[pyrodrive]

Originally Posted by Small Bot

14 is a lot. Those furballs must run you ragged! I can handle just two only by some clever zone defence.

Haha. Only issue for me is the weekend cleaning. Including litter boxes. That's a chore. Feeding has become routine. My pack lives in the terrace in three rooms built exclusively for them. I let them run free in mornings and evenings. Plus every evening one lucky fellow gets to come down to our space to spend time with us. When I'm about to come down from the terrace in the evening they all mob me and are like "me..me..me today! ", and I pick up the most persistent one!
The big males rarely come down because they have a tendency to spray to mark territory.
This is one big guy with a rare bed time

[CliffHanger]

Guys,

Can someone let me know where in Bangalore or Chennai I can get pure breed healthy German Shepherd puppy, and what would be the approximate cost.

[AYP]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

It is indeed a very attractive specimen. Beautiful colours. Eager to know how things go.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

I can easily visualize him spending a long period around/ in front of that carrier. They have so much patience for some of these random reasons.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Super! Do make sure that they can get shade at all times.

Originally Posted by pyrodrive

No, budgies do not use boxes or pots for roosting or hiding, unlike lovebirds. So no need to put up boxes.

Originally Posted by AYP

So, a finalish update(at least in the near to medium term) is that the cage has been set outside. We have put up a thick plastic sheet behind the cage and have reoriented our plant pots so as to maximise the shade for the budgies. In the near future, we aim to increase the size of the plastic sheet for more shade. Visually, Lemon(the original rescue) is recovering very well and there is a lot of hair growth in the affected area.

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

You have been very kind to Lemon and probably she would be thanking you and your family in her own way.

So, I thought of posting a long term update after 6 months. Lime and Lemon(the original rescue) added joy to our lives. However, it was short lived. Lime passed away a few days after we got him home. We did observe that he used to eat a lot more than Lemon but we thought of this as a normal instance where 1 bird was eating more than the other and never paid much attention to it. In fact we feared that Lemon might be eating less compared to Lime who was eating the 'normal' amount of food. And then after a few days, Lime stopped eating completely(we observed this at night). We called a few nearby vets and non of them had expertise in dealing with birds and we were advised to go to Khar, which is more than an hour from our place. Very soon after, the inevitable happened.



Miss you Lime. Even though our time together was a short one, it was still memorable.







Post this, we were a bit traumatised and thoughts like, 'Are we capable of handling budgies' started creeping up. However, we decided to give it another shot and got home 'Moon'. We renamed the pair to Sun and Moon. No marks for guessing who's who.






It's been more than 5 months since we got Moon home. There was some confusion with regards to the gender of the birds initially but it was all clear when a few days back, when I observed the Blue Cere of Moon and the pink Cere of Sun. You can find more about it here-

https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Your-Budgie%27s-Sex

Moon is also the more talkative of the two whereas Sun chooses her words very carefully, further cementing their gender traits. A few days back, I observed Moon bobbing his head around Sun , which is a way to attract a mate. Some more pics for your perusal-









Nowadays, we keep them just outside our window for most of the day but we always take them in before retiring for the day or if it is too hot outside.



Some of you maybe wondering about the relation between 'Toffee' and the budgies. Well, initially, he did use to bother them and chase them from the outside once every few days. This then became once a week phenomena and now, in the last couple of months, I remember only 1 instant when he started to chase them from the outside. Yes, ideally speaking, I do believe that a place which houses birds shouldn't have a cat or a dog but practically speaking, there does not seem to be an issue. They get along with each other much better than Sylvester and Tweety.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by AYP

... They get along with each other much better than Sylvester and Tweety.

Did either bird say I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat?

[VWAllstar]

Is there anyone here who has Beagle as a pet? Especially staying in an apartment. Wanted to know few things about them as a cousin is looking to raise one soon. Been told that Beagle bark incessantly and have a loud one which makes them not viable for apartment living.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Is there anyone here who has Beagle as a pet? Especially staying in an apartment. Wanted to know few things about them as a cousin is looking to raise one soon. Been told that Beagle bark incessantly and have a loud one which makes them not viable for apartment living.

