Pets MEGA Cats VS Dogs - POLL!

[socko]

That's an interesting study. BAsically, they counted brain cells and found that crows have a lot. This is thought to correlate with intelligence. The number of synapses per neuron is another correlate of intelligence. Humans have around 10,000. A good followup crow study would be to count the number of synapses per neuron.

Crows use tools. They can recognize individual human faces and remember the same person for weeks. They leave gifts in the spot where you feed them. They recognize death and know when another crow is dying or dead.

Crows communicate too. Not only by their caws, but they have non-verbal/non-auditory communication. The crow in the photo was trying to express something: he was stamping his foot and blinking at me. His eye looks blue in the photo because the camera caught him during a blink.

are you up to date on the new findings about avian intelligence?

Bird Brains Have as Many Neurons as Some Primates

basically, bird brains are vastly more space efficient compared to ours. it is very likely that crows are just as intelligent as chimps

 

[sigmond]

OP did your girlfriend apologize? I was thinking that perhaps the incident was too painful for her at first so instead of taking responsibility she decided to blame you. It was clearly not your fault, seemingly it was just a tragic accident.

 

[Ticket]

It's amazing how observably intelligent birds are. Even chickens, who haven't been left to their own evolutionary devices and have been bred selectively by humans for plenty of other traits, but not intelligence, are really very smart in their own ways. One of our Orpingtons is a huge treat fiend, and she's made the association between the back/kitchen door opening and is bringing her a treat. If she sees a container that looks like the one we often feed them treats in she comes running. It's pretty cute. And two of our Sussex pullets used to live in a brooder under the house. When they were getting introduced to the big coop with the rest of the flock, every evening they'd find their own way under the house and climb on top of the brooder, acting all affronted because it was closed and now full of day old chicks, haha. They communicate with us when there's something wrong or something they need - I can understand most of her different calls, from 'I'm hungry', 'We're out of water', 'That damn cat is back again', 'the kookaburra is in my turf', 'I saw a bat!', 'Where is everyone?', 'this is MY dust bathing spot, dammit!', 'the coop door blew closed!' and more... But a very specific one means 'where are you?' And is directed at me or my girlfriend. They were hand raised since day old, so they very much consider us part of the flock. One day I was upstairs while they all freeranged in the yard, and Solar (light Sussex pullet) just kept doing the 'where are my humans??' call, again and again. It got louder and louder, until we looked over and she was in the kitchen! She'd figured out that the back door, leading into the kitchen, was where we always appear from, and because she couldn't find me in the yard, she climbed the whole back stairs and through the doors into the house to find me, haha. Cheeky, but cute.

And crows are really smart, I've seen the research and also personally seen the result of one holding a grudge against a specific human, and of one remembering a kindness from a specific human.

They figure things out, they use tools, they can use basic problem solving and abstract thinking, and they have great memories and facial recognition. It's amazing.

So, it's quite sad to read other's stories of accidentally harming or killing their pets =( But somehow, morbidly and awfully, it makes me feel a little bit better that I'm not the only one to have loved something so much and accidentally be the cause of their death =( I'm still sad, and horrified by what happened and what I saw, and it feels so horrible and unfair because it was an accident, and without that accident she would still be alive. But it helps that maybe I'm not the only person who could have done such a thing.

Now, just tell my girlfriend (who is the one that closed the lid on little Haven's neck) that accidents happen and to stop resenting and blaming me for it =(

 

[Ticket]

Mond - No, he has not apologised. She just keeps crying and falling apart every time it comes up or something reminds her of it. It's horrible to see her so sad, she's obviously traumatised. And as a woman with ASD, I think processing death and tragedy is difficult for her. Along with theory of mind general emotional sensitivity and a bit of a lack of emotional maturity, I can't tell if she's genuinely still mad at me and blaming me for it, or if it's just the emotional and cognitive stage she's at currently. ... And whether that will change with time as the processing continues and the pain/grief subsides.

