#Cat Spraying Prevention

[thecolorsfucked]

how it started ass apartment 😂🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀💅🏼

[loki55]

Say Goodbye to Pesky Cat Fleas: Tips and Tricks for Effective Prevention

If you’re a cat owner, you know how much you love your furry friend. However, one thing that can put a damper on that love is cat fleas. Not only can they cause discomfort for your cat, but they can also spread to you and your home. That’s why prevention is key. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about cat fleas and how to prevent them. From understanding their life cycle…

[allperfectpets]

Flea Treatments for Cats: How to Keep Your Feline Friends Pest-Free!

Welcome to our complete aide on flea treatments for cats! As committed feline darlings ourselves, we comprehend the significance of keeping our catlike companions blissful, solid, and liberated from troublesome insects. In this article, we will dive into the universe of bug control and offer important bits of knowledge on the most proficient method to shield your cherished kitties from these small disturbances. We want to furnish you with functional exhortation and master tips that will assist you with outclassing different sites and guarantee your felines remain to bother-free. We should bounce right in!

[jeo9n]

INSTAGRAM

you’ve been texting jungkook on instagram non stop ever since he opened his account as a joke. but what you didn’t expect was for him to actually text you back.

౨ৎ

pairing: jeon jungkook x reader

genre: fluff, slow burn, friends to lovers, future smut

warnings: none

wordcount: 2k

you get woken up by your alarm at exactly 6am. like everyday, you open your eyes and the first thing you do is check your phone. catching up with everything that happened while you were asleep. texting your friends back that live in a different time zone than you.

you’re tired but you get out of bed anyway. you have to get ready for work. even if your body is screaming for you to stay in bed.

the first thing you do is make your bed so it prevents from laying back down. you already took a shower yesterday night, which you thank yourself as it saves you time this morning. so all you have to do is brush your teeth and wash your face.

when you’re done with that you make yourself a coffee and start to get dressed. you keep your outfit simple with some baggy jeans and a black long sleeve top because you’d rather be comfortable than fashionable. you always make sure to never leave the house without spraying perfume everywhere on your body. you forgot to but some on one day as you were running late, only noticing when you were already at work and someone might say it’s stupid but you didn’t feel good that day, you didn’t feel like yourself without your sweet perfume. you love to smell good, you love getting compliments on your scent, you love people smelling you before they even see you.

ever since that you never forgot to put perfume on again, but carrying around a travel size bottle of your favorite perfume in your bag just in case.

you pet your cats goodbye one last time before you leave your apartment. you hate leaving them home alone but thankfully they have each other so they are not really "alone" but it still hurts you.

you’re already on the way to the small coffee shop that you work at , as you remember you haven’t texted your boyfriend (jungkook) a good morning text yet. so you pull your phone at your pocket and text him right away. the chat is filled with hundreds of your messages texting him random stuff about how your day was and occasionally sending him some memes and reels you thought were funny.

y/n: good morning jungkoookkk!!

y/n: i’m on my way to work.

y/n: you’re probably asleep but have a good day.

you smile to yourself as you double text him. your not texting him in hopes to get a text back, cause that would be crazy. i mean, that guys is crazy famous of course he’s not going to text me back. you just think it’s funny, although sometimes you think it’s actually kinda weird and you should probably stop, but you never actually do.

as you open the door to your workplace you’re instantly greeted with the delicious smell of coffee, which reminds you, you still have your empty cup of coffee in your hands which you forgot to throw away. your coworker greets you good morning as she looks up from behind the counter.

"good morning. leslie." you greet back as you throw your coffee away. "ugh i really don’t feel like working today." you tell her, while taking of your jacket. she laughs and agrees with you.

"girl, i literally stayed up all night binge watching true crime documentaries." she tells me. "look at my eye bags! i can’t even cover them up with makeup." she says as she lifts up her hand to show me her dark eye bags. "but i guess it’s my own fault. i knew i should’ve turned the tv off after the first episode." she says in frustration and it makes me laugh. i can totally relate to her. you tell yourself one more episode and suddenly the sun comes up and you finished the whole show, wondering where the time went.

happened to me one too many times.

"yea…" you say, tying your apron at you back. "been there, done that." and she smiles softly in response. "should i make you a coffee? cause you really look like you need one." you tell her as you point to your eye bags, mocking her.

she laughs and kicks you jokingly "yes please! make it extra strong."

"will do." you say in a laugh, already on your way to the coffee machine. it’s definitely gonna be a long day for leslie today.

you put the coffee down carefully, not trying to spill the hot coffee all over the counter. "here you go, extra strong for you, your highness. " you bow to her jokingly while laughing like an idiot.

"you’re so stupid." she laughs with you, bringing the coffee up to her lips, trying to take a sip.

you worked a little longer today as usual since it was busy. but you don’t mind. working extra hours means extra money and you would never complain about that.

you take you shoes off and wash your hands as soon as you get home. after that you change into more comfy close just some sweatpants and hoodie and you already feel way better. you walk to your kitchen to feed your cats, who are acting like you leave them out to starve and never feed them. after your done with that you wash your hands again and make yourself something to eat since you only had breakfast today. you decide for pizza today as it doesn’t take long to be ready. you shove it into the oven and while you wait you brows through your phone. you lean against the counter and watch some tiktok’s to make to the time go by faster.

the pizza is done in under 20 times. thankfully. you cannot wait longer or else your stomach is gonna start eating itself. you sit down on your couch with your pizza on your lap. you try to take a bite but it’s still too hot so start browsing through netflix instead to find something to watch while your eating. when you find something your pizza has cooled down already so you start eating.

