#and getting my cat's vet work off the ground

[missjamiekaye]

Support Your Local Lesbians

Hi hello! These two lesbian goobers (me and @hickorybird) are getting married this year. And I'm trying to raise as much money as I can to pay for it, get my car paid off, and whatever other odds and ends that need to be taken care of before some big life changes we're hoping to take.

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[mspeevee]

it really is your routine and chores that save your mental in your most horrid chaotic hours

[buckbutch]

I've lived my whole life with Angry Cis Men and I can't wait until I don't have to anymore..... screaming swearing saying slurs kicking and hitting shit over extremely minor inconveniences that you can hear through the whole house when their lives are much easier than mine it's so obnoxious and ridiculous

[marlynnofmany]

Handy Tools

For some people, an afternoon spent blasting across a desert on a hoverbike with the passenger behind them wrapping tentacles around their waist would be a charming date. For me, it was a work day, and our delivery was about to be late.

I yelled over the wind, “Am I going too fast for you?”

Mur’s voice was muffled against my shirt. “I’m just glad I don’t have to steer at these speeds. Keep going.”

I went faster. Now that I’d been officially trained on the hoverbike, I was going to enjoy every opportunity to use it. Especially since it turned out that most of my coworkers didn’t actually like seeing the scenery flash past at breakneck speeds, with the wind in their hair (or lack thereof).

Their loss. I caught some air going over a low sand dune, and allowed myself a whoop of joy. Mur didn’t hold on any tighter, but that was because he had all his other tentacles suctioned onto the bike. Nobody stays in their seat like a Strongarm who’s properly motivated. He reminded me of cats I’d known who spent trips to the vet with their claws sunk into whichever soft surface was in reach. All that was missing was the yowling.

A gust of wind buffeted us sideways, but the bike’s auto-balance function kept it upright. With a thought for how much I would have liked that kind of technology in my childhood bicycle, I steered us back on track toward the distant buildings on the edge of the desert. The plan had been for our client to come meet us at the spaceport, but something had come up on their end, and they still needed the package in a hurry. Luckily for all involved, it fit in the storage compartment of our courier ship’s speedy little hovercycle. And I was happy to deliver it at high speed to a building that the ship couldn’t land near.

Eventually we’d be weaving through city streets and I’ve have to slow down. All the more reason to make up time with the high speeds now.

But of course it couldn’t be that easy. As I crested another rise, a herd of small things on the ground swarmed toward us out of nowhere.

I swerved hard, but no luck; there were far too many to avoid. With the wind behind them, they flowed under the hoverbike and onto its lower parts, where a bunch of the round little whatevers stuck fast.

The bike coasted to a stop, despite my efforts to urge it faster. The rest of the things ghosted merrily away, looking more like inanimate objects blown by the wind than like living creatures. Dozens of them were stuck to the bike.

Mur swore loudly in his own language, a series of rippling pops that sounded like someone going to town on a bunch of birthday balloons. Which seemed pretty appropriate, actually.

“What are these?” I asked, turning off the engine. They looked like little sand-beige balloons with leaves at the bottom. Were they plants?

They were.

“A muddy problem is what they are,” Mur said, loosening his tentacles and opening the storage compartment. “Seed pods famous around here for gumming up electronics by getting stuck where they shouldn’t. You can’t just pull ‘em off; you have to pop them.”

I got to my feet, careful to keep my legs away from the things. “Are they dangerous to touch?”

Mur climbed halfway into the storage compartment, digging with his tentacles around the package. “No. Just hard to puncture. Where is the toolkit?”

I had a sudden memory of our ship’s mechanic saying something about borrowing it while I was talking to the captain about the delivery. Uh oh. “I think we left before Mimi put it back.”

With an angry tentacle slap against the bike, Mur dug faster. “There’s got to be something pointy in here. Maybe in the medkit?”

While he pulled that out and sifted through the bandages, I got a closer look at the seed pods. They reminded me of pufferfish: a little spiky, and rubbery when I poked one. Oddly enough, it didn’t stick to my finger, just the bike. Seeds rattled inside.

Further pop-swearing told me there wasn’t anything particularly sharp in the tiny medkit. Mur shut it with a snap and looked around at the desert. “See any sticks?”

I did not. “There’s probably something at the town, but that’s a bit of a walk. Are you sure we can’t just rip them open? Are they toxic to bite?”

“Definitely don’t bite them,” Mur said. “I’ve heard stories of what those seeds can do to a digestive system.”

“By hand, though?” I tried to pinch one, but it was like trying to tear open an over-inflated kickball. Thin material, just without enough give to dig my fingers in. A pushpin would have done it. I kept trying anyway. “I see what you mean.”

Mur started tugging at various parts of the hoverbike. “And of course we can’t take off a sharp metal bit without tools either. And neither of us have claws. What around here is pointy?”

“Well, I almost have claws,” I said, looking at my fingernails. “Maybe I could bite one into a point. Or actually—” The nail on my middle finger was the longest. I dug a thumbnail into the corner and ripped the end off, then handed the tiny crescent to Mur. “Is this sharp enough?”

“What’s this?” He took it in his tentacle, surprised.

“Fingernail,” I said, waggling my fingers. “Mine are soft enough to tear off pretty easily. It’ll grow back.”

