Here is a place to discuss issues dealing with pets-whether it be feeding, vet visits, behavioral issues, etc. etc.


I will start with a question that I wonder about. Years ago, I used to feed my cats 3 times a day-this was pretty much maintaining their food consumption. At Carlos' suggestion, I started leaving the food down continuously and letting them feed whenever they want to. Now, I have two FAT cats. So my question is, do you feed your cats/dogs at certain intervals or do you keep the food assessable? 



Cat

We leave ours out for the mutt.  He usually eats when he comes in after a walk (which is about three times a day).  Same for all our other dogs and our one lone cat.  The only dog that really gained weight from this was my grandfather's dog, but I think that was just because she was depressed when my grandfather died, so eating became a hobby for her.

Here is a place to discuss issues dealing with pets-whether it be feeding, vet visits, behavioral issues, etc. etc.


I will start with a question that I wonder about. Years ago, I used to feed my cats 3 times a day-this was pretty much maintaining their food consumption. At Carlos' suggestion, I started leaving the food down continuously and letting them feed whenever they want to. Now, I have two FAT cats. So my question is, do you feed your cats/dogs at certain intervals or do you keep the food assessable? 



Cat
All my cats and dogs have food assessable at all times - all on self feeders. This seems to maintain their weight, I do not have obese animals (but they also do not get snacks and such).  All animals were trained this way from youth.  If you trained an animal with restrictions (limiting food to certain times a day) they learn to gorge themselves at the bowl (and not snack throughout the day).  If you change this habit, it then becomes an overeating issue (make sense???)

Cats and dogs can also suffer depression and other anxieties, their metabolism slows with age, which can lead to obesity.

I keep their bowl full and available at all times. I feel that they can eat whenever they are hungry...I've heard that is the best thing to do for cats.

All my cats and dogs have food assessable at all times - all on self feeders. This seems to maintain their weight, I do not have obese animals (but they also do not get snacks and such).  All animals were trained this way from youth.  If you trained an animal with restrictions (limiting food to certain times a day) they learn to gorge themselves at the bowl (and not snack throughout the day).  If you change this habit, it then becomes an overeating issue (make sense???)

Cats and dogs can also suffer depression and other anxieties, their metabolism slows with age, which can lead to obesity.





I think my cats have "issues" because they were once out on the streets. Elvira doesn't seem to have too much of a problem (and she is VERY active, too) but Electra eats ALL the time. She will only take a bite or two and walk away-but will go back again in a short time for another bite or two. And yes, she is FAT.



Cat

I think my cats have "issues" because they were once out on the streets. Elvira doesn't seem to have too much of a problem (and she is VERY active, too) but Electra eats ALL the time. She will only take a bite or two and walk away-but will go back again in a short time for another bite or two. And yes, she is FAT.



Cat
Very likely she does have food "issues" then.  She was deprived and now has it all, so her mind is going to work on the idea of deprivity (just incase the food is not there again when I come back, I better eat some now.  Well I better go check to see if the food is there, oh yes it is I better eat some just in case- over and over)....

Very likely she does have food "issues" then.  She was deprived and now has it all, so her mind is going to work on the idea of deprivity (just incase the food is not there again when I come back, I better eat some now.  Well I better go check to see if the food is there, oh yes it is I better eat some just in case- over and over)....





Yup. And then there is the times when she gets pissed off at us. She will come up on the bed (our bedroom is right off of the kitchen). She will be purring and we will pet and scratch her. We scratch, she purrs, we scratch, she purrs, we scratch, she bites!  :o :o :o  WTF? Then she will run off-go to the food dish, take two bites and then comes back as if nothing has happened and the process starts all over again. What can I say, the cat is MENTAL!!!!  :D :D ;D ;D ;D



Cat

Years ago my sister had two cats she fed whenever they were hungry, and lo and behold, they were always hungry!  The problem was the owner.  Knowing the way my sister was 15 years ago, she probably felt like she was hurting the cats if she didn't feed them whenever they begged.  These two cats were not just overweight, they were morbidly obese.  They looked like potatoes propped up on tooth picks!  Then Wendy died some acute problem, maybe heart failure.  She literally dropped dead!  I heard from our mom that my sister saw it happen.  She thought maybe Wendy couldn't get up because she was so fat.  She put Wendy back on her feet but the cat, dead already, just fell over on the other side!  I found some black humor in that anectdote, but I can understand how some cat people wouldn't find it funny at all.  The other one, Marla, survived as fat as ever.  I don't know how long Marla lived because they gave her away when my niece was having some asthma as a baby.  Those were the fattest cats I've ever seen.  Of course, I can't say for sure it was the Obesity that killed Wendy; it might have been purely genetic.  My sister had cats again, and they're both of healthy habitus.