after your done, you get up and do the dishes right away so you don’t have to worry about it later. after that you decide to take a bath since you haven’t done that in a while and after that hectic day today you really need it.

the warm water hugs your body as you lay down in your bathtub. you feel your body start to relax enjoying the temperature of the water. your eyes are closed as you hear the notification sound from your phone, but you ignore it. you feel so comfortable right now you don’t want to move. so you stay put, enjoying this bath maybe a little too much.

after like twenty minutes you start to get bored and the water has gone cold, so you decide it’s time to get out. you quickly wash your body and get out. you do you skincare and brush your teeth while your body dries, after that you put some vanilla bodylotion on, quickly change into your pyjamas and head to bed, your cats joining you seconds after. one sleeps on top the pillow next to you while the one sleeps between your legs.

you go to grab your phone from your nightstand, checking it one last time before you go to sleep. your just scrolling trough your notifications not thinking anything by it. you stop at one particular notification and your hearts starts to beat faster. sitting straight in your bed, rubbing your eyes to make sure your seeing correctly. you cannot believe what you’re seeing.

jeon jungkook has fucking texted you back.

not only once. he double texted you back.

is this really happening right now?

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: woww! how long have you been texting me for ? there are like a thousand messages lol

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: i hope you had good day at work! i just woke up.

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: i saw your message and there are so many. i felt bad so i texted back. looked like your were talking to yourself haha.

wait. i cannot believes this. am i dreaming?

my hands shake and i’m not sure what to text back. should i even text back? would he text back again?

i take a deep breath. my head is going crazy right now.

after i collected myself, i text back.

y/n: lol this is awkward.

y/n: i wasn’t thinking you actually text back.🫣

y/n: i hope my message weren’t bothering you or anything.

your struggle sending the message back cause your hands won’t stop shaking. but can you blame me? the love of my life just texting me back and my stupid ass ignored it because of that stupid bath i took.

i bite on my nails nervously, my heart is beating so fast it might jump out of my chest at any minute.

i wait for an answer back, which is stupid, i know.

just because he texted me back one time doesn’t mean he’s going to do it again.

i know he won’t. but still, i wait.

i wait for like an hour until i realize he’s actually not responding anymore so i decide to go sleep. or try to go to sleep, since my mind won’t stop thinking about what had just happened. i eventually falls asleep after what feels like hours.

the next morning i get woken up again by my alarm. this time grab my phone a little faster than usual. scrolling through my notifications with tired eyes.

my eyes widen as i find his notification again.

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: haha no, you don’t bother me. i read through your messages last night.

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: you’re funny haha.

abcdefghi__lmnopqrstuvwxyz: judging by the time i usually get the first message from you, i should get a message soon right?

you read the last text and it says sent an hour ago.

okay wait. he texted again? and he thinks i’m funny?

im definitely dreaming because there is no way that this is fucking happening.

your thumbs moves fast as you reply to him.

y/n: no way!!!

y/n: am i dreaming?? please tell me im not

y/n: is this really jungkook?

y/n: no, it can’t be

you wait a little bit to see if he’ll respond. but nothing comes so you start getting ready for work.

how am i going get through work today, when all i can think about is him.

[freckliedan]

i know TIT shows don't start until next month, but i want to start posting about this early: what covid safety precautions are you guys planning on taking?

this community prides itself on being a welcoming and safe place for neurodivergent and mentally ill fans, which rules! phannies are one of the kindest groups of fans i've known, and that's a lived type of kindness—people act on it, we aren't just talk.

so that's why i'm mentioning this now! there are a lot of physical disabilities that both frequently co-occur with neurodivergence and that make potentially getting covid more dangerous. and covid cases are at an extreme high right now.

it would suck very bad if going to TIT caused people to get sick or die. it would suck if dan and phil got sick from being around us, both because of the impacts on them and because of any potentially cancelled shows.

so how are we going to take care of each other? i have several points of action i'm planning on, but i hope you guys are thinking about it too.

my longer term steps: i still wear a kn-95 every time i leave the house, and i still have not caught covid. even though i know my level of caution has good success rates i am planning on minimizing risky behaviors for the week/two weeks before my show. + i'm up to date on my boosters.

my personal steps day of: i'm planning on using a preventative nasal spray before TIT too; with the nasal spray, i may be comfortable with removing my mask for a picture during my m&g. i might not; i plan on decorating my mask to match my outfit—possibly decorating a cloth mask to wear OVER my kn-95.

i think it would be very cool if we started decorating masks and posting about that the way we've been doing bracelets!

my community-focused steps: i'll be bringing extra masks with me, too, to hand out in case anyone wants them; might have half of those include cat whiskers as decoration. i'm also making this post, and i'm going to talk about it in the discord servers i'm in.

in conclusion.

wearing a mask is an easy way to make us disabled phannies feel safe and cared for and included in this fandom! please consider it even if it's not something you find important in your day to day life. (though it's never too late to start masking for the protection of disabled people in your day to day life, too).

[ratiocowmilk]

another omegaverse au, but this time with aventio!!! wait don't leave

I've been thinking about what designations to give to them, but I've decided on Aventurine being a beta (and only a beta) and Ratio being an omega.

In my rendition of this au, betas have muted scents and can't smell other scents as well as omegas and alphas do. What is interesting, however, is if a beta mates with either an alpha or an omega, they can smell their partners scent in full and vice-versa. This works between betas as well.

