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kaoru-takaida · 5 years

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LONG Character Survey: Kaoru Takaida

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Kaoru Takaida

NICKNAME: Kaokao, Little Kaoru, Ruru

AGE: 22

BIRTHDAY: 15th Sun of the First Astral Moon (January 15th)

ETHNIC GROUP: Auri (Xaela)

NATIONALITY: Sharlayan

LANGUAGE(S): Eorzean, Ancient Sharlayan, Allagan

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: ?

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Taken?

CLASS: Aether Manipulator

•Summons weapons using own Aether

•Favors Dancer Chakrams

HOMETOWN / AREA: NA

CURRENT HOMETOWN/ AREA: Mor Dhona

PROFESSION: Scion, Under-Archon

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Black/Pale Pink

EYES: Blue (right), Green (left)

NOSE: Small button

FACE: Sharp

LIPS: Thin and full

COMPLEXION: Fair

BLEMISHES: None

SCARS: Various battle scars on her torso including a big X Shaped on her right shoulder blade

TATTOOS: *New* Eye of the Archon Tattoo on the back of her left shoulder

HEIGHT: 4'9″

WEIGHT: 125 lbs

BUILD: Short, fit, fair

FEATURES: None

ALLERGIES: Rolanberries

USUAL HAIRSTYLE: Hair pulled up in a feathered layered messy tail, bangs pointed, two strings of 3 white beads with a white feather on each end hanging from the right side of her hair

USUAL FACE LOOK: Made up subtly, darker eye shadow, pink lips

USUAL CLOTHING: Elegant yet practical clothes paired with tight black shorts (like Alisaie's) usually with knee high boots or socks, normally platform boots

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR(S): Unable to help/save loved ones, thunder, voidsent, *new* Becoming a sin eater, Vauthry, failure

ASPIRATION(S): To become an Archon and live on as an Adventurer in honor of her parents

POSITIVE TRAITS: Empathetic, compassionate, prodigious, determined, friendly, mother hen, realist

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Emotionally driven, cynical, hells bent on protecting the Leveilleur Twins, directionally challenged (constantly getting lost), disregards her well being for others

ZODIAC: Capricorn

TEMPERAMENT: Mother hen

SOUL TYPE(S): Scholar, Artist, musician

ANIMALS: Fox

VICE HABIT(S): Reading, exploring, humming, training, studying

FAITH: The Twelve

GHOSTS?: Of course

AFTERLIFE?: I hope so

REINCARNATION?: Mayhap

ALIENS?: Well, there are other stars than ours. So Aye.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Pardon?

ECONOMIC PREFERENCE: Stable?

SOCIO POLITICAL POSITION: Have we any need of political talk right now?

EDUCATION LEVEL: Graduation from the Studium in Sharlayan, extensive knowledge of Aether Manipulation under Krile, *new* Archon training under Master Matoya

FAMILY.

FATHER: Ryuu Takaida (deceased)

MOTHER: Sakura (Enol) Takaida (deceased)

SIBLINGS: None that she knows of

EXTENDED FAMILY: House Leveilleur, The Takaida house being a sister house conjoined with the High House

NAME MEANING(S): "Takaida" means "prospers"

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: N/A

FAVORITES.

BOOK: "A Tale Of Three Stars" by Nuille Travers, a favorite among Sharlayan children

MOVIE PLAY: "The Little Prince"

5 SONGS:

• "Born to Be Yours" by Kygo, Imagine Dragons

• "Somebody to Die For" by Hurts

• "Face My Fears" by Hikaru Utada

• "Pieces" by Red

• "Your Guardian Angel" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

DEITY: Nymeia, Thaliak

HOLIDAY: Starlight

MONTH: January/ First Astral Moon

SEASON: Spring

PLACE: The Royal Menagerie

WEATHER: Fair skies, gentle breezes, quiet winds

SOUND: Wind chimes, Shishi Odoshi Bamboo Fountain (look it up ya nerds)

SCENT(S): Cherry Blossoms, musk, and grass

TASTE(S): Matcha, Sakura, Dark Chocolate, melon

FEEL(S): Silk, soft cloth, fuzzy blankets, warm sweaters

ANIMAL(S): Dog, cat, chocobo

NUMBER: 11

COLORS: Pastel pink, red, white, black

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Singing, dancing, drawing, taking care of people, seeing what others can't see

BAD AT: Directions, thinking of herself, letting the Leveilleur Twins do as they please

TURN ONS: Generously helping, brave, funny, calm, educated, creative

TURN OFFS: Pettiness, selfishness, self serving

HOBBIES: Singing, reading, studying, drawing, exploring

TROPES: Mother hen, soft scholar

AESTHETIC TAGS: Japanese cherry blossoms, pastel pink desserts, red and pink Japanese cultures

FC INFO.

MAIN FC(S): Hm?

ALT FC(S): I beg your pardon?

OLDER FC(S): Uh..

YOUNGER FC(S): No clue?

VOICE CLAIM(S): Hm?

GENDERBENT FC(S): I haven't the foggiest idea

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: IF YOU COULD WRITE YOUR CHARACTER YOUR WAY IN THEIR OWN MOVIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED, WHAT STYLE WOULD IT BE FILMED IN, AND WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?:

• I guess as a well shot Asian Drama but with the Fantasy and Adventure that Final Fantasy XIV is. I wouldn't really have a name for it since FFXIV Already has several.

Q2: WHAT WOULD THEIR SOUNDTRACK / SCORE SOUND LIKE?:

• I suppose the music would change depending on where the story took us, like Final Fantasy XIV does

Q3: WHY DID YOU START WRITING THIS CHARACTER?:

• Because she wanted to share her adventures?