Mur blinked in surprise but didn’t comment. He just grasped it firmly with his most dexterous tentacle, and popped a seedpod with it.

“Hooray!” I said as seeds rained down and the pod deflated. To my surprise, it promptly detached from the bike as well.

“We might just be on time after all.” Mur started popping with a vengeance, swarming over the bike to get everything within reach.

I sacrificed another fingernail — ring finger this time — and joined in. Between my long arms and his maneuverability, we soon had all of the troublesome things collapsing onto the sandy ground.

I wondered briefly about the biology at work; maybe the outer surface of the pods would decompose into nutrients for the seeds. But then Mur was climbing back onto the seat, and we had other things to worry about.

“I’m going to make sure that toolkit goes back where it belongs the moment we get back,” Mur said. He opened the storage compartment and dropped the fingernail inside. “Keeping these, though. Gimme the other one.”

I handed it over with a smile and got back into place while he shut the compartment. The bike started as if there had never been anything wrong. I was a bit curious about that too, but figured it was something for Mimi to figure out when he gave the bike a checkup later.

After we delivered our package, that is. I kicked it into high gear, and with Mur holding on for dear life, I blasted off across the desert once again. The wind in my hair felt great.

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[irlcats-bracket]

Bracket 3 THIRD PLACE BATTLE

SIMON versus JACK

SIMON

he's two years old but still looks like he's six months old. he also recently cost his father and submitter 4k because he likes to eat random stuff off the ground :) luckily he's adorable, loves to beat them all up in the morning to wake us up, and his little meows sound like, "ba-hoo!"

PROPAGANDA

he is scared of everything that is not his mom, dad, or brother. everything else is to be treated as an very scary, dangerous enemy

he once cost us over 4,000 dollars in vet bills because he loves to try to eat random stuff off the ground. my fiancé and i both work minimum wage so you can imagine how happy we were

he went missing for 15 hours once because he pushed through a window screen and jumped. he is the last cat who would ever willingly go outside so wtf simon ....

he is a gremlin who thinks the world revolves around him (it does)

he loves letting me dress him up in hats, dresses, and shirts!

he loves to lick my fiancés face at 5am and will dig up the covers to get to him

he helps himself to any glass of water left out, even if you're also drinking it

he doesn't understand why people aren't always willing to share their food with him- he wants some!! give him a lil taste!

he also sat like this once ?

anyways i reached the mobile photo limit i hope you like my boy!!

SIMON SWEEP ACTUALLY

SIMON HAS EVEN MORE PROPAGANDA!! click here to watch it on his human's blog

JACK

Jack is a tiny Manx cat, if you dont know what a Manx is they dont have a tail :) Jack is also missing the top of his left ear because he was a stray; Like a typical Manx cat Jack is super curious and loves to play and LOVES to cuddle and will typically spend all day in someone's lap. Jack is also best friend's with submitter's dog Apollo (A big husky!!) they love to cuddle, clean each other and play!

PROPAGANDA

JACK!!!!!

Kneading ->

VOTE JACK!!!!

you can also see EVEN MORE jack pictures here

because i hit my pic limit again

[bonfire-at-the-crossroads]

I’m going to try and list the events of today - just so I don’t lose track.

Dawn. Barnum got us moving by 7:00 as usual. Maggie had a pee accident in the night, and the stench was horrible. Bri took Bernie and Maggie out, I took Murphy, and followed up with the Woodge.

Fed the cats and started a fire in the stove in the kitchen. Yeah…we ran out heating oil yesterday afternoon. Had a limited supply of wood and coal, but it began to take the chill off…

Maggie threw up.

And now it gets serious. I googled up pyometra a deadly infection which un-spayed female dogs can get post-heat. Yup. Bri called the vet and talked them into seeing her immediately.

He called the fuel oil company and begged for a delivery - then off he went with Maggie into town.

I continued cleaning and moving things back to the studio - my client guy is coming at 2:00 to pick up his paintings. I bake two loaves of cinnamon bread, and loaf of white bread for tomorrow mornings breakfast. Swill down a cup of coffee, and keep tidying up.

The belt on the dryer busted yesterday, leaving me with two loads of wet laundry which will continue to be wet and will soon begin to get moldy. Bri ordered a replacement part and we will look forward to taking the dryer apart (AGAIN) in about a weeks time.

I mix a bucket of green mold killer and have a go at the front step and walkway - it’s become ridiculously slippery and neither one of us wants to hit the ground hard. I scrub with a chunk of old broom, and leave it to do its thing…

Bri returns with some cat and dog food procured from the vets - but no Maggie. “Shes going to have surgery today. She’s infected and has to have a hysterectomy.”

Barnum had surgery four days ago to remove a cancerous mass in his belly. Now it’s Maggie’s turn.

I take Murphy out again, apply the xeroxed info onto the back of all the completed paintings, and keep tidying. Magda the vet calls to say that Maggie will be operated on this evening, and promises to call and let us know how things went.

The oil guy shows up, pumps €500 into the tank - and leaves. Bri goes out to jump start the boiler.

It doesn’t start. “I’m going to drive to Belleek and buy more wood and coal” - and so he does.

