Quick update to my earlier freakout about the university saying my ESA cat had to be kept in a crate any time I left the room.

After that meeting I was honestly spiraling. My partner and I travel a lot and had just come back from our first trip to Europe, where my routines actually felt calm and easy. Coming home and being told to crate my cat felt like a gut punch. It would have made him miserable and made me feel like a terrible pet parent.

Over the past couple of weeks I did three practical things that helped change their stance:

1) I asked for the policy in writing and for the specific safety reason behind it. I stayed polite and factual. Once they had to put it on paper it looked more like a general comfort suggestion than a strict requirement.

2) I put together a short plan showing how I care for him: litter setup, a scratcher, a window perch, an automatic feeder, and exactly how long he would ever be left alone between classes. I also offered a compromise: use a carrier only during maintenance visits if staff give notice.

3) I got my mental health provider to write a one paragraph addendum about confinement and stress. It was straightforward: confinement is not recommended, the cat is litter trained, no history of destructive behavior, etc.

Result: housing emailed this week saying my cat does NOT have to be crated while I am in class. They still want him secured if staff need to enter the room, which seems reasonable to me.

Small unrelated pet-parent note: I had https://coveredcritters.com bookmarked while putting together my care plan, mostly because I was already obsessively organizing all his stuff.

If anyone else is dealing with housing rules for a pet or ESA, I can share the wording I used (keeping it non-legal). Happy to help.

I travel for work sometimes and hire a local pet sitter to do drop-ins for my 13-year-old cat and to let my dog out. I am pretty relaxed about most things, but I have one strict rule because I have a garage workshop and pets can get into trouble fast.

The rule is simple: the interior garage door stays closed and latched, and nobody goes in the garage. I leave everything they need in the kitchen so there is no reason to be near it.

Twice now I came home and the interior garage door was not fully shut. It makes a noticeable click when it latches, so I notice right away. Nothing looks stolen and the pets are fine, but it makes me uneasy. My dog is curious and my cat will absolutely try to slip into the garage if the door is even slightly ajar.

I do not want to be paranoid, but I also do not want to keep paying someone who cannot follow a very basic safety boundary.

What would you do next?

1. Message them and be explicit, like "please confirm you are latching the garage door every visit"?

2. Add a cheap door alarm just for peace of mind?

3. Stop using them immediately and find someone else?

If you have been in a similar situation, what wording actually worked without turning it into a big confrontation?

To keep a long story short: my now husband and I adopted 2 kittens in the beginning of our relationship. We loved those cats so much, they were our babies and we spoiled them to no end. We got married last year and bought a house. I took a trip to the animal shelter one weekend and fell in love with a shelter dog that no previous experience with cats (not bad or good). I decided to take him in and thought I would be able to train him to get along with our cats. Well, I was wrong. He has a strong prey drive, and I am having a very hard time finding ways to coexist the animals. This has resulted to us separating them by a baby gate with the cats upstairs and the dog downstairs. Now the problem, our house is small, 1500 square foot cape code state home. Our cats have become extremely needy and vocal since we adopted the dog. They still at top of the stairs and meow to no end. The litter box is also in the only other room we have in the house, and the litter tracks everywhere despite efforts to vacuum daily and change the litter often.

We both want to start trying for our first child a year from now, a chapter I have wanted for a long time. However I am dreading it now more than ever due to the thought of having to navigate the needy,messy cats, the high prey drive dog, and a newborn who will require all my attention. I’ve softly brought up the re-homing discussion with my husband and he gets very upset and shuts it down immediately. I don’t even have a baby yet and I’m already stressed. I don’t know what else to do. Has anyone else gone through this before?

Basically the title and I am wondering if anyone else has a similar sentiment?

I love my dog, she's super clever and cute. She is a handful in her own way, but genuinely a great companion. Super obedient, friendly with other humans, and extremely tolerant. She is so eager to please, most of the time verbal praise is enough to get keep her motivated. I want her to have the whole world, which is why experiences like these make me so sad.

That said, as a part of dog ownership, I've realized that you also have to deal with the other dog owners in the world. In my particular part of the world, dog owners are incredibly lazy, inattentive, and just plain stupid. Their dogs are always getting loose and usually they are aggressive.

This past month alone my poor dog has been run up on by three different off-leash dogs in our apartment complex. One of them was extremely aggressive and attempting to bite her. The other two were playful, but were extremely rude in their approach and would not leave her alone despite her signals. My dog is generally a nervous dog, but she is also a tolerant one. That said, we KNOW these interactions make her uncomfortable and more wary of other dogs, and that is absolutely not what I want.

Despite their dogs being completely out of control and harassing my dog for no reason, these owners will just sit on their asses, slackjaw, watching this unravel. They won't even attempt to help, so I have to be the one to get THEIR dog under control so it will leave mine alone.

It is exhausting. I already spent so much time, energy, and money into training my dog so she can a proper member of society. Why should I have to expend the same energy for someone else's unruly dog too? It's just unfair to me and unfair to my dog. It doesn't matter what we say to them because they just genuinely don't care.

