Fiona the Everlasting Goldfish and a rant about pet stores

[Alenee]

So this is two posts in one. Hope it gets some action! :D

 

Dh and I went on a date the other night and stopped at Petco to buy some filters for our fish tank. You see, we have the Everlasting Goldfish living in our home. Her name is Fiona. We bought her four years ago. Yep, FOUR years ago! She had a pal, Shrek, but she killed him. She also had Chester the snail...but she killed him. A while later we bought her another fishy friend...but she killed him too. So it seems our dear Everlasting Goldfish likes to be Top Fish. Has anyone ever had a goldfish last this long? We looked up "goldfish" on google and found out that the longest living goldfish on record was 43 years old! :blink:

 

So there we are at Petco. We picked up the filters and decided to go have a gander at the cats for adoption. We see the most awesome orange Tabby...3 months old. Dh kept putting his hands up to the little air holes and this cutie pie kept inching toward it, hoping to get a good petting out of it. Dh was looking at me with those "please honey" eyes but we decided to get out of there fast or else we'd have a new pet.

 

What gets me bad though is that had the adoption agency not had it's rules, we might've considered it. You can't adopt one of those cats w/o signing a paper saying you'll never let the cat outside. It's not because it's declawed. It's for the cat's safety. HELLO! Did they miss the fact that cats are ANIMALS? We would love to have a cat or two to keep the mice population down here in the country as well as for companionship. But, no, they are worried that the cat might run into the street or get eaten by coyotes. OMG! Again, HELLO! What were cats made for then? This just REEAALLLY gets to me. It's not as easy as it once was to find free kittens anymore either. We looked. Nada. They're all at shelters waiting for somebody to come sign that stupid paper so they can go to a good home.

 

I could go into how this is just another freedom of ours, little as it may seem, taken away...but I won't.

[lovemyboys]

Dh and I went on a date the other night and stopped at Petco to buy some filters for our fish tank. You see, we have the Everlasting Goldfish living in our home. Her name is Fiona. We bought her four years ago. Yep, FOUR years ago! She had a pal, Shrek, but she killed him. She also had Chester the snail...but she killed him. A while later we bought her another fishy friend...but she killed him too. So it seems our dear Everlasting Goldfish likes to be Top Fish. Has anyone ever had a goldfish last this long? We looked up "goldfish" on google and found out that the longest living goldfish on record was 43 years old! :blink:.

 

She's one aggressive goldfish!

 

We had a small catfish live about 4 years. Our goldfish lived about 2 years and died after we moved her out of a regular old bowl into a little filtered aquarium. Guess she liked the simple life. :001_smile:

[JFSinIL]

Yes, cats are animals and should be allowed to run freely outside...BUT now that humans drive CARS outdoor cats (in my experience growing up with cats) tend to get squished. Or have a run-in with nasty pesticide (we lost one cat that way in the nearby orange grove). Our four cats are indoor only.

[Sputterduck]

My goldfish, Nicholas, lived for 12 years. They gave them away one day in kindergarten. That's how I got him. I named him after the kid who got expelled from Kindergarten for dropping his pants in class when the teacher left the room.:001_huh:

[Brigitte]

We have a cat who after 7 years of being an indoor cat decided that he wanted to be indoor and outdoors. We lived on the campus of a boarding school (2 really, at different times) where he had 250+ acres to roam. My two previous cats were indoor cats. Well, after several trips to the vet (and hundreds of dollars) for injuries and illness from fighting with other cats and hurting his knee, we made the decision to keep him in again. Also, when they go outside, the extra vaccinations can get pretty costly, too. Since bringing him indoors, he is much healthier than he was.

 

All our cats who never went out (Horace was a stray and had been outside before we got him) never had any interest in getting out. They love sitting in the window sills and cackling at birds, but don't feel the need to get out there with them.

 

Just my .02.

[Mel in K-zoo]

I agree. We have two cats and they are outdoor cats. They do catch mice, and moles, and chipmunks, and birds, and unfortunately for my daughters, baby bunnies. I love having outdoor cats and I agree with you about the adoption papers. In fact, my one cat hates being in the house even when we do bring her in. Anyway, you should try Craigslist.

[Haiku]

It's not as easy as it once was to find free kittens anymore either. We looked. Nada.

 

Which is good, because it means that people are getting the message and getting their cats spayed and neutered so that they don't keep popping out litter after litter of kittens that wind up dead strays or cramming the shelters.

 

Tara

[amy g.]

I agree with you. Ten years ago, we adopted a black lab from a shelter. They wanted us to sign saying he would be an indoor dog. I knew Dh really wanted him, but wouldn't lie, so I signed the paper for him. I can not imagine how cruel it would be to keep that dog in the house. He is still going strong today, chasing rabbits and playing with the kids.

