#Cat Spraying Prevention

[fooltofancy]

should not be legal for pest control to spray when you request them not to if there are no issues. i dont care if it's preventative boss i'll deal with it if there are issues kindly fuck off.

[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!

[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.

[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

[deluxewhump]

Do you have any advice for first time cat parent? (Human parent of cat, not cat parent)

Congrats on getting a kitty!!!!!

If you are getting an adult cat I would say just be really, really patient with letting them acclimate! I know it can take weeks and weeks for them to feel comfortable. If you are getting a kitten (we got all 3 of ours as kittens) they usually take way less time to acclimate and feel comfortable in the new space, maybe just a couple days depending on how big your house is and if you have other animals that need to be introduced safely to a new kitten.

Just some things that come to mind:

-let them come out of the cat carrier on their own time

-make sure their litter is accessible, not too high for a kitten to get in, if you are getting a kitten, and that they know where and what it is by setting them in it a few times. Kittens amaze me with how smart they are and how quickly they are house trained compared to puppies. I’m going to brag about my three and say they’ve never had an accident more than a few days after coming home with us.

-notice where they like to nap and put a soft blanket there or a cat bed nearby and they might be more prone to use it

-don’t let them eat strings, they try to eat entire lengths of string

- glass or stainless steel water bowls are better than plastic because they don’t trap as much bacteria between washes which can affect their health. cats love fresh water instinctively so change it often even if it’s not empty. They usually prefer their water to be a ways away from their food.

-wash their food bowls often for this same reason.

- you will probably buy toys your cat won’t play with. Mine love these little plastic springs that bounce really easily. And hair ties.

- if your cat chews/ claws things it shouldn’t like my youngest does you can get an all natural citrus oil spray called cat repellant and spray the piece of furniture/Christmas tree/ Venetian blinds and they won’t chew it for a while because it smells of citrus.

- they love to get up high. I have a floor to ceiling post with little hammocks that stick out at intervals and they love it. A normal cat tree achieves this too if you are able to get one!

-my eldest cat was determined to destroy our television so I put a really big piece of packing tape sticky-side up on the entertainment center so that every time he got up there the tape stuck to his paws and he finally.stopped.jumping.up.there. This one felt a little mean but it was really becoming an issue and I was afraid the tv was going to topple onto him one day so it was for his own good.

- make sure you keep track of your cats immunizations, and remember kittens need 3 rounds of shots fairly early on. If you adopt a kitten from someone and not an organization, make sure you ask if they’ve been dewormed and had their first distemper shots so you can tell your vet. Many rental agencies require proof of rabies vaccination for you to bring your pets. Spaying and neutering has benefits even if you only have one cat and they stay inside. That will become available around 6 months of age. If it’s too expensive, shop around for clinics and places that will do it less expensively because they usually exist.

-flea and heartworm medicine. Keep track of when you treated them last because it’s super easy to forget. Some are monthly, some are every other month.

- I was advised to keep my cats on kitten food until they were one year old. It is higher calorie and often has more nutrients as they’re still growing. I was also advised to keep my boy cat on wet food as well as dry, because males can dehydrate easier due to their urethras being more prone to it or something and it can make them sick. The wet food helps hydration. I have one cat that will not eat wet food 🤷‍♀️

- for 6-9 dollars you can get a water additive that helps prevent gingivitis and other mouth issues. Their vet put me on to this so I don’t worry that it’s unsafe.

-if your cat has the zoomies all night and you can’t let them sleep in your room with you because you get no sleep don’t feel bad. You’ve got to sleep. I’d love mine to sleep with us but the minute ten pm hits they become evil.

-two of my cats are SO mouthy. I love it, they talk at me all day, sometimes for a reason, sometimes just to chat. This isn’t advice just a comment lol.

- I have two cats (out of three) that love belly rubs/scratches, and this might be a coincidence or it might be that we successfully conditioned them to like it when they were kittens. Most of them famously hate it or only tolerate it for three seconds. So if you get a kitten pet their belly often and see how it goes lol. It’s worth a shot.

-while still immensely easier than puppies, kittens are wild!

-personality wise they are all different, for the most part they’re just going to be who they are, and you will love them for it.