Q4: WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS CHARACTER?:

• At first I wanted to create ME in a Final Fantasy game. But once I learned about the lore, and role playing, Kaoru became her own person (after a hot mess of a Phantasia phase) and now she is, though she is a culmination of my aesthetic preferences.

Q5: DESCRIBE THE BIGGEST THING YOU DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR MUSE:

• Well, having grown up with Alphinaud and Alisaie, she feels like she has a need to protect them. Even when they don't need it. She's dependent on her position as a somewhat aide to the Leveilleur Twins and their family that it prevents her from fully establishing herself independently. It causes alot of issues for her and the people she's close to, including the twins.

Q6: WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN COMMON WITH YOUR MUSE?:

• The mother hen instinct I guess is something we both share. Every place I work, they call me a mom despite me being super young. I always am there to help or listen to anyone's problems. And I always try to look out for my friends and colleagues. That's something that Kaoru ended up getting from me. That and her being directionally challenged. I get lost ALL the time.

Q7: HOW DOES YOUR MUSE FEEL ABOUT YOU?:

• I feel like Kaoru would be a bit cautious around me at first, but warm up to me when I try to listen to her and help her. She likes those types of people who are willing to help others.

Q8: WHAT CHARACTERS DOES YOUR MUSE HAVE INTERESTING INTERACTIONS WITH?

• Aside from obviously the Leveilleur Twins:

- Hope Gallant: Her best friend (@louderthanthedj )

- Tius Mason: my "alt" and sometimes her boyfriend, depending on who's chronicle you're reading

- G'raha Tia: Was always a great friend of Kaoru's and even a possible romantic interest that had mutual feelings for Kaoru *new* (even now)

- Arenvald Larentius: Since his joining the Scions, she's gotten closer and closer to him and now they've got a healthy and fulfilling friendship.

Q9: WHAT GIVES YOU INSPIRATION TO WRITE YOUR MUSE?

• Basically, I think of cool story scenarios I'd love to put a FFXIV spin on featuring my character and the beautiful Hope Gallant @louderthanthedj

Q10: HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE?:

A couple of days since I work a crap ton and my internet is poopy.

==========

Tagged by: @louderthanthedj

Tagging: @ranier-layarte @avwalya @rhymingteelookatme @lyllyan-weiss @scholarlostintime @fyrielle

#final fantasy xiv roleplay #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy xiv rp #final fantasy 14 #final fantasy 14 rp #ff14 #ffxiv #ffxiv rp #kaoru takaida #my wol #my warrior of light

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gardnerkathryn1993 · 4 years

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How To Get A Cat To Not Spray Astounding Ideas

To help the cat to scratch the furniture.But mostly keep a fresh supply of it anymore, but you probably don't come across cats who have cats and it was, we felt, normal cat behavior.Most vets will agree that bleach, ammonia-based products, and perfume-based agents do not like the scent, type, or get close to the pet more even-tempered.We discovered that each cat down a treat, but not the flea from your property.

That's a great deal of cats playing with them and see which one your cat will stop using the wrong place?What a lovely addition to skin inflammation.Trying to get rid of the larger the issue of doing this hideous act, you can prevent them coming back.Problem was that cat spraying its territory is threatened and they are in effect able to dig in but not for the coyote's swiftness.If you get the smell completely, you'll have a well-cared cat, you will have stronger smelling urine and that they find one?

Is kitty loved and does not have ever seen between a Bengal cat, chausie and.Most companies say you need to begin with, you need to understand where they will break down urine residue no longer produces the odors.Scratching is probably due to the presence of flea dirt from their extensive testing of various products on cats!If possible when you aren't feeling well, inspire you when they are in close proximity to one month without the company of other alternatives to this.However, when something goes wrong and your cat spraying, then finding the cat damages.

Either way, they need to stay closer to the scratching post.This revolutionary product, made especially for your cat a quality, natural diet you can put in the house.Relieving boredom - Provide a suitable scratch post, it teaches him that when he needs to know your cat's personality and hang-ups - just try out cat urine removal mixture, you need to do.For many of whom end up with an alternative available that send out high frequency sounds undetectable by human ears.You can use dips and sprays that can convert into a cat that suddenly begins to use a litter of kittens before spaying.

A cat will appreciate it because of leaving the root cause of scratching posts, and even for such a cycle which happens every three weeks and can cause the muscles and careful watching of your cat sprays.Older cats may be far more interested in the complex would stop and help the cat out, but this risk can be washed that your feet because he doesn't get bored and lethargic with the odor afterwards.I cannot speak on the fact that they oughtn't, and there was no way to do with me... that is, blaming the litter is not only may it not last long having been chomped down.Another natural and complete system of natural health care problems so owners should always start with a vacuuming.She probably has some effect, fresh catnip is enough to prevent this.

Prevention becomes even more effective, if motion sensing sprinklers are installed.There's a certain logic to a simple application.Here is how they groom and condition their claws however you should make his way over to the toilet you then won't come out in a pet store and see one another and showed them both a lot of people either love or to eliminate outside the litter box.One effective method to relieve these symptoms.Placing a length of hosepipe amongst your plants and shrubs will be greatly improved by keeping their females fertile and breed them for less money.

Both animals need to use options that your cat engages in this situation.This is necessary, because cats often helps in keeping cats away from a juvenile mindset.The type of chemical on your pet, it will help to absorb the acidic urine if you are not alone.When it comes to how to keep the kids away as cats are being underfed.They are more than three cats, one box per cat and checking the skin infection treated and continue to live with other kittens, he should make a noise with some tidbits.

