Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I am soo envious of your studio!! It looks perfect! Looking at your creations makes me miss making my own but.... I'm too busy with my real animals between having 6 cats and one male picking fights, giving meds and taking the senior ones to vet appointments, plus the 2 dogs and taking them for walks and all I do is clean animal hair in my spare time! You do amazing work Krista!!

Oh no!! I'll try contacting the previous owners again so they can tell me her history with heat cycles

Oh yes she will be spayed! no later than February, I refuse to ever have a female dog be in heat again, lol

The past couple of days I'm noticing they play more, there's not much or any resource guarding anymore but when they play Roxie constantly mounts Dakota and dakota doesn't mind sometimes but gets tired of it and then she will bark and snap so Roxie leaves her alone. Roxie is trying to mount EVERYTHING since being in heat and I think sometimes Dakota thinks she's trying to mount her for dominance. This is the only time in the past couple of days when there's some snapping/growling/ barks. I'm thinking the majority of the problem right now is Roxie being in heat? Thoughts?

They both know that "enough, I mean it" voice. They both listen better than the big male cat I have that bullies all the other cats and likes to strut around and he doesn't take nothing from the dogs either. I'm going to wait a month or so and then get her spayed, let her settle in some more. She didn't have an accident on the floor this morning so that's good! Well I better get outside and shovel in this freezing weather....

well I seem to be on the right track then, they all eat in the kitchen (including the cats) they have their space and NO ONE is allowed to take over anyone elses food, I supervise their feedings. I give them both the same amount of affection but if they bug me too much I ignore them. Dakota has always slept on the loveseat (if the cats let her) so I still let her, Roxie prefers the kitchen floor anyway. I walk both of them but if I go in the truck I only take Dakota so far cause Roxie is scared of truck rides. I have no problems being matter of fact and assertive in any bad behaviour, I just can't wait for the harmony to set in so I can relax more. I plan on getting more training in with both of them when things aren't quite so "new" anymore. I can't wait til Roxie's heat is over with! the whining she does at ALL the cats and Dakota is driving me nuts oh, and housebreaking is wonderful, hope she catches on soon!

Thanks gals I know Roxie get annoyed at Dakotas wild behaviour when she wants to play and that's anytime anywhere but when Roxie is in the mood to play then she's fairly good (except when she decides to get cranky for whatever reason) I'm having a hard time telling which one wants the dominant roll, they follow me around and are content and relaxed when I am I do notice that Roxie can be more reserved and really wants that companionship with people.

We are going to for sure! I really want to keep this girl so she can have a good home for the rest of her life

Hello everyone! I rescued Dakotas mother (unspayed female bernese) it's a long story! It has been 10 days today since she got here and the first night she was here she started her heat cycle. They have been playing sometimes but snap and growl sometimes too. Dakotas mother  will be 7 years old in May so Dakota acts quite a bit immature more than her still. I'm finding Roxie (the new one) is moody and can play one second and get all scrappy the next, is this due to her being in heat? I correct the behaviour as soon as i see it. I hope these 2 will get along so I don't have to rehome Roxie and put even more stress on her. Advice please!! Here's a picture of them both, Roxie in the front and Dakota in the back

I like the pic of your dog I lost my last dog 5 years ago, sadly they have to leave us sometime but never prepared when it actually happens. There was no cat spray today! I.m trying to give Julius more pets and affection but it's so hard when he such a brat at times, lol. Thanks for everyones input in my naughty boy! Oh, by the way I bought another litter box so hopefully that will help with Julius

I lost everything i wrote about what you said! anyway, that's a pic of the oldest cat Kitty I'll post it again tomorrow

the thing about the blood is I don't know which cat is doing it. I know my one oldest female had crystals but she never goes in that bedroom. maybe I'll have to close most doors so they have to be around the main area more and then i can keep an eye out. the oldest male does need a check up to make sure everything is okay after his surgery. I dread taking him in because he pees all over himself in the crate.

