Mom is absolutely adorable…I can’t imagine how cute the puppies will be.

  19. 19.

    sharl

    January 16, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    Aw geez, what an adorable girl and pups.
    Ur sister is diabolical.

  20. 20.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 16, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    Feel better, Cole.

  21. 21.

    Donna

    January 16, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    Even if the puppies are female you can still name them Skipper & Gilligan. I’m old enough to remember “Skipper,” Barbi’s (the doll) little sister, hell, I had one. And Gilligan can be shortened to Gilly.

  22. 22.

    Anne Laurie

    January 16, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    Poor little nezumi-chan! Blessings to you for taking her in, Cole, and I hope she can look forward to another 10 years in much happier circumstances.

    Don’t forget to give Lily & Rosie some extra attention when the new little family shows up in “their” bedroom. I’ll admit I’ve looking forward — from a safe internet distance — to seeing how R, in particular, reacts to the puppies. Who don’t look to be 100% poodle, but then, at that age it’s difficult to be sure.

    @BAtFFP: Dogs get breast cancer, and it’s hard to treat (or even, IIRC, diagnose) while Ginger’s nursing. Here’s hoping it’s a false alarm, little girl’s gone through enough already!

  23. 23.

    Buddy H

    January 16, 2015 at 8:36 pm

    I’ve said elsewhere that I perceive a new propaganda war against Social Security Disability.

    Today, there was a local news item about a prostitution ring that was busted. Here’s a link to the story:

    http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3678777.shtml?cat=300

    Rather straightforward story, and actually somewhat common here in upstate ny. (People are desperate for entertainment, and so these “health” spas often pop up, among other things)

    But check out the comments! One from someone named Kevin Keeler:

    Another example of modern day slavery is our hard earned money being taken as “taxes” and given to able bodied people who choose to stay home and smoke crack or shoot heroin…oh wait, they’re”disabled” because of their addiction and deserve a handout in order to buy more drugs. Meanwhile we have to work 2 jobs to support them

    Now, next to his profile name, he has his profession listed as: “works at retired and loving it”

    So I guess he’s not working two jobs to support all the cheats on disability. But it’s been drummed into him by his favorite fox news hosts and favorite talk radio hosts that SSDI is a BAD THING. And he’s going to comment on it whether it has anything to do with the news item he’s reading about or not.

  24. 24.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Puppies! Poodle puppies! Squee! Just wait till they start bumbling around. Cutest things ever. Mom looks like a sweetie. Puppies at 10? Did she come out of a puppy mill? I hope they all find good homes.

    I was wondering what furkids meant. It sounded unpleasant. “Those furkid bats are in the attic again!”. But it turns out it’s a good cause.

  25. 25.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    @Anne Laurie: They are a bit smooth, aren’t they? But they look poodly enough to emanate dangerous cute rays, even so.

    If they’re males I also vote for Fred and George. Never liked Gilligan’s Island anyway.

  26. 26.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    @Anne Laurie: Er, you did know nezumi is Japanese for rat?

  27. 27.

    Mike E

    January 16, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    If they’re females…Lovie and Mary Ann.

  28. 28.

    Alison

    January 16, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    Good lord, that is basically the cutest dog in existence.

  29. 29.

    Joy in FL

    January 16, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    such a good thing to do. She is so sweet looking. and puppies— awww.

  30. 30.

    JPL

    January 16, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    Cute overload. How does the fostering program work? Do you get to interview prospective owners? Although, I am jesting, I just can’t imagine saying goodbye to such a beautiful family.

  31. 31.

    Mary G

    January 16, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    @Mike E: I was just trying to remember what Mrs. Howell’s first name was!

    I love that little dog. Good thing I don’t live close. My animal shelter is full of Chihuahuas and pit bulls as the permanent residents. Every once in a while they get a load of about-to-be-killed animals from other shelters and they sell like hot cakes.

  32. 32.

    Anne Laurie

    January 16, 2015 at 9:09 pm

    @Pogonip: Or “mouse” (first animal in the Japanese zodiac). Our late little chorus-girl (retired show Papillon) Candy had that same expression, and we called her either Ms Mousie or Nezumi-chan whenever she wore it…

    Nezumi’s used as a people name in Japan, but as I understand it’s also used as an affectionate nickname.

  33. 33.

