Niceties for pets

[ImaginaryBloke]

What have you ever done to treat/save/pamper your pet? Did you go for extremes or did you go for the budget option? Tell us your story.

[video=youtube;s6ZR3um4q20]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ZR3um4q20[/video]

 

[Flavus Aquila]

I take the quid pro quo approach with the local cat.

I'll give her the roast chicken portions she desires, in exchange for her walking upright on two paws.

I don't subscribe to buying toys for animals, because they don't have the imagination to exercise, like a child would. The cat here would be equally pleased with an empty carton, as she would be with a $500 cat-castle.

Pet toys are for pet owners, not for the pets per se.

Edit.
I think variety in toys and games is a factor with cats. I've noticed, that the local cat will play with an old shoelace for a week, then ignore it. The old toy then gets thrown out, and something else becomes the new best thing.

 

[acd]

I used to buy sweaters for my dog. Not expensive ones though. I found a few Cosby-esque dog sweaters at a yard sale. Basically I dressed my dog up in old man sweaters during the winter months.
But I do buy expensive grain free food and make my dog eggs with coconut oil... and buy fancy organic dog shampoo. Cuz dangit, he deserves it!

 

[PintoBean]

My dog who recently passed away lived about 3 years after being diagnosed with renal disease and cushing's disease. I was told not to expect much time with him, but he had good quality of life for 3 more years because I paid for the best dog cushing's med on the market, which was about $1.00/day. This was the easy part though. He started to lose his appetite too. He rejected all the prescription renal diets and got so thin. I finally consulted a pet nutritionist who does the "menu" for the animals at a major zoo. She created a renal diet for my dog that involved me cooking food to last 2.5 days. Dog liked the food. But not on the second day. So I had to cook each day. And I did this for about 2 years. Everyday, got up and mashed vitamins and boiled rice and vegs with meat cooked ever so carefully to maintain tenderness and flavor. And after he passed I have hardly wanted to cook at all because being in the kitchen became so intimately associated with my memories of taking care of him.

 

[CindyLou]

I spoil my dog by some standards. I buy the best food, he gets blueberry pedicures and facials, and I buy him the best shampoos in between his once a month grooming/spa treatments lololol. He has clothes, but I don't put him in them that much so they're pretty cheap and off amazon. I don't buy a lot of toys though, I just let him chew old kid toys... but maybe that's why he's chewed through two magsafe chargers this month.

I don't make his food at home. Those who make all their pups food at home is what I consider spoiling. I just don't have time (or desire) to do that.

EDIT: I wrote this before I saw the above post

 

[Flavus Aquila]

I used to buy sweaters for my dog. Not expensive ones though. I found a few Cosby-esque dog sweaters at a yard sale. Basically I dressed my dog up in old man sweaters during the winter months.
But I do buy expensive grain free food and make my dog eggs with coconut oil... and buy fancy organic dog shampoo. Cuz dangit, he deserves it!

When your dog was wearing the Cosby outfit, did you ever wake up to find him trying to rape your leg?

 

[Skarekrow]

My dog who recently passed away lived about 3 years after being diagnosed with renal disease and cushing's disease. I was told not to expect much time with him, but he had good quality of life for 3 more years because I paid for the best dog cushing's med on the market, which was about $1.00/day. This was the easy part though. He started to lose his appetite too. He rejected all the prescription renal diets. I finally consulted a pet nutritionist who does the "menu" for the animals at a major zoo. She created a diet for my dog that involved me cooking food to last 2.5 days. Dog liked the food. But not on the second day. So I had to cook each day. And I did this for about 2 years. Everyday, got up and mashed vitamins and boiled rice and vegs with meat cooked every so carefully to maintain tenderness and flavor. And after he passed I hardly wanted to cook at all because being in the kitchen became so intimately associated with my memories of taking care of him.

What a lucky dog he was/is.

Don’t ever doubt for a second that you were awesome Mom to your dog

 

[Asa]

[MENTION=14189]ImaginaryBloke[/MENTION] - great thread.

 

[dang]

I used to give my pet lizards worms and crickets. I was allergic to animal hair.

 

[PintoBean]

I used to give my pet lizards worms and crickets. I was allergic to animal hair.

All animal hair, or just animal fur? There's a difference. My dogs are "hypoallergenic" for example, meaning they have hair (like a human does), not fur (which sheds). People are more often allergic to animal dander, not hair, though they are often allergic to fur. Also, you could always get one of these_ I'd strongly consider it myself if all animals with hair/fur were not options:

 

[dang]

All animal hair, or just animal fur? There's a difference. My dogs are "hypoallergenic" for example, meaning they have hair (like a human does), not fur (which sheds). People are more often allergic to animal dander, not hair, though they are often allergic to fur. Also, you could always get one of these_ I'd strongly consider it myself if all animals with hair/fur were not options:

I no longer am allergic to animal hair nor do I have asthma anymore. I don't know what that thing is, and I don't want one either. Thanks for nothing.

 

[CindyLou]

My dogs are "hypoallergenic" for example, meaning they have hair (like a human does), not fur (which sheds).

This! Mine is too. I can actually wear black. It's amazing

 

[arbygil]

Lol! I'm still laughing at the Spinx cat. It depends if you're allergic to the dander, or the saliva. I'm allergic to cat saliva, so it doesn't matter how bald they are. Getting shots to minimize the reactions help, though.

Anyway, I don't dress my chihuahua in any fancy sweaters, but she does eat better than I do (raw and grain free diet).

 

[invisible]

I live with my mother and a cat and I have my study set up to share with the cat. There's a built in wardrobe with sliding doors, and I keep the door open at one end, with a hall stand that gives her a step up from my desk to the top shelf of the wardrobe, where I have a sleeping bag for her. On the other side of my desk I have a cat tree she sits on and she can use it as a step up to get on top of the bookcase.

Not sure what other people think of my set up. It is annoying to share my study with the cat and there are many times when I wish I did not. But giving the cat a place to go that sort of belongs to her has made our family life easier.

I also have a couple of those sticks with elastic ropes with beeping plushies on the end, and I have a kick toy for her. I am always thinking that I really need to make more time to play with her but I am always busy and tired, I just try to play with her when she seems to want to play. I also have a completely excellent quality scratching pole downstairs.

My mother takes care of the treats and that kind of thing. The cat is more attached to me so it's better for my mother to do treats, besides which, I am impatient with feeding the cat treats.

I also am allergic to cats and it's not really convenient for me to live with cats, and I personally don't believe in keeping pet animals - at least for my self. But this is the way that our family life is, and the cat is a member of the family, so I make the best of it.

 

[Bellosome]

i used to have a dog. she was just a stray one who i just adopted from the street. i treated her like she's human (often times i think she is though haha) i starve myself just to buy her good meat and food, i cook for her (she likes it medium rare), i even sew her clothes. she's really spoiled to a point where people would question whether she's a dog or human pretending to be a dog. she lasted 15 years and only died because of old age. she just didn't wake up one day. after that, i don't feel like having another one.