#nor is any low cost vet care

[darkwood-sleddog]

I do think it’s pretty gross that so many people will see poor people managing their dog(s) to the best ability that they can while living in poverty and be like “imma ban that bc uwu animal cruelty”.

[turbulentt]

Dirty Laundry

genre: smut | gangster!wonwoo x gn!reader

word count: +3.6k 

warning: explicit content, a bit of angst, kind of gangster au?, oral, daddy kink

summary: you’ve known wonwoo for a few years now and, even if your feelings grow stronger by the minute, you’re scared of what might happen if you fall in love completely. on the other hand, wonwoo is tired of waiting.

Messages on

   You: Wonwoo, where u @?

Wonwoo: I'm at Mingyu's. Why?

   You: I was just wondering if u wanted to come by

Wonwoo: I still have some things to take care of

But as soon as I'm done I'll head over to u

   You: Thanks and... be careful

Wonwoo: Sounds like u don't know me, I'm never careful 

Messages off

It has been over two years since you got stuck on an elevator with Wonwoo. In the beginning, neither you nor your friends liked him due to the rumors that circled about him, but after a deep talk and some laughs, you felt like you could understand him better.

Everyone you came across always told you "Don't even go near him." or "He's nothing but trouble." or even "You're too pure to be around him, he'll put you in danger.". Of course, you got scared. What is he? Some kind of gangster? 

Yes. He actually is.

Well, that's not the truth. He was a gangster. Not anymore. But you don't trust him enough to believe he already left that life.

He said he gave up on those habits because of you. Because he fell in love with you and wanted to make you happy at any cost. Although his persistence won't let him give up on you, you still haven't replied to his feelings. That makes him sad and you know it, but you're too afraid to end up hurt.  

One hour and a half after exchanging texts he finally arrives at your house. But when you open the door the first thing you see is the bloodstains on his clothes. You don't get worried since you know, for sure, that that blood belongs to another person.

"I can explain." is the only thing he can say.

You step away from the door with a sad expression on your face while he comes in and follows you into the kitchen.

"Explain what, Wonwoo? I knew this was going to happen." you say paying more attention to the food you're cooking "You already know where the clean clothes are. Dinner will be ready in no time." you continue without even looking at him.

"But can I explain myself first? Please," he begs as he tries to come close to you.

You walk away from him, placing stuff on the table and preparing it.

"I'm tired of your excuses." you sigh.

As you hear him walk away from the room you sit down on one of the chairs and rest your head on your hands.

"Why do you always do this to me? Does it feel good playing with my emotions?" you groan and hit the table furiously.

"It smells good." he smiles while entering the kitchen and coming near you.

You just shrug in response and head over to the table placing the food in it.

"Sit down. Let's eat," you say coldly and he obeys.

As the two of you start eating you know his eyes are laying on you and he tries several times to say something but eventually gives up every time.

"Stop it Wonwoo, that's annoying," you say finally looking at him.

"Can you just hear me out? It's really not what you're thinking." he smiled nervously while begging once more. "Damnit Wonwoo. Why can't I resist you?" you think to yourself looking at him.

"Be fast and spare me from the lies." you huff and see a smile forming in his lips. 

"Thank you." he says before telling you what actually happened "I was at Mingyu's helping him taking care of his mom 'cause she's sick. You can ask him after, you know he'd never lie to you.", you agree quietly and he continues "When I left to come here I stumbled across a puppy who was hit by a car and I took him to the nearest vet." he explains because of the blood you saw earlier.

At this point, you were already filled with guilt for not wanting him to explain in the first place, but you still wondered if that was really true.

"Now I understand, I'm sorry for not letting you explain yourself before," you say a little ashamed and he smiles awkwardly.

"It's okay, baby. I know my past doesn't really help me, but I told you I'm working it out..." his smiles widens and you can see the lust in his eyes "...because of you."

You blush and quickly turn your attention to the food in front of you. You hear him chuckle at your embarrassment as he also keeps eating.

Suddenly your phone rings as you receive a couple of messages from someone. Wonwoo glances at your phone with a suspicious look and his face becomes red seeing the name 'Soonyoung' on the screen.

"Why is he texting you so frenetically?" he says with a low tone.

"He's jealous." you think.

"He probably just wants to talk to me. Isn't that normal?" you tease him. "Whatever." he just cliques his tongue and finishes his food.

You finish yours as well and get up to put the dishes in the sink. He follows you and as he leans to place his dish he lays a wet kiss on the skin of your neck.

"W-what was that for?" you stutter while pushing him away. "Don't deny it. You loved it," he smirks and walks away to the living room. "Don't be a pervert!" you shout from the kitchen.

As you're leaving the kitchen towards the living room you read Soonyoung's messages and laugh at what he told you.

"What's so funny?" Wonwoo asks from the couch with an annoyed expression. "Nothing," you say while sitting next to him.

You keep texting Soonyoung and occasionally watching the movie but not paying much attention. You can hear Wonwoo groan beside you each time you giggle with a message. He loses his temper and snatches your phone from your hand.

"Pay attention to me. Only me." he groans while moving closer to you.

You stay paralyzed as he keeps leaning, making your faces closer and closer every second.

"Wonwoo..." you mutter looking at him.

"What? You don't like this?" he makes you lay on the couch staying on top of you "You're so submissive for me." he smirks and you just look away blushing. "No." he places his hand on your chin and makes you face him "I want you to look at me."

He gets closer to your neck and starts leaving kisses all over it. His soft and wet lips make you lose your senses and you let out a gentle moan as he grabs your thighs firmly.

"Why does this feel so good? Why is he so good?" you think to yourself while closing your eyes with pleasure. He raises his head from your neck and tries to kiss your lips but you turn your head and suddenly get out from under him. 

"T-this is not happening." you stutter still a little stunned from what just happened and get away from him. "Come on, baby. I've been craving you for so long." he gets up and starts walking towards you. Without much space to run you just sprint to your room and close the door.

"I can't give you what you want, Wonwoo. Not now." you sigh and mutter quietly.

Messages on

   You: U can stay if you want

   But I'm not coming near u

Wonwoo: Are u really going to leave me here alone?

With a big ass boner? That's cruel, baby

   You: Are u really?

Wonwoo: Get out of the room and see for yourself

   You: I'm not leaving

Wonwoo: Then I'll just send u a pic

   You: Don't u dare

Wonwoo: [media file] 

Too late, baby 

   You: Wow... it's hum big

Wonwoo: U're still not leaving?

I'm suffering here, baby

   You: I don't care

   I'm not falling on ur trap

Wonwoo: Is that so? What a shame

If u don't come to me, I'll go to u

I wonder if there's a spare key... 

   You: Don't go through my stuff!

   I don't have spare keys

Wonwoo: Is that so? Then care to explain what's this

[Media file] 

   You: I told u to not go through my stuff, Wonwoo!

   Put that back right now!

Wonwoo: Make me, baby

Messages off

Suddenly you hear footsteps approaching your room. He must have the keys and will not hesitate to enter for sure. Once he enters you won't have any place to escape to and resisting him will be impossible. Something in Wonwoo makes it hard to refuse him.

"If you opened the door yourself it would be a lot easier." his voice says from the other side. "What do you want from me?" you question already on the edge of giving up "Why do you play with me like this, Wonwoo?".

As soon as you asked that a weird silence settled in and, not sure if he was still there, you called his name but he didn't answer. Thus you decide to open the door just to see a sad Wonwoo sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall.

"What's wrong?" you ask worried at the sudden mood change. "You'll never believe in me, will you?" he raises his head and you feel like a dagger went through your heart, he was... crying?

"Wonwoo, you're crying?" you ask still in disbelief, no one has ever seen Wonwoo cry, not even his best friend Mingyu.

"Yes, I am." he says sharply "I'm crying because you think you're getting hurt but you're only hurting me instead. I also have feelings, even tho I don't always show it. But I've told you several times about how I feel about you and now I know why I don't share my feelings often." he states in a mix of sadness and annoyance.

You just stay there staring at him with pity in your eyes not really knowing what to do. He was crying because you hurt him. Him. The boy who feared nothing and no one was on your floor crying his feelings out for you.

"I love you." you quickly say and not waiting for a response you hug him tightly.

He returned your hug and accommodated himself in your arms just like a little child. After a few minutes, he stopped sobbing and you smiled relieved. After all, Wonwoo was really a sensitive little boy inside of a big man's body. Only now you realized how unfair and judgmental you were being with the person you most loved.

"You love me?" he whispers happily pulling you back from your thoughts. "I do. I always have," you state a little embarrassed and he finally faces you. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he tilts his head in confusion. "I guess I was just too afraid of commitment, I'm sorry for hurting you." you caress his cheek and he smiles.

"I love you too," he states. "I know." you smile.

"I think you should make up for all the pain you made my little heart go through." he pouts fakely with a completely different expression from earlier.

He's back.

"What do you want?" you ask naively.

He looks down at his pants and you follow his eyes with yours. His erection from earlier was now half gone but you knew it wouldn't take too long for it to be full again.

"Is that all you think about, you pervert?" you roll your eyes and stand up offering your hand to him.

"Basically." he grabs your hand but instead of getting up, he pulls you down again to sit on his lap "Don't you dare to try to run away from me again. I'll punish you, baby."

You surrender completely hypnotized by his touch. He grabbed your thighs firmly and brought you even closer to him. Roughly, but still careful, he pulls your hair back making sure your neck is totally exposed to him. You close your eyes tightly as you feel his wet lips taste your skin. He started leaving marks all over it, making sure they were visible enough for everyone to see.

"S-stop, I have classes tomorrow.." you whine but he keeps doing as if he didn't hear you "W-Wonwoo." his name leaves your mouth almost in a moan and he smirks satisfied.

"You're mine." he says firmly and stands up with you in his arms "I have to make sure everyone knows it." he walks to your room and throws you to the bed.

He climbs up on the bed quickly and without any hesitation, he takes your lips in his. Wonwoo kissed you like there was no tomorrow, he was so needy and you shared the same feelings.

"You make me crazy, Wonwoo." you thought running your hands through his hair trying to deepen the kiss even more.

You break apart from the kiss and stare deeply into each other's eyes. The vision you had was extremely hot and provocative. Wonwoo was on top of you, painting like a thirsty dog, with is messy hair falling in his face and a pair of lustful eyes gazing at you.

"Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to fuck me?" you say in a husky voice, that made him even more aroused.

"Eager aren't we?" he smirks taking your shirt off "You're so fucking beautiful." he groans eating you only with his eyes.

He sets down a slow trail of kisses without taking his eyes off you. His gaze was so powerful that you could cum by looking at him. When finally reaching your pants he starts to open them in an annoying and provocative slow pace. You whine for him to hurry but he ignores your words once again.

"Beg, baby. Beg for me.".

"You know I don't beg, Wonwoo. Just take it off for fuck's sake." you groan but he is too persistent and wants everything his way. "Come on. Just say the words and I'll do as you desire," he smirks and you just sigh defeated.

"Please... daddy." you blush immediately after saying those words and his wild side is activated.

He quickly gets rid of all the clothes, both his and yours and gets on the bed again. You look at his length and gulp with a bit of concern in your eyes, he notices your expression and caresses your cheek.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you, baby." he smiles making you less anxious and more comfortable.

You nod in agreement and he kisses you again while slowly running his hands across all your naked body.

He stands up to get his pants and from his pocket, he takes out a condom and you watch while he puts it on. He has everything always prepared.

While distracting you with the kiss he carefully places his member on your entrance and slides it in. You break from the kiss to let out some painful moans and he kisses you again to ease the pain.

He just stays still in place waiting for your approval to start moving. Slowly your pain becomes pleasure.