Teflon or metal-coated combs are recommended for owners of cats will not want to please them.They are effective commercial cleaning solutions that smell of the most popular one in your mind is to determine what is going to mate your cat you will be effectively protected.The pain from the carpet remnant to pieces, I decided to have fleas by simple contact in the house.My Houston neighborhood has been treated with the cat protest against the legs of your cat/kitty?You may need to clean cat urine will have to obey in order to fulfill her needs.

Cat Spraying Up Front Door

o Take care cat fleas, many products today can eliminate the adult flea's progeny.Pour a straight solution of the mammary as well as the body can cause litter-box problems.Lemon-thyme, geranium and lavender are said to be more likely to be removed only tiny incisions are needed, usually with no bacteria or crystals present.If the cat can be resistant to the same spot especially when they can live for 10 years or even longer.Run around two or three cats, two of you and your furry friend should be tall enough for the Canadian Parliamentary Cats pack for behavior reasons.

They don't like any other animals know this for your own garden for some other treats on top of the way humans do.Sometimes they just watch their favorite treats or a sudden change in circumstances.They do this is still an experimental treatment.Scratching posts can be the male and female, neutered and unneutered may spray cat urine and stain removers use enzymes that reduce skin irritation.For instance, if you have to be obedient to you just keep coming back expecting anything else.

Keeping kitty's nails trimmed will certainly make an indoor pet or play time.We hope that some people who opt for some stupid reason, you want to set up a fuss we just got a dispenser that allowed them to small room with access to rooms, and even enjoy occasionally bathing and trimming the claws are popping.Keeping the sound of aluminum foil or tape that is reason enough for people are tempted to solve the problem will get used to feed and walk your puppy and dog urine.I use a powder or spray cat deterrent or put double sided tape can be the best products to use the litter boxYour cat is grown in over-farmed, mineral deficient soil.

Sometimes, it is dinner time, sometimes even batting at my hands if I try to get things rolling, but don't force Poofy to go through a clear indication your animal has a bacterial infection is often times referred to as flea dirt.Perhaps you could use a scratching post, take a lot of owners are always better than the cure when it is doing.Inject the cleaner in order to stop them fighting.Odor and stain often remain even after you have ever wondered if your cat is to have to contend with at one point or another.Cats do not have an improved life, and likely a longer one.

The following tips are designed to treat animals that have been proven to help eliminate the natural loving care and can't be heard by humans but the hoover copes with this problem and should occur about twice a week.Next you will need to show your love and tenderness.Does your cat away from the resident cat.If you allow them into the band on each floor of the box?Also stay away from people and the contents of clay litter was less than sympathetic treatment in addition to becoming restless and affectionate.

Unfortunately, cat urine can be taught, but it is a gradual process that much easier.With all the urine but it does take a lot of child proof stuff can be found.Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering of pets has other benefits for the intercourse.You then take some patience and supervision on your furniture without worry.And gum disease can also live under our carpets and upholstery is an instinctive and natural alternatives out there.

Cat Spraying Outside House

Some medical problems before you see your doctor for prescription nose sprays, antihistamine pills and immunotherapy {allergy shots} The allergy shots can improve your pet cat or you may have to punish your cat has an ammonia-like smell is entirely gone.Over the next morning at 7:00 AM to collect them.Cats love the rustle-y noises it makes, because they are feral kittens how to prevent the buildup of tartar on the whiskers & fill in under control.This will help you eliminate the flea drops when you stop this?The most important thing for you and your pet.

And that's how you will have the right place!Coyotes can run 60 miles per hour and will stay more focused if you live close to where they will immediately receive an unwanted pregnancy, ensure that in order to keep it healthy, for giving final touch to this unruly behavior seen in their tracks with preventive care.The reason why you need to more extreme tactics like locking them out of the childproofing techniques parents employ.All you need to know by nature that they make when she goes for cats will take several applications to completely eradicate it.You finally make it appealing by adding feathers and toys or household objects that are sticky.

#How To Get A Cat To Not Spray Astounding Ideas #Cat Spray Essential Oils

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healthchoicerhodeisland · 6 years

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Why Measles Is a Quintessential Political Issue of Our Time

There are TONS of false statements in this article. It does however state the bigger picture. There is reason not to trust the healthcare industry or government.

Why Measles Is a Quintessential Political Issue of Our Time

By Masha Gessen

March 2, 2019

Why would people who care about their children’s health choose to ignore the evidence-based recommendations of the government and health-care system?

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a timely and important hearing that had no hope of getting media attention on the same day that President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified before another committee. The overlooked hearing focussed on ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States. Between January 1st and February 21st, a hundred and fifty-nine cases of measles were diagnosed in ten states—more cases than there were in all of 2017. Measles is highly contagious and potentially deadly. It’s also entirely preventable through vaccination.

Testifying at the hearing were Anthony S. Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One after another, subcommittee members asked Messonnier and Fauci if measles was dangerous and vaccines were safe. The doctors, neither of whom is a stranger to public speaking, exchanged befuddled glances. How does one handle a question to which the answer is obvious? Time after time, Fauci and Messonnier handled the questions with grace and patience. Grace, though, is a double-edged sword: a polite, respectful response to an ignorant question inevitably affirms the impression that the question itself is valid.

Representative Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, asked Messonnier to answer “yes” or “no” to a question about the primary culprit behind the outbreaks: Is it “vaccine hesitancy and misinformation”? Messonnier responded with a diplomatic “Yes and no.” She explained that children who are not covered by health insurance are less likely to be vaccinated, which suggests that parents’ opposition to vaccination is not the only reason that fewer children are being vaccinated. In response to a later question from Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, Fauci was more decisive: he called disinformation “an important problem.” But he immediately cautioned against blaming parents who have bad information; the goal, he said, should be to provide them with better, evidence-based messaging.

