Where to put the cat food?

[kehorner]

Yeah, I'm thinking more about the cat dishes than the bags of food. I've already got a nice storage container for the big bag of food and the bag of treats. It's sort of one of those big rubbermaid tubs, but it's solid black, so it doesn't look too out of place in the dining room. You can see it over on the left wall, behind the chair.

Bear is pretty well trained, but especially in the house, when he won't technically be working, I would question his willpower. I want to make absolutely sure, also, that he doesn't eat the cat's food, because the cats are already going to have to adjust to him just being there, and him eating their food would be a big intrusion.

There's not a ton of room above the fridge, with it going under the cabinets. I do like the idea of perhaps a table in front of that window. Things might be a little crowded, but such is life. Maybe I'll have to move the cat tree. Guess I'll have to hit up the resale shops this weekend. No way can I afford something new, but I should be able to find a good deal somewhere. That's one advantage of living in the not-so-nice part of town, is that I can think of about 5 resale/goodwill type stores just off the top of my head that I drive by on a semi-regular basis.

But I'm thinking I should do that this weekend and move their food now, so that they have a week to get used to that before the dog shows up. The poor guys have no idea what they're in for.

You can check out my website if you want more info on my dog: http://www.freewebs.com/kehorner/

[Tambrey]

I think forensic anthropology is FASCINATING....when I took my biology (online) for my horticulture classes, the first week's lesson was on that subject....
As for you....WOW....I admire you for all that you have accomplished in life...
My friend who's husband, son and daughter all have service dogs for the seizures, her son also has AS....

A friend of mine has autistic twins, not AS....but she suspects her oldest adult son is somewhere on the spectrum, as I often suspect my own son, with his sensory issues and some of his behaviors....but then, I guess scientists are determining that even ADHD is along the autism spectrum....

My nephew was recently (officially) diagnosed AS, whereas at first he was PDD-NOS...but I suspected more of AS since he was a toddler....we always call him our walking phone book...give him a name and numbers once and he knows them forever!!

Have you read the book, Born on A Blue Day...the author of that book has come a long way as well and never let his challenges get in the way of his strengths...

Anyways....back to you....I am glad you are getting Bear and that he will have a positive roll in your life...and keep up the AWESOME work!!

[Tambrey]

oops....got a bit off subject there I am always excited to hear good life stories!!!

I have a friend who keeps her cat food dishes on top of the dehumidifier....of course, in winter it is not running, but still sits in the corner of the dining room....she has a tablecloth on top of it and the cats eat up there...it is maybe 30 inches tall....she has a little side chair sitting beside it if they need help jumping up to that level, as some of hers are older...

If you have anything like that already in your home, maybe you can incorporate that?

[kehorner]

Well, being a grad student, I don't really have any furniture in my house that isn't already being used (except for those chairs, but they aren't big enough for my idiots...). But I'm sure I can find a table for cheap. The university surplus store sells off furniture (and pretty much anything) for practically nothing. I went and got 9 3-inch 3 ring binders the other day, and paid all of 78 cents. Total. They were 10 cents each, with a discount for buying more than 5. So hopefully they'll have something there that suits my needs. They will be open on Friday.

[Cleo]

What about one of those puppy play pen/fences to put around the cat dishes and tree. Cats can jump over it easy enough and it'll give the dog boundary.

[E's]

Cleo, I'll take those sweet Corgis, with or without the playpen Another of my favorite breeds!

Kristin, Bear is a doll - I can hardly wait to have the story begin. And I love how you have decorated your home. I'll have new doors just like yours in both apartments, looking out to a patio/yard, but no large windows like that. But all the windows are the new vinyls at least. My house is in an "upscale" neighborhood, but is itself old and kinda strange, with odd rooms - and made of concrete block (I think some of the folks in newer houses wish it had been one of the ones demolished ) but it is built like a fortress and has been there since right after WWII...

I dig what you're saying about surplus and goodwill stores... Even if I could afford it, I am not about to buy expensive furniture or decor objects (except the appliances have to be new of course.) The downstairs of the 2 story apt. is now a "great room" but still cramped and cut up; it is going to have plastic rattan porch furniture and posters on the walls. The 1 story apt. I haven't decided on yet... Anyway, there is a Goodwill in a shopping center just a few blocks from me... I used to go there a lot for small things I collected, like baskets. Hear it has reopened, but don't know what sort of goods it will stock now.

[kehorner]

Finally, success. After 4 hours of shopping, I finally found the right table. I went to the surplus store, a furniture resale shop (found a few things that would have worked there, but they wouldn't fit in my car), 4 thrift stores, kmart, target, and meijer. I found the table at kmart, but I kept trying to get somebody to help me and nobody came, so I ended up leaving. I went back when target and meijer didn't have anything.

I ended up getting this cute little table that's actually a wine rack underneath. It's got lots of wrought-iron style metal work on the bottom, with curliques and stuff, and then a glass top. It's higher than my dining room table, and big enough for all three cats to get on at once if they want to. It was priced at $60, but all they had left was the floor sample, and after I pointed out that it was scratched and missing a few (nonessential) pieces, the guy told me to make an offer. I offered $40, and took it home for $43.

The boys seem to be adjusting to it okay. They have all been up there and eating, but they haven't been eating as much as they have been recently (although they have been eating a lot recently). So maybe having the food up and out of the way will help them not eat so much.

Today I went out shopping for the dog. I got 37 pounds of food (checked on the exact brand and type he's eating at his current home), a food bowl, and a stuffed squeaky toy. I had to order the crate online because they were out of the bargain brand at both stores in my area, and the regional warehouse was also out. But I ordered it online, with free shipping, so no big deal. And my mom is making him a blanket. So I've got most of what I need for him to come home next week.

I'm waiting on grooming tools until I can take him in with me and get recommendations based on his coat, since he has a rather unique coat. He's a weird dog all the way around. Nobody can really agree on what breed he is. It's so weird to be shopping in the dog aisles, though. The lady probably got a little scared when I asked her what size bowl I needed for my dog... She started trying to tell me all kinds of stuff about how to take care of him. But I told her that I'd be getting fully trained on that before I bring him home. I'm taking my mom along with me just to write stuff down, because between learning the commands and special stuff about him being a service dog, and then just learning about how to take care of a dog, there's going to be a lot of information.

I'm sure I'll be asking lots of beginner's questions around here in the next few weeks....

[momPaws]

You sound so excited about getting your new pup. Am happy for you. Hope you let us know his name and post some pictures when you can.

[Traci]

Can I just ask about the glass top....is is very secure? If this is remotely like mine (it's all wrought iron, but with a wood top), the top is fairly loose, just sits in a tiny little groove, and is NOT sturdy. Being glass, I'd worry about that with cats jumping on it all the time.

[kehorner]

Yeah, I definitely checked the top... It's attached with little suction cups. I actually had a heck of a time getting the thing on straight because I'd set it down and then have to undo all the little suction cups. Also, there's not much of an overhang on any of the edges, so the dudes can't stand on the edge and flip it off. I do need to go to the hardware store tomorrow, though, in search of more of those suction cups. It's got spaces for 6 of them, but 2 were missing. So I need 2 more to fill all the spaces. But it's not going anywhere even missing those 2.

I think they are more likely to knock the food bowls off the table... What I really need to get is some non-slip stuff to put on the bottom of them so they don't end up batting them right over the edge!