I find the boiler-guys phone number. He’ll be here in two hours.

My client shows up, we chat, drink coffee - he refuses my cinnamon bread, but likes Woodgie very much? We load his Mercedes with the paintings (he’s brought me another BIG one) - I tuck several of my pillows and blankets around the art to cushion them for the ride home.

He does not hand me money.

Which leaves John the boiler guy unpaid. He arrives, works his magic over the next hour - I wrap up a fat slice of cinnamon bread and tell him we will drop his money off at his house tommorrow.

I start making the dough for tonight’s pizza. A figure looms in the doorway - it’s Pat. “I’m just coming from a funeral in Kilty and had to stop as we were passing. Do you mind if I show some people your house?”

Pat is always welcome, I would say “drunk or sober” but somehow we never see “sober”

He rolls in. He is followed by four other people from the funeral - three of whom are smashed. The kind woman who IS sober apologizes for the drop-in, but it really doesn’t matter at this point. They are roaming around the house, tripping over dogs and enjoying Pats tour.

The funeral is for a young g man who “was shot” -?! There is confusion as to whether it was suicide? “In his side” - and yet nobody mentions murder. We offer our sincere condolences.

The tour comes to an end, they all roll outside again - and we bid them farewell- “safe home.”

It’s now 8:00. The pizza dough is rising, the dogs are passed out in front of the fire - and we still have not heard from the vet.

It’s been a day, and no mistake.

[jamenvs3000f24]

Blog 5!

Since there is no blog prompt for this week, I thought to write about post-grad plans and what lies ahead for the future. This is mainly what I am thinking about as my undergraduate journey is coming to an end.  I have found many interests in a variety of subjects over my years here in Guelph. I have such love for animals and have wanted to be a vet for a long time. Growing up I always had animals surrounding me, whether it be dogs, cats, cows, horses etc, there was always something there. Their beauty, joy and peacefulness opened a lot for me and how I want to help them in so many ways. I know vet school is highly competitive, so I have my back-up plans just encase.

Here is a picture of my dog Dexter! He is the best thing in this entire world and I couldn't ask for a better friend.

My interest in how our immune system fights off bacterial infections, has prompted me to investigate cellular mechanisms. Working in a hospital to try and help people understand what might be wrong with them would be amazing. If being around animals and helping them does not work out then doing the same for humans is just as good.

There are always thoughts in the back of mind, the “what ifs”. “What if my grades aren’t high enough to get into whatever program”, “What if I don’t find a job right after graduating my program?”.  For me this must deal with my past, present, and future self. If I am being to focused on past things or what I want my future to be cause me to miss out on some things happening in the present. Being an overthinker and wanting things to go how I’ve planned (even though it might not) may cause me to be dissociated from present events. Dwelling on past grades that I cannot change, are not going to help me improve in my future courses. I need to focus on my present with my current courses so I can do even better in them and enjoying what is left of undergrad with my friends. 

I am very dedicated into keeping my relationship with nature in addition to concentrating on my grades, keeping in touch with friends and family, and handling everything else that comes with finishing undergrad. For me, our natural world has always provided peace and clarity during stressful times. Even when I place a high value on personal relationships and academics, I also understand that spending sometime outside is very good to my wellbeing. I want to make time for walks or even taking the time to study outside for a bit. These moments not only help me clear my mind but they let me be away from a screen just for a bit and ground myself before going back to studying. 

I'm learning to strike a balance between setting objectives and living in the present as I consider what the future may bring. I'm determined to make the most of my remaining college days and to remain rooted in the things that make me happy and fulfilled, no matter where this journey takes me.

[cheval-grand]

i was gonna vaguepost this because it's really dumb but actually no. i want to talk about this because it's been the highlight of my week since my cat passed away (he was 22, couldn't be helped, but still hurts a lot) which is that Raleigh, the horse youtuber behind RaleighLink just made the most ironic mistake ever

basically TL;DR the girl whose entire internet career was built on destroying and humiliating people for not being entirely educated on proper horse care...didn't do good enough research on moving her horses, and they paid some consequences. I feel bad for her horses, but the irony is so, so delicious.

she just moved her horses to florida. like. just did that. and posted a video a week ago about how terrible it went. like. as a floridian whose had horses...lmao! lol! rofl!

she talked in the video about how she didnt see anyone talking about the issues she had with her horses after they moved and went on to list...some seriously common issues. like. maybe ive just been surrounded by extremely ambivalent horse people my whole life, but EVERYONE around me my whole life has talked about the biggest issues for moving horses even AROUND florida being

the bugs. you have to both check that the barn/area you're moving to isn't completely overrun with bugs and that some horses just wont be able to handle the bugs, mentally and/or physically. Bug repellents and treatments do NOT work here and the winters don't get cold enough to kill them off so if your horse can't handle bugs or you can't find a sufficiently bug-free boarding, you're screwed.

the grass. even if you're just moving a county over, you never EVER let your horse just into a pasture to bare graze. The richness of the grass varies between areas because of how florida is laid out so you dont let newly moved horses graze without at least an extremely restrictive muzzle or else you're risking colic from the grass change alone

do NOT. EVER. move your horses during the summer. its the worst heat imaginable. bugs in full force. dry spells that make the ground hell to walk on, then rain spells that flood entire pastures. and you're putting the stress of moving on your horse too?

