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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
 Posted - 04/25/2003 : 01:19:49
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I worked at the shelter for a year, thought I might want to be a vet/tech or something. I could walk down the kennel and all the dogs (except for hounds and puppies) would sit. Hard job, challenging emotionally, physically and mentally. I was severely bitten by a dog and so I quit. I wasn't making shit. But volunteering is cool. And walking the dogs is great for the caretakers, so they can clean and do other shit.
the end
"Snooch to the muthaf**kin Nooch" |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 06:42:38
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LBF, where you been?
yeah, those shelters are heartbreaking.. anyone considering getting a dog or cat should seriously check the local shelters before going to a pet store..
the end |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 06:45:59
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I got my cat, Elroy, at a no kill shelter where he had been for a year. Now I've had him for over a year and we are madly in love. 
Anyway, pet stores suck - shelters are the way to go! |
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Atheist4Catholics
= Cult of Ray =
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 08:31:10
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I got my boy ferret at a ferret shelter. When I brought him home our other ferret kicked his ass daily for about a week and until one day we found them sleeping together.
We actually brought our girl ferret to the shelter so she could pick out her own companion, but she was so freaked out that she climbed up my back and hid under my coat.
The downside to shelters is that you don't get to raise the pet from the time it was a baby. Raising baby ferrets is awesome. They're so tiny and cute.
www.mp3.com/clootie |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 09:36:02
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Aye, never **ever** buy animals from Pet Stores. That cannot be emphasized enough.
Most stores get their animals from puppy farms, which are horrid places, and this is a direct reason so many shelters kill perfectly healthy and friendly animals.
As for the SPCA, i've been volunteering at our local one since the beginning of the year (i can't understand why it took me this long to get involved!), and it's such a pleasure to walk a dog once or twice (or more!) a week, and it's so awesome for them.
I strongly recommend every person visit their shelter and hang out with the dogs or cats or other critters. 99% of the time they just sit in kennels all day, so it's especially nice if they can get out, and if they're more used to being around people, it'll make them that much more adoptable. And it's only an hour (or whatever) of your time each week (or month, or whatever).
Also, (Bob Barker voice..) spay or neuter the animals living with you, if they do the funky thing, the offspring will almost certainly end up in a shelter only making the situation worse. |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 09:54:40
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Good PSA, Dave!  |
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Broken Face
-= Forum Pistolero =-
USA
5155 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 09:59:49
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a friend of the family used to work at a shelter where they would put a dog/cat to sleep after 30 days of being there, so she would take every animal home on its 29th day, and bring it back the next day to renew its 30 days - she would sometimes bring home upwards of 10 animals a night. she's truly a great person and an animal lover. i have similar aspirations once i have my own place
-brian |
Edited by - Broken Face on 04/25/2003 10:00:26 |
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ObfuscateByWill
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1887 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 11:48:49
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When I was 17 I worked at a Shelter.
I was primarily *the* office staff and tracked arrivals, adoptions, and euthanizations. (Among other things!)
Fewer than 20% of the animals we took in were being adopted!
Can you imagine what it's like to watch a pair of damned happy-go-lucky yuppies bringing two litters of kittens? Their "Well, we just don't think it's right to spay our Bon-Bon" bullshit never ceased!
Those kittens would be brought in, play about in one of those large display cages for a couple of weeks, and then die.
I could never imagine doing it again.
*Skullduggery |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 11:55:57
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Maybe someone can answer me this question:
If a male cat sprays does that necessarily mean he's not neutered?
Cuz if he's not I'm gonna kick my neighbour's ass!
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 12:19:36
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Here's a link to an interesting story about how some shelters are importing dogs from places like Puerto Rico so that they have dogs to sell. I'm not criticizing and know this is probably only a handful of shelters, but it's certainly an odd situation. Also, I'm sure shelters are filled with local cats.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-01-30-dogs-usat_x.htm
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 13:04:32
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Actually I was looking for some opinions,
my neighbour's cat loves my family and thinks he should live with us. Percy comes into our house whenever I open the door like he owns the joint. He has come in and sprayed in our basement but its concrete and easy to clean. Percy shits and sprays in my yard but there was worse to come. The damn thing is I like Percy but have you ever smelled cat spray? Its cold most of the time here and Percy's owner keeps him outside all the time when she's working. When I get home Percy's pretty cold and will promptly sit on the hood of my car to warm up. Well about a month ago that little fucker sprayed on my hood and into the vents!!!! My car reeked for so long. So somebody tell me if this means that this cat is not neutered so I can give this lady a piece of my mind otherwise anybody got any suggestions? |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 13:13:10
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I don't think male cats spray once they are neutered, otherwise, it may just be a behavioral issues. Which would suck...
