@phatmass Actually they do have souls and if there's a heaven they deserve a place there more than most people I know. I don't however buy them presents.
@phatmass This was my first break with Christianity. I was about 7 and my Sunday School teacher told us that animals don't go to heaven. "Then I'm not going there either." I declared, since anyplace without animals sounds like hell to me. The teacher was shocked, called in the pastor, they argued with me for a while but I would not back down. It was the beginning of the end for my adherence to mainstream religious thought. But on a lighter note, this Church Sign War is a hoax but I have always thought it was hilarious: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2228641/posts
@moondrake this is one of those topics that, IMO, gets far too easily glossed over & put in a box. It's easy to joke about animals having no soul, but it is actually perfectly acceptable to believe that our pets will be waiting for us as part of the joys of heaven, the Church just teaches that they don't go to heaven the same way people do. But yeah, not trying to turn this thread into a huge theological discussion. I love those sign war photos, I crack up every time I see them
@Kleineleh I've just seen too much evidence to the contrary to buy into the idea that we have some spark that they are lacking. If anything, it is we that fall short of divinity. But setting any theological discussion aside, I am just not willing to spend eternity anyplace void of bird song and puppy love.
@phatmass Well, the word translated "soul" in Hebrew means something more like "life," so living animals necessarily have soul. The rest of the speculation about "souls" and heaven (and most of the rest of theology) is mostly just that--and arbitrary dogma and other bullshit. I consider myself Jesusoid and I even revere the Christian bible to an extent, but theology is, um, for the dogs . . . er um, pigs . . . locusts? mosquitoes?
@allhaters What I meant to say is that pets do not have immortal souls and will not go to heaven just because. Anybody who places the importance of the most noble animal above the importance of the lowliest human being is just not right. Also, if your idea of heaven is seeing your pet up there then I guess it's completely possible God will totally hook you up with that. It's heaven after all.
@moondrake@Thumperchick Just be sure you read what he actually said. In context. And not what other people say he said. A lot of his statements have been misconstrued.
Our pets this year got new Drinkwell fountains, 2 cat trees, treats and toys and a heated bed, either in use this month or still wrapped up. Who would buy gifts for people? People are Aholes.
@joelmw Oh, I was not confused. It was a play on words, Joel. Chickens. Proselytizing. Little tracts in their beaks. ChickTracts. Were you also confused about why I would invite them in for dinner? ;-D
@rockblossom I did get the proselytizing. I'm man enough to admit that I somehow missed the "chick" bit. In my defense, when I was growing up, other than those yellow Four Spiritual Laws bastards, a tract was a Chick tract, so the brand name is almost not there, if ya know what I mean. And, yes, I am amused. :-D However, I stand by my posts, because, dude, the irony of a Witness handing out a Chick tract is just a little much. I got the dinner bit, because, duh, we'd love to have you for dinner. And while I may come across as a little weird and wordy, I mean most of what I say in the spirit of levity and lightness. And I disappoint me, because I love the word play. Sigh.
@dashcloud That looks delightful. :-D I kinda regret that I never got into RPG. It was more a lack of time than anything else. And, ironically, some of my best friends at the pentecostal Christian (and yet) liberal arts college where I got my degree were avid D&Ders. And still a lot of the Christians I respect are paradoxically from conservative Evangelical traditions but are also good with the RPG.
@dashcloud And I have to say, having just read this review at The Mary Sue (I site I know from my RPG-loving nephew), I wholeheartedly agree that their approach was the right one. Indeed, for most of my adult life, I've found conservative theological and political expression to be nearly indistinguishable from parody. :-D http://www.themarysue.com/dark-dungeons-movie-review/
My Siamese cat is Buddhist, she cares not for material things. She won't lay on pet beds or play with toys and even turns her nose up at treats. My dog, on the other hand, is a true Capitalist. The more things he has, the happier he is. When we are having the ritual gift unwrapping at my place, Simba has to get a number of gifts similar to everyone else or he gets all hurt and goes and lays down in another room all alone. I signed him up for monthly Petplan boxes and have been stockpiling them so he has a lot of treats and toys waiting under the tree. But his favorite gift every year is a new bed, and his current beds are all in good condition so I am not planning to get him one. Hope he isn't disappointed.