Vaccination is a basic political issue, because it is the subject of community agreement. When a high-enough percentage of community members are immunized, a disease can be effectively vanquished. In epidemiological terms, this is known as “herd immunity,” which cannot be maintained below a certain threshold. When enough people reject the community agreement, they endanger the rest. Willfully unvaccinated adults and children can spread diseases to those who cannot be vaccinated or haven’t been vaccinated, such as infants and people with a compromised immune system; these vulnerable populations would probably be safe in conditions of herd immunity. Vaccination and the refusal to vaccinate are political acts: individual decisions that affect others and the very ability of people to inhabit common spaces.

Sitting behind Fauci was a woman who kept silently raising a book titled “How to End the Autism Epidemic.” The phrase refers to a bogus, long-ago debunked theory that preservatives that were once used in the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (M.M.R.) caused autism. The British gastroenterologist who once hypothesized this link lost his medical license years ago, but books, brochures, and articles promoting his theory continue to circulate and inspire people to reject vaccination and even to protest during congressional hearings.

Both Fauci and Messonnier repeatedly mentioned insular communities as hubs of measles outbreaks: Hasidic Jews in New York State (where an outbreak in 2018 and 2019 was apparently triggered by an infected visitor from Israel) and Somali-Americans in Minnesota, where, in 2017, an infected visitor from Somalia started an outbreak; both of these communities had many unvaccinated people. But a majority of vaccine resisters in this country are non-Jewish, white, educated Americans. While all states have laws that require vaccination, most allow for religious exemptions, and seventeen states allow people to refuse to vaccinate their children for reasons of personal philosophy. In other words, the suggestion that foreigners, immigrants, or tiny, strange religious minorities are overwhelmingly to blame for the measles outbreaks is misleading, as is the suggestion that lack of access to accurate information creates the conditions for poor vaccination coverage. From all available evidence, a majority of anti-vaxxers—educated white people, such as those who send their children to Waldorf schools—have access to public-health information and to vaccination; they choose not to believe and not to participate.

Measles is a quintessential political issue of the late two-thousand-teens, one that turns on the conflict between facts and lies. There has even been some reporting that Russian trolls have been spreading anti-vax propaganda. If they are, they are tapping into existing tensions and preconceptions, just like they do when they spread electoral propaganda. On Facebook, a tiny cluster of anti-vax pages seems to have disproportionate reach. And, just as with other kinds of propaganda, the key question is what makes the soil fertile for it.

Why would people who care about their children’s health choose to ignore the solid, evidence-based recommendations of the government and the health-care system? The simple answer is because they don’t trust the government or the health-care system. Theirs is not an unreasonable position. The American health-care system is opaque and profit-driven. Working in concert with the pharmaceutical industry, it gave us the deadly opioid epidemic. It gives us the highest infant-mortality and the lowest life-expectancy rates among the world’s developed countries—as well as the highest bills.

Not only do people not trust the health-care system but the health-care system itself doesn’t trust patients. It infantilizes them and keeps them in the dark. It ignores them when they ask for help, especially if they are female or black. It doesn’t take their word for anything. Americans who receive medical care abroad may find it striking to be treated as reasonable sources of information on their own bodies. I once flew to Australia for a three-week fellowship, only to discover upon arrival that I had left prescription medicine at home. The following day, a doctor at a Melbourne clinic heard me out and, clearly satisfied that I knew what I was talking about, wrote a prescription; the visit to the doctor cost sixty dollars, and the cost of my prescription medication was ten per cent of its price in the U.S. When I wrote a Facebook post about the experience, I was bombarded with stories that were similar to mine, by Americans who were shocked to have received fast and affordable medical care in countries that aren’t the U.S.—but, above all, they were shocked to have had an interaction based on trust.

About a year later, I sought treatment for a broken jaw, from a bicycling accident, at a New York City hospital. I needed a cat scan, and a young male intern insisted that I first take a pregnancy test. I told him that I’d had a radical hysterectomy several years earlier. I pointed out that I was fifty-one years old. I mentioned that I didn’t have sex with men. He wouldn’t budge. I don’t know what kind of concerns drove this protocol, but the protocol itself was clear: never take the patient’s word for anything.

The solution to under-vaccination lies not in getting the right kind of information and messaging to the “vaccine-hesitant” but in changing the politics of health care. Political agreement is unlikely among partners who do not trust each other, and near impossible when one side is explicitly profiting from the other. The American health-care system is ill-suited to protect public health, because a profit-driven industry cannot serve as the guardian of public good.

In the congressional hearing that everyone watched on Wednesday, Cohen implored Republican legislators to stop lying for the President as he said he had for years. They ignored him. Whether driven by perceived profit—financial or electoral—or willful belief, they would hold the line that they had adopted, facts and the public good be damned. In both hearings, one could observe the utter disintegration of politics.

Masha Gessen, a staff writer at The New Yorker, is the author of ten books, including, most recently, “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia,” which won the National Book Award in 2017, and “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin.”

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ssteezyy · 6 years

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Ask the Cat Doc: Why Is My Cat Overgrooming, How to Get Rid of Fleas on a Kitten, Senior Cat With Kidney Disase, and More

Welcome to our regular “Ask the Cat Doc With Dr. Lynn Bahr” segment! Once a month, Dr. Bahr answers as many of your questions as she can, and you can leave new questions for her in a comment.

Dr. Bahr graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991. Unlike most veterinarians, she did not grow up knowing that she would become a veterinarian. “It was a cat who got me interested in the practice and I am forever grateful to him,” said Dr. Bahr. Over the course of her veterinary career, Dr. Bahr found that the lifestyle of cats has changed dramatically. As the lifestyle of cats has changed, so did Dr. Bahr’s client education. In addition to finding medical solutions, she also encourages owners to enrich their home environments so that their cats can live long, happy, and healthy lives.

