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only thing about rabbits…..besides rapid reproduction is that they can live up to 25 yrs….so if you get a bunny be ready to have them a long long time…..
last one we had lived for 21 yrs…but he was really really fat…hehe….
littleironhorse, I have a 75 lb rottie/aussie shepherd mix that is like yours. I finally talked to the vet and got her anxiety meds, and give her 1/2 a pill if the weather is going to be really nasty. She doesn’t even like rain, but it’s really kind of nice to have the pills on hand for big storms. Mine likes to hide in our mud room…
And the bunnies are adorable!!
nessiemom wrote:littleironhorse, I have a 75 lb rottie/aussie shepherd mix that is like yours. I finally talked to the vet and got her anxiety meds, and give her 1/2 a pill if the weather is going to be really nasty. She doesn’t even like rain, but it’s really kind of nice to have the pills on hand for big storms. Mine likes to hide in our mud room…
And the bunnies are adorable!!
I talked to the vet and got those anxiety pills a few years ago, but they just made her sick to her stomach and had no effect on the anxiety.
What I currently do is, when she gets really bad, I lock her into the bathroom. WAIT! WAIT! Before you crucify me: It’s the only thing that will allow her to calm down! And I already feel bad enough about it. It only works when she’s really terrified though… If she’s just feeling nervous, she sticks to me like glue and will scratch a hole through the door to get to me. But if she’s really scared, she’ll actually get in there on her own and I’ll just close the door. 30 to 90 minutes later I’ll let her out and she’ll be all better, just a little bit on edge. It’s only thunderstorms that do that to her luckily.
cats can live for 20 or more some times if taken care of correctly
BTW Drag0n how is your kitty doing??
I certainly wouldn’t be the one crucifying… Dogs are den animals, and usually they feel comfortable in small, enclosed places (and I have been well educated by my best friend, the vet!). If it calms them down, I’m all for it! Anyone owning a 70-75 lb mass of quivering, terrorized muscle would be.
Have you tried Rescue Remedy by Bach’s? Some shelters use it for incoming animals. It’s flower essences, and is human grade. I use it for my cat when I have to take him to the vet, and it helps a bunch! It doesn’t seem to work so well with Rosie, but it may be worth a try…
Hummm, I don’t know. It’s not that big a problem since we don’t often have thunderstorms… rain yes! Lots and lots of rain! But rain doesn’t scare her. I will check it out though, see if it’s available here, you never know. Thanks!
My cats had thunder phobia. If I knew a storm was coming in I would use (I can’t remember what it’s called) anyways I think it might have been Rescue Remedy. Maybe. It’s a liquid that you put in their waterbowls. Do you have a pet food store around you that specializes in Natural food? If you do than more than likely they will have something for calming. Anyways my cats were cured of thunder phobia within a week. (Lots of storms that summer) And it also worked wonders on their seperation anxiety. If you leave thunder phobia alone it will get worse after every storm. So I’ve heard.
Either that or a health food market might have it, because some people use it for stress. And you don’t have to dilute it, you can give it straight out of the bottle, which is what I do with Kamikaze…
Romeodanny wrote:My cats had thunder phobia. If I knew a storm was coming in I would use (I can’t remember what it’s called) anyways I think it might have been Rescue Remedy. Maybe. It’s a liquid that you put in their waterbowls. Do you have a pet food store around you that specializes in Natural food? If you do than more than likely they will have something for calming. Anyways my cats were cured of thunder phobia within a week. (Lots of storms that summer) And it also worked wonders on their seperation anxiety. If you leave thunder phobia alone it will get worse after every storm. So I’ve heard.
I don’t know about that… She has actually gotten better over time. I think that I’m the one who caused her phobia in the first place: When I got her and the first time she got scared during a thunderstorm, I held her and petted her a lot and made soothing noises. I later read in some dog behaviour books that when you try to reassure your dog if it’s scared, it helps firm their belief that there is indeed something to be scared of. If you just behave like nothings the matter, they figure out there is no danger and stop reacting over time. Which I should have thought about because it’s exactly the same with horses: when they are scared of something, you, as the handler or rider, should act like there is absolutely nothing to be scared of and it helps calm them. But I just never though of applying horse soothing techniques to a dog. Anyway, I’ve since been trying to behave naturally when we have a thunderstorm and she has improved a lot over time.
You’re right. I was afraid of Thunderstorms and my cats soon developed the fear as well. I had to get over my own fear first. I just helped it along with the remedy. And you can help them over it without giving them anything. As long as you don’t encourage the fear it will go away. Most people will say “But, I have to hold him or her and help him or her over it.” It was very hard to get people to realize that they encourage the dog to be afraid. That’s why it gets worse after every storm. If you are afraid of your animals fear the animal picks it up and it just gets worse and worse. I’m not a trainer but, working in a pet field for many years and owning cats and dogs for most of my life. Well, sometimes I actually know what I’m talking about.
Rosie had her phobia when I got her. She was severely neglected, and had spent the first year and a half of her life chained to a tree stump with no food, water or shelter, 24 – 7, 365. Wish I could get her over her fear, but *shrug* we don’t have storms too often, and the anxiety meds help. Wouldn’t normally do that, but we tried almost everything else…
nessiemom wrote:Rosie had her phobia when I got her. She was severely neglected, and had spent the first year and a half of her life chained to a tree stump with no food, water or shelter, 24 – 7, 365. Wish I could get her over her fear, but *shrug* we don’t have storms too often, and the anxiety meds help. Wouldn’t normally do that, but we tried almost everything else…
I really dislike owners who neglect their pets. Its so very sad. My dogs are scared of fireworks, but they only happen 2 or 3 times a year, and its only for about the 1st 15 minutes.
Yeah. The girls don’t like fireworks either, but since they don’t last long, they do ok. And believe me, I wouldn’t mind taking a blunt object to Rosie’s former humans. What scares me, is they neglected her so bad, and then had a baby. I feel sorry for the poor kid…
Gawd- I despise people who refuse to take care of their animals!! I hate them!! My husband had some friends that found a wolf hybrid that was OBVIOUSLY someone’s pet, they hid her away in a 6’x6′ chain link enclosure in their backyard (because their backyard wasn’t fenced in) and then proceeded to take piss-poor care of the dog, barely enough food, water, never got exercise or love, they just didn’t care. AND they deprived a LOVING OWNER of their dog (the dog was in great condition when they got her)!! Then one day the dog “disappeared” from the fences in area..and the puppy- who they also kept in that tiny enclosure also “disappeared” not too long after. I think either a) someone saw the neglect and stole the animals- I’m ok with that or b) the guy took the dogs to the pound (that would just infuriate me if I knew!)
I sometimes think that you should have to pass a test or take a course or something to be allowed to own a pet. So many people look at animals like they are disposable toys. It they get to be too much trouble they just get rid of it. People really need to realise that when they adopt a dog or a cat they are entering into a 15-20 sometimes 25 year contract! And some birds and reptiles can equal a human lifespan!
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