 

We had an outdoor cat when we lived on a golf course with no traffic. When we moved back to our house on a busy street, I gave her to my dad who kept her indoors. She became so neurotic. I went to get her when my dad was in the hospital, and even though her litter box was clean, she had defecated all over the house, the counters, even the middle of the kitchen table.

 

I brought her here, and kept her in the garage for a couple of weeks. Now, I keep the garage door open during the day, and close her in at night. She is like a different cat, she's so calm. I'm not worried about her, because we have no traffic on our street. If a wild animal killed her, I'd still feel okay about it. I'd rather have a short happy life, then a long unhappy life. I'm sure some animals are very happy indoors. My Yorkie is, but this cat wasn't.

 

Now, I only buy dogs from breeders and get cats when they wander up. I would rather adopt from a shelter, and discourage back yard breeders, but the shelters around here have just became too inflexible.

[dawn of ns]

Goldfish are actually pretty longlived, it's simply that most people put them in habitats that are way too small and the resulting complications often mean a short life. They also tend to come from big chain pet stores where the fish are bought from the fish equivilent of puppy mills and are very poor stock.

 

You should have a minimum of 10 gallons for every goldfish in order to maintain a clean and balanced environment.

Edited September 29, 2008 by dawn of ns

[ticklbee]

We just had a stray cat adopt us. Can't let him in though because of allergies and asthma with ds and allergies with me. The only time he wanted to come in was when it was raining. He's been hanging around for about a month now and winter is coming. I don't know what we're going to do for him when it starts getting really cold. Maybe make him some sort of house? Right now he's sleeping in a makeshift house dd made for him out of a cardboard box and rags.

[PameliaSue]

Anyway, you should try Craigslist.

:iagree:

 

That's what I was gonna say... craigslist!

[hornblower]

LOL - You wouldn't like the dog rescues I volunteer for: we require an application form, homecheck/interview - yes someone comes to your house to check it out, written landlord permission if applicable, references - yes, we call.

And in the end, you might not get the animal you applied for - we place the animal in what we feel is going to be the best home for it, which might not actually be yours, though hopefully we can find a good match for you.

 

This is the standard procedure for reputable rescues around here.

 

Shelters vary a bit from this but still require an application form & most have no same day adoptions - you need to return after a 24h min cooling off period. Home visits are rarer but they usually will call references. And ALL animals are spay/neutered prior to adoption, even if it requires a pediatric s/n.

 

Some cat rescues are waving the home visit & just doing an application & interviews (they are just SO overwhelmed with the numbers of cats out there) but I don't know anyone reputable who doesn't do at least those.

 

ETA: in return, you get an animal which has been vetted & vax'd; S/N; microchipped; & because they usually have been in foster care, we have a good idea of temperament & often put on some basic training. Reputable rescues also stand by the animal for the duration - if you find you can't take care of your pet or your kids get allergies or anything, we'll take it back & find a good home for it.

Edited September 30, 2008 by hornblower

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Dh and I went on a date the other night and stopped at Petco to buy some filters for our fish tank. You see, we have the Everlasting Goldfish living in our home. Her name is Fiona. We bought her four years ago. Yep, FOUR years ago! She had a pal, Shrek, but she killed him. She also had Chester the snail...but she killed him. A while later we bought her another fishy friend...but she killed him too. So it seems our dear Everlasting Goldfish likes to be Top Fish. Has anyone ever had a goldfish last this long? We looked up "goldfish" on google and found out that the longest living goldfish on record was 43 years old! :blink:

 

yeah. Me! me! Me! I had a goldfish that lasted 7 years. Also top fish at all times (and only fish, I guess). It even managed to eat the bottom feeder with the hard shell that the pet store sold us. The store did warn us the goldfish would try to get to its belly. Sure enough, it took about a month. Goldfish ate bottom feeder alive through its belly, pretty gross.

 

Anyway, goldfish is now dead. After 7 years, it never even got a name! LOL. One day, I turned up the heater in the tank by mistake, and ended up cooking said goldfish. Worst part is that it was too big to flush down the toilet!

[Jenny in Florida]

Some cat rescues are waving the home visit & just doing an application & interviews (they are just SO overwhelmed with the numbers of cats out there) but I don't know anyone reputable who doesn't do at least those.

 

ETA: in return, you get an animal which has been vetted & vax'd; S/N; microchipped; & because they usually have been in foster care, we have a good idea of temperament & often put on some basic training. Reputable rescues also stand by the animal for the duration - if you find you can't take care of your pet or your kids get allergies or anything, we'll take it back & find a good home for it.