and like. even if you decide to stick your head in the ground and ignore everyone else around here (understandable) you can ask a vet here and they will tell you this. like. for free.

plus, i am willing to bet major money from the fact that she mentioned putting her horses on a 50-acre barn and looking for horse properties that she was looking to move to Ocala, AKA the horse capital of the world. Which would be even funnier considering that the website for the county actually warns about some of these things when moving your horse there too.

basically what im gleaning from this is that she didn't consult with any florida horse people, any florida vets, or even do a deep enough search online for some extremely common issues, and her horses are, no surprise, having reactions to the bugs, and I suspect the grass too, as well as the sweltering heat of mid summer because of it.

again, i feel really bad for her horses, but the fact that THE PERSON who built a 300k+ youtube audience on attacking people for anything from actual horse abuse to simple beginner mistakes has...made a beginner mistake, is so hilariously ironic to me.

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

Do you think Stan will have a junk food phase in the beginning of his sobreity?

Cause I can't see him as a smoker, unless he stayed an edgy goth teenager

I can't see Kyle as a smoker either. Nor actually being fond of alcohol

I’m with you on that I can’t see either of them as a smoker really, but I must admit I can see Kyle having the occasional cigarette moreso than Stan (I have no explanation for this other than Jwink’s Winter Butterfly lmfao). None of my versions of the characters have done much smoking, other than the odd Kenny, Kyle, and Craig. Now if Stan’s foray with the goth kids continued, definitely, though I also enjoy when he has asthma so idk. Stan’s definitely not fond of weed tho, I will stand my ground on that Randy turned him off of it for life lmao.

Kyle I see as more of a wine guy on the occasion that he does want a drink (this is probably also Jwink’s fault tbh what can I say I enjoy a lot of their Kyles), but not in excess and pretty rarely. Ofc I’m of the headcanon that later timeline OJV Kyle has his trivia night hangouts at the local bistro with Craig, but that’s the only time either of them really drink, especially with their husbands in the program.

Onto the bulk of the ask! I ABSOLUTELY think Stan had a junk food phase in early sobriety! Excessive alcohol consumption kills your appetite and depletes your body of pretty much every vitamin in the book, and I said before that if Stan looks a little more filled out it probably means his drinking is under control. Once he’s over the withdrawal hump and can keep food down again, he’s RAVENOUS especially for anything that provides quick energy. Snacky type foods in particular, mainly in the evenings when he’d previously be drinking, as a replacement habit. And while I see him as more of a salty guy than a sweets guy (ironic considering what a sweetheart he is), he went crazy on the chocolate early on. He’s definitely a chocolate guy I stand by that. Ice cream was a staple in apartment 3 for a while. I feel like he was constantly eating for a hot minute there, recovering from his final bender and once his cravings calmed down, he got a lot more normal about food, which was a relief to both himself and Ky. He has a big appetite naturally when he’s healthy, but he also has kind of a sensitive stomach (bro likes spicy things but his digestive system doesn’t rip same) so he starts prioritizing what makes him feel good again. That’s also when he starts hitting the gym again, knowing that he feels better mentally when he’s moving his body, going on hikes, working out, and out of that depressive slump he can finally face his insecurities and apply at the vet clinic. And of course that’s when Moose comes into their lives. (Moose’s lore can be found under the Mooseposting tag I fucking love that cat) I really enjoy the idea of Stan and Kyle going to the gym together too, AND the idea of Stan working out with some of his AA buddies (can u tell I just really like talking about sober Stan). He’s definitely tried to get his sponsor to come with him too lmao but Mark’s old as hell and IS a smoker “c’mon dude, you can walk the track or something!” “I’m too old for that bullshit, Superman, get one of the younger kids to work out with ya” fuck I love Stan’s AA geezers I may do another Bedtime Story with them (his sponsor is deadass based on a real person I met a few years back). Also I love the headcanon that the buddies at undrunk club call him Superman.

But yes, eatin good, staying active, making his way through bags of hot cheetos (the lime ones for sure) even though he knows they’re gonna make him nauseous, that’s a much better habit for Stanathan than drinking is!!!

[number1villainstan]

Villain Pet AU

In which most/all of the villains/villain groups in MHA have their own pets/mascots. @cans-of-beans and I created this in a wild discord convo. Beans, if there's anything important I missed/that you want to elaborate on please add it on

League of Villains: Monchan, naturally. In this AU, he has a longevity/immortality Quirk (so Tomura can't hurt him by accident) and One For All (which he got by accident, by licking up some of All Might's blood during his battle with AFO while All Might was thinking about a successor). There is much debate in the League over whether he's haunted, weird, or just a Very Smart Good Boy. This is because the vestiges (mostly Nana) use an Ouija board to communicate through Monchan. (It was Toga and Twice's idea.)

Shie Hassaikai, specifically Chisaki: Shi, aka Four, a black cat that Chisaki adopted at Pops' request two years pre canon. (Also my personal favorite and therefore the longest section here.) The conversation went a little like this:

Pops: You need to develop empathy and be more human. Maybe taking care of a pet will help.