More under the cut.

Aventurine being a beta would mean he luckily does not need to deal with heats or ruts. What he does need to deal with is having to take on extra work when his alpha and omega colleagues are on leave. So, how lucky is he truly? He's about as "normal" as can be in this world, though that causes him some issues down the line.

Ratio being an omega means he will have to deal with heats, obviously. It annoys him to no end when he's forced to take a week off work every time it happens. There are suppressants, but those that block heats from happening are dangerous and off the official markets. At most, the safe brands can stave it off for a few hours. Unfortunately, that is not the only issue regarding his dynamic. For him specifically, his scent is overbearing compared to other omegas. He has to wear patches to block it out, but even then his scent is still obvious. It has caused safety issues in the past, and he has prepared himself for any issues in the future.

When they first meet, Ratio is prepared for the worst. But when Aventurine simply looks surprised for a moment and continues on as normal, he's confused for a moment and eventually relaxes. Aventurine, on the other hand, is struggling to keep his pokerface up as he breathes in the scent. It's the strongest he's ever experienced, and they're not even mated yet! (Wait yet–?)

And then shortly after, the events of the Final Victor lc happen. And Aventurine doesn't regret it, but this time, he is able to smell the apprehension in someone's scent, so perhaps he's feeling slightly guilty about it.

As they keep working together, Ratio and Aventurine get closer. Ratio decides it's safe to drop his guard around him. Aventio notices and is feeling like the cat that got the cream. As the relationship progresses, they start making house visits. Eventually, Aventurine shows up unannounced at Ratio's residence and gets hit with his unobstructed scent. It's like getting perfume sprayed in your face, but it's somehow pleasant? Ratio goes to put on his scent patches, but Aventurine tells him it's fine. It definitely is. So he sits for an hour or two essentially bathing in it, until he gets called in for work. As soon as he steps in, everyone automatically assumes he got laid.

When Penacony rolls around, that's when things change. In the Dreamscape, everyone's scent is muted. Everyone's. The Family says it's to prevent issues from impacting guest experience, but who knows for sure. When they first step foot in there, Aventurine almost drops the act when he notices that he can't smell Ratio anymore. As they act out their plan, he struggles with the fact that the scent he got attached to was gone. It's not like he needs it to understand him, but it's a bit disorienting. It's probably worse than whatever bullshit Sunday threw at him, in his humble opinion.

So when they get back to reality, Aventurine sticks to him like a koala and buries his face into Ratio's scent gland. They exchange a few words like that, and when Aventurine finally lifts his head, they kiss.

(Extra: When they start dating, Aventurine doesn't get why Ratio wants his belonging in the nest if his scent is muted and they haven't officially mated yet. When he asks him, Ratio gets embarrassed for whatever reason. He'll learn the reason eventually.)

(It's less about the scent and more about the fact that it proves he's still here, choosing to stay.)

[salty-autistic-writer]

Snippet in which Tommy wakes up with his head on Evan's chest.

~

Warm.

Eyes closed, Tommy still vacillates between sleep and awareness but he does notice that he’s warm. He’s always hated being cold so waking up like this is nice. The sensation doesn’t stem from the sunbeams falling through the windows and brightening up the room though. No, he’s basking in the warmth of another body. His boyfriend’s body.

His boyfriend. Who is in bed with him, running his fingers through Tommy’s hair in a gentle steady rhythm. It feels so good, it gives Tommy tingles and a part of him wants to lean into the caress like an oversized touch-starved cat.

For a hazy confused moment, he doesn’t even want to open his eyes at all. What if this is just the remnant of a dream? Wishful thinking? Is his imagination playing tricks on his mind?

But with sleep fading, Tommy starts to feel more. Vague blurry sensations form into something concrete. Something real.

Evan’s warmth and familiar scent are all around him. Tommy can hear the vibrating echo of his steady heartbeat and realizes he has his head on Evan’s chest. That’s definitely a new way of waking up. He opens his eyes and blinks into the bright light of the late morning sun. Right. It’s a free weekend. No alarm clock. No work. No calls. Just them.

Evan is laying on his back, head propped up against a pillow, staring at something on his phone while he continues to play with Tommy’s hair. His own curls are tousled and his mouth is slightly open, his eyes having that laser-focused expression that they always get when Evan discovers something captivating.

“What are you looking at?” Tommy mutters and clears his throat, voice still a little hoarse from sleep.

“Hey, morning to you,” Evan says, smiling down at him. “I was trying to find the best hill for what we planned for tomorrow.”

Right. The hike. A hike with a picnic. Tommy's heart jumps through another enthusiastic loop.

“I want a nice hill,” Evan explains seriously. “With a nice view. And I still have to make a list of what we have to bring. Sunscreen, mosquito spray, bandaids and bandages just in case, hiking socks … Wait. Do you even have proper hiking socks? They prevent your feet from getting sweaty and developing blisters.”

“Yeah, I do have proper hiking socks,” Tommy says, mildly amused. He loves it when Evan goes into full organizing mode.

Tommy raises his head a little, blinking at the dark wet spot he left on Evan’s shirt. “I drooled on your chest,” he states, a bit embarrassed.

Evan chuckles. “Yeah, you woke up like an hour ago, muttered something about too cold, then snuggled up against me, pressed your cold toes into my legs and put your head on my chest. After that, you went back to sleep and started to snore. It was cute.”

Tommy’s breath hitches.

Cute.

Huh.

