Orange Tabby...He Stays and His Name is Finn (Update with Videos Dec 31)

[robhuncor]

All of my cats have loved my dogs, after an initial getting-to-know-you period. I used to have a Siamese cat (named Cloudberry) who would go flop down on his back in front of my collie who would then (gently) grab hold of his ear, or sometimes his whole head, and drag him around - he loved it!

 

[ShrekDawg]

They say that's true for dogs too and actually they're finding that early spaying and neutering is very bad for dogs, especially for large breed males. You're supposed to wait until like a year now. For the really large breeds, like giant ones, it should be closer to 18 to 24 months. Or not at all. They're finding it really affects joints/bones and can make them a lot more susceptible to ACL/CCL/tendon and ligament tears and injuries. Not sure why but dogs neutered too early have been shown to have more instances of it. Their bones don't grow properly, or rather don't stop, if you neuter too early. What happens is the growth plates don't close so the legs grow longer than they're supposed to. The hormones taken away are what tells them to stop growing. Early neutered dogs also tend to be taller (because the growth plates don't close) and sometimes leaner because they don't fill out as much. And they also don't get the big male head as much, which is very pronounced in some breeds. Some people wait to neuter simply for the looks, or at least that's more of a factor than the health stuff, because they can be somewhat ugly ha not that it matters much but it makes sense, dogs go through an adolescent phase from like 6 months to 18 months or so I think, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, and obviously they're wild and crazy then but IMO, they're also lean and teenager like. Our dog didn't start really filling out until like 2 or 3. He was neutered very early though, even younger than the usual 6 months, at like 4 or 5 months cause he was huge, but he still filled out some and later. I think if he was intact he would have filled out even more. My uncle has always had Rhodesian Ridgebacks and when he got this latest puppy like 5 or 6 years ago he had said he was going to wait to neuter him until like 2, if he did at all, because he wanted him to develop the big, blocky, handsome Ridgeback head. I'm not sure if he actually did that though but Rocky is very handsome.

Anyway, sorry for rambling and talking about dogs on your cat thread haha but I guess I basically wanted to confirm that there IS something to what you said, about them not developing as full, and there are lots of studies now proving the harmful effects of early spaying and neutering but also that. I could find some if anyone would like.

 

[ShrekDawg]

All of my cats have loved my dogs, after an initial getting-to-know-you period. I used to have a Siamese cat (named Cloudberry) who would go flop down on his back in front of my collie who would then (gently) grab hold of his ear, or sometimes his whole head, and drag him around - he loved it!

OMG! To an outsider that might look like the dog was trying to murder the cat but you know them and that is hilarious if he actually liked it!

My cat was a little bit miffed when we first got the dog because she was like really? You brought this terror in?/what is this tiny terror?

But eventually they got used to each other. It took a while though. She was almost 2 when we got him and he chased her for a while then I trained him out of it but even then he still occasionally would or she'd still be slightly scared of him but now she just jumps right up on the bed even with him there and plays with him from chairs and stuff like that. She's atill cautious though walking by him but he doesn't chase anymore even where he might have before. He's also huge. And when we got him, we hadn't gotten around to spaying her yet (we were waiting for a clinic) so she still had heats and was OBNOXIOUS plus she was a lot more wily and ran around and stuff making her more fun to chase so I think when we first got him their relationship didn't get off to the best start just because she was so annoying and he didn't know what to do/was confused, poor fellow ha

Our last dog and cat snuggled together and it was so adorable. But we had also gotten the dog first. The kittens (one sadly got out and never came back around a year) actually acted like dogs in some ways

These two have gotten to a mutual understanding and they'll be in the same room being petted by me or just sleeping somewhat near each other, which is adorable, but I don't think they'll ever snuggle up next to each other like my last cat and dog.

But cats and dogs can come to a mutual understanding. And since Finn was there first, he can boss the puppy around.

 

[speckledhen]

Finn has a thing for Tom's violin case (violin is inside). He loves it, sleeps beside it, on it (Dad says that is a no-no, big-time!). Caught adoring his lengthy pal.

 

[robhuncor]

That is so adorable!
My cat loves my husband's slippers. He sticks his head down in them, then rolls around in ecstasy! ROFL

 

[speckledhen]

That is so adorable!
My cat loves my husband's slippers. He sticks his head down in them, then rolls around in ecstasy! ROFL

Haha, Finn does the same thing with his Cat-Daddy's shoes! He will play with mine, separate them so I have to find the mates, but he loves Cat-Hater's shoes. I've walked by sometimes and off-handedly said, "Would you two like to be alone?" I guess that would be you three, though, LOL

 

[robhuncor]

Must be that stinky man-feet smell - it's like catnip!

 

[N F C]

Finn has a thing for Tom's violin case (violin is inside). He loves it, sleeps beside it, on it (Dad says that is a no-no, big-time!). Caught adoring his lengthy pal.
View attachment 1353115 View attachment 1353116

Too funny!

Maybe he's trying to play this song?

 

[speckledhen]

Too funny!

Maybe he's trying to play this song?

or the one called, "My bowl is only 1/4 full....I'm going to starve!"

 

[N F C]

or the one called, "My bowl is only 1/4 full....I'm going to starve!"

Yep, my cats like to sing that song too