Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

If I were an animal I'd be a flea, I'd call myself Fifi, and look like this ---> .

[Nikitas]

Devil,

The stick phobia you describe in Beardie is something I have seen in several dogs. Often it is mistaken for gunshyness ( I am a hunter, that is an established fact by now) but on closer examination it is stick phobia.

Considering that there is not one single trait in dog behavior that can be corrected by violence, it is indicative of how ignorant people are of animal behavior when they use a stick, On the other hand it can be just plain old sadism.

Getting Beardie past the point of fear you can start playing fetch with small bits of cane and gradually (over months) increase the size. I have done it with a setter that was severely phobic after being subjected to unmentionable things in a garage. The mechanics found it entertaining to constantly scare him. The dog now works just fine with no hint of phobias. He is suspicious of all male visitors though. Not a bad trait considering his experiences.

And to keep to the theme of the thread, I would like to be a flying animal, mostly because I am a fearful flyer. Flying over the terrain and covering great distances in a short time must be a great feeling. Something like a hawk or falcon I guess.

[Niki]

Aw come on Phoenix, you spoke about 'Turks' again - sorry but totally irrelevant here and yes GR my experience of general attitude towards my pets is tangibly different in a negative way. Doesn't make me love Cyprus or Cypriots any less however - just different.

If I was an animal I would come back as one of my cats - sleeping, feeding, cuddling, being stroppy and treating my home like a hotel.

[Hazza]

If I was an animal, would love to be either a Dolphin or a monkey....can't decide which yet.

[phoenix]

Aw come on Phoenix, you spoke about 'Turks' again - sorry but totally irrelevant here and yes GR my experience of general attitude towards my pets is tangibly and different in a negative way. Doesn't make me love Cyprus or Cypriots any less however - just different.

If I was an animal I would come back as one of my cats. sleeping, feeding, cuddling, being stroppy and treating my home like a hotel.

Go on Niki, tell me how many times I have used the word "Turks" on the Cyprus forum . . . you did a good job policing the number of posts GR! and I have accumulated

It may have escaped your notice, but my prime interest on the forum happens to be challenging ALL the wrongs I perceive, which I happen to have time to address. This may be why I volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau who equally challenge ALL wrongs.

Unlike you, I do not complain about any of, or the quantity of contributions . . . I just counter objectionable remarks with arguments if I can.

And if I spoke about "Turks" again, that was in direct response to devil being racist about Cypriots at the very outset . . . a remark which I would consider WRONG whether I was Cypriot or not!

I then went on to qualify why I believe we do not have as many effective animal charities in Cyprus . . . because Cyprus is a WAR TORN nation, they may have prioritised Human needs above those of other animals.

This latter prioritisation of Human needs may be precisely why you yourself are in Cyprus enjoying the benefits of a civilised culture that is intolerant of drugs, vandalism, binge-drinking etc.

Personally I do not appreciate being tracked to be reminded of the number or frequency of my posts (which are still in the honeymoon period and may slow down / stop anytime). Or being reprimanded ineffectively for using the word"Turk", which unlike you and devil, I do not consider racist, but describes the nation that chose to invade and divide my country. Finally, I most certainly do not appreciate someone butting in to a debate merely to tell me to LET IT GO!

Fascists spring to mind

[phoenix]

If you were any animal or any living creature, what would it be and why

Because this is what is expected of me (perhaps Niki, devil ) and I hate to disappoint, here is the other living creature I would most like to come back as:

Phoenix wants to come back as a superbug that is specific for Turks . . . infect them, and destroy that part of their brain which makes them invade their neighbours.

If this should render them so ill and weak that they cease to exist . . . there would be a way for them to gain immunity: rethink invading neighbouring countries.

[LENA]

Niki mou life is too short honey! Calm down!

[Talisker]

I don't know anything about animal welfare organisations in Cyprus, the relative need for them compared with other countries such as the UK (where we definitely DO need them), or the possible reasons they may be lacking (e.g. 'war-torn nation'), but interestingly the RSPCA encourages people to report incidences of cruelty abroad. See:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satelli ... 4077763301

They say they will pass the information on to local animal welfare organisations, and I presume they will be able to do this in Cyprus.

In their 2005 International Review they report the funding of grants to many different countries including Cyprus, the funding being for education through schools, and working with the Cypriot government and an organisation called 'Zootropian' to introduce a new law on dog control which 'sets up strong measures on identification, neutering and collection of strays'. See:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satelli ... inary=true

There are horrendous stories of animal cruelty every week here in the UK, so amongst the genuine animal lovers are some pretty nasty people. Often the cruelty seems to stem from ignorance. I haven't noticed too much obvious cruelty in Cyprus, although some dogs seem to be caged or chained up day after day. Driving through Greece on holiday we frequently saw stray dogs, and unfortunately many of them die on the roads, and their carcasses are not removed very quickly. Not a pleasant sight. In the UK, we often see dead badgers on the roads, so are not spared here either.

[GorillaGal]

i would like to come back as a squirrel. they are always running around in pairs, seems like they are always at play, always having fun.

[phoenix]

i would like to come back as a squirrel. they are always running around in pairs, seems like they are always at play, always having fun.

I'm with you on squirrels GG. They are so great at solving problems to get to food. They are really cheeky!

However, there is a huge campaign to exterminate grey squirrels, even from parks, here in the U.K. They are considered as vermin, and apparently out-compete the native red squirrels (whose habitats have been wiped out by so many new housing developments ).