#pet advice

[guinepbun]

People with rabbits as pets, I have a question: how do you keep your little bastards from ripping up your carpet?? I previously didn't have carpet, just made sure my floor area had blankets and stuff for his little paws w a walk way for me to the door so he could roam. Now I've moved to a place where the floors are carpeted and I'm losing my mind with him. I got him a blanket with a plastic under it for his cage area to avoid any big messes (he likes to tip his water and stuff, still can't get him to stop that even with a heavier bowl) but when I let him out to roam he IMMEDIATELY goes to ripping up my fucking carpet and I'm at my wit's end here.

I tried doing things like redirectiong his attention with toys, scattering his greens so he'll be more inclined to eat proper food rather than the carpet and making my displeasure known by thumping at him, shaking my keys or calling out at him firmly but he's only really deterred by the sound of my keys. They spook him into running back to his burrow like I'm bullying him tho and it makes me sad bc he'll be binkying and racing around happily until then. Nothing on google works and I honestly didn't think this was going to be a problem before this. He's even taken to ripping up his blanket in the cage and trying to destroy the plastic underneath, something he had never done before. I thought it was stress at first but I realized he gets mad at me when I remove the plastic so idk!! This is so out of nowhere and yes, he is (as previously described) a bastard but he never gives me this much trouble for anything other than destroying my last pair of inside shoes (which I learned to put out of his reach and then outside the room entirely, rip)

He has toys, mutliple types of fruit tree branches, timothy hay chew ball, a paper towel roll I supervise his play with, soft minnie mouse toy he's had since we first got him etc. I'm lost on why he's so fixated on the carpet!! I'm sorry for the rant but I'm losing my marbles over here!!!

[mothwing-23]

any ideas for good pet rat enrichment activities/toys??

The rats in question >> Spider (white) and Sputnik (brown) btw

(Edit: I ask bc they’re always chewing stuff up and while I know that’s their nature and I’m not bothered I hate to think they’re bored)

[izzynstuffz]

hey guys!!!!!!!! um!!!! if you own mice um i would love some help!!

so my sister got two mice earlier today.. and shes super excited!! she has this cage for them mice which has those colorful tubes at the top of it. one of her mice (her name is gabriella) climbed into it two hours ago and hasnt left …. shes either been just sitting there, grooming herself, or napping. this also is the only time either of them have gone into those tubes. im not sure whether i/ my sister should be concerned at all? shes probably just nervous from moving to a new home, but its just a bit weird that gabriella’s just been up there for so long?

also. this may be unimportant, but the cage she got was (unintentionally) a hamster cage, and the mice are able to get out. theyve escaped several times now (theres a row of bars that is larger than 1/4 inch apart at the top and middle of the cage) but she has something covering those spots right now so they can no longer escape. again, this may not matter to what im asking about, but it felt worth mentioning

heres little gabriella in the tube….. is it anything to be worried about? the tubes are quite hard to seperate, which is why she hasn’t tried to do that yet. both the mice seem to be pretty nervous, so shes kept interaction as low as she could… um if theres anything that sticks out to you as a mouse owner please tell me!!!! i just want little gabriella and her sister rice crispy to be safe!!

[wisteria-lyne]

I really want a dog/puppy but I have a cat and she is not very accepting of dogs but I believe if it’s a small puppy she might eventually get over it, but I don’t know. And I don’t want her to get jealous and stuff.

I also really want a ferret or a rat if I can’t get a puppy, ferrets live for like 7-10 years I think and they are so cute but I think a lot to handle but I could do it parents are saying the cat won’t take to it but I don’t think they would be around each other that much for it to even matter and I’ll always be there anyway, yea, I’m very indecisive about rat or ferret…

Rat is probably the most realistic answer and I’m good with that because I love rats, so cute! But I heard they could have mites if you get them from a pet store which is kinda the only option close to me… so I don’t know what to do…anyone have any advice on what one to get, which is best for also living with a cat?