 

[socko]

Mond - No, he has not apologised. She just keeps crying and falling apart every time it comes up or something reminds her of it. It's horrible to see her so sad, she's obviously traumatised. And as a woman with ASD, I think processing death and tragedy is difficult for her. Along with theory of mind general emotional sensitivity and a bit of a lack of emotional maturity, I can't tell if she's genuinely still mad at me and blaming me for it, or if it's just the emotional and cognitive stage she's at currently. ... And whether that will change with time as the processing continues and the pain/grief subsides.

I can imagine that nothing is ever her fault. If she reacts this way to a chicken, I would be very afraid of her reaction to a crisis or any life-impacting event. My x-gf "Psycho Suzie" called me a year after we broke up and I lived 2000 miles away to inform me that it was my fault her jack russell terrier died. When we were together, I was the only one who would walk him and train him, and he needed to be walked 2 or 3 times per day. I moved, so she took to letting him out of her apartment and running loose in a city all day because, even though she did not work and was free all day every day, she could not be bothered to walk him. Her reasoning is that I got him used to being far from home when I would walk him. So he thought it was OK to roam unsupervised. Somethign finally happened to him, and it was my fault. Then it was my fault even more because I would not fly out there and put up Lost Dog flyers in her neighborhood.

Chickens are smart in some ways, but baby chicks are oblivious to many common sense threats. Before I accidentally killed my pet chick, my parents had some fall into a pan of water and drown. Those were 2 months old iirc.

 

[Ticket]

Yeah the babies can be pretty dumb in a lot of ways, they're just frightened balls of instincts - Whether those instincts are right or not. You really have to keep an eye on them. But hey, human babies are pretty dumb too, haha, everyone has to learn. And if they don't learn... Well, maybe they die. And that's horrible and upsetting, and we feel bad and guilty, that's true, but we genuinely did our best, right?

No, not much ever seems to be
'Her fault' according to her, nor is anything generally 'reasonable' unless it's her getting her own way without argument. Eurgh... Sometimes man... Sometimes...

 

[Xorkoth]

Oh man, I am familiar with people like what you're describing your girlfriend as... my own ex-wife of 12 years (well our relationship was 12 years) I believe had ASD as well, though undiagnosed. Everything was always someone else's fault, generally mine. Whatever she did it was fully reasonable and justified, but if I did the same things back I was horrible. She was also really mean and verbally abusive whenever she got mad. I loved her and I put up with it for a long time but once it finally ended, I realized how much of a negative impact it had on my own sense of self/self-esteem and personality. It's a really frustrating place to be in, to be in a relationship with someone like that. I hope it's worth it to you. Personally my life is a million times better since that ended. I'm in love again and she's fucking amazing, it now seems really sad to me to consider if I had stayed with my ex and never met my girl. Everything about our relationship is good, it's been 2 years and we haven't had a single fight or even remotely negative interaction, we just get along SO WELL.

We had a lot of good times too, and closeness and love (for a long time anyway, the end stages were truly horrible though), but through it all was this underlying fear and resentment that I had towards her... I feared her moods and irrational outbursts, and the resulting abuse, and I resented her deeply for her treatment of me even though I denied that I did for a really long time.

 

[SKL]

Pet thread: pictures, care advice, and general.

Joey, my kitteh.

Spoiler: tl;dr depressing

Sadly he is not in very good shape and is closing in on the end. He's obese and has COPD/asthma, sneezes and wheezes alot. I've tried these devices where you can fit over the cat's face and deliver the contents of an asthma inhaler (same type as a human uses) but he hates it, struggles and scratches the shit out of me and I honestly think that it causes him more suffering than the symptoms that it's meant to address. Next option is injectable long acting corticosteroids which might be worthwhile but will have its own set of side effects, etc. I try to keep a humidifier running which helps a little I think. I struggle with whether we should let nature take its course our put him down (I'd probably do it myself, I have the means available to do so with practically no discomfort or difficulty, and as a sort of final act of love or intimacy, I wouldn't want to do it in a sort of cold, clinical setting.) I don't mean for this to be a depressing beginning to a thread, but it's where we're at right now. He's been a great companion, really, very affectionate and intuitive to come over and show love when I'm feeling down or whatever, but the stress is starting to show.