Evan just called him cute. No one called him cute before. Tommy doesn’t know what to say. Or how to breathe. He’s drowning in the fuzzy sensation of being in love. God. He really got it bad. This man stumbled into his life and into his helicopter out of nowhere and managed to steal Tommy’s whole damn damaged heart in the process.

“Babe. Are you okay?” Evan asks, still smiling, but his brows creasing into a subtle frown.

Tommy’s breath starts to run away from him.

Babe. Cute. Are you okay. Waking up on Evan’s chest. Evan’s fingers playing with his hair. Evan watching him sleep.

It’s so much. It’s too much. It’s too good. Good things don’t last. People leave. They leave and all that stays is the cold. Tommy can’t breathe. It’s almost as if the air got sucked out of the room.

He starts to feel lightheaded and lost. A boat on the ocean, thrown around by invisible forces. But then, Evan is there, wrapping his arms around Tommy and whispering, “Breathe. You got to breathe, babe.”

Tommy tries. He inhales shakily, listens to Evan’s breaths and tries to match them. It works. He can breathe again and the dizziness fades. But now he’s embarrassed … Why can’t he spend a morning in bed with his boyfriend without having some kind of panic attack about stupid abandonment issues?

Evan puts his hand on Tommy’s chest, feeling for his heart. “You want to tell me what this was about?”

Tommy sighs. “I was just a little overwhelmed. This is … It’s nice. I like it. It makes me happy. But my stupid mind starts to overthink and I end up being scared I will lose this. You.”

Because you could disappear in so many different ways … A fight. A breakup. An accident. A call gone bad. An illness. Something we can't fight. Something we can’t defeat.

“I have those overthink-moments too,” Evan says quietly. “We’ve been through a lot of loss. Guess our minds are so used to losing people and things, that they hesitate to trust this. I can’t promise you that nothing will ever happen to any of us. But I promise you I will always try my best to come back here. Come back to you. And since we are not able to know the future, maybe we can focus on the moment. Because this morning is a moment I really love.”

“I love it too,” Tommy says, turning to face Evan, and meeting his beautiful eyes. He can see himself inside them. Maybe he can allow himself to be like Evan sees him. He definitely can ask for something he wants. “Can we stay in bed a little longer?”

“Oh, don't worry, I’m not getting up any time soon,” Evan says with a chuckle. “I sent you like 30 Instagram Reels while you were snoring and drooling on my chest. You want to watch them now?”

Tommy smiles. “Yeah, sure.”

He puts his head back on Evan’s chest and they watch the Reels, laughing together. Later, they shower together, have breakfast together, and go to buy a picnic blanket together. When they look around in the shop, Evan takes Tommy's hand and it's such a subtle yet heart-rate-elevating thing. An anchor. It soothes Tommy's stormy mind and makes it trust the happiness a little more. Piece by piece. Step by step.

They do find and buy their own picnic blanket. It makes them ridiculously happy.

A moment saved in their memories.

[postapocalyptic-cryptic]

People irl are shocked that I got the cats through the airport with such minor stress that they didn't even hide upon arrival to our destination, so I'm going to give a little rundown of how I pulled it off.

1.) PREPARATION IS KING. I started preparing for this trip about a month and a half before we took it, but the harness training had been going on for about a year before that. By the time the day came, nothing that they were wearing or contained in or eating or drinking was new to them. The only new experience was the airport and plane themselves, which of course I couldn't exactly do a dry run of. For a month, I fed them in their carriers to establish a positive association with them, and I also replaced one of the litter boxes with a pee pad for about a week and a half before the trip so they knew it was something to go to the bathroom on.

2.) PRIORITIZE SAFETY. Your number one job is to keep your cats safe and healthy. For an airport trip, this meant making sure they had secure harnesses and leashes on at all times to prevent the possibility of escape attempts. It also meant finding safe, airport approved carriers and getting them used to them ahead of time. Additionally, it meant providing food and water at as many points during the trip as possible, and making sure they actually consumed said food and water. I also made sure they had places and times to go to the bathroom, even though Clem ultimately did not go. WATCH CAREFULLY for signs of panic. Your kitty will probably be scared and tucked into a corner of the carrier. This is fine. Panting, shaking, drooling, and racing pulses are NOT FINE.

3.) After safety, COMFORT IS KING. The cats are going to spend 99% of their time in the carriers, unless they're brave airport adventurers like Anni, so make sure they have plenty of room and padding, and that there's nothing that could poke or otherwise bother them. The only problem I had with comfort was when Anni knocked her water dish over, but I was able to get her bedding mostly dry with a pee pad.

4.) DO YOUR RESEARCH. Know what you need and what's going to happen. Avoid surprises so that you can...

5.) KEEP CALM. Your cats will get anxious if you're anxious.

Now, for a shopping list. I am not sponsored by any product I mention by name, I'm just a big fan.

- Harnesses and leashes. I recommend RC Pets cat harnesses.

- Good carriers. I have two Silvton expandable carriers, which are regular-sized but have pop-out mesh parts that about triple the amount of room the cat has to move around. They're very sturdy and well-ventilated, and were under $50 CAD a piece, which I consider a steal. They also have good handles and carry well, and even though Clem was at one end of hers the entire time, it stayed pretty well balanced.

- Pee pads. Puppy pee pads. They're super absorbent and putting them down inside the carriers means that any messes can be cleaned easily and won't disturb your cat. I also used them to soak up water that I put in the collapsible bowls when I was done with them, so I didn't have to balance full water bowls while looking for a trash can.

- Hand sanitizer for cleaning up the aforementioned messes.

