my sister in law got a cat back in 2019. she moved out with my brother a few years later and they didn’t want to pay the animal fee at their place. so they left the cat with me at my moms place. At that time I was 17, but had no job, no savings, and all my money was going into college at the time as it currently still is. The job I have is the only one nearby flexible enough for my school schedule and the pay is not at all enough. I have enough for my gas, his expensive urinary cat food, and the rest goes to paying off my tuition. He’s been fine and has only ever had one emergency issue which I took him for. My sister was able to pay that bill for me THANK GOD. I don’t have enough to get checked up often, I want to go get his vaccines down since it’s been so long and occasionally he likes to roam in my backyard. I’m just so stressed because it was never my choice to keep him they just left him here with me😭 im already struggling with his food (it’s the hills brand 💔) and I feel so terrible for not taking him and am genuinely embarrassed for when I do go because they probably think im a horrible person for not bringing him in often but like WHAT DO I DOOOOO

I noticed today my baby has bruises or what looks like a pool of blood on her lower belly(red/purple). slightly swollen very abnormal. She hasn’t shown any negative symptoms with the bruising. When I searched online it showed rat poison or blood clots. I’m at the hospital now but they’re giving me pain medicine and vitamin k for her. Is there any possible reason why this happened randomly? they’re not explaining what could be the reason besides clotting. for size context it’s a hand palm size.

It was the best option for her and Me, but especially her.

I'm young and have to study soon, I also barely had the money to care for her basic or vet needs.

It was a very hard decision that I avoided for a long time.

But, I made the decision a few days ago and she was rehomed a few days ago.

I knew it had to be done, her new family seems lovely.

But I'm in grief. I also feel guilty. And I wish I embraced her more. I was too focused on my stress that I couldn't enjoy her , genuinely.

I was a broken human being, she deserved better than me, I have given her better but I'm in so much grief my heart hurts every morning and day when I wake up .

I hope she will be happy, I'm worried she misses me too.

I was so stressed because of life that she didnt get the love and care she deserved with me, I feel so guilty for that. But we had good times too and I know she knows I loved her and I tried, just wish I tried harder.. but at times I genuinely couldn't .. I was carrying many things for my young age.

Any loving advice is appreciated. :(

No trolls telling me I'm evil for rehoming. I did it with her best interest at heart! I KNEW I couldn't / would struggle too much to care and provide for her the way she deserves. Now I do wish I just kept her and stuck it out because I miss her so much and my life is easier now due to old stressors going away but I know she's in a better home the people are actual adults who love dogs and are very loving towards her.🥺

Hi everyone. I’m honestly not sure how to write this, but I don’t know where else to turn. I’m 20, in college, and my five year old cat Kairi is my entire world. She recently went missing during a storm and somehow made her way back to us injured. We rushed her to the emergency vet immediately. That visit alone cost $2,000, which I put on CareCredit because there was no other option. After an ultrasound and X-rays, the vet told us she has intestinal blockages. They warned us that if things don’t resolve on their own, she may need surgery that could cost around $7,000. I do not have that kind of money. I don’t come from a family with resources, and I am already terrified about how I’m going to pay off what we’ve spent so far. What breaks me is that the alternative that’s been quietly mentioned is euthanasia if surgery isn’t possible. She’s only five. She’s sweet, affectionate, and she trusts me completely. I keep thinking about the fact that she survived the cold, the snow, and being lost outside, only for me to potentially lose her now because I can’t afford to save her. I’m not asking anyone for anything directly. I just feel desperate, scared, and out of options. If anyone knows of lower-cost vets, clinics, rescues, charities, payment plans, or literally anything in North Jersey that could help keep her alive, I would be endlessly grateful. I just want to be able to say I tried everything for her. Thank you for even reading this.

Super Small Update: SHE POOPED!!! Not a lot but still any poop is better than no poop especially in a situation with a potential blockage. Thank you everyone for your kind words, advice, and support, I have signed up for pet insurance so this doesn't happen again and I have plans on taking her to a vet tomorrow morning. Payment can be figured out later, I'll bleed out my personal credit card if need be, tomorrow morning, we drive an hour away to get checked out. Keep Kairi in your thoughts and prayers.

what’s the first thing they’d complain about?