@moondrake I have 4 dogs. One of them is crazy smart. I have tested his counting ability. He can count up to about 5. He also knows the difference between sport socks and dress socks. When he hears me changing clothes he comes in the room and stares at me. If I put on hiking socks or shorts he goes ape. If I put on regular socks he leaves. He also clearly understands at least 50 distinct words that we know of. When he learned "dog park" we started saying "D-O-G P-A-R-K" now he knows that too. Not saying he can spell, but he figured out that those 7 sounds mean...
@Headly Yeah, Simba's similar. He knows quite a few words, the most amusing of which is "Where's Uncle Bob?", my best friend. If I ask him where's Bob, he starts looking around for him. He also knows the difference between my walking shoes and the tennies I wear to go shopping or to the movies, and which clothes I usually wear for walking versus lounging.
@moondrake@Headly My cat learned 'kitty treat'. We started calling them 'KTs'. Yep, she knows that too. She plays fetch, and knows 'bring it closer', 'not that way' and 'find your toy'. She's an evil little monster, but she's a CLEVER evil little monster.
@carl669 LOL. When I wrote my post I was thinking, "Too bad that cute photo of Simba eagerly watching everyone open Christmas presents is on my laptop at home."
@carl669 I have a lot of pictures of the cats, but not with decorations or presents or stuff like that. I do have a youtube video of Skipper running around the yard with a gopher. But that wasn't a present, he caught it himself.
@lisaviolet we do to. that's Dexter the prison dog. we got him from one of those programs where kids in juvenile detention train the dogs for 8 weeks and then adopt them out. very cool program.
I'm wondering why this poll was posted today? It has nothing to do with today's item. This should have been posted on Monday with the doggy deal. Just sayin.
@jsh139 I suspect this poll is in response to the number of people who commented on yesterdays item that they were in fact buying it as a Christmas present for someone's pooch.
My cat gets gifts from my sisters cat. Or at least a gift that my sister sends that has met with the approval of her cat. The card was kind of non-specific.
Our cats always have as many presents under the tree as we do, if not more. Of course, they're usually more interested in the boxes, paper and bows than the actual gifts...
Thanks for the invite, @carl669. Here is my cat. We call him, "buddy" and "boy." He is actually way more adorable than this. I am his favorite person on all of the planet, which is awesome.
You twisted my arm. Here are a couple I took last month. Sagwa has problems with his eyes, when he was a kitten, his original owner didn't take care of a respiratory infection the kitten had and his tear ducts are scarred so they don't work right.
@SSteve Thanks! She actually has some Chow in her. She has some black on her tongue and can definitely be stubborn. The rest is just best guess and we have heard golden retriever and German shepherd a lot!
I guess I've already posted my dog. On the poll, I've had dogs all my life, but never treated them like family until I met my wife. Her family goes all-in on the "pets are family, so they get presents".
It's cute and all, but my cat just immediately throws her presents under the couch where they fall into some kind of wormhole never to be seen again and my dog would rather play with the humans.
Yeah, my dog's totally spoiled! Dropping $5000 on his Christmas present this year!
Wait, a course of chemotherapy treatments is a totally legit Christmas present, right? Because that's all he's getting. I can't have him getting TOO spoiled, he's already kind of an asshole.
@lisaviolet We just got the lymphoma diagnosis last week and started the chemo on him yesterday. We'll see. He's lost a ton of weight in the past two weeks. The vet last week said he probably had 6 weeks left but referred us to an oncologist who said if we do their cutting edge therapy, we could potentially be looking at another full year with him. Breaking the bank, but he's worth it.
@amandasaurus Another year would be well worth the cost. The first cat in the pictures I posted kept having a urinary blockage a few years ago and we spent close to five grand on him that summer. He ended up having a perineal urethrostomy. When the specialty surgeon discussed it with us he told us "well, if his urethra isn't long enough, this won't work, you'll lose him". He's still here. Yeah, it's way worth it. I hope you have lots more time left than the year. Sometimes they surprise you.
@lisaviolet Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Just the thought that we could have a year with him after we were told 6 weeks has us pretty excited. He's only 5, he has too many good years ahead to leave us too soon!
