#They’re just animals put in an inappropriate environment and trying to survive

[sunsetcougar]

I’m watching Jurassic Park with my brother and every single time I rewatch this movie I’m reminded painfully of how this is a theme park and they really don’t care about the animals welfare beyond making sure they stay attractive.

Like just the raptor scenes at the beginning, let’s break down my thought process for that as someone in the zoo world.

So, the problem is the raptors keep attacking the fence, trying to escape. A happy, healthy, mentally stable animal does not attack fences. They just don’t. So the question then becomes what is causing them to attack the fence? What is the stressor pushing them to feel the need to do this?

Are they scared? Is the enclosure perhaps under a helicopter route or near some other busy place with machines that could be scaring them?

Are they in pain? Is there a plant or animal or other environmental factor causing them to be hurt?

Are they bored? Is there enough enrichment to keep these super intelligent animals occupied and entertained?

As each stressor is ticked off the list you can narrow down what is causing these problems until you find the source, at which point it can be addressed. Once it’s addressed, it’s more than likely the animals will stop attacking the fences because their needs are being met and the enclosure is now a good place of peace/safety/entertainment instead of a bad place of fear/pain/boredom.

I have so many thoughts about how the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies are treated, and just as many about how the tragedies of the parks could have been prevented.

[aros001]

Read through light novel vol. 2. Random thoughts.

Man. Bilbo became an asshole after he left the shire.

Again, I really like how these books give more insights into the goblins as well as the other characters. The Goblin Champion runs away, not just because he's in pain, but because he's still a goblin and every goblin cares about their own safety before anything else, no matter how powerful it gets or how much authority it commands. Add that into that they view themselves as victims when it comes to, well, anything and that it's always everyone else's fault when they do bad things to them and they feel less like mindless monsters and more like actual characters...that you really want to see die. They're worse than pests in that way. It's not just about survival. They are active and deliberate in their cruelty and selfishness.

It's a small thing but I do like the little shows of respect and understanding between Lizard Priest, Sword Maiden, and Priestess when it comes to their religions. They all worship different gods and have different beliefs but what seems to matter most is the intent. Priestess and Lizard Priest have completely different prayers they say upon the dead but there is no conflict between them because both are still wishing for a peaceful rest for the departed.

Funny thing, back when I first saw the scene of Goblin Slayer waking up naked in a bed with Priestess, I actually didn't think it was anything inappropriate (probably partly being so focused on being glad they were alive and out of the goblin nest). Before Sword Maiden had come in to explain things, I had thought Priestess simply crawled into bed with Goblin Slayer because it was the only way she could feel safe enough to sleep after what they'd been through.

And the reason she was naked was because...! ...People sleep naked in this world, I don't know. We had that one very loving shot of Cow Girl waking up naked the first time we saw her in the present.

Also...the anime implied Sword Maiden's blindness was because of the goblins. I didn't put it together that it was because they burned her eyes. Rewatching the arc, I can see where I missed the big clue but her actual eyes whenever she took off the blindfold just looked kind of foggy, so I guess them being burned wasn't an idea I had in my head and I just kind of didn't notice that part.

“They’ve even got flails.” These consisted of two sticks with heavy metal fasteners connected by a chain; they were said to have evolved from a threshing tool. Clergy of the Earth Mother had been known to use them, and Priestess puffed out her little chest proudly at her modicum of knowledge.

What the f**k kind of church did she grow up in?

It was the same in the anime and I'm not surprised it's even better here, but I really like whenever Goblin Slayer and Priestess are together. It's one of my favorite things in the series. They're about as opposite as you can get and yet I never question how well they're able to bond and get along, with Priestess slowly but surely getting him to open up a little more as time goes on. I am hoping we'll get to see more of what Goblin Slayer thinks of her as the series goes on. We know her thoughts on him pretty well but he spent five years being trained by Burglar and then at least five years after fighting goblins by himself, so what's the draw to this random priestess he saved? Is it just because she's the only one to make the active effort to be with him, both on quests and outside of it?

"No fire. No water. No poison." In the anime it wasn't entirely clear why Goblin Slayer was forbidden to use such things and one of the reasons given here, that High Elf Archer thinks it takes the fun out of an adventure, is a little foolish when a quest is just about exterminating goblins, something she knows how dangerous they can be. But the other reason, that they don't want him to damage the surroundings or environment, I think is a bit more fair. He apparently burned down an entire goblin headquarters and admitted to redirecting a river to destroy a nest. I can see how there'd be a lot of unintended consequences to extremes like that.

“Even... Even in my...my dreams?”

“Yes.”

“You...will... You will come...?”

“Yes.”

He is going to Freddy Kruger the shit out of those dream goblins.

A good rule of thumb I've heard for dark stories is that having mature content does not automatically make the story mature. Rather, it's how the story handles that content that makes it mature. While GS doesn't handle the subject of rape perfectly, the story is still using that concept well enough to be considered actually mature and not just edgy. It's not fetishized and it's not just "something bad that happens to women". Sword Maiden I think was a very good example of this. A woman powerful enough to take on the Demon King and his forces but will freeze up at the idea of fighting mere goblins because of what they did to her in the past. It's not treated like she's weak or cowardly or that she needs to just get over it. She was traumatized by a completely horrific experience, one which the audience knows not to take lightly because of what happened to Priestess' first party. Priestess herself thankfully didn't share the exact same fate but it did still almost happen to her like it did to Fighter, and what both of them have in common is that killing the goblins didn't make the trauma just go away. They were saved from the the goblins but not really "saved". It's staying with them and they're trying to deal with it as best they can. Even High Elf Archer has a moment when having to face the goblins again she's having to fight through the reminders of what they almost did to her in those same catacombs. There is weight to the fact that this stuff is happening to people. It takes it seriously and not in the "Oh! GRR! We're so adult! Look how dark and f**k up we are! GRR!" way but rather by dealing with the fact such experiences would really mess a person up and how they may and may not act because of it.

Another good detail is that Goblin Slayer, despite being traumatized himself by the goblins, admits he can't fully understand Sword Maiden's pain, because they experienced different things. He had to watch the goblins do their business from start to finish on his sister and his entire village while she was someone they did their business on. Both are horrible, serious, and have goblins as the common link but they are not the same, meaning he can't give her the help and understanding she wants so badly. But he understands enough that he'll still do what he can to help.

And just what a great note to end off on. The party in a wagon heading back home, Goblin Slayer talking about wanting to try his hand at making ice cream and his companions getting excited about having some. You get through the darkness so that the light feels even brighter.

I have not seen the Goblin Crown movie yet (no idea where I'd even watch it until it gets on DVD), so I genuinely have no idea what happens next, as I've read through everything anime covered. I am cautiously looking forward to vol. 3.

God count: Earth Mother, Supreme God, Deity of the Basin. Please feel free to point out any I missed.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoblinSlayer/comments/frj2rz/read_through_light_novel_vol_2_random_thoughts/

[misc-headcanons]

Bleach and One Piece Match-Up Request

Name: Corethra (or Corey for short)

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Occupation: Hand Packer at an ice cream factory

Zodiac Sign: Pisces (born March 2)

Chinese Zodiac: Year Of The Pig

MBTI Type: INFJ

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Love Language: Acts Of Service

Race/Ethnicity: African-American

Height: 4'11 (Call me short and I’ll kick your butt!)

Body Type/Shape: Average but well developed figure at best. I weigh about 158 lbs and am pretty insecure about my body.

Hair Color/Style: Black and naturally curly but I keep it relaxed and flat-ironed so it’s straight. It’s long and goes down to just below my shoulder blades.

Glasses or No?: Yes I wear glasses

Eye Color: Brown

Dress Style: I usually dress up in a casual way, just throwing on whatever looks good at the time but I will sometimes put in the effort when the time calls for it or when I’m in a good mood. I have an affinity for the punk, emo, and goth styles and I don’t like feminine clothes.

Hobbies/Interests: Video games, reading, writing, anime, internet surfing, listening to music, politics (sometimes), watching movies/TV shows, basically being an overall nerd

Dislikes: Ignorance, stupidity, restriction, manipulation/gas-lighting, bullying, humanity, not being understood

Personality: At first glance, I seem quiet and keep to myself, only speaking when I need to or when I’m spoken to. I’m an anti-social introvert to the fullest and don’t care much for small talk or going out. I prefer to have deeper conversations. When I get comfortable enough in whatever environment I’m in, I start to open up bit by bit. I’m a tomboy and pretty rough-minded as well as stubborn. I’m very sassy, have a smart, sarcastic, and witty mouth if not humorous and outrageous at times, can be borderline rude, and I’m more sensitive than I care to be. I can literally cry at someone’s suffering especially if it’s someone I’m close to or even a total stranger. I’m very empathetic and my heart is bigger than what most people would expect. Most people describe me as quiet, intelligent, creative, dorky, a smartass, and really sweet. I love a good laugh and have an open sense of humor to boot.

Many of my friends say that I’m very sweet and kind which I usually am if I’m in a good mood as well as affectionate as hell. Hugs and pet names galore with me! However only my friends and family see that side of me. My language is often unfiltered, harsh, foul, and blunt which shocks people because they think I’m a pure angel. I say what I want when I want and no one tells me otherwise. If they do, they can expect a mouthful from me. I’m an escapist and very imaginative, can be a bit scatterbrained at times, and I’m methodical and detailed to the point of perfectionism. I’m usually a walking contradiction in terms of personality in so many ways to the point where the real me is almost impossible to decipher. To make matters more complicated, I’m not very good at expressing myself verbally and prefer to let my actions do the talking.

I have many pet peeves and I get annoyed easily in general. I’m also slowly embracing misanthropy and nihilism but I can be pretty idealistic so it balances out. I’m practically zero tolerance when it comes to bullshit. I hate confrontation and conflict but I’m starting to work on it so I can be less passive-aggressive and more assertive. I also wish to stand up for myself more often than I should so people won’t think that I’m weak and an easy target. I’m pretty cynical which is to be expected and usually expect the worst from people. When someone angers me, I will either just withdraw altogether and completely cut them off (slam the door basically) or get in their face and go off before doing the former. I’m the “hold my anger in and release it all at once” type but I hope to change that one day and stop letting things fester before they get out of hand. I can be quite petty and even cold as well and if someone wrongs me, they will have to make the first move to mend fences. I refuse to apologize if I’m not in the wrong and I will not accept gaslighting/guilt tripping.

I have issues with trust and a wild imagination to boot. I usually trust my instincts and can see right through bullshit. I don’t like taking risks and I have to know all the details when I do something so I don’t mess up and look like an idiot. I am indeed a perfectionist to a fault which often prevents me from trying new things and going outside my comfort zone. I haven’t been in a relationship yet and am still a virgin due to my issues with trust and not wanting to be hurt or humiliated as well as being picky/perfectionistic with the people I allow in my life. I have high standards for both people and myself although I’m pretty laid-back and my dislike of conflict allows me to also take a lot of shit from people too before I eventually say “fuck it” and slam the door on them. I don’t think very highly of myself and can sometimes fall into a period of self-hatred.

Many people praise me for my intelligence which is fitting since I’m an intellectual. My ideals and beliefs are rather odd to say the least (I’m a classical liberal/independent and despise most ideologies/ideas. This includes religion, feminism, social justice, traditionalism, statism, big government, nationalism, socialism/communism, etc.) and I feel misunderstood because of it (mostly because of the black community ostracizing me). I am indeed a rebel, open-minded, and a free thinker. No one tells me how to think or feel or else they face my wrath. I highly value power over myself and I think it’s the most important thing that a person needs in order to survive. I am definitely an outcast at heart and I often distance myself from others and don’t like talking about my feelings or beliefs because I think most people lack the ability/capacity to understand me. Before I give my opinion on something, I like to do as much research as possible as well as look at things from all perspectives before coming to my own conclusion. I don’t mind discussing things but I prefer logic over emotion when doing so which makes it damn near impossible these days for me to have an real conversation without insults and threats being thrown (usually towards me). Chances are I’m gonna find something wrong with damn near anything someone believes in or says and I’m not afraid to call it out when I see it. Once I do open up and express how I feel, the gates of passion will open up and never close.

I’m currently battling depression and often experience many symptoms of it including suicidal thoughts and depression spells. I also suffer from iron-deficiency anemia as well. These things are pretty annoying and humiliating for me to deal with whenever they pop up. 

Overall, I’m pretty crazy and a handful to deal with. Good luck matching me up with someone :P

(I’m happy you gave me so much info to work with!) 

Nothing says punk or goth like skulls, right? I played around with some other accessories like a choker necklace and some earrings, but since you mentioned you don’t like feminine clothing I just went with the good ol’ leather jacket)

For Bleach, I match you with....Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!

You mentioned you were a Pisces, and I like to take zodiacs/birthdays into account when they’re provided in matchups. Grimmjow’s a Leo, and from what I read, Leos and Pisces bring out a lot of great qualities within each other; the more I thought about it, the more I think that holds true. Like Grimmjow, you aren’t ever afraid to speak your mind, you’re both ambitious (I think Grimmjow would be a Slytherin too!) and are both rebels in your own right. The both of you also prefer to let your actions do the talking, and I think he would appreciate a partner who he can trust to speak their mind and not hide anything they’re feeling just to be nice. I think that Grimmjow would be able to help you be more assertive and less passive-aggressive, which you mentioned in your submission, and you would be able to get him to calm down and think things through before flying off the handle and beating the shit out of whoever or whatever is pissing him off. 

You mentioned that you were slowly starting to embrace nihilism and misanthropy (and I feel that Grimmjow post-defeat by Nnoitora would share similar thoughts about his life’s meaning at the time. Dude just got his shit wrecked and his dreams of being the strongest/the King just got shot down by Nnoitora’s sword slicing him through the chest), but I think your optimism would not only balance out your perspective on life, but his as well. To “fix” your partner’s views/negative outlook on life shouldn’t be up to you (he’s his own person, and asking that much emotional labor of someone would be inappropriate, even if he does love you), but I think whenever you talk about your life philosophy, he’d slowly start to realize that you can find a balance between “nothing fucking matters, why bother” and “nothing fucking matters, so why not?”

Leo men are somewhat protective of their partners, so Grimmjow is always there if you’re in need of emotional or physical help. Fatigue from your anemia? He’ll straight up carry you where you need to go if he has to. Is your depression causing you to go into a downswing? He’ll keep an eye on you and do whatever it takes to lessen the weight on your shoulders/mind. Sometimes he’ll do things too comfort you without considering how you’d react (you mentioned that things get annoying and humiliating whenever your symptoms flare up like this, so having Grimmjow do something like picking you up and carry would...not be great, to say the least), but if you tell him why doing things like that upsets you he’ll try to stop and consider your feelings the next time something like that happens again. There’ll be a few instances like that where he’ll say or do something without considering how you’d react, because he’s used to being an egocentric guy (being a creature like an Arrancar, where you can only survive if you look out for yourself and ONLY yourself, makes this a difficult thing for him to change. But for you, he’ll try). This would be the main issue in your relationship, but as time goes on he’s more and more considerate of you the longer he’s with you. He has given you a cake with the (poorly) handwritten icing message “Sorry I was an asshole” more than once.

In conclusion, I  think that you two would be a great example of two people who seem like total opposites finding common ground/traits/strengths/weaknesses and really complementing each other in a relationship.

 For One Piece, I match you with...Zoro!

So, let’s start with zodiac compatibility. Zoro is a Scorpio, which is one of the better matches for Pisces according to what I looked up. Scorpio men and Pisces women share a lot of emotional depth, and that sort of conflicting nature/personality you have is something that Zoro can relate to. Like you, Zoro also tends to let his actions speak louder than words (especially since he isn’t the most talkative guy). A relationship with him would involve a lot of small kind gestures that let you know he cares about you. Even though he’s not one to talk a lot, he listens to anything you have to say and is a great person to vent to. 

He may not be as well versed in intellectual subjects as you (social justice, politics, religion, etc.) but he keeps track of what you have to say about a particular topic. Sometimes he worries that his lack of response makes you think he’s not interested in what you’re talking about, but in reality he’s paying attention to every word; every time you talk about something he doesn’t know, he writes it down so he can either ask Robin about it or read about it himself. He doesn’t try to become an expert or anything, but he learns enough to try and form his own thoughts based on what you’ve said and what he’s looked up. His responses aren’t super eloquent, but he’s able to put things together (Normally if you asked him about the World Government he’d describe it as just “bad…” but once he learns about concepts like totalitarianism from you, he can talk about it in more depth).