A practical question: he's developed these sort of dreadlocked knots of hair around the top of his backside about an inch behind his tail, I think partly because he has trouble accessing it to clean due to obesity (which is further complicated/caused by inactivity due to COPD), but anyway, good ways to get rid of them? I've read simply cutting them out is bad and risks danger to the skin. Combing them is not really likely unless he's sedated which again I could do myself or bring him to a vet. (I"m a DIY kinda guy when it comes to healthcare even myself.)

Thoughts, advice?

Also general thread for pet pics, questions, advice, discussion, etc., if sorry for a kinda downer of a start.

 

[Jabberwocky]

How old is Joey? He needs to lose weight for his health to have a chance at improving. If you're willing to spend a bit of extra cash, try putting him on a raw diet. Raw meat, organs and a little bone. Don't listen to what anybody tells you, this is the best diet for cats and dogs, period. Smaller poops, better coat, better teeth, better everything.

There are companies that specialise in this stuff. Usually it will be a pre made patty that has all the right ratios of muscle meat/organ/bones/nutrients/. You can also get powders that have taurine and all the other essentials, that you mix with muscle meat thats been through a processor.

If he's one of those picky ones, it can be difficult especially if he's been eating the same thing for a long time. But it can be done.

 

[swilow]

Sadly he is not in very good shape and is closing in on the end. He's obese and has COPD/asthma, sneezes and wheezes alot. I've tried these devices where you can fit over the cat's face and deliver the contents of an asthma inhaler (same type as a human uses) but he hates it, struggles and scratches the shit out of me and I honestly think that it causes him more suffering than the symptoms that it's meant to address. Next option is injectable long acting corticosteroids which might be worthwhile but will have its own set of side effects, etc. I try to keep a humidifier running which helps a little I think. I struggle with whether we should let nature take its course our put him down (I'd probably do it myself, I have the means available to do so with practically no discomfort or difficulty, and as a sort of final act of love or intimacy, I wouldn't want to do it in a sort of cold, clinical setting.) I don't mean for this to be a depressing beginning to a thread, but it's where we're at right now. He's been a great companion, really, very affectionate and intuitive to come over and show love when I'm feeling down or whatever, but the stress is starting to show

Joey is a little sweetheart. Poor dear. I feel for you in the decision you are contemplating. If you need to do this, if you can be sure that he will suffer less if done by your hand; go for it. I'd be concerned that you may find it traumatic though.

I had to have my Henry (my beautiful male rottweiler) put down 2 years ago and it was immensely difficult and I wish I could have done it myself. But, he was comfortable at the Vet (well, he knew exactly where treats were at the vet so he assumed that going there was just an indirect way of getting a nice little snack) and the vets loved him. We sat with him in his great distress and I kissed him and make him feel safe and love and held him as his life slipped away and he was free again. Oh my boy, I miss him so dearly still... Thanks Henry

This is Maggie. She is a small cat who talks more than any other cat I have met. 4am, dark outside, Maggie comes in and announces herself to Miss Swilow and I, loud, insistent meowing with no actual intent or needs to be met; she just likes to check in with us, in the middle of the fucking night when we are sound asleep. She just comes in, wakes us up, jumps on my face and rubs her body on my beard and then just leaves and goes back to her little bed (or she clambers under the covers and makes herself at home). I have deep adrmiration for her forwardness and self-confidence- she was abandoned, we got her from a shelter, and its been really gratifying to watch her come to understand her new life and gain confidence and self-assuredness. She deserves a gentle life IMO.



She lies there as it is under a heating duct. She also wakes me up to turn the heating on, the lovely selfish dear.

 

[llama112]

Awwwww beautiful cats!

Right now we have three cats.

We have a short haired obese white cat (Turkish Van). She has anxiety and has been with us for almost two years now. She has come very far. Before she wouldn't let anyone even close to her. Now she will hop on the couch next to me and beg to be purred. She still doesn't like anyone approaching her from above. She's the loudest purrer I've ever heard!!! She's probably 11 years old now?

Our second cat is a long haired orange cat. He is about 10 years old and has sooo many issues. We've had him for over a year. Well first he has litter box issues. Every day he defecates outside the box. Also he has scabs. No fleas or anything, he's been tested. One vet said he might have depression and self harm. So yeah he has scabs randomly. He is also very viscous with other cats.