I don't have cats myself, but I see quite a bit of my landlady's cats.  Mimi is a bit overweight, but she's more sedentary than Maya, who is of more slender build and spends a lot more time outdoors.  I look after them when my landlady goes out of town.  She prescribes specific times for feeding and portions of wet and dry food.  The cats seem to eat only when they're hungry.  They rarely empty the bowls and don't seem to crave more than the allotted amounts.  Perhaps it is important to regularize feedings when they're kittens and stay consistent. 

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This started as an appendage to my post about fat cats, but it took on a life of its own.

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/04/firedevil.gif

The only dog we had with a weight problem was a bloodhound named Beau.  He was a nightmare dog! Ever see the movie "Turner and Hooch"?  That's pretty much it.  Hooch was a kind of French Mastiff; they're a little bigger than bloodhounds (also French), but Beau was a big and fat bloodhound weighing upwards of 140 lbs.  He was also effed-up.  My stepmother made the mistake of buying a petstore puppy, which is a gamble.  You might get a puppy mill dog separated from the mother too young and shipped in a giant egg crate!

My father grew to despise Beau.  It was always a contest of wills between dad and Beau.  Beau always won. To wit:
Dad would put Beau on a diet.  Beau would raid the garbage and swipe stuff off the counters.  One Christmas weekend Beau stole: An apple pie, a chocolate cream pie, a loaf of pumpkin bread, a box of chocolates, a plate of turkey cuts, and some clementines.  You might say, "Dogs don't eat tangerines!"  This one did and then crapped them all over the kitchen floor!

Dad had a beanbag chair.  Beau took it over.  Dad got sick of Beau hogging the beanbag chair so he pushed Beau off one evening.  Dad got up for a soda, Beau resumed his perch.  Dad pushed Beau off again.  Beau growled.  Dad told him, "Tough sh*t!"  Dad got up again.  Repeat scenario.  Finally dad pushed Beau off the beanbag chair one too many times.  Beau got this "Oh yeah, top this" expression and proceeded to pee all over the beanbag chair!  My brother and I cut out of there and laughed our asses off for about ten minutes!  Beau wins again!

Furthermore, Beau was subject to excessive salivation, intractictable flea infestations, paroxysms of vomiting and diarrhea, knocking over furniture, chewing through electrical chords, devouring inedibles, busting leashes, busting dog-runs, couch-napping, frightening neighborhood children, frightening neighborhood parents, crashing neighbors' barbecues, general smelliness, and general antisocial and disloyal behaviors.

The Wikipedia page on bloodhounds mentions a "what's-in-it-for-me attitude," which Beau had in the extreme.  The silver lining here was he lost interest in the cat and the other dog as soon as he realized neither had anything he wanted.   The other dog was a German Shepherd.  You'd call her and she would snap to it with a "Yes sir!" disposition.  Beau would take off down the field, you'd call  hime, "Beau, get back here!"  He'd just look up at over at you like, "What the hell for?  I'll make you a deal, I won't run any farther!"

Beau was also a racist.  He had it out for Reverend Bailey,  black minister, in the neighborhood.  It was humiliating because Bailey was the nicest guy in the world and Beau would have him treed on top of his own car with Bailey yelling (in a Georgia accent) "Call off your dog!  Call off your dog!"  Beau didn't do that treeing thing to anybody else, just Rev. Bailey. 

For some reason, Beau never learned to climb the staircase.  And that was just fine with us.

Beau finally beat himself at his own game.  He got so fat he couldn't jump high enough to get his paws on the counters.  One time I saw him bouncing up and down in front of the big garbage can outside.  He was trying to knock it over by gathering enough momentum! 