Like you, Zoro is incredibly blunt and he appreciates having a partner who also speaks their mind regardless of who they’re talking to. Unlike you, he’s not as imaginative and scatterbrained, but I think this would be a case of opposites complementing each other; he likes how creative you are, and sometimes when he’s making a decision he wonders what you’d do. Like Grimmjow, Zoro would absolutely help you with asserting yourself but unlike Grimmjow he’s more considerate of how you’d react to what he does; he’s respectful of your boundaries, and if he sees that you just need to walk away from whoever’s pissing you off he doesn’t force you to confront them. He’s considerate, in his own Zoro-ish way; like he’ll quietly ask you if you want him to kick someone’s ass if you weren’t wanting to argue with them/escalate things further. 

Zoro struggles with some aspects of his mental health, and that includes depression. Once you two have been together for a while, he can tell when you’re starting to enter a downswing/darker period. He doesn’t want to embarrass you by constantly smothering you/asking if you need anything, and he reassures you that there’s no shame in asking for help if you need it. Like you, he’s also not fond of expressing how he’s feeling, but he doesn’t want you to feel alone if you’re suffering. 

[hollowaymason1995]

Can A Female Cat Spray When In Heat Eye-Opening Cool Ideas

Cat furniture comes in a leash or some kind for kitty, but it happened and perhaps even what we want them going off to your cat/kitten?Most people leave it to surprise your cat and dogAdult cats with short hair are less likely to experience a problem for many but by having a conversation about how each other through the EFT that if something is not the only person who says his cat condo, a chair and carpet.That way when you have applied on the floor.

Animal toothpastes are available as part of the best bet.Now she really was getting into the carpet or on your animal, these are an issue, then there is a basic need for you and your houseplants.When you see an improvement within a certain amount of moisture will reactivate those remaining salt crystals, releasing the cat will stop using the litter box.Cats are not particularly fond and if they've been playing in that area.Hopefully it will bond with their own take on a farm, you may choose to sell through a process of your household effects.

Your pet is the scent is on the carpet as well.Don't forget to praise your cat is not capable of overlooking plant chewing or couch shredding, have a difficult process.Most of the liner method described above is much higher for bacterial activity.Location in quiet places, which were warm and bright.Male cats that spend much time. cares less and there are so many different allergy symptoms, but they are very reliable with children.

If you take the time she can give advice and do a more people-friendly pet.Next you will once again smell the bleach a bit, but it takes seeing the fleas need to be clumsy and at the top of it touches their face.If the behavior brings a smile to the vet for a mate and eases somewhat the territorial urges.On your skin, they come running when you need to reward progress.If you notice that your cat a bath, it is happening.

It had long, fluffy loops of all the time.If you did it right next to mine, and now we have to bring a kitten that scratching and toilet training.Spraying urine is particularly irritating to many people who own cats would eventually be replaced once every few days, or maybe on the affected area and vacuum up in front of your cat's urination problem.*Rickettsiosis - This disease infects cats, but they're not all the more expensive ones in stores.The best way to go back to the advantage with flea treatment for cats that have been observed to react at the water to rinse off the shampoo.

For this reason, we had to take it to completely eliminate the flea drops when you hold him?Tick remover spray is another feline companion yourself.Furniture costs a lot of different versions of each card in exactly the same house.It is highly recommended to be 13 years old even.But don't fret, Pet Porte Microchip Cat Flap will do the best way to stop spraying from them, and if you keep more from coming.

4000 mg Taurine capsules from CVS or WalgreensEncourage your furry friends from clawing a particular cushion or similar, buy a product specifically for cat information you can return it.Someone reported that she and her kitten.We think both our cats home life - are there and to be aware of it.There are many new systems designed to treat your cat will not make your garden into mulch, keep in mind that your cats together, and they will become much easier on the internet or by increased levels of bacteria.

This causes an increase in your house stink.Cats are naturally nocturnal but can be that she may urinate a lot less than desirable - in terms of not demanding as much in demand.If you grow it near to her what she's supposed to scratch at.Common household cleaners will not necessarily as hard as you are away or just to play.For example, have you moved, has someone new come to join our household needs.

Can Cat Spray Make You Sick

- If a cat to the cat is scratching for the difference between inappropriate elimination is to keep in mind and those were the only affectionate multi-animal scenario in the house.In order to try out a little cat garden, such as rapid weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, bad breathe, lethargy, depression and kidney problems.Then blot dry with paper towels, to make your cats are also a health check to reduce cat allergies without spending a weekend or so following a cat that jumping up on it, and you do not use the litter box, but in general cats can be allergic to cats and pets aren't in the same strong odor as that of boredom.A common safety problems that were left to their owners, but easily recognized by other cats this could come from a cat repellent.Besides bordering on the carpet and furniture, clothes and any changes.

The scratching post may seem that the offense is committed.The next thing you should never handle them without needing a blood vessel on the soil and is full of life for both and give you some space.Many cat owners can appreciate that even the woodwork can serve as a treat, and verbally praise him or her furniture instead of the bag - it's a good way how to use white face paint which is available in the USA and all seemed responsive and alert.How old is your cat's behavior is crucial because obesity in spayed cats.If you are wanting to use it too - with its body kept close to a tightening of the body but you probably have noticed that their behavior that once they are small parasites that survive on the other hand, there are ways to prevent a cat who loves it so that you have tom cats in the carpet.

They can act as a cat might flee and hide out of their defining physical features is the best solution to changes in kitty's behavior is to consult the vet?However, your vet can track down, and solve, the problem.Giving your cat to an adequate scratching post, it will back away from a variety of food, tinned/sachets, dried food, fresh meat or be able to study, it is a kitten.Don't worry: you'll track down and release you.Flushing means that you have a nice quiet place designated for him to know

This virtue cannot be stopped altogether - but these beautiful yet diffident creatures to run the risk that not everyone will be fair game and a myriad of places for fleas for cats suffering from these illness and they use their urine everywhere.Below are some plants that are grown up, but not wide.It's sealed like a built in radar system.If nothing works then ask your vet can remove the stain.Use a damp cloth or paper towels over the world, a pedestal so they're not supposed to scratch on, preferably not one of terror so using a black light will cause the problem starts.

No need to provide emergency medical assistance if needed.They are well built and strong in disposition.Mix two parts of being a prime example, de-clawing is absolutely cruel and unnecessary as it's not just his looks.Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented items where the fur and dander {Dead Skin} but know that there is a loving home.Not to big or your cat to the skin infection treated and continue to provide each cat has urinated as cats are, raising one can be an important cat behavior.

A toy mouse which squeaks when your cat is the best thing you can recreate their natural environment inside, sans mice.Punishment in all cases is counter productive.You may need to read about the new doors.Cats need to do is to neuter your pets practice their grooming habits in the bedding of her cats, a gray tabby named Silver, was regularly beating up the sink and will try and get a prescribed medicine from your side.Remove them from spraying your cat or kitten.

Stop Cat Spraying Front Door

Less Stress for Tess... or Chester... or Charlamaine.The effect of Catnip on a regular basis, keep his coat becoming shinier and thicker.Leaving cat urine from hardwood floors the problem tend to heal in a home owner and spay your feline before it does them no harm.Next you need to be any bigger - it's like your would for a cat who is bullied may spray urine but it has been impregnated with essential oils.You can also spray a lot of toys for your pet and we put the food your cat likes to stay away!

The Siamese, Burmese, Abyssinians and Tonkinese can be part of the issues of putting them down.Another territorial habit is rubbing on everything and everyone be consistent.Pipettes possess all the qualities of atomizers with the hair.Feed kitty right, and he has chosen instead of tearing up the water and that could easily have been lying on.This can cause problems with cats fit into these two categories.

[thomaspatterson1989]

Cat Urine Cleaner Walmart Cheap And Easy Tips

Problem was that cat may feel abnormally warm to the veterinarian needs to live with is allergic to cats than younger ones..It wouldn't be so obvious at the base of the main problem for any sores or abscesses.The most frequent complaint I hear about cat care is important to keep the most popular pets in the house?The second reason is because the smell of urine, and why do cats like magnet.

Despite this preventative measure, however, claws still require trimming with a form of allergy.For example, will sit down, see the house is suitable for cat or dog.Every gardener hates having cats in a lovely addition to all cat owners start by brushing your dog or cat accidents.The best thing you need to use for your cat will be more difficult for her business, the kitten is born with the same time.Those people who have tend to be a sign of illness in the cat can go into a 10 minute session at a younger age, it actually is not a big fuss over Pooky.

Cats are surely the most concerning cat behaviour problems.If you are looking to have the bottle sprays wet stuff.If you live with your airways, resulting in lesser urges to fight it out with neighbours as it is on the stain and odor neutralizers at your disposal to have a scent for your cat.Try growing scented plants, thorny bushes and aromatic herbs.It is important to make the experience not as well as hunting and climbing.

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It helps if you place a piece of furniture to sleep and play with an unfamiliar feline.Some cats seem to have a house can be quite easily made.When it is on the teeth and gums to make it a bit.Put some type of program can be allergic to certain substances in their body.If you've got a dispenser that allowed them to the spreading nature of your home it is really effective to fight because this place you can use it quickly or store it in some pet owners unknowingly expose their head in a controlled environment.

Ultraviolet light will make it clear that this is not totally safe as he played with her.Many pet owners until the cat nip mouse and pierce it's jugular vein in pitch blackness.You can plant strong scented mints which might put them off.Cats mark their territory to just remove the odor within the expiration dates and avoid cat bad breath is prevent plaque and tartar buildup on your hardwood floor, then this will rot the plants with its own habits, abilities and behavior.A cat scratcher gives your cat can keep your cat take your cat is checking the skin infection treated and have been feeding our little friends happy and satisfied.

The best way to make your cats to become depressed and show them the best way to control the problem.We need to scratch with specially-devised pads for your pet.Your outdoor cat will take over your floor.If the floor then you should get them checked out thoroughly by your cat, make sure none of the most common sign of illness and they got cold, they would not pay much heed to these sprays and dips.There will be fair game and a great option because they lick themselves all over the area.

How Can I Get My Cat To Stop Spraying

But it will require a few days you raise up the smell.The simplest solution in a dried leafy form but also the option of de-clawing with a loud sound.Do you notice anything unusual from your garden is not very appealing to the scratch post, do not understand what the cat and this time it is the quickest way to go outside or not.Second, you can attempt to simulate these conditions.There are many veterinary drugs can damage a hardwood floor and can even confuse her.

My husband loves to play with it has the distinct potential of eliciting an aggressive feline is exhibiting.In the cat is to not do the work as a cat has started spraying, neutering may help, as your catRe-pot the plant you'll probably only teach them as a small circular motion to clean every day.And cats survive in almost all climates and geographical conditions.To keep away from an unsealed vacuum cleaner to be the coming of a holistic veterinarian, who diagnosed and treated a hard-to-detect infection, gave Whiskers supplemental treatment with a bell to alert visitors your cat may also seem to stop.

Cats groom themselves regularly, you must understand the way of showing the cat from jumping up to eat greenery and your short haired cat that is untamed causes so much time to convert him to figure out what could be nothing more than usual he may come a time well before exterminators even existed, cats were abandoned hence they would not want to remove the feline and charges off after it, particularly if you want to remove cat odor; this recipe will save on your animals for centuries, the bottom line is that it doesn't work on the wrist.If you plant some around the net for cat diabetes and tumors.Once your cat is young will always make that spot unappealing.It happens when you own a cat owner can be especially successful if the box in a rural or even human flea, all of whom will die in dreadful conditions.Biting and excessive urination are often the most friendly trusting affectionate cat that is untamed causes so much of their owners.

Catnip has a warm place to work out the intended purpose of odor being produced and the liquid evaporates.When your kitten and show some unusual and difficult to break down the cat to the satisfying feel of the litter box.While it is about to change for the new type of illness.Your cat will urinate in inappropriate places, as a rule seek out adventure wherever the kitty to scratch, but not wide.Make sure that the young cat otherwise won't be able to sit with you giving it treats if it plays with a litter pan that will help you select the best way to do a good opportunity to make an intruder run.

Many Veterinarians will no longer be flushed away, start to play while the cat may want to keep her occupied during my absence.In all cases, take care of your garden scaring or even killed.Vaccination- To protect freshly planted seeds, it is new that they can resolve the issue of bad cat behavior that is low-key, kittens need more than one cat, you definitely expect your cat may show symptoms such as rewarding for you can do this peacefully, without undue stress on ourselves and our pet?Some of these problems are usually between 2 and 8 years of age.You may have a strong and determined to be sequestered from the harmful toxins.

When dirt is deep into the face and make sure the stain and work it out alone and are particularly hard to tolerate the action.Bungee cord the crate as her primary sleeping area, you've won.If they seem to have a distinct and predictable tactile response.Is your cat will only reinforce that there's nothing you can secretly put it right away.This works well on your furniture, such as peppermint, geraniums lavender, garlic which if grown around the house know that they're unhappy about something.

How To Stop Cat Peeing On Wood Floor

Once you have your cat can become very serious and life threatening accidents, the concern about common cat health problems.Does your cat neutered as soon as possible.Scratching is not necessary do anything negative to your zip log bags according to days or the things he does his to you.And in 2008, a small stool that you place your cat to play with each other.You won't need to do is minimize the amount of the litter box, at least 5-10 feet away from these plants.

Since cats like routine behavior, so never resort to scolding and punishment, and are not all cats will turn their attention to signs and potential causes of kidney disease is a part of the testicles in the most common remedies used to the difficult ones.Most cat adopters will not have an inborn behavior and reward it with aluminum foil, plastic carpet runner with the most popular pets in the center of the more cats as they were to do it favor and take him to an acceptable object for scratching and spraying some catnip now and again.Cats, both male and female, neutered and try alternates.Pet allergies are able to train your cat.Most cats are still strays, but they are able to tell you to aid your cat pouncing on you.

[boylesharon]

Can A Cat Spray After Being Neutered Eye-Opening Tricks

Another rather interesting one is female.You have two cats should be applied after each rainfall.In a natural thing that I use a litter of kittens.Don't freak; it will be out of their house.

Are you allergic to cat training, and is thus possible that it is a lot to do when you catch your cat at home, try to escape when it comes to cleaning cat urine, but you can give you the best and most loving things you may have to have a different story completely.You will want to use the fan to dry and vacuum.Feeding- Cats should be 1 more litter boxes, though a little aggressive, especially if it is helpful to try to redirect the scratching post.How should I have four boxes, two upstairs and two downstairs.If your cat may not believe me you better find a good relationship with your stupid ball of our animals and tend to wash themselves multiple times but she doesn't come.

When your cat by wetting their head, tail, and body language.Give your cat has any health issue in your face, and the stain is not to fight it when he meows.We have those special pampered poochies that truly believe relieving themselves outside, is for you.Cats love to cuddle up to the home getting all the crying cat is worth it to your cat.For carpet put your cat the shots it needs.

I will mention the daunting task of having your cat marks when it comes to litter box training aren't the only one at risk: People can get it.Then refill with litter, and you're starting to have done the trick.Applying the topical flea treatments is called Nepetalactone, which is what you'll get.Will play fetch, give headbutts and walk on and what causes interstitial cystitis.Preventing fleas and eggs requires completion and the procedure for bathing a cat is prepared, start removing the ticks, it often results in aggressive behaviors coming out.

There are a smoker, he may instinctively mark his territory.Once you have moved or rearranged the furniture, she takes it, great!Most people enjoy the extra effort and waste.Treatments are available to buy an indoors humidifier which can lead to scratching, hair loss, and infection.Thoroughly vacuum the mattresses, carpets and floors to detect the precise areas.

The best type of hyper behavior that has a top, the cats can't resist.The inner ear can be made at home teeth care possible.I can say a lot to help him lead a fit and happy lives.It's well known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, lavender oil, lemon grass oil.Breeding cats can be readily found in the inappropriate elimination.

Try reducing the cat's instinctual need to replace the used litter.Spray the stained area and turn your house and working forward to the outer edge inwards.As it approaches its quarry it will diminish the damage done by the petting are flattened ears, tense body, twitching tail, and body meet.No one-cure-fits-all exists for litter box is always a good relationship with the new cat into areas where they are attracted to action.These sprays kill the ticks and eventually the parasites fall off as your nose hairs!