@amandasaurus My last senior rescue, Topaz, cane to me with breast cancer. I got her the surgery, but the vet said it had metasticized and she had maybe two months. Two and a half years of health and happiness later, the cancer came roaring back and took her. But for more than two years the vet was astonished every time I brought her in for regular care.
@amandasaurus My best friend and his wife spent ~$7k on treatment for their cat's lymphoma. He lasted another seven or eight years. Here's hoping you have the same results.
@amandasaurus I had a cat with cancer and she lasted about 3 more years (in her case I did surgery twice, the second time it was clear it was too spread to do much good). Hopefully your dog will do well and he will have a good life after that with you for a good long time… Sad when our animals have health problems like this.
We do, because the toys and chewies keep the dogs occupied while we're opening gifts. It works out for everyone. The dog's worn out toys get replaced, we get half an hour without puppy noses on our stuff. This year, Loki got his gifts, then he got surgery and we'll just call his ability to walk a Christmas miracle.
And a pic of the face in the Cone of THIS IS BULLSHIT MOM, TAKE THE CONE OFF AND GET THE CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE.
Thor gets his stocking and to steal Loki's spot upstairs for a few months. Here is Thor, in his most graceful of poses:
@Thumperchick I've always wanted to have a husky just for the over-the-top personality. But it is too much hair and too little dog for me. I had a pair of cats named Thor and Loki as a kid. Loki turned out to be a girl, which confirmed him as a true trickster.
@moondrake The hair, it's nonstop, he's not even full blood or full coat. It's everywhere. Loki is the mischievous one, that's for sure. He can get doors open and loves to mess with people.
@Thumperchick Simba shed more than my previous 5 Great Danes combined. But their hair is like bristles. It will actually stick in your foot like a needle on occasion. So it doesn't stick to clothing as much, and more importantly, doesn't generate sneezing and respiratory issues like soft, fuzzy fur. Like many smooth-coated dogs, they were bred to do battle with a dangerous foe (European wild boar -- imagine a javeline weighing 600lbs and standing 4' at the shoulder) so their coats are for defense, not warmth. After the hunt they were supposed to lounge around the fire enjoying the leftovers.
@Thumperchick@moondrake I've wanted a wolf-dog ever since one came into my office about 4 years ago and I got to talk to her owner about having one. I was still in California at the time and owning a house with a yard, let alone a big one, was a laughable dream. Now that I'm in Texas I'm still holding out hope to have one someday, but I know they're crazy amounts of work. But still...IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!
@JonT Make sure to do your due diligence. Cross-breeds only one generation from wild are much less predictable than fully domesticated animals. They are beautiful animals and I know many make good pets, but you are still handling an animal that is quite close to wild. Another important consideration is that vaccines are for dogs, which are not geneticaly identical to wolves. When administered to a hybrid will be less effective at protecting both the animal's health and that of the humans he interacts with. This is also true of medical treatments if the animal should be injured or become ill. There are no rabies vaccines licensed for use with wolf-dog hybrids. Depending on where you live, this could present a serious legal problem.
@JonT If you're ever in the Adirondacks, there's a group of wildlife rehabilitators here that do own wolves and wolf hybrids, the do what they call a "wolf walk" where they put their 110+lb beasties on a leash and do about a mile walk while teaching you about wolves. The wolves are domesticated, but still wolves. They have 3 now, last time I went they had 2, the oldest of which kept trying to get me to play with him during the walk, by attempting to steal my engagement ring and rubbing his head under my hand. So freaking cool. Those guys really get frustrated with people having wolf hybrids, though. Mostly because people don't realize how much work, exercise , and meat they need to be healthy. Also, they will eat your house out of boredom or curiosity.
@Thumperchick I would totally go there and play with wolves. Like I said, I realize that they're an insane amount of work and realistically I might never have one but I'm not the kind of person that would get a pet without know what I was getting into first.
@JonT The most important thing is what happens if the animal bites. I'd love a pet skunk, but there isn't an accepted rabies vaccine for them, so if it bites someone, it will be destroyed. Doesn't matter if the bitten person was being an utter ass and totally deserved it. Absolutely terrible to consider.
@lisaviolet My mom had a couple of those on her ranch and they got into so much trouble and hurt themselves often enough that she gave them back to the breeder. They can get into anywhere and will eat anything.