Chisaki, used to Pops indirectly insulting him: Oh thank god, for a second I thought you were going to shove a whole child at me.

Pops: Haha, no, I don't trust you with a child.

(Eri is hanging out with her grandfather for now. It's a marginally better situation.)

Four has an intelligence Quirk. She can't naturally understand human language or get into deep philosophy (and she still acts and thinks like a cat), but she understands some things that normal cats don't (like that feet are a part of humans and not the enemy) and can communicate concrete ideas with symbols that Kai taught her.

Her name is Four/Shi because in Japanese both death and four can be pronounced 'shi,' making four an unlucky number. I feel like Chisaki would be the type of person to play on that superstition.

Chisaki loves this cat. So much so that he gets/sews clothes for her. He tried to make her wear shoes too, to keep her feet off the dirty floors, but she hated them because they kept her from using her claws. Also, there is definitely a cat-sized lab coat among the clothes she has.

Gentle Criminal and La Brava: You know the whole "Kiwi and his goth gf" thing? Those are the birds these two have. Gentle has the goth gf, whose name is Bronte--sometimes he'll call her Miss/Madame Bronte for fun. Brava's multicolor bf's name is Cariño(so), which is Spanish for sweetheart/kind/loving/gentle. The birds are in love, naturally, and they often fly out with cameras attached to scope out areas Gentle and Brava are interested in for their videos/heists.

The MLA/PFL: Neither of us have gotten far enough into the story to meet them, so we decided for fun that they had a goldfish with a mecha suit a la Megamind. (This is subject to review.)

(Bonus: Natsuo, in this AU, is a vet and works at a veterinary clinic that (somehow) all of the villains attend to for their pets. The clinic is the only neutral ground that all of them respect.)

[upthewitchypunx]

It's a federal holiday, which means no mail, but I still pack orders because it's fun. I love our packing algorithm, but I know I can pack better. We upgraded the shipping extension making it better than it was.

There was a big USPS update that got rid of my beloved Regional Flat Rate boxes, sad. The algorithm now suggests parcel select ground from things I know I can fit in padded Flat Rate envelope at a comparative price. So, I hope that when people place and order and think it will get there in a week and shows up in 2 days they are excited.

Over the last few years I've taken a few stabs at getting our books into Google shopping and finally cracked that nut this weekend. It was messy and I only understand a bit of what I did, but it works! Which is exciting... I think. This means when you search for some books and zines we might pop up as a place to buy them. My next issue is setting up at Facebook/instagram store and while it's supposed to be set up, it's not working and it's really frustrating so I'm going to put that new task aside for a bit and be happy about the first part.

In sadder new, Cat Boss Jackie had a vet appointment and had a bunch of tests and we found that his kidney disease is now in stage 4. He's having issues walking with his back legs but he's still alert and curious. We had to block off the doors to the stairs because he keeps wanting to go upstairs or downstairs but we are worried about him falling. He is persistent. He has new medicine and our vet had some other suggestions, but we can't decide what's worth it for a 16 year old cat, ya know? Mostly we are concerned about his quality of life and he seems to be relatively ok for now.

So, ya, if you need some custom button, books or zines on magic, witchcraft, or folklore or some witchy supplies and want to support a senior cat, feel free to use coupon code: JACKIECAT at check out at Portland Button Works and the Spiral House Shop for 16% off.

[duchessofostergotlands]

I want to get a cat, and am massively overplanning...how did you prep for Ru? Do you have recs for getting cat toys/towers/fancy water fountains...

Hey :) Excellent news!! I was in a slightly odd position with Ru because he was abandoned with his three siblings as a kitten and it was my mum who found him, nursed him, and asked if I wanted him. So we were constantly talking, she was sending me pictures, I could ask her questions. I'd say that the biggest thing to remember about cats generally is they don't love change and they are incredibly particular about what they like and don't like but it seems to have no logical consistency to anyone other than them. My advice:

I'd start by asking whoever has the cat before what the cat is like and what they like. With my mum she was able to put his favourite fleecy blanket in with him when he travelled - which I still have and he still nuzzles every night - and some of the food he'd been eating in Spain so I could transition him to a similar British food. It was basically just to ease him in by making sure he had familiar things around him while he was adjusting. Even if they're at a shelter they might have a particular toy they like or they can tell you the brand of food the cat prefers. Gather as much intelligence as you can!

Don't invest in anything expensive before you get the cat. Go cheap and broad. Cats really do have their own personalities and they are notorious for ignoring expensive items but then becoming obsessive about a piece of rubbish you accidentally dropped. So you can use the information you gather in point 1 but otherwise just go to a budget place near you or even go to Amazon. Buy those sets with a bunch of different types of toys in them to try out. Obviously you don't want anything too poor quality, especially if it's for something like food - for example plastic bowls can irritate the skin under their chin - but I wouldn't splash out straight away. And then spend a few weeks watching the cat. Do they like to be in high places? They might like a cat tower. Do they seem fascinated by running water when you turn the tap on? They might like one of the fancy water fountain things. Do they keep taking their food out of the bowl and eating it on the ground? They might need a bowl that's a different shape, wider perhaps. Once you know they like a certain type of toy etc. you can invest in a more expensive, higher quality version - just be prepared they may hate it!!