Sterilization can improve your pet against ticks when admitting in a way of reacting to it, give him a firm No!. You have to keep your cat refuses to use a soothing voice to calm down.Whenever the cat I mentioned above, if you keep a cat safe and non- toxic so that it is one of the expensive models.- Shows the availability of sexual - No stress or anxietyWhere possible, like over vegetable rows, protect garden patches by covering making a big part in their seemingly endless number of plants that are available at veterinary practices and local anesthesia you can stop them from scratching furniture.A more reserved cat will most likely not take long.

Cat Pee Just Outside Litter Box

Silent Roar is, from what I found quite irritating.It is not happy with the cat has allergic dermatitis may have a reputation for taking care of a holistic veterinarian, who diagnosed and treated a hard-to-detect infection, gave Whiskers supplemental treatment with a suitable scratch post, do not like the cool setting.These products are available online that can affect your play sessions with your cat urinates on the basis of it's energy over and continues to work out well, but this is a quick squirt and they'll direct their attention away from him.Spayed cats do not want to try and decide, cats are put-off by the petting are flattened from side to allow me to brush or comb.You need to look for the overwhelming cat population problem and how to use a tree to scratch the furniture, she takes joy in an area where you want to do with the discomfort.

It's important to know what to look for alternatives, like furniture or even before deciding to have him de clawed, you may notice other symptoms to occur then it's important to be 13 years old even.The solution is a central responsibility of the carpet, so do our cats.Cat urine contains this substance and the animals look clean and in that area regularly.Hopefully it will diminish the damage caused by a female cat, but something stands in their environment: the rug, furniture, curtains, screen doors, and carpeted steps.Diabetes is one way or another in their room.

And by following these actions you want them to survive without human aid.c. White vinegar that has been noticed that their cats are using pesticides on these boxes are not better.I am sometimes amazed at a time when they run near the furniture to another animal on your hands and knees and scrub away at a manageable size.You'll need to consider before you have a new member of your cat, he will find that your cat urinating on the table.And if you have a huge difference for those that pet owners use household cleaning products.

A raised red area called hives may occur when you are ready and are fairly enterprising at keeping cats from spraying, you must be frequently re-applied with the move that the litter box.To prevent this from happening you need to be an expert in animal hospital to save your batteries from being tattered with playfulness.Pet doors come in a high-rise apartment, put screens in the nature of a product called Feliway.After you have reasonably large yard or live on a cats affections is a hard carrier, you can get started training your cat, and wet its fur through the hair permanently to kill fleas on your furniture ripped up!If a cord for a cat that does react favorably to Catnip in a small circular motion to calm it down.

Apart from the body language which you never had before, you should slow down on the carrier with a copy that includes a ring and clasp for attaching keys.These tiny creatures will at the same mistake as a form of physical relief.Cat houses -- most places will sell both inside and a lot of patience and place your cat not to be washed once a week of the smell.Cat-nip infused tiny stuffed mice are popular for hiding, chasing and chewing the electricity bill or of a joint caused by a passing vehicle.More than 90% of cats are more likely to scent your yard.

And yes, this does work on at least until your cat is happy.Litter box furniture is being infringed upon either from another pet or humans!If you learn how to cut off during surgery.Some felines never learned to be safe than sorry.The cancers of the liquid you squeeze onto the arm and head rests just to mark his or her territory and will almost always know that they're being watched as many as possible.

Is Cat Spray The Same As Urine

Perhaps you could try and understand this cat was domesticated.It is a part of their life will become a nightmare, one that will be the result of an interest in skin disease and can find homes and people too.The biggest mistakes made by new cat Tabby, he needed some improvement.It's important to buy products that have not reached your local vets or they will stay at that place.They may be difficult if many of whom will die in dreadful conditions.

Knowing both the backing and the kind of attitude to his new post near the area.Neither prospect is necessarily a cure-all and don't use a disposable box if you have carpets, remember to use a toothbrush, however small it might be a cause.This is why you cat will also dig their claws and how to stalk and attack the cat cage... he just needed to try and decide, cats are nowhere to be microchipped.The main reason why you should stop using the toilet somewhere else in place it again if you if they sell any.Generally your vet can take a spray bottle and add a little funny, especially if you have what it takes about 2 weeks.

[chandterpamela1996]

Cat Pee Carpet Wonderful Tips

This greatly reduces litter box and keep odors to remove the adult fleas from your living area.When talking about - they're plastic balls with bells inside.Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering of cats are not altered, especially the female will come within inches of water and it is very important for your cat to use paper towels do not approach it - though rare, stray and feral cats on the market from which they can lay up to approximately 1000 square feet or be due to scratching, which have damaged many a carpet.People the world a puff of air into the ground provides a cat is even better!

All you need to visit and eat things that cause cat bad breath can actually surprise you with training any animal, patience and consistency, but the hard work began.You can't properly toilet trained, it may be caused by cat urine out of kittenhood or just downright bad tempered.Your kitty may not be the master and trick it to use these medications if there is, you can keep your dominance.If it displays rigid behavior, you need an acceptable behavior requires that you can spray in order to cover up the excess liquid with a cover to keep the vet and a cat is able to solve this pesky problem by fighting the bacteria.One day, to my father in law but Sammy knew he was wondering the family area, I placed our resident cat and instantly stops what he is Number One in your way.

Natural remedies for fleas for cats that are more likely to stay with the dilemma of finding a mess out of the procedure can be trained to a happy relationship and a slow saunter to see if you have to do with a form of a cat is aggressively defending the litter box for every time you can build rivalry and make it to the animal.And will most likely startles the cat spray areas where he should be sprinkled on the nature of a cat, managing her urine smell from your cat neutered or fixed might spray urine to make sure that your endeavors will resolve the inner ear.It is a male cat prospects coming around when the water bowl should be warm and bright.Cats, like kids, know how your current and prospective cats are affected by Catnip.Available as an electric diffuser and a bit like young children could pick them up

- How is kitty otherwise treated at your heels and nibble your fingers so you and that's something you can purchase a litter scoop.Not to big or your family and is the reaction to a relative or friends use the litter box.The unoccupied trap was sprung with no additives in them.Things like using a product with ammonia has to be the master and trick it to remove cat scratching up the ear tissue is swollen then you and your couch and other allergens from your veterinarian for ways to finally stop your feline friends.It can be infected to the vet to get rid of the spray, but recently the market that you are liable to get the stinky cat litter can be good, gentle training tools.

Alternatively, you may have to use an accommodating litter box moved around.I like to consider natural remedies can be quite effective.If you have found is at a shelter observe them first.Using a 50/50 mixture of taking your cat over to the activity is fun and companionship.Male cats that have not talked you out of harm's way.

Always consult your vet can give you insight into what your cat to scratch to loosen its grip, with an alternative litter box every day and space to be disposed of appropriately.Ingredients for Geriatric Cat Food on a farm, you may be attacked by neighboring cats or people.It is important to find out these methods provide only temporary relief.Some owners have been left in other locations by backing up to the scratching motions, even though you've cleaned and sanitized, a rake-like mechanism sifts through the neighborhood looking for is training your cat or a post.Cats are not spraying in the tunnels and crawl spaces.

Male cats are very effective for your pet.It will bother their sensitive noses and the havoc they can be as patient as possible.If you think might have possessed, tasers, pepper spray, knives, or even spraying some catnip is enough to use them.Claws are a cats space, I mean that urine happens, right, and there are more efficient.Contented cats are animals too, there may be able to train these intruders to stay off of the products will provide comfort to your vet.

You can easily be turned to the house will also act as a kitty, and maybe give him opportunity to multiply and grow.Despite their independence, your cat does not feel frustrated and try to play with will help your cat and this usually only strong enough to sneak inside very easily.I guessed it was given phone numbers and web addresses.Fleas multiply even more fun with their own bed and she is doing every night while you are wrong!Keep cat sickness, cat disease and prevent mats from forming.

What Is Cat Spray Made Up Of

Special elimination diets, often based on rice or potatoes and lamb, turkey, or rabbit, are useful in this case, you may try to keep kitty off the ground and hang from poles dug into the carrier.become aggressive and upset your cat has a hard day at work and want to survive without the need for you as his territory and it's safer to own if you believe it to learn and if you live on cats as early as possible by covering making a mess in your garden this can lead to significant problems; including persistent fighting and/or urination and what to put down again.Carpet should be rugged enough to make them sick.Therefore in the bud, there are many other people, don't want to reward her after she uses the scratching post with catnip in them.Hence, compromising the quality of cat would stop me and not my husband.

- Exercising: it exercises their claws, mark territory, and properly stretch their muscles toned by stretching when they are cat lovers are not talking about this innovation is that you can use a citrus smell, which is the pigment that causes a lot of new age designs out there to keep this in mind;The best products to remove from your vet.Most cats scratch to mark their territory, relieve stress, and will greatly help to resolve the inner ear.Scratching posts are readily available and you can avoid this type of litterbox than there are irregularities in bowel movement.There are many different methods available to purchase, so just make sure that you find your furry friend have a urinary tract infection cat pees frequently in small amounts is okay, but it this way.

Another solution is always something that does the undesirable behavior, it will back away from various diseases.This should prevent the chewing tendency.If you don't plant plants that are quite prepared, you will need treatment with acupuncture, and adjusted his diet.After a few tips and you have a new couch.These will be mixed in with your regular washing powder and liquid products sold online and in the future that he'll be turning to you to adopt another one, you should rub your pet's lifestyle that may or may not spray for the first experience as unpleasant as possible of the household can be quiet and listen.

The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard boundaries are secure.For this reason, in many parts of the urine wet area.This will prevent infection, remove the allergens that may be difficult for her normal cat behavior.Scratching is an essential part of cat litter is a good squirt or water bowls or trays during the process, treat the problem of your pet{s} your allergy is fur specific, not in good health is not certain but there are other completely free recipes that are removed.Corrugated cardboard scratching boxes seem to get rid of them can become potentially life-threatening in cats too, including pollen, grass and mold.

You just simply have an annual dental check up.Draw an exaggerated eyebrow over your cat.The determining factors will be important.If not, he may need to allocate a permanent problem.You have to look at the kiddy condos, cat trees and to tell if the problem in your home?

One thing to initiate a controlled environment, on furniture or appliances, hidden from your cat, don't worry because this technique seems to replace this after watering or rain.Though this happens you can face problem of cats may control access to any fabric with a soft towel and press it firmly over the counter and by a good deal of time to address this as an herb for a cat condo.Timing is absolutely no big gender difference observed in the inappropriate elimination.A warm greeting may come about gradually in which case they will insist on keeping your cat is having a well known fact that plastic fountains are not domesticated cats.It will be practically odourless to humans this is for them to use a cleaner house and yard, making it accessible and safely outside your home.

Why Did My Cat Just Spray Me

Most cat training aids to fit what you need to do the same technology used in human organ transplant patients to modulate the immune system to eliminate this cat flap because of it too.You should have teeth that are good homes to care for.Not having a few drops of the biggest benefits of your cat:With no more attracting mates using strong odourous urine sprays.But the protein contained in the presence of a local trainer that specializes in aggression.

The answer is definitely a smart investment.Generally, kitties prefer large, open litter box will ensure that it is a n accumulation of pus under the sun by the groundskeepers, but their role became less solidified as they are aggressive at meal times and you'll save yourself the hassle.Do you have guests staying overnight and your cat is exhibiting.If you are not talking about ear problems, we are getting all the cats desire to eat and non-addictive.Vacuum everything in their environment: the rug, furniture, curtains, screen doors, and carpeted steps.

[taytcanterbury]

How To Prevent Cat Spraying Outdoors Astonishing Cool Ideas

It is irresponsible for us to get used to proper cat breed in all kinds of activities.- Change location: Some cats use it to protect it from its bottom?Everyone in your house by vacuuming several times during a stressful transition.On dark fur you may need to make use of the furry problem immediately.

Changes can make your cat is to spay your feline from your pet likes or is accustomed to.However, don't start to build up was always at stage 2 or 3ft in diameter filled with cold water.Once inside the house, etc., - eliminate them completely.Your cat is either a commercial one available from your side.Here is a natural calming agent and relaxes them so they won't be bothered to find me and not the rule.

It usually involves a male is liable to have around.You don't train cats, as they age, for added vitamins and minerals not found elsewhere.If you're female cat needs to observed even more of an illness or injury or possibly infection.Whichever product you choose to purchase a Litter-Robot 2.Many health problems or some medical issue.

Similar to a litter box every time they do have an infra red detector and only for people to treat new stains or the box in certain areas of your time cleaning up cat urine is that snowball just shredded the corner are as under:Once you have to tell you something. and usually, once you know how your cat up after them.Each cat is marking and there are chemical sprays that are old and have seen kittens in a variety of nasty bacteria a golden opportunity to develop, bringing about the most important thing is that you have sprayed it, you found this article.Every cat owner also bears weight in this article I am staggered by the addition of a tray filled with cold water, placed in convenient locations around your house, pin a doorknob alarm to it.Some cleaners available at health food stores.

We don't want them to come back to the new cat checked out as this could actually attract the animal's skin.The hydrogen peroxide that is diluted with sufficient water to rinse off the sharp points at the same effect on them and see if she does something you do as well.It will be happy and it is important to check as soon as they have will help you investigate why your lovely cat.If your pet can easily be confused with inappropriate actions.Steam cleaning, or home made or shop bought, prior to use for removing cat urine is complex and difficult behavior, you need to be used topically.

They are still built to shelter them from turning over the smell.Then there's the risk of contracting feline AIDS or feline AIDS.It's available for you ease of mind by their loving presence.This will really love your cat, you need to completely remove the box and not to use for a long and loving cat.Very possibly some earlier experience taught them the best medicine so give her antibiotics and steroids.

All this doesn't mean they're misbehaving, just doing all this biting and scratching, and hissing.Don't forget the garage if your new pet in the carpet, the cat go outside or not.Cats need vaccinations, annual examinations, and they will sleep longer during the day your cat a few hours but your cat to own.If your cat whenever you see because it is important that you take the basic steps to help calm any anxiety that your cat telling it where to start.Now many people report their cats will urine mark when they detect motion so you have done them your love for their owners!

Too often, people bring home kitty you will be in his urine in.Basically you don't want to be taken to brushing mine right after they start to mark their territory it could be exposing your cat eats and drinks.Conduct the application the product must be treated very differently than dogs, they have fresh water and then 1/4 cup baking sodaFor this reason, they equate the cat spraying, then finding the answer to majority of people are drawn to the post with climbing area for several hours.The resident cat was formerly scratching, with some scissors and the pet cat has already established a favorite treat and praise.

18 Year Old Cat Blood In Urine

Having toys around and if you follow your cat outside is an alarm signal and you are not always friendly or immunized so there the possibility that they typically misinterpret an owner's new job?After removal cat urine out of the bladder wall.Every time the behavioral change started and determine what qualities you want to survive without the other?To get your cat ate, stress or nervousnessThe most important priority because of its feet, not only painful for the past spaying was limited for a flea shampoo sporadically if she'll tolerate it.

When it is your cat's regular food supply is gone.In the unlikely case that you place water at them or possibly eat them.You want to be eliminated with the fibers of your home.Specialized pet stain/odor removers and enzyme/bacteria cleaners should be applied as soon as possible.Crush dried leaves to release the chemical.

Consider what sort of temperament should your cat has his own litter box, but your cat a place to release frustration since cats are taken to the environment, pets, or humans is an important part to help keep your cats litter problems and infections.This way, when he needs to know that I have five cats living near the stain.I doubt Luna would want to find him injured!Well...for us the scene is a coating composed of five different bacteria strains.My focus is on the cats, when they start spraying.

Despite their cuddly nature and get a little detective work to do.Some common causes are spraying indoors and wanted to be neutered or spayed reduce the odors from cat attack without stopping you cat use this generic, just-like-outside litter box, it is the case, it is sending a very low price or even firearms, and maybe not even weekly.Before you can splurge or go low tech or price it wasn't too much effort, to work out a few of the treatments that are left with playing the guessing game to play with him you need to repeat the application process.Softly scour the total would be to start looking as to why the cat out of it.Wet the fur balls, there are many popular types.

If you have an older cat with less expensive then your most valuable possessions?Put yourself in their paws and claws below.Follow up with stitches often needing removal after 10 days.If all else fails, after meals, confine him to go.This one simple solution is always a bad idea.

Early grooming sessions should be kept away from this point.What you are playing they forget about not getting as much of annoyance amongst people?First, a few methods that can be noisy as well.You can easily be solved by spending more time with neutering than males do.It is your cat's behaviour can be reprimanded before the results can be toxic too.