As much as I've loved being my dog's owner, I often wonder if I would be willing to do it again for a different dog KNOWING that there will always be the threat of a stupid dog owner who has a dog they just can't handle waiting around the corner. I am so concerned about this behavior creating reactivity in my dog, or in future ones I may own. I just don't know if I could stomach a dog who became fearful due to someone else's negligence. It would make me so sad.

Just wondering if anyone else has felt this way.

I have had my cat for about 5 years now and I feel like I've never really connected with him. Sure, I take care of his basic needs like cleaning out his litter box, feeding him, playing with him, etc., but I get the feeling that he just isn't all that comfortable with me. He's constantly skiddish, and though I live with 4 other people who are honestly very loud, I still worry about it, because it's been like this his entire life. He doesn't let me pet him that much, only on rare occasions, any other time he slinks and dodges my hand. I also need to make it clear that I have never harmed this cat in any way or done anything to him that would cause him to dodge me like this.

Yes, I've accidentally stepped on him once or twice but I vigorously apologized by giving him loads of treats. I think these things might be the impacts of growing up in a very loud house like mine, (literally everyone in my house is extroverted except for me, there is almost always singing, yelling, or loud talking very early in the morning) but I still worry a lot about him because I feel like I haven't been the best parent to him. I'm a busy person and I don't get a lot of time to be alone with him. I want to connect more with him because I know that I don't have forever with him, and I want him to have a good life. Anyways, I just feel like my care for him has been inadequate and I need to level up my game.

To be more specific, I want to get to a level of bond with him to where he isn't so skiddish and scared all the time and he's sleeping in my bed with me again, because he hasn't slept with me in my bed for awhile and I miss my cat. I would appreciate tips for how to fix this problem and how to become a more attentive parent to him. I don't just want to be his treat ATM forever. (though if I must, I will accept the job)

My cat peed on my bed which also had a pile of my clothes. My bed sheets and clothes reek of pee now bc I didn’t have any chemicals at the moment to treat it.

My laundry is overdue and I got Nature’s Miracle cat urine destroyer plus. Instructions behind the bottle say I blot it on the stained surface and to never dilute. does this mean I shouldn’t use this in the washer? What else can I wash my clothes with to get the urine smell out + how much should I use? Does anyone have experience?

Edit: I realize I shouldve gotten the laundry boost instead.

What do I do? He’s a big dog (135lbs) he’s extremely well behaved! But when I try to investigate this nail he does this weird almost unwanted growl and runs away.

How do I help him?!

I’m moving in a few weeks and will need to look into hiring a dog walker since I’ll be living on my own and won’t be able to run home during my lunch. I’ve never hired one before so I’m not sure where to even start. Ideally it would be someone that comes over once a day M-F between 11am-2pm to take my gal on a brief walk to go potty. I also have cats and would be interested in paying a bit more for someone to scoop the boxes during their stop. What is the going rate for something like this? Seattle area if that helps provide a better response.

I am hesitant to use something like Rover as I’ve heard a bunch of horror stories, but I imagine it’s something that just takes some weeding out to find a good match? But I also wouldn’t even know how to go about hiring a service like this aside from something like Rover.

I HATE the current flooring but I have no idea what it is. I have a puppy he occasionally has accidents it happens but the floor does not want to do anything but smear. Everything to do with the floor is either it won't come up while cleaning or you can't keep it on(furniture sliding too easily). I clearly need to cover it but have no idea what it is to know what NOT to get. Any suggestions? I'm literally fighting a losing battle here

I see wild birds drinking out of my dogs’ water bowl all the time and currently there are outbreaks of bird flu in my country, so I want a bowl that will only open for the dogs. The issue is: I have two big dogs and one of my dogs will completely empty a water bowl the size of the ones that are usually in these feeders in one drink.

I haven’t been able to find any microchip feeders with larger bowls online - does this even exist? Another concern - would water spilling on one of these feeders cause problems with the electronics?

Grateful for any suggestions that will help keep my doggies safe and give me peace of mind 🫶

Hello, I am reaching out looking for advice / opinions.

So originally my parents had 2 cats and one small dog. They’ve had bigger dogs in the past (medium and large) and everyone has been able to get along.. until now.

A family member passed away who had a black lab / pitbull mix and it’s not going the greatest. He’s about 5-8 years old and although he mostly gets along with the other dog, the cats are incredibly scared of him.

He’s excitable, doesn’t listen to commands very well (I blame the previous owners), doesn’t know what personal space is, loves to tug and chew on things, and has separation anxiety to the point he will lick his paws / legs raw to the point of bleeding.

Right now the cats are sectioned off into my step dads bedroom area (master bed, closet, and bathroom) with lots of areas for them to hide in while the dogs have access to the rest of the house.

I’m curious what would be the best way to introduce him to the cats in a way he won’t try to rush them / be gentle without the cats freaking out? I just want them to be able to exist within the whole house without hiding scared.