But, doesn't the owner of the cat know if he is neutered? I am confused. |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 13:21:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Carolynanna
Actually I was looking for some opinions,
my neighbour's cat loves my family and thinks he should live with us. Percy comes into our house whenever I open the door like he owns the joint. He has come in and sprayed in our basement but its concrete and easy to clean. Percy shits and sprays in my yard but there was worse to come. The damn thing is I like Percy but have you ever smelled cat spray? Its cold most of the time here and Percy's owner keeps him outside all the time when she's working. When I get home Percy's pretty cold and will promptly sit on the hood of my car to warm up. Well about a month ago that little fucker sprayed on my hood and into the vents!!!! My car reeked for so long. So somebody tell me if this means that this cat is not neutered so I can give this lady a piece of my mind otherwise anybody got any suggestions?
Here's some neutering/spraying information:
http://www.snaptx.org/ask_the_vet/spay-neuter-behavior.htm
The short answer seems to neutering largely eliminates spraying if done at an early age, but not always (i.e. spraying doesn't mean a cat isn't neutered). |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 13:30:26
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| We just got this crazy cat bylaw where owners are not supposed to let their cats roam around or you can call the SPCA, they can get a fine and you can put a cat trap out and have the cat taken away, which I don't want to do. The trouble is I never see this lady she works wacko hours. When Percy cat sprayed my car I left her a semi nasty note to which she did not respond so I don't know if the cats neutered but from reading Darwin's link I do not think he is. If he's not I know she can get a fine if I call the SPCA which I am really leaning towards. So FB forum, should I call in the heat? |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 13:47:25
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One of our cats, Buddy, picked us instead of the other way around. One day he just came up to the window outside our bedroom and meowed and meowed...we gave him food and water and this continued for a while until we finally had him checked at the vet and he already had his bits cut out. He's such a great kitty, very affectionate! When I come out of the shower in the morning, he likes to lick the top of my feet and rub his head on em. Our other cat, Lizzy, was found in a similar way (before I met my girlfriend). Apparently the neighbors found it wandering around and gave it to my girlfriend. She's a interesting cat...she's weird! We freaked out yesterday, though, because we thought she was hit by a car (she's an outside cat). I saw a cat on the side of the road a little bit in front of our house on my way to work and called my girlfriend...she couldn't find her...I called a few minutes later on the cell and she was bawling, she checked the cat and thought it was ours (it kinda looked like her). I went home and she had found her by the time I got there (I work like a mile down the road). Needless to say, we won't be letting the cats out now!
I love animals and I hate any sort of mistreatment of them, even in movies. I can't stand the thought of animals dying or anything...in movies, I hate seeing an animal get hurt or something. I'm just a big old softy.
Oh, we got our second dog, Alex, from a shelter. Those places are fucking depressing...when we go there, she was running about the cage playing catch with herself. She would pick up the toy with her mouth, toss it in the air or across the cage, and catch it. We had to get her :) Unfortunately, she got sick and had to be put to sleep :( |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2003 : 18:03:56
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| Aye, it really is better to keep cats inside..a city is really not a very good place for them. If it isn't traffic, it's the creeps who are out there.. I think the discomfort to the cat is better than the discomfort of getting run over. |
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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2003 : 03:04:14
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I have 3 boys and 1 girl cat and my boys never spray... but they were all neutered at the proper time (the boys), 6 months. All 4 are adopted (Venus, Oscar Wilde, Ares, and Bailey)
The whole outdoors cat thing I think depends more or less on where you live, but really I am against having outdoor cats. In Virginia alone, cats kill 180,000 vertebrate animals a DAY! Cats are not indigenous to this country, so it's not natural predator, not good for wildlife. Plus, your cat is in a lot more danger outside the house than in. But, I do take my cats out under supervision. They need sunlight and they like to eat grass and get exercise. But there are cars, dogs, hoodlums, and feral cats with diseases etc. I love my cats too much to let them live outdoors, and likewise, I respect the environment too much to let them destroy it. Finding a balance is the key I suppose.