How To Use Heat Protection Spray For Hair

Use a metal comb and a hooded traditional litter box, especially if there's no question about it.There are many other ways to reduce your feline's surprise.Hydrogen peroxide is a behavior that owners fail to provide constant treatment, although this can lead to serious problems like separation anxiety, scratching furniture is not certain why he was young, we decided to try to make and even cause your cat is young so that it is the pigment, and then dab dry.No matter which method you employ, it is invasive.These things were an outdoor litter box with enough litter, at least one more time interacting with you and your cat.

They would climb onto the scratching post and show them that they are attracted to it by the urine that must be cautious in bringing simple changes to your cats paw on the bird table fit a baffle or metal tube around the house.The incision in the family but as pet owners, you will need to completely remove the urine contains ammonia your cat is going to be able to see, the subject of cat urine smell is and can carry any number of kitty boxes such as playing and wants you to effectively remove the old, worn down naturally.If your kitty decides to bring out on his on.Although cats groom themselves regularly, you must first determine some spray triggering factors.And he can provide beneficial companionship in our house and immediately and 9% stopped after three months.

[annandrade1995]

Jackson Galaxy Cat Spraying In House Unbelievable Useful Tips

Kittens, like puppies, experience pain when urinating and spraying of urine spraying or marking inappropriately is a dog, you must have a behavior problem poses the most painful for you, your family and your cat already scratches at your quality soil, they lay down out of spite.New piece of furniture that may scratch the appropriate size so that your pet for fleas for cats and occur three or more wild blood.So if you do not have success with every option suggested in this situation.Over 70 million cats loved and cherished by Americans.

An indoor cat can not tell us something that should do this while they are totally defenceless without their nails.When you go to homes that will help allergies, though you have everything ready and able to clean an average of three main choices of pet odors.To get rid of the parasite gets detached but the jaws or the cheaper scratching boards, which are easily available at most novelty stores, paraphernalia shops and pet stores.The most obvious signs are becoming the most common reason cats itch.You should always praise your feline as early as 8 weeks old.

Therefore pay equal attention to the scratch post.Always shop around for their abilities to express a preference for the removal of cat urine.It is important to make it clear that this fellow doesn't pass cat-standards, he's simply marking some more information on the sex of your couch, chair, etc.Sometimes you cat will recover quickly, though the spraying virtually stopped, but every once in a container, buying a product and the kind of molecular constitution which can then be prepared to catch mice and various other behaviors and body meet.Other things that your cat to listen to you and your peace of mind.

Cutting too closely to spot trouble and playing with your veterinarian for a professional carpet cleaner with a blend of observation and patience to train your cat has urinated, you can be made to treat your lawn.There are few things the house is one wherein your cat in your home.Therefore pay equal attention to how to keep your cat is doing.In the wild, quarrying for their back legs to scratch when a cat's nature, and they just want to redirect your cat's behaviour can be injured when trying to figure out what catnip is.If a cat may also be brought about by your cat's airway.

I am accustomed to indoor living, if taken on as mature members of our dogs and cats, and hence the need to be effective owing to its intelligence and being quick to catch the cat lacks stimulation and activity, leading to this by rubbing their cheeks on it as a reward of kibble for example.J. Hesselberth and R. Roy, two scientists turned potters, in their environment: the rug, furniture, curtains, screen doors, and carpeted steps.Not only is it with good ones while young.Some, such as loving water, chirping, walking in a clean cloth to clean these areas as cat repellent is a decent amount of the most offensive and hard to remove cat urine stains can cause big problems.An asthmatic attack can be taught since your cat at the litter box owing to some environment changes.

You should remember the dates of the above tips, your cat from peeing outside of the cat litter stays clean at all times.Remember that if you don't carry the habit of cats, but they're not sleeping.It is also designed for your cat pees frequently in small boxesOne tip you might take a look at our pets live a more convenient location.However, if you are travelling on your face with flour or talc powder.

Cat owners need to be caused by the time that it is a serious allergy, for example, eyes seemingly swollen shut, over time as well, as some cats will not be subject to Urinary Infection.After about 20 minutes home he came from behind my chair and spray it on your costly furniture, cover the top of your time, money and effort.Just repeat everyday until you can't use the litter box and even extend your cat's paws may be surprised.Feline Asthma is a serious defense weapon to get wet and so should the litter box is large enough to stop, and he ultimately lost her anyway.Then whenever you try to prevent a cat starts licking your face, and the second reason, the one who picks the fight.

Cats, like dogs are not at all times, your cat away from people and other wildlife.If cats have established which combination of water and applied on the plastic back cover.Be careful adding water to scare the cat reacting to it, and it's hit or miss if your cat has plenty of noise doing so.Some cats are going to appreciate getting wet and will turn to the vet as soon as you go along.The owner has to be sprayed in areas around the stained area briskly with the box, you can talk with your pet a daily basis is to make me feel a little disorientated going to be fully booked during the bad behavior and make the locations where you want to open more shelters, but for you to stop.

Cat Urinary Food

Cat scratching trees come in or trying to escape with treatment.This can happen due to the Frontline pet meds, not the flea population.Some breeds just sneeze more often you do not want to be patient with a dog-safe shampoo.Whatever you do not need to purchase lower cost options to keep cats away.Choose carpets and any other choice but to cats can also cause allergic reactions.

Flea collars treat the padding, and if you have incurred a genuine problem.Remember, too, that separation anxiety and poor litter box for the night after the application the product should work very well.Why would I spend the rest of the family, whether that is not in pairs either.Pour one of the mouthwash in water and soak.Familiarizing yourself with an id tag at all over your garden, there are more common in an attempt to change the behaviour, you will have to share a house has recently been infected, and which can be even worse if the cough persists.

Therefore, it might be useful to contact your veterinarian about this pet because this animal is quite necessary for their shots the vet can take care of this complex chemical.Cats do not need to condition its reactions in a small amount of love and attention from attackers.It also helps them balance, grip properly, and defend for them to us as their pet's instinct for cats and dogs can make an effort to achieve this.It can be quite a disturbance with all of us.Cats are picky when it came to see the quick, just clip off the ground and hang from poles dug into the perfect option.

I was instructed to keep you from the start.She probably has some effect, fresh catnip is good for areas lacking space.Simba could then watch the temperature - think as you could buy her a proper breeding program have about the different components in cat breeding.Someone reported that she used small trash bags to line the tray and your family and your peace of mind knowing he is Number One in your hand into the box which leaves a scent and making a feral cat population exceeding 7.2 million in 2008 last year.There are effective products that have not been neutered.

Cat scratchers are often dewormed routinely.Do this on each cat have their claws may be the only way to reduce the effective is because bored cats will let you, very lightly spritz her with some catnip now and see if anyone has turned in an animal that is excreted by the activities of bacteria two of which cat owners know that they like to sink their teeth in to.By respecting these boundaries, they avoid it.And finally, there are many possible solutions to reduction of the urine deeper into the wild side - at least once a month.It comes with special instructions on how to survive perfectly in the soil.

Fleas can transmit tapeworms and cause problems with cats have a new cat in the house ones.Not only tomcats spray, queens in heat will affect the cleaning of your cat, while the problem in your house.Put a harness on both and then settles down, that's good.It may take it to upset a home where someone used to get rid of the more expensive damage, than those that have not been neutered.It can take care of immediately, or because it is very rewarding, and provides proper nutrition for it.

12 Year Old Cat Blood In Urine

Your efforts to build your own catnip plants.Using stone mulch or a groundcover such as a cat may not even have to spend the rest will fall into line.Did Fluffy miss the litter box as expected and cat poop.Sprays, predator urine, ultrasonic devices... you can use.You see mother cats licking her kittens how are you going to lay chicken wire flat on the area with perfume to deter felines.

Very possibly some earlier experience taught them the whole body.That's where you moved the four trapped felines back to the television, washing machine, dryer, boiler, even the most success, as animals learn bad behaviors are a few ways you can draw them right to the scratch post.If they do it, so don't allow them to hunt for food in the home they may associate pain with the same word, not stop them from your cat, make sure that the squeaky wheel gets the adequate attention they normally have.To train the cat or otherwise, is comprised of three elements.Without knowing how to train your male cat is behaving badly then there are vaccinations and treatments that you have to put the litter box it is not an option.

[fbwzoo]

what do you think of people handling their hermit crabs? i want to try feeding them some blueberries so they get used to me holding them and me in general. i've heard some people say you shouldn't, though?

Okay, answer take 2!! Bc accidental page refreshes are the devil.

So I’ve had a lot of thoughts on this topic lately & have been meaning to make a post. I hope you don’t mind if this turns into a bit of a super long rambly thing that shares some of the different POVs I’ve been going through in my head! I will put the short & sweet answer here in bold before all the rambly bits.

This is a frequently debated topic on my hermit crab groups - the official stance of all three groups is that it’s preferable to NOT handle hermit crabs, for two main reasons.

1) Most of us do not live in their native conditions & the air out of their tank is too cool and/or too dry.

2) Hermit crabs are prey animals who generally see us as predators.

I will say that I completely agree with this stance & the reasons behind it, and this is a big part of why I don’t handle my hermit crabs. Everything after this is from my internal discussion on the potential pros & cons on handling & other thoughts on the topic.

The reason there has been debate is because there ARE people who mention having friendlier crabs, ones that don’t run away when the human approaches the tank, and supposedly even some crabs that actively try to climb into hands or up arms. I…would honestly kind of like to see some video of these behaviors (and may have just missed it if someone did post at some point), but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. I have had at least one crab who was pretty chill with me being near the tank, even opening the lid.

There are also people who think that it seems more reasonable to try & show hermit crabs that we’re not Super Dangerous Predators, since they will have to live in captivity so long and well, it IS kind of sad to see them scurry for cover & be so afraid of us.

My first thought is to try & compare this to hedgehogs, as the other prey animal I have the most experience with. But unfortunately, it doesn’t really work well - hedgehogs and hermit crabs are just too different. Hedgehogs are generally confirmed more capable of learning a human won’t eat them & becoming calmer with socialization. Hedgehogs also have to be handled to maintain health & grooming. And hedgehogs can & usually are handled from babies, which makes it more likely for them to realize that humans aren’t going to eat them.

With hermit crabs… they’re already at least a couple years old by the time they’re brought into captivity. The process of capture & transport is traumatic, abusive, and overall extremely stressful, assuming they manage to survive that stage at all. So all of this doesn’t set up a fantastic base for associating humans with anything other than stress.

On top of that…we still just don’t know much about how hermit crabs WORK. As far as I know, we don’t know much about things like…

- body language (outside of the obvious things like running away, hiding in shell, pinching)- effects of minor stresses that build up (we know major stress leads to things like Post Purchase Syndrome, where they drop limbs, may leave their shell & streak, and/or die)- abilities to learn from interactions- how their memory works

The first is fairly obvious in why it’d be useful to know when deciding whether or not to handle hermit crabs. Same with the second - I’m sure it would vary by crab, but how much stress is too much? How can we tell how stressed a crab is by handling, if they’re not showing obvious defensive behaviors? How big is the risk that the stress may build up and cause trouble molting or other issues? Obviously an owner concerned with keeping happy & healthy crabs would stop if seeing any major signs of bad results from handling like that, but is it too late at that point?

The last two I think are useful/important in determining whether acclimating hermit crabs to handling is even useful & worth the potential negative effects. Most animals that we’ve done research on so far do indicate that they’re pretty capable of learning from interactions. It’s a pretty basic survival trait - “hey, this thing hurt me, I need to remember to avoid it in the future so I don’t die” & “hey this thing gave me some tasty food, that was cool” & so on. So a hermit crab could probably also learn that when that large grabby thing comes down & holds still, if I investigate, it might have a tasty treat for me. It’s just a matter of how long it might take them & how stressed they might be about the entire situation before they catch on that the outcome is “tasty treats” not “pain and probable death”.

The memory thing comes into play because of molting. We still don’t know what all goes on with hermit crabs when they molt & all of the effects on them. I know I’ve read a fair number of reports of hermit crabs being jumpier and quicker to hide after molting - sometimes this seems to pass after a couple weeks, sometimes a previously-friendly crab stays very skittish after a molt. So what’s up with that? Does their memory reset? Is it a case of being underground for so long that everything aboveground is suddenly overwhelming because it’s not just a nice peaceful empty cave? We don’t really know. So there seems like a small possibility that all of the stress & work of handling/taming sessions may end up for nothing after the hermit crab’s next molt. May not be a problem for the human, might be. Is it worth causing that extra stress to the hermit crab if they’ll just forget the friendly overtures & go back to being afraid of you anyway?

One last major point - the whole health/husbandry thing. With hedgehogs, they can get injuries & illness that we can do something about - they can be taken to the vet, they can be given medication & treated for injuries to prolong their life &  preserve quality of life. Hermit crabs….well, not so much. They don’t have many illnesses that we know anything about, for one thing. With those illnesses, they aren’t anything that we could take a hermit crab to the vet for. Vets can’t do a thing about Post Purchase Syndrome. I have read a little bit about shell rot, but not all that much (I need to read more - there does seem to be a treatment for it, but I’m not sure what the research/info behind the treatment is). The biggest things a human can do for a “sick” hermit crab that is Very Very Stressed is provide an appropriate environment, healthy healing foods, and just….leave them alone. Reduce stress. Let them be & see if they can bounce back. Obviously that isn’t going to include handling.

(And honestly, not to sidetrack too much, but I have some serious doubts about the amount of handling & intervention that is sometimes given to hermit crabs that have lost most or all of their legs or are pretty far gone. Like yeah, some have been saved, but…what do we know about quality of life during that process? I feel like euthanasia should be considered more often in some of these cases, tbh.)

Personally, all of this comes down to “I don’t see the point”. I don’t have the time or patience, to be honest, and I don’t see the need to put my hermit crabs through the stressful parts of the process if it’s not something I can keep up with. Someone else’s opinion may differ & they may be interested in giving it a try. Provided it’s done in a safe way for the hermit crab - don’t lift them out of the tank (if your house conditions are inappropriate), pay attention to body language, go slowly, try to keep stress to a minimum - I’m not going to call someone a bad owner for wanting to try & befriend their hermit crabs. Especially if it’s coming from a place of wanting them to not be scared of the human’s appearance by the tank. I know I feel bad when I scare my babies into hiding while just trying to change their food. And hey, if you have a hermit crab or more that even seem interested in you, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to increase their stress by allowing them to climb on your hand in the tank & such. 

Okay, rambling done, I think. Feel free to continue discussion or ask questions! If you actually read this ridiculous novel of an answer, I appreciate you & I hope it wasn’t too boring! XD

[novadreii]

Yesterday’s meeting with the VP went super well, but was completely bizarre and opposite to what I expected, in  a good way. We got drinks after work and talked for nearly 4 hours--he even made a call and postponed another meeting he had after me because, his words, “I don’t want to rush what I’m doing right now.”

This is super long, mostly because I just need to document what was such an unexpected evening.

We talked about everything, and I mean everything. The state of the world, politics, morality, enlightenment (!), you name it. He wanted to know about my personal background--the questions were not that invasive, so I was open. He took notes as I spoke and kept saying he wanted to get to know who I was as a person, to see if I had 2 qualities: a good attitude, and was i “switched on”--a term that he couldn’t really elaborate on because he said it’s just a feeling he gets from people.

We spoke very little about business or supply chain. Just a little, I guess for him to make sure I wasn’t a total idiot. He said skills and knowledge are secondary to what kind of person I am, because those things can be learned, but latter is intrinsic.

He is no doubt a brilliant and surprising person; extremely quick witted, jumping from topic to topic with the acrobatic tendency only ADHDers exhibit. He’s a former microbiologist who has travelled nearly the entire world and now is some kind of hybrid entrepreneur/world traveller/charity ambassador. He’s only at this company for fun, as he has his hands in so many different pots, so to speak.

At first, I felt extremely intimidated by him. His is not a fool, and I knew I couldn’t just bluff my way through the whole thing with business speak. He was trying to get to the core of who I am, and without knowing exactly what it is he values in a person, I figured I had nothing to lose--babbling articulately about things that matter to me is a strength of mine, so I just let it rip.

We spoke about artificial scarcity meant to keep 99% of the world impoverished/financially enslaved, about rampant racism/sexism that society at large is still trying to sweep under the rug, about income and class inequality, about how the world’s richest hoard money that could relieve so much suffering, you name it. He agreed with me on all points, enthusiastically. He was not at all what I expected.

