HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ccspjs@gdr.bath.ac.uk (Pete J Suters)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: I need help naming kittens
Date: 15 Dec 92 11:54:15 GMT
Organization: Bath University Computing Services, UK

In the referenced article, muaddib@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rob Dorfman) writes:
>I am about to get a male/female pair of kittens. The male
>is black and the female is silver grey.  They are very cute.
>I was wondering if anyone could recommend some names for me. 
>

  How about Yin and Yang (unfortunately I can't remember which 
way round they are, but a quick check in a book about Taoism
will help you with that).
  Just a thought ...

pete j suters ---- bath university ---- email: p.j.suters@uk.ac.swurcc 
 ___  ___    /-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|___)   |   /   A Huge Ever Growing Brain That Rules The Centre 
|       |  /                  Of The Ultraworld 
     (_/  /=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: ldh@svl.cdc.com (Lawrence D. Hare)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: The Stanford Cat Network
Date: 15 Dec 92 19:51:34 GMT
Organization: Control Data Systems
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
X-XXMessage-ID: <A75376DF22020456@ethelred.svl.cdc.com>
X-XXDate: Tue, 15 Dec 92 11:49:51 GMT

Whether this is an appropriate forum for this, I know not, but it does
bear mentioning as the folks below are doing a wonderful job and can use
all the help they can get.

Here in the bay area there are a group of persons called the "Stanford
Cat Network" who take care of the cats around Stanford University. This
is a vast area, much of it pretty wild. Cats congregate here, many of
them ex-household pets, and some have difficulty surviving in the wild.
The members of the network help these animals survive, feed them, take
care of them, and provide many with homes.

As a large number of cats were domesticated, they tend to adjust to human
company rapidly and so the network keeps these cats in shelters until
proper, full time, homes can be found. This is expensive and to help
defray the costs the network uses foster homes whenever possible.

I know that these excellent people can use all the help possible, so this
message is to ask that if anyone is able to lend a hand, I know it would
be very appreciated.

Contact may be made by phoning (408) 733 0686 and asking for Dolores J.
Arnold
--
Lawrence D. Hare
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura)
Subject: Re: fat bunny
Organization: The World
	<Bz9tuD.1ns@world.std.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 02:51:05 GMT

In article <Bz9tuD.1ns@world.std.com> marty@world.std.com (Marty M HaleEvans) writes:
> 
> Our bunny has been looking a little well-rounded lately, too, and I've been
> wondering about it, so I'm glad to see this string.
> 
> He basically has free access to pellets (not sure of the brand), some alfalfa
> most days, and a carrot or other vegetable, also most days. I have a couple of 
> questions: 1) I know alfalfa is fattening, but where can I get other kinds of
> hay in metro Boston? (Ron, maybe you can help.) 

Well, the bale I have now was purchased at Diehl's in Wellesley.  
I don't know whether there are any food-and-grain stores in the city proper.
I think you can get bags of "regular" hay at pet shops.

> 2) How can you tell if a
> rabbit is too fat? Frankie seems bigger than when he arrived, but to me it
> usually just looks plush. 

I really don't know.  We had one rabbit that died from fur-balls,
probably of malnutrition, so I always feel it's better to err on
the side of a bit too much weight than too little.  Maybe we need
a length-weight chart :-).

The pellet ration charts are based on weight, but if you start with an
overweight rabbit you would get too high an alotment.

> 3)I think part of the problem is a lack of exercise;
> he already has free run of most of the house, but chooses to lay around a lot.
> How can I motivate him to move more? The only way I've been able to do it so 
> far is to just chase him around until he goes under furniture. I've done this
> once or twice to see if he becomes playful, but he seems more startled and 
> annoyed. Any suggestions?

That's what we do--gently chase them around (individually).  When they
seem to get too excited we ease off.  It gives them a little exercise.

Ron


-- 
- Ron Mura, Boston, Massachusetts              rmura@world.std.com
From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Articles available on litter training, diet, and choosing a rabbit.
Date: 17 Dec 92 20:01:26 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

I've written three articles on litter training, diet, and choosing a rabbit.
Unfortuately, I don't have them on-line and haven't time to type them in.
Each is relatively detailed, and covers more than most people need to know, but I've
tried to include everything I could think of that people may run into.