This new understanding led Dr. Bahr to combine her passion for strengthening the human-animal bond with her veterinary background and knowledge of what animals need and want to start her own solution-based cat product company, Dezi & Roo, inspired by two cats of the same names.

For more information about Dezi & Roo and their unique and innovative cat toys, please visit their website.

Recommendations for cat who is overgrooming her belly

My cat had been chewy hair off her tummy for years. Tried unsuccessfully to find cause. Thinking if it is food allergies, what food ingredients would you recommend and/or avoid? – Kari Deutschman

Hi Kari, I frequently see cats who overgroom their bellies and am sorry to hear that yours does it too. There are many possible reasons why some cats are prone to do this, and a possible food allergy is just one of them. Other causes include internal or external parasites, fungal infections like ringworm, urinary tract infection, abdominal inflammation or pain, inhalant or contact allergies, and even boredom or stress. I would recommend a visit to a veterinary dermatologist before you begin experimenting yourself with different foods. I believe it is prudent to rule out some of the other causes I mentioned above before assuming it is due to an ingredient in the food. If the cause ultimately comes down to a food allergy, then it is important that a controlled food study be done correctly so that you don’t start adding in all kinds of proteins that would make an elimination diet difficult to perform. Wouldn’t life be easier if our cats could talk? Good luck and please let me know if you are successful in figuring out what is causing your cat to overgroom her belly.

Maine Coon mix with congenital heart defect

Hello Dr. Bahr, I have a 3-1/2-year-old Maine Coon mix who has a serious congenital heart defect (a “dual chambered” right ventricle). He has had a couple of echocardiograms and the cardiologist says to just “treat him like a normal cat.” He gets short of breath at times and I can see that he is frequently hypoxic – his tongue is more blue than pink most of the time. His shortness of breath (panting with his mouth open) resolves after a few minutes of rest. My question is that he seems to be frequently uncomfortable, and he hisses at the other cats a lot – sometimes hissing just as he’s walking through a room. I suspect he gets headaches or something else related to his low oxygen levels. This seems to be worsening (at least, the hissing is more frequent than it used to be). He doesn’t actually dislike the other cats and often plays with them. He used to be so laid back! Do you have any advice for how to get him more oxygen? I’ve looked into renting an O2 tank but I don’t know how I’d administer it. My vet (she’s a cat vet) does not have any ideas for how to help him with this. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. – Renee Gagnon

Hi Renee, I am so sorry to hear that your boy is feeling worse and wish I had some pearls of wisdom to give you. Unfortunately, I don’t. If he has not been rechecked recently, I would suggest a follow-up visit with the cardiologist. Things can change quickly and it is possible that his condition has worsened. If fluid has accumulated in his chest, he may benefit from medications that can help remove it. He is fortunate to have such an observant and caring owner like you and it sounds like you have the appropriate veterinary team on board to help you. I am sending you and your boy healing prayers and hope you will keep me updated.

Will early neutering reduce aggression?

My spouse and I have a sweet female tiger kitten, and our son, who lives 2 hours away, has a male part-Siamese kitten who is a real “bully boy.” Both are about the same age, 4 months or so. When we visit, with Lucy, the 2 kittens romp like toddlers and they obviously love being together. Simon, has already scratched both of her eyes as he loves putting Lucy in a headlock and leaping on her. Simon’s vet does not want to neuter him until he is at least 6 months old, but I fear Lucy will be “in tatters” by then. (She was already spayed when we rescued her.). I know they are playing and really like each other but it is scary to watch. Would it be detrimental to Simon’s health to neuter him now? Or would that even help his aggression? Lucy is not an unwilling participant in the play, but she is not as strong and muscular as he is and unless she can run away, she is usually pinned under his biting mouth and flailing paws. Any suggestions would be appreciated. – Pat Hendrickson

Hi Pat, I am perplexed about a few things that you mentioned and am not sure why your veterinarian is recommending you wait until Simon is 6 months of age before neutering him, or how he could have scratched both of Lucy’s eyes. If Lucy suffered from bilateral corneal scratches, I would suspect something more common like herpes than injuries sustained from playing with Simon. It is unlikely he would have scratched both her eyes just from rough play.

If you were my client, assuming Simon is healthy, I would not hesitate to neuter him at 4 months of age. However, I would not expect it to change his behavior, which sounds to me like normal play. Cats at this age are learning many skills that help them navigate the world successfully and he and Lucy are just having fun. It is normal for kittens to play hard with each other and as you have seen, sometimes it can go a little too far. They will work it out between them and as long as Lucy does not seem frightened or intimated by Simon, I would not interfere or interrupt their antics. I am happy to hear they remain good friends and they are fortunate to have each other to rough and tumble with. Of course, parental supervision is always recommended and I commend you for watching out for the welfare of both of these kittens.

Has Lucy been spayed? If not, I would recommend you do so soon. There is no reason not to have both of these babies altered now before they are able to reproduce.

Is Dawn dish detergent safe to use on an 8-week-old kitten?

I adopted a kitten n she is now at 8 wks old. She has little fleas n she is an inside kitty but the boy cats must have brought them in from outside n the dog too. She too little for a collar or flea stuff, I think. Is Dawn dish detergent that has the duck on it-blue bottle safe to use on kitten for a bath? – Deborah Starks

Hi Deborah, Fleas are not just an annoyance but can also transmit serious diseases, result in blood loss, and cause unnecessary skin problems. You will not only need to remove the fleas from your new kitten, but it will be important for you to also treat your other pets and the environment as well.

Please consult with your veterinarian for the proper products to use in your situation. Too many of the over-the-counter products are toxic to cats, especially young ones like yours. However, she is old enough for some oral products you can get from your vet, which will quickly kill any fleas and are more effective than bathing her in Dawn.