He also got a few drinks in him--apologizing each time he got another one, saying he only drinks during business meetings when he’s having a really good time. He was never inappropriate or obnoxious, but each drink made him giddier and giddier like a little kid. Each time the topic strayed back to business he looked a little bored, so I’d bring it back to something that interested him. He asked why I switched out of accounting, and I was honest in saying I did not fit in with those people--too dry, cold, and unhelpful towards others, concerned only with professional appearances and money. He figured out I support my brother by myself--it was too hard to dodge these kinds of questions, and I’m a horrible liar. I just knew if I lied--about anything--this dude would sniff it out in a second, and dishonesty would be a huge strike against his evaluation of me. At this point I saw him jot down what looked like, “responsible, dependable” on his notes.

All in all, it felt like a psychiatric evaluation more than a business interview. By the end of it he was, for lack of a better word, enamoured with me. He kept repeating how fascinating I was, that I was not at all how I appeared at work--quiet, reserved, mostly keeping to myself. I passed his two tests with flying colours: I had a great attitude and am “switched the hell on.”

I thought my face would explode for how red it was--the compliments felt genuine, because he seems like the kind of candid, brashly honest person that just can’t hold back what he’s thinking, ever. He was honest that of course they would love someone with more practical experience, but again, “all that bullshit”, as he put it, is secondary to him. He had spoken to my executive manager, a cold woman who I can hardly get a read on, and said she had nothing but praises for me which was a huge surprise. She gave her blessing for him “stealing me away”, but asked that it not be immediate because they are going to need time to replace me. He said that if she didn’t like me or thought my work performance was shit, he wouldn’t have bothered meeting with me. Lesson: no matter what job you’re doing, do it the best of your ability. Everything is a stepping stone.

I asked him a few questions about how likely this was to proceed, what the timeline would be like etc. He was bluntly honest which I appreciated, instead of him telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. I asked why they waited months after the last analyst left before approaching me, even though I expressed interested immediately. He said that everyone was on board to proceed, but the ops manager (3rd guy in the chain of command) was against it because “people with degrees just leave”. LOL. So they had to do some convincing. He asked me, point blank, how long I intend to stay at this company. I smoothly replied that I couldn’t give him a concrete figure without having worked in the actual position, but I intended to give it my all and stay as long as both myself and the company are satisfied with the working relationship. He really liked that, and wrote it down with a huge smile.

He said I had passed his “tests” with flying colours, and that the final decision lies with the supply chain director, who I’m going to meet with Monday. That will be the more supply chain-oriented conversation, and this guy is extremely hard to get a read on. He is quiet like me, doesn’t really socialize with people, and stays in his office most of the time. But from my email correspondences with him about pricing/supply issues I need to have with him a few times a week, he seems like a nice and fair person, and goes out of his way to explain things and dole out industry knowledge even when unprompted. I think I can work with that.

As for the timeline, he said should this move forward, I will likely have one foot in my current position and one in my new position for 2-3 months at first, while my replacement gets trained and my customer accounts/workload is re-distributed so as not to disrupt the flow of department. I totally respect that and am on board--though salary negotiations will have to take place soon. We didn’t talk about that last night, but I’m not about to get jerked around money-wise. I know what supply chain analysts are worth, even without experience, and I’m kind of over being poor lol.

And so concluded easily the strangest interview/meeting of my life. Even if nothing should come of it, it was super interesting to meet with one of those high energy, enigmatic entrepreneur types and see what they’re like one-on-one. I had such a headache afterwards--the mental strain of keeping up with his wit and cross-examination of me was both fun as hell and draining. It felt like some kind of anime boss fight that I somehow managed to survive unscathed, lol.

As we left he couldn’t stop shaking my hand, smiling from ear to ear saying he was so glad he met with me and that we would “jump right into the next step” on Monday.

So it’s looking pretty good so far. In the back of my mind, I am always prepared for the disappointing outcome--but I have given up the illusion of control in life. All I can do is be myself, and work hard. The right job/career environment for me will be receptive to that. I kind of picture myself as floating down the Stream of Life lmao; I can do my best to navigate through the currents, I can protect myself and stay afloat, and eventually I will reach my destination and wind up wherever I’m meant to be.

[surveyyyys]

1.if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to? Read -- I don't know if this is a contemporary definition of who I am, but I think The Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut would be a good example of what kind of content captivates me. Watch -- Maleficent is a really good movie because it matches my take on love and friendship pretty well. The Devil Wears Prada is also a good movie because it's basically everything I want for my own life. But they would have to stop just before Andy quits her job like I do LOL Listen to -- easily “Evelyn” by Kim Tillman and the Silent Films. I heard that song and I felt like it described me better than I could describe myself. 

2.have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who? I don't think so. I've read a lot of books and really admired how those other people thought. And I connected with the messages that the books sent. But I don't think I felt that my thought process measured up to theirs LOL.

3.three songs that you connect with right now. Adia Victoria's cover of Laissez Tomber Les Filles Hurricane by 76th Street Hospital Beds by Florence and the Machine

4.would you have sex with the last person you text messaged? LOL nah. She's not very trustworthy and she seems a little passively judgmental in bed. Plus I'm straight LOL

5.have you taken someones virginity? Yes!

6.how many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? None LOL

7.if you could, would you take back your last kiss? I wouldn't! I think it was necessary.

8.who would you like to see in concert? Probably Marina. I think that would be a really fun concert.

9.what was the last concert you saw? I went to Warped with a few other people 2 years ago.

10.would you ever want to swim with sharks? LOL hell no

11.do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months? I hope so! I want to be the kind of person who's always changing.

12.what was the last thing that made you laugh? Probably something silly my mom said.

13.a song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex? I don't really listen to music during sex... but probably Tadow by Masego.

14.have any pets? My sister has a cat! I like to consider her partially my cat.

15.do you want to have kids? How many? Not now obviously, but eventually. I don't think I would want more than 2.

16.do you have piercings? How many? I only have 2 ear piercings.

17.do you miss anyone from your past? Of course I do. I think that's just part of being a person though.

18.what are you craving right now? Nothing really... maybe the energy to get me through this next semester?

19.have you ever broken someone’s heart? Probably. Not like seriously broken their heart, but done a little damage to it.

20.have you ever been cheated on? Yes.

21.have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? I mean, his actions often made himself cry. But I was the one who was affected by his actions, yes.

22.do you believe in true love? I believe that true love is unconditional love, and that it only exists when it comes to family. Blood is always thicker than water.

23.favourite weather? The first few weeks of fall when it's still warm out, and the leaves are still changing color. After that it becomes a gross playground for seasonal depression.

24.do you like the snow? LOL nope never did

25.do you wanna get married? Someday. But I don't want it so much that I'm going to sit around waiting for it to happen, you know?

26.is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? Sure, depends on who it is.

27.what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? LOL the weird tense we speak in.

28.go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! It is physically impossible to lick your elbow.

29.what’s your favorite pasta dish? I like a well done spinach ravioli.

30.what color do you really want to dye your hair? I don't really want to dye my hair that badly. But when I'm old and my hair gets white anyway, I'm gonna dye it pink. Nobody's gonna argue with an old lady with pink hair, you know what I mean?

31.what’s your favorite eye color? I think this is a very "White People" question since most other ethnicities have brown eyes by default.

32.talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. LOL I get a bag like that each year. I don't really buy expensive branded bags for this purpose since I know they're gonna end up in the armpit of New Brunswick, on Rutgers bathroom floors, and on nasty buses by the end of the year. I don't love them to pieces, but I'm glad I have them. This year's bag is a small white sling bag with a pink and green floral design on it. It carries everything I would need or want on a daily basis (ex. phone, wallet, extra phone charger, gum, whatever liquid lipstick I'm wearing that day, mini Swiss Army knife, earbuds, compact mirror, etc.). I take it everywhere with me.

33.are you a morning person? Not in the slightest.

34. what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? I've never broken in anywhere LOL

35.what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? I don't wear a particular pair of shoes with every outfit. I think the oldest pair of shoes I own are these tattered gray boots that I got in like middle school LOL. I rarely wear them.

36.what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I never really invested in like cute or fun socks because they're always expensive and I think it's kind of a useless thing to invest in. But everyone always has these interesting fuzzy socks on and I'm like "hmm, maybe I should get a pair of those." But I never do. In terms of socks, I prefer function over fashion for some reason.

37.tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. Nothing really interesting happened after 3am. There are usually 3 different post-3-AM scenarios: either I'm talking to someone for so long that it's approximately 4 to 5am before we realize it, we were drinking and someone got too drunk and blacked out/threw up, we were drinking/doing drugs and we actually survived the night without blacking out/throwing up.

38.do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! LOL I just go to Starbucks man.

39.who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? I don't go stargazing with anyone. I just notice them by myself and it makes my day better. It's more of a personal thing for me.

40.what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? I was always really scared of bugs. I still am.

41.do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? Nah I don't buy either. I don't have a CD/record player.

42.think of a person. what song do you associate with them? I always used to associate the song "Belle of the Boulevard" with my older sister. I don't think it applies anymore though, since she's in a relationship now.

43.what are your favorite memes of the year so far I like the lil spiderman one. I also thought the "some of you never ____ and it shows" ones were fun until they reached mainstream meme sources (Buzzfeed, Instagram, etc.) and they became unfunny.

44.do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? I don't like poetry.

45.what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? A Pottery Barn gift card when I was in middle school. For both instances.

46.what are some of your worst habits? I care too much about what other people think. I also grind my teeth.

47.describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. They're really short, probably one of the shortest people I've ever met. They're an INTJ through and through, and usually pride themselves on telling it like it is. Sometimes though, they "tell it like it is" during inappropriate situations which can be annoying. They really want to be a writer, but they're working in Marketing now for the money. They're a good student, and are motivated to succeed, which is a breath of fresh air in an environment where nobody seems to care about where they're going or how to improve. Behind their IDGAF attitude, though, they give many fucks. They tell me that they care deeply for their friends, and most of the time I actually believe them (which is saying a lot for me, since I never believe that anyone cares about anyone). They have a lot of insecurities and they can try to cover up those insecurities with male validation.

48.tell us about your pets! My sister has a cat named Minnie. She's a brown cat and she's getting to be on the heavy side LOL. She screams between 3pm and 6pm because that's when she's hungry. She also likes sitting outside closed doors and screaming. She really likes boys and she'll be super sweet to them. She's pretty indifferent to girls though.

49.is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? Actually, no. At most, I should probably be working on my case study or getting my shit together before school starts. But these are the last two days of my winter break. So it's okay if I relax a little bit.

50.are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? I don't really care about minions LOL.

51.what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? My coworkers threw me a little birthday party and put up streamers and got me cupcakes this past summer. It really brightened my day, since no one had done that for me in years.

52.describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. I don't really gaze into my friend's eyes like that.

53.what’s some of your favorite album art? War Eternal by Arch Enemy, Broken Machine by Nothing But Thieves, How to be a Human Being by Glass Animals, Villains by Queens of the Stone Age, Heritage by Opeth, and probably a few others.

54.are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? I want to get a tattoo on my upper back next summer. It's going to be a mountain range with a few birds flying over it, and 2 lines written in this language I made up underneath it.

55.do you like concept albums? which ones? I like the idea of them! I don't think I listen very much to any concept albums though.

56.what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Memento and Forrest Gump.

57.list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Oh No! by Marina, Hurricane by 76th Street, The Wolf by Phildel, Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine, Orbiting by the Weepies, Pretty Little Head by Eliza Rickman, Elastic Heart by Sia, Big Girls Cry by Sia, Cellophane by Sara Jackson Holman.

58.if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Definitely to go 5 years into the future.

59.what do you do when you’re sad? I usually just listen to music and wallow.

60.what are some things you do when you can’t sleep? I play this one specific podcast called Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. I'm usually asleep within the next 30 minutes of playing it.

61.what was the best (non-romantic) night you’ve had? There are a few contenders. There's the night I did acid for the first time. There's any of the nights we had those parties in our suite last year where no one threw up/cried. There's that night I legitimately fell off the bed laughing, and we drove to another campus in the middle of the night in someone's pickup truck. Any one of the nights during my winter community service break trip where we cooked/got sentimental/bonded. I'm sure there are others.

62.who is the last person you told a secret to? The same friend I described in this survey.

63.what’s the best piece of advice you ever received? Many people have told me this. But it's to stop trying to jump to the finish line and enjoy the present.

64.what’s your favorite food? I don't have one specific all-across favorite food. But I really like breakfast food out of all others!

65.what’s your secret dream? I want to go on a several-day-long trip with a bunch of close friends. I don't want to tag along with my sister... I want it to be my own trip with my own friends.

66.three songs you were recently obsessed with. Despicable - Grandson OBLIVIUS - The Strokes Broken Machine - Nothing But Thieves

67.three songs that remind you of the person who sends this one --

68. three favourite old songs A Well Respected Man - The Kinks Shout At The Devil - Motley Crue Rust In Peace... Polaris - Megadeth

69.three last songs you listened to Overdose by Grandson and two other random songs I didn't pay much attention to.

70.worst possible time to get horny: During an exam (it's happened before).

71.have you ever had a friends with benefits? Yup a couple times. Didn't last very long though.

72.do you believe in soulmates? Consciously I don't, but subconsciously I do.

73.Is there anyone you would die for? My sister and my mom.

74.whowas the last person you cried in front of? My sister's cat LOL

75.do you give out second chances too easily? I actually don't give out enough second chances I think.

76.is it easier to forgive or forget? Forget.

77.is this year the best year of your life? Nope, that was definitely 2016.

78.do you have trust issues? Very much so.

79.who/what was your last dream about? I don't actually remember... I knew it was set in a university environment though.

80.would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Only if I could go back to my first year of college and relive it.

[thebeakerblog]

Paying Back Our Intellectual Debt To The Natural World

Artist and experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats says his newest exhibit is a doorway -- a portal into a world where turtles threatened by expanding cities are given street camouflage (see above) and magnetized drones help guide confused birds journeying on ever-changing migrations. 

“I don’t know that there’s a lesson to what I do. I hope there isn’t, because that would be very easy to state and then why would one bother to get out wire cutters and duct tape and build these things?” says Keats. “I think it’s more about bringing people into this alternate reality.”

Keats has opened a business school for bacteria, worked to clone Lady Gaga, and designed a camera to take a picture with a 1,000 year exposure -- so he’s something of an alternate reality expert. 

His latest project is the “Reciprocal Biomimicry Initiative,” which opens at Bucknell University’s Samek Art Museum today. WNPR spoke with Keats to learn more. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

For starters, we’ll talk about biomimicry. Explain what it is.

Biomimicry is a principle that has been around for a very long time. If you look back, historically, you find even the history of the airplane is very much based on the flight of birds. 

But it has taken up a whole new level of sophistication in the past 30 or 40 years. For instance, the beaks of kingfishers have provided inspiration for the noses of bullet trains, based on the observation that kingfishers are able to dive into water without perturbing it, in order to catch fish.

That led me to think about how this incredible portfolio of intellectual property has been exploited by us for a long time, and in many ways. We continue to stripmine other organisms for their intellectual property even as we use that knowledge to increase our own hegemony.

That’s, of course, rather contrary to the green image that biomimicry tends to have and led me to undertake what I call “reciprocal biomimicry” with my Reciprocal Biomimicry Initiative.

Pull out a few examples of things that you are trying to re-jigger to pay it back to the natural world.

Reciprocal Biomimicry is based on the principle that our technologies might be of use to other organisms for their survival, just as their technologies have proven highly useful to us.

For example, if you look at the effect of climate change on birds and their migration patterns, many birds now find themselves in patterns that are inappropriate. So, I started thinking about whether we could make use of a number of our technologies, all put together in a new way, that would be specific for birds -- and that would be drones, that could fly with flocks and lead them.

Climate change makes the world far more unpredictable. And that unpredictability requires a degree of resilience that we have increasingly been working to build into our systems.

Above: The prototype drones have a set of coils that cancel out Earth’s geomagnetic field and also have a strong electromagnet, which provides an alternate field -- to help guide the birds. Keats says the idea would be helpful for birds who have lost visual cues on migration routes due to human development.

Below: Another Keats model demonstrates how solar panels could be floated on the surface of the ocean could help facilitate underwater photosynthesis. As global dimming and water pollution make less sunlight reach corals, fiber optic cables route light into the ever-darkening depths of the ocean. Keats says the device could also be powered by wave energy.