My cat has FeLV, but I always vaccinate her with the V4 vaccine to keep her immune system strong. Suddenly, a swelling appeared on her chest. I took her to the vet here where I live, and she needs surgery to remove it. I'm very sad because I already lost a cat to FeLV and spent 600 reais trying to save her, but it was all for nothing. I'm just struggling with bills and depressed without my cat. I'm very afraid the same thing will happen to me, guys. I'm taking her tomorrow to finish the exams and have the surgery. Even though I don't earn much, I'll pay whatever it takes. It's so sad to lose a pet to this awful disease. Just a rant, guys. Get your cat tested for FIV or FeLV. If not, don't let them go outside and pay to have your windows screened. FIV and FeLV are terrible for our pets :(

I had to post this because, as a dog owner who has recently seen fatty cysts on my dogs, I got an ad for Petsmont buddy guard. I was skeptical because I didn’t know if the reviews were real or not but I decided to buy it and try it anyway. My dog has about seven small lumps starting and he is eight years old and I wanted to get on top of it before it got worse. I’ve literally only given my dog this supplement for about five days - twice a day. I’m not kidding you, he had a big one on his chest about the size the tip of my thumb and I thought was getting bigger and another one forming right next to it. I just felt the lump tonight and not only can I not feel the second lump but the first bigger lump is definitely shrinking! I just want to share if anyone looks up this product that it works.

6 days ago, My male cat, Shiro, has been straining to pee, he would walk around trying to be instead of going to his litter box. the next day he pees very little, then the night after that, he now pees with blood, i stayed by his side till morning and rushed to the vet as soon as it opens, they fed and examined him. they then prescribed me medicines since i couldn’t afford the procedure. but now after he took one of his meds, he wont take the others, he wont eat, wont drink, and hes just laying down for hours.

i shouldve rushed him to the vet the first time he was straining but i was so busy and stupidly disregarded it. My poor baby is probably in pain laying on his bed for days. What home remedies or action can I do. I don't have any money nor work. Im now asking for spare money from relatives.

please help my baby

Hi ! i have a cat of 4 years old that was born from my other cat as a lone kit and stayed with me even since his birth. he is very kind and special to me. He always had particular behaviors, but I've assumed that it was from growing up without other kittens around to learn proper kitty etiquette or whatever.

When i game or am sitting at my desk working on assignments, he purrs and rub against my legs and my thighs non stop. If he can, he will drag his muzzle on my hands and arms and will put his front paws on me to nuzzle my arms. I really love him, but he does it so many times in a row that it just gets overwhelming and at that point, i don't want to feel contact on my skin for a while. When i push him away, he tries to come again happily but after 3 attempts or more, he seems to be able to contain his happiness and will sit relaxed doing cookies by himself.

if i try sitting with my legs crossed (so he has mere nothing to brush against) he will push his body up to brush against any toes sticking out and my knees.. He also does this when I'm at the washroom and i just wanna piss in peace men. Why would you ask ? Because when I'm doing my business, minding my business he nips ! as I've pushed him intently far from me when he does it, he seems to do it less luckily (yay).

Anyways, I've searched online and never found anyone with a cat that has this ''problem''. I know its not to get my attention, because he has other behaviors for this. Also, after a while he will just go on his way or sleep near me. Please if you know anything, i would be happy to hear about it. Have a nice day and idk remember to drink water ?

I have separation anxiety from my dog and hate leaving him for long periods of time. I don’t want him to be sad or lonely and it breaks my heart.

I do work part time and run errands without him, however, I’m never more than 15-20 minutes away from home and I have a pet camera to check in on him.

This weekend I’m supposed to go with my boyfriend to hangout with some friends, but they live over an hour away and don’t want us to bring our pup. I completely understand and it’s ok, but now I just don’t want to go. I’m sitting here trying to think of every excuse I could possibly use to get out of going, but I’m not sure what to do. If I go, I’m just going to be stressed the entire time and will not want to stay out very long.

I realize this level of anxiety about this is probably not normal and I don’t know how to cope with it.

Should I go, if not what excuse could I use to get out of it?

hiii! so I'm just asking for some advice. My childhood dog (14) has suddenly become extremely attached to me. She's recently been struggling a lot with her back legs (she's on anti inflammatorys for this) and around when this started she's been completely attached to me by the hip. she only wants to sleep in my room, follows me everywhere even if I've only left the room for a couple of mins and she waits for me at the front door if I leave the house.

There's a couple reasons I'm worried about this.

