lol, cute! please don't give my DH any ideas, he loves halloween! All my plants are in my room, so nobody will see them anyway. Cept for the large Thanksgiving Cactus in the living room, but it is surounded by ducks! (mom collects them)

but cute idea, I love it!

Halloween free zone here...

Love your idea of celebrating all hallows eve with your houseplants. I have my calathea crocata which is blooming with orange flowers front and centre to celebrate the season, but now to find a spooky little friend to accent it!

Pls. show us a pic of that blooming Calathea, curious minds wish to see!!

I want to see the calathea too! Hope you found a ghosty or goblin to hide in the flowers!

Well, I don't have any rats or Franken-trolls.....how about a pumpkin dish and some gourds?

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I guess you can't see the pumpkins on the dish very well.

Interesting coloring & setting, but where's the Calathea?

I don't see any, I believe that orange bloomer is called an Episcia, which comes in many colors, but colors of blooms as well as multi-colored leaves. I believe it's in the family Gesneriad, as are AVs (your pink one is lovely.)

rosebuddy has the Calathea, not me. And yes, that's an Episcia. :)

We sent all our spiders to decorate Toni's house. :D

Sorry, out of town for couple of days. Here's my picture of my calethea bloom.

Happy Halloween Eve,

I love reading/watching horror movies. Some older favorites are The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, and The Exorist. The books and movies are creepy.

Cory, like you, first time I saw Exoricist at the show, I feared night, let alone sleeping..Had nightmares galore.
Exorist novel is also scary as he**. pun-pun.

I no longer have this till..cost 1.99..back when prices were a little less than nowadays.

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Tills don't live long...they're are some true beautys w/red leaves..

Rose..ROFL..You guys come over w/spiders, I'll sic my Shih Tzu on you all. lol. All 19lbs.

I miss my Sam, but if he was on earth, he'd slobber all over you gals/guys w/spiders. lol
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I really miss Sam. Although he was big, he was a gentle giant. Never harmed anyone..When ppl dropped by or while walking him, he wanted everyone to pet him.
Only problem was he sometimes had 5' slobber that swung in the air, on people's clothing. lol.

Rose, we must have been typing the same time.

I LOVE your Calathea and flower..How on earth did you get it to bloom?
Some of my Cals are over 10-yrs-old and never flowered..what's your secret..

Another spooky image.

Our sons baby went trick-or-treating as an Iguana.

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Thanks Toni, I've never forced bloomed my plants and am definitely just lucky when they bloom. I bought this one just for the dark leaves which I liked, not expecting anything else. I have it beside my gas fireplace which most plants don't like, in good but not direct sunlight. Been there maybe two years but whatever happened this year caused it to flower. Wish I knew the secret. hoping it's not a sign that the plant is stressed enough that it is trying to reproduce.

Ah, Toni ... 19 lbs of love - yes, you sic that shiztzu on us... he'll think we're there to play and tail wag and lick us to death. :D

I'm not a huge fan of dog drool... just about as bad as spiders... how'd you deal with 5 foot slobber?

Rose...are Calatheas forced to bloom? Is forcing what the most people do?

You're right, plants don't like being near gas heat, but since your Cal is doing so well, 'leaves are healthy green' plus blooming, I wouldn't dare move it..

Coco, 'Shih Tuz,' is a LOT more agressive than Sam ever dreamed of.
But, once he gets to know someone, he would lick one to death.

As far as Sam's slobber....we went through tons of paper towels..lol.

Sorry if it sounded like calatheas are a plant that is forced to bloom. I have no idea. Just that I don't work at getting plants to flower, if they do I can't take any credit. Someday I would like to study how to force flowers as it would be an interesting hobby. Enjoying your halloween pictures, especially of your grandson!

hopefulauthor-

I also have two shih tzus (Brownie and Bubbles who are brother and sister) and I tell everyone that the word 'Shih Tzu' is Chinese for 10-20lbs of attitude... They maybe small but they pack alot of personality in that small body of theirs...getting licked to death does seem to be very possible with them lol.

-FPT

OH MY GOD! soooooo cute! cat pictures just don't compare to dog pics. :)

RoseB...Well, your Calathea is beautiful just the same..I thought you had a secret getting them to bloom.

I only forced a few plants to flower..Thanksgiving Cactus, certain Kalanchoes and every so often Amaryllis. But, there's many more types on the list.
I hope you learn how to force blooms, then you can share with us... :)

Tell me the truth...do you think there's a resemblance between my grandson and me? lol

FPT...AWWW, Brownie and Bubbles are adorable. Sooo cute. Do you have them trimmed? How on earth do they allow you or the groomer to trim fur above their eyes?