The vet warned us about the consequences of doggie obesity.  Perhaps more competent dog owners could have done something.  Dad and stepmom were no dog whisperers, though.  Beau became rheumatoid and miserable.  The last winter of his life, the cold gave him withering cramps, the last summer the fleas tormented him to madness.  One fall evening panic struck Beau.  He was confused and howling in torment.  He puked on the carpet and then he crapped on the floor, neither of which was unusual, but I sensed his doom and so did he.  Once outdoors he sequestered himself in the rhododendrons and wouldn't come out.  Then he sprinted franticly down the fields towards the lake.  Dad and I searched for him but we finally gave up and said we'd try again in the morning.  We didn't find him then.  The next afternoon, a neighbor spotted Beau lying dead in the patch of woods by the lake.  It was strange how sad my folks were.  I was surprised that I was sad too.  There were times when I just wanted cave the fat f**k's skull in with a shovel.  Dad once vowed he we was going to do exactly that.  Now Beau was gone at barely six years old.  Beau received doggie last rities and a proper burial in the backyard by the stone wall. 

Beau's place in family lore is that of a symbol of our collective screwiness in the eighties.  One of my last memories of Beau is watching dad returning with him from an afternoon walk (drag, more like it).  Dad had the leash wound short with Beau pulling as hard as he could in one direction and dad pulling just as hard in the other!  That sums it up! 

Even though Beau was the most horrid dog I ever knew, I've grown fond of him in my memories.  Shoot, I'd sure like to see him once more...well, not really.  No.
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Epilogue:

What did kill Beau?  The bloodhound is one of the shortest-lived breeds of dogs living on average just under seven years.  Beau lived barely six years.  It didn't help that he was obese and miserable.  According to Wikipedia, gastric dilatation volvulus kills a lot of bloodhounds.  This would account for the sudden onset and quick mortality.  I always felt it was a vascular rupture and consequent internal bleeding.

;D

What a story, Max.  Beau sounds like a great dog even though he was very naughty. 

;D

What a story, Max.  Beau sounds like a great dog even though he was very naughty. 


Heh heh, it's one those things, fun to laugh about twenty years later, but at the time it was grievous!

Kind of wished Beau would just get hit by a car.  He did once.  The motorist knocked on our door to discuss how we were going to pay for the damage to his BMW!

If we never had Beau, "Turner and Hooch" would be just another crummy Tom Hanks movie, but when they show it on TV, I just nod and say, "I've been there!"
Don't eat the car! Not the car! Oh, what am I yelling at you for? You're a dog!
:D

Here's a real fun question for you all:  how do you go about litterbox training a DOG? ;D

Yes, after these past few days of disgusting temps, we have decided that the poor dog doesn't need to suffer anymore, so we bought him a litterbox and dog litter.  Apparently, you CAN train smaller dogs to use them, but I'm just "WTF?" about this idea.  Do you think it would be the same as training a cat?

I guess I can google it, but I thought it would be fun to see if anyone had any suggestions about it.

Here's a real fun question for you all:  how do you go about litterbox training a DOG? ;D

Yes, after these past few days of disgusting temps, we have decided that the poor dog doesn't need to suffer anymore, so we bought him a litterbox and dog litter.  Apparently, you CAN train smaller dogs to use them, but I'm just "WTF?" about this idea.  Do you think it would be the same as training a cat?

I guess I can google it, but I thought it would be fun to see if anyone had any suggestions about it.
You will probably have a better time googling - paper training a dog...  Dog's do not have a compulsion to cover up their stuff - happy to leave it lie around - so they do not need litter.  Just pick a spot (or if the dog has "accidents" in a certain area- that'll work) they (dogs) like to go in the same area each time.  Put some poo on the area and viola - a spot to go (as long as it agrees with them) Do not put it near food or water

Here's a real fun question for you all:  how do you go about litterbox training a DOG? ;D

Yes, after these past few days of disgusting temps, we have decided that the poor dog doesn't need to suffer anymore, so we bought him a litterbox and dog litter.  Apparently, you CAN train smaller dogs to use them, but I'm just "WTF?" about this idea.  Do you think it would be the same as training a cat?

I guess I can google it, but I thought it would be fun to see if anyone had any suggestions about it.

What size of dog?
???

What size of dog?
???