If you can, take some time off after they arrive. I took the week off I think. I honestly don't know if this helps the cat at all but I get massive separation anxiety when I'm away from him for more than a few hours. I think even for people who are more chill, it is a change for you as much as it is for the cat so it's good for both of you to have time to adjust!

Identify a vet and get registered fairly quickly after they arrive. Being a pet owner is just living in perpetual fear something is going to happen to them and it is so comforting to know who you could call in an emergency. Things might work differently where you are but where I am you can just register your pet for free, you don't need to go in for a check up first or pay a membership or anything.

[eliza-writes-stuff]

huh, there's a cat

so i wrote a drabble about my man claude cuz i need more centric fics or im about to lose it dskjsdjk

here's the link for the ao3 version and this is just a drabble and i can make a regular post here lol

Claude went inside his apartment and he closed the door behind him, trying to be quiet. He carefully shifted his arms a bit, to make sure he’s holding it right. Especially underneath his trenchcoat which is wet from the pouring rain. 

The mutant cringes as he walks by as the water drops onto the floor. Luckily it’s wooden and not carpeted. Still, Claude has to clean it up by tomorrow. It would be annoying.

He stops in front of his couch. Claude unclasps his trench and slides his hand inside of it. When he pulls it out, a white cat with black front legs. It just lets him hold it like this without any trouble. It has to be domestic considering to be very trustworthy with the mutant. 

Claude lays the cat on his couch, giving it some space and time, so it can get used to his apartment. He keeps a close eye on it, to see if the cat freaks out. Frankly, it didn’t and just stared at him. He sighed in relief. 

The mutant turns away and pulls off the rest of his trenchcoat. He puts it away in a nearby laundry basket that’s piled with other clothes. Another reminder for the morning. Claude faces the couch and the cat is still staring at him with adorable curiosity. Claude somehow feels uneased.

It’s an animal. It won’t hurt him anyways. 

With instinct, his hand reaches for the cat’s hand. He pets it with gentle care and is mindful of his claws. The cat purrs and pushes its head further onto Claude. Perhaps it’s not a feral, stray cat. It might’ve been abandoned or lost. Poor thing. 

Ironically, the cat did follow him. Their only interest was his tail, trying to swat at it with its tiny paws. Out on the rainy streets. No wonder people would find them adorable in this cruel world. He had no choice, but to pick up the poor thing. 

He remembers the Chaser did complain about having cat fur stuck onto his pants. However, Claude finds it endearing from his close companion.

That’s right, the little guy must be hungry. Claude doesn’t have any cat food and it’s too late to ask the Chaser for any. He supposes he could whip something up. There should be some leftover dinner in the fridge. That he could give it to the cat.

So, he went into this small kitchen. Some of the dishes were piling up in the sink. However, the counters were clean enough to make something decent. Claude checks in the fridge. It’s not empty so he doesn’t have to go get the groceries, but he did find the leftovers. Which mostly consists of chicken and rice. 

Claude grabs it from the fridge and sets it on the counter. He also grabs a small bowl and has the sink pour water in it. This should be enough for the cat tonight. Then  by tomorrow, he’ll go to the vet to check it. He hopes his boss will let him off or push any work into him. Then again, Claude is reluctant to do any.

It pays him at least.

He sets down the bowl and the plate with leftovers on the polished ground. When it made a clink sound, the cat came into the kitchen at lightning speed. It immediately munches on the food. Somehow making a mess for themselves. Claude chuckled at the sight. 

“This isn’t so bad.” He lightly pets the cat. “Maybe I’ll get to keep you. It will be just you and me.”

[irlcats-bracket]

Bracket 3 Semifinals 1

Pricetag & Bandit vs Simon

PRICETAG

also named price in another submission

shes fat shes a terrible bitch and shes the love of submitter's life. they dont technically know her breed but she looks like a calico kinda. white and black and brown all over. their favorite spot to kiss her is the little brown diamond on top of her head, but she has all kinds of pretty markings. she'll cuddle submitter but not their parents and hisses at anyone else. hence the bitch. its SO funny. she doesnt "meow" so much as she chirps and yells. u touch her n its the worlds loudest MRAP. submitter leaves for work and they go "bye price!" and she goes "meep" and they say "i love you!" and she goes "mow" and it always makes them smile because she rarely does it to anyone else. shes so fat. she has a big ol premidorial pouch because shes 100% indoor and u can hear her claws go clicclicclic on the floor because shes so heavy. she likes to climb on peoples back. she chases moths but no other bugs and likes to make friends with neighborhood critters. she hates bellyrubs from everyone but submitter. if they leave their door open at night she creeps in and lays in the worst possible spot and makes it impossible to sleep. she makes the best bread loaf. shes so fucking round. SPHEREICAL. submitter love her more then anything ❤❤❤❤❤❤ (here submitter said that i can shrink it if i want to but no fucking way i am shrinking things abt a cat aside from their name maybe)

shes named after a canadian hockey player. submitter hates hockey. thanks uncle C dhsbdjjsjsjsjs

PROPAGANDA

THATS MY FUCKING CAT!!!!

