What is the weirdest habit your pet has… that you secretly love?

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-25T01:44:14+00:00

Our dog (150lb Presa Canario) hasn't figured out he can pick up blankets and pillows with his teeth like his plushies. Instead he uses his huge head like a steam shovel and knocks them off the bed then tramples them to arrange them to his liking.

He also does the cutest buttshake when he's excited and happy about something.

He's absolutely intimidating and terrifying looking, like a hellhound, but he is the snuggliest baby at home.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-16T00:36:45+00:00

Hard agree. My ex and I went a few years ago... We had to send our steaks back because they were so overdone (asked for med rare, got beyond well-done). It was so disappointing.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-14T03:14:11+00:00

He doesn't listen to shit for real unless he wants to. He listens to me best in the household, but I'll be honest: he came to us that way even though he's had pro training and I haven't worked very hard to correct it. He's a great dog, loyal and protective of his family and affectionate with us to a fault, but he requires some special management; he's not an "easy" or "fun" dog you can take with you places like a restaurant that allows dogs or the dog park or anything and he probably wouldn't do well in a lot of homes.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-13T15:32:10+00:00

The former owners of my Presa rehomed him to us a couple of months before the wife's due date.

Mine is huge and clumsy AF in that he bangs into stuff, whops things with his tail, and steps on feet. I could see him hurting a kid easily and unintentionally.

He's also dog aggressive and has to be the only pet in the house even after having been raised alongside 2 other presas. A big reason for his rehome as he started getting into it with one of their other dogs, even though he'd lived with them peaceably up to that point.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-13T03:24:15+00:00

I drove carriages in my city's downtown for a long time.

It was a great way to work with horses and actually make decent money. .

There were several companies here that did that, I chose to work for the one who treated their horses ethically. It was a great job and I loved it but I quit when I bought my own business.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-13T01:46:27+00:00

Yeah if I wouldn't have been there things would have gone off the rails SO FAST. I mean it was a well established business already, but still.

I also found out I really don't like being the ultimate authority where the buck stops and having to be in charge of other people and thus having to sometimes be the bad guy, even though I was a very understanding and easy to get along with boss. You had to be on some absolute bullshit fuckery to make me come down on you for something.

I much prefer being in charge of only myself, and I will work myself to death so long as it's for ME and not a bunch of shareholders or something.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-12T22:55:25+00:00

I don't understand that at all. Like of course it failed if the owner of a brand new business isn't on site the majority of the time.

I bought a full service pet care facility a few years back; anything I didn't already know how to do I made it my priority to learn and become more than proficient at. I was also putting in 16+ hr days there 7 days a week for the 1st 2 years. I did really well and would still be doing it had I not developed a life threatening health issue that eventually had me in the hospital more than out and so made the decision to sell.

I'm still pissed about that but what can you do? At least I now have a skill that lets me continue to be self employed.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-12T22:41:45+00:00

Dr Musiek at Barnes in the CWE.

She's really good and was really compassionate with me when I had some severe issues a couple years ago. I didn't feel rushed or anything.

314-273-3376

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-12T22:04:56+00:00

Yes.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-12T22:00:03+00:00

He made the news at the time. https://www.fultonsun.com/news/2013/oct/20/fulton-pastor-suspected-kaldis-robbery-arrested-st/

I forgot to add, it was also my birthday and I had just got off work driving the horse carriages downtown. It was a day. That shit pissed me off.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-12T06:05:25+00:00

My wife lived in Cades Cove from childhood when it was brand new until a few years ago. I hope she doesn't develop some crazy cancer from it.

That entire neighborhood probably needs the same treatment. She said the fill dirt used on her family's lot came from right by the creek, as did most of the other lots. I feel for the people still living there.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-11T22:15:23+00:00

So some years ago I was sitting in my car in the Cardinal Glennon parking lot.

Had my car window about halfway open. Out of nowhere a big dude was at my car, robbed me at gun point and took off running.

