nice story and I was glad to read it. Too many bad news today and this was a happy story.
i work for the union pacific railroad i took the cats from the yard the u p r r said they wanted the cats back or i would be fried. they where going to put them to sleep. i had the cat and i do not work thre any more im happy to see the other railroad are better place to work and friendlyer.andrew strickland
cx500 The latest is that the cat's owners have probably been identified and it will be heading back to a very happy family in Saskatchewan. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/q199-tiger-cat-cn-train-returned-home-1.3900730
The latest is that the cat's owners have probably been identified and it will be heading back to a very happy family in Saskatchewan.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/q199-tiger-cat-cn-train-returned-home-1.3900730
Mookie Have had both cats and dogs - this is the reason I absolutely will not have another animal - none of them ever turned out to be immortal and their time with me was always never enough.
Have had both cats and dogs - this is the reason I absolutely will not have another animal - none of them ever turned out to be immortal and their time with me was always never enough.
Yes, they will all eventually break your heart.
I'm obviously a dog guy. I just need to find a girlfriend who will put up with both me and a couple dogs. The "X wife person" liked the dogs but evidently grew quite tired of me.
I view dogs as a gift from God sent to enrich our lives. They do that quite well. They are a gift that is in our stewardship, and we must never fail to honor our gift.
MidlandMikeMookie, I hear some animal shelters have foster pet programs.
Strange, too because all our pets were foundlings at the front or back door. When he did that, no more animals showed up.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
I had an indoor-outdoor cat that lived for 21 years. I have had other i-o cats that just never returned home. My wife insists in keeping our present cat indoors, with occasional outdoor time in a pet stroller.
Mookie, I hear some animal shelters have foster pet programs.
Nice story with a happy ending. Just right for the season. And they lived happily ever after.
zugmann I got my one cat when he was a little kitten from my railyard. He's a bit mental, but hey, he did come from a rail yard. So it's to be expected.
I got my one cat when he was a little kitten from my railyard. He's a bit mental, but hey, he did come from a rail yard. So it's to be expected.
Hmmm, sensing a trend here, from the article about Tiger's reunion:
Coincidentally, Hahn and her husband are retired CN employees and had found Tiger running around the rail yard in their home town of Melville, Sask.
Paul_D_North_JrAll of ours could be / have been used as railway station clocks - 5:00 PM sharp and they're sitting in the kitchen, looking around for the food into their dish . . .
I've long been convinced that cats have a little kitty Timex concealed under their fur. I say Timex because, well, "they take a licking and keep on ticking," would be a cat thing, wouldn't it?
Murphy Siding Our #2 son is into aquariums and fish. Some years back son #3 brought home a goldfish in a baggie from a birthday party. That's just about the worst party favor to give out at a birthday party. Your kid is excited and you get to deal with a dead goldfish in a week or two. Not at our house. The boys put "Glarton" in a big fish bowl with a bubbler and the necessary tank maintenance that an aquarium lower expert would provide. Ol' Glarton lasted about 3 years.
Our #2 son is into aquariums and fish. Some years back son #3 brought home a goldfish in a baggie from a birthday party. That's just about the worst party favor to give out at a birthday party. Your kid is excited and you get to deal with a dead goldfish in a week or two. Not at our house. The boys put "Glarton" in a big fish bowl with a bubbler and the necessary tank maintenance that an aquarium lower expert would provide. Ol' Glarton lasted about 3 years.
I agree, my daughter won hers as a prize at school. I had a a word with the principal about this... that giving away living things like this is not a good idea. (they should put him in a plastic baggie and see how he likes it). Good for your son for realizing this and taking care of his fish..
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Gold fish are great pets too. My daughter got one last year, and the whole family has bonded with the little guy (named him Comet Gold.. or just "Com" to his friends). They don't tear up the furniture, and outfitting the aquarium is much like putting together a model railroad... same amount of attention in pride and workmanship. They're alot of fun to watch..
Yeah - I get the "expensive" part - seems like all cat food is that way ? Even our current guy (6-1/2 years) needs a special 'all meat' cat food.
That cat of ours was very picky - maybe why she was only 7 - 8 lbs. ?
All of ours could be / have been used as railway station clocks - 5:00 PM sharp and they're sitting in the kitchen, looking around for the food into their dish . . .
Then there's the Far Side "Cat Fud" cartoon:
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/24/58683008_2dc4c01d94_z.jpg?zz=1
http://pandawhale.com/post/36723/far-side-cat-fud-oh-please-oh-please (Note: I don't approve of the video - too many potentially bad ideas there.)
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_Jr Murphy - So how and what do you feed Pumpkin ?
Murphy -
So how and what do you feed Pumpkin ?