Seven and a half pound (on a good day) Mini-pinscher/chihuahua mix.  He's shorthair, which is why he sorta freaks out when the temp drops.  He has sweaters to wear when he goes out, but the cold these past couple of days has been brutal for him and his paws. :-\\


You will probably have a better time googling - paper training a dog...  Dog's do not have a compulsion to cover up their stuff - happy to leave it lie around - so they do not need litter.  Just pick a spot (or if the dog has "accidents" in a certain area- that'll work) they (dogs) like to go in the same area each time.  Put some poo on the area and viola - a spot to go (as long as it agrees with them) Do not put it near food or water


Hahaha.  You are correct.  I looked it up on some doggy website. :D

Hahaha.  You are correct.  I looked it up on some doggy website. :D
Worked at a vet clinic for 3 years and learned all sorts of training techniques and therapies  - never knew when they would become useful.


Paper training may be allright for a small dog :-\\  BUT I have a Newfoundland (NOT SOMETHING I WANT IN THE HOUSE 8-P) ;D

Here's a real fun question for you all:  how do you go about litterbox training a DOG? ;D

Yes, after these past few days of disgusting temps, we have decided that the poor dog doesn't need to suffer anymore, so we bought him a litterbox and dog litter.  Apparently, you CAN train smaller dogs to use them, but I'm just "WTF?" about this idea.  Do you think it would be the same as training a cat?

I guess I can google it, but I thought it would be fun to see if anyone had any suggestions about it.


This link shows different ways of setting up a litter box for Dogs.  Cool idea!

http://wepuppy.blogspot.com/2006/11/litter-box-for-dogs.html

How about toilet training a cat.  I have heard it was possible.  Has anyone tried this before.  I hate the smell of a litter box and the mess it creates.  8-P

This link shows different ways of setting up a litter box for Dogs.  Cool idea!

http://wepuppy.blogspot.com/2006/11/litter-box-for-dogs.html

How about toilet training a cat.  I have heard it was possible.  Has anyone tried this before.  I hate the smell of a litter box and the mess it creates.  8-P


My cat used to go on the toilet - but I never did train him to do it.  My husband freaked out on him when he would open the door and Nirmal would be on the toilet; he finally scared Nirm so much (that the cat refused to use the toilet anymore :().  (Nirmal had the habit of "closing" the door - rubbing it till it closed- while he was in the bathroom.  OBVIOUSLY wanted privacy my husband refused to give him)

They have kits on how to toilet train you cat (basically a bowl that fits under the lid of the toilet, it sits down in the toilet bowl.  You put cat litter in the bowl and use it as a regular litter box, you then remove the litter and the cat is to continue going while sitting on the toilet.

I have 4 cats,3 of them are always hungry and the 4th only eats what he needs to.All my cats are males and are fixed,we always heard that is a reason for the cats being fat,but only 3 of ours are :-\\ so I'm not sure if that theory is true.

My cat used to go on the toilet - but I never did train him to do it.  My husband freaked out on him when he would open the door and Nirmal would be on the toilet; he finally scared Nirm so much (that the cat refused to use the toilet anymore :().  (Nirmal had the habit of "closing" the door - rubbing it till it closed- while he was in the bathroom.  OBVIOUSLY wanted privacy my husband refused to give him)

They have kits on how to toilet train you cat (basically a bowl that fits under the lid of the toilet, it sits down in the toilet bowl.  You put cat litter in the bowl and use it as a regular litter box, you then remove the litter and the cat is to continue going while sitting on the toilet.



I have often thought about toilet training my cats because Elvira LOVES to build sand castles in the little box (I think was Patti who used to have that on her signature line) and she gets litter EVERYWHERE. However, Carlos' mother TRAINED him to put the cover down after he uses it so in order to train my cats I would have to untrain my husband.  ;) :D ;D ;D



Cat

My cat used to go on the toilet - but I never did train him to do it.  My husband freaked out on him when he would open the door and Nirmal would be on the toilet; he finally scared Nirm so much (that the cat refused to use the toilet anymore :().  (Nirmal had the habit of "closing" the door - rubbing it till it closed- while he was in the bathroom.  OBVIOUSLY wanted privacy my husband refused to give him)

They have kits on how to toilet train you cat (basically a bowl that fits under the lid of the toilet, it sits down in the toilet bowl.  You put cat litter in the bowl and use it as a regular litter box, you then remove the litter and the cat is to continue going while sitting on the toilet.