@joelmw You know how people say "I wish s/he was my boyfriend/girlfriend?" I just wish people were my neighbors. I couldn't deal with the drama. Can you imagine a dragon and unicorn in the same house? The paparazzi? Meh.
@joelmw You might want to rethink that. You would have an endless stream of fair maidens in diaphanous gowns showing up to pet the unicorn, and an even longer stream of knights with lances showing up to rescue the maidens from the dragon. After a while, that could become damned annoying.
@lisaviolet Most people--including most of my family--I want to live at least the next town over. Or to understand that I don't want to see them every day. I want a few friends closeish, but I have to be able to escape them when necessary. I love people; I just don't want to deal with them on a daily basis. My wife I can spend all day with. No one else, really. I love my pets, but at least once a week when I'm dealing with the kitty litter or the hairballs or the hair, I ask myself, "Is this really worth it?" Yeah, I'm probably a horrible person.
@rockblossom I think I've addressed that, but, yes, you are correct. Besides which, what kind of space do you need for a unicorn, let alone a dragon? And what of the feeding and shit (ha, literally, but figuratively too). And now I'm thinking of these little cuties and what becomes of them (and I've only seen the series, not the books, so I don't know their ultimate fate yet). No, I want them to be my friends, but I want them to lie down and generally hang out elsewhere.
Dogs have 7 birthdays a year!
My cat died the day after christmas last year. I might get him something this year anyway.
@MrD3a7h A 10th life would have come in handy last year.. Oh Glen!
I don't have any pets, but I do buy gifts for my sister's dogs since they're pretty much her kids.
Pets do not have souls and will not go to heaven.
@phatmass Good News! According to St. Thomas Aquinas, you're only half wrong!
@phatmass ... So sayeth the man-god.
@Kleineleh Which half?
@phatmass It can't be heaven if my dogs aren't waiting there to greet me.
@phatmass Nor do humans.
@christinerenee The first half. St. Thomas Aquinas taught that all living things have a soul, it's just that humans have an immortal soul
@phatmass Actually they do have souls and if there's a heaven they deserve a place there more than most people I know. I don't however buy them presents.
@phatmass This was my first break with Christianity. I was about 7 and my Sunday School teacher told us that animals don't go to heaven. "Then I'm not going there either." I declared, since anyplace without animals sounds like hell to me. The teacher was shocked, called in the pastor, they argued with me for a while but I would not back down. It was the beginning of the end for my adherence to mainstream religious thought. But on a lighter note, this Church Sign War is a hoax but I have always thought it was hilarious: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2228641/posts
@moondrake this is one of those topics that, IMO, gets far too easily glossed over & put in a box. It's easy to joke about animals having no soul, but it is actually perfectly acceptable to believe that our pets will be waiting for us as part of the joys of heaven, the Church just teaches that they don't go to heaven the same way people do. But yeah, not trying to turn this thread into a huge theological discussion. I love those sign war photos, I crack up every time I see them
@Kleineleh I've just seen too much evidence to the contrary to buy into the idea that we have some spark that they are lacking. If anything, it is we that fall short of divinity. But setting any theological discussion aside, I am just not willing to spend eternity anyplace void of bird song and puppy love.
@moondrake I'm with you there, it's so hard to imagine calling a place "heaven" with no animals :)
@phatmass Well, the word translated "soul" in Hebrew means something more like "life," so living animals necessarily have soul. The rest of the speculation about "souls" and heaven (and most of the rest of theology) is mostly just that--and arbitrary dogma and other bullshit. I consider myself Jesusoid and I even revere the Christian bible to an extent, but theology is, um, for the dogs . . . er um, pigs . . . locusts? mosquitoes?
My reaction reading this comment thread:
@JonT I blame @phatmass who, of course, has been completely silent since starting this
@allhaters What I meant to say is that pets do not have immortal souls and will not go to heaven just because. Anybody who places the importance of the most noble animal above the importance of the lowliest human being is just not right. Also, if your idea of heaven is seeing your pet up there then I guess it's completely possible God will totally hook you up with that. It's heaven after all.
@JonT I like turtles. Preferably purple ones. /barney bait
@JonT
@Headly I love purple.
@phatmass The Pope disagrees.
@Thumperchick Link? Just curious what this Pope has to say on the subject. Love the new guy.