However, it will not prevent the fleas in your environment from jumping right back on all of your pets which is why environmental control is important too. I never recommend bombs, toxic sprays, or over-the-counter collars and prefer you discuss safer alternatives with your veterinarian. Once you have eliminated the problem, it will be very important to continue preventative measures to make sure you never have this problem again. That will involve making sure all of your pets are protected.

Is it kidney disease?

Dr. Bahr, I have an 11-year-old tuxie female that I just adopted 2 years ago from a local shelter. Earlier this year I had blood work and ultrasound done on her because she had started displaying hiding behavior. The local vet who seems quite competent said she was in kidney failure. Her BUN level was 30 and her Creatinine was 1.9, which are still within normal limits according to the blood work copy I received. Is she actually experiencing kidney “failure” or is she simply in the early stages of kidney disease? And what kind of diet do you recommend for her? I’ve gone online to research it, but it seems no one agrees with how to help a kitty suffering from kidney disease. Also, the vet said her ultrasound showed a “snow globe” effect in her bladder. He said he didn’t know just what that meant, if anything. It’s really frustrating, especially since she’s such a sweet and cuddly little kitty! – Alice

Hi Alice, Thank you so much for adopting an older cat. Your new baby is so lucky to have you as her new mom and we wish you both many happy years together. While her BUN and Creatinine numbers are on the high end of normal, they are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to diagnosing and treating kidney disease. Knowing what her urine concentrating ability looks like, as well as, her phosphorus levels. body condition score, muscle condition score, urine sediment, and ultrasound evaluation are important factors to consider when diagnosing and treating kidney disease. Without this information it is not possible for me to answer your questions about diet appropriately.

If your veterinarian did not know what the ultrasound findings suggested, I would recommend you seek a second opinion. Unless you are able to diagnose the problem, it is much harder to resolve the problem.

I am interested to know more about her hiding behavior. I suspect it could be due to something other than her kidney values and would look for other causes. Unfortunately, without being able to put my hands on her for a full physical evaluation, I am not much help here either. Perhaps it would be in her best interest for you to seek another opinion to make sure something else isn’t being overlooked. Please let me know how it turns out and again thank you so much for bringing this gal into your home.

The post Ask the Cat Doc: Why Is My Cat Overgrooming, How to Get Rid of Fleas on a Kitten, Senior Cat With Kidney Disase, and More appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

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ezatluba · 7 years

Photo

Grain-free pet foods are no healthier, vets say. Focus on this nutrition issue instead.

By Jenna Gallegos

August 15

I call the dental chews I give my dog “guilt-a-bones,” because I can’t help but give her one every time I leave.

Losing weight is tough. It would be easier if a benevolent someone concerned about your health controlled exactly how much you ate and how often you exercised, right? That’s the situation for most dogs and cats in the United States, and yet the majority are overweight or obese.

As with our own dieting woes, the unpleasant prospect of the simple solution — feeding our furry friends less — makes us reach for alternative, quick-fix strategies. Many pet parents have turned to radically new menus. These grain-free, all-meat and raw-food diets are inspired by the meals eaten by wild relatives of our fidos and felixes.

But are these diets really better for our pets? Veterinarians and pet nutrition researchers say probably not.

According to clinical veterinary nutritionists at Tufts University, grain-free foods were one of the fastest-growing sectors of the pet food market in 2016. “All I ever hear is, oh, on a good diet, it’s grain free,” said Dena Lock, a veterinarian in Texas. The majority of her pet patients are overweight.

Why have these pet diets become so popular?

“It’s a marketing trend,” Lock said.

“Grain-free is marketing. It’s only marketing,” said Cailin Heinze, a small-animal nutritionist at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. “A lot of foods market themselves by what they’re not including,” and the implication is that the excluded ingredient must be bad.

“Grain-free is definitely a marketing technique that has been very successful,” said Jennifer Larsen, a clinical nutritionist at the University of California Veterinary School in Davis. (Disclosure: I went to graduate school at the University of California at Davis, but studied plants, not pets.) People think that if they pay a lot for food and there are a lot of exclusions on the bag, that the food is healthier, but “they’re buying an idea,” she said, “not necessarily a superior product.”

There is absolutely no data to support the idea that grain-free diets are better for pets, Heinze and Larsen noted.

Some pet owners have a false impression that grains are more likely to cause an allergic reaction, but “it’s much more common for dogs to have allergies to meat than to grain,” Heinze said. Chicken, beef, eggs, dairy and wheat are the most common allergies in dogs. And it’s not that there’s anything particularly allergenic about these foods, she said, they’re just the most frequently used ingredients.

Marketing campaigns for products such as “Taste of the Wild” or Blue Buffalo’s “Wilderness” claim that their grain-free, meat-forward formulations better reflect the ancestral diets of our dogs’ and cats’ evolutionary predecessors, but the veterinarians I spoke with also questioned this logic.

For one, our pets’ wild cousins aren’t all that healthy. “People believe that nature is best,” Larsen said, but “animals in the wild don’t live that long and they don’t lead very healthy lives.”

For dogs, we know that they have diverged from wolves genetically in their ability to digest starches. “Dogs aren’t wolves,” said Robert Wayne, a canine geneticist at UCLA. “They have adapted to a human diet.” Research in Wayne’s lab showed that most wolves carry two copies of a gene involved in starch digestion, while dogs have between 3 and 29 copies. According to Heinze, the average dog can easily handle 50 percent of its diet as carbs.

For cats, this argument makes a little more sense. Cats are carnivores rather than omnivores, so they have higher protein requirements than dogs, but “cats can digest and utilize carbohydrates quite well,” said Andrea Fascetti, a veterinary nutritionist at the University of California Veterinary School in Davis.