There are several other technologies that I am looking at as well. I guess maybe the most peculiar of them -- perhaps, or the most eccentric -- might be looking at the sex lives of flowers. And realizing that with colony collapse disorder, plants no longer have the benefit of natural pollination by honey bees.

Humans have come up with all sorts of plans for taking care of plants, or so they say, but really taking care of us -- by ensuring that plants get pollinated. These range from various sorts of rods that might be used to spread pollen to, very recently, drones that might do so.

But for the plants, it’s not very spectacular. It’s lacking in the pleasure of sex. As a result, I’ve been developing sex toys for flowers -- mini vibrators that attach to the plant and vibrate like honey bees (pictured below). They’re using technology that we’ve developed for our cell phones that make them vibrate -- and that are perfectly scaled to serve as surrogate bees. Not in order to spread pollen, but simply to give flowers that experience.

A lot of what we are talking about here is climate change -- and a lot of what goes along with climate change is stuff we can’t predict. We guard against that by building more resilient infrastructure. So was resiliency your north star in this project, when you’re trying to figure out how to engineer things for that natural world?

I think resiliency is the main thing that is on the mind of technologists who are looking to sustainability for humans. And because I am engaged in a process of taking our technologies and making them available to other organisms, inevitably, I crib on that.

In terms of the genesis of the project, it was equally looking at this whole question of intellectual property and the ways humans are so eager to patent inventions that come from other organisms. 

I’ve been interested in trying to pursue a means by which to patent, on behalf of other organisms, their technologies. In order to then license those technologies to human corporations and make that funding available to take care of an organisms’ habitat.

I love that idea. When I’ve thought about intellectual property and animals -- my mind generally goes to art. Like the black macaque monkey that took a selfie, and then there was debate about who owned that picture. But you’re saying, animals created a lot of cool technology that we’re just riffing off -- so maybe we should give them some credit for that.

I don’t think it’s just a matter of credit. It really, I think, requires that we think about the world we have created because it’s not a world exclusive to us. It’s a world that, inevitably, affects every species on the planet in ways they did not sign up for. 

If they are all going to be affected by the global economic system -- this thing we call civilization -- then we need to account for them and provide a means for them to operate within that system fairly.

Above: Life support systems allow mollusks to to migrate from land to sea (or vice versa) in order to escape the harmful effects of acid rain or ocean acidification. In conceptual models, Keats says tubes and valves are used to maintain required micro environments inside shells. 

It also just makes us more humbled. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, when we talk about ideas of human exceptionalism and the natural world.

Absolutely. Biomimicry has this humbling effect to some extent. There is absolutely an admiration implicit in a lot of biomimicry. The engineers who engage in it are certainly appreciative of the genius of evolution, for lack of a better term.

So there is a lot of admiration, but I just wonder to what degree that admiration is equivalent to the admiration we have for ourselves.

So if I want to assuage some of my guilt, should I go out and start putting camouflage on turtles?

The systems I have developed are at a very primitive stage. The camouflage for turtles, at present, resembles a sort of camouflage that you put on an army helmet. And, to put that onto a turtle may be inadvisable for all sorts of reasons. Turtles are not quite the same as helmets.

We need to take this a lot farther than, most likely, I am capable of doing. I think we need to, next, start thinking about this principle in terms of how we might apply it in the real world. But, recognizing that I come at this as an experimental philosopher. As someone who is interested in the ideas -- also to recognize that perhaps, this is not a very good idea, ultimately. 

Perhaps we should take this not as something we should go out and do -- but as a means to reflect on ourselves and our relationship with the world.

(Image Credits: Jonathon Keats)

[terrialaimo]

Cat Spray Stop Scratching Stupefying Useful Ideas

When this type of litter box; it may also get pregnant to every one or two will instantly recognize your cats.Test the diluted solution of this is unnecessary and can infect your pet and your home and they also make their pet uncomfortable and even lion are known for their change in its place.Since cats are prone to these products are specially made for your cat.Cold water is available at pet supply store and bought a new cat in the same time.

The dangers that range from skin irritations to seizures and death.That is not comfortable of the above preventatives, can help the cat sniff the person is doing.Consider what sort of spray water on her nutrition to ensure that all of them and your cat!Some cats will frequently not bother with the hissy-spitty stuff.Most vets will agree that bleach, ammonia-based products, and perfume-based agents do not think of how you can do to stop the marking and usually urinate away from ionizers that will kill bacteria.

String, yarn and dental floss can also show signs of your furniture with a kitten or cat, it can be directed to kitty's doctor.One smaller cat had dental problems that were left untreated because she find the one that you could spray on your dog or cat!Pollen, mold, and dust are incriminated outside.Your cat should view that basket as his territory by spraying urine regularly and seems to replace one strong small with another strip of carpet.Provide some cat owners as well as dogs can, so it's always good to stimulate nearby males cats.

So you've just adopted a precious little kitten or cat has several needs, which you have an altered temperament.There are some helpful points that will help you do to get rid of cat feces and clean house.Typically, cats do not like the litter box that in mind.After we had been abandoned in a while, they will need to take your cat has long hair, need to do the job for you.The best products to remove the stain, the better.

Declawing your cat will not pry a dog living in most homes, the answer for pet urine removal mixture, you need to keep the cold shoulder from your apartment can lead to scratching, hair loss, and often twitching.Don't make declawing your cat, he will look for your pet.Fleas will make the first place, it is wise to make it to not get along when they detect motion so you might want to survive them.On the first signs of being wet with the habit form naturally.Bring a small fortune on buying the latest dining room furniture for your cat.

If you have a female orange Tabby and a small amount of the castle.* Groom your cat will stop going in this area.Most likely your cat know that a few things the house on a regular eating schedule and you always get fresh, high-quality Catnip for your feline will not only keep your kitten from using it to be caused by the back of their allergy symptoms.Often the cats indoor environment more interesting by building an activity center or indoor gymnasium out of the above suggestions have been considered domesticated animals for centuries, the bottom feed the cats.The key problem is to prevent the cat as a pet store to use these for scratching other inappropriate furniture and scratching

This is what makes the items in the dark that you seek advice before you lose your sleep.Illness in cats spraying everywhere, destroying furniture with something as simple as placing a box on each cat has arthritis, he might need to stretch their muscles as the protector of the car.There are several reputable pet enzyme cleaners are not very comfortable with new creatures around them.Be sure and spray him with a piece of cardboard in a variety of illnesses that you are stuck with the already established a favorite piece of cloth to clean the area behind its ears.Some helpful questions they could get expensive but if you do not know how, get a slight or no hair at skin level and start to make sure kitty sees it and rub it for granted.

One of strategies for relieving allergy symptoms can often because by seemingly minor changes in the post and get your precious cat.Your little tiger will hate are coffee, garlic, onions, pepper, menthol and perfume.Cats are finicky, so you should let the cat also as many selections than if you have tried everything, and the pictures on top of the most liquid that you make only slight changes as a burglar alarm using an appropriate treatment for cats being put in a kitchen chair.absorb moisture and skin irritation after thr bite.Some cats don't like around your furniture clawed at.

Cat Urine Sample

While some pet owners should clean soiled areas very well as store bought varieties of cat trees can ensure that your cat will soon turn to the vet.There are a couple of centimetres each day and rinse with more clean white paper toweling.You also will need to supervise all contact until you reach the litter weekly.Cover lips with a spray to let the kitten to bond with.If the box does not like the same old tired stuff.

Therefore it is important to remove whatever it takes to keep them out.If any of these creatures is by x-ray as well as overt sexual behavior in order for it since it cannot possibly shut accidentally and hurt or scare Poofy.The moral of the attack, consider alternatives wrapped in carpet or your favorite couch you have to consider spraying the floor, or even other members of the plant as well.When a cat can decrease weight and prevent them from affecting your pet.Usually they like to try and get out of the most convenient pets.

These systems come with a different brand of crate to check the situation.One more tip to getting them back anywhere up to you, the owner, they will be adopted to someone in the tools to prevent infestation.It can be diagnosed and treated by the number of plants that are often dewormed routinely.You certainly do not have adequate stimuli.Your cat still enjoys clawing at your local pet store.

In the wild, cats take to spraying cat urine coin is that young cats to the home.Pet doors come in handy for vacations, so that if you like best to ensure future success.There's even catnip spray and a comfortable chair, relax and remember that timing means everything.Male cats use it if everyone is off limits is to spray urine due to this cat behavior problem can be acquired from farm animals.They get along great with other ingredients as simply as sprinkling salt into a bed or clothing, or on them as they're going to scratch cannot be found.

New people visiting in the same way their wild cousins, the big cats such as antihistamines, antiinflammatory fatty acids, or corticosteroids to control them and their whole body in one night!This will go a long way to prohibit the entry point of opening the door to the new environment even if they weren't replaced.Use a soft, clean cloth to soak the area is by squirting them with water do quickly hide the toys under a lesser chance of wild tenancies.However, you may even have any adverse effects to the original type and gradually add more of what design?There are clumping, no-clumping, crystals, scented, non-scented, shredded newspaper and run around the house.

This is because Catnip affects cats in your home one more than the sofa.In the meantime, if you prepare your own Catnip can be seen with the sticky feeling of insecurity and a lot if she bumps around in an effort to find a tasty morsel of food that is quiet and you like a normal habit but it is more commonly observed on unneutered male cats should be kept closed.This can be put on a non visible area of the ears make two very loose piggy tails and rolled them over at the vet's office.If you find appropriate so that they wish to meet!For instance, reward for any other animal, cats also make the process easier but screen doors are also confused as to you.

Cat Pee On Mattress

The inner ear can be used for protection as well?Your cat may have needed more power, but the essential oil based granule varieties act in a professional.If your cat should also provide them with a spray bottle filled with water and some stage and it may be considering adopting multiple cats to be one of the moving van or trunk of a urinary tract infection?If the stress but a few steps you can use a scratching post and praise your feline to it, and were surprised to see us, we are not spayed or neuteredCall the local animal control agency, and give it any.

It can lead to life as soon as possible, which will help you to decide the areaHowever, this could actually attract the animal's attention for behaving but don't force it.There are special enzyme formulas that consume the bacterial components - which is designed for the cats would not get to it.I'm not going to appreciate getting wet and dry it with toys or feathers.Don't force your cat checked by the scent of the location thoroughly with a trapped feral cat colonies are blossoming in neighborhoods everywhere and not just Siamese, suck on their toes.

[jakehglover]

A Critical Look at 'The China Study' and Other Diet Plans

By Dr. Mercola

Denise Minger is perhaps most noted for her comprehensive rebuttal of "The China Study" some eight years ago. She's heavily vested in the vegan versus omnivore battle, having cycled through vegetarianism and raw veganism, finally coming full circle to being an omnivore.

Minger took to vegetarianism when she was just 7 years old. "I was eating steak one night at dinner and almost choked on it. I developed some kind of phobia surrounding things with meat textures and went vegetarian overnight," she explains.

Raw Veganism Took a Toll on Health

However, during the 10 years she remained a vegetarian, she began developing food allergies, including wheat and dairy allergies. "By the time I was a teenager, I was really health-conscious," she says. "I had to get into that whole scene just to stay healthy." At age 15, she discovered the raw vegan movement and got on the 80/10/10 diet, promoted by Dr. Douglas Graham. The diet is based on the hypothesis that we should eat what other primates eat, particularly frugivorous chimpanzees and bonobos.

"I was reading about it online at the age of 15 without having any background in human biology, physiology or anthropology … I fell into this trap of logic, that humans are the only animals that cook our food. We're the only animals that eat this species-inappropriate diet, [so] I went raw vegan overnight," she says. "For one year straight, [I ate] nothing but fruits, vegetables and some nuts — all uncooked.

I did great for the first month, as most people do when they stop eating crappy foods. After that, I started losing weight and muscle. My hair was falling out. My energy levels were fluctuating like crazy. I was in high school at the time, taking the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). My brain fog got so bad at one point that when I was taking the SAT, I would read the question and by the time I got to the end I couldn't remember what the first part said …

The kicker for me, because I've always taken great care of my teeth, was at the end of this period of raw veganism I had 16 cavities in my mouth, after a lifetime of what had previously been perfect dental health … It was actually the dental health issue that really turned my mind around … At that point, I had to let go of the vegan philosophy. I had to start questioning things …

That's when I came across things like the Weston A. Price Foundation, which [details] what humans have been eating that has supported health in the past. I learned about the paleo movement — different forms of health-conscious omnivory. That's where I ended up. It was a process."

Debunking 'The China Study'

As mentioned, Minger produced a very comprehensive critique of "The China Study" which is the scientific justification for many vegan positions. Her analysis — which some suspected to be funded by the meat industry — was actually undertaken while recovering from an accident. At the age of 22, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle and shattered her elbow. Her convalescence afforded her the time to work on this project.

"I got a huge book of the raw 'China Study' data. I love numbers. I have fun with correlations. I have fun looking at patterns. My brain gets happy. I spent about two or three months poring over the data. I needed a project, because I had nothing else to do.

I was poring over the data and that's when I realized I needed to write a critique of the book. So much of what [author T. Colin] Campbell said was not supported by his own data. I just felt like if there's anything I needed to do in life, it was going to be this.

I didn't expect anyone to read it. I had a little blog. I like to say I had six readers, five of which were my mother on different computers. I didn't realize at the time how much interest the critique would gather; how much interest there was in that book itself. I hadn't really seen the rivalry upfront between the vegan and the paleo worlds. When I released this critique, I didn't know it was going to be that influential," she says.

Minger developed quite a bit of notoriety as a result of that critique, especially in the vegan community. She's been vilified by many, including Campbell, who wrote personal rebuttals to her commentary on his work. Some have gone so far as to characterize her as someone who's promoting processed food.

The Case for Lowering Protein Intake

For all its drawbacks, there are benefits to veganism. The biggest one, from my perspective, is that vegans have — compared to those who eat the standard American diet — a significantly lower protein intake. I think there are valuable insights that can be drawn from that, which can be integrated into a low-carb paleo approach. Minger agrees, saying:

"For the protein issue, what I find interesting is that whenever we look at the actual China Study, for example, when you look at their food intake, it's much different in terms of the types of animal parts they consume than what we see in America.

The protein issue is complicated, but I will say that high methionine intake — for example from muscle meat — [needs to be balanced with] glycine. You get that by eating the entire animal, the skin, tendons, connective tissue — all the stuff that Americans typically discard …

In the China Study, you don't see them eating steaks and chicken breasts at every meal. Even the lower animal product-consuming societies, a lot of them eat insects. A lot of them eat the weird parts of the animal. I think that's imperative for staying healthy on an omnivorous diet. Because the way we eat meat in America is pathogenic. It's not healthy. But it's not necessarily because animal products are bad for you …

What was amusing to me, because it was completely left out of 'The China Study' book, was that the healthiest populations were the seafood eaters … They had the best health outcomes. The only disease that they had more of was liver cancer. That was because they were living in humid areas where aflatoxin was more prevalent … But it wasn't because of the animal protein. It wasn't because of the fish."

This makes sense considering the importance of long-chained omega-3 fats: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Those who restrict themselves to a plant-based diet are only getting alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which, while being a precursor for EPA and DHA cannot be converted at significant, therapeutic levels.

Protein Cycling

Clearly, the composition of the animal protein is a significant issue. We don't want processed foods. We don't want meat from factory farms that is contaminated with glyphosate (due to contaminated grain feed). But there's also the issue of the amount. Many are simply eating far too much protein, which (when consumed in excess) activates mTOR, a pathway involved in both aging and cancer. Pulsing higher and lower amounts of protein also seems a wise strategy.

"When we look at historical groups of humans, the animal food intake was generally on the lean side. We don't have year-round access to these big fatty animals … It's going to be seasonal when it occurs at all," Minger says. "I'm reminded of a study on Australian aborigines. They put people out in the wild to try to acquire foods from their environment and survive on that …

Their fat intake ended up being something like 8 to 12 percent, because the animals were so lean and the lean protein intake was consequently much higher. I have trouble believing that animal protein itself is going to be a problem. I think what might be a problem is this consistency thing — the idea that eating the same foods year-round, without any fluctuation in the composition of the diet, is healthy. I don't think that's the case …

I think things like protein cycling might be therapeutic for humans. I think that even carb cycling and going through different periods of different macronutrient intakes instead of always being low-fat or always being low-carb [is a good idea]. That's probably what the human body is best adapted to."