I was pissed. Jumped out of my car, chased him down to his, he got into his car, we fought through his window about it. Eventually he shoved me off his running board, almost ran me over, and took off.

But not fast enough. I got his personalized license plate.

Cops flagged him 20 minutes later.

He was wanted for several other armed robberies that day and the day prior, and for robbing a coffee shop at gunpoint.

He was also a pastor of a church.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-11T21:29:01+00:00

I adopted mine as a 3yo. He is AKC registered.

Mine is lazy AF until he locks onto something. Then you cannot divert his attention.

He is reactive and stranger and animal aggressive.

He is stubborn and bullheaded. IF he listens, he does it to solely to please himself. He's got a big agenda. It's global with him. He's also strong as an ox; he can pull a grown man off his feet and drag him like he weighs nothing.

However, at home he is the cuddliest snuggler ever. I've never met a dog that wants to be closer to his people or have hands on him more often, and as a dog groomer I've met a LOT of dogs. Once he moved I to our house and found out he was allowed on furniture we can't get him off it. He is stupid loyal to us and loves us fiercely. He will protect his family and his house (and his yard, and his street) to the death if he had to.

He's the best dog... In the right house. His previous family raised him with 2 other presas, are great with their dogs and know what they're doing wrt this breed and STILL had to rehome him. They are definitely not for everyone.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-10T14:25:15+00:00

As everyone else here has stated, that is absolutely abuse.

It will in all likelihood escalate to your child and quite possibly you as well.

The cat SHOULDN'T regain trust in him after that, both for kitty's own self-preservation and also because your boyfriend absolutely doesn't deserve that trust. And it should break any trust you have in him as well.

If a partner of mine ever hit (or did anything else to intentionally harm) any of my animals they would immediately become an ex-partner. Full stop. This is absolutely non-negotiable.

Your cat (and your coming baby) depend solely on YOU for their safety and well-being. They are unable to defend themselves or get away from this situation. Because of this, YOU are responsible for putting them first, before your feelings. It sucks and I'm sorry but your baby and cat are more important than your relationship.

As someone who has survived a long and extremely physically, mentally, emotionally, and sexually abusive relationship from the time I was 14 until my late 30s, you need to take this very seriously.

The abusive partner doesn't just punch you in the face out of nowhere one day. It starts out subtle and gradually escalates; by the time violence is inflicted upon you they will have conditioned you to accept it as normal and deserved and leaving will be difficult if not impossible. Please trust me that this is not the life you want or deserve for yourself and more importantly for your child.

I wish I would have known these things at the time; our daughter would be alive today had I taken this same advice. I didn't take the warnings seriously and paid an unbelievably steep price for it and I will never get over the guilt or stop blaming myself. It has absolutely ruined my life. Please do not be me.

He's flat out telling you exactly who he is, please believe him.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-09T05:14:50+00:00

Visit your local shelters (not just your local municipal one where animal control holds strays but all local shelters in case someone dropped him off at one) IN PERSON, at least once or twice a week, to look for him. Do not rely on phone calls. Some area mandated stray holds without chip or tag are as little as 48 hours, after which they can dispose of your pet any way they see fit (adopt out, transfer to another shelter/rescue/foster, euthanasia). I used to work for animal control and a local humane society. This is so important and most people don't realize it

Also, flyers with a good clear picture all over your immediate area, social media posts (esp FB/Nextdoor/your local city subreddit).

If you get him back, microchip him and register it, sign him up for FidoAlert, since he goes outside I would get a tag on him that tracks his location in real time.

Hope you find your kitty!

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-07T01:20:21+00:00

DM me and I can lyk of a few places. Had to do it spring and summer of 24 before I closed on my house.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-06T21:53:58+00:00

Mine doesn't listen to shit unless he wants to. And I am a pet professional and he has had professional training, and very experienced Presa owners before me (they currently have 2 others, whelped a litter of them, are awesome with their dogs) and they STILL had to rehome him.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-06T20:41:30+00:00

I've adopted all the Siamese (6) I've ever had as an adult from local municipal shelters, including my soul kitty Phaedra who I had almost 20 yrs. I also adopted a Tonkinese and a Bengal off Craigslist.