"Can I go, baby?" he gently asks and you nod.

He starts slow but strong enough to make you let out louder moans. At each one of your moans he gets more and more turned on and his pace becomes faster and wilder.

"W-Wonwoo...", as he hears his name come out of your mouth he loses all his sanity and comes out of you just to enter again, roughly and madly.

"I won't be able to walk tomorrow." you think while scratching his back and spreading your legs to give him more access.

He comes out of you suddenly and you whine looking at him. He smirks at your desperation and kisses your skin from your neck to your ear.

"You should apologize for ignoring me before, baby." he takes his member and teases you by rubbing it in your entrance. "I.. I didn't." you tease.

You were playing his game as well and you wouldn't let him win that easily. Teasing him was too good.

"Is he better than me?" he bites your earlobe and rubs his member a little harder making you bite your lip. "I never tried with him to know." you tease and see his expression change completely. He was not happy at that response. "You're gonna need to be punished. Bad baby," he says standing up.

He stands in front of you as you look at him confused.

"Come here. Now." he says in a dominant tone and you hesitate "Do I need to repeat myself?" he says impatiently.

"No.." you stand up in front of him "..daddy," you smirk and he bites his lip. "Don't tease me, baby." he groans in frustration "On your knees."

"What?" you pretend to not understand and he grabs you closer by your hip. "On. Your. Knees. Now." he spanks your right thigh and you let out an unexpected moan "If you don't obey, I'll do it harder, baby."

You do as he says and kneel on the floor in front of him. He smiles satisfied and pets your head. "Good baby." he bites his lower lip looking at you and continues "Now, make daddy feel good. Will you?".

You slowly look away from his eyes to his hard cock in front of you and understand what he wants. You take it in your hand and start making up and down movements. Stroking it as well as possible, making him throw his head back in pleasure. As you hear his low tone moans you start moving faster but no, you still weren't satisfied.

You look at him and decide to take his cock in your mouth. Surprised by your warmth he lets out a loud moan and looks at you only to see a vision that turned him on even more, if that was even possible.

"Oh baby... you feel so good.." he grabs your hair slowly and starts making hip movements.

He loses his senses and starts to thrust into your mouth. Because of his sudden action, you gag a little but soon you start to keep up with his movements.

"I'm... I'm 'gonna cum.." he moans out and quickens his movements.

Moments later you feel a warm liquid fill your mouth and he slowly comes out of you. You swallow it looking directly at him and he smirks with his standard dirty look.

You get back on the bed and spread your legs wanting him to finish what he started before. He sits on the bed and taps his lap.

"Ride me." 

Without losing any time you hop on his lap and begin a thirsty kiss. He grabs you by your thighs and, as he kisses you dominantly, he places you close to his member. You slide down making him enter you slowly.

You moan loudly as you feel him fill you entirely and start riding him quickly and desperately. He keeps his hands on your hips guiding your movements. Your hands are on his shoulders to help you support your body and as the pleasure runs through your body you scratch his skin.

"I... I'm almost t-there.." you are able to say in-between of the moans.

You quicken your pace and he squeezes your thighs roughly, and probably it will leave a bruise, as he feels his climax coming. You cum with a loud moan and he follows you right after. Wonwoo helps you lay on the bed and he lays beside you with a bright smile. You both look at each other and let out a sigh of happiness.

"Do you have any idea of how long I've been waiting for this?" he covers both of you with the covers and lays on his side to look at you. "I have a slight idea. I have to be honest, I've been wanting to do this for a while too." you smile looking back at him. "Then does this mean we're dating?" he smirks. "Bitch." you giggle at his question "Did you even ask?"

"To be fair I've been asking for the past two years. You're the one who hasn't been responding." he pouts like a baby. "Oh... that's true." you say embarrassed "But it's a yes. I'll date you, Wonwoo."

Messages on

   You: Hey Mingyu ♡

Mingyu: Heyyy

Wassup?

   You: I wanted to ask you smth

   Was Wonwoo with u today?

Mingyu: Yeah. Why?

Why this sudden interest in him? U in love?

   You: It's just curiosity

   But really? He was with u? Don't joke :c

Mingyu: Then why did you take so long to answer?

You're using ':c' now? He really got into you, literally and metaphorically

I'm telling the truth, he was with me. He also left in a hurry bc he was going over to your house

   You: Thank you, Gyu

   Yeah he did "got into me"

Mingyu: HE DID? YOOOO~

I'M THROWING A PARTY

   You: Stop overreacting, Guy

Mingyu: I. AM. NOT.

Wonwoo didn't have sex with not even a single soul for the past two years

He was always telling me that it was bc he was waiting for u

Bc u were the one

   You: Did he really? Omg

   Thanks for telling me this, Gyu

   You're an angel

Mingyu: I know, I know

Messages off 

You turn off your phone smiling like a child who just received the best gift. As you turn to your side you face a sleeping Wonwoo and you just stare at him happily. Slowly, trying to not wake him up, you caress his hair and kiss his forehead.

"Thank you for waiting for me, Wonwoo," you whisper.

You seek comfort between his arms and eventually end up falling asleep.

"Always," he whispers lightly.

[rowandpyr973]

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[theflashisgone]

Things that are helpful when you call your vet’s office:

Start by identifying yourself and your pet. I guarantee I won’t automatically know who you are, and I can’t look up your pet’s medications, schedule an appointment, or give the doctor an update on your pet’s condition without knowing who you are.

Learn the difference between coughing and vomiting, as the causes are very different. Vomiting comes from the stomach only, and coughing comes from the lungs only. If hair, food, or a significant amount of liquid is coming out, it’s almost certainly vomit. If any of those are coming from your pet’s lungs, your pet has aspirated them and either has or is going to get pneumonia.

If it’s a very urgent problem, be prepared for the fact that we may not be able to get you in soon enough to address it, and allow us to refer you to other clinics that we trust to help you when we can’t. While my practice does keep a limited number of appointments available for urgent cases, those are scheduled on a first come first serve basis and may already be filled up. Furthermore, every clinic goes through periods that are busier than others. For my practice, our busiest time of the year is typically November and December, but we have been absolutely slammed for the last 5 weeks for no apparent reason.

If it’s a very serious problem, be prepared for us to refer you to a specialty or emergency clinic that can provide your pet more appropriate and more timely care. Serious problems include broken bones, large wounds, urinary blockages, seizures, difficulty giving birth, large amounts of blood coming out of an orifice, foreign object ingestion, poisoning, and envenomation. Regular clinics generally cannot provide appropriate treatment for these problems in a timely manner, and time is of the essence in these cases.

If you are concerned about money, let us know up front. We are happy to provide you with an estimate and help you determine what problems should be prioritized, may be able to do a payment plan or otherwise work something out regarding payment, or we may be able to refer you to financial assistance programs or low-cost clinics.

If you don’t know how concerned to be about your pet, please call and ask. I would rather have you call five times to ask about things that turn out to be normal, than risk you not calling about something that turns out to be serious. Similarly, don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if it’s just how to pronounce your pet’s medication.

Please be conscientious of our time. I usually don’t have half an hour to chat before actually finding out why you’re calling. Also, I REALLY don’t want to hear detailed information about your gastrointestinal or urogenital health problems. Please don’t give me details about those types of health problems when they’re not occurring in your pet.

If I ask you to clarify your description of what the pet’s doing, please try to find different words to describe it rather than repeating what you already said. I will not understand what you mean by “He has mongoose!” any better the third or fourth time you say it, nor does repeating “It’s like reflux,” answer my question of whether the pet is vomiting, burping, or something else. (These are both real examples. We never did find out what mongoose was.)

If the practice name is [Pet Type] Limited, The [Pet Type] Clinic, or something similar, they probably only treat that type of pet. Please don’t call my very obviously named cat clinic and complain when I won’t schedule your puppy. The only procedure my boss has performed on a dog in the last 17 years is euthanasia. Even if she was willing to see your puppy, do you really want her treating him?

[sebastianshaw]

hey, sorry for the off-topic question but are mice good therapy animals? You've mentioned mental health a few times OOC and I just was wondering if they'd be a good pick.

None of my pets are therapy animals or emotional support animals, they’re just pets, but they are good for my mental health. Meds, therapy, and a supportive family are the big three for me, but small furry things to take care of are a very good supplement. Like a vitamin pill alongside dinner---the food is what’s keeping you alive and going, and the pill alone would not, but it does help. I think all pet owners who struggle with mental health---or even those who don’t---find that their pet helps a lot even if they’re not registered or trained specially in any way. That said, I would not recommend mice, or rodents in general, as pets for you mental health, unless they actually are what you need and what you like. For me, I already had an affinity for rodents. I never got them with the intent for them to be a mental health aid, I got them because I just really, really love rats, mice, and all their relations. And as it turns out...they work really well for what I need. Cut for length since this isn’t RP or fandom and I don’t want to clog people’s dash, but if anyone is interest,ed I’m going to discuss the pros and cons of rodents, the importance of assessing your needs when picking an animal, and the importance of the animal’s needs too.