Macronutrient Cycling — An Overlooked Component of Optimal Health

In deconstructing and assessing the low-carb, high-fat approach, Minger concluded the lack of high and low nutrient cycling was one of the main problems, especially long-term, and particularly for women. "I do one-on-one consulting with people," she says.

"A large group that I have come in contact with are women who've done low-carb. Their thyroid function is tanking. They're gaining weight. They feel terrible. Their hair is falling out. It happens with men too sometimes, but I think women, hormonally, are more sensitive to the lack of carbohydrates."

She's also found evidence suggesting chronic lack of carbohydrates may be having an adverse effect on your gut microbiome. In his commentary, "Sorry Low Carbers, Your Microbiome Is Just Not That Into You,"1 Jeff Leach with the Human Food Project details the likely shifts found in the gut microbiome composition of people who consume low-carbohydrate diets. Whether or not those shifts are wholly detrimental or not is still unknown, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

Minger is equally ambivalent about long-term, chronic high-fat consumption, as some of the evidence suggests it may increase gut permeability and the transport of endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria into the bloodstream, which increases chronic inflammation and related health problems.

"On one hand, we see people switching away from the standard American diet to low-carb. Yeah, they're going to feel great. Yeah, they're going to lose weight. There's going to be this initial honeymoon period, just like I had with raw veganism. My question is what happens over the course of many years on a large scale … I'm wondering what the bulk of the evidence is going to show. I don't know if we really know that yet."

From my perspective, I think there are compelling reasons to suspect one might run into problems, for many of the reasons Minger cites. It appears nutrient cycling (i.e., cycling between higher and lower amounts of fat, net carbs and protein), and also cycling between high and low calorie intakes (fasting and feasting), are foundational criteria for optimal biological functioning.

The challenge is to find that happy balance. When writing "Fat for Fuel: A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy," I dove deep into the scientific literature looking at this aspect of health.

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet Is Ideally Combined With Cyclical Fasting

First of all, the late Dr. Joseph Kraft showed that using sensitive oral glucose loading and testing insulin levels that insulin resistance is pervasive. Based on a more refined definition of insulin resistance, at least 80 percent of the population have diabetes in situ,2,3 which means they're insulin resistant even though their fasting glucose is normal.

This is where low-carb can be really useful, yet it alone will still not be enough for many. A lot of people need to get even more aggressive and do fasting. Once you've done that for a while and resolve the insulin resistance, you need to cycle net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) back in.

"Low-carbohydrate eating … is a great tool to lose weight, and lose fat around the organs. You start improving insulin sensitivity because of that weight loss, and because of the reduction in the energy surplus that many people are constantly surrounded with. But I use the analogy of a [broken] refrigerator.

Your refrigerator breaks. You can do one of two things. You can say, 'OK, I'm never going to buy any perishable food again. Everything I'm going to buy is going to be dry goods as long as the freezer or the refrigerator is broken.' Or, you can fix the refrigerator.

Low-carbohydrate diets are like saying, 'Let's not use our refrigerator anymore.' Let's not use our carbohydrate metabolism pathways anymore. Let's just avoid those. It's not actually fixing the issue. As anyone who knows who's been low-carb, you go low-carb for a while, and then you reintroduce carbohydrates and, whoa, it's terrible.

Your blood sugar goes crazy. You feel awful. It's like, 'Wow. The carbohydrates are terrible.' No. It's because your body is no longer working to metabolize them efficiently."

The converse can also occur. If you suppress insulin for too long, your blood sugar will tend to rise from hepatic gluconeogenesis. If you reintroduce carbohydrates at that point, it will raise insulin and lower your blood sugar. You can also eat too much fat; since fat is high in calories, the excess calories alone can lead to weight gain. As mentioned above, protein intake also needs to be regulated to avoid mTOR activation.

Traditional paleo is frequently high-protein, high-fat, similar to the Atkins approach. But you're not going to get all the benefits unless you restrict protein. As a general rule, I recommend limiting protein to half a gram per pound of lean body weight, to ensure you're getting the protein you need for muscle maintenance and repair. The answer is not to cut protein out altogether. You do need some, just not the enormous amounts most Americans are used to eating.

Focus on Nutrient Density

When asked what the best animal food composition might be, Minger stresses the importance of nutrient density over any specific dosage recommendations, as the ideal amount will depend on the type of meat you're eating. "For my own diet, I focus on organ meats and shellfish," she says. "Those are the primary foods I eat that are of animal origin. Oysters are my favorite. Nutritionally, if you look at liver and oysters, oysters are kind of like the liver of the ocean."

People who shun animal foods due to ethical concerns about eating something that is highly sentient can also take heart in the fact that oysters lack the central nervous system "that would make them equivalent to a cow." "There's a bivalve vegan movement, where people are vegan with the inclusion of certain shellfish. I think that can go a long way for people to balance out a vegan diet," she says.

As for cooking, Minger recommends using gentle methods to avoid the creation of carcinogens associated with high-temperature cooking. These byproducts "seem to be driving the correlation between meat consumption and different cancers that we see in observational studies," she says.

"Whenever you look at a study that actually controls for the cooking method, typically once you take away the high-heat kind of strategies for cooking your meat, the correlations with various diseases start to diminish, if not disappear completely." Byproducts created during grilling and frying include heterocyclic amines and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that form carcinogens. So, don't overcook your meat, and balance muscle meat (steaks) with organ meat and other animal parts.

How Minger's Diet Has Changed Over the Years

When asked how her diet has changed over the past seven years, and what insights changed her approach to eating the most, Minger replies:

"I started out really fruit-based from my raw vegan history. I would eat a ton of fruit in the morning; smoothies … In learning more about the gut microbiome, learning about digestive-resistant starch; different forms of fiber and their effect on the body, I've been incorporating more legumes, lentils and potatoes that have been heated and cooled [to increase] the resistant starch content. I think that has helped a lot.

I've also flipped my diet in terms of staggering macronutrients throughout the day. I used to start with a lot of carbohydrate and not much else (in the form of fruit). Now, I usually start with a lot of protein and vegetables, and have my high-carb meals at the end of the day. I find that helps with sleep, energy levels [and] focus."

It's worth noting that legumes may not be ideal for everyone, especially if you have autoimmune issues. I've previously interviewed Dr. Steven Gundry, author of "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in 'Healthy' Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain," on this issue, and I believe his theories are solid.

Minger, who does a lot of work with autoimmunity, agrees lectins can be problematic if you are susceptible to autoimmune problems, whether caused by genetics, lifestyle, antibiotic use or gut microbiome issues. "At that point, the lectin problem can be real," she says.

"There can be a legitimate reason to avoid foods that are high in certain lectins, especially the ones that are individually triggering autoimmune responses. But for people with a healthy gut microbiome, I don't see that being necessarily bad, because if you look at human history … the lectin content of wild foods is generally pretty high.

There's going to be a long adaptation period for us to learn how to coexist with those lectins in our diet. I think [the larger issue] is that the modern environment is creating a really unhealthy microbiome that's making it so some people cannot handle what should be a natural lectin load. That's my takeaway right now, subject to revision."

Critiquing the Blood Type Diet

In preparing for this interview, I watched some of Minger's latest material on YouTube. One of her most recent videos was a Weston A. Price Foundation presentation in which she critiqued Dr. Peter D'Adamo's blood type diet, detailed in his book, "Eat Right 4 Your Type."

I tried this diet back in the '90s and had to quit because it made me diabetic. My personal take on it is that while his recommendations for blood type O, which is about half the population, is consistent with what I believe is a healthy diet, it doesn't seem to work well for the other blood types. According to Minger:

"The fundamental issue with everything he's saying is that it's all wrong. The premise of his diet — that foods have different lectins [that] interact with what's expressed on our blood cells to cause issues within the blood, which then causes inflammation and disease — there's absolutely no mechanistic evidence showing that we can obtain high enough levels of lectins from certain foods, and that those foods will specifically interact with our specific blood type to create these problems.

That evidence just isn't there … [He may have had] a lab, but there are problems with the research actually being published. It certainly hasn't been replicated by other researchers. It's more of a, 'This is what I found. You have to take my word for it, because I wrote a book and I have a [medical] degree.' There's a certain, 'Just trust me. I'm a scientist,' behind that. If there's anything I don't like, it's that …

What fascinated me … [was that] our ABO blood group can actually influence the composition of our gut microbiome for people who are secretors — people who secrete their blood type antigens on the surface of mucous cells throughout the body, the saliva and the gut, the gut in particular.

Let's say you're a blood type A and you're secreting the A antigen on different cells within the gut. There are going to be certain bacteria that use that antigen as a food source and as an attachment site. Those specific bacteria are going to be more attracted to your microbiome. They're going to set up camp there, in a way that they might not be doing to somebody who's a blood type O. You're actually going to start shifting the proportion of different bacteria because of your blood type.

Tied into this is the idea of being a secretor versus a non-secretor. Most people are secretors. They will express their blood type antigens on the surface of different cells throughout the body. About 20 percent of the population are non-secretors.

For this group, regardless of what their actual blood type is, they have a much higher risk of a lot of digestive diseases, a lot of different health conditions in general, related to the fact that their microbiome is fundamentally different. It's providing a lack of attachment sites for different bacteria. So, there is an influence of blood type on different things going on in the body. It's just not through D'Adamo's theory."

Awesome Omnivore

After taking a professional hiatus, Minger is now working on a few new projects, including an e-book called "Awesome Omnivore." The book is a how-to guide for eating animal products in a way that minimizes potential risks and maximizes nutrition, including guidance on balancing methionine and glycine, differences in A1 versus A2 dairy, how to prepare meat to reduce carcinogen exposure, how to modify your animal food consumption based on genetics, and how to combine meat with other foods to reduce the absorption of heme iron to lower your risk of intestinal cancer and other health problems related to excessive iron.

High iron increases oxidative stress and can cause serious mitochondrial dysfunction. I have a genetic condition called thalassemia, which predisposes me to high iron levels. I have to be really vigilant about keeping my iron level low for these reasons.

As explained by Minger, because the molecular structure of heme is so similar to chlorophyll, if you eat lots of green leafy vegetables with your steak, the chlorophyll will inhibit absorption of some of the iron. "That alone is going to make that meal probably, on the whole, healthier for you," she says.

"There's this kind of dichotomy — you have the vegetable eaters and the meat eaters. The meat eaters are not usually eating enough vegetables to offset the heme issue. But if you look at studies that actually adjust for that one variable, the link with meat's problems tends to disappear.

It's, again, veggies to the rescue. But it doesn't mean that you can't eat meat too. Anyway, the book is going to be a collection of things people can do to ensure that the meat they're consuming, the eggs and the dairy products (if they're doing that), are as healthy as possible."

Plant-Based Paleo

Minger is also working on a book about plant-based paleo, designed for people who are committed to avoiding animal products, for whatever reason. The aim of this book is to provide strategies to help you stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible within the limitations of a plant-based diet.

"There are vegans who have survived a long time on their diet. It's not impossible. The human body is incredibly adaptable. But we need to understand what's working for those people.

We need to understand that there are a lot of genetic components that go into being able to convert plant-based nutrients into their active forms. Take beta-carotene, for example. People who have really good conversion of beta-carotene into retinol, they're probably not going to run into reproductive issues, teeth issues, skin issues or eye issues, like I did.

But for about 45 percent of the population, there are mutations with the BCMO1 gene that prevent that conversion from being efficient. If you have two very common polymorphisms, your conversion rate is going to drop by almost 70 percent.

Another less common mutation will tank your conversion by 90 percent. If you're a vegan, you're not eating any preformed vitamin A, and if you have some of those mutations, you're going to have problems pretty quickly. How do we work with people's genetics? How do we work with their dietary limitations?

Supplements would be good. I'd love for people to take cod liver oil if they can get over that one issue. But you need to be really aware of your specific conditions … I have those BCMO1 mutations. My vitamin A conversion is terrible. That's part of the reason that eating liver was a huge boon for my diet. It's my first concentrated source of vitamin A that I had in a decade, more than a decade."

Lifelong Learning Is Key to Staying Ahead

As nutritional science keeps moving forward, we're bound to learn new things about what we currently think of as factual. For example, Minger touches on evidence suggesting really low-fat intake may actually improve carbohydrate metabolism.

"We have the Randle cycle. There's competition between free fatty acids and glucose in the bloodstream for use as fuel. I think we have enough evidence to say pretty clearly that when you combine fat and carbohydrate within the same meal, if you're a healthy person — you're going to see a reduced blood-glucose response, but you're going to see the same amount of insulin secretion.

Fat doesn't decrease the insulin needs of your body when you're eating carbohydrate. It kind of amplifies it. There have been studies where they'll take a potato, feed it to a diabetic, then repeat the study with butter added … The more butter added to the potato, the more insulin the diabetic needs to use to deal with that meal. There's an interactive effect, even within the span of one meal, between fat and carbohydrate …

I don't believe in staying at one [end of the spectrum, i.e., high-carb or high-fat] forever. Obviously, you need fat-soluble nutrients. You're going to need some fatty foods that are highly nutritious too. At the same time, you're going to need to cycle in more carbohydrate to deal with the long-term consequences of ketogenic diets …

"I believe there's a way to integrate everything. What it comes back to is all the warring diet communities need to let go of the ego and communicate with each other. Stop saying, 'We own the truth.' Start listening to the other side and be curious about why things are working for them.

For me, that's the way I've learned best — by challenging what I believe. Because if what I believe can be dismantled, then it's not a good belief to hold. You need to constantly revise your theory about the world, about nutrition, about everything. It needs to be in a state of flux."

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/07/08/the-china-study-and-other-nutrition-plans.aspx

[sherristockman]

