Jordi44

Years ago, I had a Sheltie that barely made it 5 minutes before he was gagging. He drooled, gagged, barfed, you name it - very nervous type guy. I used Dramamine (just like you get at the drug store for people), but don't remember the dosage. Ask your vet about it - not sure if it matters how old they are or not. You have to give it so long before you leave (ideally), too, but don't remember - been over 10 years, and I'm doing good to remember 5 minutes ago (I've been feeding 6 orphan kittens from day one for over a week and am very sleep deprived). Dramamine helped Sable, but wasn't a cure-all. Not sure what it'd do for one that doesn't get sick until well into the trip. Maybe it's the driver (or roads)? We had that joke in my family - my parents had a Sheltie (brother to mine that got sick) and he would lose it on long trips when my dad drove (I've ridden with him many times - his driving could make anyone lose it). Good luck. It might get better with time and more trips, too.

Someone has 2 liver/brown and white BC's listed for a friend on the Poultry buy/sell/trade board. They are free to good home(s). If interested go to: http://p072.ezboard.com/fbackyardchickensfrm12?page=1 topic is: OT in OH: 2 Border Collies Free to Good Home Think one was 9 months old and good with kids; other was 2(?) and not good with kids. They're in OH. Wish I could take one, but already have 4. Looks like a good deal for someone - especially since the browns are harder to find (if you're into color).

Looks like it - looks so sad. Wish I could take him in - but just can't. In fact, if this cold doesn't break soon, I might. Our collie and my daughter's little tyrantess are bickering non-stop (collie is normally outside). Think we're all getting a bit stir-crazy and over-crowded.

Hi Just saw on the news "Pet of the Day" segment a beautiful black and white "collie". It was marked like a BC, had longer hair and nose like a Lassie type collie. He was gorgeous - so if anyone looking for one, please help - think it was male. Said he was 7 months old and very laid back. Had the long, straight nose of a collie. Looked exactly like one of our BC/collie crosses we've had - and they are nice dogs. Located - Fort Wayne, IN at Animal Control was put on "Pet of the Day" on Feb. 5. Wish we could have another, but already have 4 - and they're driving me nuts. Everyone is coming unglued with cabin fever around here - today's high is calling for 1 or 2 degrees above 0. Not supposed to get that cold here - or hasn't in decades. At least it isn't muddy any more, but sure hope those old girls can hold on until it warms up before having their lambs.

First of all, I've long since given up trying to figure out why a BC does what it does - goes for people, too. Could it be, she's going to the low spot so she doesn't see you throw it for Ari? Or just something she likes about that spot maybe? The answer is probably something so simple that none of us would ever think of it and has absolutely nothing to do with playing ball, life, or the universe in general. Just be thankful they take turns.

Good luck. I would think if the whole place was a mess -dirty cages and all - that the humane shelter or someone could do something - at least give a warning. I also think the shop/owner, as well as any buyer (if it was for sale),has to have a license/permit to have the croc. Not positive on that, but an awful lot of the exotic stuff requires permits of some type now. Good luck - hope you can at least get it cleaned up. Hopefully they won't be able to stay in business long if they're bad enough - especially if there are reputable, cleaner places to find pets/supplies.

I always thought that the only plant a cat didn't like was the one it could or was supposed to be in.

I don't know - my gang has been extremely strange - even for them lately. I'm about ready to scream - and then the cats join in. Not to mention having a husband and kid home too for two weeks. AAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGG! And it's not even a full moon.

Hang in there and never underestimate a cat. I've seen them come through some horrible things that would have killed a person right then and there. Keep us posted - we'll be thinking of you.

Just remember that horses are like dogs - just because someone owns one doesn't mean they know anything about them.