And there are only 2 reasons to breed a cat or a dog: 1. to better the breed of a pure bred animal. 2. If you intend on keeping the entire litter for their natural lives and caring for them properly.
Anyhoo...
I do love steak.
Sup Floop.
I been living the crazy life.
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Edited by - Little Black Francis on 04/28/2003 03:06:57 |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2003 : 04:52:08
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that was pretty funny dave. i guess it would be discomforting to be run over.
carolynanna, i don't think i'd call in the heat, cuz it'll just cause major friction between you and your neighbor which isn't cool. plus, what will they do with the cat. i do feel your pain though.. i had a housemate once who had this nightmare cat named Panther who would would always spray in my room.. and not on the carpet.. no, on my pillow and matress. .
one time she sprayed my bed at like 11:00 on a tired ass weeknight, leaving me no time to clean my sheets or anything.. i had to sleep on the floor with basically no blankets..
years later, when i heard that Panther had run away i had a difficult time pretending to care.
but yeah, shelters are some sad ass shit. if you've ever just in the mood to get really depressed, cruise on over to a shelter and see all the cute animals there.. it's too overwhelming..
LBF, hope all is well,
Floop
ps. el barto, my cat does that too when i get out of the shower. she's so cute.
and she's learned the word "treat".. so if i say, "boo, do you want a TREAT?" she goes crazy.. |
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greg
- FB Fan -
Canada
159 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2003 : 17:11:58
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| I do a payroll deduction for a local no kill shelter. Check with your employer!! |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2003 : 22:50:18
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| A question for people involved with no-kill shelters.. I heard tonite that with the one in San Francisco there's the city pound (or something like that) across the street, and they actually send their un-adoptable animals over there to be killed....is this true? Sounds a little weird to me. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2003 : 04:53:26
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| sounds especially weird for SF .. i highly doubt the good people of San Francisco would be hip to that kind of thing, being a big animal-rights type town.. |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2003 : 07:56:31
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quote:
Originally posted by floop
sounds especially weird for SF .. i highly doubt the good people of San Francisco would be hip to that kind of thing, being a big animal-rights type town..
Aren't pets no longer officially pets in SF, but something like "non-human companions"?
As a non-cat owner and a nature lover, I primarily see outdoor cats as bird killers. There have been some studies in England showing that outdoor cats can have a devastating affect on local bird diversity. On the West Coast it also has recently been shown that parasites in cat droppings are finding their way into the oceans and may be responsible for the declining sea otter populations. This parasite is the reason pregnant women should stay away from litter boxes.
http://www.oar.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_otter.html
So, there is a downside to cat ownership. |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2003 : 12:22:09
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quote:
Originally posted by floop
carolynanna, i don't think i'd call in the heat, cuz it'll just cause major friction between you and your neighbor which isn't cool. plus, what will they do with the cat. i do feel your pain though.. i had a housemate once who had this nightmare cat named Panther who would would always spray in my room.. and not on the carpet.. no, on my pillow and matress. .
one time she sprayed my bed at like 11:00 on a tired ass weeknight, leaving me no time to clean my sheets or anything.. i had to sleep on the floor with basically no blankets..
years later, when i heard that Panther had run away i had a difficult time pretending to care.
but yeah, shelters are some sad ass shit. if you've ever just in the mood to get really depressed, cruise on over to a shelter and see all the cute animals there.. it's too overwhelming..
LBF, hope all is well,
Floop
ps. el barto, my cat does that too when i get out of the shower. she's so cute.
and she's learned the word "treat".. so if i say, "boo, do you want a TREAT?" she goes crazy..
In your bed and mattress, that's pretty disgusting, how did you get the smell out? |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2003 : 12:37:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Carolynanna
In your bed and mattress, that's pretty disgusting, how did you get the smell out?
it took a lot of washing and a lot of deodorizing stuff.. like i said, when Panther ran away, i wasn't crushed.
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