@moondrake @Thumperchick Just be sure you read what he actually said. In context. And not what other people say he said. A lot of his statements have been misconstrued.
@Kleineleh @moondrake http://www.inquisitr.com/1677712/no-pope-francis-did-not-say-dogs-can-go-to-heaven-sorry-pet-lovers/
@Moose Is that Captain Kangaroo?!?
I buy my cat a live feeder mouse on her birthday each year.
@Pantheist What if it is the mouse's birthday too?
@Fen_Star Win win.
Our pets this year got new Drinkwell fountains, 2 cat trees, treats and toys and a heated bed, either in use this month or still wrapped up.
Who would buy gifts for people? People are Aholes.
@Outofmymind Our cats have Drinkwells (two that we rotate). I approve.
I had a cat that died when I was twelve. Thanks for scratching that scab, Meh dot com!!!
Seriously, you know you can go to a shelter and get another dog/cat/potbellied pig/ferret/etc...
Just sayin'. And he/she would be happy to have ya.
My chickens are Jehovah's Witnesses, and would be offended if I offered gifts to celebrate such occasions.
@stienman If they show up at my door to proselytize, I'll be sure to invite then in for dinner.
@stienman I hope I don't find them knocking at my door with little tracts clutched in their beaks. No offense please to any Witnesses among the Meh.
@smoo99 You mean these?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_tract
@rockblossom As a former Evangelical, I can assure you that JT would be aghast at the confusion. These'd be what you're looking for.
@rockblossom And there's this:
There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
@stienman
@joelmw Oh, I was not confused. It was a play on words, Joel. Chickens. Proselytizing. Little tracts in their beaks. ChickTracts. Were you also confused about why I would invite them in for dinner? ;-D
@stienman Have you trained them to deliver the mail when they are out distributing the Watchtower?
@rockblossom I did get the proselytizing. I'm man enough to admit that I somehow missed the "chick" bit. In my defense, when I was growing up, other than those yellow Four Spiritual Laws bastards, a tract was a Chick tract, so the brand name is almost not there, if ya know what I mean. And, yes, I am amused. :-D However, I stand by my posts, because, dude, the irony of a Witness handing out a Chick tract is just a little much. I got the dinner bit, because, duh, we'd love to have you for dinner. And while I may come across as a little weird and wordy, I mean most of what I say in the spirit of levity and lightness. And I disappoint me, because I love the word play. Sigh.
@joelmw Have you seen http://www.darkdungeonsthemovie.com/ which is based on the Chick tract about roleplaying?
@dashcloud That looks delightful. :-D I kinda regret that I never got into RPG. It was more a lack of time than anything else. And, ironically, some of my best friends at the pentecostal Christian (and yet) liberal arts college where I got my degree were avid D&Ders. And still a lot of the Christians I respect are paradoxically from conservative Evangelical traditions but are also good with the RPG.
@dashcloud And I have to say, having just read this review at The Mary Sue (I site I know from my RPG-loving nephew), I wholeheartedly agree that their approach was the right one. Indeed, for most of my adult life, I've found conservative theological and political expression to be nearly indistinguishable from parody. :-D http://www.themarysue.com/dark-dungeons-movie-review/
@dashcloud Thanks, btw. This was a lovely treat to log in to. :-)
@joelmw Glad you liked it and weren't offended enough to post about it. The group(s) that did it make some other fine films/series as well.
I just found a new way to put a smile on my face every morning! Meh is great!!
My Siamese cat is Buddhist, she cares not for material things. She won't lay on pet beds or play with toys and even turns her nose up at treats. My dog, on the other hand, is a true Capitalist. The more things he has, the happier he is. When we are having the ritual gift unwrapping at my place, Simba has to get a number of gifts similar to everyone else or he gets all hurt and goes and lays down in another room all alone. I signed him up for monthly Petplan boxes and have been stockpiling them so he has a lot of treats and toys waiting under the tree. But his favorite gift every year is a new bed, and his current beds are all in good condition so I am not planning to get him one. Hope he isn't disappointed.