- Some sort of bags for containing the aforementioned messes.

- Collapsible travel bowls. Go for food grade silicon. The ones I have pop out to a pretty impressive depth, but I used them on their collapsed setting to avoid whisker stress. Make sure the ones you get fit comfortably in the carrier with the cat, because you're going to want to provide them with water at every chance you get to avoid dehydration.

- Feliway (or other pheromone) spray. This is just a synthetic cat pheromone that you can spray in the carrier to help them feel more comfortable. Test this out before the trip, as some kitties don't like it.

- Bag of their regular dry food. You won't need much, as you aren't going to want to feed them a ton and risk them getting sick. The only way I was able to get Anni and Clem to have some water was to mix it with some food, so I definitely recommend bringing food even for short trips.

- Water bottle big enough for you and the cats. Make sure it's one you can also easily pour out of so that you can fill their water dishes. I went with small amounts of water often, rather than trying to get them to drink a ton at once and then having to pour it out.

- Melatonin chews. Honestly, I'm on the fence about this one. I don't know how much they actually helped, but if your pet reacts well to melatonin, you might want to try some to help them stay calm and sleep as much as possible.

Perhaps most importantly, consider the temperment of your cats. Are they high-strung and easily stressed out? Does change freak them out? Would boarding them or another option be feasible and less stressful? If so, you may want to reconsider bringing them along for the flight. If they're pretty calm and adaptable, though, there's no reason an airport journey can't be tolerable for all parties involved!

[neon-kazoo]

Achoo!

Hero was absolutely determined to enter the base unnoticed. They slunk through the shadows like a cat, graceful and assured. Every breath was carefully measured, every footfall quiet and even.

They slipped past the first door, then down a corridor. They followed it to the right, then paused to study the light filtering through the door frame at the end of the hall.

It sounded as if the TV was on, possibly some local news station. The light shifted colors as the broadcast presumably changed frames.

Perfect, the villain would be distracted.

Hero crept to a room on the right, pushing open the door slowly after spraying the hinges with a little lubricant to prevent them from squeaking.

Inside the room, as their eyes adjusted to the dark, Hero could see filing cabinets appear on the far wall.

Bingo.

They crept across the floor, sliding upon the top drawer of the first cabinet after picking the lock with a small kit they shoved back into their pocket.

They flipped through file after file, reaching, stacking, and scanning as fast as they dared.

Finally, they got to the alphabet range they believed the information they needed would be filed under. This cabinet looked particularly untouched, covered in a thick layer of dust that Hero crinkled their nose at.

Villain really should invest in a swiffer.

Lo and behold, the file they needed was inside, but unfortunately buried at the back. They finagled the paper folder out then clutched it tightly to their chest. Ready to leave, they applauded their own silence as the last drawer clicked shut.

Everything was going according to plan.

That was, until, they sneezed.

“Bless you.”

“Ah!”

Hero jumped, knocking over a stack of boxes and sending more particles into the air as a result. They whirled on the villain, who stood in the door frame with their arms crossed. They opened their mouth-and sneezed a second time.

And then a third.

“Bless you, bless you,” Villain chuckled.

Hero sniffed loudly then pointed an accusatory finger at the villain.

“You scared me!”

“I scared you. Which one of us showed up in the other’s base with no warning?” They asked, looking down the bridge of their nose at the hero.

Hero huffed, “I didn’t know I needed an invitation to infiltrate my enemy’s lair.”

“You don’t, not when you do it secretly.”

“I was being sneaky!” Hero defended.

“Right,” Villain shook their head, “And I assume that sneeze was strategic?”

“It’s not my fault you don’t clean!”

“Well,” the villain started, “since I caught you, I’m going to need you to put that file back.”

Hero hung their head in disappointment, but turned to place the Manila folder back anyway.

“What now?” They asked.

“Now, we get you a tissue, I suppose.”

[therealvinelle]

what are the cullen’s hobbies? (not canon ones, things and activities you think they’d enjoy - even if being a vampire made it a little difficult or damn near impossible)

God, my eye is twitching with the desire to give them the weirdest hobbies imaginable.

The Cullens have an insane amount of money and time, and their powers (ultra-fine muscle control, amazing vision, etc.) means they will excel at a lot of hobbies.

The hobbies they are prevented from by their vampirism are things involving animals, professional sports (as you'll have to submit to drug tests and your health and fitness routine being monitored), close contact with people in general, food-based hobbies, and hobbies were humans are likely to bleed one way or another.

To say nothing of how niche a hobby community can get. Everyone knows everything about everyone, and that opens up for a level of scrutiny a vampire might not be prepared for.

So, let's assume these barriers aren't an issue for whatever reason. What do the Cullens do?

(I... admit I wasn't entirely able to resist that weird hobby urge.)

Alice might just find herself doing cat or dog shows. The level of perfectionism and effort that goes into preparing your pet (depending strongly on breed and fur quality, of course, some breeds require little if any preparation. The universal experience, though, is GROOOOOOOOOMMMM and if it’s dogs, then TRAIIIIINNNNN your dog) could very well appeal to her, and I imagine she'd develop her own coat products. Silicone powder, color-enhancing shampoo, volumizing spray, she's got her own line, to say nothing of the edge her gift would give her, as she would know which puppy or kitten to buy. (The "which cub am I choosing?!!" issue being a common one because when a puppy is 8 weeks old you simply do not know if it will grow up to be a hottie or not, and it’s not much easier with 12 week old kittens. This is a science.) Her pets win everything.