    Violet

    January 16, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    OMG, she is the cutest thing. Awww… You’re a good man, John Cole. I had the flu in December and it sucks. Hope you feel better real soon.

  34. 34.

    seefleur

    January 16, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    Mr. Cole, you sir, are a MENSCH. Deal with it… And I hate to say it, but it took me 3 weeks to get rid of all the chest congestion and the cough.

  35. 35.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    @Anne Laurie: Cute! I think papillons are pretty. Are they difficult to housebreak? A lot of little dogs are, don’t know why.

  36. 36.

    Anniecat45

    January 16, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    @Pogonip:

    It’s short for “furry children”.

  37. 37.

    burnspbesq

    January 16, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Who are you trying to kid, Cole? Mom may eventually ship out somewhere, but unless the incumbents throw a major fit, Skipper and Gilligan (or Ginger and Mary Ann, or some combination thereof) have found their forever homes.

  38. 38.

    Anne Laurie

    January 16, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    @Pogonip: They can be, I’m afraid. You’re right, housebreaking is not always easy with tiny dogs — part of it is that they don’t have much bladder capacity, I think. And the submissive/fearful ones (it’s a scary world if you’re a five-pound dog!) can be fear-piddlers, while the little Napoleons “mark” like graffiti taggers. At least with a little dog, you can clean up the puddle with one swiffer!

    But there’s plenty of little dogs who are perfectly continent, thank you. And many small dogs are “paper trained”, so that’s an advantage if you live in an apartment or don’t always want to go outside in bad weather.

  39. 39.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    If I was ever to get another dog, I would either get a cute fluffy critter in love with life, like a papillon or poodle, or I would go to the other extreme and get a snarling, misanthropic beast that hated the world… you know, like a chihuahua.

    Although I have this hypothesis, so far untested, that even a chihuahua can be a good dog if handled right. I think the problem is their size. If your German shepherd snarls at you, you will hasten to correct the problem before it becomes dangerous. If your chihuahua snarls at you, you may not even hear it, let alone correct it, and before long the wretched little beast is…well, a wretched little beast.

  40. 40.

    satby

    January 16, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    I had 5 foster pups that we named after the gang on Gilligan’s Island: Gilly, Captain, Lovie, Ginger, and of course Mary Anne! Only Captain was a male, and unfortunately none of the adoptive families kept the same names.
    4 years later people still send me pictures of them.

    You’re a good guy Cole. Hope Ginger turns out to be fine, she’s beautiful!

  41. 41.

    Sarah

    January 16, 2015 at 9:33 pm

    Ok, this is officially the best thing that has ever happened. I will make pillows for all the good pups!

  42. 42.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    January 16, 2015 at 9:33 pm

    Cole – if there’s a God you’re certainly doing his work. Puppies are a handful and mom isn’t in good shape. She sure looks grateful.

    Animals know when you’ve saved them.

  43. 43.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    @Anne Laurie: I know an otherwise sane fellow who owns a chihuahua–I gather it’s sort of the gay thing to do, for some reason–and trained it to use a litter box. So when all the other Midwestern dog owners were outside in the winter, holding dog leashes in frostbitten fingers and pleading through numb lips for the dog to for God’s sake hurry up, my friend was inside with his chihuahua, fat, dumb, happy, and warm. Then he (the friend, not the chihuahua) fell in love with a Big Black Dog, God bless him; so many BBD’s go unloved. But the litter box approach was not feasible with the BBD, so he spent a winter freezing with all the other dog owners until the lease ran out and he and his boyfriend bought a house with a fenced yard, and the four of them–2 guys, BBD, chihuahua–are living happily, if expensively, ever after.

    I suggested using a kiddie pool as a BBD litter box–cheaper than a house!–but does anyone ever listen to me? No.

  44. 44.

    debit

    January 16, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    @burnspbesq: Far more likely the puppies will be rehomed and Ginger will stay. It’s easy to find someone who wants a puppy. Not many people want an elderly dog. Mine was only 9 when I adopted her and she’d been fostered for over six months when I found her.

  45. 45.

    raven

    January 16, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    @debit: The Senior Dogs Project
    ………..”Looking Out for Older Dogs” ………..

    “Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.”
    – Sydney Jeanne Seward

    Great website.