That is true.

That said, keeping dogs in an apartment is a pain, for both the dog and the master. Dogs need a lot of excercise and attention. So unless one is ready to take the dog for long walks three times a day as well as lavish a lot of attention, the dog will become restless. That leads to all sorts of problems - barking, chewing up things and at times extreme aggression.

First time owners need to be aware that dog is not a toy. It has its own personality and moods. Some like cuddling, but most do not. A lot of dog bites occur while cuddling the dog when it does not want it, especially if it is asleep. Just yesterday my neighbour's daughter got bitten in the face when it tried to hug her sleeping beagle.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by Aroy

keeping dogs in an appartment is a pain, for both the dog and the master. Dogs need a lot of excercise and attention.

Just yesterday my neighbour's daughter got bitten in the face when it tried to hug her sleeping beagle.

I too adviced him on similar lines but then once you get bitten by the fantasy of having a pet, it is very difficult to turn them around. I suggested him to go with a more laid back dog breed like a French bulldog rather than beagles. Frenchies dont need much exercise but crave for human attention. If he is able to provide him with good attention, care and time then Frenchies would grow very well with the family.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

I too adviced him on similar lines but then once you get bitten by the fantasy of having a pet, it is very difficult to turn them around. I suggested him to go with a more laid back dog breed like a french bulldog rather than beagles. Frenchies dont need much exercise but crave for human attention. If he is able to provide him with good attention, care and time thegn Frenchies would grow very well with the family.

I have witnessed innumerable cases, where people are bitten by the Dog Bug. They get one on a whim, and then realise the tedium of raising one. A dog; irrespective of the breed; needs a lot of attention and excercise. Once the novelty has worn off, it is neglected, and that leads to even more problems for the owner.

I request all members who are asked for advice on getting a dog for the first time, to explain in detail the requisites for having a pet - the time, money and the food. Children will volunteer initially, but soon leave and the onus of raising it is on the parents.

[creative420]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Is there anyone here who has Beagle as a pet? Especially staying in an apartment. Wanted to know few things about them as a cousin is looking to raise one soon. Been told that Beagle bark incessantly and have a loud one which makes them not viable for apartment living.

I am a beagle parent who lives in a 2BHK in a somewhat petfriendly society. And I have couple of friend and a few relatives who own the same breed, all of them living in apartment; across Bangalore, Kochi and Mumbai.

Beagles are perfectly suited for apartment life, given they are trained properly and fed a good filling diet. True for most dogs actually. But the biggest challenge to own a beagle, because they are primarily a hound dog, is their natural need to explore. And SNIFF. You don’t walk a beagle, but the beagle walks you. And you have to let them sniff out as much as they want to, else it could lead to irritation, which could lead to incessant barking.

They engage in short burst with crazy energy, but tend to sleep a lot too, compared to other breeds.

About the barking bit, it just depends on the training and the environment created for one. My friends have labs, retrievers, indies, maltese, poms, who bark more than my beagle does.

DM if need any further information.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by AYP

, in the last couple of months, I remember only 1 instant when he started to chase them from the outside. Yes, ideally speaking, I do believe that a place which houses birds shouldn't have a cat or a dog but practically speaking, there does not seem to be an issue. .

Your birds look great.
I have read that the presence of a natural predator can cause stress to caged birds, as they can't fly away to safety. Do you cover the cage with a blanket or such for a few hours at night to give them some peace of mind? Cats can certainly see great at night, what if the birds are up all night looking out for the predator? Do you remove the cat from the house at night? Just me thinking so, I don't have experience with birds.

[AYP]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Your birds look great.
I have read that the presence of a natural predator can cause stress to caged birds, as they can't fly away to safety. Do you cover the cage with a blanket or such for a few hours at night to give them some peace of mind? Cats can certainly see great at night, what if the birds are up all night looking out for the predator? Do you remove the cat from the house at night? Just me thinking so, I don't have experience with birds.