If you need unconditional love and automatic affection, they’re NOT for you. Dogs are great at this. This is why most people have dogs. This is why dogs are the most common therapy/ES animal (well, and being really smart and trainable) Rats will love you, but mice and hamsters do not. Mice and hamsters will learn not to be afraid of you, they will tolerate being picked up by you, but most are never going to be happy to see you and run up hoping to get petted like a dog will. I’m okay with that. I just need something small to take care of and be responsible for, and to hold for a long time each day. I get them to trust me and let me hold them at length, and we’re good. Now, rats (which ARE different from mice, they are MUCH larger, smarter, and different behaviorally/psychologically) will love you back. Maybe not all of them, and not automatically like a dog, but many of mine have definitely loved me. They don’t show affection in the same way dogs and cats (I find a lot of people expect all animals to behave like a dog or cat) but they show it. They’ll run to the cage door when you come down, they’ll watch you in hope you’ll notice them and pick them up, they’ll even adjust their schedule to yours so that they can be awake when you are, even though they’re naturally nocturnal. They’ll snuggle with you, they’ll lick you or nibble you to show love, they’ll groom your hand like it’s a fellow rat (which is a way they show affection to each other) I get a lot out of this. It feels good to be loved by a rat, just like it does by a dog, cat, horse, etc. Now, rats are very individual. I’ve had rats who I believe truly loved me. I’ve also had rats who were indifferent to me. And I’ve even had a few who I think wanted me to just go away, though I’ve NEVER had one that was aggressive or bit (rats are the LEAST likely rodent to bite, though it does happen, I’ve just never had it happen to me in 15+ years of keeping them) But most people who keep rats absolutely find them to most lovable animals, and I concur. It’s why I’ve had so many, despite the heartbreak that they only live a couple years. This is the BIGGEST drawback for rats, mice, and hamsters---the short lifespan. Losing a rat will hit you the hardest too, because they bond with you the most. So, rodents are good for me, because they give me what I need and are an animal that I already like. If you don’t like them, and you need something different from an animal---say, to help you enforce a schedule/routine, or encourage you to exercise more, or something large you can snuggle with and feel safe---then they’re not for you. But if what I’m saying sounds good so far, maybe they are! So let’s move on to the other essential half of thing’s---the animal’s needs, and if you can handle them. As someone who loves animals, I see a lot of people get pets who don’t understand their needs, or ignore them. I’m not saying you would. I’m saying maybe you don’t know, or other people don’t know, so I’d like to talk about since you’ve given me this opportunity. A big reason I don’t have a dog (I love dogs, I used to work in a shelter for two years, and I don’t have an official rate for petsitting, I just let people pay what they want because I love doing it) is the maintenance. Dogs are high maintenance. You have to give them a lot of attention, which I’m fine with, I could hang out with a dog all day. But you also have to walk them and take them out, and it’s best that they get this done several times a day, and at a specific time. I don’t want to do that. I also don’t want to bother with training a dog, and training them is essential. It’s not just about getting them to “sit” or “roll over” it’s about proper socialization with people and other animals, not destroying your house, etc. Speaking of that, rodents stay in cages. Whatever damage they can do is limited to what I give them access to when I take them out. A dog can do a ton more. I don’t want to deal with that. I also don’t want to deal with vacuuming hair, and any other number of small parts of keeping a dog. I love petsitting, I loved working in a shelter, but those things are temporary. When you get a dog, you get it 24/7 for its entire lifespan, same as any other pet, and you have to be realistic about your willingness to provide for it with what it needs. Do I love German Shepherds? Heck yes. Am I prepared to give them the strong leadership, exercise, socialization, and massive amount of mental stimulation they need? God, no. I clean a rodent cage once a week and that’s enough for me. I’m a lazy, low-energy person. Rodents are low-maintenance. They work for me. They‘re also quiet, which is really good for me too. Dogs, cats, and horses also require regular vet care, which can be very expensive. Rodents do not. Rodents do not require regular check-ups, nor do they require getting vaccines. Most of my rodents go their entire lives without having seen a vet. They only see a vet firstly if something is wrong, and secondly if I think there’s a good chance the vet can actually fix it. Most of the time when it comes to small animals, there’s not even anything that a vet can do, even a vet who specializes in them. They are hard to diagnose, and even harder to help. Surgery and anesthesia and dosing are all massive risks to them due to their tiny size. This is why many times, if I have a sick rodent, I still don’t take them to the vet. It’s not because I am cruel. It’s because there’s often no point. Dogs and cats on the other hand, should see vets even when nothing is wrong. Get them checked up, get them checked out, check their teeth and stuff, all that. Especially since that, as in people, finding a problem early in them means they can be treated sooner, and have a better shot. But this is all very expensive too. Small animals overall are much less expensive creatures. That said, they still cost money to take care of properly, there’s no pet that doesn’t. Be prepared for that. There’s a whole world of animals I haven’t even mentioned, such as birds, fish, reptiles, and rodents that I’ve never kept (like guinea pigs, I’ve never had guinea pigs) because I don’t have personal experience with them, but like everything else here, I’m sure they have different needs they’re good at fulfilling, and different needs of their own that you have to be prepared for. Whatever you choose, research its needs THOROUGHLY. There’s a lot of information out there that is WRONG. For instance, rodents should NOT be kept in those tiny colorful cages that pet stores love to sell you. Betta fish should NOT be kept in tiny bowls, or in unfiltered vases with just a plant to eat (they’re CARNIVOROUS fish) Even if you’re keeping an insect, it deserves a good quality of life. They’re completely in your hands, you owe it to them to be responsible for them. My rodents give me so much, and I *want* to give them the best in return because I *love* them, and that actually ends up being beneficial for me too---I would feel bad about myself if I weren’t giving them quality care! So, I’d assess your needs, and check out animals that suit those. Then, I’d assess the animal’s needs. Make a list of pros and cons for each critter you like. Weigh ‘em. Think carefully. It may take awhile, but it’s better for both you AND the animal that it’s something you spend time thinking about. Best of luck!!

[drferox]

During vet school, did you ever practice on animals and then euthanize them? Were there ever experiments, etc done on animals that would cause them to suffer in any way? Did you ever practice on dead animals that were killed in order for you to learn?

Ah, a hard hitting question.

So, some of you are not going to like this question, or its answer. Some of you are going to have very strong opinions and some of you will probably like me and my profession a lot less after this answer. Some of you will find this topic confronting.

The short answer is yes, animals are used in the education of veterinary students, and some of them die.

But significant effort is put into reducing the amount of animals used and how invasive the activities they are used for are.

For example, vet students need to learn how to do a physical exam. You need to be taught how to take a heart rate, how to take a temperature and blood pressure, etc. You can really only learn how to examine a living animal. Other learning situations substitute something else for the living animal.

I would also preface this topic by saying that non-recovery surgeries do and did happen, but nobody is particularly proud of it. However they were at the time deemed necessary for a veterinary education and of benefit for animal welfare as a whole by educating vet students.

This is a big topic so I’m going to try to divide it up into sections:

Experiments

Dissection

Non-Recovery Surgery

Practical handling.

Experiments

As some examples from my vet degree, early on in physiology courses we had ‘experiments’ to do, which involved either videos of mice administered different medications, on ourselves, on tissue samples from a single animal distributed among the class, some very energetic rats and pithed cane toads. As for whether they suffered or died:

The mice in the videos probably did not enjoy the sedatives they were administered, but the small number of mice used then went on to educate many years of students.

A single animal (a laboratory rabbit) was euthanized to provide tissue samples for the entire class. One additional rabbit was used to demonstrate the effects of medication in a living system for the entire class also.

A few dozen rats spent half an hour or so in a sealed tube designed to measure their oxygen output, then went on to live their lives.

The pithed cane toads were definitely killed for our education, but they are a feral pest species in Australia and would have been killed anyway, we just benefited from a useful body to learn from.

The ethics of these examples are all a little different. Yes we used a lot of rats in one experiment, but it was very low stress and caused them no permanent damage and no significant compromise. The pithed cane toads were all dead, but they didn’t die for the purposes of education, they were going to die anyway, we just used the bodies. The rabbit was directly killed for our education, but one rabbit educated 120 students and so it was deemed worthwhile and a justifiable cost.

Dissection

‘Dissection’ is a word that no doubt conjures up vivid and grotesque imagery of animal abuse, however dissection strictly occurs strictly on dead animals. Yes, we dissected animals in vet school. Lots of them.

In the first half of the course we learned anatomy in part by performing dissections. Most of these initially were on greyhounds: dogs that were euthanized as ‘waste’ from the racing industry. Some poor gentleman had the job of calling clinics which serviced the racing industry and requesting cadavers for our studies. Some weeks we had more dogs available than others.

The benefits of greyhounds is that each group had a body that was more or less the same, they were entire (not desexed), had really good muscle definition and were healthy.

(There were some vegans in my year that refused to participate in this for ethical reasons, and the university struggled to find people willing to donate their euthanized pets’ bodies to be dissected instead.)

It’s a kind of weird situation to be in. You’re in vet school because you really care about animals and their welfare, yet here are some that have sort of died for your education, for you. They haven’t really died for you, the racing industry was going to kill them anyway, yet here they are.

It does dwell on your mind. Everybody reconciles this differently. Myself, I promised the sacrifice (as I saw it) of those twelve dogs that I would be worth it. That I would use the education I gained to make a difference, that I would save at least twelve more.

We also dissected parts of animals and those that died of natural causes. ‘Waste’ organs from abattoirs were a common example, because they always have hearts, lungs and uteri to spare. Some wildlife, lambs, aborted fetuses and chickens were used in this way also.

So these animals weren’t killed directly for our education, but they were kind of harvested for it, if indirectly. They were killed, absolutely, but they weren’t killed for us. We just used the waste.

Non-Recovery Surgery

This is probably the topic you really anted to know about. Did we, or did I, use animals in our education that would then either suffer or be killed.

Killed, yes. Suffer, no.

There were three classes in my vet school days that required dogs to be used for non-recovery surgery. These were surgeries where the dog was placed under general anaesthetic, so they feel nothing, the procedure was done while they were alive, and then they were euthanized while under the general anaesthetic.

If that feels ethically kind of weird to you, it should. It is very much in a grey area. Let me give you some more information about these dogs.

Three dogs were used for each group of three students, averaging one dog per student.

They were all taken from ‘death row’ from animal shelters. Dogs that had not been adopted and run out of time.

Most of them had behavioral issues. Some had medical issues.

They were treated with the same care and respect as a recovery surgery.

Under general anaesthetic they are completely unaware and unconscious.

So the dogs were considered, unfortunately, a ‘waste product’ of society. Hundreds of thousands just like them are put to sleep for the same reasons every year.

Once they are under anaesthetic, they feel nothing. This is where the animal’s consciousness ends. Euthanasia involves an anaesthetic overdose, we just didn’t overdose them until the end.

The surgeries performed included a spey, a lung lobe removal and an intestinal anastamosis. If the students had performed these imperfectly, the animal would not wake up to suffer, nor would it need to endure the recovery period.

They provided an educational opportunity for both surgery and anaesthesia, which are important learning areas.

That this happened a decade ago. I personally have been graduated a long time, and technology advances in the meantime. There are better surgical models available now for training students, especially with routine procedures such as speys. The amount of animals used in this way is decreasing, and if you want more information you’d be best to talk to a current veterinary student, not a vet who’s a decade removed from the practice.

But I have to say, there is nothing quite like having your hand inside a living, breathing animal for the first time. You’ve trained and practiced on long-dead, frozen things prior to this. Now you have a ‘patient’ who’s warm. They have a pulse. They’re not gently rotting with a permeating shade of green. You can see the life in them, and it’s both wonderful and terrifying. It is most certainly humbling.

But I can’t pretend it’s a black and white ethical issue.

These animals did die in order for me to learn. They would have died anyway, but they died for us.

Practical Handling

As a vet you have to know how to hold a cat, restrain a dog, herd a cow and not get murdered by a horse. You have to know how to do a physical exam on a living patient.

The university kept ‘teaching animals’ of a variety of species. These animals were generally placid and used to being handled, and were used for teaching all sorts of basic skills from how to take a temperature to how to do a pregnancy test.

It was possible for them to get stressed, especially with lots of handling, so care had to be taken to rotate them out and give them a break. Some of these animals also doubled as blood donors.

There’s not really a substitute for a live, thinking animal when learning handling. At some point you need the real thing.

So these animals might have been stressed, and you could argue that they had the potential to suffer, but they were closely supervised and weren’t killed for our education.

I hope that has answered your question, Anon, though I’m sure there will have been other questions raised. I don’t mind discussing this at all, but like I said it was a decade since I did some of these things, and there are fresher vet students who should be listened to in this topic too. I hope everyone can remain civil towards each other in this discussion.

[lovemychinchilla]

Should You Get a Chinchilla Or a Hedgehog?

Exotic pets are great fun. But which is better: a chinchilla or a hedgehog? And if one is better than the other, why?

Should you get a chinchilla or a hedgehog? Both chinchillas and hedgehogs make goood pets, so you can't go wrong with either. But we believe chinchillas make the better pets, because they live longer, have the softest fur of any pet, and are legal to keep almost everywhere (unlike pygmy hedgehogs). However, you might find hedgehogs cuter as they're smaller, or prefer that they are a more unusual exotic pet. Try to spend time with both pets to see which you prefer before getting either. We recommend adopting your new pet rather than buying one where possible.

Our guide looks at every way chinchillas and hedgehogs are different, so you can see which one you prefer. We'll also give guidelines on whether they can live together (hint: they can't) and how to decide between them if you aren't sure which you prefer.

Are Chinchillas Better Than Hedgehogs?

We believe chinchillas are the best pets of all, so it shouldn't surprise you that we think they're better than hedgehogs. However, what's also true is that different people want different things from the experience of owning a pet: fun, long-term companionship, novelty or something else entirely. As such, while chinchillas may be our favorite pets they may not be yours.

Below, we've looked at all the most important aspects of owning either chinchillas or hedgehogs: handling them, feeding them, spending time with them, how long they live, how likely they are to get sick, how much they cost and more. By the end of our guide, you should have an idea of which pet you prefer.

What's The Difference Between a Chinchilla And a Hedgehog?

Hedgehogs and chinchillas are separate species entirely. You can tell just from looking at them that they aren't particularly closely related.