  46. 46.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 16, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    If you look up “adorable” in the dictionary, there they are…Ginger and her puppies.

  47. 47.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    @debit: Heck, I couldn’t stand to give poor little Ginger away and I’ve only seen her picture! If Cole has the strength to let her go, I’ll be impressed, if rather disappointed.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    January 16, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    Isn’t a 10-year-old dog having puppies like a 50-year-old woman having a baby? Poor little girl.

  49. 49.

    Anne Laurie

    January 16, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    @Pogonip: You’re right about people not taking chihuahuas seriously enough to train them properly (which is also a common problem with small dogs in general). But chihuahuas are also one-person dogs — they’ve always been bred for a temperament that makes them devoted to “their” special person/family, but wary with strangers. (Which is true of lots of small dog breeds — one of their “skills” was serving as personal alarms for sheltered folk & invalids, which is why lhaso apso means lion bark dog. And also, small dogs tend to be valuable & easy to steal, which is why shelties are stand-offish little barkers, unlike their bigger cousins.)

    If you want a dog that will love you and give the rest of the world the bird, a chihuahua’s a great choice. Of course, that means there’s a lot of chihuahuas in shelters, dumped because the idiots who bought them on a whim didn’t return their loyalty.

  50. 50.

    Dance around in your bones

    January 16, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Well, you guys – I pulled a Cole and fell off a mountain while walking a friend’s dog (had done so many times uneventfully, but this day was different! And no snow to blame in SoCal!!) so I am currently being waited on hand and foot with a couple hundred old/sick people……p.s. Dog is fine ;)

    No severe injuries but I gave myself a hell of a shiner! I’m enjoying the comments about ‘How does the other guy look?” And delight in making up outrageous replies.

    Oh, life……its bigger…. So where’s my sleeping tablet!!!! Nurse!!!!

  51. 51.

    Dance around in your bones

    January 16, 2015 at 10:21 pm

    Also, I had a very cool chx mix once who looked like a tiny black lab and apparently had no idea he was tiny. Smart as a whip, too – until the day he ran out to inspect a bicycle zooming by and promptly got run over by a car. I cried like a baby for hours.

    He’s buried at the foot of a Jesus statue in northern Baja, so say hi to Vatito when you drive by. He was a trooper!!

  52. 52.

    raven

    January 16, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    @Dance around in your bones: Aw damn, hang tough.

  53. 53.

    Elizabelle

    January 16, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    @Pogonip: I think Cole’s got Shawn’s birthday present.

  54. 54.

    kindness

    January 16, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    You’re a good man John Cole. You will be rewarded having puppies in your house. Your kids will be a very good influence one em all & visa versa too. Everyone is about to learn something new. The furred creatures even more so.

    Karma happens. You carry with you what you do in this world. You John have bonus points. Get well.

    Hey John, you going to the close out shows for the Dead in Chicago? July 3,4,5. I won’t be making it. Ah well, such is life.

  55. 55.

    gogol's wife

    January 16, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    Ginger is adorable.

  56. 56.

    Nicole

    January 16, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    @Anne Laurie: When we adopted our girl I had to ask for an exception to our building’s 25-pounds-or-less rule. I explained to the landlord that the only dogs that met the weight criteria in the shelters were chihuahuas and I didn’t think it was an ideal breed for a household with a pre-schooler. Fortunately, the landlord agreed and let us get a bigger dog.

    You aren’t kidding about a lot of chihuahuas ending up in shelters because their former owners didn’t think about what they were getting into. I’m not a fan of the breed, but it makes me sad, because yeah, they’re a great breed for certain people. Really though, every breed is a good fit for SOMEONE, it just seems that a lot of people don’t bother to do their research, or get too caught up in an idea of what they want. I confess I wanted an Australian cattle dog, but did enough research to decide that herding instinct + preschooler = disaster. ;) So in the end I just asked the shelter for a dog that had tested safe with little kids and that I didn’t care about the breed or what the dog looked like.

  57. 57.

    Jane2

    January 16, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    Ginger and her puppies are adorable! There are special people willing to take senior dogs, and if she doesn’t end up being Ginger Cole, there will be people dying to make her their forever doggie.

  58. 58.

    the Conster

    January 16, 2015 at 10:41 pm

    You’re a mensch, John Cole. Scummy people suck.