This was sent to me by a horsey friend - but thought it applies to all animals and animal people. Kind of long - but truthfully funny. Your Horses are on Fire! By Baron Tayler, Originally published in Anvil Magazine in 1993. Much as I love shoeing horses, my business interests have led me to design, patent, and manufacture machinery for farmers who work with draft animals. Since the farmers and teamsters who use my machine work with draft animals almost exclusively, I acquired a few Percherons. They're the kindest, gentlest, most easygoing creatures on the earth, but owning them created a problem for me. I had only ten acres of pasture; that's a little more than three acres a horse-hardly enough to feed three 1800-pound horses year round without haying. Luckily, a nearby farmer has a large pasture that he hasn't used since he retired. I moseyed over and asked if I could use the pasture for the Percherons during the winter when I'd run out of grass. You should have seen his cataract-clouded eyes light up! He told me he'd just turned 91 years old and had mourned the day he had sold his last team and converted to tractors. Yes, he said, he'd love to have the horses in his pasture. October rolled around, and the horses finally ate the last stalk of grass in their field. I walked them down the rod and let them into the large pasture which was knee deep in lush forage. They were in horsy heaven. January arrived, and the horses had grown long, thick winter coats. The weather had been cold, but little in the way of snow. The field had a clump of trees in the middle and when it snowed, the horses snuggled up under a huge pine and slept. With the first big snow came trouble. I was sitting at the breakfast table when the phone rang. It was a lady who lived in a house next to the pasture. She wanted to know if I owned the big horses. I told her that I did and asked her if there was something wrong. "The horses have no building to go into to get out of the snow," she said. I explained that they had a big tree to stand under, and that their dense coat was an excellent insulator. I assured her that the horses were quite comfortable. Semi-satisfied, she let me return to breakfast. The following day the woman called back, and in a firm voice told me she was sure the horses were cold. I asked her how she knew this. "Because they look cold," she replied. "And in what way do they look cold?" I countered. Silence. Not a word for 30 seconds. Finally, she said, "I just know they're cold!" "Okay," I replied, "Why don't you meet me in the pasture in five minutes and, if the horses are cold, I'll take them into a barn." She agreed. We met five minutes later. "Will they hurt me?: she asked. "Do they kick or bite?" It started to dawn on me that this woman was a busybody do-gooder who knew absolutely nothing about horses. With time on her hands, she probably decided that my horses needed rescuing and appointed herself their savior. As soon as we entered the pasture, the horses trotted over looking for attention. Three 1800-pound "puppy dogs." After she watched me pet them for a few minutes I asked her if they looked cold. "Well, no," she replied, "but it's hard to tell with all the hair." "Why don't you put your hand on one and see if it feels cold to the touch?" I asked. It was obvious she had never touched a horse before. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched one. "Well, she said, "I have to admit that they do feel warm but I still wish they had a barn to go into." Just then one of the horses dropped a big, steaming pile of manure on the snow. She stood looking at it, quite puzzled. "What's wrong?" I asked. No reply at first. Then she said, "Why isn't the horse standing in the pile?" "Why would he do that" I asked. "Because it would keep his feet warm," she replied. That snapped it! I was trying to talk logically with a certified nut case! I left her standing in the field. The snow melted a few days later, and I hear nothing more. Then another storm hit that promised to be a keeper. With the temperature staying well below freezing, I knew the snow wouldn't melt for a while, which meant I had to start feeding bales of hay until the snow was gone. Since my daytime schedule was hectic, I found it easier to feed at night, usually around midnight. Two days after the snow had stopped falling, the old farmer called me. He said the woman was bothering him again, claiming the horses were not being fed. I assured him they were and told him of my nightly ritual. The local animal protection society called the next day, explaining they received a report that I was starving my horses. I invited one of their inspectors to come out and see for himself. When the inspector arrived, I showed him the hay scattered over the field and explained my feeding schedule. I told him about the woman who believed horses should stand in their manure. I asked him to confirm my nightly feedings with a neighbor who had seen me feeding the horses. He did and was satisfied that the woman was, in his own worlds, a "Looney Tune." A few weeks went by and along came another dusting of snow. The temperature hovered just around freezing, the snow melting as it hit the ground. The local animal control officer called. He was laughing so hard it was difficult to understand him. "Could I come over?" He asked. Fifteen minutes later he arrived, still laughing. His face was as red as a beet! I thought he was going to have a coronary on the spot. Finally, calmed down to a mild chuckle, he told me that a woman had reported my horses were on fire! The officer apologized for the inconvenience of his visit, but it was office policy to investigate each complaint. I was too busy laughing to even notice. Regaining control of myself, I climbed into the officer's truck, and off we went to check on my "roasting" horses. When we arrived at the field, the sun was just starting to break through the clouds. Three gorgeous Percherons were standing there, contentedly munching on grass. Thick columns of steam rose off them as evaporated moisture in their coats condensed in the cold air. The officer and I were awed by the beauty of it, but soon the spell was broken. We both stated chuckling again, almost rolling on the ground. "Your horses are on fire!" the officer roared. I never heard from the animal control people again. However, the woman continued pestering the old farmer with a myriad of odd ball complaints. I felt so sorry for him that I took the horses back to my place a month before I'd planned to. The farmer was sad to see them go. He still enjoys telling the story about those horses that were on fire.

