#my friend and i called the Betta Fish on account of they would try to fucking kill each other if you put them in the same room

[here-there-be-drag0ns]

the devil couldn't reach me so he infected me with a temporary obsession with the most toxic yaoi crackship the jrwi fandom has ever seen. oh gods above its latched onto my brain and injected me with venom and i know not when it will wear off.

[waterskies]

Hello! I’m new to your account and 1) I absolutely love your tank setups, literal planted tank goals. I was wondering what you’re going to stock your 10 gal with as I’m in the process of redoing mine and am looking at options! Rn I’m probably going to end up with a betta in mine and then hopefully start a 20 long for some other nanos in the future, but I feel like it’s hard to find good options for 10 gallons as most people seem to encourage just putting any fish possible in there, so it’s been a bit tricky for me to find what fish will actually do well lol

Hello and welcome!! Thank you so much for the compliment Anon~❤️! It makes me happy to hear that 😊

10 gals can be a bit tricky to stock it's true. Especially since most fish have to be in groups of 6 or more so you have to decide if you want to stock the bottom or the water column.

I was originally going to stock my tank with around 10 or so chili rasboras and a couple amano shrimp. But I found some other fish I have always wanted and went with 7 Daisy's blue rice fish instead. I'm a sucker for blue lol

Some other options for a 10 gal could be 8 or so Celestial Pearl Danios/Galaxy Rasbora, exclamation point rasbora, dwarf emerald rasbora, or green neon tetra. Maybe a couple of sparkling gourami if it's densely planted. A single Honey Gourami would be nice, too!

If you have a lid, you can try out furcata rainbow fish, spotted blue-eye rainbow fish or any pseudomugil species, clown killifish, or marble hatchetfish, and of course, a single betta could work as well.

For algae eaters, you can try cherry shrimp or a couple of Amano shrimp. Be careful about putting them in with bettas or gourami, though, as sometimes they might be predated on.

I know some people don't like them but snails are friends! They're a good indicator if you're overfeeding or not, and they graze on algae. I personally like Ramshorn snails. They come in different colours and can get to the size of a quarter. Be careful about Apple snails, though, in my experience, they eat plants the very moment there isn't some other readily available food in the aquarium.

There's also dwarf cichlids you can try out, but I have yet to dip my toes into that side of the hobby so I don't know too much about them other than the minimum being a 10 gal for certain species.

For a 20 gal you can try a smaller species of Corydoras, like Pandas, Salt and Pepper, Dwarf, Pygmy, Nanus to name a few.

If you want something odd, then maybe a Dwarf anchor catfish, or a school of 6 or so, kuhli loaches.

Also, a must for a planted 20gal and up would be otocinclus. There's a few different types, like the zebra, but they can be a bit pricy and hard to find.

If you wanted to go unheated, then a little school of 8 or so white cloud mountain minnows could work. They also sell an albino variety, usually called the golden white cloud.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. So I hope that gives you some better ideas stocking wise or leads you to find the perfect fish for your 10 or your future 20long!

[heartofether]

Bonus Episode #4 - Irene's Inauguration TRANSCRIPT

[You can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts, or go to our “Listen” page if you’re on desktop.]

AUTOMATED VOICE

Please state your message.

[INTRO MUSIC PLAYS FOR SOME TIME BEFORE FADING OUT.]

[PHONE BEEP.]

[INT. THE BREAK ROOM, MIDDAY, AROUND LUNCH.]

[IRENE IS SITTING DOWN AT THE TABLE, WHILE ADEN IS LEANING OVER HER SHOULDER. THERE ARE VARIOUS OFFICE AMBIANCE NOISES HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND.]

IRENE

I don’t think I need your help setting it up, you know. I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to use an app.

ADEN

Sorry, sorry, I’m just—excited, you know? It feels like you’re about to take a big step, and I get to be the one to watch it happen.

IRENE

[SHE SCOFFS.] As if this is a major life milestone.

ADEN

Hey, I think it is! In a way. You know? It’s not common for someone your age to not be active on social media—

IRENE

Hey.

ADEN

Not that that’s a bad thing! You’re like, joining the masses though. It’s like an inauguration.

IRENE

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

ADEN

And, I’d also like to witness the outcome of my months of pestering you.

IRENE

Hey! I kept saying I was going to—

ADEN

So have you come up with a username yet?

IRENE

Um, not really? I’m guessing just irenegray is taken.

ADEN

Mmmm, probably. If it helps at all, I added a word to my username that I thought sounded nice. Kind of like, something cool and aesthetic, you know?

IRENE

See, that’s part of the problem. You actively have an aesthetic you’re trying to maintain. I’m just kind of, you know. [SHE VAGUELY MOTIONS.]

ADEN

Hey, I think that’s great that you're authentically yourself and you don’t adhere to any restrictive subcultures.

IRENE

If you wanna call it that… honestly though I just hadn’t thought about it. I mean, you know I’m mostly doing this for you, right?

ADEN

Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just pick a word you like and pair it with your name to see if it sounds nice! Maybe, like, an adjective?

IRENE

Hm. [SHE THINKS FOR A MOMENT, THEN] I kind of like the idea of it being something forest-themed.

ADEN

That would be cute! What if you did, like, the name of a tree? [BEAT] Ooh! You could do something like cedarirene, as in red cedars, you like those, right?

IRENE

[THINKING] I kind of like that, they’re pretty… [beat]

ADEN

[HE LAUGHS AT HIS OWN JOKE] Or you could do, like, irenefir, as in Douglas-fir? Those are pretty common in this part of the states.

IRENE

[SHE CHUCKLES, THEN, HUMS IN THOUGHT.] Yeah, I’m not sure I’m going for the Christmas tree route today.

ADEN

Hey, if you end up deciding you don’t like it, you can always change it later.

IRENE

That’s a good point. [BEAT] But I think cedarirene is good.

ADEN

I like it, too.

[A PAUSE AS SHE TYPES.]

ADEN

Then just add your email and password—don’t worry, I’ll look away for this part… [KEEPS TRAILING ON AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT WHILE IRENE TYPES] Even though I’m fairly certain it’s the same login info you use for everything… which you should really work on by the way, you know that really isn’t the most secure—

[MORE PHONE TYPING.]

IRENE

Got it.

ADEN

Then you’re done!

[A BEAT.]

IRENE

What do I do now?

ADEN

Now, you get to customize your profile. You know, add your name, your bio, a profile picture—oh, actually hold on, give me your phone real quick.

IRENE

Why?

ADEN

I want you to follow me! Here, just let me search for my username.

IRENE

[SHE CHUCKLES.] Sure. Go wild.

[ADEN IS HEARD TYPING IN THE BACKGROUND.]

ADEN

…and done. Oh, actually, while I’m here, I should have you follow Carol and Julia. [HE STARTS TYPING THEIR USERNAMES IN.]

IRENE

[IN SHOCK] Carol has Instagram?

ADEN

Uh, yeah.[beat] You seriously don’t understand just how behind you are, do you?

IRENE

[SHE GAPES IN FAUX-OFFENSE] You act like I’m withering away into a pile of dust just for not using social media.

ADEN

[GIGGLING] I’m kidding, Irene! I know lots of reasons why someone may want to go off the grid. I mean, social media can be kind of, er…

IRENE

A cruel and unjust place full of corporate marketing and unattainable standards?

ADEN

Yeah. Also, it can be kind of addicting for some people. So just, I mean I doubt you’ll have that problem since you don’t really seem to care, but just—be careful.

IRENE

Don’t worry, I doubt I’ll even use it that much.

ADEN

You better at least open the app every now and then. I want to send you stuff.

IRENE

[SHE LAUGHS.] I’ll keep notifications on for you, bud… If nothing else.

ADEN

Right, so, back to your profile. I’ll let you do whatever you want for this part. Oh, you should put your pronouns in your bio, though.

IRENE

Got it. [A PAUSE, THEN] Uh, what else should I put?

ADEN

Anything you want, really. Some people like to put their age, their job, sexuality, a fun fact about themselves.

IRENE

I mean, I don’t really want to share my entire personal life with the internet.

ADEN

Then don’t. Just put some totally random fun fact.

IRENE

Hm. Okay.

[A PAUSE AS IRENE TYPES.]

ADEN

Is that… did you actually drink three cups of coffee in less than one hour before?

IRENE

It was finals season.

ADEN

[CONCERNED] I can only drink one cup, and that still makes me shaky. Were you okay?

IRENE

Gonna be totally honest, I don’t remember a damn thing from those twenty-four hours.

[THERE’S A BRIEF PAUSE BEFORE THEY BOTH LAUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS.]

ADEN

[THROUGH FADING LAUGHTER] Okay, okay. Now you just need to set a profile pic.

IRENE

I mean, I don’t really take selfies ever.

ADEN

It doesn’t have to be a photo of your face. Do you have any pets?

IRENE

Not unless my dead betta fish from three years ago counts.

ADEN

Hm, okay. Some people just make it a color they like, or if you just have a nice photo in your camera roll you want to use, you could do that. Some people use characters they like, art pieces, pictures of buildings, yada, yada, yada. Just pick something.

IRENE

Where do you get all of your info about Instagram accounts, anyways?

ADEN

Oh, it was actually my minor in college. “Aesthetically Pleasing Profiles 101.”

[THEY BOTH LAUGH.]

ADEN

I’m joking, of course. It’s just…I don’t know, the internet was kind of a safe space for me for a while? When I first moved to Daughtler, I didn’t have many friends, and my constant state of anxiety was far from helpful. Online, I could be myself and find people with similar interests way easier than I could around town, without ever having to worry about my weird real-life mannerisms that might drive people away.

IRENE

[SINCERE] That makes a lot of sense. It’s good to have support like that. I, uh, probably could have used something like that in college, honestly. I just got kind of used to isolating myself after a while, I guess. [A BEAT.] Though, if it helps at all, I think you’re pretty cool offline, too.

ADEN

Thanks, Irene. [A BEAT.] So, about your profile pic.

IRENE

Do you think Carol would mind if I made it a picture of Mothman?

ADEN

I— [HE GIGGLES.] You know what? I think she’d think it’s cute. Do it.