Our third cat is a long haired grey cat. She's sooooo friendly. She follows me around all the time. She's 13 years old, we adopted her about half a year ago. She's a unique cat. She loves boxes and water. She will sit in the tub, sink, etc. Toilet too if possible. She will gladly hop in the shower with you. If you don't let her, she will sit next to you on the tub or something. She's so friendly though.

Our fourth cat passed away a couple months ago. He was a young one, only three years old, and we only had him for about half a year. He was so friendly and lovely, he followed my partner around everywhere. They were so close, it was the cutest. If I wanted to hold/pat that cat, he'd be okay with it, but he'd look over to try and find my partner so he could pat him instead. LOL. But the third cat I mentioned (long haired grey cat) is the opposite; she loves me and only goes to my partner if necessary LOL

 

[swilow]

Cats certainly have their favorites. My Maggie loves Miss Willow as her body is nice and soft and warm and can be cuddled into (its true, I do it as well!), but she also loves me because of my partially cat-like face (beard). I think she is almost flirtatious with me, she is very sensual and always trying to charm me with her pretty face and silky smooth fur. She often succeeds. I got her in a frenzy yesterday by whistling gently at her; for some reason, it made her have the need to writhe about like a kitten and throw her entire body on my face. She is such a sweetheart.

Ha, she's basically sleeping in my bed, leaning on the pillow and partially under the covers. She's trying to pretend she's not sleepy but is basically passing out, eyes drooping. She keeps shaking her head as if to remove the sleepiness from it.

 

[Pallyress]

My pet rescue Cat goes nuts when I smoke cannabis

I'm copy pasting this wall of text I placed in the wrong forum (social) last night. Obviously I must adjust my smoking stash, it made me write posts for 5 hours instead of helping me sleep.
===========
Just sayin, this is really about my cat. It's not one of those "my pet hamster like to plugg heroine" - stories found on many drug forums.

Also, I'm high on cannabis now; more than medical use, which I haven't been since the early 90's. I will derail from promis thread subject.

Ah, cat. About 1+ year ago she got Catnapped by locals who had witness abuse and neglect. Through pet rescue and initial fostercarer, she then got adopted by me.

She never seen me high on cannabis before, she only seen me do mdma (meditating with calm music and corresponding atmosphere).
We bonded like crazy after first mdma. She is so relaxed when I do mdma or shrooms. Eyes are so widened that I cannot see anything but pupuls, its all black (that was a close call on shrooms, she almost turned into a demon the second I thought it looked like demon eyes, but luckily I was able to think fast and she promptly she turned into a majestic lion instead)

(dont remember if I wrote iy yet or not, quick check, brb)

(note to self : nope)

And she also showed signs of cat ptsd, if that is a thing, but it's gotten really good now. Point here is she is scared of feets wearing shoes, hands carrying or moving objects, noise from moving object or noisy jackets. She tolerates a lot of this from me, particularly if I'm also low with anxiety. First time I did MDMA next to her, I gave her soft, slow, strokes for more than hour. Another time she cradled my torso or limbs, it was like she wanted to merge into my stomach. She went limp all over with mdms love, by responding to my bodylanguage and relaxed breath.

Ah, Marihuanna. I've used a tiny bit for medical purposes, but not so I have gotten high.

Yesterday and today, she seen me high both days. Type body or body-mind high. I just sit by the kitchen fan, and it's just Cat and I (nailed thst grammar!), snd everytime I've smoked and feel relaxed, heading for sofa, and when I'm close to cat, she bolts away in crazy-cat jumps, stopping, like head and knees to floor, but behind and tail at max height.

She jolts, and seems excited-borderline-scared/energetic/playful/acts like she is my pray, or duelant, and lookes at me with big, eyes, and even me taking with a calming voice cannot stop it all for being too much, so she jumps behind the big table and watches me from there.

Normally, after she first knew me on mdma, she meets my eyes and lock eyes in a very relaxed and trusting way.

I suppose the smell from the joint may cause it. I got the impression that it was some form of drug use/partying by her abusers, so perhaps the smell triggers some response which get mixed with her normal relationship with me?