Carlisle, well, the trouble with this guy is his work is his hobby. And it's already one vampires are supposed to be unable to do. The man is a fluke. Carlisle's hobby is now to be able to contribute to medical research and reference patients from the 1820's without anybody asking questions.

Edward... god, all I can picture is some intensely esoteric craft, one that five people in the world can do and that creates something beautiful and meaningful. Making instruments, the rarer and more elaborate the better, is the name of the game, I think.

Emmett would love to compete. He's a vampire, he's going to win at everything anyway, he's incredible. He kicks the butts of seventeen-year-old humans who worked hard and makes them all cry because he just took their scholarships. He whoops, beats his chest. VICTORY!!

Esme, cooking competitions. She's winning them all. And, because anon said to remove the vampirism problems, she's not eating her competitors.

Jasper is into theatre. Not because he's particularly interested in it, oh no, he just likes to abuse his gift this way. With his gift he can make the other actors bomb their scenes, or make an untalented schmuck seem like the next Rex Harrison. He's in a movie club for the same reason. He made one guy laugh during Schindler's List. Just the one.

Renesmée, if finding the limitations of her hybridness lifted, becomes a freestyle diver. Who needs to breathe? Usually Renesmée, but not anymore!

Rosalie has her cars already, but she strikes me as a horse girl. Give the girl an unafraid horse, and the ability to compete without that being an issue, and our girl is on a Dutch Warmblood competing on a national level in dressage.

[dandelionsresilience]

How to Cope with Extreme Temperatures

Cold:

Lots of very good information on how to keep warm (can confirm, as a northerner)

Tips for extreme cold + an easy way to make a small shelter for animals

More tips for extreme cold

How to winterise your car (before winter)

A bunch of winter driving tips

In Chicago, people without heat should call 311 for transportation and warming shelters

How to keep cats safe from the cold (this source has a video)

Sleep with tomorrow’s clothes, fold them up into one unit and snuggle them like a teddy bear (it’ll warm them enough that you’re not putting on ice cold clothes in the morning)

Eat frequently, especially “heavy” meals like meat and potatoes, to help keep warm as your body breaks it down

Heat:

Lots of tips for extreme heat

More tips for extreme heat

Even more tips

More tips on how to prepare, including info on medication storage

How to stay cool without A/C

How to recognise heat exhaustion vs heat stroke, + electrolyte pills exist

DIY refrigeration using clay pots, sand, and water

Buckle your seatbelt when you’re not in the car to keep it from getting hot

In California, report insufficient shade for farm workers by texting CALOR to 877877

How to diagnose, treat, and prevent heat injury in cats, dogs

Change clothes if you’re too hot - as long as they haven’t been sitting in the sun, they’re cooler than the clothes you’ve been wearing

Drink a lot of water, but also eat a lot of salt so your body can use the water! Also, eating spicy foods can make you sweat and trick your body into cooling down a little

Either:

What to do in a power outage

Fill gallon jugs with water in case you lose access to tap, and don’t forget to replace the water before winter and before summer

Insulate your windows: for cold weather, spray-insulation, blankets/towels, and paper can help keep heat in; for hot weather, reflective windshield shade thingies meant for use in cars, tin foil, and opaque light-coloured materials can help keep heat out

[liminalweirdo]

How'd you get rid of the black mold?

Ours is... Resilient.

Hi! So ours is all mostly in our bathroom (and some around the windows because who knows why).

We generally try and kill ours with vinegar (just regular white vinegar). I will wet a paper towel or a cotton pad or something and just stick it on the wall or the surface where the mold is with scotch tape or something. You can also just spray the area down, but I find that less effective because it dries quickly and vinegar has to sit on the mold for about an hour without drying out.

Once it's been there for an hour I wipe the area with a clean vinegar pad (not the one that was sitting on the mold) and/or another disposable towel/cloth until the mold is mostly removed from the surface. You might remove some paint if the paint is damaged/old/the wrong kind of paint for the room.***

After that I let the surface dry completely, and then we paint over it with mold paint.*** (this generally solves the paint removal problem if you're in a rental) We use the kind of mold paint that kills mold. Unfortunately that kind of paint is pretty expensive, but it is effective and it lasts a long time.

You can apparently also use bleach to kill mold but I have never tried that because we have cats and the space isn't very well ventilated (hence the mold lol)

We also bought a small counter-top dehumidifier from amazon and we run it during showers/after baths or any other moisture-creating activity in that room because there's no fan or ventilation in our bathroom :/

If your mold is in the kitchen, try running the stove fan, opening a window, and/or using a dehumidifier in there while you're cooking.

Letting sunlight into rooms prevents mold from growing as well! I think you can use UV lamps too but I haven't tried this.

Please, PLEASE when you are cleaning up black mold wear a face mask and eye protection. Wear disposable gloves if you can, and wash your hands well after. Don't fuck around with black mold cleaning. If there is a lot of black mold in one space, like more than the size of a piece of paper, I would contact a professional, if possible. Stay stafe and healthy! Feel free to ask me any more questions!

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

I don’t currently own a cat but in the future it’s a goal of mine. Despite not having one right now, I still try to prepare myself for being a parent sometimes by reading about cat care and such lol. Anyways, I know there are some cats that will chew on or even eat things that are definitely not food and I’m so worried my future cat will have this problem since it would likely be one of the more “dog like” breeds that exhibit strange behaviors. I’ve read about Devon Rexes eating weird shit they shouldn’t… the point is, got any advice on how to train them not to do that stuff from a young age? I want to make sure for their safety they won’t do that (ykno even tho the cat is hypothetical atm) Thanks!