Thanks! Even I have heard the same but there is little that I can do about it. Toffee was here first. At night, we do cover them with an old bed sheet so that they can sleep peacefully. Also, Toffee sleeps with me in my room so they are in a way, almost always seperated at night.

[deathwalkr]

Need your suggestions. I have been a fish guy for almost all of my life and not been into dogs/cats.

A few months back a jet black kitten was roaming around our face and my wife who does not really like cats all that much wanted to chase it away.

A couple of days later she saw the little fella play in the garden with the leaves of fern and my wife was bowled over by that bundle of cuteness

Now it sleeps in a cushion in the shed and gets fed sardines and milk and what not. My kids also love it and my son has named it Jasper. Plays with him, runs with him.

While we have told him not to touch it (?) is there something we should be worried about? Vaccination? How does one go about it?

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

While we have told him not to touch it (?) is there something we should be worried about? Vaccination? How does one go about it?

Honestly,
This is the best of both worlds - all the benefits of having a pet and not really being 100% responsible for it. I would encourage you and your family to continue the status quo as much as possible.

A few points to consider going beyond what you asked

1. I would actually encourage your son/family to keep in touch with the kitten. It's a great pet for a young kid. But let the kitten be free to go around so that s/he doesn't become completely dependent on you guys for food, etc. Let it figure out alternate sources of food too (other humans and/or killing other rodents, etc.).

2. I won't really worry about any major risks but it would be good for your family and especially for the kitten to get it some basic vaccinations. Two comes top to my mind - rabies vaccine and a 3-in-1 vaccine which will safeguard the kitten against major diseases. The 3-in-1 requires a booster shot so I'll recommend going down this path of vaccination only once you are committed to do so.

3. If step 2 is too much for you, considering your wife & son are already sold on 'Jasper'; I would suggest atleast getting the rabies vaccine once and stopping at that. One shot can be considered safe enough; IMO rabies are more relevant wrt dogs than cats. Beyond that, there wouldn't be much to worry for you guys.

4. If not already done, teach your son to handle pet(s) gently. After all, in the end it's still a cat/kitten (no matter the levels of domestication it goes through). Although once they get comfortable with us, they are quite 'flexible' in our handling of them but always good to be safe than sorry (worst risk would be a few scratches, so not too much of a worry).

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Honestly,
This is the best of both worlds - all the benefits of having a pet and not really being 100% responsible for it. I would encourage you and your family to continue the status quo as much as possible.

A few points to consider going beyond what you asked

1. Oh trust me, it's almost family now The second we open the back door, it's there meowing away to kingdom come. More when it sees my son. He plays with a ball with it, twigs and generally is happy to be around him.

And I guess it's a bit late now, it gets fish and milk in the mornings, leftover chicken or bread in the evenings so safe to say it's not going anywhere. But yes, it does "hunt" for lizards and hopefully rodents when it gets a bit bigger.

2/3. Shall look into the vaccination aspect. Kerala had been in the news recently with bad vaccines for rabies and people dying.

4. He's pretty safe with pets. Catches fishes by hand and is gentle enough not to harm them. But for now, no touching the cat.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

1. Oh trust me, it's almost family now The second we open the back door, it's there meowing away to kingdom come. More when it sees my son. He plays with a ball with it, twigs and generally is happy to be around him.

And I guess it's a bit late now, it gets fish and milk in the mornings, leftover chicken or bread in the evenings so safe to say it's not going anywhere. But yes, it does "hunt" for lizards and hopefully rodents when it gets a bit bigger.

2/3. Shall look into the vaccination aspect. Kerala had been in the news recently with bad vaccines for rabies and people dying.

4. He's pretty safe with pets. Catches fishes by hand and is gentle enough not to harm them. But for now, no touching the cat.

For @ninjatalli's great advice you gotta pay in the currency of this thread - lots of photos.