  59. 59.

    catclub

    January 16, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Anybody figure why the whole GOP world is falling on Romney? Is it all Bush supporters?

  60. 60.

    burnspbesq

    January 16, 2015 at 10:44 pm

    I will freely admit that I have no idea what to think about this.

    http://campusreform.org/?ID=6202

  61. 61.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 10:44 pm

    @Nicole: My grandmother had a corgi who never got to herd unless I came over; I’d let Corky herd me around the house. She’d be ecstatic. It must have been like somebody finally coming along to scratch that itch you couldn’t reach. Herders gotta herd.

  62. 62.

    Trinity

    January 16, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    You renew my faith Cole. If Ginger et al doesn’t find a home we live in MD with two Maine coon mix babies. Dogs are needed.

  63. 63.

    Manyakitty

    January 16, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    Those critters are almost cute enough to convince me to add a dog to our three-cat household. must…look…away…from…the…puppehs…

  64. 64.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 16, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Yvonne works to expose liberal bias and abuse at colleges and universities in Massachusetts.

    This tells us everything we need to know about Yvonne.

  65. 65.

    am

    January 16, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    “if her puppies are male I am naming them Skipper and Gilligan”

    I needed some win this weekend, thank you for delivering.

  66. 66.

    Curt

    January 16, 2015 at 10:55 pm

    Today is actually my dog’s birthday. She’s seven. She’s a chihuahua that I rescued two years ago. When I started looking around for a dog, thanks in part to John’s influence, I would never have guessed I would end up with a chihuahua, but she chose me, and despite my reservations based on the stereotypes, I welcomed her into my life. She’s been the best, sweetest, most loving and loyal little friend I could ever have hoped for. It’s true that she’s a one-person dog, a real daddy’s little girl, but that suits me just fine, and she brings so much to my life that I almost can’t imagine it without her now. All this “chihuahuas are gay” stuff and bashing the breed–you idiots can just go screw yourselves. I’m not saying they’re for everyone, but anyone interested in a dog who rules them out a priori doesn’t know what they might be missing.

  67. 67.

    Bob In Portland

    January 16, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    Interesting article about the precarious situation in Saudi Arabia.

  68. 68.

    burnspbesq

    January 16, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I now have a view on this (I think).

    Once a historically all-women’s college makes the decision to admit students who self-identify as female without having the chromosomes and organs we normally associate with being female, the college is (or should be) obligated to be inclusive and sensitive to the unique concerns of that group.

    But the notion of “The Vagina Monologues” being insufficiently feminist is still making my head hurt.

  69. 69.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 16, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    My god, the comment threads today have been a morass of cynicism and gloom. Thanks, JC, for posting something cheery.

  70. 70.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    January 16, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    @Dance around in your bones:

    Yikes! I guess you and Mary G can compare notes (though she ended up having to stay in stir for several weeks with her broken leg).

  71. 71.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    @Curt: No, no, I wasn’t saying chihuahuas are gay in the slangy sense; I mean they’re a sort of fad among gay men. I have this from the horse’s (or chihuahua’s) mouth.

  72. 72.

    Bonnie

    January 16, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    I need some help with a sick kitty. She has been diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia. She will have a procedure next Wednesday that should correct the problem. However, she is eating so little right now. I need to keep her strength up until then. Can any one out there help me with a natural recipe that she might eat. I think it needs to be soft. If not, send her some nice thoughts. She is a gorgeous tortie, 13 years old, and her name is Mazurka. Mazurka is a polish dance that is in most ballets. She is so sweet and I love her very much. It is nice that she has something that can be corrected; we just have to make it to then.

  73. 73.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    @Curt: P.S. happy birthday to your dog, and many happy returns.

  74. 74.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 16, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    @Bonnie: I can offer good thoughts, but that’s about it.

  75. 75.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 11:22 pm

    @Bonnie: Broth, maybe?

  76. 76.

    Violet

    January 16, 2015 at 11:23 pm

    @Dance around in your bones: I was wondering about you. Sorry to hear about your fall but glad you’re being looked after well. Hope you mend soon!

  77. 77.

    ruemara

    January 16, 2015 at 11:23 pm

    @burnspbesq: This is also my reaction.

