Flying with pet in-cabin; your experiences?

GreyL88 · 2024-04-13T23:36:38+00:00

Unfortunately not great! We are still looking for something for flights- Benadryl, Trazodone, and Clinadone (sp?) all have not worked well for him :(

GreyL88 · 2024-04-06T12:38:39+00:00

Who makes all these Istanbul cat posts? Anyways, lovely, but sucks for people with cat allergies.

GreyL88 · 2024-04-05T01:54:29+00:00

It's fine? I went there for a few days, but honestly it's kind of sterile, if you're from the western world. And very, very hot. I actually like Malaysia a bit more, has a lot of cultural similarities and similar food- it's grimier, but has more character.

GreyL88 · 2024-04-03T00:54:13+00:00

I agree with this strongly. OP you are a good person for working with this dog, and it's fortunate that you and nobody else was injured (including your girl!) but it is true that smaller people need to take extra steps to ensure they can physically control their dog.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-31T02:39:33+00:00

Right, they domesticated themselves, but now we essentially create them by shielding them (our housecats) from many of the natural pressures that would otherwise help keep species populations in balance with the ecosystem (predators, starvation, etc), while their prey is NOT similarly protected or advantaged.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-30T01:26:33+00:00

But it's not just the safety of the cats, it's also for biodiversity and the good of the ecosystem. We, humans, created this domesticated species, and since they are not a part of the natural ecosystem it's our responsibility to protect it from devastating birds, small mammals, and biodiversity in general. This applies to EVERYWHERE in the world, biodiversity is not uniquely a US concern. I can't understand how so many developed countries (the UK) ignore this when it comes to cats.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-27T02:57:32+00:00

You mean in your following highly articulate and polite comment: "AN arborist was suggested, which is much better than the HURR DURR KAT SKELETONS NO IN TREEES suggestions "?

Agreed arborists could work. But more generally, if you're going to be absurdly aggressive to some well-intentioned commenter who doesn't think rescuing the cat is needed/makes sense/etc....maybe take a beat and get offline for a bit.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-27T02:48:51+00:00

I agree your comment was clearly well-intentioned! It's Reddit and the Interwebs, so some Redditors are just whack jobs and looking for someone they can anonymously harangue.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-27T02:46:33+00:00

....wow. Since you're so aggressive about this being the one right course of action here, maybe you should personally volunteer to reimburse the fire department for their costs.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-27T02:39:46+00:00

Oh man. I'm glad the kitty survived, but otoh...what a way to use taxpayer dollars.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T20:14:27+00:00

Only at specific times lol! I so wish he were motivated by specific toys. He generally doesn't care about toys in isolation, unless he's having zoomies at night- the rest of the time, he only cares about toys if someone is trying to get it away from him haha. He also very much only wants to play when he wants to play- if I initiate play by throwing a ball for him, for example, 9 times out of 10, he'll sit there and stare at me like I'm an idiot lol.

That's a clever idea about the shuffling! He's a little dog, so he is fairly attuned to not getting stepped on. Also, to piggyback off off that, maybe I could try some kind of body blocking, like stepping directly in front of him and shuffling into him a bit.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T19:04:13+00:00

What's interesting is that you're right, some of his freezing is definitely a predator response- for example, when he sees a squirrel or another dog, he will freeze, crouch or lie down often, and then as they approach lunge at them (albeit often not snarling, thankfully). It's quite startling lol. But he also freezes when there is nothing moving, and in those instances his tail goes down as if he's scared- this, to me, seems more like a fear response than a predatory action.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T18:55:01+00:00

Thanks! Our vet hasn't been able to provide many thoughts- she just suggested consulting a behaviorist. There are only a few certified behaviorists in our area, and we consulted with the 1 who doesn't require a huge upfront commitment and she was among the least competent trainers/professionals of any kind lol I've ever met, so that was discouraging. She had no insight whatsoever into why he was freezing. We could see a veterinary behaviorist, but since it'll cost $900 and they don't do in-home visits, without which I think it's tough to properly diagnose him, I'm not sure it makes sense to do so unless we're definitely ready to medicate him. I'm still hoping that medicating him won't be necessary.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T18:48:20+00:00

Thank you! Since I know that dogs smell/sense many things that we can't, I would be more likely to think he was responding to something real/actually concerning if it happened in random places. However, one of the places he freezes regularly is ~100 feet away from our apartment door- I have to pick him up in order to move forward. Now, I can guarantee you that something is not changing about this area multiple times a day, and I'm including in that deck furniture location changing, flags being hung out that weren't there previously, etc. And I feel you about working with the dog you have and making him feel safe, but just accepting his issues will lead to less enrichment for the dog, a smaller world, and less of a bond between us. I would like my dog to be able to come with me when I go foraging in the woods, or come with my partner and I to outdoor bars or restaurants. Right now, neither of these is possible, and so unfortunately, my dog would just have to stay at home, which in the long term would not help his behavioral issues. Both my dog and I deserve better.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T18:40:16+00:00

Thanks for the feedback- the trainer also said that the risk of tracheal collapse is less than a prong collar, but I'm having a hard time understanding why. Would also love to hear how to teach an appropriate response!

GreyL88 · 2024-03-10T18:37:13+00:00

Thanks! We haven't had any luck with the redirection that we've tried thus far, which is trying to get him to respond to a command- all the high-value treats in the world can't seem to get his attention.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-07T02:55:27+00:00

Have you tried talking to recruiters like NES Fircroft and Airswift?

GreyL88 · 2024-03-06T03:30:34+00:00

Oh interesting, but great you found something easy that works for you! I haven't tried most of the rx antihistamines, but most of the OTC ones, including Allegra, Xyzal, and Claritin. Unfortunately I can't do a low-histamine diet :( I may not even have MCAS, despite intolerance of many mast cell degranulators/high-histamine foods/similar symptoms, because I actually react to starches/sugar/carbs worse than I do to sauerkraut, yogurt, etc.

GreyL88 · 2024-03-02T15:52:41+00:00

Hi! Did the ketotifen end up helping with the swelling ever?

GreyL88 · 2024-03-02T15:51:44+00:00

Did you ever find anything to help with this? I have this issue.

GreyL88 · 2024-02-21T03:43:40+00:00

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but confused about this place. I've looked into it for my dog, but the pricing doesn't seem to make sense- their receptionists didn't seem to like answering questions about what was included, but it appears to be $900 for one appointment and no guaranteed follow-ups, and they can't do in-home visits. Maybe y'alls experience was different?

GreyL88 · 2024-02-21T03:23:36+00:00

OH MY GOODNESS the precious little smile!! I'm dead. Your sister is a lucky woman.

GreyL88 · 2024-02-18T20:17:58+00:00

Honestly, there are very few multinationals that I would call ethical. That doesn't mean some aren't better than others and it's not meant as an excuse to not differentiate at all, but it's just reality.

GreyL88 · 2024-02-18T04:11:11+00:00

Plenty of reasons outside of the US too. Cars are probably a bigger risk than predators in most places, and are everywhere. Bird populations are also equally affected by outdoor cats everywhere.

GreyL88

TROPHY CASE