Every time someone asks a question about these things, I wish I could send them a
copy electronically, but until I have time to type them in or find a scanner, if
anyone wants any of these, please send a self-addressed, double-stamped (they're
fairly long articles), business sized envelope to:

	House Rabbit Society
	1271 Birch St.
	Broomfield, CO  80020

with a note indicating what you want.  (I'll include the newest version of the HRS
pamphlet, too.)

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl
From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: bunny's new favorite food...
Summary: Cartilege not likely broken.  So-called "responsible breeding"...
Keywords: help! nervous bunny mom!
Date: 16 Dec 92 18:56:28 GMT
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

In article <1992Dec12.024608.1123jp@tygra.Michigan.COM>, jp@tygra.Michigan.COM (John Palmer) writes:

[Several additonal so-and-so-writes deleted...]

> ">His one ear worries me. He never lifts it up or folds it behind his head -
> ">it just hangs there.
> 
> Someone suggested that the cartilege might be damaged and as long as
> it doesn't seem to hurt him, then leave it alone. I think I'll just do
> that. He/she/it is going to the vet in a bit for a once-over.

MANY bunnies have some lop-eared genes in them that cause one ear to hang, but
not the other.  Chances are, it's only natural for your particular bun.   (My
Eiffle, Maddie, and (now adopted) Chelsea all have these.)  However, it's always
a good idea to get a vet's opinion on anything that concerns you or that could be
the result of an injury.

By the way, according to the "standards" for lops, ability to move the ears is
considered a "fault."  Just another example of breeding with no concern for the
animal (buns need to lift their ears in the summer to cool themselves) by people
who consider themselves the "responsible" breeders.  If this sort of thing is
"responsible," we need a new word to mean what "responsible" ought to mean!

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl
Newsgroups: rec.pets,rec.aquaria,ba.forsale
From: billp@sco.COM (Jerque Clumsoe)
Subject: Fish Tank & Bunny cage 4sale
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Distribution: ca
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 05:46:58 GMT



Here's some stuff for sale. My girlfriend is moving away and
she's selling all of her worldly belongings.

Plexi-glas fish tank. Small 8 gallon tank all set up for salt.
Everything is included in it and make a wonderful desk aquarium.
It's all cycled through and you just have to add fish. It has
a built in wet/dry reef filter system and can hold live coral.
This reef filter system is expensive, but you won't have to do
many water changes and is relatively maintenence-free.  It's 
valued at $175.00, but she'd be willing to let it go for $100.00

Bunny cage (15"x15"x26") approx. Good cage for rabbits and other
small furry animals. It includes a watering bottle, litter box,
bunny pellets, and some ceder shavings. 		$20.00


Let me know if you're interested in any of this.
email is fine.

-mr.billp billp@sco.com
 or call after 5pm 408-423-5320
-- 


    "What's all this gear for?" He asked. "For Scuba Diving," I told him.
    "Scuba Diving?" He looked outside at the snow, then back at me.
    "Wait, don't tell me. You're from California, right?"
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura)
Subject: Re: fat bunny
Followup-To: rec.pets
Organization: The World
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 18:04:44 GMT

In article <1ggqu9INNsmk@overload.lbl.gov> horsman@geo.lbl.gov (Jennifer Horsman) writes:
> 
> My friend's rabbit Nikki is a lop mix. She has always had problems
> with diarrea. If Nikki is given anything other than pellets and
> hay, she gets awful diarrea. Nikki is also very fat looking. Her
> body is *big* and *bigger* than it used to be (she is 3 years old.)
> I don't know if rabbits can actually get fat and was wondering if
> it is possible and if so, is it unhealthy. Nikki only gets half a
> cup of rabbit pellets per day and some fresh alfalfa hay.

Alfalfa is rich and can cause diarrhea in some rabbits.  We have
a rabbit with that problem.  All we give her is high-fiber pellets
(the brand we found is called Purina "Lab Rabbit" and has a product number
of 5326 or something like that) and some plain, not-too-rich hay.
She's been on that diet for a couple of years and is doing OK.  She
still has diarrhea occasionally but it's not constant like it was
before.