We took Coco to a groomer last month..she said it'll take about 3 hours..We decided to come home and wait..by the time we got home, not 5 minutes after we walked in the house, the breeder called back. She said Coco won't allow her to trim him.
Back we went to the breeder. You should have seen the mess she made..She trimmed most of his body, but left a large piece of fur hanging off his little body.

He looked like a rag-a-muffin.

I should have stood outside the breeder's business with a sign reading, 'My dog just got groomed here.' lol

We have a dog hair trimmer, so we finished the job ourselves..But he doesn't like his face touched..
Do you have any problems getting your little ones groomed? Especially their faces....

It's funny how the smallest doggies believe they're as tall as Irish Wolfhounds, and carry the weight of Saint Bernards. lol

What's the ages of Bubbles and Brownie? They're so cute.

Rose..I disagree..if it wasn't for our birds, we'd have a cat or two, too. Cat's are beautiful w/gorgeous eyes.
Don't think they like being dressed in cute-little outfits though..lol. Post your kitty-cat pics...Toni

Forgot to add... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

For Halloween - my Isabelle

and my Miel.

and cats can lick too... ;)

Hopefulauthor-

I've never taken my dogs to the groomers, I really doubt they would let them touch them. My aunt, who I bought my dogs from, does her own grooming so she does it for me for free. But I also do my own face and butt trimmings on them, which they dont like and always looks lop sided but I hate it when I cant see their faces, or when they have 'dingle-berries' hanging from thir butts lol (T.M.I., sorry lol)

Brownie will be 3 years old on Chritmas, and Bubbles is almost 2 and half years old, they're 6 months apart. They have the same parents but from different litters.

Actually, I was thinking of taking them to the groomers, but I'm scared I'll have the same experience as you, and they wont let the groomers touch them. I think I may have waited too long so they wont be used to having strangers groom them, I should have started when they where puppies...

Roseyd-

Isabelle looks like my last cat, blackie. He disappered early this last summer (I'm pretty sure he has a new home).. He was completly black and was a HUGE cat...people always ask me if he was really a cat and not some huge wild cat like a jaguar...he wasnt fat, but just very big. And he was the sweetest cat ever, he never touch my plants and was just a big lover (except he loved teasing my dogs, my dogs where scared of him, and I think he got a kick out of scaring them lol). You have very cute cats, I cant do cats anymore for a while cause I have 3 guinea pigs, and thats already too many animals for my apartment. But if I ever get a house, I want one of those flat face cats (the kind that look like their faces got squished lol)

Happy Halloween everyone!!
-FPT

Toni, you were lucky that your cat didn't touch your plants - my Isabelle is the largest culprit for eating the leaves off my MOO jasmine, and the dwarf gardenia. I had to bring out that metal tiered rack to save some of the others from being nibbled too. She's a huge cat - and not really all black - she has a small white triangle where her privates are. when she shows her tummie, it looks like she's wearing a bikini.

I may be taking one of her sisters in soon. My papi (last photo) is very sick and may only have a short time left - brain tumor. I'm deciding whether I should take the long black haired sister, or the all white deaf sister off of the neighbor who has the rest of the family. Not that I need a replacement cat, but taking in another might cheer me up from losing my papi.

Rosed...beautiful cats. Does Miel have green eyes and is he long-haired?
Oh yes, cats are clean, no matter what some believe.
They preen their coats/paws daily. Yep, cats are lickers too. lol.

FPT..You're lucky you have an aunt who grooms..Do they remember her? Are hey content when she grooms them?

LOL, I know what you mean about lopsided haircuts..Poor Coco looks crooked after our home-made trim..lolol

When their fur grows, does it knot? Tangle? Resemble dreadlocks.

Oh, your doggies are still youngin's. It feels like we recently adopted Coco, but he turned 5, Aug 15th.

We didn't want another dog since we had an English Mastff..Sam..Sam was the weight of two dogs..lol..
Coco was physically and mentally abused..My brother 'policeman' took him in, but couldn't care for a pet w/his hours.
He pleaded w/me to adopt Coco..On Christmas Day, 2007, (by then, 4-months-old) while at my sister's house, brother brought Coco along. Well, how can you say NO to a little puppy, especially after knowing the circumstances.
Coco was fearful of everything..so innocent. I cried when I learned of his background. DH and DS looked a tad teary-eyed, too..Dh didn't protest when I said, yes.
Since Christmas Day, 2007, Coco is our newest child. :)

Yep, I feel the same way you do..should have taken him to a groomers from the start..
Other dogs who were being groomed just sat calmly while the groomers trimmed and brushed their fur..Coco went wild. lol.
They told me to bring Coco to the vet, sedate then groom him. Turns out our vet don't groom, so, it's home-made hair-cuts..similar to a home perm..lol.