[IRENE GIGGLES. SHE SETS THE PROFILE PIC.]

ADEN

Welcome to the digital world, Irene Gray.

IRENE

Please, I’m not a grandpa. I know how the internet works.

ADEN

I know, I know. I’m excited to see what you post, though.

IRENE

[THINKING] I honestly hadn’t given it much thought. I guess we’ll find out… if I remember to.

ADEN

Don’t think about it too hard, alright? Just be your authentic self.

IRENE

I’ll certainly try my best.

[PHONE BEEP.]

AUTOMATED VOICE

Today's quote is: "Love is a leash that goes both ways."

Becca De La Rosa in Mabel, Episode 36, 2019.

[OUTRO MUSIC AND CREDITS PLAY.]

[rhimorechill]

1-30 can i just have your opinion on all of them please

KDHSKHFKFB whoever u are anon ur actually my only follower ever

1. are you of the “tom nook is a crook” or “tom nook is an honest businessman” opinion ?

HES AN HONEST BUSINESSMAN !!! ur loans have NO interest and he was handing out 100k interest/month for a good while there !!!!! the only reason it dropped to 10k is b/c i accidentally made a mil while tryna get dreamies ok. the whole "nook inc owns the entire island" thing is KINDA WEIRD but like ! i mean. its still a pretty sweet deal

2. do you play as yourself or a made up character ?

i play as me !! and then everyone tells me my character is cute which ROCKS

3. where is your house located ?

well CURRENTLY. its just at the center of the island. but once i get terraforming (which will be as soon as i get lolly, mitzi, and purrl) it will be on its own little island in the middle of the island

4. who were your first villagers ?

hamlet and renee ! and bea and agent s and broccolo. oh and quillson. theyre all gone now but i moved bea into a friends island so i can visit her later !!

5. preferable method of earning bells ?

turnip runs babey !!! srsly i will pay like 500k tips and make a million in PROFIT (per run !!) its fucking awesome. i never use turnip exchange tho that shit website always stops telling me where i am in the queue

6. what villager personalities do you typically get along best with ?

i love all of them. so much. normal and lazy villagers might take the cake, but ankha was on my island for 2 days and nearly stole my heart, so snooty villagers r up there too. smug villagers ? like i mostly have experience w raymond b/c i fucking HATED quillson and keaton n ed i barely paid attention to (ed gets points tho. he shares my bday) but that goddamn nerd has a war with slugs. we love to see it. peppy villagers rock (i have THREE on my island rn... but ugh i gotta kick out merry sometime..... i love her but i just !! have too many). i CANNOT hate jock villagers those guys just wanna work out !!! and talk abt working out !!!! theyve done nothing wrong in their whole lives. uchi villagers are great too and cranky villagers r trying their best !!! every villager is good is what im saying. even quillson (i guess)

7. who is your current best friend in the game ?

MGHGSHGD felicity or raymond !!! they send me mail all the time and also i really like raymond. b/c hes such a fucking NERD of an accountant. and felicity was the first of my dreamies to move in so im 💚 when it comes to her...... SOMEDAY. lolly will also be my bff. lolly come home

8. is there a villager you want to get rid of ?

MERRY WHITNEY VELMA. PLEASE GO AWAY. U R ALL SWEETIES BUT NONE OF U MADE THE CUT. ONLY ONE OF U IS EVEN A CAT. (if you want whitney or velma pls dm me !!! someone asked for merry already but id love for them to be on islands where ppl love em)

9. do you hoard a lot of items ?

YES. i did a purge the other day and laid a fuckton of items out to give away. it did not fit and i had to shove some on the cliffs. i still have a big pile waiting to be taken. meanwhile my storage gets new items added

10. take medicine or save & restart ?

medicine is for chumps.

11. where is your favorite spot in your village ?

HMMMM i rlly like my entrance !!!! its rlly neat and has green AND pink mums + trees..... and fencing and a path. IDK i worked hard on it and think it turned out rlly well !!!! other than that maybe my shopping area ? i dont have terraforming yet so theres a lot i Havent Gotten To wrt my island (like my cliffs are almost entirely undeveloped b/c i havent placed any inclines. so theres no pathing)

12. what achievement do you want to hit the most ? (ex: golden equipment, all fish / bugs, etc)

its not REALLY an achievement but i want all my dreamies real bad. after that i want a 5 star island !! i would like a lily of the valley. or 20.

13. do you know any secret tips ?

HMMM i dont think so ?? i dont really know any secrets. ive been trying out campsite cycling and it has Not been going well tho. if u need tips on tting to move villagers out or smthn i can help w that !! this is such a vague q that im like DO i know smthn ??? that is a secret ?????? i also vaguely know abt *m**b* sp**f*ng but im not allowed to do that soooo. thats a pipe dream. fun fact: its not a secret but gardening is SO fucking complicated theres genetics n shit. its wild. thank god someone straight up gave me blue roses so i dont have to go thru that shit. also do not tt backwards when dealing with turnips. not even 30 mins to save ur 600+ prices frm closing time. They Will Change

14. who are your dreamies ?

THESE CATS (i know major shocker from tumblr user pumakittycat. app is acnh life)

15. favorite furniture item ?

HMMMM THIS IS A TOUGH ONE. maybe mum cushions ? those r cute as fuck. i love every flower item, honestly, frm garden wagons to flower stands to pansy tables to hycanith lamps to. idk the bonsai shelf ? i have one of those. i also love my sea globe. its great. WAIT DO RUGS AND WALLS/FLOORS COUNT THERES NO QUESTIONS ABT THOSE i love so many FUCKING items. also autumn woods wall, if ur out there,

16. favorite clothing item / outfit ?

my green clover dress !!!! its the best thing EVER. my full outfit also consists of a silver tiara, a cherry blossom pouchette, white fishnets, and green rubbertoed sneakers. and, ofc, clover facepaint. ALSO FOR CONTEXT. my island is named clover bay thats why im like Clover Time. Theyre Important To The Aesthetic. im also an aro bitch who loves overall dresses. b/c they slap

17. favorite museum room ?

I LOVE THE LITTLE BUTTERFLY ROOM do not even TALK to me unless ur the butterfly room in the museum THERES SO MANY AT ALL TIMES ITS SO NICE

18. cedar, fruit, or palm tree ?

FRUIT. i literally chopped down every single hardwood tree on my island and replaced them w orange trees

19. favorite fruit ?

.......Oranges

20. favorite fish ?

HM. bitterling has a special place in my heart for being my Only fish model. whale sharks also rock tho. and thats only of the ones ive caught !!! i also love frogs, turtles, and obligatorily catfish. oh and seahorses and bettas

21. favorite bug ?

HM. ladybugs maybe. and both birdwings ! maybe also emperors butterflies. possibly others as well

22. favorite flower breed ?

MUMS !!!!!

23. favorite crossbred rare flower breed + color ?

GREEN MUMS.

24. favorite villager personality ?

havent we been over this ? im a dumb bitch who likes all of them way too much

25. favorite time of day to play ?

i uh. play. all the time. i tt a Lot tho so i like setting my time to 1pm ? idk it Feels like a good time

26. favorite special visitor event or reward ? (ex: selecting an art piece from redd, aiding guliver and getting a special item, etc)

SAHARAH. im obsessed w the fucking rugs and the tickets and the lottery. i also love celeste, and gulliver has a spot on the faves list for providing lucky cats sometimes (also a fave item) and for having been to space

27. favorite kk song ?

call me basic, but bubblegum kk plays at all times in my living room

28. favorite animal crossing game ?

ACNH lmao. i never really sat down and got Dedicated to city folk, which is the only other game ive played

29. if you’ve played animal crossing before, are there any animals you’re nostalgic for ? if this is your first game, has any animal in particular left some effect on you ?

ROVERRRRR come home :( also harriet.... i Miss Her. and resetti (i REFUSE to use rescue services dont @ me). and also the bus driver guy who took u to the city. If You Were An NPC In City Folk I Miss You Now

30. share a story from your gameplay

SO. i love the little alien easter egg. i set up a photoshoot and made like a little storyline abt the aliens and stuff. i even got a flying saucer and put that down and used it. and every fucking time !!!! i do shit with aliens !!!!!!! gulliver shows up on my beach. i know he went to space in cf n stuff (I GOT FLAVOR TEXT ONE TIME-- DURING NH-- ABT HIM NOT WANTING TO GO BACK EVEN) so i think its fucking hilarious that the aliens show up.... so does he

[marblehornets52]

I may as well post this just to get this off my chest, but I doubt anyone would have the time to actually want to care about this.

In my old blog, @rynxs-blog, literally you can't miss the description. I have autism/asperger's. While it's not so bad, I'm just making this post because, I guess I just want it out of my head.

Maybe 6th grade or so, I guess, my ex, was supposedly stalking me and it took until 7th grade for anything to happen. 7th grade (she was in 8th grade btw so one year ahead of me, keep that in mind) we started dating. I will admit, I was a little shithead back then [as in, VERY CRINGE FUELED] so with that being said, I didn't want to acknowledge my autism or my problems back then. I was 50% extrovert and 50% introvert.

I, however, never told anyone about the autism because it felt more of a insecure thing. No one back then, as far as I saw, in the middle school, had autism. Few years later I come to realize they were just hidden among the crowd. But that's not exactly what this is about.

Back then, I was a shithead. Never did my work yet somehow managed to go past both 7th and 8th grade. I still remember that the main reason was because when I was moving into 8th grade, my ex went to high school.

Now you might be wondering "so what's the big deal? You still like her or something?"

That was the answer back then, and honestly I don't know why I decided to go on ahead and reach out to her to see if she remembers.

Another question that might pop up "Besides the age difference, why couldn't you just see her normally?" or even "Why are you making that relationship such a big deal right now?"

1. My mom is [somewhat] a hardcore Christian and when I told her about the relationship, she kinda went haywire about it, specifically how it's against God commandments or whatever the fuck she told me. Even though she said she didn't mind people being gay yet when I come up with it "ThAt'S nOt ChRiStIaN lIkE." Also if your wondering about the dad, he's a marine, he would've killed me back then if he realized I was dating before the age of 18.