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or whatever the real saying is.

Basically: if you're worried about them chewing on things, set up your space proactively so they can't chew on things that are major health hazards. Remove any toxic plants from the house entirely, secure electrical cords where they can't be reached or put them inside of something that can't be bitten through.

After you've done as much prevention as you can, you really basically just have to work with the cat in front of you. Notice that they like chewing on things? Give them plenty of appropriate options in the form of toys or other enrichment, and make the specific thing you don't want them to chew available.

Kittens, moreso than adults, are going to investigate things with their mouths. And the biggest thing with babies is to not let them practice behaviors you don't want them to do is adults. So if you're getting littles (since you said from a young age), monitor them closely, remove inappropriate items before they can even learn they're fun to chew, and provide appropriate things to gnaw on if they seem to want to chew things. One good thing you can do with a new cat, if you're worried, is keep them confined to one safe room while you learn their behavior, and then allow them more access to the house once you know them better.

There are deterrent sprays like bitter apple that you can put on stuff they're trying to chew, but that should really be something you only try after everything else. If you have to resort to deterrent sprays, you're in a situation where you have to be hyper-vigilant to make sure it's on everything, and there's a lot of room for error (and some animals don't care!).

But here's the thing: at the end of the day, you have to work with the cat in front of you. You can discourage certain actions, but for something self-reinforcing like chewing, you're not necessarily going to be able to train any animal completely out of the behavior. It's natural for them! So I'd suggest maybe reframing the question as "how do I plan to manage this behavior if/when it occurs" not "how do I prevent this from ever happening."

[pure-ablution]

Do you have any tips for stinky shoes?

To fix stinky shoes:

First, make sure that your shoes are clean—wash them by hand, or in the washing machine if they’re made of fabric and not delicate, and then let them dry completely. Once they’re totally dry, put your shoes in a bag and freeze them overnight to kill any odorous bacteria. In the morning, wipe out the inside with a disinfectant spray (e.g. Dettol) and then leave the shoes outside in the sun to dry—you do unfortunately need a sunny day for this method! Finally, fill the end of a thin stocking with cat litter (designed to be super absorbent for moisture and odour) and stuff your shoes with it until the odour is completely gone.

To prevent stinky shoes:

Both your shoes and your socks/stockings should be made of natural fibres, if at all possible.

The length of time you allow your shoes to air should be double the length of time you wore them (so if you wore them for 8 hours, allow them to air for 16). If the shoes got wet, then they should air for quadruple the amount of time. Remove any insoles and open them up as far as the laces will allow, then place them under a radiator or in direct sunlight to air. This is why I try to have 2 pairs of shoes for work, so that I can switch them each day and allow the other pair to air out.

In summer, or if you especially struggle with stinky shoes, line then with ‘Odour-Eater’ insoles and dispose of regularly. These contain activated charcoal that absorbs damp and odour to keep everything fresh.

If you wear the same pair of shoes a lot, then Dr Scholl’s ‘Fresh Step’ spray is a great deodorant for your shoes—just spray the insides every few days or so, and let everything dry before you wear them again.

When you’re not wearing your shoes, put sneaker balls inside them to keep them fresh and help maintain their shape.

[lololollywrites]

My cat's health saga 😭

I just need to get this out, in chronological list form, to see if it's really as ridiculous as it's felt this past month or so. Anyone with cats... PLEASE chime in and say you've survived something like this. I'm LOSING MY MIND. 😂

One evening - a month ago - I noticed my cat Baci (bah-chi) howling in pain and shaking his head; the inside of his ear cartilage looked a little red. The vet was closed, so I decided to wait until morning. By then, his ear was drooping a bit and he was still in pain. I took him in as soon as the vet opened and was told he had an aural hematoma and needed surgery. However...

...Baci has a heart condition that requires routine (once every year or two, depending on how he's doing) cardiac ultrasounds, so they wanted to be cautious about giving him anesthesia since the surgery wasn't technically a medical necessity. Hematomas eventually go away on their own after a month or two, but it's painful for the cat and leads to cauliflower ear, which can interfere with their hearing. Surgery is the best option for those who can afford it.

I brought him in two days later for his cardiac ultrasound. He got the all-clear for surgery, but the appointment wasn't for another week. I was told to keep him comfortable with Gabapentin, though this doesn't help much with pain. They wanted to avoid hard painkillers in anticipation of his surgical sedation. In the meantime, they drained his ear, though the swelling came back within two days (the surgery uses incisions and then puts in stitches to prevent this from happening).

The Monday before his Thursday surgery, I took him in one more time to get it drained. I knew it would be temporary, but wanted to relieve the pressure and pain and prevent it from bursting. It was torture for me to watch him in pain every day.

Baci had surgery on Thursday and all went well. He was given a cone of shame. He was definitely in a little pain, but it subsided in a couple of days. I was given antibiotic ear drops but was falsely believed it was because the hematoma had been infected; in reality, it was because he had an inner ear infection that had led to the hematoma. I didn't really understand this (maybe because they didn't tell me), so the drops might not have been administered deeply enough. He sprayed blood inside his cone the first time I gave them as he shook his head. Normal, but scary.

He healed and healed quickly. Almost a week later, I took him in for a check-up and was told he could have the stitches removed in one more week. He was still in the cone but doing well; his ear looked normal again (though shaved).

