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Ho il cucciolo in stallo, solo che perde troppo pelo.

Ho il cucciolo in stallo, solo che perde troppo pelo.
I have the puppy in foster care, except that he sheds too much hair.
From Lesson 418:Restrictive connectors (solo che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Ho il cucciolo in stallo, solo che perde troppo pelo.

Why is perde in the indicative mood after che, instead of the subjunctive?
Even though many phrases ending in che require the subjunctive, solo che (meaning "except that" or "the only thing is") introduces a factual obstacle or an afterthought. Because it states a reality rather than a doubt, emotion, or opinion, it takes the indicative mood (perde).
I thought stallo meant a "stalemate" or "standstill". Why does it translate to "foster care"?
In everyday conversation, stallo does mean a stalemate. However, in the specific context of animal rescue and adoptions, avere un animale in stallo is the standard Italian phrase for keeping an animal in temporary "foster care" before they find a permanent home.
Why is "sheds" translated with perde (loses)?
Italian doesn't have a direct equivalent for the specific English verb "to shed" when talking about fur. To express this, you simply use the verb perdere (to lose), making perdere pelo the standard way to say an animal is shedding.
Could I say troppi capelli instead of troppo pelo here?
No, because capelli refers exclusively to the hair on a human being's head. For animal fur or human body hair, you must use pelo (singular, often used as a mass noun like "fur") or peli (plural).

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