-no matter what you name them you’re probably going to end up calling them by three weird nicknames that have little to do with the original name

Enjoy your new kitty!!!! They are perfect little creatures that domesticated themselves for their own convenience which sounds about right. 💕 shameless plug of my cats

[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."

[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. 😭

[hexblooddruid]

name: Bryn Acevedo

nickname: Doc (Karlach), Faithwarden (Wyll, affectionate), Faithwarden (Astarion, derogatory).

gender: cis woman (she/her)

star sign: Bryn was born under The Centaur! Summer baby.

height: 4'5"

orientation: Bi and poly

race: Gold Dwarf

romancing: My first playthrough with her she romanced Wyll (and was able to romance Gale for most of the game until they fixed that glitch). I did a second one where she and Astarion ended up falling for each other when she got locked out of Wyll's romance at the Tiefling Party. It's too early on in this playthrough to have committed to someone but she's definitely got a huge crush on on Wyll and has feelings for Astarion (though she is very much in denial about that).

fave fruit: Pears and blackberries

fave season: She will say that she doesn't play favorites, that all parts of the cycle are important for the nature of rebirth but it's spring and autumn for sure (the transitional seasons).

fave flower: Sunflowers, apple blossoms

fave scent: Pine, salty sea spray, mossy dirt

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: Tea, definitely. She's an alchemist and druid. Collecting, drying, and brewing tea is her specialty.

average sleep hours: She attempts 8 but usually just get six.

dogs or cats: As a future cleric of Mielikki, she's a friend of all small creatures but she has a soft spot for cats. As a Land Druid, she doesn't use her Wild Shape in battle often so at camp it's Kitty Bryn time.

dream trip: Ahh this is so hard, Bryn wants to see so much. She was on her way to stowaway on a ship to the Moonshae Isles when she got abducted by the mind flayer ship. In this playthrough she just read the note about the Sussur and passed the nature check to know it's found in the Underdark, so she's really excited to go there.

amount of blankets: One at the most. Bryn runs hot, especially in the summer (having a magic tattoo attuned to the seasons will do that to ya).

random fact(s):

She was originally initiated into the Circle of the Forgotten Vale, a fairly insular circle who's main responsibilities is warning travelers away from the Forgotten Forest. She was Sage of her Circle, responsible for collecting, archiving, and managing their collection of Druidic Lore. This caused her to take lots of trips to Baldur's Gate to explore the libraries there. She ran away once she was named successor to the ArchDruid.

She's 50 years old, the youngest of young adults for a dwarf.

Has deep bone shattering fear of Timeless Body. Would rather die than live another 1000 plus years as a half tree person.

Doesn't imbibe often BUT definitely lights up some fantasy weed before bed while stargazing.

I thought initially I got locked out of Wyll's romance for sleeping with Astarion but I found it was that plus flirting with Gale and Karlach during their romance scenes that triggered before the party. To prevent that from happening in this playthrough I've created a spreadsheet and timeline to track Bryn's romantic feelings toward her companions. She will not get locked out of a romance with the person she's actually interested in for being a relentless flirt again.

Thank you @thedragonagelesbian (muah) for tagging me! If anyone sees this and wants to do it, consider yourself tagged. It was a lot of fun and I want to see other tavs/durges/ocs what have you.

[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.

[ofscalesanddatabanks]

dragging blade into the tub. hot water, multiple bottles of shampoo, bath salts and axe body spray have all been purchased and prepared - now stop struggling god damn it -

if kafka tells anyone that his reaction to seeing that torture contraption that is the bathtub was to hiss like a feral cat, he's pretty sure he'll have to kill everyone and then himself to hide from the embarrassment... well. it'd give him a brief reprise, considering his circumstances.

his struggles double, trying his hardest to get away from the soapy water, the powerful smell of everything, the intense clashing of different salts, sprays and, oh aeons, the endless bottles of shampoo assaulting his senses far worse, leaving more intense damage than any blade or fist could ever cause.

"I'm not doing it Kafka. Let. Me. Out." he manages to grit out between his teeth, his feet planted firmly on the rim of the bath as he pushes back to prevent the inevitable fate of his ass being in that water.