BUT ONLY 24 HOURS LATER, on a Thursday night that marked a week since the surgery, Baci started shaking his head, meowing in pain, and his ear began to swell and droop. The hematoma was coming back in the part of his ear they hadn't put stitches, likely because his ear infection wasn't completely resolved. I was in tears and felt terrible for him.

Though there wasn't a surgical appointment available the coming week, they allowed me to walk in as an emergency Monday morning and drop him off so the other surgeon could get to him as quickly as possible between patients. I had to leave him there for 3-4 hours.

I came to pick him up, only noticing when I got home that his ear was completely drooping (though drained and now fully stitched) and that his eyes were glazed over. He was incredibly high, out of it, and almost hyperactive, unable to close his eyes. I'd been casually told after the fact that he was given a transdermal painkiller meant to last three days.

It was funny at first, but when the crazy symptoms didn't subside almost two days in (and his behavior continued to change; he was hiding under the bed almost all day, which he never does, eyes fully open), I started researching in a panic and double-checked the vet notes. He'd been given Zorbium, which has thousands of complaints online and even pending lawsuits. People claim their cats have passed away. It's a new way to administer of the more established opiate buprenorphine in a larger transdermal dose.

I called the vet and kindly told them never to give him Zorbium again. They apologized and claimed it was a "rare side effect". He didn't need emergency intervention as he was still eating and drinking, but he didn't sleep or close his eyes for almost four days. I was losing it.

Baci was still in the cone; it had been bit more than two weeks in total. Things were going well post-Zorbium hell. I was administering an oral antibiotic once a day to prevent the hematoma from returning (replacing the previously ineffective ear drops).

A handful of good days passed, then Baci vomited as a side effect of the antibiotic... into his litter box, though, which was considerate of him. Since it was 11 days in and only three days before the final dose, the vet cleared me to discontinue the drug. This is pretty normal with antibiotics, as they interfere with even good intestinal bacteria.

That evening - a couple of days ago now - I noticed that was going to the litter box a lot and meowing. There was pee on the pee pad (I have the Breeze system, so there's a tray for pads underneath the pellet litter), but I started worrying about a UTI (which can be fatal for male cats). He seemed to strain and be in pain.

That night, Baci kept me awake - I kept hearing him go to the litter box and meow. In the morning, it didn't seem like there was as much pee as normal on the pad (though I knew I might be overthinking - I don't normally pay much attention to that) and I watched him urinate into an Amazon box, which he'd never done before. It was 5:30 am, so I blearily took him to the 24-hour emergency vet. This was yesterday.

The emergency vet did an ultrasound and fortunately didn't see a UTI/blockage/stones, but she did see crystals (which, if you're not careful, can turn to stones that do lead to a blockage). Crystals can be painful to pass and lead to bladder inflammation and, occasionally, bloody urine. She recommended taking off his cone to help with stress - it'd been almost two weeks, so even if he tore his stitches it'd likely still be okay (though they're not supposed to be taken out for another week or two) and following up with his main vet to get him on a urinary health prescription diet. She confirmed that his ear looked good, even though it would definitely be permanently floppy.

Today, I stocked up on expensive food and have watched him like a hawk, so nervous that I got a migraine and can feel my heart racing. He's had some bloody urine, which I called to report this morning, and they said it was normal and that it was good he was still passing any at all. I almost cried in relief two hours ago because he peed without meowing and it was yellow. He's doing fantastically without the cone, though, and hasn't scratched at his stitches. I feel so badly that he wore it for three weeks if he might not have needed to do so, but it was probably better to play it safe.

An hour or so after his successful urination, however, I heard him howl again from the litter box because he had diarrhea caused by the Gabapentin. It's a normal side effect, but I just feel so terrible for my poor boy. The Gabapentin helps calm him down and reduces the many repeated trips to the litter box, but now it's also causing another issue that can't be fun for him.

So now I'm just desperately waiting for my floppy-eared boy to feel better and am trying not to be terrified that these crystals will lead to stones. I haven't slept much for the past couple of days due to his late-night noisy escapades to the bathroom and the debilitating worry, and he's been so clingy and demonstrating separation anxiety.

Fellow cat owners... advice and success stories would be appreciated. All Reddit does is scare me. 😭

[findafight]

…Steve and Mike = AOTC era Obi wan and Anakin…?

Mike being slightly bratty/antagonistic, desperate to be seen and treated as an equal, inferiority/superiority complex RE his big bro figure. Bitches about him, will behead anyone else who speaks ill of him.

Steve being so. Fucking tired. The water spray bottle he uses for Mike’s “I crave violence”/“can’t stop won’t stop” moments is nearly empty. Kid’s *work*, man. He’ll do it, but JESUS.

Did I connect the dots, Ryan?

Ohhh hehehe I think you've connected SOMEthing. Though I'd say Anakin and Obi Wan would be closer by virtue of sheer time spent together and unhinged nature of their bond.

But the snark is similar. The same "uhg you are so annoying I'll be FINE just let me do grown up stuff nothing's going to catch fire that was only THREE times let it goooo old man you're so ick." To "how fucking dare you say anything remotely mean about MY super cool older friend. He's saved my life at least five times. I'll kill you" vibes are so real. They're so funny. Mike WOULD jump out a window and Steve WOULD break road rules to catch him.

The "Padawan training" spray bottles wouldn't work on Anakin he's a desert boy he'd lick the water off himself or get offended at the waste. Mike would yell about it. So it DOES prevent the violence but it turns the focus onto Steve. Mike is looking more and more like a wet cat though. Pouting like one too.