GO VOTE FOR MY CAT!!!!!

how could you possibly vote against this face 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 shes the roundest, bitchiest cat in the whole world and shes my best friend. stealer of cream cheese and hearts.

heres a small collection of price pictures where i think she looks exceptionally round

vote for price orb. shes practically a perfect circle. what more could you want

also look how polite she is

BANDIT

submitter's sweet baby boy. He passed away recently, and submitter misses him dearly. He was the softest cat they'd ever pet, and that's not just them being biased. His fur was silk. He was the friendliest cat too, and when he heard new voices he was always up to come meet people. He also enjoyed being around people, and you could always find him in a room with the family. He enjoyed terrorizing the family dog whenevr he got riled up (dont worry, she enojoyed it too), and he loved to bother submitter's parents when they started working from home. Any call submitter had with their folks, he would always make a background appearance, yelling quite loudly. He also had some of the loudest snoring theyve ever heard, and they're so lucky to have a small audio recording of him sleeping. Submitter had him since they were 8, and he was nearly 17 years old when he passed away. Submitter tries to sleep with a crook in their knee so if he's ever lonely, he can come cuddle.

SIMON

he's two years old but still looks like he's six months old. he also recently cost his father and submitter 4k because he likes to eat random stuff off the ground :) luckily he's adorable, loves to beat them all up in the morning to wake us up, and his little meows sound like, "ba-hoo!"

PROPAGANDA

he is scared of everything that is not his mom, dad, or brother. everything else is to be treated as an very scary, dangerous enemy

he once cost us over 4,000 dollars in vet bills because he loves to try to eat random stuff off the ground. my fiancé and i both work minimum wage so you can imagine how happy we were

he went missing for 15 hours once because he pushed through a window screen and jumped. he is the last cat who would ever willingly go outside so wtf simon ....

he is a gremlin who thinks the world revolves around him (it does)

he loves letting me dress him up in hats, dresses, and shirts!

he loves to lick my fiancés face at 5am and will dig up the covers to get to him

he helps himself to any glass of water left out, even if you're also drinking it

he doesn't understand why people aren't always willing to share their food with him- he wants some!! give him a lil taste!

he also sat like this once ?

anyways i reached the mobile photo limit i hope you like my boy!!

SIMON SWEEP

[northsaskhunter]

Things my dumbass daughters have done in the one year I've had them (not in order) :

- ate my watch charger

- tried eating my bear hide

- ate the hair out of the shower drain

- broke into the shower while I was using it

- refuse to let me close the window despite it getting down to almost zero at night because father we will scream if we can't sniff the outside sniffs

- pee'd in the sink. Three times (I took them out to my parents. They don't like leaving the house)

- pee'd on my bed, while I slept in said bed. I woke up because my leg was warm and one of them was scratching at the spot (happened the first time I took them to my parents)

- tried killing each other more than once. (All because I took them either to the Vet or my parents)

- stood on the top of my flat screen tv when it was mounted, seven feet off the ground. (How the fuck she got up there, I don't know)

- ran up my bedroom door and sat on the top of that (again, how the fuck?)

- scratch the carpet when their scratching post is deadass, four feet away

- tried to walk on the stove top after I had just turned the burner off

- ate two chicken breasts in one sitting (I airfried three. Two for me and one for them. had to share the second one)

- would probably inhale a whole hotdog if I let them

- dump their water dish out if its anywhere other than in the sink

- tracked toilet water down the hallway becuase my sister didn't close the toilet lid

- got pee'd on by my brother because he didn't fully close the bathroom door

- ran under my feet when I was wearing boots and got stepped on. She didn't learn anything

- sit in the bay window and stare at people going by

- the younger of the two tried to kill the vet after they got fixed so I had to go back and get her into the carrier. She proceeded to try to kill her sister so I had to borrow another carrier from the vet to get both of them home. (I am pricing out getting two slightly smaller carriers for future vet trips than the big one I have)

- hated each other for a good week and a bit after being fixed

- almost took my arm off because my sisters brought the little dog over to let them sniff. The cats did NOT want to be sniffed. I can still hear the screech that cat let out.

- how dare I have anything on the table or the counters

- how DARE I only put dry kibble in the food bowl. That food bowl is for food, not toys.

- they see anything that rattles, crinkles or skitters as a toy. Dry kibble is a toy that can be eaten after being batted from the kitchen down the hallway into the bedroom

-may currently be on a partial hunger strike because the grocery store didnt have the wet food I had been giving them. (The exact same brand except the one they liked was in a plastic container)

- refuse to eat any other flavour of wet food aside from "seafood"

- refuse to eat any type of kibble aside from iams or kitten kibble

- only sleep either between my legs or in the doggy-bed I have on my own bed. (They get flung often because I constantly move in my sleep)

- I'm like 80% sure one of them ate the empty tube my testosterone came in. It was on the counter and then it wasn't. I have swept and also checked in the vent on the floor and I still don't know where it went.

- do something bad and scatter the moment I stand up.

- almost took down my bedroom door when I had to lock them in there when I had a zoom interview

- rattle the closet door for hours on end when I'm trying to sleep

-pooped in the kitchen sink because I was taking too long cleaning the litter bin (deadass just put the dirty litter into the garbage when the beotch shat in the sink)

- knocked my fan off the bedside table while I was asleep. Fan ended up broken.