That is one Smart Cat!!!  I bet your husband regrets scaring the cat now.  ;)  :)  But I can see how someone would get put off with the idea of an animal using their toilet. 

Nirmal had the habit of "closing" the door - rubbing it till it closed- while he was in the bathroom.


What a talent! I wish I could get my mog to do that...

She's dam' good at opening doors, but never shuts 'em behind her...a 'must' in a cold snap!

As for eating, she's got food out at all times which she'll eat when she wants (unless it's a certain flavour of food which she's not keen on...then it becomes a battle of wills!)

Well, since a few people have been talking about this subject in other threads, next question:

Do you let your pet(s) sleep on the bed with you?

My answer is yes. I really like to have Elvira there at night because I know she is not getting into trouble throughout the night.  :D ;D ;D ;D



Cat

Well, since a few people have been talking about this subject in other threads, next question:

Do you let your pet(s) sleep on the bed with you?

My answer is yes. I really like to have Elvira there at night because I know she is not getting into trouble throughout the night.  :D ;D ;D ;D



Cat


I did when we had them.  One of my cats used to crawl under the covers during the winter.  Guess he got cold.  The first time he did it scared me to death.  I have never had a cat do that. ;D

I guess you were referring to me, Jess and Rice?  ;D

My dog has his own bed in our room, with a big comforter on it, so I know he stays warm.  But he will sometimes come over and wake me up in the middle of the night if he can't cover himself properly.  He really is so funny.  But like I was saying on the sleep thread, my husband won't let him sleep with us, but I will absolutely let him in bed with me if my husband is up.  I love to snuggle!

Jess and Rice call their dog "Ratdog."  I call mine "Bratdog." 

Question:

Reference this site:  Litter box training the dog

So it's about three or so weeks into the litter box training.  The dog has been "crated" (he's not in a cage but he is confined to his own area in the corner of the unit) such that his only choice is to pee in his bed or in the litter box.  We've since removed the litter box and lined his area with paper, in an effort to transition him over to litter box.  He did piddle a bit in his bed, but when he couldn't take it one night, he actually peed on the paper outside the bed, and I rewarded him with treats when I discovered this.  Unfortunately he hasn't done this consistently enough that he can be properly reinforced.  There are a few things with the article that we've tried, although:

1. They do not really say what happens if the dog is already housebroken (i.e. they know they have to go outside to pee and poo), and you're trying to train them that it's okay to pee inside where it's warm, or maybe I just completely missed this section, my reading comprehension is surprisingly low...

2.  They don't seem to talk about what happens if the dog just holds it and holds it, and one of our major concerns is that the dog will get a bladder or urinary tract infection if he's stubborn and holds it in for 24+ hours.

My bigger concern is that the dog is kind of silly, he will actually dive into snow banks that are like three times his size to pee and poo, and then he'll jump out and be like "OMFG it's cold!" and then I'll be exasperated because he could've just peed on the sidewalk and I would've cleaned up his crap or just kicked snow over it :P  His paws get all red and raw and his ears suffer because no matter what we do, we can't keep his hat on his weird-shaped head.  It's not like he's a mutant, but he is part chihuahua and apparently those dogs aren't very good with hats.  As an aside, they're not very good in the winter either :D

So, do you think that our method of just making him stay in his area will cause him to get an infection?  I don't know which is worse, getting a bladder infection or having his paws get frostbite...it's really sad and hurtful to watch him do his tripod limp back home :(  But my wife's other dog, the chocolab, had a bladder infection last month and he was really messed up, so I don't want that either.  I think it's better for the silly dog to get trained to do his business inside though...

Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated.

Yes the dog could get a bladder infection, urine get too acidic and such....

No, I myself do not know how to retrain a dog - some dogs are easier than others, little dogs are hard enough to get "housebroke" in the first place, I do not know what if you want to "unbreak" them.  People who do paper training usually start as pups, as far as I know. 

Remember that you will not be able to, re take him outside once the "paper training is complete" - the weather is nice etc..... 