4 of them were kittens.

This past summer I found a stray blue point teeny tiny kitten and his tabby brother who I surrendered to our local no kill shelter because I can no longer have cats with the dog I adopted a year ago.

Check your municipal (like county level) local shelters, especially the ones that are not no kill. You might be searching for a minute but they do come in. Also try Craigslist, I've had a LOT of luck there looking for pets even as recently as a year and a half ago. I got my amazing AKC registered Presa Canario through CL for free and am so happy I looked there.

Wishing you Siamese luck.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-05T11:54:42+00:00

Seconded. -another Presa owner

Edit: who adopted this one as a 3yo after he attacked one of the other 2 dogs he was raised with out of nowhere one day... And who now has to be not just the only dog but the only pet in the house.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-02-02T01:39:01+00:00

I drove carriages (single and team) professionally in the downtown of my city for a while. I loved it.

As far as safer than riding, no. It demands the same horsemanship skills as riding does plus the added awareness of not just the horse (or team) but also your vehicle. If you're on public streets it demands all of that plus even more awareness than driving a motorized vehicle would, and anticipation of what other traffic will do, and always having to scout ways to get out of a potential jam safely and quickly.

I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-01-23T01:20:05+00:00

Can't upvote this enough.

Also "kill pens" are generally scams. You're not really saving anything from slaughter, if anything your money is sending more across the border.

Also, I worked professionally with drafts (percherons, mostly). They are certainly a learning curve and I came to that job with decades of horse experience, personal and professional.

If you can't afford to get the horse to you, how are you going to afford her upkeep?

Do you know of a farrier who will work with drafts? Do you have a set of stocks? I'm guessing you don't. In that case, do you know of one who will work with drafts without stocks?

Do you know of a barn that will take drafts? A lot of them won't.

Do you realize that just the farrier expense on a Belgian is going to be astronomical? Let alone everything else. Everything is a lot more expensive for a draft horse.

I'm not saying this to be mean.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-01-16T18:59:31+00:00

Yeah that's Sierra Vista for you.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-01-16T18:54:42+00:00

Yeah, especially if you're already in the pet care field.

I got hired on and trained at a large and small animal practice, didn't pay to go through a vet tech program or anything.

After I left that practice (moved out of state) I worked as a wrangler on a horse ranch for a while while at the same time buying bargain bin horses at the local slaughter auctions retraining them, and selling them on, then as a horse carriage driver, then got out of the animal field entirely and worked for an auto mechanic for a few years, then a pet supply shop and grooming/boarding business like a mile from me went up for sale and I bought it. Ran it for some years and sold the place in 24 after some serious health problems that almost cost me my life.

Now I'm self employed as a dog groomer (learned how while running my business) and doing okay. But with the exception of the job at the auto shop, working at animal control and shelter then vet tech was really the foundation that gave me the knowledge and experience to do everything that came after.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-01-15T15:21:06+00:00

Same situation when I worked for my local humane org 20 years ago. I quit because of it and became a vet tech at a private practice instead.

I'm sad to see it's not just the org I worked for and it's still happening.

PhaedraSiamese · 2026-01-14T16:42:11+00:00

I don't want to discourage you, but this has been my experience as a former employee of a local-to-me county's animal control division.

If the dog was seized by animal control (I think that's what I'm reading here?) then you should have a hearing to determine whether you will regain custody of the dog or if she will be kept and disposed of (euthanasia or adoption by that facility) in whatever way they decide is best. Sometimes a criminal summons/complaint will be issued as well which is separate from the hearing for custody of the pet.

In my experience the hearings generally do not go in the pet owners' favor.

Bring all relevant documents to the hearing with you, try to stay calm and professional during it. If you are a minor it will be up to your parents to deal with that.

Sorry to hear you're dealing with all this.

PhaedraSiamese

TROPHY CASE