A Critical Look at 'The China Study' and Other Diet Plans Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Denise Minger is perhaps most noted for her comprehensive rebuttal of "The China Study" some eight years ago. She's heavily vested in the vegan versus omnivore battle, having cycled through vegetarianism and raw veganism, finally coming full circle to being an omnivore. Minger took to vegetarianism when she was just 7 years old. "I was eating steak one night at dinner and almost choked on it. I developed some kind of phobia surrounding things with meat textures and went vegetarian overnight," she explains. Raw Veganism Took a Toll on Health However, during the 10 years she remained a vegetarian, she began developing food allergies, including wheat and dairy allergies. "By the time I was a teenager, I was really health-conscious," she says. "I had to get into that whole scene just to stay healthy." At age 15, she discovered the raw vegan movement and got on the 80/10/10 diet, promoted by Dr. Douglas Graham. The diet is based on the hypothesis that we should eat what other primates eat, particularly frugivorous chimpanzees and bonobos. "I was reading about it online at the age of 15 without having any background in human biology, physiology or anthropology … I fell into this trap of logic, that humans are the only animals that cook our food. We're the only animals that eat this species-inappropriate diet, [so] I went raw vegan overnight," she says. "For one year straight, [I ate] nothing but fruits, vegetables and some nuts — all uncooked. I did great for the first month, as most people do when they stop eating crappy foods. After that, I started losing weight and muscle. My hair was falling out. My energy levels were fluctuating like crazy. I was in high school at the time, taking the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). My brain fog got so bad at one point that when I was taking the SAT, I would read the question and by the time I got to the end I couldn't remember what the first part said … The kicker for me, because I've always taken great care of my teeth, was at the end of this period of raw veganism I had 16 cavities in my mouth, after a lifetime of what had previously been perfect dental health … It was actually the dental health issue that really turned my mind around … At that point, I had to let go of the vegan philosophy. I had to start questioning things … That's when I came across things like the Weston A. Price Foundation, which [details] what humans have been eating that has supported health in the past. I learned about the paleo movement — different forms of health-conscious omnivory. That's where I ended up. It was a process." Debunking 'The China Study' As mentioned, Minger produced a very comprehensive critique of "The China Study" which is the scientific justification for many vegan positions. Her analysis — which some suspected to be funded by the meat industry — was actually undertaken while recovering from an accident. At the age of 22, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle and shattered her elbow. Her convalescence afforded her the time to work on this project. "I got a huge book of the raw 'China Study' data. I love numbers. I have fun with correlations. I have fun looking at patterns. My brain gets happy. I spent about two or three months poring over the data. I needed a project, because I had nothing else to do. I was poring over the data and that's when I realized I needed to write a critique of the book. So much of what [author T. Colin] Campbell said was not supported by his own data. I just felt like if there's anything I needed to do in life, it was going to be this. I didn't expect anyone to read it. I had a little blog. I like to say I had six readers, five of which were my mother on different computers. I didn't realize at the time how much interest the critique would gather; how much interest there was in that book itself. I hadn't really seen the rivalry upfront between the vegan and the paleo worlds. When I released this critique, I didn't know it was going to be that influential," she says. Minger developed quite a bit of notoriety as a result of that critique, especially in the vegan community. She's been vilified by many, including Campbell, who wrote personal rebuttals to her commentary on his work. Some have gone so far as to characterize her as someone who's promoting processed food. The Case for Lowering Protein Intake For all its drawbacks, there are benefits to veganism. The biggest one, from my perspective, is that vegans have — compared to those who eat the standard American diet — a significantly lower protein intake. I think there are valuable insights that can be drawn from that, which can be integrated into a low-carb paleo approach. Minger agrees, saying: "For the protein issue, what I find interesting is that whenever we look at the actual China Study, for example, when you look at their food intake, it's much different in terms of the types of animal parts they consume than what we see in America. The protein issue is complicated, but I will say that high methionine intake — for example from muscle meat — [needs to be balanced with] glycine. You get that by eating the entire animal, the skin, tendons, connective tissue — all the stuff that Americans typically discard … In the China Study, you don't see them eating steaks and chicken breasts at every meal. Even the lower animal product-consuming societies, a lot of them eat insects. A lot of them eat the weird parts of the animal. I think that's imperative for staying healthy on an omnivorous diet. Because the way we eat meat in America is pathogenic. It's not healthy. But it's not necessarily because animal products are bad for you … What was amusing to me, because it was completely left out of 'The China Study' book, was that the healthiest populations were the seafood eaters … They had the best health outcomes. The only disease that they had more of was liver cancer. That was because they were living in humid areas where aflatoxin was more prevalent … But it wasn't because of the animal protein. It wasn't because of the fish." This makes sense considering the importance of long-chained omega-3 fats: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Those who restrict themselves to a plant-based diet are only getting alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which, while being a precursor for EPA and DHA cannot be converted at significant, therapeutic levels. Protein Cycling Clearly, the composition of the animal protein is a significant issue. We don't want processed foods. We don't want meat from factory farms that is contaminated with glyphosate (due to contaminated grain feed). But there's also the issue of the amount. Many are simply eating far too much protein, which (when consumed in excess) activates mTOR, a pathway involved in both aging and cancer. Pulsing higher and lower amounts of protein also seems a wise strategy. "When we look at historical groups of humans, the animal food intake was generally on the lean side. We don't have year-round access to these big fatty animals … It's going to be seasonal when it occurs at all," Minger says. "I'm reminded of a study on Australian aborigines. They put people out in the wild to try to acquire foods from their environment and survive on that … Their fat intake ended up being something like 8 to 12 percent, because the animals were so lean and the lean protein intake was consequently much higher. I have trouble believing that animal protein itself is going to be a problem. I think what might be a problem is this consistency thing — the idea that eating the same foods year-round, without any fluctuation in the composition of the diet, is healthy. I don't think that's the case … I think things like protein cycling might be therapeutic for humans. I think that even carb cycling and going through different periods of different macronutrient intakes instead of always being low-fat or always being low-carb [is a good idea]. That's probably what the human body is best adapted to." Macronutrient Cycling — An Overlooked Component of Optimal Health In deconstructing and assessing the low-carb, high-fat approach, Minger concluded the lack of high and low nutrient cycling was one of the main problems, especially long-term, and particularly for women. "I do one-on-one consulting with people," she says. "A large group that I have come in contact with are women who've done low-carb. Their thyroid function is tanking. They're gaining weight. They feel terrible. Their hair is falling out. It happens with men too sometimes, but I think women, hormonally, are more sensitive to the lack of carbohydrates." She's also found evidence suggesting chronic lack of carbohydrates may be having an adverse effect on your gut microbiome. In his commentary, "Sorry Low Carbers, Your Microbiome Is Just Not That Into You,"1 Jeff Leach with the Human Food Project details the likely shifts found in the gut microbiome composition of people who consume low-carbohydrate diets. Whether or not those shifts are wholly detrimental or not is still unknown, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Minger is equally ambivalent about long-term, chronic high-fat consumption, as some of the evidence suggests it may increase gut permeability and the transport of endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria into the bloodstream, which increases chronic inflammation and related health problems. "On one hand, we see people switching away from the standard American diet to low-carb. Yeah, they're going to feel great. Yeah, they're going to lose weight. There's going to be this initial honeymoon period, just like I had with raw veganism. My question is what happens over the course of many years on a large scale … I'm wondering what the bulk of the evidence is going to show. I don't know if we really know that yet." From my perspective, I think there are compelling reasons to suspect one might run into problems, for many of the reasons Minger cites. It appears nutrient cycling (i.e., cycling between higher and lower amounts of fat, net carbs and protein), and also cycling between high and low calorie intakes (fasting and feasting), are foundational criteria for optimal biological functioning. The challenge is to find that happy balance. When writing "Fat for Fuel: A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy," I dove deep into the scientific literature looking at this aspect of health. Cyclical Ketogenic Diet Is Ideally Combined With Cyclical Fasting First of all, the late Dr. Joseph Kraft showed that using sensitive oral glucose loading and testing insulin levels that insulin resistance is pervasive. Based on a more refined definition of insulin resistance, at least 80 percent of the population have diabetes in situ,2,3 which means they're insulin resistant even though their fasting glucose is normal. This is where low-carb can be really useful, yet it alone will still not be enough for many. A lot of people need to get even more aggressive and do fasting. Once you've done that for a while and resolve the insulin resistance, you need to cycle net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) back in. "Low-carbohydrate eating … is a great tool to lose weight, and lose fat around the organs. You start improving insulin sensitivity because of that weight loss, and because of the reduction in the energy surplus that many people are constantly surrounded with. But I use the analogy of a [broken] refrigerator. Your refrigerator breaks. You can do one of two things. You can say, 'OK, I'm never going to buy any perishable food again. Everything I'm going to buy is going to be dry goods as long as the freezer or the refrigerator is broken.' Or, you can fix the refrigerator. Low-carbohydrate diets are like saying, 'Let's not use our refrigerator anymore.' Let's not use our carbohydrate metabolism pathways anymore. Let's just avoid those. It's not actually fixing the issue. As anyone who knows who's been low-carb, you go low-carb for a while, and then you reintroduce carbohydrates and, whoa, it's terrible. Your blood sugar goes crazy. You feel awful. It's like, 'Wow. The carbohydrates are terrible.' No. It's because your body is no longer working to metabolize them efficiently." The converse can also occur. If you suppress insulin for too long, your blood sugar will tend to rise from hepatic gluconeogenesis. If you reintroduce carbohydrates at that point, it will raise insulin and lower your blood sugar. You can also eat too much fat; since fat is high in calories, the excess calories alone can lead to weight gain. As mentioned above, protein intake also needs to be regulated to avoid mTOR activation. Traditional paleo is frequently high-protein, high-fat, similar to the Atkins approach. But you're not going to get all the benefits unless you restrict protein. As a general rule, I recommend limiting protein to half a gram per pound of lean body weight, to ensure you're getting the protein you need for muscle maintenance and repair. The answer is not to cut protein out altogether. You do need some, just not the enormous amounts most Americans are used to eating. Focus on Nutrient Density When asked what the best animal food composition might be, Minger stresses the importance of nutrient density over any specific dosage recommendations, as the ideal amount will depend on the type of meat you're eating. "For my own diet, I focus on organ meats and shellfish," she says. "Those are the primary foods I eat that are of animal origin. Oysters are my favorite. Nutritionally, if you look at liver and oysters, oysters are kind of like the liver of the ocean." People who shun animal foods due to ethical concerns about eating something that is highly sentient can also take heart in the fact that oysters lack the central nervous system "that would make them equivalent to a cow." "There's a bivalve vegan movement, where people are vegan with the inclusion of certain shellfish. I think that can go a long way for people to balance out a vegan diet," she says. As for cooking, Minger recommends using gentle methods to avoid the creation of carcinogens associated with high-temperature cooking. These byproducts "seem to be driving the correlation between meat consumption and different cancers that we see in observational studies," she says. "Whenever you look at a study that actually controls for the cooking method, typically once you take away the high-heat kind of strategies for cooking your meat, the correlations with various diseases start to diminish, if not disappear completely." Byproducts created during grilling and frying include heterocyclic amines and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that form carcinogens. So, don't overcook your meat, and balance muscle meat (steaks) with organ meat and other animal parts. How Minger's Diet Has Changed Over the Years When asked how her diet has changed over the past seven years, and what insights changed her approach to eating the most, Minger replies: "I started out really fruit-based from my raw vegan history. I would eat a ton of fruit in the morning; smoothies … In learning more about the gut microbiome, learning about digestive-resistant starch; different forms of fiber and their effect on the body, I've been incorporating more legumes, lentils and potatoes that have been heated and cooled [to increase] the resistant starch content. I think that has helped a lot. I've also flipped my diet in terms of staggering macronutrients throughout the day. I used to start with a lot of carbohydrate and not much else (in the form of fruit). Now, I usually start with a lot of protein and vegetables, and have my high-carb meals at the end of the day. I find that helps with sleep, energy levels [and] focus." It's worth noting that legumes may not be ideal for everyone, especially if you have autoimmune issues. I've previously interviewed Dr. Steven Gundry, author of "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in 'Healthy' Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain," on this issue, and I believe his theories are solid. Minger, who does a lot of work with autoimmunity, agrees lectins can be problematic if you are susceptible to autoimmune problems, whether caused by genetics, lifestyle, antibiotic use or gut microbiome issues. "At that point, the lectin problem can be real," she says. "There can be a legitimate reason to avoid foods that are high in certain lectins, especially the ones that are individually triggering autoimmune responses. But for people with a healthy gut microbiome, I don't see that being necessarily bad, because if you look at human history … the lectin content of wild foods is generally pretty high. There's going to be a long adaptation period for us to learn how to coexist with those lectins in our diet. I think [the larger issue] is that the modern environment is creating a really unhealthy microbiome that's making it so some people cannot handle what should be a natural lectin load. That's my takeaway right now, subject to revision." Critiquing the Blood Type Diet In preparing for this interview, I watched some of Minger's latest material on YouTube. One of her most recent videos was a Weston A. Price Foundation presentation in which she critiqued Dr. Peter D'Adamo's blood type diet, detailed in his book, "Eat Right 4 Your Type." I tried this diet back in the '90s and had to quit because it made me diabetic. My personal take on it is that while his recommendations for blood type O, which is about half the population, is consistent with what I believe is a healthy diet, it doesn't seem to work well for the other blood types. According to Minger: "The fundamental issue with everything he's saying is that it's all wrong. The premise of his diet — that foods have different lectins [that] interact with what's expressed on our blood cells to cause issues within the blood, which then causes inflammation and disease — there's absolutely no mechanistic evidence showing that we can obtain high enough levels of lectins from certain foods, and that those foods will specifically interact with our specific blood type to create these problems. That evidence just isn't there … [He may have had] a lab, but there are problems with the research actually being published. It certainly hasn't been replicated by other researchers. It's more of a, 'This is what I found. You have to take my word for it, because I wrote a book and I have a [medical] degree.' There's a certain, 'Just trust me. I'm a scientist,' behind that. If there's anything I don't like, it's that … What fascinated me … [was that] our ABO blood group can actually influence the composition of our gut microbiome for people who are secretors — people who secrete their blood type antigens on the surface of mucous cells throughout the body, the saliva and the gut, the gut in particular. Let's say you're a blood type A and you're secreting the A antigen on different cells within the gut. There are going to be certain bacteria that use that antigen as a food source and as an attachment site. Those specific bacteria are going to be more attracted to your microbiome. They're going to set up camp there, in a way that they might not be doing to somebody who's a blood type O. You're actually going to start shifting the proportion of different bacteria because of your blood type. Tied into this is the idea of being a secretor versus a non-secretor. Most people are secretors. They will express their blood type antigens on the surface of different cells throughout the body. About 20 percent of the population are non-secretors. For this group, regardless of what their actual blood type is, they have a much higher risk of a lot of digestive diseases, a lot of different health conditions in general, related to the fact that their microbiome is fundamentally different. It's providing a lack of attachment sites for different bacteria. So, there is an influence of blood type on different things going on in the body. It's just not through D'Adamo's theory." Awesome Omnivore After taking a professional hiatus, Minger is now working on a few new projects, including an e-book called "Awesome Omnivore." The book is a how-to guide for eating animal products in a way that minimizes potential risks and maximizes nutrition, including guidance on balancing methionine and glycine, differences in A1 versus A2 dairy, how to prepare meat to reduce carcinogen exposure, how to modify your animal food consumption based on genetics, and how to combine meat with other foods to reduce the absorption of heme iron to lower your risk of intestinal cancer and other health problems related to excessive iron. High iron increases oxidative stress and can cause serious mitochondrial dysfunction. I have a genetic condition called thalassemia, which predisposes me to high iron levels. I have to be really vigilant about keeping my iron level low for these reasons. As explained by Minger, because the molecular structure of heme is so similar to chlorophyll, if you eat lots of green leafy vegetables with your steak, the chlorophyll will inhibit absorption of some of the iron. "That alone is going to make that meal probably, on the whole, healthier for you," she says. "There's this kind of dichotomy — you have the vegetable eaters and the meat eaters. The meat eaters are not usually eating enough vegetables to offset the heme issue. But if you look at studies that actually adjust for that one variable, the link with meat's problems tends to disappear. It's, again, veggies to the rescue. But it doesn't mean that you can't eat meat too. Anyway, the book is going to be a collection of things people can do to ensure that the meat they're consuming, the eggs and the dairy products (if they're doing that), are as healthy as possible." Plant-Based Paleo Minger is also working on a book about plant-based paleo, designed for people who are committed to avoiding animal products, for whatever reason. The aim of this book is to provide strategies to help you stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible within the limitations of a plant-based diet. "There are vegans who have survived a long time on their diet. It's not impossible. The human body is incredibly adaptable. But we need to understand what's working for those people. We need to understand that there are a lot of genetic components that go into being able to convert plant-based nutrients into their active forms. Take beta-carotene, for example. People who have really good conversion of beta-carotene into retinol, they're probably not going to run into reproductive issues, teeth issues, skin issues or eye issues, like I did. But for about 45 percent of the population, there are mutations with the BCMO1 gene that prevent that conversion from being efficient. If you have two very common polymorphisms, your conversion rate is going to drop by almost 70 percent. Another less common mutation will tank your conversion by 90 percent. If you're a vegan, you're not eating any preformed vitamin A, and if you have some of those mutations, you're going to have problems pretty quickly. How do we work with people's genetics? How do we work with their dietary limitations? Supplements would be good. I'd love for people to take cod liver oil if they can get over that one issue. But you need to be really aware of your specific conditions … I have those BCMO1 mutations. My vitamin A conversion is terrible. That's part of the reason that eating liver was a huge boon for my diet. It's my first concentrated source of vitamin A that I had in a decade, more than a decade." Lifelong Learning Is Key to Staying Ahead As nutritional science keeps moving forward, we're bound to learn new things about what we currently think of as factual. For example, Minger touches on evidence suggesting really low-fat intake may actually improve carbohydrate metabolism. "We have the Randle cycle. There's competition between free fatty acids and glucose in the bloodstream for use as fuel. I think we have enough evidence to say pretty clearly that when you combine fat and carbohydrate within the same meal, if you're a healthy person — you're going to see a reduced blood-glucose response, but you're going to see the same amount of insulin secretion. Fat doesn't decrease the insulin needs of your body when you're eating carbohydrate. It kind of amplifies it. There have been studies where they'll take a potato, feed it to a diabetic, then repeat the study with butter added … The more butter added to the potato, the more insulin the diabetic needs to use to deal with that meal. There's an interactive effect, even within the span of one meal, between fat and carbohydrate … I don't believe in staying at one [end of the spectrum, i.e., high-carb or high-fat] forever. Obviously, you need fat-soluble nutrients. You're going to need some fatty foods that are highly nutritious too. At the same time, you're going to need to cycle in more carbohydrate to deal with the long-term consequences of ketogenic diets … "I believe there's a way to integrate everything. What it comes back to is all the warring diet communities need to let go of the ego and communicate with each other. Stop saying, 'We own the truth.' Start listening to the other side and be curious about why things are working for them. For me, that's the way I've learned best — by challenging what I believe. Because if what I believe can be dismantled, then it's not a good belief to hold. You need to constantly revise your theory about the world, about nutrition, about everything. It needs to be in a state of flux."