Open discussion: How do you care for animals?

I live with lots of animals. My choice pet: my standard poodle, Gigi. She's six years old. We snared her when she was ten months old. She's a gem. We absolutely love her.

That said, we have two birds (cockatiels) and a pair of saltwater fish along with a zebra snail (no, not a zebra mussel). My daughter fosters a bunny while the bunny's owner is away at college.

It happens that our yellow 'tiel, Elvis, has a tumor in his abdomen and now his feet are useless. He can't perch or walk on them. He's deteriorating and this week his foot began to crack and bleed.

No, he can't do many of his old activities, but the vet said, "He seems to have a will to live so let that be your guide." We don't want to euthanize him before he's ready. He still preens himself and his mate, Missy. He eats from my hand, chirps, and enjoys sitting in the sunshine.

He's also smelly for reasons I'm not going to detail, but I need to bathe him a couple times a week and my husband changes the papers daily.

I hope that our loving care for this sick bird (since September 16) will model caring and compassion to our children.

Some day I might be old and smelly, too.

We just had a four-month-old kitten show up on our doorstep a few days ago, right as the temperature was dipping to freezing. Of course we took her in. She had a warm place to stay for a few days while we posted signs, went house to house, and finally brought her by the vet where a friend there will adopt her out.

I hesitate to add that our Elvis came from MAARS. It's an adoption agency that advocates for abandoned birds. It's a wonderful place and I'd adopt from them again. I don't think that it's more likely to end up with a sick bird like we did if you adopt from MAARS. We've had Elvis for three years.

Here's a video of a pair of birds. One of the pair dies and we see the emotion of the surviving mate. scroll down at this site

We are the proud providers for a rare, Sit Beneath The Tub. This particular SBTT had never known human contact, and although his more wild and much larger distant relatives, Northern Lynx would never be caught dead in a live trap, this 14 lb feral cat finally succumbed to the weeks of tasty kibble left by a well intended neighbor.

She brought the critter to us hoping it might be the black and white we'd been missing for several seasons and it sure looked like our Itty, but the hissing and spitting and growling which issued forth, was definite cause for concern. I had to leave then as well, so we left the poor fellow caged in the living room's warmth covered with a blanket for the lair effect.

When I returned , my husband was comfy in his recliner with the nearby cage door open. He said that Glen (my hubby's not a cat man but he'd named this one already), had bolted across the room and up the very high walls to a shelf twelve feet above the floor. Sure enough there this magnificent creature sat, safely out of reach. And we were comfortable with that. Big Dude!

That night we heard the hoped for THUMP! and spent the next day looking gingerly about... wondering. Glen was spotted that night peering from beneath the tub.

One month later, he shadows in and about but has not taken the offered open window back to the forest. His lair is beneath the tub and for the first time in his probable five or six years, he's in the lap of comfort.
I believe my Honey missed the autistic children he's so excellent with and old Glen's helping him 'get over the hump'. It's a mutual arrangement.

My pets are part of the family. They are spoiled rotten just as our kids were. We try to see that they have nutritious food and they get their shots on time.

Susan, you have a houseful! It sounds like Elvis gets good, solid care from you. (I have to know the backstory on naming him, now!) MAARS is in Stillwater? That's close. The stories on that site...

Sometimes we all need a hand, Ms. Meacham. You were the right doorstep.

Adrian, you really have to write the chronicles of Glen, the formally feral cat who is king of the under-the-tub domain! *laughing* You have a hidden piece of advice there, in giving animals the room to accept things on their own time.

Food, shelter, and medical care... amazing how those basic necessities make a difference Connie. Seems your pets are truly companions.

A message asked me if I'd reply too...

We have two dogs, two rather comical and particular dogs. They have their own roles and lives at home. They don't dig other animals (the larger dog can be aggressive with other dogs and has a VERY strong small animal=prey instinct) so that's about all we can handle. Preventative medical care, good food, exercise, play, affection, and boundaries make them healthy & happy. The older dog Maddie had a "neurological event" similar to a stroke last year and we didn't think she'd make it - but she recovered on her own time. I like to think she recovered on her own terms, too. We just made room for her to do so. She'll be 13 in February 2009 *knock wood* Considering how many people she's helped with her comforting nature, we can't ever repay her with enough care.

Other excitement includes a couple trips to the Wildlife Rehab Center to bring smaller, abandoned animals to the knowledgable people who could care for them. We also ended up dropping off a check (not enough, but a gesture. Their volunteers have big hearts. There are a few here on Gather...) but the heating pad we handed over with a baby squirrel was a huge hit!

Can we ever do enough for animals and for other humans? Are the rewards just as great for us?

Although I can't claim Dr. Kate An Hunter will join us, this discussion will be open during Gary's show ( 1 p.m. ET | noon CT ) for people to post their own stories and questions. Please offer help where you can.

Completely missed the discussion. :-( I was at a Pilates class. :-)

Interestingly, my nine-year-old is out in the snow and he found a small mole-like animal on the street. He picked it up and it crawled around on his mittened-hands and arms then fell to the ground (covered in snow) and began to burrow into the drifts looking for shelter.

I cautioned my son to keep a distance. We don't want to have a bite and then a rabies scare! But are there any suggestions on what to do for this small animal? Besides taking it in the house to cage it for the winter! No way.

Oh, and MAARS is in St. Louis Park. It might be other places, but the one that I know is in St. Louis Park on Lake Street.

I suggested the name Elvis so that I could say to my mom on the phone, Elvis is singing in my living room. (She's a big Elvis fan.)

Late notice but: The audio archive of the show is available.

Susan, I have NO idea what to do for that little wild mole-like animal. The WRC (651) 486-4923 might have suggestions!

Now the Elvis story sounds familiar...and it's funny to boot!

Happy Boxing day!