2. Because I was so stupid back then, we used to have wattpad [she deleted it] and I made a new account and started talking to her there. But I didn't reveal it was me until after. But what made me start to have more problems [that's gonna come in soon] is that she literally told me that she didn't even remember me. I could've just left it off as her moving on, I could've left it with me just a unimportant person in people's lives...but I just decided to remind her of everything and sooner or later, after 8th grade, I finally made it.

I told my friend group that I didn't want them to follow me when I am with my ex. Not because I was selfish but because she was going to introduce me to people I never met [who ended up turning up with vapes and soon smoking (I never smoked.)]

She had me so isolated from literally everyone I knew, just staying in one specific area of the school. If I tried to leave, she would chase after me and drag me back. I (still being a idiot) thought it was cute so I did that for awhile. Though it changed when my friends came along.

When they saw me hanging out with my ex, they came to the group. At the time I didn't mind since they gotten along with everyone till they decided to start vaping.

[Side note: While that was happening I got a betta fish named Ninja; I rescued him from a shitty pet shop and I did so much for him. I miss him greatly now, he has indeed passed away and he does contribute to the story.]

So with that being said, when I was in Sophomore year, I started sensing stuff being off. I wasn't allowed to leave anywhere without permission, if I was watching a video and just randomly smiled or giggle I would have to show my ex what I was seeing; otherwise she would force the phone out of my hand to see for herself, I told her about my autism and yet she still didn't even mind to acknowledge it and just blatantly forget it until I remind her again. She wouldn't let me go interact with everyone else, always trying to give me so much affection to the point where it was just a blank feeling. Whenever I would cry or whatnot, there was nothing she would do except just ask this "Stop crying please" + "Not even for me?" If I didn't give her a response. [Btw, if you ever tell me "Not even for me?" Go fuck yourself. (Sounds harsh but at that point I don't want to keep all of this in mind forever.) But the worst is when I told her about my insecurities. I told her most of it, opening up a bit more. My major one [which is still going on] is my weight.

The school has this BMI chart or whatnot and freshman year I was almost considered overweight instead of healthy. So I told her not I didn't feel comfortable with my own body. I still remember back then, she would pinch my body fat and always tease about it. I would just play the happy little partner and try not to take notice of it.

Though when Ninja passed away, I went through the biggest depression era in my life. I at that point, started to hide in my classrooms. I refused to go out because I didn't want to let anyone see how much of a mess I was. I remembered people thought I must've came back from a funeral or something.

I remembered back then, I wanted to end my own life, simply because [besides depression from the death of Ninja] I thought no one would care about my existence, that no one would notice me missing. But I guess overtime, I started to think back of all the stuff I been through in the relationship and compared it to how it was to my own friend.

[If you are gonna tell me "But it's just a fish, why don't you move on?" I literally told Ninja everything, from insecurities, to frustrations, to ideas. He was a better friend than many people I knew because he would do his best to support me even on his dying breath. Just ti get me better.]

So with that being said, one of my friends [who is not vaping anymore if I can recall] came up to me all pissed off. She told me that my ex had been bawling out her eyes because she assumed I didn't love her anymore. [Yes, me being away, 2 weeks inside classrooms for brunch and lunch, meant I didn't love her anymore.]

So I guess I told her everything (this was in history class btw, not exactly important but most history classes here are like fucking libraries, dead silent so whispering was just considered a regular talking voice.) I accidentally said everything out to the rest of my classmates too and honestly, I was surprised they were shocked. But I guess because I played the "happy life girlfriend" person, that there was nothing wrong with me.

[Another side note: I was in ROTC, and they did this thing called inspections. You wear the uniform you were given (usually utilities) and you wear it the whole day until you go home. Usually on Thursdays unless something happens. But the biggest rules are 1. No boyfriends or girlfriends kissing or hugging and 2. No one is allowed to touch you.]

So with that being said, when I told my friend that I was planning to break up she told me to time it right. So as you could guess, I did it wearing utilities, I told her that I was going to cut off the relationship and I was gonna give her back her stuff.

What I didn't specify was that I broke it off because I didn't want her to feel or even deal with all my emotional problems I had. So I told myself, after 2 years, from that day on, I was not going to let anyone be with me, I wanted to let myself mature more and just not fuck up on another relationship so quick when I'm a emotional wreck.

.

.

.

I thought she would've done the same thing. I thought "Maybe she would take a year or so to move on, maybe see all the mistakes and move on?" Just only to find out 2 months later, her and my best cadet friend were dating.

So, I want to say that, yes, I'm happy for her I guess...made such a fast recovery or whatnot. But it felt like a big ol FUCK YOU to me, mostly because it just confirmed one of my insecurities I told her "I don't want to be forgotten, I don't want to be forgotten by everyone." Yet it already seemed bad enough that because she pulled me away from everyone, no one really cared about my existence, they wouldn't notice if I was missing, and that I really was the biggest mistake in everyone's lives. Even you, the person reading this, may as well scroll past this and not give a shit.

But if you want my honest opinion, I wanted to just tell my friend to not make the same fucking mistakes like me.

My insecurities have not been recovered, only worsen. My birthday was not too long ago, 2 days ago actually, and I honestly thought about ending it then and there.

If anyone just wants to talk to me or whatnot, not by trying to support me because of this post but because I guess there is something more to it, go ahead.

If you want to go ahead and talk to me, either to check up on me, that's fine.

But if people would just listen to everything I have, even the dark moments I...ah..

...Thank you.

I'm sorry that you just hate me more now, and I'm sorry I cause so much trouble just for this.

I just wanted people to know how I was doing I guess...so....

How was your day?

[nonhumanfamofkewkyu9]

2019 has been rough...

& it's Not Even October Yet

So, on top of personal mental health issues and family members having their own battles, and work being unpredictable with my shifts, a lot has happened with the non-human side of the family, not all good... not much good as far as my mental health tries to put it (I often need to be reminded to step back and see the "then vs now" of it all), so I'll try to do an update on that to the best of my memory (I've always been bad at remembering dates - I would forget my own birthday if people didn't fuss about it)

Sometime between January & February, a heatwave was the final straw for Cabaré who had been fighting a scale tumor (I know, my fault for not researching dragon scale variants before getting him) for 3 months, aside from the tumor, he was as active as he normally was, eating fine and his fins were recovering nicely from the fin nipping, but 45°C IN the flat with the air con running was stressful enough before the power started to cut.

Late February, a tank heater malfunctioned and killed a couple of my tetra before I caught it, thankfully, not too much trouble was caused and I had a spare heater on hand, various issues have stopped me from getting new stock for the shoal however, so it currently stands at 7 black neon tetra.

March... hooboi... uh, as much as I was meant to have a milestone birthday that month, the month was utter chaos... Shakita, my Gran's beloved Am.Staf previously posted about, had her age catch up in the space of a fortnight and had to be laid to rest. Another event, regarding people, unfolded days later that made it tempting to remove all reminders of the month altogether, looking for a timeline in chats from family, someone already has.

Early April, I had flown interstate on a holiday I'd organised around Xmas, so I allowed tank/pond plants to grow out; a mild regret in now I have to sift shrimp out of a 8×10×5 inch ball prism of moss before i can trim, seperate or transplant it. Amidst this, I also had gotten a female Betta; Beau-bo, named after Critical Role's Beauregard, I had intended to have a female in a display next to Cabaré just a few months earlier, but due to...reasons, I had let the empty tanks (quarantine + Cabaré's) go un maintained at all, a bad move that I'm still trying to fix in my own slowbutt pace, so she was put in beside the matten filter of the shimp/tetra tank. I managed to lose 1 of 3 rescue orchids but have had decent success with most of the terrestrial plants I've gathered admittedly with a few close calls. I also recieved news around late April/early May that a friend of mine needed to rehome their 4ft tank, so I set out to rearrange my flat so it could fit... this turned out to be a 3 month task as different bills and problems would pop up, including a vet trip for Ludwig who sprained his wrist, and we decided to get bloods checked for any nasties; an overactive thyroid gland due to age was causing his metabolism&appetite to soar, so a prescription was given.

I kept quiet about it, but I got some zebra danios for my little basin-ponds at around Xmas last year, the planted/natural filter pond having mild success breeding, however, winter and personal issues haven't allowed me to see whether the bubs made it through winter (I had to go away for a while and the ones I could find were 1.5cm when I did get to check - it will be a matter of headcount once time/weather allows me to get back in there)

So between June and August, I had been preparing for and focusing on the 4ft tank (my first tank over 2ft), especially when I was challenged to scape it. Thus far, the plants I was expecting to grow slow have gone mad and are due for another pruning, while the plants I expected to go mad and fill in are taking their time still. I have all 3 of the same fish that came with the tank (I was scaping it wet - not something I recommend with fine and/or planting substrates), 2 Angels and a Cory, however the quarantine tank I'd set up for the new cories (to give Dusty a shoal of his own) crashed (again, my fault for prioritizing other things) and I thought I saved 1, but he didn't make it through the next day, so that was a big bummer. I've only had the energy to do mild plant tending and water changes since. My cousin's household has also gained a few more sets of paws from G.A.P, so Jojo now has siblings that are his own size (almost - he was always tall).

And then we get to September, specifically this past week... Ludwig, the mascot & icon of this blog, got out and went missing after plumbers made a lot of ruckus (like, scared me awake in my flat next door noise), today is day 5 without his medications and mum has been beside herself about it. But we couldn't let ourselves be too shaken as we were in order to recieve a rescue Greyhound to try and help my little sister with her mental health. Scout, a huge 9 month old pup who was pulled before being raced due to injury arrived earlier today.

So, that's how the year has been playing in regards to my nonhuman fam and a little about the human part.

Hopefully, Ludwig finds his way home (we've notified council and neighbours, but 8ish years ago, vets refused to microchip him because he was already over 5yrs), and I hope to get back in the habit of photographing things, but that might have to wait for my phone to be repaired and my head to have cleared a little.