Could the dog be "playing" you with the dog limp and such.  Obviously he likes the snow if he is willing to dive into it (some dogs hate the snow, and refuse to touch it, so they do poop on the sidewalk, owners shovel out the yard, etc...).  Can you go to a pile of snow closer to home????  A dog is not going to get frostbite from just going outside and going potty (possible but unlikely).  Can you pick him up and carry him???? 

Not sure what to tell you,  I have never heard of anyone trying to retrain the dog :-\\

Sorry

Hmmm.  Guess it is impossible.  Bummer.

Well, we'll try the paper stuff during the winter, but the dog needs his exercise too.  Grumblecakes :P

I suppose we could just walk him once a day so he knows that it's okay to piddle in his area, and to reduce his exposure to the cold.  Luckily it'll be warmer this weekend.

Hmmm.  Guess it is impossible.  Bummer.

Well, we'll try the paper stuff during the winter, but the dog needs his exercise too.  Grumblecakes :P

I suppose we could just walk him once a day so he knows that it's okay to piddle in his area, and to reduce his exposure to the cold.  Luckily it'll be warmer this weekend.
Any dog booties, so the snow does not freeze in between his toes - that is probably why he is limping on the way back????

Any dog booties, so the snow does not freeze in between his toes - that is probably why he is limping on the way back????


We'd have to make our own, although Jess saw some booties on another chihuahua somewhere.  They aren't commercially available, at least not at Petsmart.

I'm pretty sure the dog isn't pretending though, he whimpers and whines and when I touch his paws to examine them he kinda freaks out, he doesn't bite or anything but it definitely sounds painful.  It sucks that you can't really train a dog seasonally, but I guess it would help if he spoke English or I spoke dog :-\\

We'd have to make our own, although Jess saw some booties on another chihuahua somewhere.  They aren't commercially available, at least not at Petsmart.

I'm pretty sure the dog isn't pretending though, he whimpers and whines and when I touch his paws to examine them he kinda freaks out, he doesn't bite or anything but it definitely sounds painful.  It sucks that you can't really train a dog seasonally, but I guess it would help if he spoke English or I spoke dog :-\\
probably the snow getting stuck in the hair inbetween his toes, and it pulling the hair skin and all, more so than frostbite.  If there are long hairs, take scissors and trim it out.  There are all sorts of xsmall booties on the market, google or go to a "pampered" pooch boutique :P.  Then you get to train your dog to walk in booties :-\\

probably the snow getting stuck in the hair inbetween his toes, and it pulling the hair skin and all, more so than frostbite.  If there are long hairs, take scissors and trim it out.  There are all sorts of xsmall booties on the market, google or go to a "pampered" pooch boutique :P.  Then you get to train your dog to walk in booties :-\\


I just remembered that when it first got supercold this year, the dog would pee all kinds in the stairwell on the inside of the building.  Jess thought it was because other dogs were also peeing in the stairwell and it turned out that was the case.  That's technically still INSIDE, right?  So he can be trained to go inside...hmmm.

I'll have to think about this more.

I just remembered that when it first got supercold this year, the dog would pee all kinds in the stairwell on the inside of the building.  Jess thought it was because other dogs were also peeing in the stairwell and it turned out that was the case.  That's technically still INSIDE, right?  So he can be trained to go inside...hmmm.

I'll have to think about this more.
like I said first - take your paper or litter box to the nearest fire hydrant and leave it.........

Every dog will pee on it, problem solved ::)

like I said first - take your paper or litter box to the nearest fire hydrant and leave it.........

Every dog will pee on it, problem solved ::)


You really think that'll work?  :o

If it does work, you are a genius and I send virtual hugz.

You really think that'll work?  :o

If it does work, you are a genius and I send virtual hugz.
I just know dogs have a dominance thing, they like to go where other dogs go.  Mark their territory and such - why dogs go beside a fire hydrant, telephone pole, light pole, dumpster etc......  Popular public bathroom....


If you can make your room, box, paper a popular bathroom you may have a chance :o

like I said first - take your paper or litter box to the nearest fire hydrant and leave it.........

Every dog will pee on it, problem solved ::)
Sorry I thought I had already said this, in some smart alek sort of way, but after reviewing, it must have been one of those posts that I thought needed to be forgotten.....

:-[