Many grain-free pet foods are made with starch from potatoes or lentils and they may be higher in fat. If you cut grains but increase calories, your pet is going to gain weight, Heinze said.

Dogs and cats also have a drastically different lifestyle from wolves or tigers. Pets are almost always spayed and neutered which is in itself a risk factor for obesity. And most live inside or in pens, so their energy needs are reduced dramatically.

In the wild, wolves and feline predators eat the hair, bones and cartilage of their prey, not just meat. For pet owners who do choose to feed their animals an all-meat diet, it’s essential to add supplements to make sure their pet isn’t missing out on key nutrients such as calcium, Fascetti said. And there’s the environmental impact to consider: Pets consume a quarter of all animal-derived calories in the United States.

Experts especially caution against feeding pets raw meat. “It’s not uncommon to find things like salmonella and E. coli and listeria in raw meat,” Larsen said. There are a lot of microbes present in our farming systems, and unlike when an animal is hunting in the wild, there are many opportunities for bacteria to contaminate meat between the time an animal is slaughtered and when it reaches our kitchens.

Even if eating contaminated meat doesn’t make pets sick, it poses a health risk to pet owners and their children who handle the pet food and waste. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration both warn against feeding raw meat to your pets, and “I really can’t advocate it, because it’s not safe for the whole family,” Heinze said.

But what about all those benefits you hear about from feeding a raw diet, like shiny coats and less frequent stools? “I can’t tell you how many clients send me pictures of poop,” Larsen said. But changes to a pet’s bathroom habits don’t have anything to do with their food being raw.

Raw diets tend to be lower in fiber, and high fiber probably results in larger stools. But we don’t have a sense of whether stool quality and quantity correlate with health, Fascetti said. And that shiny coat probably is because of high fat, Heinze said.

If pet owners wish to formulate their own diets, they should work with their veterinarian and a board-certified nutritionist. If you’re feeding your pet a balanced diet such as in a commercial chow, obesity is the biggest nutrition issue pet owners should worry about, Heinze said.

We want our pets to enjoy what they’re eating, so many foods and especially treats are formulated to be high in fat, Larsen said. Most people don’t realize that a milk bone has about as many calories as a candy bar, Lock said.

I know the struggle. My own hefty husky mix stares at me with her big brown eyes and licks the window whenever she wants food. I’ve taken to calling the dental chews I buy her “guilt-a-bones,” because I can’t help but give her one every time I leave.

But studies have found that feeding dogs to maintain a lean body weight has very positive effects on their overall health and can even increase life span. This is also the case in mice and rats, and “we believe that these findings apply to cats as well,” Fascetti said.

There’s no one magic diet for every animal. These experts strongly recommend working with your veterinarian to find a diet that works for you and your pet. When it comes to navigating marketing claims in the pet food aisle, Lock suggests finding a company that employs a veterinary nutritionist and does feeding trials. Try not to get too hung up on “the no list,” Heinze said. “Claims like no gluten, no grains, and no soy generally mean no science.”

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tempocblogaaabc · 8 years

Text

Morris

BIRTHDAY: May 19th

ZODIAC: Gemini

SPECIES: Human

GENDER: Male

FAMILY

Mother/Father - no idea man the kid was dropped off to live with his aunt so Aunt - caretaker

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Morris has flat long-ish black hair from not taking the actual time to at least try cutting it. He has a natural olive/tan skin tone. He carries a wiry body from his earlier days. About 5'8 or so. He usually wears a cracked pair of goggles on his head. The kid's got a fair share of scars, the most obvious one over his mouth. His wardrobe isn't really static, but commonly wears hoodies. He has blue eyes.

PERSONALITY

Morris is constantly on edge. He's constantly worried for the worst to come. He believes that he's more realistic than pessimistic. He hardly ever admits anything outright, dodging any personal questions whenever possible. His solution to most problems is to either avoid them altogether, or run away. He's often irritable, lacking people skills. He avoids people if he can, keeping to himself. He could pretty much be summed up as "properly paranoid". Though cowardly, he is able to stand his own in a fight.

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

SETTING

lmao the city still doesnt have a name im working on it

BACK STORY

Born in Mexico, his parents legally crossed the border in hopes to have more success in the US much like his mother's sister. Though not extremely wealthy, she lived decently and was more than willing to help them on their way. However, when he was still very young, his parents found that they wouldn't be able to afford raising him, passing him off to his aunt before moving on with their lives. He lived comfortably for the first ten years of his life before his aunt's business went downhill and moved to a shadier part of the city to keep rent down. His aunt resorted to fostering kids on the side in order to get paid by the state. Sure it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. One particular child stayed in her care for a long while due to complications (talking 11 months - 18 months). During this time, Morris grew very fond of her. Unfortunately, she wasn't the best influence, as she got into all sorts of shit and participated in gang life. Of course, he found this all to be cool/exciting and followed right in her footsteps. She was practically a big sister figure to him. He grew to cause havoc and participate in illegal shit for a good while (half a year?? idk). Which was all fine and dandy, he was p much enjoying himself and pissing off people. One day he's just going downtown and finds the corpse of his "big sister" in an alleyway. Needless to say it was bloody and morbid as shit and probably gave him some serious trauma. (He may have developed ptsd from this) The event had him snap and do a complete 180 after witnessing the body. He desperately tried to get out of gang life, but ended up not being able to escape.

FAVORITE COLOR?

Dark blue.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER COLLECT ANYTHING?

The shards of our broken hearts.

ALLERGIES?

ur bullshit

KIND OF CLOTHING?

Your average hoodies. Most tend to be cheap.