@moondrake this is awesome and reading it made me happy :)
@moondrake Dogs have a sense of fairness, so if other members of The Pack get things, the dog expects to get things - but not necessarily the same things. Hope Simba likes his gifts! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97944783
@moondrake I have 4 dogs. One of them is crazy smart. I have tested his counting ability. He can count up to about 5. He also knows the difference between sport socks and dress socks. When he hears me changing clothes he comes in the room and stares at me. If I put on hiking socks or shorts he goes ape. If I put on regular socks he leaves. He also clearly understands at least 50 distinct words that we know of. When he learned "dog park" we started saying "D-O-G P-A-R-K" now he knows that too. Not saying he can spell, but he figured out that those 7 sounds mean...
@Headly Yeah, Simba's similar. He knows quite a few words, the most amusing of which is "Where's Uncle Bob?", my best friend. If I ask him where's Bob, he starts looking around for him. He also knows the difference between my walking shoes and the tennies I wear to go shopping or to the movies, and which clothes I usually wear for walking versus lounging.
@moondrake Dogs are awesome people.
@moondrake @Headly My cat learned 'kitty treat'. We started calling them 'KTs'. Yep, she knows that too. She plays fetch, and knows 'bring it closer', 'not that way' and 'find your toy'. She's an evil little monster, but she's a CLEVER evil little monster.
i'm pretty impressed that, in a thread about pets, no one has posted their pet's picture yet.
@carl669 LOL. When I wrote my post I was thinking, "Too bad that cute photo of Simba eagerly watching everyone open Christmas presents is on my laptop at home."
@carl669 I have a lot of pictures of the cats, but not with decorations or presents or stuff like that. I do have a youtube video of Skipper running around the yard with a gopher. But that wasn't a present, he caught it himself.
@carl669
@lisaviolet i'm blaming you for making me post this:
@carl669 I like that dog.
@lisaviolet we do to. that's Dexter the prison dog. we got him from one of those programs where kids in juvenile detention train the dogs for 8 weeks and then adopt them out. very cool program.
@carl669 Christmas balls.
I'm wondering why this poll was posted today? It has nothing to do with today's item. This should have been posted on Monday with the doggy deal. Just sayin.
@jsh139 I suspect this poll is in response to the number of people who commented on yesterdays item that they were in fact buying it as a Christmas present for someone's pooch.
@Mavyn People were buying their pets weather radios?
@smyle Possibly. Or possibly I meant the Monday item. Hard to tell with me, really.
@Mavyn It's all a blur, right?
@jsh139 Most things are.
My cat gets gifts from my sisters cat. Or at least a gift that my sister sends that has met with the approval of her cat. The card was kind of non-specific.
Here she is. She's a fish, possibly.
Our cats always have as many presents under the tree as we do, if not more. Of course, they're usually more interested in the boxes, paper and bows than the actual gifts...
Whatchoo mean dis one not for me?!
Thanks for the invite, @carl669. Here is my cat. We call him, "buddy" and "boy." He is actually way more adorable than this. I am his favorite person on all of the planet, which is awesome.
Here he is in a favorite pose, against my foot (a favorite place) and my iPad (a rival, perhaps).
Here he is drinking pineapple juice, which is a thing he does. He loves fruit, and we have to protect our sweet drinks from him.
Pet pics? Ok. Here's my guy, Drexel.
I spoil my cat daily, and Christmas is just another day.
I'm not sure if that's no but yes or yes but no.
Here is my cat in 3-D:
@editorkid Not sure if I'm viewing it right, but I relazed my eyes (a la magic eye 3D images) and it looks cool!
@jsh139 Thanks! Yup, crossing your eyes a bit should make it pop out. Apologies in advance to anyone whose eyes get stuck like that.
And just one more (I swear!) because I hardly ever catch her just as she's beginning to yawn, but one time I did, and it turned out this awesome:
@editorkid I blame you.
You twisted my arm. Here are a couple I took last month. Sagwa has problems with his eyes, when he was a kitten, his original owner didn't take care of a respiratory infection the kitten had and his tear ducts are scarred so they don't work right.
Spot:
Mario:
Rory:
Sagwa:
Rocky:
@lisaviolet
Kitteh at the head of the table. As it should be.
@lisaviolet this reminded me of another video. I think it might be the most adorable thing I've seen in a long time:
@capguncowboy That is so cute!
@lisaviolet
That was really great.
How could you not get this face a present?