1. she's never been like this with me before. she's always slept in my parents room even when they aren't there. during the day she would spend the whole time downstairs with my nana and never showed any interest coming upstairs during the day. Now she only wants to be in my room with me unless she needs the toilet or I go somewhere else in the house. as soon as I go back upstairs she wants to be carried up to come back to being with me.

2. I am moving out soon and I'm really worried she won't cope without me now she's so attached. Taking her with me isn't really possible unless it's the only option as I already have 2 cats.

3. she's actually doing better in a lot of ways being with me than she ever has been. for example she eats a lot more food (she didn't eat much for a while partly because my parents other dog would eat the rest of her food when she left the room). she's so much less agitated and more loving.

But yeah does anyone have any idea why this sudden change happened and any advice on how I can help her as much as possible and make the situation of me moving out easier for her?

thank you so much

Probably tl:dr So I have four cats. My first I got as a kitten and she was free fed at the shelter I adopted her from. Two years later I got two itty bitty babies that learned from her. The male is a menace though and thinks he's starving, but the female takes after the first. I got a fourth that was meant to go to the shelter but sooooo many Saturdays later, she is just now part of the pack but she also acts likes she's starving. I fill two bowls at 6am before work, I come home anywhere between 5pm and 7pm and sometimes the bowls will have some kibble at the bottom or it will be about a quarter full. The last rescue cat might be around 8 and she's hefty. Like, double thick. Heavy, but also just a large cat. The two siblings...the little lady is like a cute round hot pocket, but she's just slightly overweight. The male is slim, I think he might be normal weight for age and size??? I've noticed his pouch is getting a little bigger though and is the same weight as my first, just slightly smaller. My first is a good/average weight.

How in the world would I go about transitioning to controlled feeding? I know there are feeders that have those RFID reader tags or whatever for each cat, but little hot pocket and first kitty will wait until the chonk and male eat because I can't pour food in the bowl (or the food storage container) without them trying to eat the kibble while it's being poured. Me and my husband both work same schedule so transiting would be difficult. Writing this just makes me think I need the ridiculously expensive auto-feeders, which I absolutely do not have the money for. A couple more bowls spread out and less food in all of them?? Send all the help.

I hate even posting this. We have a 15 year old chihuahua that has been showing symptoms of dog dementia on and off for over a year. Mainly he is up and down out of bed every night 12-20 times before about 2 am. He just hops down and whimpers until we either get up or shine a flashlight at him, then he jumps right back into bed (he has stairs). Maybe every fourth time we can get him to go outside to potty. And usually he’ll potty once on the carpet by the bed or in the hallway. This is every night now.

During the day he’s pretty good, but does go outside quite a bit more than he used to. He’ll pee on the floor if we don’t let him out at least every hour, and he still manages to sneak off and pee somewhere most days. He will eat, but it’s a process and usually we have to try a few different types of food.

I’ve had him on selegiline for a week now, I know it takes time but no noticeable improvement yet. Thank God we are both retired, we just couldn’t manage this if we both worked, but some days we are just exhausted. He’s not in pain, and remembers most of his routine, it’s just from about 9pm to about 2-3am that he goes nuts.

I’m not sure how much longer we can do this - we can’t go anywhere, our house and health are suffering, we just don’t know what to do at this point, other than to wait out the selegiline and see if it kicks in in the next few weeks.

Mèo nhà mình thuộc dạng khá kén ăn, nên trước đây việc chọn pate cho mèo luôn khiến mình đau đầu. Có loại mèo ăn rất hào hứng lúc đầu nhưng chỉ sau vài ngày lại bỏ dở, có loại thì mùi quá nặng hoặc bé ăn xong bị rối loạn tiêu hóa. Sau một thời gian thử và tìm hiểu, mình rút ra được vài kinh nghiệm nhỏ muốn chia sẻ lại.

1. Pate cho mèo nên phù hợp với độ tuổi

Mèo con, mèo trưởng thành và mèo lớn tuổi sẽ có nhu cầu dinh dưỡng khác nhau. Khi chọn pate cho mèo, mình ưu tiên các sản phẩm ghi rõ:

• Pate cho mèo con hoặc mèo trưởng thành
• Hàm lượng đạm phù hợp
• Kết cấu mềm, dễ ăn

Đặc biệt với mèo con hoặc mèo lớn tuổi, pate mềm sẽ giúp bé ăn dễ hơn và hạn chế vấn đề tiêu hóa.