[thelocalcoyote]

If anyone has any hermit crab care tips my inbox is open 24/7 plz stop by

[bardic-tales]

Did I do something wrong? When I first got my cat as a kitten, I refused to touch her or hold her because I didn’t want to intrude on her boundaries and make her uncomfortable so I was pretty distant but I fed her, played with her, cleaned her, changed her litter box ect and I feel like the reason my cat might not be affectionate with me is because I didn’t give affection to her as a kitten. She doesn’t like being held, but she likes having her butt slapped and will sit and present her butt to me whenever I pet her, she also like lays on her side when I come near her sometimes. She doesn’t nuzzle me or something like that.

Oh, sweetheart, please take a deep breath. You did not break your cat, and you did not do anything wrong.

First of all, your instinct to respect her boundaries when she was tiny comes from a place of profound love and empathy. While it's true that early handling helps shape a kitten’s socialization, cats are incredibly resilient, individualistic little creatures.

From what you said above, you provided the absolute foundation of trust: food, play, a clean environment, and safety. You didn't neglect her. You just gave her space.

But here is the most important thing I can tell you. Your cat is being affectionate with you. She is just speaking Cat, and you're expecting her to speak Dog (or Human).

Let’s look at the evidence you just gave me:

The Butt Slaps: This is a classic, hilarious cat quirk. The base of a cat's tail is packed with nerve endings, and many cats find that firm petting or butt pats incredibly stimulating and satisfying. My Loki loved to be slapped on his rump. When she walks up and presents her backside to you, that is a massive sign of trust. In the feline world, turning your back on someone means I know you won't hurt me.

Flopping on her side: When you walk near her and she drops onto her side, she is exposing her flank and potentially her belly. This is a huge compliment. She is telling you, "I am completely relaxed, safe, and happy in your presence."

Not liking being held: I promise you, this is just a personality trait. A vast number of cats who were cuddled within an inch of their lives as kittens still grow up hating to be picked up. Case in point. Cookie. He loved to be held as a kitten and would rather lay next to you calmly instead of being held. Being held takes away their autonomy and their ability to escape if a sudden noise happens. It’s not a rejection of you. It’s just a preference for keeping their paws on solid ground.

Every cat has a unique love language. Some are velcro cats, like my Skye, who need to be glued to your chest, while others are ambient cats who show love simply by choosing to occupy the same room as you, or by demanding elevator pats at the base of their tail.

You built a relationship based on respect, and she respects you right back. She feels safe enough to show you exactly what she likes. You’re doing great, and she loves her weird, wonderful life with you. Give her a good, solid butt pat for me!

[karlyanalora]

I Have Been Chosen by Cat Distribution System...And Could Use Some Advice

Wild tale but I am 100% sure (an update as I just felt the kittens kicking around multiple times) I am the guardian of a pregnant cat. She is a sweetheart, but I've never had a pregnant cat before and don't know what I'm doing.

I've got a den set up for her (though she much prefers being with me), and I'm feeding her kitten food. Beyond that, I'm kind of winging it? I mean until she has them, it's mostly a game of sit and wait.

So if anyone has any advice, any and all avenues of tumblr communication are open. Signal boosts are also appreciated.

Today's top question is this, though: Do I wait to acclimate her to being in a carrier and the car, or take her to the vet for a checkup now?

I'm pretty sure she's never been to the vet before. She was believed to be a guy by the locals until I saw her go from skinny to shaped like a barrel, and her mosquito bite nipples now look like proper teats.

I'd like to get her to the vet for all the tests like FiV/FeLV + anything else the vet thinks is wise. But I always planned to acclimate any cat I got to carriers and traveling in them before a big trip to the vet. I don't want her to associate my carrier with bad stuff because I'm not sure I could break that association without buying a new carrier.

Today's training was not hopeful. She's too smart. She liked the treats but knew they came from the bag and was only interested in the bag. When the bag was put away, she was like "I can eat the treats in the carrier later." And she will eat them later. Just not when I can move to the next step of training.

So is it important enough that I take her to the vet sooner rather than later that I skip the training and book an appointment now?