FAVORITE ANIMAL?

Dogs.

LEAST FAVORITE ANIMAL?

Bees. Flies.

WHAT ELEMENT WOULD THEY BE?

Water

ALIGNMENT?

True Neutral

DEADLY SIN THAT BEST REPRESENTS THEM?

Envy

WHICH ANIMAL WOULD THEY BE?

Maybe a coyote or a ferret.

SPECIAL SKILLS / TALENTS?

Nitrogen manipulation, picking locks, decent with a knife

PATIENCE LEVEL?

Pretty low

REGRETS?

[Hysterical laughing]

ROLE MODEL?

ded lmao

FAVORITE FOODS?

Probably fruits. Ones with juice like apples, oranges, ect.

DREAM PLACE TO LIVE?

In an actual house, preferably away from the city.

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION?

Foot.

PETS?

None. Often interacts with stray cats and dogs though.

WEAPON

Switchblade, Liquid Nitrogen

MOST APPROPRIATE TV TROPE(S)?

Heroic Sacrifice (in mafia) and Sour Outside, Sad Inside

SMELLS LIKE?

what

HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT LOVE?

He feels that it's well....dangerous.

LEAST FAVORITE COLOR?

White.

MAKES A LIVING BY?

Doesn't need to make a living seeing how he lives with his aunt. He tends to steal for extra money though.

FEARS OR PHOBIAS?

He's afraid of the future in general.

RACE, ETHNICITY AND NATIONALITY?

Mexican American.

BAD HABITS?

The whole scratching arms thing when he's nervous. Running away a lot.

IF THEY TRANSITIONED FROM THEIR WORLD TO OURS, HOW WOULD THEY REACT?

He'd be really relieved actually. Doesn't have to deal with all this OP gang bs.

DOES THEIR UNIVERSE HAVE A GOD?

(It's me)

PERSONAL PROBLEMS?

[Laughcrying in the distance]

RELIGIOUS AND TO WHAT EXTENT? ANY SPIRITUAL BELIEFS?

Not religious at all.

KIND OF STUDENT IF THEY ATTEND/WERE TO ATTEND SCHOOL? (E.G. CLASS CLOWN, STRAIGHT A)

Straight B+ or B student. No extra activities.

RANDOM FACT!

He used to wear his hair in a ponytail :3c

DO GHOSTS OR SUPERNATURAL ENTITIES EXIST IN THEIR’ WORLD?

Sort of.

OUTLOOK ON LIFE?

He believes that people born under certain circumstances, as well as being born with a likeable personality are able to get ahead in life and enjoy it. He is not one of those people.

WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THEM?

I was looking for a friend for Jordan/a protagonist buuut he's not so much a protagonist anymore seeing how there isn't an actual/fixed story anymore. I don't think Jordan and Morris would get along anyway haha.

MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THEIR LIFE

Br...andon...

FAVORITE OBJECT?

His goggles.

WHEN DID YOU CREATE THIS CHARACTER?

Chinese class haha

IF YOUR CHARACTER HAS A SIGNIFICANT OTHER, WHAT WOULD THEIR SONG BE?

I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT'D BE "NO LIGHT, NO LIGHT" BUT IDK

WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER LIKE AS A CHILD?

Prideful. Scum of the Earth

DO THEY LIKE THE NAME THEY WERE GIVEN?

He's pretty okay with it.

NERVOUS HABITS?

Scratches the back of his neck and his arms.

SIBLINGS?

Has a few adoptive ones.

HAVE THEY EVER WANTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE?

Probably at some point tbh I mean he's a teenager

GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

Half empty.

VIEWS ON GAMBLING, LYING, KILLING, ETC...?

He stands neutral on these kind of topics. He doesn't care what others do, as long as it doesn't affect him or anyone he actually cares about.

DO THEY STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN?

Sometimes. He prefers to avoid conflict though.

HOW MUCH DO THEY VALUE MONEY?

A lot.

WANTS TO HAVE KIDS, RAISE A FAMILY?

[One Direction Laughter]

WHAT'S THEIR ONE BIG KINK?

[One Direction Laughter ceases] [Dead silence]

PASSIVE, AGRESSIVE, OR DEFENSIVE?

Defensive.

CAT OR DOG PERSON?

Dog.

WHAT SONGS RELATE TO YOUR CHARACTER?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ephdl5HjIzQ maybe shrugs

HOW HAS THEIR LOOK/DESIGN CHANGED OVER TIME?

He used to wear glasses, had short hair, no scars. Also had a chain hanging from his pants.

MOST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE?

The time he got his rolemodel killed lmao. And mafia. The haunted mansion and Denny's were not fun for him.

WHAT BRINGS THEM THE MOST JOY?

Watching familiar stray doges run up to him :3. Spending time with Brandon also makes him really happy but also makes him really nervous.

ARE THEY TICKLISH?

Probably on his sides.

DO THEY PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?

I'd like to think he plays the piano, but then again I like the piano a lot and want all my ocs to play the piano.

COKE OR PEPSI?

He thinks they're pretty much the same.

HOGWARTS HOUSE

Gryffindor or Hufflepuff probably.

IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIFE

Brandon....

IF THEY COULD HAVE ONE THING IN THE WORLD?

A stable lifestyle.

WOULD THEY DARE KILL SOMEONE?

If the situation was dire enough, probably.

INVOLVED WITH MAGIC OR WITCHCRAFT?

His nitrogeny powers counts as magic soo

WHAT MLP CHARACTER WOULD THEY BE?

Why.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE ORDER AND SANITY TO LIVE IN A CRAZY FANTASY WORLD WHERE ANYTHING WAS POSSIBLE, OR DO ALL IN THEIR POWER TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING?

The latter.

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