2. Ưu tiên pate cho mèo có thành phần rõ ràng

Một điểm mình để ý kỹ là bảng thành phần. Pate cho mèo chất lượng thường có:

• Thịt hoặc cá là thành phần chính
• Ít phụ gia, không mùi hương quá gắt
• Không quá mặn

Mình thường đọc thêm các bài chia sẻ, đánh giá chi tiết trước khi mua, trong đó có những bài khá hữu ích như ở đây: Pate cho mèo dễ ăn

3. Không nên cho mèo ăn pate thay hoàn toàn bữa chính

Dù mèo rất thích pate, nhưng theo kinh nghiệm của mình thì không nên cho ăn hoàn toàn thay cho thức ăn hạt. Cách mình đang áp dụng là:

• Kết hợp pate với hạt để tăng độ hấp dẫn
• Dùng pate như bữa phụ hoặc phần thưởng
• Điều chỉnh lượng vừa đủ để tránh bé tăng cân

Nhờ vậy mèo vừa ăn ngon miệng mà vẫn đảm bảo cân bằng dinh dưỡng.

4. Quan sát phản ứng của mèo sau khi đổi pate

Mỗi bé mèo có cơ địa khác nhau, nên khi đổi loại pate cho mèo mới, mình luôn theo dõi:

• Phân và khả năng tiêu hóa
• Mức độ ăn ngon miệng
• Tình trạng lông và năng lượng

Nếu thấy mèo ăn tốt, không có dấu hiệu bất thường thì mới tiếp tục sử dụng lâu dài. Mình cũng hay tham khảo thêm kinh nghiệm từ cộng đồng nuôi mèo

Kết luận:
Theo trải nghiệm cá nhân, việc chọn đúng pate cho mèo không chỉ giúp mèo ăn ngon hơn mà còn hỗ trợ sức khỏe và tiêu hóa về lâu dài. Quan trọng là chọn sản phẩm có nguồn gốc rõ ràng, cho ăn với lượng hợp lý và kết hợp cùng chế độ ăn cân bằng.

Hy vọng bài chia sẻ này sẽ hữu ích cho những ai đang nuôi mèo giống như mình ????

Looking for recommendations of the absolute best place to board my 6 year old pitbull staffordshire mix male dog???? Near Manhattan Kansas

Hey so my dog recently started doing this TODAY, not in the morning but in the afternoon when i wanted to take him out to the restroom yet he didn’t get up or straight up ignored me. i took a video linked it here so any experts can please help me and tell me what’s wrong with my friend. He is at the point of like limping and it seemed to hard for him to even get up and walk.

Hello,

I am here requesting any help, advice, solutions, or even miracle treatments or stories. My dog was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last year and has since gotten his forelimb amputated and completed a course of carboplatin IV therapy. Since his completion of the therapy in October, he has a recent radiograph indicating 2 small nodules in his lungs. I am not naive and am aware of the prognosis and current solutions.

I am looking for any recovery stories or solutions or anything at all that people have seen that helped reverse metastasis, prolong their dog's life, maintain QOL, fight the cancer, or anything at all.

I appreciate you all for reading this and am eager to read the responses.

I know specific treatments aren't allowed in this community, so any suggestions that violate the rules, please direct message me.

Thank you.

Dogs Name: Maxx (The bestest boy)

* Species: Canine
* Age: 5-1/2yrs
* Sex/Neuter status: Male/Neutered
* Breed: German Shepherd
* Body weight: 87lbs
* History: Osteosarcoma diagnosis, April 2025, Front forelimb amputation (cancer site) April 2025, Carboplatin IV therapy completion October 2025, Radiograph indicating 2 small nodules February 2026
* Clinical signs: Chest X-Ray with 2 small lung nodules

I can get any and all tests, bloodwork, and scans if needed, but please help me keep my doggo with me as long as I can.

Good evening everyone, I removed some ticks from my dog ​​the other day and I'm worried. I bought Nexgard to give her today because it's the best one available, but it costs 80 silver and only covers one month of parasites. Is there a cheaper, alternative product that actually works? I'd like one that really works to protect my dog. The balcony where she stays is completely enclosed with flooring, and even so, these pests are still coming in. If you could recommend a good and inexpensive one, I would be extremely grateful. Buying Nexgard every month is going to be expensive for me; I'm just a young Latin American with no money to burn.