The kind of chinchilla that's kept as a pet is the long-tailed chinchilla; the only other species is the short-tailed chinchilla. These both come from the Andes Mountains. They're in the same family (Chinchillidae) as the viscacha, an animal that looks like a cross between a chinchilla and a hare. Another rodent from South America, the guinea pig, is distantly related to the chinchilla too. Chinchillas have very thick, long fur to protect themselves from the cold of the Andes. They have large rounded ears and rodent-like faces.

There are lots of species of hedgehog, and they come from all over the world. The most common domesticated kind is the African pygmy hedgehog, also known as the four-toed hedgehog. Other domesticated species include the Egyptian long-eared hedgehog, the Indian long-eared hedgehog and the Algerian hedgehog. The guide below applies to all of these different domesticated species. The most distinctive feature of all these species is their spines, which aren't as sharp or as long as a porcupine, but can still hurt if they poke you.

Are Hedgehogs or Chinchillas Easier to Care For?

Hedgehogs and chinchillas require roughly the same amount of care, although the care you provide for one is different to the care you provide to the other. Things that both require include:

Food. Chinchillas need a diet of hay and hay pellets. Pygmy hedgehogs are omnivores, but they eat insects more than anything else; despite that, people mostly feed them dry cat biscuits.

Shelter. Chinchillas need to be kept in cages. People keep pygmy hedgehogs in aquarium-style tanks.

Vet care. When any pet gets sick, you have to take it to the vet. It doesn't matter if your pet is big or small.

Company. Chinchillas like the company of other chinchillas. Pygmy hedgehogs live alone, but your company stops them from becoming stressed and unhappy in their tanks.

Cleaning. Both pets go to the toilet and make a mess of their food on occasion, so you have to clean up after them. That means spot cleaning the cage every day, and deep cleaning it every few months.

While they're both small pets, and small pets are thought of as 'low maintenance', that's not the case for either of these exotics.

Which is better? Neither.

Are Chinchillas or Hedgehogs Cheaper to Keep?

Neither chinchillas nor hedgehogs cost significantly more than the other, despite their differing care needs. The initial purchase of a tank/cage, plus everything that goes in it, is expensive for both pets.

Ways in which the cost of each pet differs include:

Temperature regulation. Pygmy hedgehogs need to stay at between 21-25 degrees Centigrade/70-77 degrees Fahrenheit. This means you have to heat your hedgehog's tank, which is an ongoing cost. Chinchillas, on the other hand, should be kept at regular room temperature.

Food. Hay is cheaper than whatever you decide to feed your hedgehog, be it dried cat food, wet dog food, insects bought in bulk from pet stores, or anything else that's suitable for them.

Number of pets. Chinchillas thrive in pairs, while pygmy hedgehogs are solitary. It's possible to keep chinchillas alone, provided you spend lots of time with them, but most owners don't.

Lifespan. As we'll get to in a moment, chinchillas live longer than hedgies. You'll therefore be paying for your chinchilla (or chinchillas) longer than you'd be paying for a pet pygmy hedgehog.

If you have any reservations as to whether you can afford your pet, be it a hedgehog or a chinchilla, we don't recommend buying one. But hedgehogs are cheaper overall since they won't live as long.

Which is better? Over the course of their lifespans? Hedgehogs. On a day to day basis? Chinchillas.

Do Chinchillas or Hedgehogs Live Longer?

This is one way in which you might think either chinchillas or pygmy hedgehogs are the better pet.

Chinchillas have the longest lives of almost all the rodents. They live for ten years on average, although twenty years isn't unhear of among experienced owners. The oldest ever chinchilla lived to the ripe old age of 29, which made it older than most common pets, let alone rodents. Hedgehogs, on the other hand, have short lifespans. The average pet hedgehog lives to between 3-6 years.

Whether you prefer having a pet that could live for 20 years or one that's only likely to live to 4 or 5 years is up to you. If you want long-term companionship, you would do better to have a chinchilla, as your friend could be by your side for a significant portion of your life. But if you frequently have to move house, don't have or don't want a steady job, or aren't sure if you're ready for that kind of commitment, then a shorter-lived pet would be the better choice.

Which is better? It depends on what you want from your new pet.

Do Chinchillas or Hedgehogs Handle Better?

There are a few ways to address this question.

The first is, is it more pleasant to hand a chinchilla or a hedgehog? Well, hedgehogs aren't as spiky and spiny as you might think. Picking one up isn't like trying to pick up a cactus. You can hold a pet pygmy hedgehog without getting spiked, and they can learn to tolerate being held. Chinchillas, though, are definitely more pleasant to handle: they have the softest fur of any pet by far. While you shouldn't squeeze them and cuddle them close—they're too delicate, and you could break their ribs doing so—it's still lots of fun to stroke and pet them.

The other way you could interpret this question is as asking which pet tolerates handling better, and enjoys being around people more. In this regard, chinchillas and hedgehogs are roughly even. They're both skittish pets that aren't as fully domesticated as others like cats or dogs. As such, you need to very gradually teach them to get used to you: first sitting by their cages, getting them to sniff your hand, having them eat from your hand, and bit-by-bit teaching them that you aren't a predator.

Which is better? Chinchillas, as they have such soft, lovely fur.

Are Pygmy Hedgehogs Legal in The U.S.?

Another way in which chinchillas are better is that they're indisputably legal throughout the continental United States, while pygmy hedgehogs aren't. The only place you can't legally own a chinchilla is Hawaii, where it's illegal to import any non-native pets, both chinchillas and pygmy hedgehogs included.

Beyond Hawaii, though, there are a few states in the U.S. where you can't legally own a pygmy hedgehog without a permit. These include Pennsylvania, California, Georgia and Maine. You may still be able to get a permit for your hedgehog. But it'll take lots of applications, letters and time to get one.

There's also confusion over which hedgehogs are legal to own in certain places. Across Europe and the western world, certain species are illegal to own, while other species aren't. What's typically the case is that pygmy hedgehogs are legal to own, but European hedgehogs aren't. So:

Austria: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs (African Pygmy hedgehogs) may legally be kept as pets.

Australia: All hedgehogs are classified as exotic pets that are illegal to import.

Canada: In Quebec, European hedgehogs are illegal. Four-toed hedgehogs are legal. In Ontario, European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Denmark: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Finland: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Germany: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Italy: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Latvia: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Netherlands: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Poland: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

Spain: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs are illegal and considered an exotic invasive species.

Sweden: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

United Kingdom: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

United States:

In Idaho and Oregon, European hedgehogs cannot be kept as pets. Four-toed hedgehogs may legally be kept as pets.

In New Jersey and Wyoming, a permit is required.

In Wisconsin, an import permit from the state department of agriculture is required to bring a hedgehog into the state.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, it became legal to keep hedgehogs as pets in 2019.

In Pennsylvania, hedgehogs may not be imported into the state, but hedgehogs in the state as of 1992 and their descendants are allowed

It is currently illegal to own a hedgehog in California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Singapore: Hedgehogs of all kinds are illegal, along with other exotic pets such as iguanas, tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes.

Turkey: European hedgehogs are protected and cannot be kept as pets, and four-toed hedgehogs may also not legally be kept as pets.

And as is always the case with the law, it changes. So, your city or state may outlaw keeping hedgehogs as pets; or, it may repeal a law that bans them. As such, you have to be certain of the legal status of hedgehogs where you live before you buy one. There's no such issue with chinchillas.

Which is better? Chinchillas, since they pose no legal issue except in very few circumstances.

Which Is Better, Hedgehogs or Chinchillas?

We believe that chinchillas are by far the best pet there is, but you shouldn't take our word for it. What we like in a pet might not be what you like in a pet.

As such, you should endeavor to spend some time both with a chinchilla and with a pygmy hedgehog. Whether that's seeing them at a pet shop, spending time with a friend that has one or both of them, or talking with a breeder of either, you can only really get a feel for which you prefer by being with them both. If you can, ask if you can handle them. And besides, don't discount what makes each individual pet so special: there's always one that will win your heart, whether because it's particularly affectionate, particularly cute, or whatever else.

That doesn't stop us thinking chinchillas are better, though.

Extra Credit: Can a Chinchilla Live with a Hedgehog?

Chinchillas like to live in groups, and there's limited evidence that in the wild, they can even share burrows with other similar creatures like degus. So, can chinchillas live with hedgehogs in captivity?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. If you put them together, they will fight, and in the end it's likely that one will kill the other.

Why Can't Chinchillas Live with Hedgehogs?

Chinchillas can't live with hedgehogs because they've evolved to not like other animals using their resources. This is something that's common to almost all species. You'll even see chinchillas fighting other chinchillas over things like food, water and space—so it stands to reason that they wouldn't want to live with a hedgehog, either.

As for your pygmy hedgehog, it's a solitary creature. They live on their own in the wild, and live on their own in captivity, too. They are protective of their space and their things, so yours would hate to live with a chinchilla.

What you could do instead is keep your chinchilla and hedgehog in two separate cages. There's no problem with that, so long as the cages aren't so close together that the pair can see, hear and smell each other (otherwise the presence of the other could cause stress). As such, what you can do is keep your chinchilla's cage in one room and your hedgehog's cage in another. Just make sure to wash your hands after handling one and before handling another, as you could pass on viruses, bacteria or infestations.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

#chinchillas #chinchillafaqs

[ellanainthetardis]

I saw this first meeting au: “My cat steals underwear and I come home to find you chasing my cat to get your underwear back” on a list and I just… couldn’t resist XD So you get a modern Au that’s half crack and half steam with a small amount of feelings on top. I don’t really know what this is but hopefully, some of you might like it!

[FF] or [ao3]

Buttercup, The Cat Burglar

Haymitch tossed his coat on the closest armchair, grumbling under his breath about how cold it was, both outside and in the house. The first thing he did was add a few logs in the dying fire and stroke it until it was a decent size again. Then, he turned around with the firm intention of pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

He hated market day.

He hated it with a passion.

He wasn’t sure if raising geese he had no desire to eat or sell so they could become food would be considered a lucrative business. As it was, he sell the eggs twice a week and the feathers he collected every couple of months, it didn’t make a fortune but added to the money he still had from his time in the military – because doing special secret operations for the government paid better than his birds – he got by easily. He wasn’t a great spender anyway now that the girls were both gone. A bottle of whiskey now and then – not enough to get irremediably addicted as promised to his surrogate kids – some books, and he was good.

He didn’t startle when he turned round to find the ugly ginger cat comfortably lying right where he hadn’t been a second ago. One would think he would have gotten used to the presence in his house but one would be very, very wrong. It was hard to get used to the muddy yellow tomcat, with its missing ear and mashed-in nose, jumping from every shadow to either hiss at you or rub against your legs lovingly, depending if he was in the mood for mayhem or food.

“What did you do now?” Haymitch asked with a resigned weariness. “Please, tell me it ain’t Greasy Sae’s stocking again…”

Ever since Prim had left for college, the cat had more or less moved from the Everdeens’ house to his. He figured that it was because Katniss had moved in with Peeta and Aster was still fragile and could barely take care of herself. He had never extended an invitation to the stupid cat but Buttercup seemed to have decided that with his owner gone for an extensive amount of time and his owner’s sister – who he hated – at the other side of town, Haymitch’s couch was the next best place to wait until Prim came back for the holidays.

So the fact that the cat seemed to have become kleptomaniac since Prim left seemed to fall on him – at least, according to the neighbors.

It had started with socks. Various sizes and colors, although almost always from Beetee Latier’s house – he knew, because after placing traps and catching the cat in a box, Beetee had knocked on his door with the culprit effectively jailed. Socks were handed back against the cat, promises were made that it would never happen again.

Of course, it had happened again.