    Sitting up. I got my diagnoses after a 5 hour wait in the local clinic. Just a flu, but a nasty one that’s got some serious infection. 7 days without any exercise is driving me nuts and I have a pile of work to finish. I’ll rest some more, but tomorrow, I’m doing a little workout and some weights at home, then try to do some work. Then I can go back to bed rest & fluids. Is this year’s flu particularly nasty or what?

  78. 78.

    Violet

    January 16, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    @Bonnie: Sorry to hear about your kitty. What did your vet or vet surgeon suggest you feed her until the surgery?

  79. 79.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    @Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): @Dance around in your bones: You know, when the news was talking about those guys climbing El Capitan. I thought I heard a shriek, and some barking, in the background. Was that you?

    Get well soon, and don’t take any more lessons from the John Cole School of Mountain Climbing.

  80. 80.

    Nicole

    January 16, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    @Pogonip: That’s really funny. A friend of mine stayed at another friend’s house once, a friend who owned a border collie, and the poor thing just lost its mind over the fact that one of the two-legged creatures was sleeping upstairs and the other downstairs. The flock must stay together! You’re right, herders gotta herd, and I read they have been known to nip little folk to get them to move, so I elected to wait for the next dog to fulfill my Mad Max canine dreams. Though we like the pooch we ended up with and so I hope I’ll be waiting a long time for that next dog. :)

  81. 81.

    ruemara

    January 16, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    @Bonnie: You can make a version of west indian fish tea. a very soft, boneless fillet like tilapia or cod, a little water and a touch of butter. It’s an eyeball it recipe. A bit of butter, a fillet, in a sauce pan. as the fish starts to cook, add enough water to cover it. let it simmer until the fish is opaque through and through. Turn it off and pull it off the heat. Let it cool and crush the fish into the water until you have as few chunks as possible. I also used to make a liver slurry for my boy Smudge when he was ill. If you have a blender, you can do this much faster. And don’t offer it until the broth is cool.

  82. 82.

    Pogonip

    January 16, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    @ruemara: The flu shots did not include the most common virus this year. Every year the manufacturers have to guess on advance which viruses will be most likely to go around. Some years they guess wrong. Get well soon.

  83. 83.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 16, 2015 at 11:31 pm

    @Pogonip:

    John Cole School of Mountain Climbing.

    It ain’t accredited.

  84. 84.

    Curt

    January 16, 2015 at 11:36 pm

    @Pogonip: If you say so. I don’t know any gay people with chihuahuas. I do know one man with a pair of Westies, a couple with a cat and a mutt, and another that is looking into getting an Alaskan Klee Kai. Thanks for the birthday wishes.

  85. 85.

    Culture of Truth

    January 16, 2015 at 11:37 pm

    You soft touch

  86. 86.

    cckids

    January 16, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    @Pogonip:

    If I was ever to get another dog, I would either get a cute fluffy critter in love with life, like a papillon or poodle,

    I’ll put a vote in for the adorable Pomeranian (like my Pixie).

    He’s entirely sweet, not yappy, cuddles like a professional & isn’t afraid of wheelchairs.
    What’s not to love?? I’ll never understand the moron who dumped him on the street & didn’t look for him. Their loss (14 years ago). They are great little dogs.

  87. 87.

    Adam Lang

    January 17, 2015 at 12:13 am

    @Pogonip: Herders gotta herd indeed! One of my favorite posts ever on my blog was when I caught someone walking her Australian shepherd through a park, and it saw a few cows and said, ‘OH MY GOD THIS IS MY BIG CHANCE!’ And ran off, completely deaf to the owner’s frantic cries, and proceeded to round them all up and heard them off in a pretty much random direction. And then come back, a minute later, looking SO happy and SO pleased with himself.

    http://dogsofsf.com/archives/12142

  88. 88.

    am

    January 17, 2015 at 12:14 am

    @Bob In Portland:

    RT (Russia Today) isn’t an impartial news source. Not that it’s not an interesting situation, or to be entirely dismissive. But I think it definitely has a certain angle to the article…

  89. 89.

    Anne Laurie

    January 17, 2015 at 12:26 am

    @Bonnie:

    However, she is eating so little right now. I need to keep her strength up until then. Can any one out there help me with a natural recipe that she might eat.