 

Yep, that was the deal with the two cats we adopted (well, not the microchipping, but the rest).

 

We keep our cats indoors, anyway, because I believe if I adopt an animal, it's my responsibility to do the best I can to ensure its safety. But I also figure if these wonderful people are contributing their own time and effort to rescue these animals (and all too often taking a financial loss in the bargain), they pretty much have the right to decide how they want to handle it.

 

These people are heroes in my book.

 

Edited to add: Oh, I meant to share, in case anyone remembers my frantic posts from a few months ago about the very pregnant stray cat my son and I brought home? Well, I got a call several weeks ago from the rescue organization that was kind enough to take in our little friend letting me know that the cat had given birth and that she and the kittens would be spayed soon. She said that, once they were all recovered from surgery, they would be at our local pet shop during their Sunday afternoon adoption sessions. So, we dropped by this past weekend and got to meet the kittens! There were three beautiful grey tabbies and one black one that looks just like her mom. Apparently, the little mother may have a permanent home with the family that fostered her. We can't adopt any more, because our lease won't allow it. But it was really nice to see the babies looking all healthy and cute and to hear that the mom is in a safe and comfortable home.

 

Of course, now my son wants to start volunteering with the organization . . . in all of his free time.

Edited September 30, 2008 by Jenny in Florida

[Remudamom]

Wow, I wish we could send you some of ours. We've got a barn full of beautiful calico gals, too many for here. We're trying to get them all spayed. First we have to catch them, then we have to pay the vet bills.

[Mom to Aly]

Yep, that was the deal with the two cats we adopted (well, not the microchipping, but the rest).

 

We keep our cats indoors, anyway, because I believe if I adopt an animal, it's my responsibility to do the best I can to ensure its safety. But I also figure if these wonderful people are contributing their own time and effort to rescue these animals (and all too often taking a financial loss in the bargain), they pretty much have the right to decide how they want to handle it.

 

These people are heroes in my book.

 

I agree completely. I applaud shelters for making people sign that they will keep the cats indoors; I just wish they could check up on it, as I am sure not everyone abides by it.

 

The average lifespan of an indoor cat is 12-15 years; the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. Shelters and vets see the result of outdoor cats--not the ones that die, but the ones that wander off, and don't return home. The ones that weren't neutered or spayed, and have kittens; the ones that become feral, and can't be adopted; the ones that contract diseases, that can't be cured; the ones that are injured, whether by cars, animals or sick people, injured beyond what you can imagine.

 

I live just outside of Richmond, VA. There are several feral cat colonies in the city--all of these have been created by outdoor cats that have become wild, and mated with others--there is no such thing as a naturally wild cat (domesticated cat) in the US. These colonies are HUGE! There was a lot of news about these recently, because one of them was on a news stations property, and they decided to bulldoze it and kill the cats; the SPCA found out after the had started and some cats had died, and finally stopped them, but this is how many see feral cats, as pests, nothing more.

 

How often do you pass trees or telephone polls with posters about lost cats? How many of those do you think are indoor? When you take an animal into your home, do you think of it as just an "animal", or a "pet"? And, yes, I'd say there is a big difference. Ask your kids, I bet they'd say there was. Especially if that pet disappeared in a couple of years and never came back, or you found it squished on the street, I bet they'd say there was a huge difference!

 

Here is an article from Peta.org (link http://www.peta.org/campaigns/ar-outdoorcats.asp)

Animal Rights Uncompromised:

'Outdoor' Cats

 

Like dogs and small children, cats who are let outdoors without supervision are vulnerable to the dangers of cars, other animals, cruel people, and diseases—in addition to a dramatically lowered life expectancy, there is an increased risk of disease. Feline leukemia, feline AIDS (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), toxoplasmosis, distemper, heartworms, and rabies can be difficult to detect and, in the case of FIP and distemper, impossible to test for; they are also highly contagious and can easily be passed on to other animal companions.

Many people consider free-roaming cats to be pests. They do not want cats to urinate, defecate, dig, eat plants, or kill birds on their property. Across the country, free-roaming cats are shot, poisoned, and stolen by angry neighbors. They are also mutilated, drowned, beaten, set on fire, used in ritual sacrifice, stolen by "bunchers" for medical experimentation, or used by dogfighters as "bait."

Fortunately, cats can live happy lives indoors, and they should be given opportunities to explore the outdoors under supervision. Like dogs, cats should be allowed outdoors for walks on leashes that are attached to harnesses and to explore securely fenced yards. A product called Cat Fence-In, a flexible mesh barrier that can be placed on top of privacy fences to prevent cats from climbing out, can help you keep your feline companions safe in your yard.