As to weight, you need to base the amount of pellets on the rabbit's
weight.  I saw a table distributed by the Chicago branch of the House
Rabbit Society once and used it to determine the amounts for our
rabbits.  I can't put my finger on it, but the address of the Chicago
and other branches was recently posted in this newsgroup.

-- 
- Ron Mura, Boston, Massachusetts              rmura@world.std.com

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: myhui@bnr.ca (Michael Hui)
Subject: Re: bunny litter-training--help!
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 21:24:21 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.183246.18885@unislc.uucp> erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp) writes:
>I've never found a rabbit that could be "pellet-trained" - the nature of
>their feces is such that it just kinda slips out... :)

I don't think so. Rabbits, as do all other mammals, do know quite
specificly exactly when they are defecating, and when they are not.

-- 
Michael MY Hui  ~{~}  myhui@bnr.ca  Ottawa Canada
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: graziano@ravel.udel.edu (Lisa Marie Graziano)
Subject: ferrets 
Followup-To: Q. about noises ferrets make.
Organization: University of Delaware
	There was a question about ferrets making "clucking" noises when they
	Does anyone have tips on improving the litter-training of a
                                                       Lisa
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 12:24:55 GMT


Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: blaraway@geppetto.encore.com (Brad Laraway)
Subject: Re: Fussy Ferrets and food
Organization: Encore Computer Corp.
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 18:47:30 GMT

	I have one ferret "Mako" who won't eat anything
	but dry S.D. cat food.  I've tried everything.
	Sebastian on the other hand loves almost every-
	thing.  Apple, green beans, snow peas, raisens,
	chick peas, raw potato(e), summer squash,and
	pears.  I don't eat sweets so I never tried them.
	I know sugar not the best thing in the world 
	for humans.  Plus Mako is already hyper.  I
	should have call him Buz-Saw.

	Brad
From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Apology to bunny-lovers for lines over 80-characters
Date: 18 Dec 92 19:44:08 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

A most thoughtful netter sent me the following:

> ...could you
> please type shorter lines? :-) The postings you have made *lately* have
> all been over 80 characters wide, and so on my screen, and I wager the 
> majority of other bun-lovers' screens, the message overflows and looks very
> ugly. It's very hard to read...

I want to apologize to all of you who have been putting up with
this.  I'm on a new terminal and hadn't realized this was
happening.  I think I can fix the problem...

Oh, and by the way, I think a couple of people had asked me
some questions via postings that disappeared before I saved
them, so if anyone didn't get a response and still has a 
question, please send e-mail.  Thanks!

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: kenny@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Bunnys and Christmas Trees
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 20:53:17 GMT

In article <cam.724099415@milton>, cam@milton.u.washington.edu (Cameron Ritchie) writes:
> Here is a bunny question that I haven't seen asked before.  Is it dangerous
> for bunnys to eat pine needles that have either fallen from a christmas
> tree or are still on the lower branches?  We set up our tree last night
> and, of course, the first thing the two buns do is dash over to check out
> this "intruder".  After much thumping and ear-swiveling, it was decided 
> that the tree was not a threat.  Next, as seems to always be the case, it
> was decided that the tree might be good thing to eat, so they sampled some
> of the needles before we blasted them with the water bottle to get them away.
> 
> The house rabbit handbook doesn't list pine trees on the list of dangerous
> house plants, but I wonder if anyone on the net knows anything more about
> it?  Thanks.
> 
> Cam 


  Mine have enjoyed them for the last several years with no ill effects.
My vet didn't think it would harm them.

Debbie
From: clare@astro.umd.edu (Clare Sebok)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: ferret in the heating duct
Date: 12 Dec 92 03:51:31 GMT
Organization: U. of Maryland @ College Park, Astronomy