    Standard appetite-enhancer for kitties is baby-food chicken, the kind that’s been minced into a goo. It’s solid enough that you can put a little on your finger for her to lick off, and she doesn’t have to chew or put much effort into swallowing it. And it apparently smells really good — even cats (& small dogs) who’ve pretty much lost interest in eating will perk up & sniff it.

    If you don’t trust the little jars of all-natural chicken in the grocery stores, you can probably find an on-line organic recipe… or just try pureeing some white meat chicken with a little extra water, if your blender will stand the strain?

    (People are pretty fussy about what they give babies these days, though, so even the “average” baby chicken won’t have salt, sweeteners, or preservatives — it’s not like the stuff we grew up eating!)

  90. 90.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    January 17, 2015 at 12:28 am

    @ruemara:

    Be very cautious doing aerobic exercise when you’re congested — you can easily get a bout of bronchitis. Yoga may be a good way to go. Feel better!

  91. 91.

    reality-based

    January 17, 2015 at 1:09 am

    @Bonnie:

    Baby food – the panacea for sick kittys. Beech-nut is best, but gerbers is ok – mine like the chicken or turkey kind best.

    (comes in the little jars – ingredients should be just meat and broth, don’t get the kind with any veg in it.

  92. 92.

    reality-based

    January 17, 2015 at 1:12 am

    @Anne Laurie:

    oh, this is funny – posted my baby food reply before getting to end of thread, hoping it would be seen – and you had already posted my exact comment! great minds think alike, and all.

    oh, and all? Do NOT screw around with this flu. I was on the upside of it, it just swung around and settled in my lungs, dammit. A shot today, plus augmentin – should never have gotten out of bed (but I’d been there 3 days, was bored, went back to work – big mistake. )

  93. 93.

    xenos

    January 17, 2015 at 1:17 am

    @burnspbesq: sex /= gender — a simple thing to say but not so simple in practice. Thus, feminism is something different to those who consider themselves feminists than it is to the culture at large. And the monologues are sounding pretty dated to people putting a lot of thought into the issues involved.

  94. 94.

    SWMBO

    January 17, 2015 at 2:02 am

    @Bonnie: I have posted this on other threads but it’s always worth a repeat. Doggie jello. (or in this case, kitty jello). One box of chicken broth (unsalted) is 4 cups. One box unflavored gelatin with 4 envelopes. Mix one cup boiling broth per envelope. If you want meat, stir in cooked ground chicken, turkey or tuna. Let set in the fridge (use an ice cube tray to make it in small increments). This works wonders for pets with pancreatitis or other digestive issues. Add other treats that your pet likes, if possible. The gelatin is very soothing to upset or sore tummies.

  95. 95.

    SWMBO

    January 17, 2015 at 2:18 am

    John Cole: We took in my sister’s geriatric dachshunds a few years ago (both have since crossed the bridge). One of them came to us “walking on her knuckles” because her nails had grown into her pads. She was a sweetheart and wouldn’t hurt anyone but when my husband held her for me to cut her nails, she cried and sobbed like a slapped child. He said never again. Even if it was necessary, he couldn’t hold her for something like that again. The vet’s office said she probably needed anesthesia if they were that bad. If you’re going to take her to a doggie spa, you might want to take her to the vet for the nails. Anesthesia and silver nitrate sticks may be a greater kindness.

    The male dog we got from my sister, was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of days before Christmas. Vet did a mastectomy on Boxing Day. He made it another two years past pancreatitis until congestive heart failure did him in. If the vet thinks it’s cancer, don’t mess around until she’s weaned the pups. She will last a lot longer if you get it quick. You and Shawn can take turns bottle feeding the babies if Ginger needs surgery. If they decide to go ahead with the surgery, get them to do the nails then. (and if she needs a dental, do it then.) Good luck integrating the pack.

    When I was trying to integrate a new dog, I’d sprinkle grated cheese on everyone’s shoulders. They couldn’t reach it on their own back but they had to be “nice” and let the other dog get near enough to “share” getting the cheese off of each other. They also associated “treat food” with the new dog.

  96. 96.

    Another Holocene Human

    January 17, 2015 at 5:29 am

    I’m not even much of a fan of small poodles (the first poodle I ever met was the full-sized kind, and he was a lovable slob like that “dog” on Sesame Street, loved ice cream) but how could you not fall in love with that dog? Awwwww!

  97. 97.