@bruceoite That is one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen. It looks like you photoshopped a golden retriever head onto a German shepherd body.
@SSteve Thanks! She actually has some Chow in her. She has some black on her tongue and can definitely be stubborn. The rest is just best guess and we have heard golden retriever and German shepherd a lot!
Hey I have dogs!
Tucker sleeps like an idiot
Tucker looks like an idiot when awake too
This is my fiancée's dog, Bogie
They're bros
Or something
I don't really know
@Moose I laughed far too hard at this.
@Moose Aww...I miss having a dog or two. I'd petsit for you.
@Moose I hope @JonT has permission to spend the day turning these into memes.
@editorkid You have permission too.
@Moose Thanks! But he's funnier.
I guess I've already posted my dog. On the poll, I've had dogs all my life, but never treated them like family until I met my wife. Her family goes all-in on the "pets are family, so they get presents".
It's cute and all, but my cat just immediately throws her presents under the couch where they fall into some kind of wormhole never to be seen again and my dog would rather play with the humans.
The lovely lady Jasmine lounging under my Mom's tree back in 2002 when she still lived with her. She looks exactly the same now.
Simba, guardian of Christmas.
Simba : "Whatja get? Whatja get?"
Yeah, my dog's totally spoiled! Dropping $5000 on his Christmas present this year!
Wait, a course of chemotherapy treatments is a totally legit Christmas present, right? Because that's all he's getting. I can't have him getting TOO spoiled, he's already kind of an asshole.
@amandasaurus :(
@amandasaurus How's he doing?
@lisaviolet We just got the lymphoma diagnosis last week and started the chemo on him yesterday. We'll see. He's lost a ton of weight in the past two weeks. The vet last week said he probably had 6 weeks left but referred us to an oncologist who said if we do their cutting edge therapy, we could potentially be looking at another full year with him. Breaking the bank, but he's worth it.
@amandasaurus Another year would be well worth the cost. The first cat in the pictures I posted kept having a urinary blockage a few years ago and we spent close to five grand on him that summer. He ended up having a perineal urethrostomy. When the specialty surgeon discussed it with us he told us "well, if his urethra isn't long enough, this won't work, you'll lose him". He's still here. Yeah, it's way worth it. I hope you have lots more time left than the year. Sometimes they surprise you.
@lisaviolet Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Just the thought that we could have a year with him after we were told 6 weeks has us pretty excited. He's only 5, he has too many good years ahead to leave us too soon!
@amandasaurus That is young. I hope he beats the odds. It can be done.
@amandasaurus My last senior rescue, Topaz, cane to me with breast cancer. I got her the surgery, but the vet said it had metasticized and she had maybe two months. Two and a half years of health and happiness later, the cancer came roaring back and took her. But for more than two years the vet was astonished every time I brought her in for regular care.
Miss Topaz
@amandasaurus My best friend and his wife spent ~$7k on treatment for their cat's lymphoma. He lasted another seven or eight years. Here's hoping you have the same results.
@amandasaurus I had a cat with cancer and she lasted about 3 more years (in her case I did surgery twice, the second time it was clear it was too spread to do much good). Hopefully your dog will do well and he will have a good life after that with you for a good long time… Sad when our animals have health problems like this.
We do, because the toys and chewies keep the dogs occupied while we're opening gifts. It works out for everyone. The dog's worn out toys get replaced, we get half an hour without puppy noses on our stuff.
This year, Loki got his gifts, then he got surgery and we'll just call his ability to walk a Christmas miracle.
And a pic of the face in the Cone of THIS IS BULLSHIT MOM, TAKE THE CONE OFF AND GET THE CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE.
Thor gets his stocking and to steal Loki's spot upstairs for a few months. Here is Thor, in his most graceful of poses:
@Thumperchick What smoochable faces!
@Thumperchick I've always wanted to have a husky just for the over-the-top personality. But it is too much hair and too little dog for me. I had a pair of cats named Thor and Loki as a kid. Loki turned out to be a girl, which confirmed him as a true trickster.
@moondrake The hair, it's nonstop, he's not even full blood or full coat. It's everywhere. Loki is the mischievous one, that's for sure. He can get doors open and loves to mess with people.