I have been vaguely active on my new started in April while I was interstate Instagram account with the same name as my main blog (it is just as eclectic as that main blog too, probably)

[drferox]

20 Questions with Dr Ferox #19

Hi vetlings! I must apologize for my reduced activity and inconsistent schedule, I feel terrible about it and I am working on getting back on track. But for now, here are 20 questions that have been sitting in my inbox for too long. If you asked on Anon you’ll have to see if your question is here manually, but I have tried to tag those that were brave enough to use their name.

Anonymous asked:just curious -- do vets have any confidentiality requirements like people doctors do WRT their patients/their patients' conditions?

More or less, yes. It's more client-confidentiality than patient-confidentiality because it's the human's privacy that matters, not the animal. That's why when I tell stories from work I don't include photos of the patient, even though I know you really want me to, and I often obscure non-critical details like sex, age, name, breed or time. This way I can talk about a case or a situation without talking about a specific, identifiable person.

Anonymous asked: Hi! I've been reading through your blog, and it's really cool. Do you work with exotic pets as well, such as reptiles or birds? If you do, what was your best experience? Have a wonderful day!

Not very much, and most of the birds and reptiles I see these days are wildlife. We're not very well set up for exotics, we don't even have a heat lamp in the building, and we tell people this when they call for an appointment. The best experience was probably treating a blue and gold macaw for egg binding. The bird was part of a breeding pair and supposed to be worth $30,000, and I treated it successfully.

@theroyalfrogman said: Have you ever worked with aquatic animals, such as fish, salamanders, frogs, etc.? If so, did you enjoy it? (Sorry if this was already answered in the faq, I'm on mobile and the app won't let me see it)

We don't have salamanders down here, and I haven't worked with frogs since I was a vet student. I do keep my own fish, nothing super fancy at the moment, and I desperately wanted to get more into aquarium medicine when I first graduated, but Tasmania is very strict about importing fish so there wasn't much I could do, and I found most of the local pet store owners unusually hostile, so I did not get into it as much as I wanted to. I did spend some of by vet school time at the Melbourne Aquarium, and on placement with their vet Dr Robert Jones.

Anonymous said: I have a question- a lot of people I know that interact with a lot of animals seem like they've noticed that certain cat coat colors have traits that they tend to have- ginger cats are nice, tortiseshells tend to be tiny, etc, etc. Have you noticed anything like this? Thank you!

I have noticed that 'boring' colour cats tend to have nicer personalities, probably because they have nothing else to make themselves stand out for adoption. Most of the time I associate personalities with breed, though tortoiseshell cats having attitude definitely seems to be a real phenomenon.

Chestnut mares also have a reputation for being difficult to handle and 'spicy'. I don't know about riding them, but they do have an increased risk of anaesthetic complications in recovery which is statistically significant  and they are notably more likely to injure themselves while waking up.

@mewwile said: what's your favorite coat/fur pattern? it can be any animal, cats or bunnies or dogs or multiple patterns you like!

I'm pretty fond of anything 'wild-type' or wolfy in dogs. I will always have a fondness for the humble tabby cat. I horses I can't help myself, I just love the look of buckskins. I know it's not fur, but I also always wanted to keep a blue marble crowntail betta, but life hasn't gotten me that far yet.

Anonymous said: i recently, literally only a few weeks ago, got my female cat fixed and shes been puttin weight, is the normal and like is there anythin i should be doin about it?

Yes, feed her less. If she's gaining weight then she's consuming more calories than she's expending. Removing the reproductive tract can reduce a cat's energy requirements by up to 10%, so you may need to account for this.

Anonymous said: So, I got a dog about a year ago, and she unfortunately contracted Parvo. She's fine now, but I have sort of two questions. One, what are the long term, if any, affects on a dogs growth because of Parvo? She's significantly smaller than her siblings. Two, is it possible she contracted Parvo from the vaccine? She didn't go anywhere in the weeks leading up to her vaccination except for the vets, and they said it could be a number of things. Thank you for your time, I very much enjoy your blog!

She did not contract parvovirus from the vaccine. Parvo is an extremely resilient virus and it can survive in soil for at least 20 years, and it's also spread by foxes. It may also be spread by cats (I'm pretty sure it is, but the jury's still out on that one). In high parvo areas we often don't figure out how the transmission has occurred, because people could bring it into the house on their clothing, cats could bring it into the yard, or there might have been a previous case at that property years ago. I've written about parvovirus before, but in terms of long term effects pups that were very young when they contracted the infection may have some heart muscle damage, some dogs end up with some intestinal scaring, but most dogs do pretty well if they get over the initial infection.

@friskerart said: Hello :D So straight away I will say this is NOT a request for advice, I have a lovely vet who goes above and beyond to help our senior cat. Eve is at least 18 now and in the last year she started having both seizures and syncope. With the help of anti seizure medication and funnily enough hyperthyroid cream she's gone from near constant fits and fainting to one a week :D Is this something you've ever dealt with before?

Syncope is fairly common with hyperthyroidism secondary to cardiac changes and high blood pressure. The seizures responding to the medication makes me wonder if they were related to high blood pressure also, but I'm no medicine specialist so don't take my word as gospel.

Anonymous said: Hi Dr. Ferox. I was wondering how necessary you think dental cleanings for cats are? I've had some vets say that it's absolutely necessary every year and some others say that it isn't. I know that some cats are more prone to periodontal disease also so I would assume it depends on the cat?

You certainly should have a dental check at least every year, but whether a cleaning under anaesthetic is required or not will depend on the cat. Some cats should be checked every 6 months, which is why many clinics offer free dental checks during their dental month promotions.

Anonymous asked: I've read on cat forums that cats vaccinated for FIV (or maybe it was FeLV?) can test positive for it later. Do you know if there's any truth to that? There was a bit of a fear mongering vibe, recommending against that vaccine, so that if something ever happened the cat wouldn't be in a worse situation for testing positive for a disease with a stigma. (It was awhile ago, might have been in the context of managed feral cat colonies?)

That's an excellent question. It used to be true that  cats vaccinated for FIV would test positive on all tests, so it was only recommended for microchipped cats. However in the last few years at least two tests on the market have proved that they only detect infected cats, not vaccinated cats, so this is now much less of an issue. There was always a lab test that could be done to differentiate between vaccinated and infected cats, but it was expensive so never popular.

Anonymous said: Is panting ever good for a cat, or always a sign of distress of some kind?

It's always a sign of distress of some kind. It mighe be just heat or fear, in which case the cat should calm down and stop panting after a minute or two of being allowed to do so, but more than that and I get very worried.

Anonymous said: Hiya, I can't find a current question tax? So have a compliment tax: you are amazing and lovely and have the best blog <3 and anyway I was talking to a friend who is working with dogs and he was advocating for it being a good thing to not feed your dog for a day every now and then? it sounds utterly stupid on the surface (especially as someone recovering from EDs...) and google is giving me nothing but controversy and I just wanted an opinion from someone I respect and trust. :)

Yeah, I'm not a fan of fasting your dog unless it has a GI disturbance from eating something stupid (eg garbage) or prior to surgery, and even then try not to do it for more than 12 hours. Those enterocytes need food in the gut for nutrition, you don't have to fast a dog to keep it healthy, and it's probably super confusing for the dog too. A dog is not a wolf.

Anonymous said: Hello! I hope you've been having a good day! I was wondering your thoughts about the dental treats they make for dogs. I've been giving my 9 year old milk bone brushing chews lately but I was wondering if they really help or if I should do something else to care for her teeth Thanks for taking the time to help me.

If they have a VOHC certification (Veterinary Oral Health Council) then they are probably some use in promoting good dental health, but if they don't then there's no way to prove that they do. Anybody can make something they claim is good for your dog's teeth, but only products with the VOHC seal have proven it.

Anonymous said: Not a pleasant question, but: if a heavily pregnant animal is speyed, is there usually an attempt made to euthanize the fetuses in case they're capable of feeling pain at that stage? If so, how is that done?

Once the uterus and its contents are removed from the animal, the foetuses are generally injected with euthanasia solution one by one. They're usually not removed from the uterus to do this, sometimes you can feel the heartbeat enough to aim. They're often partially anaesthetised when removed anyway, since the medication affecting the mother will affect the fetuses, so they are already slowed down and I would expect them to feel less than they normally would, the injection just makes sure.

@politically-elected-king-of-hell said: Hey Dr! I have seen on the internet that sometimes vets will pack wounds with sugar. Why is this, and what would make you want to pack sugar versus not packing sugar?

I would really only use sugar for something oedematous and prolapsed, eg a rectum or penis which has popped out and swollen up so much I can't get it back in to where it's supposed to be. Sugar is extremely hypertonic, it draws moisture into itself, thereby reducing swelling. Then if I happen to get some stuck on that organ when it's replaced, it wont do much harm, the body is well adapted to absorbing that sugar. That's really the only scenario I would use it. Sometimes I will use honey on grossly contaminated external wounds for a similar reason, but also because honey will stick to the dirt and necrotic tissue, helping me debride it at a bandage change and is so hypertonic bacteria struggle to grow in it.

Anonymous said: Can the flu be spread from humans to cats and dogs?

It's generally not spread to dogs and cats but can be spread to ferrets.

@ladyofthemountains said: Is there a age restriction for catnip? Like should a kitten not play with toys that have it till a certain age?

No, but it shouldn't play with it if it's going to be driving home later.

@gravity-gravy said: You know I've always wondered why the traits that greyhounds have were breed into them, like the dolichocephalic faces and the general body shape that they have. Do these traits help them at all with perform with racing or where they breed into them because of aesthetic? And do we know when these traits first appeared in the breed?

They were bred for function, their appearance certainly assists them in running fast and winning races. The origin of the breed is somewhat obscured, but there are greyhound-like dogs in Ancient Egyptian art, so that's a good start. Dogs that win more races these days are bred more, so there is a slight selective pressure for the longer face too in dogs which win their races 'by a nose'.

@themagickey13 said: I have a habit of trying to get injured wild animals to wildlife facilities. People keep telling me I am not really helping at all because they are just going to put the animal down rather than try to save them. I am a realistic person so I know most of those animals have to be euthanized, but I always say to these people that I would rather be put to sleep peacefully than be left dying on a highway in agony, and I don't own a gun. Am I right to do this or should I let nature take it's course?