Perhaps your vet will prescribe Valium or some type of anti-anxiety medication? But, be certain the vet knows what he/she is doing.

We took in a stray cat..'long ago.' He/Mike had fleas and a broken leg. The vet I brought my cats to at the time, over-medicated Mike..I was devestated and angry..Mike passed away. I never went back to that man...even though he was honest, admitted it was his fault. He did a good job treating our other cats, but still............

Funny, I was going to say the same thing you did.. our last cat, 17-yr-old 'Halloween' looked like Isabelle...until reading Isabelle had white on her chest.
I think most black cats look very similar. lol. They're black, but sunlight makes black fur brown-ish.

Good luck if you decide to take your cuties to a groomer.

RoseD. Actually, Halloween was no angel. lol. I had a large D. Corn Plant. He liked kneeding its cane. I ended up using cardboard...cutting a half-circle in the center of each piece, then set the cardboard on top of the soil, surrounding the cane. Once he jumped on the cardboard, he jumped off.

Some people believe this cruel, but sprinkling Cayenne Pepper around the edge of a plant pot, on soil, keeps cats away..They can smell the scent several feet before approaching a plant w/o harm..I'd never hurt my pets, ever. The pepper worked..from then on, Halloween didn't bother my Corn Plant.nor did our other cats..pepper or cardboard wasn't needed..they ignored plants.

LOl, Isabelle wearing a bikini. Funny location for a triangle.

Rose, I'm terribly sorry about Papi. Has he lost weight? In pain? Oh God...

Rose, if you decide to adopt another cat, or two...don't think about it as a replacement..
Papi's memories will always be with you, and by adopting, you're doing a good deed. And yes, I agree..Adding a cat or two might cheer you up.

They say, 99% white cats are deaf. Wonder why? We once bought a long-haired, half-Persian cat we named Pyewackett, like the cat in the movie, Bell, Book & Candle.
He was taken to the vet constantly, and a 24-hour ER..his bones were brittle and fractured easily. He was nearing 3 when he went to kitty-heaven..He was beautiful though..very unfriendly towards our other cats..a hermit for sure.

Is it possible to adopt both cats? What's one more? :)

Thought I had a digital photo of Halloween, but can't find it. However, have several pics taken the old-fashioned way..regular camera.

No, can't adopt 2 - not yet. My Papi has had a 6 month sinus infection. about 4 months ago, her eye started swelling - and her face was rather misshapen. - despite the antibiotics - the infection never went away. she's lost 3 lbs in a month, then when I noticed how skinny she was ... brought her to the vet again to discover her liver was almost failing. I've been force-feeding her since then.

She's my friendliest and most personable cat. she likes to sleep on my chest. and she's only 7. I won't be 'replacing' her character, she's pretty special.

Miel is my 17 year old boy. long haired and beautiful. has some maine coone in him - and his fur in sunlight is a mix between black/brown. Yellow eyes.

I can only take in one cat at a time. - my apartment is at capacity with 5. when Papi goes, I can take one.... and when Miel goes (hopefully at a very ripe old age...) I can take another...

The black one would be less problematic with my wardrobe. Trouble (the white) is a HUGE shedder. Trouble is more friendly, Baby, is gorgeous, but stand-offish. ... I don't wear enough white to make having a white cat easy...

since we're sharing Halloweeny pets, I have to chime in!

Though the rat and Franken-troll are gone, it's Halloween every day in our house since we have a black cat.

Meet Bogie! He has a tiny white spot on his chest and a "bikini" like roseyd 's cat Isabelle .

Bogie loves chewing on all plants except for my succulents/jades. Even though my plants are all out of his reach, I worry constantly about him making himself sick.

Am I noticing a connection? ... do plants and animals go hand in hand?

are there plant lovers who don't have pets? :)

Morning All,

Rose..I feel awful about Papi. She's a true fighter, for sure.

Besides antibiotics, did the vet prescribe a medication for her sinus infection? An antihistamine.

Because of her liver, the doctor might feel some medications are not a good idea.
Does she have a fever?

Are you bottle-feeding her?

One problem having pets..we love them. When something goes wrong, it hurts...terribly.

BTW, did they try more than one antibiotic?

Does Miel shed? Very few long-hairs don't.

Shedding..fur everywhere..on clothes and food. While making breakfast, don't know how but either Sam or Halloween would happen to shed around the time I took out the butter..I'd find a hair on top.