@Thumperchick Simba shed more than my previous 5 Great Danes combined. But their hair is like bristles. It will actually stick in your foot like a needle on occasion. So it doesn't stick to clothing as much, and more importantly, doesn't generate sneezing and respiratory issues like soft, fuzzy fur. Like many smooth-coated dogs, they were bred to do battle with a dangerous foe (European wild boar -- imagine a javeline weighing 600lbs and standing 4' at the shoulder) so their coats are for defense, not warmth. After the hunt they were supposed to lounge around the fire enjoying the leftovers.
@Thumperchick @moondrake I've wanted a wolf-dog ever since one came into my office about 4 years ago and I got to talk to her owner about having one. I was still in California at the time and owning a house with a yard, let alone a big one, was a laughable dream. Now that I'm in Texas I'm still holding out hope to have one someday, but I know they're crazy amounts of work. But still...IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!
@JonT Make sure to do your due diligence. Cross-breeds only one generation from wild are much less predictable than fully domesticated animals. They are beautiful animals and I know many make good pets, but you are still handling an animal that is quite close to wild. Another important consideration is that vaccines are for dogs, which are not geneticaly identical to wolves. When administered to a hybrid will be less effective at protecting both the animal's health and that of the humans he interacts with. This is also true of medical treatments if the animal should be injured or become ill. There are no rabies vaccines licensed for use with wolf-dog hybrids. Depending on where you live, this could present a serious legal problem.
http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/infectiousDisease/zoonoticDisease/Pages/WolfHybrid.aspx
@JonT If you're ever in the Adirondacks, there's a group of wildlife rehabilitators here that do own wolves and wolf hybrids, the do what they call a "wolf walk" where they put their 110+lb beasties on a leash and do about a mile walk while teaching you about wolves. The wolves are domesticated, but still wolves. They have 3 now, last time I went they had 2, the oldest of which kept trying to get me to play with him during the walk, by attempting to steal my engagement ring and rubbing his head under my hand. So freaking cool. Those guys really get frustrated with people having wolf hybrids, though. Mostly because people don't realize how much work, exercise , and meat they need to be healthy. Also, they will eat your house out of boredom or curiosity.
@Thumperchick I would totally go there and play with wolves. Like I said, I realize that they're an insane amount of work and realistically I might never have one but I'm not the kind of person that would get a pet without know what I was getting into first.
@JonT The most important thing is what happens if the animal bites. I'd love a pet skunk, but there isn't an accepted rabies vaccine for them, so if it bites someone, it will be destroyed. Doesn't matter if the bitten person was being an utter ass and totally deserved it. Absolutely terrible to consider.
I'd love to have a couple of pygmy goats.
@lisaviolet My mom had a couple of those on her ranch and they got into so much trouble and hurt themselves often enough that she gave them back to the breeder. They can get into anywhere and will eat anything.
@lisaviolet I want a unicorn and a dragon. Actually, I'd just like them to be my friends. They can find their own damn house(s).
@joelmw You know how people say "I wish s/he was my boyfriend/girlfriend?" I just wish people were my neighbors. I couldn't deal with the drama. Can you imagine a dragon and unicorn in the same house? The paparazzi? Meh.
@joelmw You might want to rethink that. You would have an endless stream of fair maidens in diaphanous gowns showing up to pet the unicorn, and an even longer stream of knights with lances showing up to rescue the maidens from the dragon. After a while, that could become damned annoying.
@lisaviolet Most people--including most of my family--I want to live at least the next town over. Or to understand that I don't want to see them every day. I want a few friends closeish, but I have to be able to escape them when necessary. I love people; I just don't want to deal with them on a daily basis. My wife I can spend all day with. No one else, really. I love my pets, but at least once a week when I'm dealing with the kitty litter or the hairballs or the hair, I ask myself, "Is this really worth it?" Yeah, I'm probably a horrible person.
@rockblossom I think I've addressed that, but, yes, you are correct. Besides which, what kind of space do you need for a unicorn, let alone a dragon? And what of the feeding and shit (ha, literally, but figuratively too). And now I'm thinking of these little cuties and what becomes of them (and I've only seen the series, not the books, so I don't know their ultimate fate yet). No, I want them to be my friends, but I want them to lie down and generally hang out elsewhere.
@joelmw Introvert. From my bestie (who lives a hundred miles from me).