If it's a species with a high conservation value (eg something endangered) then it might not be put to sleep, you never know. Your actions might not make much difference to the whole ecosystem, but I don't think that's why you're doing it. You do make a difference to that individual animal, and need to decide for yourself whether you think that's worth it.

Anonymous said: I usually do sanitary/booty trims but I have heard people having their cats get lion cuts instead. I was hoping you could shed some light on what animals can be fully shaved and why. For the QT: if it's still the headcanon thing, then I always thought you must have dark hair. I'm honestly not sure why.

There's nothing super special about doing a lion cut for a cat. We often do it for cats that have trouble grooming themselves, or that have major hairball problems. Some cats can be done conscious, but a lot need to be sedated for this groom.

[cassiecantyousee]

Evacuation Nation

Exactly two weeks ago, I got in my car and drove out of the Florida Keys. It was a bizarre experience, and I’ll probably be processing it for a while, but I wanted to get at least some of my thoughts down before they become too hazy. So this is part diary entry, part reassuring everyone who has spent the last two weeks saying “oh my gosh don’t you live in the Keys are you okay?!?!”

So to start off: yes! I am okay! And I can now check “survived a hurricane” off my bucket list. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what happened:

I went to bed on Sunday, September 3rd not really giving a second thought to Irma. The storm looked like it was going to head up the east coast, like Matthew had last year. And Matthew had barely affected the Keys at all; I had spent the evening Matthew “hit” painting and hanging out with friends. I assumed Irma would be more of the same. So I went to bed without a care in the world, and calmly drove to work Monday ready to start my week (yes, I worked on Labor Day. I take care of live animals, remember?).

The news that greeted my coworker and me when we booted up the computer that morning was…not great. Turned out Irma had shifted in the night, and was now headed straight for the Keys. It had also grown insanely huge, and was expected to reach Category 5 sooner rather than later. In case you aren’t familiar with the Keys, we’re a bunch of tiny rocky islands and anything higher than a Category 2 can be pretty devastating. That being said, hurricanes usually skirt around the Keys, either heading up the Atlantic coast or looping through the Gulf. We haven’t been hit by a major storm in a long time, but everyone still clearly remembered the damage from Wilma and Andrew. By noon Monday, it was pretty clear we were going to have to evacuate. I called my parents at lunch, reminded them I had a good car with brand new tires, and that I knew lots of people in Florida I could stay with. In the afternoon we started strategizing and prepping all the fish tanks, thinking that we would have another few days at least before we really had to leave. We also spent a lot of time refreshing spaghetti models and sort of laughing hysterically (hysterical laughter became a reoccurring theme throughout this whole process). I drove home at the end of the day, and started half-heartedly sorting through my clothes, telling myself I would really start making decisions on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning, we had a mandatory staff meeting. While I work in Key West, I live near the lab and the most recent models had Irma headed straight for us. And it was now EVEN BIGGER. There were talks of breaking records, and a few hyperbolic rumors of creating a new “Category 6” (these proved to be false, but not as far fetched as we might have hoped!). Priority one was making sure we all had a way to get out of the Keys, and somewhere to go once we reached the mainland. At the risk of getting too sappy, it was really heartwarming to see everyone I work with step right up to support each other. There were offers of rides and food and places to sleep, and before we knew it everyone had a plan. Then we moved into full on hurricane prep mode, and I drove down to Key West.

Probably the most surreal part of the whole thing was Tuesday morning at the Eco Center. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to give all the tanks their best possible chance of surviving through the storm. Meanwhile, we were still open, and tourists kept coming in and asking me for things like restaurant recommendations. Cue more hysterical laughter. At noon, we finally officially closed.

I spent the rest of the afternoon prepping the Eco Center and making phone calls and trying not to freak out. My coping mechanism of choice was blasting the new Kesha album (a coping mechanism I 100% recommend, because that album is incredible). My inner monologue went something like: “Where are the D batteries …yes, Mom, there’s gas in my car…I HOPE YOU’RE SOMEWHERE PRAAAAAAAYIN’…should I move the lionfish to the big tank or will it eat everybody…I HOPE YOUR SOUL IS CHAAAAAANGIN’…is that fish acting weird or am I acting weird.” And repeat. For hours. Then, I drove home.

Sorting through my stuff at my house is an experience I never want to repeat. I didn’t want to be paranoid, but reliable sources were forecasting a Category 5 storm headed directly for my house, and my house is ground level. It didn’t look good. So I had to decide what I wanted to load into my car, and what I wanted to leave behind. Most of my clothes quickly dropped in priority, as I realized that I seriously need a wardrobe overhaul. I’ve worked at field stations too long and most of my clothes are free souvenir t-shirts with paint on them. But all my books went straight into the back of my car, as well as some craft supplies and favorite wall art. Some of the books I didn’t even care about that much, but the idea of leaving them to be ravaged by a hurricane was so horrifying to me that I took them all anyway. Once everything was packed, I took a shower, put my betta fish in a gallon jug (really), and got in my car. I took a long look at my little blue house, trying to absorb it and prepare for the worst, but I’m not sure it really sunk in.

As I drove up the Keys I caught myself thinking things like, “Will that house still be there? Will I be able to go to that restaurant again? Will this bridge hold up?” Then I would snap myself out of it for a little while, and tell myself not to be so morbid. I’m a positive, happy person! What was wrong with me? But I didn’t want to miss appreciating the Keys as they were, just in case. It’s a strange line to walk, and I’m not sure I walked it well. So I talked to my parents, listened to music, and tried to think of it as a vacation. But the guilt at leaving all my critters behind was hard. I knew that I had given them the best chance, and that trying to move them would be worse for them than the storm, but I couldn’t help but feel that I abandoned them. Every time I passed any of the various and numerous animal centers in the Keys it was like a punch to the gut.

I spent Tuesday night with some wonderful friends in Boca, where we watched the news and laughed hysterically some more. Then the next morning I headed up to my aunt and uncle’s house in Orlando. By Wednesday afternoon, I was officially evacuated. As of Monday night, I hadn’t even planned on STARTING to evacuate until Thursday morning. Irma got serious real quick.

This is the part of the story where I start feeling guilty for a different reason: I had a really nice time in Orlando. I know a lot of people (most people even) had a very stressful time, and were couch surfing and staying in hotels, but I got an actual bed and got to hang out with family. I spent the week eating really good vegan food, watching documentaries, and reading books. We even went to a play! Then on Sunday morning, Irma hit the Keys.

I had already watched Irma pass over the Turks and Caicos, where I studied abroad, and that was hard enough. There was extensive damage, but thankfully no fatalities. At this point Irma had changed tracks a couple of times, so we weren’t entirely sure how directly the Keys were going to be hit. As it turned out, the eye of the storm passed directly over my house. That experience was surreal. After all the uncertainty, all the hopes, I had to sit on a couch in Orlando and watch one of the biggest storms in history go exactly where I hadn’t wanted it to go. I kept thinking of my little blue house, and how much I loved it, and how much we had all worked fixing it up over the last two years. I got weirdly focused on the fact that I had left my giant bottle of mouthwash in the bathroom cabinet (I just bought it! What a waste!). By Sunday evening, I was a mess. I was tired, stressed, and going a bit stir crazy. And Irma hadn’t even hit Orlando yet.

In the end, that may have worked in my favor. Irma was downgraded to a Category 2 by the time in reached Orlando, and at that point I was sort of done with emotions. I’d spent them all already. I was a little concerned about tornadoes, but honestly? I just wanted to go to bed. So if you were hoping for a vivid personal account of the actual storm, you’re out of luck. I essentially said “Only a Category 2? Whatever.” and passed out (after more hysterical laughter, of course). Seriously, I slept through the whole thing. Apparently a tornado touched down about four miles north of me, but I didn’t even know that happened until days later. We lost power, and had some downed tree debris, but the whole neighborhood got together to help clean it up. It was actually kind of nice. Plus, my uncle had bought an inverter for his electric car, so we had power without having to worry about a generator. We could power the fridge, fans, charge any and all electronic devices, and even set up a wireless hotspot to get online. We had a pretty sweet setup.

The rest, you probably know. There was widespread devastation in the Keys, and they closed the whole county. I ended up flying north to see my parents (and reassure them that I was alive!), waiting for things to reopen. I’ve been watching everything secondhand, just like everybody else. I will say that social media has been HUGELY helpful in all of this. Those safety check-ins helped me sleep at night.

Miraculously, my house seems to have escaped serious damage. I’ll finally get back to the Keys Thursday morning, and I know seeing the destruction first hand is going to be hard (even through there has already been a lot of recovery!). I may write another post once I see everything for myself, but for now, know that I am safe and well. I still have a place to live (even if it currently doesn’t have any power or running water!), and I’m headed back to work.

Stay safe everyone, and think about donating to various recovery funds. Especially Caribbean islands getting hit again by hurricane Maria.