Our 1st cat ("Daisy") also had the long fur and 'knots' problem (hard to describe the undercoat other than like cotton candy). Somehow it fell to me to deal with it. One morning I held her down, took a comb and a pair of small sewing scissors, and combed and cut out the knots until all the big ones were gone. (I recall 47 of them ? I'm kind of a compulsive counter.) There was a lot of growling and some hissing, after about 10 mins. finally she snapped at me, and that was it - for that day. But then we could comb her without pulling on the knots and aggravating her that way. Next day was a rerun, but much shorter of course. After that it became a regular early morning routine - before she was fed, of course - that had pretty much the same script: grab her, comb, cut, growl, hiss/ spit, snap/ bite, let go, run away, come back, eat; repeat next day. Note that she never hid under a sofa or anyplace else where I couldn't get hold of her, and she definitely looked better - easier to comb, and I suspect for her to groom herself, too - I really think she knew it was for her own good. This went on for maybe 5 years until just before she died at age 19. She was a mix, but had a lot of Maine Coon in her - the "M" over her eyes, and especially the intelligence - except she was a real lightweight, only 7 to 8 lbs. (they can be 30 - 40 lbs.).
On one of our trips west we overnighted at a friend's house in Iowa. They had a Boxer that was shy till I got in the play position with my elbows on the floor. Ah, now I've got a buddy. We tussled a bit and then, after getting whapped alongside the head, I discovered why the name Boxer. I got up, sat on the sofa, and promptly had a dog in my lap. So much for being shy.
Norm
NKP guy The photo of the daschunds in the snow is hilarious! It had better not be too deep, though! "Doxie" or "Doxy" also has a standard, more common meaning, not related at all to this wonderful breed of dog; be careful how you use it! http://www.thefreedictionary.com/doxie It was in Bavaria that I first saw long-haired daschunds, a variety not too common in the USA (in my experience) but very beautiful. Big advantage for daschund owners this time of year: short walks!
The photo of the daschunds in the snow is hilarious! It had better not be too deep, though!
"Doxie" or "Doxy" also has a standard, more common meaning, not related at all to this wonderful breed of dog; be careful how you use it!
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/doxie
It was in Bavaria that I first saw long-haired daschunds, a variety not too common in the USA (in my experience) but very beautiful.
Big advantage for daschund owners this time of year: short walks!
We have 3 cats and we dogsit a lot for others. Me- I could do without pets but I never get a vote. (I know- Hey! You kids! Get off my lawn!). When we get old I ecpect people to refer to us as the crazy cat lady and her cranky husband. This spring we had to have our old lap cat put down. My family immediately went to the animal shelter and got a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree of a cat. This cat- Pumpkin- is a long, long haired calico whose previous owner had died. Because her hair was all matted down, someone from the shelter had taken her home and shaved her, sort of. I'll swear that said person was intoxicated or blindfolded while shaving the cat. For reasons the cat won't reveal, the shelter also had all of her teeth pulled. So they bring home the cat and she's all freaked out all the time. Picture the cat that Pepe LePew is always chasing. Now picture that cat with no hair and no teeth. We've had Pumpkin about 6 months now and she has adjusted to us and the other 2 fur balls. She's still spooked easily but has regrown her long hair. She looks like one of those top-heavy, long-haired Scottish sheep, in shades of orange, black and white, with a Colonel Sanders goatee. And she demands attentions RIGHT NOW! It's hard to lose pets, especially with kids. We had a beta fish that died when the boys were little. In subzero weather, we had to go down to the falls and find an open spot of running water to give the fish a burial at sea.
54light15By "doxie" I assume you mean Dachshund? Well, anyway my father told me when I was a kid that Dachshund meant "duck dog" as in Germany when you went duck hunting a dachshund would swim out to where the ducks were, go underwater and grab a duck by the feet and drown it and then bring it back to the owner. I believed him but hell, I was only six. They don't really do that, do they?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
By "doxie" I assume you mean Dachshund? Well, anyway my father told me when I was a kid that Dachshund meant "duck dog" as in Germany when you went duck hunting a dachshund would swim out to where the ducks were, go underwater and grab a duck by the feet and drown it and then bring it back to the owner. I believed him but hell, I was only six. They don't really do that, do they?
We had cats (one was named Chessie, another "Traina"), but that string ended when we lost the daughter's cat. The ex was the mover on them. I'm not a cat person. Don't hate them - just don't go out of my way for them (aside from our resident forum feline).
I'm more a dog person. We almost always had a dog, even when I was a kid. The last two went to 16 and 12. The Sheltie mix was a 'gift' from my son. She was a good dog, but not a cuddler. The other was the daughter's Dalmatian. She rescued him from the pet shop where she worked when he turned out to be deaf. He, too, was a good dog - learned signs and had no problem being a lap dog. As with all Dalmatians, though, he was a walking snowstorm - shed all over the place.