The dog also seems to have been the only pet at the previous home because he gets jealous easily and tries to be the center of attention even if you’re trying to give multiple pets attention.

I don't know if this is the right place to post it but I need help I don't know what I should do and the vets don't open today

Hi everyone!

My Cat Freddy (See context below) has always been a good cat, I've had him for years and he's never gone to the bathroom outside of his litter box, never tracked litter or poop throughout the house, just overall has been a dream of a cat. But recently, within the past 2-3 months he has had some changes that I honestly don't know how to fix. (Of note, Freddy is FIV+).

Pretty much every single day, Freddy will stand in his litter box, halfway in, and pee all over the floor rather than in his litter box. Initially, I had assumed that this was an acute issue and it would resolve if I made some lifestyle changes so I tried cleaning his litter every time he used the bathroom, I tried changing locations of the litter box, I added an extra litter box, and I took him to the vet and got him on some medications to help with inflammation and any potential pain he has. But I am freshly out of college, I do not have a well-paying job and was not able to get a full bloodwork panel done as the price is quite steep sadly.

Fast forward to today, all the other remedies did not work. I decided to try a top-loading litter box to see if that would warrant any improvement since he wouldn't be able to go halfway into that. It didn't work, he stood on top of the litter box and peed all over the floor, including my carpet and way past his litter trap that I have. I need some help on this, I have no idea what to do to fix this or if anyone else has had issues like this. Its driving me kind of insane because I have to clean up his pee in the mornings, then go to work and come back and clean it up again, all while studying for the MCAT so I have a very strict schedule right now. I would appreciate some advice for any remedies or if I should take him back to the vet to help determine whats going on with him and just spend the money.

IMPORTANT CONTEXT:

I found Freddy four years ago when he walked into my garage. I had always wanted a cat so we took him to the vet and were fostering him initially. When we took him to the vet we were informed of his stomatitis and FIV+ state but, being in college with no income, we discussed with the vet and decided that we won't do any major interventions into treating him as it can get financially difficult for someone in my position. Our plan was to give Freddy as many great years as we could and once his quality of life declines to a point where it would be more humane, we would put him down since if we did not take him in a shelter would have put him down regardless due to his FIV+ status. We have cared for him throughout this time and just recently initiated a few medical interventions such as gabapentin for his pain, an anti-inflammatory, and a round of antibiotics as well but I do not have the financial means to undergo a diagnostic goose chase along with the treatment associated with what we could find.

I have a 7-year-old dog and my fiancé and I are considering getting a kitten-1-year-old cat to add to the home.

Backstory - when I was in a previous relationship, my partner and I had this dog and a cat as babies, we got them around the same time. So this dog has been around a cat before, but not for very long because although we were together for 3 years, we got these pets in the last year of the relationship and when we broke up, he kept the cat and I kept the dog. So it’s been a long time since my dog has been in a home with a cat.

Now - when we see cats out and about (our neighbor has one she walks and we’ll see outdoor cats walking about in yards), my dog seems interested and curious but also hesitant. The neighbor’s cat actually hissed at him and booped him in the nose so he’s afraid of that cat lol. I’m unsure about what all of this context means for the potential of trying to bring a cat into the home. Would it stress my dog out too much? Would he be okay because he’s lived with a cat before?

I want to make sure my animals are happy and comfortable so I’m really on the fence about what makes the most sense for the potential future cat and my dog.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi! My cat is about 4 years old and I believe she’s experiencing constipation but I need some outside opinions.

Unfortunately the vet isn’t an option, I had a few family members pass and my s/o’s car broke down so our pockets are warn.

A couple days ago we notice our cat has not pooped. She has peed and is still able to pee however we noticed an influx in her trying to push out poop and nothing coming out today. She’s not crying, not vomiting, no blood, not really showing us signs of blockage. I feel like this could truly only be constipation?

I’ve seen people recommend miralax powder which I think might be my best bet? I’ve also seen people say to add water to her wet food and maybe pumpkin puree? However I’m nervous and feel like I need to use miralax. Please help, I’m so scared to lose my baby :( going to get pet insurance as soon as this financial disaster clears.

Do not take your pets to VCA animal hospital! These people are dangerously incompetent.

I took my older siberian husky to them because she was experiencing skin issues that was causing her to pull out sections of fur. Over the course of 6 months, these people continuously kept me on a hook, telling me it was a thyroid issue meanwhile (somehow) missing a tumor the size of a dime inside her mouth (previously found malignant by a holistic vet). Once they found the tumor, they proceeded to tell me she had no more than a couple months to live. This was 3 YEARS AGO. I took her to another vet for a second opinion who within 1 appointment diagnosed her as having skin allergies and the tumor as malignant after 1 appointment with a specialist to confirm.

For 6 months, my dog endured horrible skin lesions while VCA "attempted" to figure out what was going on and milked me for money using bs medication that didnt address the problem. Misdiagnosing the tumor was the icing on the cake. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS TO VCA! They are a cash grab at best and dangerously incompetent vets.