Recently Bill was playing with our two ferrets in our supposedly ferret-
proofed room.  I was in another room on the other side of the house.  I
started to hear scratching noises coming from underneath the floor!  I
looked down at the floor register and saw a little face peering up at me.
The view through the grate wasn't too clear, and I thought a rat had
managed to get into the house.  I called to Bill, and while he was on the
way I got a closer look at the creature under the grate.  This time the
little face looked familiar:  it was our ferret, Jerry.  When Bill arrived
and I told him that Jerry was in the heating duct, he was totally bewildered,
since he was sure that the ferrets were in the other room.  He went back and
found that the metal cover had been removed from the duct opening.  Meanwhile,
I ran downstairs and got a box of raisins to coax Jerry out of the duct.  She
came out almost immediately when she heard the sound of a raisin box being
shaken.  She was dusty but unharmed.  We think that the dog must have knocked
the register cover off when he was romping with the ferrets.  The next day
Jerry seemed to remember that she had found a tunnel underneath.  We may have
to bolt the cover to the floor.  Bill says that if something like this ever
happens again, he would immediately turn off the circuit breaker to disconnect
the heater.  We're glad this story has a happy ending.  We also hope that this
story will alert other ferret parents to a potential danger.

-- 
Clare Sebok      Univ. of Maryland, Astronomy    Internet: clare@astro.umd.edu
From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: bunny litter-training--help!
Summary: Pill training is easy, but it isn't litter training!
Date: 17 Dec 92 19:19:11 GMT
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

In article <1992Dec15.183246.18885@unislc.uucp>, erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp) writes:
> Stephanie Udry (gremlin@buhub.bradley.edu) wrote:
> 
> I've never found a rabbit that could be "pellet-trained" - the nature of
> their feces is such that it just kinda slips out... :)

Just for clarification...>pellets< are the form that food goes into a rabbit;
>pills< are the form in which it comes out.   :-)

Nearly all rabbits can be pill trained.  Only rabbits lacking pill control due to
age (too young) or illness, and badly abused rabbits have a problem with it.  The
problem (as usual) is lack of understanding on the part of people.  (These little
creatures are so different from all the other pets we have known--sometimes it seems
that nothing of what we know of other animals applies to them.)

Unlike cats and dogs, pills are not simply the passing of waste, but a means of
communicating a specific message; namely, that territory marked by the pills of a
rabbit is territory that belongs to that rabbit.  (They will drop them in their food
and water for the same reason, stating in effect, "This belongs to me!")  Therefore,
pill training doesn't involve the litter box as urine training does.  Instead, it
involves teaching the rabbit which space belongs to it and which doesn't.

This is done primarily by never invading her space (i.e., her cage, or whatever part
of the house you want her to "own").  You stand humbly at the door and ask if she
would like to come out to play, but never reach in and drag her out.  You herd her
back to her space until she darts in to get away from your harassment, but never
trap her and put her in her cage.  This causes her to see her cage as a place of
refuge rather than a tool you use to control her.  Her food and toys should be kept
in her cage and treats offered at the door (until she's mastered this lesson and you
move on to encouraging her to jump into your lap, at which point you may want to
use the treats to entice her).

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl
From: alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu (Amy Young Leith)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: bunny's new favorite food...
Keywords: help! nervous bunny mom!
Date: 17 Dec 92 16:22:39 GMT
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington

In article <22891@drutx.ATT.COM> njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ) writes:
>By the way, according to the "standards" for lops, ability to move the ears is
>considered a "fault."  Just another example of breeding with no concern for the
>animal (buns need to lift their ears in the summer to cool themselves) by people
>who consider themselves the "responsible" breeders.  If this sort of thing is
>"responsible," we need a new word to mean what "responsible" ought to mean!

I wondered why Dink's ears get so hot sometimes.  Upon looking the
ears have comparatively little and short fur on them, and also seem to
have a lot of blood vessles in them.  Is this the cooling aparatus?
=)

amy
-- 
alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu for personal mail
			    All business mail to alyoung@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Dislcaimer:I only speak for myself.  Anyone who thinks differently is a fool.
			(This means NOT my employer!!)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: palmj@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Jyri L. Palm)
Subject: Re: Ferret Hiccups
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 02:45:48 GMT

garvey@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Heather Garvey) writes:

>	I never knew ferrets could *hiccup*! I guess it's the heavy salt
>on the topmost pieces, although I try to make sure hers are light on
>the salt. (Who knows what it would do to her blood pressure. ;)) She 
>stopped after a short while and I'm keeping her in her cage so I can
>watch her (in case it's more serious than hiccups), but she's just 
>napping as usual. 

One of my ferrets occassionally gets mild hiccups after eating or
drinking a lot of water.  He seems to get over it after a few minutes.