[hella-free-space]

Anything under 5 gallons is too small for a betta, i know 2.5 is the *minimum minimum* but it is the same as putting your betta to a bucket and calling it a day. They need space. Plus a "tank" that small can't hold a stable cycle and is more difficult to keep as, Let's say a proper 10 g tank

aight so...i wrote this big long thing (i’m a really wordy person, and i ramble, so bare with me) when this ask got sent like a month and a half ago. i typed it up on my phone, but mobile tumblr does this thing where if you take more than x minutes to write a reply, it doesnt let you save what you’ve written as a draft and it default posts to your main. and then it just doesnt post ever...so now i’m here, on desktop, to write you this long-overdue reply, Anon.this ask came shortly after a post/comment/reblog on tank size recommendation, so i kind of want assume that this same person who was discussing with me sent this ask, but i’m not going to assume but this person asked on anon... I’m currently writing a long-winded caresheet about bettas (which i plan to post for peer-review tomorrow), and so far i’ve written this about Tank Size:******“2.5gallons:The absolute minimum, I do not recommend keeping a betta in anything less thanthis because even in a cycled 2.5, keeping a *stable* cycle is very difficult,and requires more frequent water changes (1-2x per week at least). In a tank this small, you’ll mostlikely need to buy an adjustable heater as well, since the smallest (trustworthy)heaters on the market are 7-7.5 watts, and depending on where you live or howhot/cold you keep your house/room, the heat will fluctuate too often, or be toohot or too cold since the volume of water is quite small. A 2.5 gallon bettatank is doable.5 gallons:A great median for those who want to give their bettas a wonderful environment,but may be cramped on space, move around often, or whose living arrangementshave aquarium-related restrictions. A cycled 5 gallon tank with a bettagenerally requires a water change 1x a week at least. A 5 gallon tank also keeps a more stable cycle than a 2.5 gallon, and over-heating is less of an issue/concern. I still recommend anadjustable heater (I’ll always recommend an adjustable heater), though, as I’vefound that even with an appropriately-sized preset heater/non-adjustableheater, the temperature fluctuates too often and by too much. A 5 gallon is aperfectly good choice!10+ gallons:A palace! Your new betta would love to have a 10+ gallon tank! They’ll swimover every inch of it, I promise its not too big :) A fantastic choice for thosethat have the space and can afford to set up a 10 gallon or larger with all thebells and whistles (more décor, larger filter, stronger heater, etc. than the smaller tanks). Your fish will thank you and brag to all their fish friends that they ended up with some pretty sweet digs.note: If you feel you can’t give your betta a 10+ gallon tank, and you can onlyafford a 2.5 or 5 gallon setup (or something inbetween), that DOES NOT mean I think you’re a bad fish parent ❤ as long as you can provide the basicnecessities your fish requires and keep on top of water quality, and then do *what* youcan, *when* you can, youre doing it right :) (Never stop improving!! never stop learning!!) Maybe it’ll be a few months before you can buy your fish thatnew hide or a few extra plants, or maybe you’ll have to wait til xmas or yourbday to be able to afford a larger tank if that’s what you want, and that’sokay. As long as you do the best within your means (provided your animal’sbasic needs are met), that’s all your fish would ask of you ❤”******note: i address properly decorating/filtering/heating/etc in the rest of the care sheet. this is literally JUST the section on tank size.1. addressing that “2.5 gallons is the *minimum minimum*” statement anon made:its just *the minimum*...when you’re saying how small is too small and how big is too big without any defining *objective* factors, then it becomes subjective and opinionated. I addressed the cycling issue above in what I wrote for the care sheet. imo a 2.5 gallon is doable. is it amazin, perfect, the best you can give your betta? no...but neither is a 5 gallon .-. so, if your standard of minimum is based upon your opinion of what looks too cramped, then thats okay, and good on you for promoting a 5 gallon as a minimum tank. and i’m not saying that sarcastically, either, i really do wish i could promote 5 gallons as the minimum tank size, but when i’m explaining fish care to someone in the middle of the store, i have to give them objective facts (like the ones listed above under the 2.5 gallon section)To someone who thinks that .5 gallon bowl at petsmart is okay, who is standing in the aisle with betta in hand, me going up to them and telling them 5 gallons is the minimum just cuz its bigger isn’t going to change their mind 90% of the time. with a 2.5 its still on the small side, but at least i can give them objective facts. and i DO say “but if you get a 5.5 gallon its 2$ more for 2x the size, and a 10 gallon is 4x the size for that same 2$ more! and it’ll be easier to heat, cycle, and you’ll have to do less wc on it :) plus more room for decor!! decorating a tank is almost as fun as picking out your new fish!! :DD” so dont get me wrong there, please. but so many people equate bigger tank with more work, suggesting a “proper 10 gallon tank” to someone standing in that checkout line with their fish, some cheap food, a bowl, and a plastic plant? if they took my advice i’d buy a friggin lottery ticket. (I actually think this is what the post was about originally, that one i was having the discussion on before this ask arrived...if i find it, i’ll give a link to it)2. addresing the “it is the same as putting your betta to a bucket and calling it a day.” statement:they make 5 gallon buckets so i see no problems there [somewhat sarcastic, somewhat serious tone]. Just because a tank isn’t glass or acrylic doesn’t mean you cant keep a fish in it imo. Plenty of people use tub-tanks so i dont see why a bucket would be so bad so long as it meets those minimum requirements (2.5+, 76-82, filtered, good food, appropriate decor, lighting a must since the bucket probably isnt see-through and fish shouldnt live in complete and total darkness imo) and the material doesnt leach chemicals, I dont really see a problem? i mean, most buckets are taller than they are wide, but so are some glass/acrylic tanks (fluval spec 3)...i get what you’re trying to say here (i think), though: just throwing a fish in some water and calling it good ain’t good, aint gonna cut it. just like you dont want to suggest 2.5 as the “minimum minimum” because you believe it is inadequate for a betta.3. adressing the “They need space. Plus a "tank" that small can't hold a stable cycle and is more difficult to keep as, Let's say a proper 10 g tank” statement:pretty much agree with this part. smaller tanks dont hold cycles as easily as larger tanks, just the way it is (this does NOT tank into account overstocking, uncycled/cycling tanks, or chemical/parameter spikes). I agree completely that a 10 gallon tank will hold a much more stable cycle than a 2.5 or 5 gallon will. especially if the stock is the same (i.e. one betta). I also agree that bettas need space, and would like to add that longer tanks > taller tanks, since bettas (and most other fish) swim side-to-side and not up and down. a larger tank (again, same stock) will also require less wc/maintenance than a smaller tank. but, imma reiterate, thats hard to explain to the betta+bowl person you see walkin around at your local lfs/lps/chain store...in most people’s mind larger = more work, even tho WE (and hopefully all of fishblr/bettablr) know that that’s not true, even if we do our best to explain that to the general/uneducated/betta-ignorant populace.In the end, i think maybe you (anon) and me have different approaches to the same goal. we both want to improve quality of life for bettas, debunk myths about them, educate people about them, make sure people do right by their pets.i just want to change everyone’s mind first, get more people up to speed and get them out of Bowls-Are-Okay-For-Fish-Land, steer them away from those awful glass prisons and gimmicky tanks and THEN talk about how they can really spoil their pet, how to improve as a Pet ParentTM and give their pet The BestTM. let the water heat up really slowly so to speak (like hot tub, or a lobster pot), since i think I’ll be able to change more minds that way: slowly, steadily...thats what changed my mind, and from personal experience this is what changes the minds of others more easily.If anyone has anything to add, rebutt, comment, reply, etc. please feel free to #told yall i was long-winded and rambly #still dont know how to add hashtags to these dang replies ;-; #fishblr #bettablr #Ronireplies

[nappinenn]

RULES: Tag 20 amazing followers you’d like to get to know better!!

// Tagged by @lilith-gay-fuckface why must you make me suffer so ;^; //

Name/Nickname:

Tiia, but friends call me Tiitu or Nappi!

Gender:

Female

Star sign:

Virgo

Height:

5′1″ .....fite me you tall suckers >::0

Sexual orientation:

Panromantic demisexual 

Hogwarts House:

Um Hufflepuff I think? ;v;

Fave color:

All of them!♥

Fave animal:

W...why..did you ask....okay..h-here we go...

*deep breath* Dogs(pitbulls, rottweilers, dobermans, akita’s, shiba inu’s, labradors, huskies and all other breeds as well!!), Cats (all of them!), Birbs (bungies, blue/green quaker parrots, cockatoos, wagtails), Reptiles (blue tongued skinks, desert iguanas, bearded dragons, geckos, turtles, snakes and some frogs as well♥♥♥) Rats, Mice, Ferrets, Bunnies(I think?), Fish (betta fish, sea horses, sharks, clownfish, catfish...many fish!) and just...all animals really♥

Average hours of sleep:

I either sleep way too much or too little every day so it’s hard to tell how much I actually sleep on average ;-; maybe like between 3 and 10 hours...? Anything in between really.

Cat or Dog person:

Both, but I know a lot more about puppies~

Fave fictional characters:

Hmm... All of my and @leothelizardking‘s oc’s, especially Jerome(my baby boy!) and Kim(you can meet him if you read Leo’s comic Broken Roots !!!) And when it comes to ‘canon’ characters well: Rick, Abraham, Negan (the walking dead), Lee, Clementine, Luke, Ken, Javier (The walking dead games), Guts, Dragonslayer it’s not really a character but a sword but I love it so hush! (Berserk), Jonathan, Speedwagon, DIOOOOOOOO (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, part 1), Joseph, Caesar, Speedwagon, The Pillar Men (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, part 2), Riki, John, Benizakura, Gin, Akame, Ben, Moss (Ginga Nagareboshi Gin), Dominic (Suicide Room), Marceline, Cinnamon Bun, Ice king, Gunter, Jake, Lumpy Space Princess, Lemongrab (Adventure time), Izumi, Ryouma, Rei (Love Stage) and Mei & Gabu (arashi no yoru ni, my absolute favorite movie!!!)

Number of blankets I sleep with:

1, but instead I have 3 pillows..!

Fave singer/band:

Crywank, Flatsound, Nicole Dollanganger, EDEN project, The Neighbourhood

Dream trip:

I want to swim with the sharks, I want to stand on top of the mountains, I want to travel the seas and walk trough the forests. I want to see everything this world has to offer, so anywhere new is a dream come true!!!

Dream job:

I wish to either become a full-time digital artist, game developer, animator, or open a cafe/restaurant! Working with animals would be nice too! 

When was this blog created:  Well I posted my first post on November 16th 2015, but I remember I had the account for a while before actually starting posting!

Current number of followers:

156(thank you so much♥♥♥)! Most of them are bots though, I think.

When did your blog reach its peak?

Anytime I post fan art for someone :0 Otherwise it’s p quiet most of the time.

What made you decide to make this Tumblr?

I just...wasn’t satisfied with my DA account so I decided to try out a new site and well, here I am! 

Now tag!

@leothelizardking @beastly-lumber-jane @alaynas @smollmarshmallorolltrash @ceaselessanomaly @top-percentage-trash and anyone who wants to do this! It’s not 20 but I hope all of you are well and feel free to do this if you wish to! 

Have a wonderful day everyone ♥

[faithbooksfiber]

Summer heat

We live in a 40+ year old mobile home. It's on a city lot, it's all paid for. We'd like to upgrade someday, but until student loans are paid, we're not going to consider adding more debt. Meanwhile, property taxes are low, and we don't have rent or mortgage to pay.