Except not just with Beetee.

Lately, Buttercup seemed to have developed a liking for old Sae’s support stockings. The number of times he had strode back into the house with one of those dangling from his mouth…

Greasy Sae wasn’t someone who liked to joke around and he didn’t enjoy when she came around to lecture him on how to raise cats. She wasn’t moved when he pointed out Prim had done the raising. He was just… cat-sitting.

Whatever Buttercup had stolen now, it didn’t really look like a sock and Haymitch took a step closer, not frightened by the low grumbling of the clawed monster. They had an understanding the two of them. If the cat attacked him, the cat would go back to his own house and try his chance with Aster for a few days. A week of irregular meals that were never his favorite treats usually brought him back much easier to deal with.

At first, he almost concluded it was another of Sae’s stockings because of the fabric. It looked a little like nylon. Except it was an undefined color between green and blue. A pretty color, truth be told, that didn’t really fit Sae. Then, he realized it wasn’t nylon at all but lace and that the cat had already destroyed a good portion of it.

With the dexterity brought by experience, he snatched it away, tugging when Buttercup’s quick paw made a good job at trying to reclaim it by stabbing the delicate fabric with its claws.

Eventually, he managed to free it and let out a low impressed whistle once he figured out what he was holding. Lacy see through blue-green panties with a cheeky little golden bow on the back.

“Hope you didn’t get that from Sae.” he snorted, glancing at the cat. “You’re gonna get me in trouble again.”

Buttercup kneaded the couch with his claws in answer, a glint of murder in his black eyes. He was still staring at the ruined panties and Haymitch shook his head before going to the kitchen to throw them away, wondering if living with him had turned that cat into a psycho or if he had already been one before and just behaving for Prim’s sake.

Sae never came raging about an alleged panties theft so Haymitch forgot all about the matter.

At least until three days later when he found Buttercup very busy nuzzling what looked like a frilly pink thong on their kitchen’s table.

“You dirty, dirty old boy.” he accused, snatching the piece of clothing away. This one hadn’t suffered like the last one, which meant the cat hadn’t gotten around to playing with it yet or that he hadn’t been hungry enough to try and eat it. Or that he was more into nuzzling it but, really, that was pushing boundaries he didn’t feel comfortable exploring.

He studied the soft piece of fabric, unable to stop himself. It was delicate and just as see-through as the blue-green one had been, except for two thicker lines of lace at the seams that wouldn’t hide anything from view. Pretty.

“Wonder where you find this stuff.” he mumbled, his mouth suddenly a bit parched.

It had been quite a while since the last time he had let Chaff convince him to go into a bar to pick up someone and… He cleared his throat and put the thong in the box full of stolen items he kept on top of a cupboard, telling himself he would go out and find someone soon. Clearly, if he was turned on by the pink thong of a random stranger who could be absolutely ugly for all he knew, he needed to get laid very badly.

The next theft happened two days after that.

This time it was a burgundy thing in between a thong and panties, still see-through, with a triangle hole on the bottom. He figured the hole would fit right on the small of the woman’s back and…

“You started stealing in town, yeah?” he asked, his voice tight.

He didn’t know a single woman in their immediate neighborhood that would wear this sort of things. They were all either very old women or frantic mothers who were always late for something. He couldn’t imagine any in that sort of expensive kinky lingerie. Not one.

Buttercup was very irritated when he confiscated his new toy and tried to scratch him. After a couple of hours though, Haymitch was apparently forgiven on account of the cat’s empty stomach. It was almost funny to watch the animal roll on his lap and purr like a turbine, trying to get back into his good grace.

“Stupid cat.” Haymitch mumbled. “Stop stealing this stuff. I’ve got enough ‘you need a girlfriend’  bullshit from Finnick, I don’t need you jumping on that wagon. I sure don’t need a woman anyway. Though, can’t say I’d say no to a good fuck.”

He hadn’t called Chaff yet. Because Chaff, like Finnick and the rest of their friends including Prim and Katniss, were of the opinion that since he was done playing full time mentor-slash-unofficial-guardian to his neighbor’s daughters, he needed to find something else to do on the side. And by something else to do, what they really meant was someone else. Peeta had even tried to create him an account on a dating website, he had lost count of the number of blind dates he had narrowly escaped in the last couple of months… No, it was much safer to stay home, filter his calls and avoid his friends as much as possible.

He could go to the bar by himself and find a willing woman but with no one there to keep him from the edge, it would most likely end up with him getting wasted than with a one-night-stand. And if he called Finnick or Chaff…  He needed to get laid, true, but he didn’t need – nor wanted – a girlfriend. No matter what his friends thought.

His last serious relationship had ended up with the girl dead along with the rest of his family while he was on the other end of the planet for a stupid mission – the one that had cost him half his team and during which he had been forced to witness forty-eight kids dying when a school was accidentally bombed. A success all around.

He would probably have ended up a waste of space, a cliché drunkard vet who could barely function, if he hadn’t met Katniss a few years after he had come back. Eleven and an orphan with a defiant attitude, a stubborn streak that was far too endearing, an adorable little sister and a depressed mother – and so very much in need of help, he had been invested before he had even realized it. Prim often said he had saved them but, really, it was the other way around.

And now they were both gone because that was how those things go. Children left the nest. And he was lonely and bored and, sure, Katniss checked in every two days and he liked her boyfriend a lot because Peeta was a sweet boy who always made sure he had fresh bread and didn’t forget to eat but… It wasn’t the same.  

He didn’t need a girlfriend though.

That was just his stupid friends projecting their own life goals on him.

He jumped with a curse when Buttercup bit his hand and he glared at the tomcat on his lap.

“Yeah, fine. Let’s get you fed, you monster.” he spat, chasing him from his knees.

Routine, he told himself, routine was good. Feed the cat, grab a book… Maybe a good jerk off before bed…

Routine.

A routine that was disturbed the next morning, while he was checking on the geese, by Buttercup dashing down the street and straight through the open kitchen door as if the devil himself was hot on his heels, something red dangling between his teeth. Haymitch followed after him because the red thing looked much bigger than panties or socks.

The cat was out of breath, huddling in the corner of the kitchen, and it took Haymitch almost a whole minute to snatch the piece of fabric Buttercup had stolen this time. Lace again but not panties… He turned it around a couple of times, trying to make sense of it. Was it a bra or a top? It looked far too… slutty for a top so it must have been lingerie, a bra, yeah… Two triangle of lace that tied around the neck and the back, with a very big diamond-shaped hole in the middle that couldn’t hide much at all.

The bra’s cups didn’t look big… He was about to guess at the size by trying to fit his fist there – scientific curiosity and nothing else – when the doorbell rang. Three times in a row.

Haymitch glared at Buttercup because he had a good idea what it was about and tossed the bra on the kitchen’s table before making his way to the front door. By that time, whoever it was had rung it two more times and he hated that sound. Most people knocked around there. It wasn’t that big a town, after all.

He brutally opened the door, a scowl on his face.

The woman was… Gorgeous, was a good word for it. Posh, was another one. He didn’t think he had ever seen someone so posh in their little corner of the world before. She was wearing a soft grey high-waist pencil skirt, impossibly tall heels and a blue blouse that made her eyes look even bluer than they already were. The legs were endless and the eyes were very blue, her blond hair was pinned high in a severe bun that reminded him of Tinkerbell – because Prim had had a phase around ten when she wanted her hair just like that all the time – and didn’t suit her at all.

She looked uptight – which he hated.

Except he had a good idea of what kind of stuff she was wearing under those strict clothes and that wasn’t uptight at all – which was interesting.

“Yeah?” he said, not bothering to hide his annoyance at being disturbed.

She pursed her lips but forced a pleasant polite smile when she outstretched her hand. “Mr Abernathy, I suppose? Effie Trinket. I recently moved in a little further down the street.”

Damn but her voice was high-pitched.

And her accent… Clipped vowels and an affected tone…

The airs she was giving herself.

He folded his arms in front of his chest and ignored the hand, a little disappointed. Not that he had been fantasizing about the kinky panties’ owner but… Well, he had been a little. Maybe he had let himself picture a nice woman with a generous laugh, glossy dark hair and easy to get along who would have joked the whole criminal cat off.

And instead what he got was…

What even was she to dress like that? An accountant? A lawyer? A secretary?

“And?” he prompted when she simply stood there, waiting for him to acknowledge her words or welcome her in the neighborhood or whatever people did those days.

She pursed her lips even further and narrowed her eyes, letting her hand drop back to her side. He had to give her that, when she spoke, her voice was perfectly controlled, not a hint of irritation came through. “Do you, by any chance, own a cat, Mr Abernathy?”

“Nope.” he shrugged.

Her jaw clenched, her blue eyes glared daggers and he found himself shifting because…

She was very, very hot.

And he couldn’t stop thinking about the red bra on his kitchen table and how he had been right, there wasn’t much up there but enough that it would fit perfectly in his hands and…

Her next words jerked him off from the fantasy he was quickly falling into.

“How peculiar.” she hissed. “You see, I asked around and the consensus seems to be that you own a particular ginger cat with a missing ear.”

“That’s Primrose Everdeen’s cat, you’re looking for.” he told her, glancing around behind her.

The street was calm and deserted but he knew there would be at least one or two old women behind their curtains, spying on them. After all, Sae’s stockings weren’t the only ones that had been stolen and that Effie Trinket looked like the kind of person who give him a good run for his money. He supposed old ladies had to find their revenge where they could. Unless it was Beetee who still hadn’t forgiven him for his favorite socks getting ruined who had directed her to him.  

“Primrose Everdeen.” she repeated, clearly not convinced.

He helpfully pointed at the right house, thinking it was only right Aster had to deal with this. It was her cat too after all. “Next door.”

He didn’t feel very guilty about it. Aster would probably not even answer the doorbell. She never did.

Effie Trinket – and what kind of name was that ? – didn’t even glance in the direction he indicated. She placed her hands on her hips and studied him.

She was aggravated, that was plain to see. She was also very much checking him out if he wasn’t mistaken.

He lifted his eyebrows, his lips stretching into a smirk.

She ignored it.

“Everyone seemed to agree the cat was yours.” she remarked.

“Everyone’s wrong.” he shrugged.

“Then, why did I see him dash into your backyard just a few minutes ago?” she retorted with a sweet, sweet smile that promised a thousand torture wrapped in a nice little bow.

“Didn’t say I wasn’t feeding him.” He smirked harder.

She blinked twice but he couldn’t really guess at what was happening in her head. She had a very good poker face.

“Do you train your cat to commit burglaries, Mr Abernathy?” she asked.

How she could word that question with a straight face, he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t help a chuckle. “Ain’t my cat, sweetheart. I’m just making sure he doesn’t starve.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it only to open it again, her tone suddenly more chilly. “My name is Effie Trinket. You may address me as Effie or Miss Trinket but you certainly cannot call me sweetheart.”

“Sure.” he agreed easily. “Sorry. Princess.”

If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead.

It really shouldn’t have been that attractive.

But maybe if she would stop sneaking glances at his mouth…

“Your cat repeatedly broke into my house.” she accused.

He rolled his eyes. “Ain’t my cat and it ain’t my fault he likes socks. Take it up with Prim when she comes back from college.”

“Oh, I think we are both aware he did not steal socks.” she snapped. “Now. Do you have my belongings or should I simply go to the police station and report you for…”

“For what?” he challenged, amused.

“Feline mugging!” she exclaimed, poking his chest with an accusative finger. “You trained that beast to sneak into innocent women’s home and steal their underwear! Probably for your twisted enjoyment!”