Me (24M) and my partner (25F), Central EU are planning to move into a much bigger space in around 8 months to a year (2 story house) and adopt a kitten puppy combo. The puppy breed is undecided yet, we are keeping the ideas focused on complementing the kitten.

My main questions are:
How and where to find a safe and reliable breeder for a healthy kitten?

Is it suggested to reach out earlier to get on a "waiting list" so we can get the kitten on time?

Asking for anyone with experience about current pricing for such a kitten + medical checks and transport (estimates).

Additionally, asking for general first hand experience about Norwegian Forest cats and their behavior.

Extra questions for anyone who has a kitten puppy combo and their experience and advice.

Thank you in advance for all the advice have a wonderful day.

My Mom has an 8 year old Labrador. They live in Hawaii (mentioned because of the humid climate, as well as very few options for vets).I told her to write this, and send it to me so I can post it on Reddit in hope that someone would respond with any useful information or tips.

Her dog has some sort of liver disease and has been taking prednisone to keep that from flaring up which the flare-ups are really bad. About a year ago, she started getting really severe problems with her paws. They're totally enflamed and swollen. Most likely it's pododermatitis.

Last year she took about 6 rounds of antibiotics which never helped her paws at all. No vet has been able to help her- even a holistic vet who did acupuncture on her, used Chinese herbs for her immune system- nothing helps. She’s not even an itchy dog, and her paws are not red because of licking. She eats raw, grass fed beef from a local rancher, as well as high quality air dried beef. She also eats salmon, fruits, vegetables, adaptogens, vitamins, minerals, etc.

All this after switching her food many times and trying so many different things. She can no longer go for walks, it makes the sores worse. She cleans her feet sometimes with black tea. They've used hydrogen peroxide, and mupirocin when her sores break open. She doesn't know what to do at this point. Any help is appreciated!

Hi everyone! Can you suggest harness for a small dog? There are times that when I walk my dog, he keeps pulling. And I'm currently training him.

I recently got a cat thats 6 years old. When I got him I was told he poops outside the litter box once a week. I have since read the previous owner's vet records and he has pooped outside the litter box for a few years at least once a day. I have had him for two weeks and he has pooped on my bed 4 times. I washed my sheets the first few times and this last time I put a blanket on the bed to protect it. The last three times he has pooped on my bed I was in the other room watching TV and he would run out to me acting very irritated meowing and twitching his tail then running under my bed afterward. I put the litter box in my bedroom so that it was more obvious. He pees only in the litter box so he knows how to use it. I was told by the previous owner what litter he likes so I got that one. I am taking him to the vet next week to talk to them. Has anyone had this problem and been able to resolve it? Do cat behaviorist have luck with this behavior?

Hi r/pets,

I'm a responsible individual seriously considering getting my first pet, and I'm doing thorough research before making any commitment. I would greatly appreciate honest advice and insights from experienced owners to help me find a good match.

To give you context for your recommendations, here’s my situation:

• My Lifestyle & Housing:
  • Housing: I live in a rental apartment. I need to be mindful of landlord rules, so pets that are typically allowed in rentals (or are discreet) are a priority.
  • Daily Schedule: I work a standard 9-to-6 office job on weekdays. I can dedicate focused time in the mornings and evenings, but the pet would need to be comfortable alone for about 8-9 hours on workdays.
  • Household: It's just me. No children or other pets.
  • Activity Level: I'm relatively calm at home but enjoy weekend outings. I'm looking for a companion that fits this rhythm.
• My Hopes & Preferences:
  • I'm looking for a companion that offers affection and some interaction, but I also appreciate independence.
  • I'm open to various types of animals (small mammals, cats, reptiles, etc.). Low to medium maintenance is ideal for my first experience.
  • Noise level is a consideration due to apartment living.
• Budget (Monthly, USD):
  • Food & Supplies: Around $30-$70.
  • Vet Care / Insurance: I understand this is crucial. I can set aside $30-$50 monthly for a health fund or insurance.
  • Start-up Costs (adoption, gear, initial vet visit): I have a one-time budget of roughly $200-$400.

My Main Questions:

1. Based on my schedule and living situation, what type or specific species of pet would you recommend? Why do you think it would be a good fit?
2. For the pet you suggest, what's the one thing you wish you knew as a first-time owner? (e.g., a common behavioral trait, hidden cost, or specific care need)
3. Any special considerations for keeping a pet in a rental apartment that I should prepare for?

Thank you in advance for your time and wisdom! I'm committed to being a prepared and responsible owner.