However.

It has a few drawbacks.

One is that mobile homes are not really made to last, so we're always repairing something.

The other is that we live in a metal box, and no matter how much heat-reflective coating we put on the roof, if the central air is not up to snuff, it gets hot fast.

Guess what happens when these two things crash with a summer heat wave?

This past week, that's what.

Our old central air froze up, like, literally, the fan part inside froze solid. We called our mechanically minded friends and relatives. My dad (who has hvac certification from his last job before retirement), said it probably needed the coolant refilled. My husband's friend, who's worked maintenance for decades, suggested changing out the filters and being sure that it had good air circulation.

So we tried the cheaper and easier one; new filters, vacuumed out the closet, the outside fan/unit thing. No dice.

We looked into getting coolant. While Dad could refill it, it's old enough that they've literally stopped making the kind of coolant it takes and you can only get it for really gouge-y prices. And he is not trained in retrofitting it to use other coolants, and that would be REALLY EXPENSIVE to have someone do. So would replacing it.

By this point, it's been five days. My rabbits look miserable, even my tropical fish is getting over heated. It's much hotter inside than out, and it's really freaking hot outside; my dog won't come inside except for water or after the sun goes down. Even the parrots, who usually don't mind a bit of heat, are drinking more and playing less. Moving enough to even just tidy a bit makes me stream with sweat, and I don't usually sweat at all. Neither of us has had a sound night's sleep in what feels like ages.

We give up on the central air and make an emergency trip into town; due to other scheduling things, we have less than an hour to hit the stores and find window air conditioners.

First one, the 99$ sale window air conditioners are sold out. The free standing air conditioners are sold out. There are only three of any kind of air conditioners in stock, and we don't like the look of them - more expensive for not enough upgrade, one would not cool enough area and we could not afford two. We could cool the bedroom, that's it.

We cross the street to the big box store I try to avoid (Walmart. It's walmart. I don't like it there.) They have giant piles of air conditioners in the aisle. One is run by a smart phone app, one has basic dials. It's almost the same as the one that was sold out in the other store, but 35$ more. I grab two and check out.

They are still supposedly not big enough for the area of our (not very large) house. We plan to put them at opposite ends of the house with a fan blowing the air around. We slept last night and installed one this morning before going to church. (not a thing we'd usually do on Sabbath, but it was becoming a health and safety issue.) We shut doors on all the rooms that have them (bedroom, bathroom, sewing room).

We get home after, and it is not cool, but it's not scorching. We decide to put the other in to finish cooling, as it is still over 85f inside.

A few hours later, it is cool (well, according to wall thermometer, it is 77f, which is way better than the past week) in the main house area. If you go into the bathroom or bedroom, it's really hot, but we can open those doors when the sun goes down and let the cool in.

Husband laid down on the couch and took a nap; neither of us has been able to sleep well in days because it's too hot. Rabbits are not trying to become one with the floor of their pen; they are sitting up and playing with food bowls (time for dinner). My betta is not hiding the the darkest corner of his tank; he is swimming around. Birds are moving around more and playing with toys.

Things are better. Except bank account; after student loan payment this week and emergency air conditioners, paycheck was all gone the same day it landed in bank.

[wildlyhardphilosopher-blog]

potty training at 18 months | puppy training austin

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potty training at 18 months | puppy training austin

About Sirius By eating at random times, they will need to poop at random times too. Health advice Stainless Steel (5) What’s your experience been like with crate training? #dog #dogpads #dogphotographer #petphabet #pottypads #puppydog #puppy #puppylove #puppys #puppy❤️ Find a Purebred Puppy With Partners Dog Training, we are here for you. Too many trainers claim to “fix” your dog and leave you hanging. At Partners, we are devoted to discussing, educating and following up. From experienced consultants; to one-on-one check-in interviews, to transition lessons and group classes. Our training system is designed to help you and your dog find success! Memorials & Honorary Gifts Fear and Aggression Due to space limitations it isn’t always possible, but you should try to avoid places such as bedrooms, areas where children play or anywhere you prepare or store food. This doesn’t leave many options! July 3, 2018 Wednesday, July 4 letters: Oil production, pets, wildfire Friday 11:30am to 6:00pm If they want to ‘go’ they will just move away from their bed and ‘go’. No matter where they are. Indoors or out, its all the same to them. Technology Snap on the leash and go for a walk, keeping your dog close to your side. If he starts to tug or get ahead of you, stop, ask him to sit. Then wait a second or two before you begin walking again. Repeat the command, heel or with me as you walk. Stop at all intersections or crosswalks and have him sit. When you begin walking again, make sure he’s looking at you and staying at your heel while you walk. Training for Dog Sports What are their health issues? Method 1 – is the quickest way of house training a dog if you are starting with a puppy. With method 2, you have to train him twice, once to use the pads indoors, and again when it comes to learning to pee outside. Live Betta Fish LabradorTrainingHQ 8. Allow them to fail safely. A: If the email notification is missing, first check your Spam folder. Depending on your email provider, it may have mistakenly been flagged as spam. If it is not found, please email customer service at (customerservice@thegreatcourses.com) or call customer service at 1-800-832-2412 for assistance. You do this by using a cue word and walking them on leash to their potty spot, not allowing them to do anything else and if they do not potty, taking them back inside and trying again in a few minutes. Flooding Therapy As guide dog puppy raisers we follow all the rules and puppy training guidelines outlined in our puppy manual and when it comes to potty training our puppy we simply turn to page 42 in our manual and follow the instructions on how to potty train a puppy. Puppy Raising Packages Reid, Pamela J. (1996). Excel-Erated Learning, Explaining (in Plain English) How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them, James & Kenneth Publishers. One of the first questions that most new owners ask when they get their new puppy is about training, more specifically what training and when. For a complete guide to raising a healthy and happy puppy don’t miss The Happy Puppy Handbook. Register a Litter See More About Hill’s Dramatic changes in diet very often lead to loose stools or diarrhea, your puppy becomes physically incapable of holding it in and this is the worst thing that can happen during house training (not to mention all the cleaning you’ll have to do!) Where should the cage be located? Views: 911,949 Lauren School Closings Returns & Exchanges Frequently Asked Questions Ordering & Shipping The PetCareRx Guarantee Discounts & Promotions The PetCareRx Points Program Auto Delivery 2 count Tip 2: Be Prepared Youtube Video About Blue Cross Clubs Offering: Why not give my Dog Training Genesis programs a try today? Seriously. I take all the risk so you have nothing to lose. Email Address* Media Resources New name or old, as much as possible, associate it with pleasant, fun things, rather than negative. The goal is for him to think of his name the same way he thinks of other great stuff in his life, like “walk,” “cookie,” or “dinner!” Paw care Automatic Feeders Club Development Department Training fees ^ Top of Page Working in Australia · 9:30 AM: Walk Lifetime Guarantee Private, in-home lessons begin with a hands-on evaluation of your puppy by an experienced, certified dog trainer. The program includes: Never shout their name if you are angry – puppies must associate their names with good things. Dogs Trust Take your dog outside frequently. This is the most important thing you can do to teach your dog to relieve himself outside. While it may seem excessive, try to take him outside as frequently as possible, about every half an hour. Stick to a schedule and try not to miss even one designated “outside time,” since your dog will learn to associate these outside trips with relieving himself.[1] New Website Help Guide 7 First Aid Tips for Saving a Puppy Who is Drowning Friendship Park Conservatory Building a Relationship If you notice a mess after it has happened, you are not supervising closely enough. Jump up ^ “Specializing in Dog Aggression and Dog Behavior”. Dog Behavior Rehab. Retrieved 15 December 2011. Not Helpful 10 Helpful 23 Many Owners Should Paper Train Their Puppies ‘Just In Case’ “If you actually hurt them, you’re validating their aggression … the dog had learned to use ‘fight,’ it learned that if it bit at things, it could get its way.” Spot Ons Sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account. 1 (800) 419-8748 Bayer Expert Care Hiking with dogs PURINA.COM.AU Advertisement Life ​Susa has been a joy to have at home.  We train every day and she seems to love the exercises.  As you can see from the picture, she has become quite enthusiastic about coming when called (and all her other exercises.)  Thanks again for your wonderful work with her. CEUs: 21 Family animals Is he allowed in the kitchen when meals are being prepared? (can be unsafe if things get dropped) When you are housetraining your puppy, you should expect a few accidents to occur along the way because your puppy can only hold his bladder for about one hour per month of age. Though pet stains are an expected part of housetraining, they can be stubborn and difficult to remove. Police Scanner In around 127-116 B.C. a Roman farmer, Marcus Varro, recorded advice on raising and training puppies for herding livestock. His writings indicate that not only was dog training for specific tasks well established, but that the value of early training was recognised.[5] 96% of reviewers would recommend this product Not Helpful 14 Helpful 51 $19.97$29.99 124573 Quiz: Which Image Is Not Like The Others So although when home I’m vigilant and very actively house training my puppy to toilet outside, I also have to paper train them for the odd occasion I’m not home. After speaking with many friends and owners, I know this is a common scenario for many.