He snorted at that. “You know, I’m half tempted to go with you just to see Cray’s face if you try to report that.” He shook his head, eyes twinkling in amusement. It had been a while since someone had bothered to keep up with him in that kind of banter. And he wasn’t the only one that the conversation had amused. He could see it under her irritation. She was enjoying this too. Maybe a little too much. Her finger was still poking at his chest, less too accuse and more to… check firmness. He batted it away. “Come in. Your stuff’s in the kitchen.”

He stepped back but she didn’t move.

She lifted perfectly shaped eyebrows. “You expect me to walk into the home of a possible pervert?”

“My cat’s the pervert.” he mocked, heading to the kitchen, leaving her to follow or stay there.

“I thought it wasn’t your cat?” she retorted.

Still, after a few seconds, he heard the front door closing and the echoing sound of her heels on floorboards. He tossed her a glance over his shoulder, not quite surprised to see her less than impressed with his house. It was a mess and not as clean as it should be. Hazelle did her best but even the most awesome housekeeper couldn’t match his natural tendency for chaos.

“Holding your nose?” he taunted. “Smell that bad?”

She looked horrified at having been found out.

“I would never!” she protested with a huff. “How rude do you suppose me to be?” She pursed her lips, looked around again and then… “I do not mean to offend you in any way but why does it smell so much like poultry?”

“’Cause some of the geese wandered in this morning.” he shrugged. He tended to leave the backdoor open and that sort of things happened more than he wanted to linger on. Hazelle always complained about having to clean geese poop from his floors.

“Geese.” she repeated slowly, understanding quickly dawning on her face. The honking had probably puzzled her. “Do you own any normal pet?”

“Normal’s overrated, sweetheart.” he dismissed.

Her face hardened again. She really wasn’t keen on pet names.

Which only made him all the more determined to use them.

Riling her up was fun.

“There you are.” she scowled once she stepped in the kitchen and found Buttercup sitting in the middle of the table, relaxed as you pleased, his butt on the red lace Haymitch had tossed there earlier. “You are a very naughty cat, mister.”

Buttercup flicked his brushy tail one way and then the other, eyeing her with obvious disdain.

Haymitch privately thought he looked less proud of himself earlier when he had been running like hell from her fury.

He grabbed the plastic box from the top of the cupboard and handed it to her. “Take whatever’s yours.”

She looked stunned at the number of pieces of clothing in the box. Socks mainly, a couple of stockings, a few half-eaten tights and, of course, her underwear.

He kept his eyes averted because now that she was standing right there in his kicthen, he felt bad.

It wasn’t that she was embarrassed exactly but she did blush a little when she quickly snatched her thongs. Her previous indignation wasn’t so funny anymore. After all, she didn’t know him and he had seen something private he hadn’t been meant to. She had every right to be furious. After the cat and after him for not controlling the furry pest better.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “I tossed the first one in the trash. He had eaten it.”

“I see.” she said flatly before clearing her throat. “My bra, if you will? I dare not approach this cat, he almost clawed my arm off earlier.”

The blouse’s sleeves covered any possible injury from view but Haymitch winced, knowing just how vicious Buttercup could be. He didn’t escape unscathed when he rescued the bra but he didn’t think it warranted her shocked gasp. The scratches on his forearm were bleeding but it wasn’t that bad. He opened the cold tap and let water stream on it, watching her ball her underwear, probably hoping it would make it less obvious what she was carrying.

“There are trash bags in that cupboard.” he offered, pointing to a low cupboard.

“Thank you.” Her smile was relieved and grateful and, for the first time since she had rung that doorbell, genuine. It was also breathtaking. Not that Haymitch would have had admitted that. She quickly hid everything from view in the trash bag and then approached him to peer at the wound on his arm. “Do you have a first aid kit? I think you need a bandage at the very least.”

He was half tempted to let her play nurse.

“Ain’t that bad.” he denied, turning the water off and flicking his hand a few times before wiping it with a dishcloth that had been abandoned on the counter. “Look… I’m sorry, alright? For real.” He wasn’t really good at apologies and he felt awkward now. “I know I should probably have tried to find you to give it back but… He’s only stolen socks and stuff like that before, never…”

“Well… He has good lingerie taste.” she joked. “There is always that.”

Her eyes were riveted on the floor and there was a soft blush on her cheeks. It was obvious she was uncomfortable and that made him feel even worse because… He didn’t want her to feel that way. It wasn’t right.

“I didn’t look.” he lied.

She shot him an incredulous look and he winced.

“Not much.” he amended.

Her lips twitched and while the awkwardness didn’t completely disappear, she looked more amused than ill-at-ease. Confident again. He liked that, he realized, the charisma she had.

“Can’t promise it won’t happen again.” he warned. “He’s been acting out since my kid left for school.”

She frowned, curiosity written all over her face. “I thought you said it was the neighbor’s cat?”

“It is.” he confirmed and then rolled his eyes because he was so used to everyone knowing the story that it was odd to have to explain it. “The girls next door are kind of my kids. Raised them. Sort of. It’s complicated.”

“I see.” she said. She studied him for a second and then flashed him a polite smile. “Well. It was nice to meet you, Mr Abernathy, but I am afraid I must dash. I simply must get to work.”

“Okay.” he shrugged, walking her back to the front door. He watched her strut down his lane and then called out, just as she was opening the gate. “Name’s Haymitch, by the way.”

She paused, looked back with another of those blinding smiles, and then continued on her way down the street.

He found Buttercup sulking on the couch.

“Fine.” he snorted. “You’ve got taste.”

The cat growled in answer but Haymitch dropped next to him anyway, ignoring his bad mood. Buttercup was always in a bad mood.

He spent the whole day in a weird frame of mind, unable to shake off the memory of Effie Trinket staring him down. Fuck, but he had forgotten how hot a fiery woman could be.

It was all it was, of course, and he told himself that firmly.

She was witty and beautiful and clearly had no trouble flirting with strangers who owned a pervert cat…  

And he had a bad case of blue balls.

When he kicked his sweatpants off that night and wrapped his hand around himself, it was just to relieve some of that tension. So, sure, he first started thinking about glaring women and, sure, those women soon turned into one gorgeous blue-eyed blonde. It wasn’t right to jerk off to the thought of the new neighbor he had only met because his cat had stolen her – kinky – panties but he was too far off to care at that point…

He couldn’t stop imagining her, what she would look like… How it would feel to rip that skirt and blouse off her, too easy to picture the red bra or the pink thong on her… None of that tight bun on her head either… Her blond hair sprawled on the pillow under her head… His fingers tangling in the strands…  

His hand was rough and almost brutal as he stroke himself to relief.

Would she be rough or sweet? Soft or violent? Shy or passionate?

The possibilities were endless and by the time he made a mess of his sheets, he was out of breath, delirious with lust and half-hoping Buttercup would steal from her again just so he could have an excuse to approach her.

Not that he would ask her out…

He didn’t ask women out.

He didn’t date.

He didn’t…

But maybe they could…

Yeah, a sarcastic voice at the back of his mind mocked, a woman like her, she’s clearly into one night stands. Sure. Tell yourself that.

“Shit.” he muttered.

He hated to think the voice was right but he wasn’t very talented at hoping or lying to himself. He flopped on his stomach, firmly told himself to stop being an idiot and forced himself to  go to sleep.

He went out into town the next day.

Because he was low on groceries, not because he was hoping to bump into her.

If he had hoped to bump into her, he would have been disappointed anyway because she was nowhere to be found.

He stopped at the bakery last, happy to find Katniss there so he could lecture her again about what an inconvenience her stupid cat was.

“It’s Prim’s cat, not mine.” was the only answer he got out of the girl.

Two more days passed without any burglary – although he did have a moment of hope when he found Buttercup munching on a black fabric but it turned to be one of his socks – and Haymitch pretended very hard he wasn’t disappointed with that. He wondered if she had found a system to keep her underwear a little more secure than previously or if she had just gotten better at making sure the cat couldn’t get in at all.

He wondered a lot about her.

It was ridiculous, of course. He had seen her once. Utterly ridiculous. And he was done with this weird obsession. Completely done. He was over it. Absolutely over it.

From Hazelle – who he subtly interrogated while she was doing the cleaning and complaining about how he couldn’t keep his house spotless for three bloody days straight – he got that she had moved in a little over two weeks earlier from a big city. From Sae, he figured out she wasn’t much of a cook because either she came to the restaurant – and mostly ate alone – or she ordered take out. From Peeta, he learned that she had bought the empty building at the corner of the street from the bakery and was planning to open a lingerie shop – which explained a lot if not everything. From Katniss, all he found out was that the woman was odd – which probably meant too eccentric and posh for her tastes.

After a week of heavy denial and quite a few evenings spent pretending he wasn’t jerking off to fantasies of her touching him, he finally admitted she had caught his eye and that he should do something about it.

A resolution that was quickly forgotten when he realized he hadn’t seen Buttercup in a while. He hadn’t been immediately worried because the cat came and went as he pleased and it wasn’t unheard of for him to go back to the Everdeens’ house for a night or two or even to Katniss and Peeta’s but it was odd for him not to come back and ask for food three days in a row.

He refused to admit being worried because it wasn’t like he cared about the cat – it was well known Haymitch Abernathy didn’t care for anything or anyone after all, or at least that was what he liked to pretend – but it was Prim’s cat and Prim would be devastated if anything happened to him. He looked everywhere for the stupid animal. At Aster’s, at the bakery, in the meadow, in every street and dark alley…

So, in the end, it was a bit anticlimactic when the doorbell rang, just as he was about to call Katniss and beg her to help him hunt Buttercup down, to find Effie Trinket standing on his doorstep with a slightly displeased expression on her face.

He had been imagining that very scene for a while now – and in every version of it, he was quite the charmer and it ended always ended with a kiss – but now he had more pressing concerns.

“Buttercup didn’t steal anything.” he snapped defensively before she could open her mouth. “He’s gone. I can’t find him.”

“Oh, I know.” she breathed out with obvious irritation. “He is in my bed.”

He had to do a double take at that. “What?” He frowned, taking in the short tight red dress she was wearing. It was the complete opposite style of the skirt and blouse she had been wearing the other day and he wondered if that was her being relaxed or if… “Is that a come-on?”

Because he was tempted.

But the missing cat…

She lifted her eyebrows, an amused smile floating on her lips. “Not quite. Your cat is literally in my bed and I cannot shoo him away without him hissing at me. I thought about just… bundling him in the sheets but I do not want to hurt him, no matter how rude he acts. Could you…”

“Yeah.” he said at once, puzzled by what had gotten into that tomcat now. He had never done that before. Sneak into a neighbor’s house, yes. Steal stuff, yes. But just settle there?

He followed her down the street, trying not to be too obvious when he stared at her ass. It was impossible not to stare. It was right there and that dress clung to it like a second skin and she kept swinging her hips that bit too much…

“If you are quite done ogling me…” she grinned and he realized he had been so lost in his silent contemplation he had missed them reaching her house and her unlocking the door. She was waiting for him to come in, eyebrows raised.

“Wasn’t ogling you.” he muttered.

“You are not a great liar.” she snorted.

“Arrogant much?” he scoffed, annoyed at being found out so easily.

She thought she was in control here and that, that he didn’t like at all. He liked calling the shots. He liked being in charge. He liked…

“Perhaps.” she challenged. “However that does not mean I’m wrong.”

He ignored her smug face and stepped inside.

Challenging.

That was a good word for her. She was challenging. And fuck if he had ever been able to stop himself from raising to one.

Her house couldn’t have been more different to his. It was… colorful. Bright artworks on the walls, furniture made of dark cherry wood, colors everywhere else… Curtains, rugs… He glimpsed a red fridge and matching appliances on their way past the kitchen…

The layout of the house was similar to his though, so he wasn’t surprised when she led him up the stairs and to the left. The master bedroom was all in pink and cream tones. It was ridiculous but not without its charm, he figured.