Okay, right now I could probably list in order who ranks where but.. that would be a little much LOL, I'm the top "animal" or I'd like to think i am but KITTY the oldest male keeps them in line but he listens to me, actually they all do except for Julius and Julius wont even back down to any dog and he's a big boy at 25 lbs or so (not fat just big) even Dakota (my Bernese in case some people don't know my dog) is in the lower ranking among this pack So how do I go about making Julius realize he's lower rank than me? I know how with a dog but cats?? their in it for themselves. I have never had a difficult cat before

Thanks I'm a little worried tonight, I found a couple of piddles of blood on the rug in the bedroom that wasn't there yesterday. It doesn't look like your normal piddle of pee with blood, it looks more like when they vomit if you know what I mean. Now i have to find out which one is doing that

It's a hard decision No puddles today so far. I'm torn, he is a very loveable cuddly cat but very dominating with the other cats. I used the advanced natures miracle and so far that has worked the best, but I know one thing for sure, I'm ripping out all these rugs and not putting anymore rugs in as long as we have that many animals. I'll see how things go.......

well I'm  thinking now it's the younger male marking over the older ones scent because the older one never urinated that much of a stream and the younger one is also trying to dominate the older male and he knows the older one is alpha out of all the cats in the house plus the dog. Between cat pee and dog hair i think I may lose it! and I know how hard it is to get that smell out if it's even possible. I have 4 females and the 2 males and by far the males are more of a problem. Julius the younger male always wants attention, bullies all the cats and won't let my one female leave the litter box without chasing her. I have 4 litter boxes but they seem to only want to use the one on the main floor so maybe Ill add another one on the main floor and see if that helps any. I'll try those diffusers too.

I have new information!! I just caught my 3 year old fixed male doing it! He must of just started. He's probably the one leaving pools of it! I noticed the past couple of months he's been acting different, like claiming us or something strange and being a bully to all the cats. Not another sprayer!!! I have to talk to the vet

He's always sprayed and I've excepted that but I don't know why after his surgery at the vet he is doing it alot and alot more of it! I know he could of been stressed afterwards for awhile but it's been about a month now. he's acting fine but I would hate to find him another home which would have to be outdoors and i don't think he would survive a winter outside anymore plus he has arthritis too. He's outside most of the day and he seems to be doing it at night when he comes in. I'm so distraught over this

He is spraying-urinating on everything!! He has always been a sprayer but now it's ridiculous! I caught him in the act last night and yelled at him and this morning I woke up to urine all over my cupboard, a huge pool of it and then on top of the table. He had surgery almost a month ago (benign tumors on his head and 2 teeth pulled) and since then it's crazy. He's 13 years old and is doing it worse after the vet visit more now than ever. Do those feline diffusers help??? other than that he is eating and acting normal and spunky oh and yes he's been fixed for years

please post some pics!

Of course I remember you and thank you for the compliment on my pup

I haven't made any critters since November I think!! I do some grooming sometimes but other than that I haven't been very ambitious I'm getting the itch a little bit again  to make something so maybe by the Fall

Yes, she is a Bernese I haven't heard of many that like to catch a frisbee and when it comes to retrieving, haven't heard of many that do that either. Dakota will play with her squeaky ball and the odd time will bring the frisbee back but not very often. She doesn't care for swimming in water either. I think what would make these dogs happiest is being on a farm doing work, after all they are a farm dog but since she's stuck with me she likes the best to go everywhere I go, walks, and socializing with lots of people, kids and dogs and running off leash. One thing I never have to worry about is her taking off and going very far from home, she has to keep me in her sight and is fairly territorial. These dogs get very attached to their people.

Time does fly doesn't it! The Jack Russell I saw was 5 years old but maybe not being neutered had something to do with it, all he wanted was Dakota and that was quite the sight!!! :crackup: I was hoping the magic number of 2 years was going to settlle her down but........ she isn't active and nutty all day, just get these bursts of energy and being a big dog she has to watch for people that are in her way!