I don't give her drugs, she don't even second hand smoke. And I haven't noticed her behave like that when I smoked marijuana. This time I could only get hash on short notice, so the smell would be different. THC is also different, so I'm having a little more fun, but not by movement - by couch lock.

I've seen her scared by other things, and she is never playful then. If something scares her she flees in s very determined and effective way.


I'm too high for this. I think I've described the actual issue now. Can goes funny-nuts when I get high.

She also gets cuddles. When I'm not walking she likes me to pet her. Today she gave me a nearly-bite to my naked tigh, I took a break from petting her. And then she bounced away and now she sleeps somewhere. Perhaps.

Never had cats watch me get high before. Is this normal, even for a cat?

 

[Sadie]

Cats are cats and fickle creatures at best. That's why we love them so. It could be possible she associates that smell with past abuse. I've only ever really had rescue pets and know that they can come with some baggage but with love care and security those fears usually calm over time. Can you smoke outside? If you can see if this helps a bit though she'll still be able to smell it on you. Worth a try anyway imo. Just do your best to make her feel safe and secure.

Yeah, most pets I've known will watch a person get high. My mate can't smoke in peace because of his cat. She knows she's gonna be getting lots of attention and treats.

 

[Pallyress]

Lol, yeah, cats are cats.

Today, with a sober head, I'm pretty sure she was just super energetic and playful, was like that energetic playfulness older kittens can express when they have mastered coordinating their bodies, and discovered the exciting outdoor world, but still can get over-excited when being played with, and needs breaks to process it all.


It's just so unlike her regular behaviour. I know she sometimes do it at night, socks have been moved, ie, but she does that when I'm asleep. Hardly ever seen her be playfull like that, it's a private activity for her. When I got high (not crazy high, just good and high), she acted like that every time I finished a minijoint. I've seen kittens do it a lot, but they've been about 4 monts old. My cat is probably 4 years and loves to sleep and eat when not being out.

She definitely was overexcited and playful, more than scared. l just got a bit thrown being high and seeing this very big change in the cat's behaviour. She also got lots of cuddles, it was just right after I smoked she went nuts.

Perhaps she got played with as a kitten, if ownerngot high, to the point of being too over stimulated? Idk, but it was definitely not my energy level she picked up on, I was going to lay down cuz sitting up wasn't comfortable enough. CBN-induced couch lock.

 

[Sadie]

Good to hear all is well. You would know her behaviour best. Glad to hear that she's got a loving home. Rescue all the way baby!

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

the copy of this thread in social is getting replies. let's have it live there, as drug topics are not suited for Second Opinion and no cross-posting. glad you're having fun with your cat.

closed

 

[~kira~]

Dog Bite Victim, legal actions? Need advice!

Let me start off by saying that I am pretty much terrified of dogs. When I was younger I was bit on 2 different occasions by a pitbull. The first time I was bit on the face, the second time on the hand. Both drew blood. It was my best friends dog and I didn't pull any charges. I mean they were my best friend. I however did not go anywhere near her or the dog unless he was on a leash. Unrelated but my mom was visously attaked by a doberman when she was younger to the point where she just about lost her life. It was a miracle she survived. My first 2 dog bites were nothing close to fatal, but they of course hurt like hell!

Fast forward to 2 years ago. My 3rd day delivering pizzas I delivered to this house. I had rang the door bell and no one had answered, I knocked a few times and eventually knocked pretty hard. Still no answer, but I hear a loud bark and see a pit bull come running around the corner of the house and up the steps towards me. I had 4 pizzas that all had a good amount of weight to them, and I was on top of a large amount of steps. This dog came up behind me and bit and latched onto my leg, a few inches above my ankle. It hurt, I yelled a few choice words and the dog ran off. I was shaken up and had no idea what to say or do. I gave them the pizzas and left. I didn't know what to do in a situation like this and went back to the shop. I have severe anxiety so this affected me a good bit. Anxiety sucks and is very odd. I can't take medication for it as well. As I was driving I could feel blood trickling down my leg. I told the manager in charge and he called them. I had to get shots etc to see if he had rabies. He didn't. I was put on an anti biotic. A few days later the area where I was bit turned into a giant bruise the size of a football. Animal Control visited them multiple times and they put signs up.