    Another Holocene Human

    January 17, 2015 at 5:33 am

    @burnspbesq: Really? It’s been problematic from day one. I think it speaks to some people and it also seems to tick off the enemies of feminists just from the name (I mean, there are other all-women or one-women plays out there people) and so it turned into this campus tradition, which meant a lot of feminist and sex-positive groups rallying around the play, doing tie-in events and so on, even though it has all these issues.

    Shit, people have been complaining for years that it conflates the vagina and the vulva and is in other ways confused about female sexuality/sexual pleasure, and then of course there’s the way it talks about homosexuality.

  98. 98.

    wormtown

    January 17, 2015 at 6:57 am

    @burnspbesq: I was going to say that the puppies may leave, but Mom is there forever :).

  99. 99.

    Pogonip

    January 17, 2015 at 9:58 am

    @Adam Lang: Yep. That’s how Corky used to look when we finished our circuit of the house and she herded me into the bathroom ( always the end of the route).

  100. 100.

    mohagan

    January 17, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    @Anne Laurie: I strongly second the baby food suggestion, particularly Gerber’s Chicken, Beef, and Lamb flavors. They are described as “2nd level” or something like that, and are basically nothing but pureed chicken (or whatever). I have used them for more than 30 years for feeding sick cats and also weaning kittens. Sick cats will lick a spoonful off of a spoon when they aren’t interested in much else, and it works for weaning kittens because they can easily lap at a spoonful of pureed chicken before they have the coordination to lap milk (which is technically quite complicated, as scientists found out last year), and it is actually tastier than mother’s milk. Most cats love it (pureed chicken – what’s not to like??). Make sure you open the little jar fresh or let it come to room temperature before offering. In my house, if the sick or young one wouldn’t finish the jar, I just put the rest in a bowl as an offering to the general population (we always have about 4 cats) and it is GONE immediately. One of my older cats still comes running when he hears the top vacuum top “pop” sound when I open a little jar. He remembers them from when he was a sick kitten I rescued from a feral colony. Good luck with your sick kitty.

  101. 101.

    mohagan

    January 17, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    @debit: That was my immediate reaction too. It’s easy to find homes for puppies and the older mothers, not so much. Plus Ginger is adorable (and I say that as a cat lady who is totally unmoved by puppies).

  102. 102.

    Hillary Rettig

    January 17, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    John you know this makes you a grandpa now? :-)

  103. 103.

    Dance around in your bones

    January 17, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    @Pogonip: Dang if I know! But maybe ……. One of the creepy things about my fall is that I don’t remember a bit of it (which people keep assuring me is a blessing in disguise – ha!!!’)

    Just woke up in a hospital surrounded by old folks and confusion. Looked pretty scary for the first week!

    Now I’m greeted by”You look GREAT!!!!” (Like I normally walk around looking like a scary bag lady)….

    NORMAL!!!! Not something I’ve ever strived for!! (We used to have a button back in the day that said “Be Peculiar” with all sincerity) – and we all strove to live up to it!!

  104. 104.

    Bonnie

    January 17, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    Thanks everyone for all the food tips for my sick kitty!!! I have taken them all and on my way to the store. I live in Tacoma, WA; thus, there is a time difference.

  105. 105.

    Bonnie

    January 17, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Thanks for the good thoughts. They are always welcome.

  106. 106.

    Bonnie

    January 17, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    @Violet: She just said to keep feeding her what she will eat.

  107. 107.

    Katy

    January 25, 2015 at 2:37 am

    @different-church-lady: Nobody seems to have answered you re ringworm … yes, it’s scary; no, don’t freak out. Do take kitty to the vet and get the vet to say yea or nay – it might be nay, in which case, Yay! But if not, treat as radically as the vet advises, just for the peace of mind – there’s a shot, a topical, and pills – sporanox – and you’ll feel better if you launder everything you can that kitty’s been lying on (just regular soapy hot-water wash, ok do it twice, to reassure). But beyong that, don’t go nuts – there’s ringworm spores EVERYWHERE, in the fur of every cat in America that hasn’t just been Lyme-dipped – and oh yeah, you could do that, too – or you could JUST do that – it’s pretty good at clearing things up by itself. Bottom line – yeah, check it out, you’ll feel better if you do SOMETHING about it, but if you and kitty are basically healthy, it’s really not serious.

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