I think that your new resolve to let the pets sort things out is admirable, and a big, huge step in the right direction. If you can get your mom on board too, then you could both go off into another room to make coffee or fold laundry or occupy yourself in a similar way if a scuffle breaks out. (If there is a special show or movie on TV that you really want to see with no interruptions you might lock the cats out of the room while things are calm before the program begins so that no arguments occur between the pets while you are watching.) To the best of my memory none of my cats ever drew blood when smacking my puppies in the past. When I wrote in a previous post that they got their noses "shredded" regularly I was using imagery and exaggeration to make the point that these conflicts are normal and commonplace. One of my cats did claw the nose of a neighbor's German shepherd once who came up onto the front porch where my cat was sleeping and, judging from the yelps of the retreating dog, probably drew blood. Cats can distinguish between a strange dog who doesn't belong and a dog who is a member of the household, and the latter is treated with more tolerance and restraint even when the cat is meting out discipline to its doggie housemate. No dog or cat in my experience has ever had its eye clawed by a cat. All animals have a protective reflex to close their eye lids if an object approaches. The Siamese cat I had when I was a kid was quite a fighter and used to really get into it with strange cats in the neighborhood. I am talking actual real cat fights here, not a tussle between housemate kitties. He came home frequently with bite and claw wounds, some *near* his eyes, but his pretty blue eyes lasted him a lifetime unmarred. If one of your cats should inflict a wound on one of their housemates I'd recommend that you treat it with peroxide for a few days to prevent an infection, as you would with any puncture wound. But I really doubt that any of your pets will have skin broken on their noses, and having an eye clawed out is only slightly more likely than being hit with falling debris from a satellite. Unneutered dogs can be a bit more feisty, but since you plan on neutering Punkin this year anyways, it sounds like you have this covered. I've always fed my pets separately to avoid fights. I would keep on feeding your kitties separately from your dogs just as you are doing now. This is a good policy. Everyone deserves to be able to eat in peace. Food is a key thing that tends to provoke conflicts, and your pets are already in conflict over their own space and place in the household. Your pets need to sort out the issues of their place in the heirarchy, but there is no point in giving them something else to argue over. If prescribed medication helps you and your mom to overcome your anxieties then it is a good idea to take the medication according to the doctor's directions. If you have time amidst your school work to fit in a walk with your mom and the dogs everyday, I also think this would have immeasurable relaxing effects. Punkin might be aggravating the cat simply because he has excess energy to burn with no outlet for it. A tired dog is always a good dog. Anyways good luck with your college studies and try not to worry over the critters!

I know that. It was just a county dog pound, actually. They don't do any testing. I've been asking around and getting advice. I actually volunteer at our no kill facility and will get advice. Lots of resources available, they just will cost me $$. Her former owner lost her home, had to move in w/ friends who were not allowed to have animals.....hid the dog at a friend's house who put the dog outside. It ran away & was picked up twice. Owner finally just surrendered the dog. Such a sad story and she's 9 so I knew she was going to be put down. She is sweet, and yes, I can get her healthy, and then look for a new home. thanks for all the advice.

Yes, they are super inquisitive, aren't they? I used to think it must be everyone else's cats that jump on countertops.....but not mine. Ha! Heard glass in the middle of night and found a glass and some water on my hardwood floor in the kitchen. They have water, for goodness sake! Makes me want to sterilize my counters now when I wake up

A HUGE number of common garden plants can be toxic (poisonous) to our pets - probably far more than you would imagine and most are popular garden additions. The ASPCA has rather detailed lists for you to check. But there are varying degrees of toxicity, based both on the plant in question and the amount ingested. Should you remove all/any of these from your garden or not plant them at all? That is a question only you can answer :-) It will depend on your personal concerns and the age and behavior of your pet. I will say that I have gardened for many years with both an assortment of dogs and cats (of all ages) and a good sampling of many of these plants and have never encountered any problems - my pets just don't eat or chew on plants other than to gnaw on some grass now and again. No issues with any houseplants, either. Once out of the puppy stage and if properly exercised/occupied and given the attention they require, dogs will generally never bother plants - they are just not interested in them. Cats - being cats - march to an entirely different drummer. We used to have a Siamese that would graze the raspberries and devour any ripe berries she could reach. She would also gnaw into cantaloupes left on the counter to ripen. But never anything that would harm her. Indoor cats, lacking the stimulation of the natural environment, are often more inclined to chew on any houseplants out of shear boredom. You need to assess both the personalities of your pets and the plant(s) in question before deciding what to include in your garden.