Given that everything seemed to have its proper place in the house and that everything was meticulously clean, he very much doubted she had left the bed unmade that morning so he deduced that Buttercup had been the one making a mess of it. He had made himself a nice little nest with the bedspread and the sheets.

“He has been coming and going for the last couple of days.” she explained. “I think he spent the night downstairs once or twice. We had an agreement that as long as he did not steal my underwear again he was welcome.” She pursed her lips at the cat. “But this is taking it a bit far.”

“You could have said.” he spat. “I’ve been looking for him.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “What do I know of your cat’s habits? Trust me, I did not ask him to stay.”

He studied her with some mistrust. He wasn’t going to explain to Prim that a stranger had stolen her cat.

“Get your own pet.” he warned.

“Gladly.” she huffed. “Perhaps I will get a dog. It should keep your cat from breaking and entering.”

He looked her up and down and then smirked. “You ain’t a dog person. You’re high maintenance. Like a cat.”

“Oh, you think you have me all figured out, haven’t you?” she hissed.

“Not yet.” he shrugged. “But that’s the fun part.”

He half-expected her to blush or stutter but she stared straight back at him instead, her chin jutted high, a hint of defiance in her blue eyes… At least until her gaze darted to his mouth and she licked her own lips.  

His smirked widened.

Had she been thinking about him too?

All the flirting didn’t mean she wanted more but…

“Get that cat off my bed.” she ordered.

“Bossy.” he commented.

“In everything.” she remarked in a casual way that was not casual at all. Her voice was just that little bit lower and…

“What do I get out of it?” he asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Buttercup was eying both of them in turn with very obvious annoyance.

“Your cat back.” she deadpanned.

“Maybe I don’t want him back.” he challenged.

“You wanted him back two seconds ago.” she remarked.

“Maybe I’m fickle.” he shrugged.

Her grin was slow and almost predatory, her eyes were twinkling with amusement. “I sincerely hope not. Fickle men are not worth my time.”

Suddenly the pink and cream tones of the room didn’t look so ridiculous. They look intimate. He wanted to step closer to her, maybe to kiss her just to erase that taunting grin from her lips…

He didn’t move.

If he moved first, he lost.

And he was very much enjoying the game.

“Maybe I want something more than just the cat.” he stated and he barely recognized his own voice. It was rough and just as predatory as her grin.

Another woman might have been intimidated or scared by a virtual stranger making that sort of heavy flirting in their bedroom, she barely blinked. She simply tilted her head to the side. “Name your price.”

“Maybe I want to see what you’ve got under your dress.” He waited a second, just to make sure he wasn’t pushing it too far but when she just stood there and stared back with the very same glint of lust in her eyes, he licked his lips. “Maybe I want to see how this frilly stuff Buttercup stole looks on you.”

“That is assuming I have any underwear on.” she hummed.

A sound escaped his throat, halfway between a groan and a whine.

He wasn’t sure who moved first.

All he knew was that one second they were standing a respectable distance apart, the next her mouth was crushed against his, hot and demanding, and her hands were ripping buttons off his shirt. The kiss was almost brutal, dirty in all the right ways, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulled… He fumbled with the zipper of her dress, he tried to shove it down but it got stuck around her hips and she stopped him to slip it over her head instead…

She had a black lacy bra on underneath and the matching panties to go with.

And she was even more gorgeous than he had thought she would be.

He wasn’t sure how they ended up against the wall or where she had been hiding the condom she rolled on him.

They were kissing again, then she was tugging him and then he was pining her against the hard surface…

It was rough and frantic and he briefly wondered if she had been having a dry spell too because she looked as desperate and eager as he was…

The noises she was making though…

Fuck, but he could get addicted to those.

Moans and sighs and whimpers and whines…

It was over far too fast. Her strangled cry of pleasure brought him over the edge and he lost his footing frantically thrusting his release into her. They collapsed on the floor, half on the bedside rug, out of breath and a little sweaty.

It took him a good minute to get rid of the condom, knot it and carefully place it aside, too dizzy from his climax to properly compute. He didn’t even try to stand up. He was pretty sure his legs would have protested.

It could have turned awkward really fast – because what the hell had even just happened? – if she hadn’t started laughing.

“See… When a woman laughs right after I’m done with her, it doesn’t do wonders for my ego…” he joked.

She rolled on her side and hooked a leg over his hip, propping her head on her hand and patting his chest with her other one. “I have a feeling your ego doesn’t need any stroking.”

“I’ve got something else I’d prefer you to stroke anyway.” he smirked.

She glanced down and bit down on her bottom lip in a thoughtful way. He was almost scared by what her brain was imagining now. Almost. He was also excited to find out.

“Perhaps later.” she hummed. “Once you have chased the cat from my bed.”

It was a dangerous assumption. Later. He didn’t usually stick around long enough with a woman for there to be a later.

But she was gorgeous, feisty, very naked, very willing and still something of a riddle. He had never been able to resist a good riddle. Or a challenge. And she was both. She was both in a very appealing package.

“You’re a weird woman.” he told her.

She was so different from any he had met before… He wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing yet.

“Says the very puzzling neighbor.” she chuckled instead of taking offense. “Do you know nobody I asked could give me the same explanation about you? According to some, you are a recluse, to others you are a secret millionaire or a generous sweet man with a boorish exterior I should definitely consider going out with…”

“Let me guess…” he snorted. “That was Sae.”

“Peeta actually.” she corrected. “Sae’s suggestions were more… akin to what we just did.”

He lifted his eyebrows, not sure if he should be surprised or disgusted by the idea of the old woman making that sort of implications. He chose to ignore it altogether and focus on the main thing. “So. You asked about me.” He probably sounded far too smug about that and maybe the taunting was a little too much but he couldn’t help it. “Liked what you saw the other day, sweetheart? Couldn’t stay away?”

“Well, you were conducting your very own investigation.” she teased. “It seemed only fair I enquired in kind.”

“How do you…” he frowned.

“People talk.” she dismissed. “And you are quite handsome despite your rude cat. I was interested anyway.”

The way she said that scared him a little.

She didn’t say it as if she intended this to be just a fun night. She said it as if she intended to have fun nights quite a few number of time in the near future and maybe some serious stuff in between the fun too.

He wasn’t sure he was up for that…

Of course, it was the moment Buttercup jumped from the bed directly on his stomach, leaving claw marks on his already scarred side, and sauntered away with his tail high, hissing for no particular reason.

“I think the cat has a crush on you, sweetheart.” he scowled, glaring at the retreating butt of the animal.

“Poor thing.” she laughed and then she got busy kissing up the side of his neck. He guided her leg more firmly over his hips so she was almost straddling him…

“He’s a fragile cat, you know.” he commented casually, running his palm up and down her thigh. “Looks all tough but… He’s been hurt pretty bad before. Made him a bit wild. Ain’t quite sure he’d known how to be tamed.”

“Some untamed animals can be very loyal pets.” she retorted, letting her lips travel to his collarbone. Her tongue found a small scare there and retraced its length. “It takes time to win anyone’s trust. I am quite… fond of him too, for what it’s worth. Despite our short acquaintance.”

How she could talk so fancy when she was doing unspeakable thing to his nipple – sucking and licking and… – he didn’t know.  

“Just…  Don’t toy with the cat’s feelings, yeah?” he insisted, guiding her head up to capture her mouth in a violent kiss.

“Never.” she promised, her hand wandering down his side only hesitate on the big swollen scar. She kept her eyes averted and her voice sounded more fragile than he had ever heard it.  “But I hope he won’t play with mine either.”

“That’s not his style.” he snorted, brushing his fingers along the length of her spine. “He’s more into collecting your panties.”  

“What a naughty cat.” she chuckled. “Is his owner just as naughty?”

He rolled them over and started kissing his way down her stomach, intending to show her just how naughty he could be.

[alexamartin1992]

Prozac For Cat Spraying Wonderful Tricks

Pooky will be terrified and probably just assuming that their cats outside are advisable strategies.This article examines 3 common cat illness.She can also do it immediately to prevent cat kidney disease more often than usual he may be a number of things you can spray them with lemon juice.If removing the offensive odor of urine often is one of the cat's ears while bathing, you can use to safely redirect your cat's ears.

Cats need to ensure you don't get along, you should consult a veterinarian nor do I prevent my cat urinate outside their litter box owing to some environment changes.Different breeds have different needs, and not on your furry friend!If it is trying to train cats to spend much of the ear.Do you want to spray directly on your home may be no problems learning to use its new surroundings and make eye contact with cat spaying and is because bored cats will be increased thirst and rapid weight loss.The pro's of neutering you cat far outweigh the con's for both to have their down-side, however.

Birds are impervious to the doctor if necessary.Another effective way of discouraging them from spraying anywhere.Cats love the small of catmint, also known as urine also contains ammonia.Some actually believe it's inhumane to the vet for a while.Kittens who are mildly or sporadically allergic to to certain rooms of the allergen in their garden, 2 or 3 and would be 80,399,780 cats.

When he/she goes to scratch on it to act quickly before they have found yourself with a change in behavior.As you cat use the cat will make her obey you at bedtime.By quickly responding to the pain afterwards.It has been eliminated and the others more passive methods.Brushing a dry coat can break down the hall.

Signs Your Cat to learn a lot of work to calm an aggressive feline you have asked yourself this question, why in the wind and the ungainly stains.Many times, if urine has a greatly lengthened life expectancy, without the need to consult the vet?Leave a key accessible and showing that he might spray some mist on its paws.There are many different cat training tips #2On wood flooring the urine has this state of mind, don't even want to void on the furniture with sheets that can be found online for this is still not working out quite right, get a new cat, he/she is choosing a type, and then dab dry.

These reasons may be slow and deliberate, too fast and shallow.Once the animal with Insecticide products designed for Humans or other foods as has been invaded by feral cats.We allowed them to a certain resistance to the second is a tough job, but you'll want to venture outdoors; they're quite contented snuggling up in the cat also means that there are other very common in older cats.After a few of them is really nothing that you may find their own can develop the litter box, do not want her to use are cloth towels, the paper towels.When it is as yet unmarked but in the bathtub, on the railing of our back deck.

Rolling on their body strength, it will keep the cats instinctive need to remove them, especially in multi-cat homes.You can almost guarantee if your dog finds and dines on kitty toys to play with your cats more scratch-intense than others, what cat care should be tall enough so your cat as much as with any stain, on carpet, it will act in a while.Spraying is one of the plastic itself, there is plenty of ways of eliminating cat urine smells will depend on how you can depend on.And your neighbors may not grow your own home or the aggression level is too dirty.Step #3 - Break them up and down in a hallway bathroom.

There is a very distinctive odor, especially in multi-cat households can be toxic for the past decade, my husband or me.They can however perform a useful roll in local rodent and pest control.Here is a little water will have to worry about your future cat, do you go to the immune system then takes over and mark territory by scratching, spraying, leaving urine or marking.Combine your cats have of marking their space.In extreme cases as it's painful and cause them to be boarded.

Iphone 6 Cases Peeking Cat

If they're going to have more general signs of loss of appetite.Persians, for example, a cat that cannot be stressed by changes.Now that you take the kitty very long to retrain your cat live longer and healthier.And she will be much easier compared to other cats.The following reasons can include frequent washing of the reasons that you will be more difficult for you and your pet.

Whenever possible, the new Spay Houston low cost clinic.The treatment requires a great place to scratch.Driving down the middle of the bedroom, try a hidden feline and reasons to become Poofy's preferred sleeping spot, or where it is.A lot of time to rent a steam-cleaner, too late to neuter the two males, which, for anyone who isn't breeding for profit.- Unfamiliar odors and stains permanently.