Over the next 2 years I delivered to them twice, the next time I made sure they opened there door before I got out of the car. The next I had to walk up and knock. Scared the crap out of me! I still have the scar 2 years later. It's pretty tender where it bit me. Now 2 weeks ago the dog bit another of our drivers. For whatever reason he never notified anyone of it. But he did have the dog bite mark as well. Last night, I was delivering and they ordered. When I arrived I got out of the car, I heard them in the backyard and so I walked back. As I turned the corner they noticed me, and of course the dog was NOT on a leash and came charging toward me. I tried to run and avoid him, but he caught me, I spun around to avoid being bit in certain frontal areas, and he bit me right below the buttocks. I yelled and dropped there food. The lady screamed at the dog and told him to back away, he came charging toward me yet again and she barely caught him. I couldn't believe it! He was barking and growling. They put him inside and the guy kept saying sorry and are you ok. I kept saying I don't know. The lady then blamed it on ME! She said I should have called or honked the horn. Now I would have thought they dog would be ON A LEASH if this has happened more than once!? I was baffled that she said this. She also told me he has bitten the UPS driver, FEDEX driver and mailman. I went inside to check if there was blood. I didn't see any. It looked as if someone scraped there knee on the sidewalk. You could see blood and all and it swelled up pretty bad. They gave me $20, I assume to keep quiet? The rest of the night I was shaken up and shaking and such.

My manager asked last night if I wanted to do anything about it. We were super busy and I wanted to keep going so I told her I don't know? I have thought about it, and I think I want to now. Is it worth it to sue them for distress? When I deliver to someones house and I see or hear a dog I usually will call and ask if there dog can be contained, or if they can come outside. Anxiety already makes me stressed out and on high alert, and this just adds to it. On top of that I was thinking, what would happen if that dog gets loose and decides to take off and bite a toddler, or child or anyone for that fact and severely injure them or even worse kill them? I would feel like it was my fault because I didn't take action. I would feel terrible. I have never done this before and don't know what to do to sue someone or what to even expect. Is it worth it to sue them, knowing that emotionally I can feel better that this shouldn't ever happen again, and knowing that a child or toddler won't have some sort of freak accident with this dog?

I think I have included all details, if not I will add them when I remember.

 

[Felonious Monk]

You should absolutely try to get money out of those people. People who don't control their dogs need to have some punishment.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of legal solutions (and possibly getting a nice payout), then AT THE VERY LEAST call animal control and have that dog put down. There is a no reason a dog that has bitten 2 people should still be alive.

For reference, I was bitten by 2 different pit bulls, and one of the biggest regrets of my life is not killing those dogs right then. And then, after that, not calling Animal Control and having those dogs put down. It's not the dog's fault, but that's not really a relevant point. A dog is property, and a vicious dog needs to be taken away the same way a violent felon loses their gun rights.

 

[spacejunk]

The people need to control their dog.
That sounds really traumatic, and you shouldn't have to put up with being attacked by animals as you make a living.

The dog needs to be restrained, or kept inside or behind a fence. It's a danger to public safety to have an aggressive dog getting loose - if it attacked an elderly person or a child it could kill them.

The people should not have blamed you - it is their responsibility to control their dog.

I don't know what sort of regulations there are where you live, or what authorities there are to have jurisdictiction over things like dogs - but if someone has an aggressive dog, it is the owner's responsibility to keep it under control, and make sure it doesn't hurt people.
If i were you, i would follow it up with your manager. They have a duty of care for your safety, and you know that those people aren't takng proper precautions to stop their dog biting people.

I have no idea what the right action to take is, but i think you should definitely discuss it with your manager.
Not just for your sake, but for other people, and the animal itself.
If it isn't being cared for properly, is randomly attacking people, it needs some boundaries or a new home...

Having dangerous aggressive dogs around, attacking people, is not cool.

If you can alert relevant authorities, you may be able to prevent an even worse disaster from taking place - and maintaining your own safety as well.