- Stare and scream at me through the glass door every day when I go to work even though they know I'll be back in six hours.

- stare and scream at me through the glass door every day when I get BACK from work

- take man-shits on the daily and stink up the entire house despite the litter box being in the farthest room in the house

- knocked my lava lamp off the mantle piece (thank fuck that didnt break)

- often knock the vent covers off the fireplace

- ate the corner of my Fallout New Vegas "New California Republic" flag

- only get sick on the carpets. Winnie's first time being sick was caught and I held her above the sink. She stayed away from the sink for the next few days because that was obviously the thing that made her sick

- knocked over a half empty pop can and stained the carpet brown

My girls, Winnie and Mary. (Winnie has all the toes)

I want to get a third one, a blonde one though, and name her Sarah.

having a cat is great. there's a small little animal wandering around. effervescent

[mikkimadison]

Ed had not been having a good day.

First, he woke up an hour before his alarm because Jazz made a mess in her crate. While cleaning that up, he'd found out he was almost out of cleaner and almost out of dog food, which meant he had to cram a trip to the store in on his lunch break. But then the meeting before lunch ran just five minutes longer than it was supposed to, leaving Ed scrambling to get food, get home to let Jazz out, and get to the store before he had to be back at work. And then he hit every red light on the way, so of course he was late.

Which meant he was late for his post-lunch meeting, and his manager reprimanded him, and it meant they might lose out on a very lucrative contract. Then, when he finally sat down to each lunch, stomach growling, he discovered he'd gotten the wrong order.

When he got home and saw Jazz had gotten out of her crate and proceeded to destroy his couch, Ed decided someone had it out for him. And he had a pretty good idea who.

He put Jazz's leash and harness on her, stuck a little bottle of wine out in the pocket of his coat, and went for a walk.

Jazz was thrilled about the walk, shoving her head into every third bush to smell whatever was living there, but Ed hauled her out with a promise to let her sniff as long as she wanted on the way back. With his luck right now, she'd get attacked by a cat he hadn't seen and they'd have to make an emergency trip to the vet, and that would delay this even longer.

The temple he needed to visit wasn't in one of the city's main districts, but further off the beaten path, in an area where there were a few temples to regional gods. Smaller gods, as it were.

Ed stomped up the stairs with his dog in tow and muttered the usual prayer at the door, and then set his small wine bottle in the alcove nearby for gifts. Now, now maybe things would go back to normal.

"No."

Ed whirled at the voice, but there was no one there. Only a cat sat on the ground a few feet away, fully black except for a ring of white fur around its eyes. It was almost lost in the evening shadows between the hanging lanterns except for its furry white mask and ̃glowing yellow-green eyes.

The cat meowed, and then repeated, clear as day, "No."

Jazz sniffed at the wall of the temple, showing no indication that she'd heard the cat at all. Which meant...

Ed glared at the cat. "No? What do you mean, no?"

The cat flopped on its side and lazily stretched. "It's been six weeks since your last visit. No prayers, no gifts, not even hardly a thought spared for old Min. One bottle of wine isn't going to cut it."

"I've been under a deadline at work," Ed said. "I've been busy, and every weekend's been booked."

Min's tail twitched. "And yet I bet you've made time for the others, haven't you?"

Ed winced. No point in lying. "Well, I was already in the temple district..."

"Oh, of course." Min scoffed. "Already down there, easy enough to bring gifts for health and travel, safety and fortune. So easy. So much harder to find your way to this temple, the temple of your childhood. So hard to spare a few minutes for the god of little lucks."

Ed closed his eyes and counted to ten. It was frustrating, but Min wasn't wrong. He got onto his knees and bowed. "Min, o god of little lucks, I'm sorry for neglecting you. Please accept my deepest apologies and tell me how to make it right."

Min rolled back up into a seated position and its tail twitched thoughtfully. "Make this pilgrimage each evening for one week, and bring a gift each time."

"A week?" Ed gaped. "Every day?!"

Something cracked above his head, and a tree branch landed just a foot away from him and Jazz.

"Oops," Min said.

Point made. "All right," Ed muttered. "But I can't afford wine each time."

"Tuna's fine." Min trotted to a low pillar and hopped on top of it. "And bring your mutt. She could use the exercise, hm?"

Ed looked at Jazz, who was still happily sniffing everything in a six-foot radius. This was the first time they'd been on a real walk in over a month. He'd been neglecting her, too. "Okay. I mean, yes, o god of little lucks."

Min purred and hopped down from the pillar, and then disappeared into the darkness without so much as a parting yowl.

Then again, maybe Ed really didn't need a god to say goodbye to him. Especially one who had him on its shit list.

He sighed and got to his feet. Jazz trotted over and leaned into his legs, her tongue lolling out between her teeth as she panted.

Ed gave her a good pat on the side. "What do you say we take the long way home, girl?"

Jazz woofed.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

Ed led her back down the stairs and onto the street, letting her sniff to her heart's content. Maybe after a longer walk, he'd feel like he'd made up for neglecting her for the past few weeks.

And maybe he'd also pick up some tuna on the way.

You’re a deity of something small and seemingly unimportant. You’re the first one the people stop praying and sacrificing to when things get dire. Oh, what fools they are.