Furry Friends

[MsRad]

bah! i love this thread! so many adorable animals!

[dooktruck]

So u can speak a bit of pikey in the U.S.A.

si senor

that movie is awesome

[AlannaCA]

They certainly are. I started off with one, now I've got five.

I couldn't agree more about neutering.

Heres a typical evening with my wife.

bahahahaha!! shes trapped!!! what does she do if she has to go to the washroom? i wouldnt want to be the one to wake a sleeping cat, let alone 5!

[AlannaCA]

but now we got this little girl. she is hilarious. and just wandered into our lives.

look at that face!!!! dontcha just wanna squeeze her! sooo cute!

[cfgsteak]

My dog Clyde...we were tired:

[jade1955]

bahahahaha!! shes trapped!!! what does she do if she has to go to the washroom? i wouldnt want to be the one to wake a sleeping cat, let alone 5!

I am always having to get things for my missus as she can't move, because of the cats. She'd get me to do the washroom thing for her as well, if she could.

[Ursula]

I just came across this and wanted to post it! I miss my dog!

[AlannaCA]

OMG look at that sweet sweet face!! she must really have a personality! i know its not the same as having your dog but next time your in Toronto you can spend some time with Avelan, she loves everybody! i only offer because i know how much it sucks to miss a beloved pet!

[MsRad]

i found this sweet dog(pug??) face tattoo in Valerie's gallery. i know it's not any of our pets, but thought it was fitting none the less (and very classy!)

[Iwar]

I'm sorry to ruin the good atmosphere of this thread, but this is worth watching if you haven't seen it already....

[MsRad]

I'm sorry to ruin the good atmosphere of this thread, but this is worth watching if you haven't seen it already....

it's really amazing. i've watched it at least 5 times (not, right now, but over the last few months). i cry everytime.

also, this will be the hardest part of my new job.

[dooktruck]

man i watched that right after meiko died

was so sad already

cried at work

wth

[Raskolnikov]

Zatoichi our eyeless cat, adopted from the wonderful no-kill, vegan animal shelter Freshfields in Liverpool (and Wales): Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre

Damn, I love this ridiculous cat.

I used to work at Freshfields and can guarantee that it is a great place and really worth supporting. If you are thinking of acquiring a beast I would urge you to give them a try.

[Ursula]

I got halfway through that video and couldn't bear to watch the rest.

I've had to take my dog to the emergency vet twice and both time was told if I hadn't she's be dead.

Sometimes I think about what I will do when that time does come. It almost makes me want to give my dog away so that I never have to deal with her death, but I know in the end, I will cherish her life and be able to move on. It is one of my biggest fears though.

On a happier note, those cat pics are awesome Rask! (your name is too long and weird to type out in full every time haha)

[Raskolnikov]

Thanks Ursula. Rask is fine, btw. I've been called worse. On this very board :)

[Ursula]

Hahahaha me too buddy! It's all part of being in the tattoo world. We tend to be a pretty opinionated bunch who aren't scared to show it.

Back on the pets track.... Here's a couple more shots of Sophia my mom's cat, my dogs and tiny tiny cross stitch I made of a beagle for my dude

[Ursula]

Rask - I just realized your cat has no eyes! That's really weird but cute too. I thought he just liked to close them for photos hahahaha. This might seem dumb but, does he get around like a regular cat? I'm assuming yes.

[MsRad]

that last picture of it's mouth is just rad! i love the detail of the tongue and all the little bumps (maybe tastebuds?) on the roof! crazy!

also, what's it like having a blind cat? i know people who've raised hard of seeing pets, but never completely blind or eyeless. i also have friends who are fostering a deaf dog, but he watches everything so he get's right along just fine. he even barks with the other dogs because he sees them barking haha.

[MsRad]

Ursula, we are on the same wavelength today.

[Raskolnikov]

Ba-yoodi-ful.

[Ursula]

he even barks with the other dogs because he sees them barking haha.

That's amazing and hilarious hahahahaha

Must be a pain in the ass to call him ! I'm sure they've got hand signals for that though.

[MsRad]

That's amazing and hilarious hahahahaha

Must be a pain in the ass to call him ! I'm sure they've got hand signals for that though.

yep, hand signals are the way to go. and he doesn't stray far actually, he likes to hang around their other two dogs or their family, i think because then he knows what's going on. he's in love with their son Waylon, who's only 20 months old, and lets him climb, hug and pull his ears all he wants. he's a great dog, and a pitbull mix so just another one on the list to put the stereotype to shame.

[Raskolnikov]

Rask - I just realized your cat has no eyes! That's really weird but cute too. I thought he just liked to close them for photos hahahaha. This might seem dumb but, does he get around like a regular cat? I'm assuming yes.

Pretty much Ursula. She is able to get around very easily using a mixture of very good smell and hearing, plus her whiskers which are longer and more pronounced than most. She jumps around and catches flies, and knows where everything is. She doesn't adjust very well to moving, obviously, but once she gets used to a place she walks around as if she has a fully formed mental map of the layout.

that last picture of it's mouth is just rad! i love the detail of the tongue and all the little bumps (maybe tastebuds?) on the roof! crazy!

Yeah MsRad, it took me a good while to get that. I'm not sure about those bumps - they could be tastebuds, although they may just be a way to grip food in the mouth - particularly if it is still moving (ugh).

also, what's it like having a blind cat? i know people who've raised hard of seeing pets, but never completely blind or eyeless. i also have friends who are fostering a deaf dog, but he watches everything so he get's right along just fine. he even barks with the other dogs because he sees them barking haha.

Yeah, Zatoichi had severe glaucoma and was dumped in a box by a canal in Liverpool. The eyes were too far gone and removing them was the only way to make sure she survived. Luckily, her glaucoma was so severe that she was most likely blind from birth so she can adapt brilliantly. Most of her quirks are related to her personality in a way that I don't think is because she is eyeless. I love that the dog barks when it sees others barking! I imagine it does other wacky stuff too that is in it's nature. Our other cat is autistic. Damned disabled animals....

[Ursula]

I've never heard of an animal other than human being autistic. How do they find out? How does she/he act different than other cats?

I don't know a whole lot about autism but I thought it was more of a social related thing. I thought I read something that basically said autistic people can't understand facial expressions and in turn have a very hard time expressing themselves. I know it goes a lot deeper than that but I don't know enough about it to really expand.

[Raskolnikov]

Well, we are using the term fairly loosely, but after years of working with autistic students (a few high-functioning autistics too, such as those with Asperger's) I can see some of the same traits in Cholula. Autism is neurological, the communication issues are symptoms rather than the condition itself. Cholula has repetitive behaviour, very often fails to recognise things that cats learn to compartmentalise, and will often fail to read basic signs and patterned actions in people. She is semi-feral which doesn't help. We shipped her over from the States, but that's another story. I swear I try to avoid turning into one of those people who go on about their children all the time, but with this pair it's hard.