Does anyone else have a ferret with a major "clucker" voice.  One of
mine "Crazy Girl" starts burrowing under the sheets of a bed while
loudly going "cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck" for about 5 minutes
straight.  It's almost like sonar in the darkness.

I also just remembered when I first got her.  I must of been just a
few days when I heard this noise in the bathroom.  Well, I went in to
find her running around trying to dry off.  She was wet from the middle to
her tail.  She had found the toilet, leaned a little too far, and 
promptly exited.  From then on the cover stays down.

Now the problem is that both of my ferrets have become used to having
access to the bathroom, or else they dig at the carpet like crazy.  So
the door must stay open 2 inches.  Furthermore, Crazy Boy is very curious
about the toilet and poses a half funny - half undesired "problem".

When taking a leak, he hears the sound and climbs up on the platform 
beside the toilet.  He puts his paws on the toilet and leans in as far
as he can to sniff the surface of the water.  It is a real challenge to
get the job done and flush before he gets up there.

Of course he does that ferret "Whoa careful on this one."  You know, when
they are normally smelling around its a hyper-sniff-sniff-sniff.  But when
we climb into the litter box, its a slow-creep-up-and-do a careful-sniff.

And as long as we've stooped to this level of ferret stories...does
everybody elses's ferret do that out-of-the-litter-box "butt-wipe (tm)"?
Every litter box in the house has a little step wrapped with a
butt-wipe-rag (tm).  Not only does it save the carpet on the way out, but
the step diverted them from pooping in *front* of the box to pooping
*in* the box.

Well, gotta go...

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: pinghann@maui.cs.ucla.edu (Ping Hann Wang)
Subject: How to stop a dog from eating its own stool?
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 19:04:26 GMT

I am new to this news group and don't know if this is a FAQ. Anyway,
I have a 11-mont old German Shepherd dog. It seems to be very
healthy except that it began to eat its own stool a couple weeks
ago. I tried to stop my dog from doing this but it seems to
always want to get one or two bites of the stool. I am sure
it is definitely not hungry because it does so right after I 
feeding it. Is this kind of behavior normal among one year old dogs?
Is this just a transition period behavior, i.e., from adolescence to
adulthood? Is there any effective way to stop dogs from eating stool?


-- 
Pinghann Wang
UCLA Computer Science Department
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: sstockw1@cc.swarthmore.edu (Sarah Stockwell)
Subject: Clucking/grunting ferret noises
Organization: Swarthmore College
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 05:57:29 GMT

People have been referring to a soft clucking noise that ferrets make when
playing.  I am assuming this is the same as what I think of as soft,
musical grunting.  Miniver makes this sound while she is drinking, or while
she is pronking and hurling herself up and down and all over the room when
she is especially agitated.  Sometimes this is accompanied by a fluffed
tail, and sometimes not.

What I want to know is this.  When she grunts/beeps/clucks (let's call it
greeping for the moment), is she playing or is she scared?  Is greeping a
message to back off, or just an exclamation?  Miniver is my first ferret,
and I am unsure whether she is playful or easily scared.  Any suggestions? 
(I'm leaving the place where I have Internet access on the 17th).

--
Sarah
From: gremlin@buhub.bradley.edu (Stephanie Udry)
Subject: bunny litter-training--help!
Organization: Bradley University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 16:48:46 GMT

well, buhub the bunny has now taken residence in our apartment...bought the
house bunnies handbook at your recommendation

what i want to know is exactly how to go about litter training...is now (the
first day we have her) too soon?  she's somewhere between 6mths-1 yr)

we are going to go out and get 3 litter boxes today...too regular sized and one smaller one....

we want to start out in one room and then move her out from there to a majority
of the apartment....but we know nothing about litter training

also, the rabbit ahdnbook made it soundlike you can only urine train them, 
not pellet train them...is this true?

her stool is a little loose today...could that be from the new environment...we haven't fed her any dfferently.......

help!

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Stephanie Udry                tanha on IRC                        ~
~ gremlin@buhub.bradley.edu     goddess of mischief and grins       ~
~   "The innocence of sleeping children, dressed in white and slowly~
~    dreaming, stops all time."    "primary" by the cure            ~ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~