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fbq('track', 'ViewContent', content_ids: 'dogtraining.dknol', ); Renee Schreurs, Owns two pugs, Monster and Diablo. Sponsored Stories 20% off your first Repeat Delivery order Terms & Conditions Beds & Furniture Copyright © 2018 · Puppy In Training · Privacy Policy· Sitemap Saturday 8:00am – 1:00pm The cons are clearly going apes**t over Mueller. On the one hand, we have Spanky supporter Alex Jones inciting violence against Mueller for….what? Investigating their beloved Dumb Leader? The cons have completely lost their minds. Puppy’s love to scratch and dig: You will have to make sure he cannot dig under fencing, taking precautions to maybe bury chicken wire a couple of feet deep just in case. And you will have to guard off any plants, flower beds or anything else you’d like to keep from being dug up. Regardless of the reason, you probably want to know how to get your dog to stop chewing everything in sight. The best solution is to first signal to your puppy through a firm command that her behavior is not appropriate, and then to give her something nice to chew on instead of your sofa—a bone or chew toy ought to do the trick. Housetraining and chewtoy-training will be quick and easy if you adhere to the puppy confinement plan above, which prevents the puppy from making mistakes and prompts the puppy to teach herself household etiquette. If you vary from the program, you will likely experience problems. Unless you enjoy problems, you must reprimand yourself for any mistakes you allow your puppy to make. Sheba more… Related articles Why you’ll love it: The Fresh Patch Disposable Dog Potty is made with hydroponically grown grass and a 100% recyclable cardboard tray to attract your puppy and absorb pee quickly. house training an older dog | Puppy Training Session: Stop Running Away and Stopping Other Unwanted Habits house training an older dog | How to Train your Puppy to Stop Biting house training an older dog | 6 Dog Training Questions YOU Probably Don’t Know the Answer to… Legal | Sitemap

[cicadawhite6]

The Secret Life of Rats by Hunter Shea (@huntershea1)

Rats give me the willies. I know I’m not alone in feeling that way. When my kids were precious little darlings, they used to beg me to buy them a pet rat. They got a betta fish instead.

Beyond my natural ‘ick’ reaction when I see a rat’s undulating body loping down a subway track, I also can’t help myself from thinking of the host of diseases that rats carry and spread. You know, pleasant little things like hantavirus, hepatitis, leptospirosis, a fun little malady called Rat Bite Fever, or RBF, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome and this little thing called THE PLAGUE, just to skim the top of a very long list. They are deadly and they are everywhere!

All that being said, as a kid, I was fascinated by any movie that involved rats. Lucky for me, I grew up in a time when some of the best rat movies ever made were hitting the screen, from Willard to Food of the Gods and Ben. I named my hamster Ben. He was the meanest SOB that ever lived, with a taste for human flesh not seen since Jeffrey Dahmer. On a side note, did you know that a young Michael Jackson sang the theme song to Ben?

As a lover of nature gone feral, and sometimes colossal, the rat movies hit me the hardest because they made my skin crawl. I would literally screw myself up in my seat, yet unable to take my eyes off a swarming horde of vermin or rats the size of bulls crawling all over a cabin. I cheered on the giant ants in Them! and the killer rabbits in Night of the Lepus, but man oh man, I wanted those rats to be gone ASAP whenever they came on the screen. For me, they were the ultimate bad guy. Give me the devil and a head spinning possession any day over a box o’ rats.

Doing research for my book, Rattus New Yorkus, I sat down with exterminators to learn more about the very thing I wanted to know less about. It turns out that rats, especially the Norway rats prevalent in New York, are smart. I mean, the kind of smart that keeps me up at night worrying. How smart? If you lay out poison for them, they will send the weakest rat to eat it. Then, they’ll wait and see what happens to the royal taste tester. If it dies, they don’t touch the poison. Scarily, it doesn’t’ take them long to become immune to a new poison. I wish I could adapt as well to White Castle burgers.

They also learn how to avoid traps, that knowledge passed down to other generations. In the first chapter of Rattus New Yorkus, there’s a scene with a crafty vermin devising an ingenious way to avoid being stuck to a glue trap. I wish I had made that up, but it was based on a real life observation. I did not enjoy my time with the exterminators.

Oh, and rats are very, very good at multiplying. The little buggers enjoy making more little buggers, and they make many! A female rat can give birth four or more times a year, popping out a dozen suckers at a time. And it only takes a few weeks for the babies to be ready to make babies of their own. *shudders*

True story time A very good friend of mine had rented a tiny furnished apartment in the suburbs in the 90s. It was a total dive, but he was proud of it because it was all his. The first night there, he fell asleep on the couch. He was awakened when he felt something squirming underneath the cushion. He pulled it up and saw there were rats trying to get out from the nest they’d made wiyhin the couch! To make matters worse, more rats fell on him from a hole in the drop ceiling. He ran out of the apartment and lived in his car for a whole month until he could find a new place.

In this day and age, with exposure to everything on a 24/7 basis, it’s easy to become jaded. Scary books and movies have a harder and harder time eliciting chills to people who can watch a video of a person getting mauled to death by a bear on their phone. You need something that taps an instinctual reflex to cringe. Rats do that for me, and millions of others. If you think you’re NOT one of them, I have the keys to my friend’s old apartment.

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About the Author

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He’s the author of over 17 books, including The Jersey Devil (Pinnacle 2016)), Tortures of the Damned (Pinnacle 2015), and We Are Always Watching (Sinister Grin). Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. The Montauk Monster (Pinnacle 2014) was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. He was selected to be part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. Living with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to pay New York rent.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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About the Book

Rattus, New Yorkus One Size Eats All #2 by Hunter Shea Genre: Horror

They’re Bigger Deep in the sewers of New York City, the rat population is growing. Dr. Randolph Finch is determined to break the cycle. His new rodenticide, Degenesis, doesn’t kill rats. It sterilizes them from reproducing. But nothing adapts faster than a New York rat . . .

They’re Smarter City exterminators and soon-to-be divorced Chris and Benita Jackson think they know how these rats think. They know how rats breed. And they fear that Degenesis has only made these rats stronger. More aggressive. More intelligent. And more ravenous than ever . . .

Tonight’s Dinner Special: Us After a noticeable surge in rat den activity, the Jacksons witness something strange. Without warning, the rats disappear—only to reassemble in a massive lair beneath Grand Central Station. Millions upon millions of them. Working together. Operating as a hive mind. Feasting on the flesh of the homeless below—and planning their all-out attack on the unsuspecting humans above . . .

Add to Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Excerpt

It was going on dusk when we got to the restaurant. Business at Pasta 13 was light at the moment. Restaurants didn’t get humming until at least seven on weeknights. I called the owner ahead of time and we met him out back by the dumpster. It wouldn’t do him good for his diners to see a pair of exterminators come strolling inside.

“You were here already today,” he said to Benny. The man was tall and thin everywhere except his hips. He looked nervous, but then he always looked nervous. Owning a restaurant was not for the fainthearted.

“We need to take a closer look,” she said, nodding toward the suitcase in my hand.

“Yes, but please, be discreet.”

“We take an oath of discretion,” I reassured him. He didn’t look reassured.

“Come directly to me if you need anything. My staff doesn’t need to know.”

I opened my mouth and closed it.

If his staff didn’t see the piles of rat shit everywhere, they were either blind or willfully ignorant.

“Let’s go down that one,” Benny said, pointing to the largest burrow. The edges were fuzzy, having snagged copious amounts of hair. That meant it was the road most taken for this nest.

“As you wish, Alice.”

I opened the case and assembled the camera. It looked like a snake that plumbers use to clear drains, with a fish-eye lens on the end. It hooked up to a small monitor so we could see into the den.

This time of day, the rats should have been starting to get restless, but they were more than likely still in the main nest.

“You want me to do the honors?” I asked, the camera poised over the hole. “By all means.”

I once had a rat jump out of a burrow just as I was about to drop the camera down. It landed on my chest, desperate to find the soft tissue of my face. Thankfully, Benny had swatted it away with a spade she’d been using to cover up some of the burrows. She’d managed to slice it in half like a samurai.

Warm rat entrails soaked through my shirt, but thanks to her, I was still pretty.

“Get ready,” I said.

Sometimes, when we went exploring like this, the rats would pour out of the other burrows and swarm around us in a frenzy. Our pants were tucked into our tough leather boots. Benny gripped what she called her swattin’ pole. It had once been a nine iron, the head replaced by a wood block, held on with a half mile of duct tape. What it lacked in esthetics it more than made up for in efficiency. I slowly snaked the camera into the hole. With night vision activated, we watched the black-and-white monitor.

What we saw was very similar to the video from a colonoscopy. Just traveling down a winding, dark tunnel.

A normal rat’s den contained seven or so rats. We had caught three with snap traps last week. Their dwindling numbers, especially if the Degenesis was working, couldn’t account for the growing feces.

“Expect anything,” I said.

“What?”

“Just ruminating.”

I pushed the camera deeper, kicking up a puff of dust deep in the burrow.

A rat’s twitchy face sprang into view. I instinctively recoiled, then recovered in as manly a way as possible.

“Say cheese,” Benny said, standing over me.

“You talk about my tired old witticisms.”

The rat retreated, tunneling backwards down the hole.

I knew I had to hurry up. The other rats would be ready to scatter .

Working the cable as fast as I could, I remotely spelunked, wondering just how far down they had settled in.

In my periphery, I caught a rat leaping from a burrow to my left.

Benny gasped.

“What?”

She pointed at the screen.

“Holy shit!”

I let the camera cable drop as if it were a poisonous snake.

We watched as dozens and dozens of rats writhed over one another. Every inch of the nest was packed with vermin bodies.

“Pull back a little,” Benny said.

“Yeah, yeah.”

I tugged slightly on the cable so we could get a better view.

“Look at all the babies,” Benny said.

“It’s like the maternity ward in Shanghai,” I said.

We were either looking at multiple litters or the granddaddy of all litters.

“What do you think? At least twenty?”

Benny peered at the monitor. “I’d second that. And they all look like they’re from the same generation.”

“I guess there’s no point in saying how impossible that is.”

“You guess right again.”

More adult rats were scurrying out of the holes around us. From what I could see, several had stayed behind in the nest to guard the babies.

“I don’t like this at all,” I said, moving the camera some more to get a different angle. All of it was being recorded.

“They like it less,” Benny said.

The camera’s intrusion had brought about sweeping panic in the nest. I almost felt sorry for the little critters as they sought refuge around the adult guardians.

“I think we’ve seen enough,” I said, pulling the camera out. “I’ll send the file to Ratticus, see what he thinks.”

“Stop, Chris.”

“Fine. Dr. Finch.”

“No. Put the camera down.”

“Why?”

I looked to Benny, whose eyes were wide and darting about. Following her gaze, the camera slipped from my suddenly milquetoast grasp.

We were surrounded by rats. A dozen pairs of marble black eyes locked onto us.

They weren’t running away.

And they were sure as shit not afraid.

Source: http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-secret-life-of-rats-by-hunter-shea.html

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