I'm so busy and mobile these days that it makes no sense for me to get another pup. I did take a liking to the mini-doxies my son and his ex had. Now there's a cuddler! Maybe when I "settle down..."
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
ChuckCobleigh challenger3980 Unfortunately, that is the Dirty Little Secret about pet ownership(sometimes just who owns who is a real tough question). Not a question with a cat. Dogs have masters; cats have staff. Many cats in our household over the first 44 years of our marriage; last one went down a little over two years ago at 14+, which was a real loss because he was quite the loverboy and gentleman. Now catless to ease the wife's allergies, unless we have another "walk on" show up, then all bets may be off.
challenger3980 Unfortunately, that is the Dirty Little Secret about pet ownership(sometimes just who owns who is a real tough question).
Not a question with a cat. Dogs have masters; cats have staff. Many cats in our household over the first 44 years of our marriage; last one went down a little over two years ago at 14+, which was a real loss because he was quite the loverboy and gentleman. Now catless to ease the wife's allergies, unless we have another "walk on" show up, then all bets may be off.
There are times that I begin to feel like I work for the dogs and cats...Some days it is a constant, Dog out, Cat in, Cat out, Dog in.. Beside doorman, I am kept around to operate the can opener. We have a bird dog, she's pushing 14. A Lab-Chow, who is about 15 or so, an old female cat who is close to 16, and two kittens; that we are 'sitting', while the grandaughter is away at school. And my wife who is allergic to cats... All the livestock I need...at least I managed to get the horse a home.
challenger3980Unfortunately, that is the Dirty Little Secret about pet ownership(sometimes just who owns who is a real tough question).
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Great to see we have many animal lovers on this group. I'm one of them to. It pains me to see cats & dogs suffer out in cold weather conditions to the point I almost cry at the thought.I'm 53 w/a lifelong love of pets. God expects us to treat all his creations w/respect, kindness, care and help when the need calls. Sometimes we may be tested by him in these circumstances to see how we react.Its either pass or fail. NKP guy is totally correct in abusers facing a future judgement.I also hope to be there to see those to receive punishment for abuse. Everyone have a great holiday season and that goes for all our four legged friends also!
Mookie rdettmer we lost a nice cat to cancer today, pretty sad when vet said we should put her down. guess her 9 lives were done. goodbye nana Have had both cats and dogs - this is the reason I absolutely will not have another animal - none of them ever turned out to be immortal and their time with me was always never enough.
rdettmer we lost a nice cat to cancer today, pretty sad when vet said we should put her down. guess her 9 lives were done. goodbye nana
we lost a nice cat to cancer today, pretty sad when vet said we should put her down. guess her 9 lives were done. goodbye nana
I too know the pain you both feel. Unfortunately, that is the Dirty Little Secret about pet ownership(sometimes just who owns who is a real tough question). The adoption agencies never talk of the pain of losing a beloved pet.
I had Barney, my first Golden Retriever for a bit over 12 years, and his final trip to the vet was the hardest decision, I ever had to make, and carry out. I stayed with him, and held him until well after he was gone. Many asked how I could do it. I asked them, how could I not. It has been over twenty years now, half again as long as I had him, and I still miss that dog more than I care to admit.
I have type 2 Diabetes, and given the choice of having Barney back, or curing my Diabetes, I can Honestly say that my Life would be more enjoyable with my beloved pet back, than it would be without my Diabetes.
I have had many other Dogs and Cats in the years since, and Loved them all, but none ever lived up to, or could replace that one, anyone that has ever had pets, likely has that one that no other can ever compete with, for me that was Barney. I still get moist eyeswriting or talking about him.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
The Power of the Dog, by Rudyard Kipling
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie-
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumours or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
then you will find-it's your own affair-
But...you've given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With it's whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone-wherever it goes-for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long--
So why in-Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
Thanks for that, NKP guy. I was at my parent's house in 2000 for Thanksgiving and they had a CD of World War Two music on. On my way home I hit a deer with my car, a 1962 Lincoln Continental. Towing, a rental car and I was on my way home and my car went to a garage in Connecticut for restoration.
I returned the rental at a place east of Yonge st. in Toronto and I was walking along just as depressed as I could be. At the Hudson's Bay store at Queen and Yonge, the humane society had a cat giveaway. There she was in the window romping around. I took her home and when she hopped out of the box they give you, she walked down the hallway like she owned the joint! So, Vera-Lynn Hudson. The IV is just because. She's 16 and going strong and cuter by the day if that's possible.
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