Coco doesn't shed, but birds molt..Feathers everywhere. I find feathers in the strangest places..Feathers are like Dandelion 'after' flower seeds blowing in the wind.

Rose, I feel so bad. I hope everything works out.

Rachel. I was thinking about you yesterday, wondering if you were upset we 'sort-of' took over your thread w/pet talk..hope you don't mind???? :)

Bogie and Jason?? or Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Get monsters mixed up. lol

Bogie is beautiful, too. He's huge! How much does he weigh?

In the past I wondered if cat greens would prevent felines from munching our plants, or add fuel to the flame. Can a cat distiguish one from the other?
Cats are intelligent, but would they know which is theirs and which isn't?
I believe cats need greens, but some people disagree.
As long as plants are out of reach, most likely you haven't any worries...

My sister had a gorgeous, female Calico named Sheba. Although she didn't have plants, during Christmas, Sheba would climb up to the top of the Christas tree. Just sit there. lol.

Rose, good question.

I've switched antibiotics 4 or 5 times. clavamox and batril are the heaviest hitters, and papi's now on batril because the pills are only once a day, instead of 3 times ... which is very hard to keep to schedule. She is also on a steroid to shrink the tumor - and, it shrank for almost a week - now it's back to growing, and her eye is warped again.

I'm hoping I can get her to last until after Xmas. but her congestion, as the tumor returns to its former shape - also increases and there doesn't seem a lot more I can do for her.

Miel - yes, he sheds - everywhere - and his fur tangles - it's hard to keep up with his fur management - he doesn't like being groomed - and, its more a case of continuing to force him still so I can cut out the mats. In the summer, the tangling isn't as bad as he blows a lot of his coat - but this time of year - look out! if it weren't so chilly - I'd consider trying to shave him.

How to battle fur ... I have inside clothes and outside clothes. My outside life - no-one would ever suspect I have a cat, never mind 5 of them. My outside clothes, my work wardrobe - all of it is put away in closets that NEVER see my pets. and they sure do love trying to get into my closets - but, I'm good at keeping those doors closed. when I'm at home, I immediately change to pajamas. I also never sit on my furniture in my 'outside' clothes and risk picking up a hair... ;) It really is, shower, dress and go.

for food? ... I don't really cook, but I don't let the cats on the counters and that helps to keep the hair in food at a minimum.

'pet peeve' ... being told by friends - 'get ready' we'll be there to pick you up... and then they're late and I'm in my to-go clothes and having to figure out 'do I risk sitting down?' ...

sure is hard to be a fashion statement. :D

Rose: I'm sorry too about Papi. :(

Toni: No, I wasn't upset that pets took over! I've just been busy and was only able to enjoy pics for a few days before I could contribute.

That's a Jason mask on a Zombie Baby. So it's a goofy hybrid of horror characters!

Bogie is about 13-15 pounds. He's a rescue we've had since 2005. We think he's 7 or 8, because he grew a ton in that first year.

Since it's been so cold lately, he's been spending much of his time in his sock-monkey bed (a birthday present from my parents). Thought you guys would enjoy this goofyness :)

Hello,

Rose. I don't know what to say about Papi. After you mentioned steroid sthat dissolve tumors, I felt hope, but now you say it's once again growing.
Is she still on steroids?

Yep, one problem w/long-haired cats AND dogs..matting and shedding.
Daily brushing helps..Coco loves being brushed but runs when he sees the scissors. lol.

Oh Rose..you can't sit on the furniture..lol...When your friends are late, it's their fault, not your cats. lol.

Perhaps you should buy a, is it called Lint Comb? We had one..Removes fur and hair from fabric. It's small, about 4-5" wide..all you do is run the comb along clothing... hair & fur gone.

LOL, fashion statement.

Rachel...happy you're not upset.
Sometimes, people check the button to receive emails whenever a post is added. Inbox fills up...it's bad enough getting junk email.

I like your Jason doll. Very nice Halloween decoration. But, I'm partial to Halloween, so the more monster characters, the better.

Bogie looks closer to 15lbs..at least in the pictures.

Ha, we bought Halloween, 'cat' a bed....didn't matter, he slept with us..lol.

Coco, has a bed which he'll nap in during the day..but he also sleeps on the couch and our bed.
Not a problem since he doesn't shed, BUT he's a magnet to debris..Since it's autumn, our yard, streets, everywhere one goes is a bed of dead leaves..his fur is a magnet to foliage, seeds, what have you.

I'm worried about Coco. Yesterday, while outside, I noticed he was straining when trying to do his duty..He's constipated. The vet is closed until Monday.

He's very picky when it comes to food, and doesn't drink enough water. I don't know what to do. Another worry!