Gee, stop by we have kittens about 3-4 weeks old plus some older ones. Long drive for a kitten, though. I agree - check out your vet office. Even if they don't have one, they might know of one that needs a good home. I used to work for a vet office that would take kittens (a few occasionally), feleuk test them, vax, and find them homes. We charged a small fee - didn't even cover the cost of the test and vax, but it was cheaper than the shelter and got a nice kitten into a good home. Around here, there are "private" shelters - people that take cats in and find them homes - often feleuk tested and/or vaccinated. I ran into the same thing when my daughter wanted a small, female dog (she was 4 at the time). She'd always been around animals of all types, but the small dog rescue groups anywhere at all near us had a strict NO KIDS UNDER a certain age rule - think it was at least 9 or 10. I see their point, but it is frustrating if you have kids, dogs, whatever. I suppose it's easier than trying to decide if this kid is ok or not - and saves arguments about why this kid/home is acceptable when another isn't. Good luck - there's the perfect kitty waiting for you. If you're not against "paying" for a kitten, my daughter got a Ragdoll kitten (6 months old at the time) this fall - that cat is unbelievable. She follows my daughter around, comes running when she calls (daugter calls - not cat), calls for my daughter when she can't find her - I hate to say this - but more like the perfect dog than a cat. I'd been told they're wonderful, but wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I don't know if there are specific cat breed rescues like dogs, but Ragdolls are not your ordinary cat - although I've cried many tears over "barn cats" when we lost them.

I had a cat once with FIP. I know how tough it is to watch them struggling to breathe. Dolly would literally turn blue and collapse. There's nothing worse than not being able to help. Don't give up hope on her. Cats really are amazing. While you're so worried about her, she's probably worried about you. If she makes it through this spell, is there anything the vet can do for her? Hoping you both come through this ok. Hang tough and keep us posted.

Right or wrong, I can tell you it's shows up very readily. I once bred my female Sheltie to a beautiful blue merle male. Unfortunately, what I didn't know was that he was a monorchid (until after the pups were born). She had 5 males and at least 2 of them were either monorchids or cryptorchids - been several years ago and I don't remember exactly. (By the way, don't think asking the owner of a potential stud if he is a monorchid is a silly question - what may be obvious to you isn't to all people. This wasn't a "breeder" so she didn't think there was any problem with breeding this dog.) So if you are an absolute purest, you probably shouldn't breed him; if the dog is absolutely fabulous in every other way (particulary since we're talking about a working breed vs. a conformation breed), I'd say it'd be worth thinking about.

This must circulate about once or twice a year because I've seen similar stories different places about that often - and always Swiffer for some reason. I've also always heard it's a hoax - although I can't imagine the stuff tastes very good or is something you'd want to consume much of - even if it isn't toxic.