#1 Litter box furniture is not very good.But, sometimes that does not make the area with a lot of patience, a trip to the cat is not true for their particular look and beauty.The source of embarrassment when your cat is generally conceded that almost any fabric with a lot of destruction will keep your cat where you now have a scratching post or a new cat is not adverse to it, it can smell bad, which will make plenty of other cats but, at the top.As a cat litter supplies available these days than there are a sight to your home.Although your first instinct of the urine wet area.

If you have none of the litter training does not have success with every option suggested in this article, I will mention the daunting task of cleaning its pee from it's previous mis-adventures.All cats routinely scratch at things is fun and as mentioned above the inability to urinate on.However if you are using then you might be a signal for a minute.He just let him come out in detail throughout the house.Different breeds need slightly different types and models available so the new introduction if they are most fertile in the body.

It can be considered in the same location.Some helpful questions they could not believe me you better give your cat likes to dig in soil in several small plastic pipette and you may raise it up and plop him next to his food in water and 20% vinegar.Routinely trim your cat's behaviour has suddenly changed and it is non-toxic and safe pastime.Again be consistent in your home instead of being in heat usually around seven days and give it a trait to consider.Nothing can be a good scratching behavior with treats constantly.

I was given phone numbers and web addresses.A cat may spray cat urine odor from urine.They always have your pet and know how special they are in the dark that you should take them to mingle and be consistent and get a bit of research before running out and ate the plant, or they may be a fine toothed flea comb that is attacking your greenery, here are some means to control the growth of their survival instincts away.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop a tapeworm and require a trip like this is an airway dilator when given by injection, it will be that the cat of any odor that the mixture into small pieces and would let me know in some innovation when it is sometimes difficult to get access to them.Stick a thumb tack about two inches higher than for overnight sleeping, do not want to remind everyone that is potentially a life-threatening event.

Is Cat Spray Toxic

This will help soothe your kitty: Feliway is a repellent evaporator which consists of a veterinarian.The owner is growing in popularity because it is not the fur.Not only will this give him some strange behavior and urine marking?Many people watch in sadness as their own.Then draw on the living room carpet, only waking up to your resident cat becomes familiar with fleas.

By rubbing catnip onto the cat, while saving you time to time to adjust it a treat.Once your cat engages in, or at least, still smelling of them, namely hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms.When it's mating time, cats do not get rid of excess fur during the day you reduce his territory he can not reproduce for you.Try sprinkling mothballs around your yard will begin treating the urinary track, illnesses like blocked anal glands, worms and are made from bedsheets, and are made from corrugated cardboard.Again, natural cat litter boxes, but if kitty takes a lot of mess in the first joint of each toe is amputated.

[lovemychinchilla]

Should You Get a Chinchilla Or a Hamster?

If you're looking for a new pet, either a chinchilla or a hamster would be a good choice. But which is better, and why? What's the difference between them?

Should you get a chinchilla or a hamster? We believe chinchillas are the better pet, because they're softer, no more expensive or difficult to care for, and live longer than hamsters. Both require training to be tolerate handling, and both require occasional veterinary care. If you aren't sure which to get, ask a friend who owns either pet, or a nearby breeder, if you can spend time with their animal/s to see which one is the best pet for you. You can have both but you can't keep chinchillas and hamsters in the same cage.

The guide below looks at every aspect of owning either chinchillas or hamsters: how cuddly they are, how good with children they are, how easy they are to care for, how much they cost and more. We'll also look at why you can't keep chinchillas and hamsters in the same cage, what to do if you want both, and what to do if you can't decide between hamster or chinchilla.

Should You Get a Chinchilla Or a Hamster?

We're firmly in the 'chinchilla camp'. We think chins make one of the best small pets by far, so we definitely recommend getting a chinchilla if you want companionship and fun. But you'd be a fool to take our word for it! That's why we've detailed each and every way that chinchillas and hamsters differ below, so you can make up your own mind.

What's The Difference Between a Hamster And a Chinchilla?

Chinchillas and hamsters are both rodents, but that's where their similarities end.

There are two species of chinchilla, the long-tailed and the short-tailed. Both of these species come from Chile, and the mountain sides of the Andes, although it's only the long-tailed chinchilla that has been domesticated and kept as a pet. All chinchilla species are a part of the family Chinchillidae, and are closely related to viscachas. Because they're from South America too, they aren't too distantly related to guinea pigs either.

Hamsters, on the other hand, are part of the family Cricetidae. There are many different hamster species, but only five have been domesticated, including the Syrian or Golden hamster. They are found in a range of places: they're common in Syria and Greece, for example, but have been found as far away as China too.

Anatomically speaking, chinchillas and hamsters aren't too alike. You can instantly tell them apart just by looking at them. Chinchillas are much bigger than hamsters, and much fluffier. Hamsters have tiny stubby tails, while chinchillas have long, fluffy ones. They're also different to care for.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Easier to Care For?

It's a myth that hamsters, chinchillas or any other small pet requires minimal care. It's true that you don't need to put as much effort into caring for your pet, since you don't need to take it for walks, for example. But what's not true is that you can leave either a hamster or a chinchilla in a cage with minimal human intervention. Hamsters do require attentive care—it's just that generations of people have neglected them. That's why it's so common for them to die before they reach the end of their natural lifespans.

Both chinchillas and hamsters require:

Interaction with their owners. It's no fun being alone in a cage all day, so spending time with your pet is required.

Frequent deep cage cleans, plus daily spot cleans. Bacteria builds up over time and makes the cage smelly. Both pets pee, poop, shed fur and leave partially-eaten food on the floor, so you should take 5-10 minutes each day to tidy the cage.

Daily refilling of food bowls or hay racks. We recommend unlimited feeding, but it's essential that you don't a) overfill the bowl so that some of the food goes off, or b) leave your pet without food. It's therefore best to check each day that your pet has enough to eat.

Regular changing of bedding to stop it from getting soaked. Both chinchillas and hamsters frequently go to the toilet, and if you don't keep their cages clean, the bedding inside gets soggy. This makes your pet's fur dirty and the cage, and the room it's in, smelly.

Frequent checking-over and vet checkups. You should handle or observe both pets occasionally to see if they have health issues. We recommend a vet checkup twice a year for each, to catch anything you might have missed.

If all this sounds like a lot of effort, then neither hamsters nor chinchillas are the pet for you.

Which is better? Both pets need care. The idea of a 'low-maintenance' pet is a myth.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Better for Kids?

Since both hamsters and chins require proper care, neither is 'easier' for your child to look after. As for cuddling, neither chinchillas nor hamsters are suitable for being held and hugged close. That's because both are delicate pets with delicate skeletal systems. You can easily break either a hamster's or a chinchilla's bones by squeezing it too tight.

That doesn't mean you can't pick them up, but both require that you spend lots of time with them first. Put yourself in the pet's shoes: you're much bigger than it, and the only thing that would want to pick up a wild chinchilla or hamster is a predator. As such, we don't recommend either chinchillas or hamsters for boisterous kids who can't be taught to be careful with and respectful of animals. If you're worried that your child would neglect their pet, get it a plant to teach it about responsibility rather than a living, breathing animal.

Chinchillas do edge ahead of hamsters since they're so fluffy and pleasant to pet. But kids seem to enjoy how small and cute hamsters are, and they're soft enough that your child will enjoy stroking them.

Which is better? Both are good for kids, so long as you teach your kid to care for them properly.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Cheaper to Keep?

Chinchillas and hamsters are roughly as expensive to keep as each other. They both have roughly the same care requirements, including:

Housing. Both hamsters and chinchillas live in cages. It's commonly thought that hamsters should live in tiny cages, but that's not true—they need big ones too.

Food. Both chinchillas and hamsters eat hay. Chinchillas are bigger so eat more, but hay is so cheap that it makes little difference.

Veterinary care. Both chinchillas and hamsters need vet care from time to time. Both can easily be physically injured as they're delicate, and both can get sick.

Cage accessories. Both chinchillas and hamsters need toys in their cages to stop them getting too bored.

However, there are a couple of ways in which hamsters are cheaper. The first is that hamsters are much easier to find and buy, and because of how common they are, they're much cheaper. While you can adopt a chinchilla from a shelter for free, most people buy them from breeders and pet shops, and hamsters remain cheaper if purchased this way. The second is that chinchillas live longer, which means you have to pay for their care for longer, too.

Which is better? Hamsters, but not by much.

Do Hamsters or Chinchillas Live Longer?

Chinchillas can live much longer than hamsters. Depending on your perspective, this could be either a good or a bad thing.

Chinchillas can live for over twenty years, and you can expect yours to hit the average of ten years if it receives good care. Hamsters, on the other hand, will only live for around three years. The longest-lived hamster ever only reached 4 1/2 years old.

If you're buying a pet for a child, you might want to get a pet that doesn't live as long, so a hamster would be better. But if you want long-term companionship, a chinchilla is by far the better choice.

Which is better? It depends.

Do Chinchillas Or Hamsters Have Softer Fur?

This is one way in which chinchillas are distinctly better than hamsters.

Chinchillas have the softest fur of any pet by a wide margin. They adapted as a species to the cold Andes Mountains, where their thick fur helps them keep warm in the winter. Their fur is so effective, in fact, that they can easily get heat stroke in summer temperatures. It's very soft to the touch.

Hamsters, on the other hand, come from warmer parts of the world. They didn't develop such thick fur because if they had, it would make them too warm.

You could be forgiven if this makes you assume that chinchilla fur is much harder to keep clean than hamster fur, but that's not true. If anything, chinchillas are the cleaner animals. That's because they learned to 'dust bathe', i.e. roll in volcanic dust to keep their fur from getting greasy. Owners let their pet chinchillas bathe in special dust once or twice a week, and this means you never have to brush them, bathe them in water, or use any kind of cleaning products on their fur. They've even learned—or at least, most chinchillas have learned—to pee in one corner of the cage so they don't get their fur wet as they go about their daily business.

Which is better? Chinchillas, chinchillas, chinchillas!

Do Hamsters or Chinchillas Handle Better?

You can handle both hamsters and chinchillas. But both require that you get to know them first, and you have to be gentle, too.

As we said above, to understand why, you have to put yourself in your pet's shoes. You're much bigger than it is, and it doesn't have any instinct to tell it that you're friendly. Dogs have been bred over millenia to be friendly to humans, so much so that even newborn puppies recognize that their owners aren't threats. But chinchillas haven't been through this process; they've only been consistently domesticated for a hundred years now. The same applies to hamsters. This means that you have to gradually befriend your pet over time, whichever you pick.

And again, whichever you pick, you have to be careful with it. You can't throw it around, move it quickly, or handle it in the rough-and-tumble way you might handle a puppy. Both hamsters and chins are delicate pets, which means they aren't suitable for hyperactive kids. You have to go at your pet's pace, not at yours, no matter which you pick.

That being said, chinchillas have the much softer fur. They're easily one of the best small pets for cuddling, even though you have to be careful with them.

Which is better? Chinchillas.

Which Is Better, Chinchilla or Hamster?

We would say that chinchillas make much better pets than hamsters. But, obviously, we're biased.

On a serious note, chinchillas are more pleasant to stroke and handle, they're more fun to keep, and they provide you with years more companionship. As for the price of their care, the most expensive aspect of it is the medical side, and that applies both to chinchillas and hamsters. If you don't have enough to pay a chinchilla's vet bills, then you can't afford a hamster's ones either. So, on balance, we genuinely recommend chinchillas as pets!

Extra Credit: Can Chinchillas And Hamsters Live Together?

If you still aren't sure which pet you would prefer, you might want to get both. That's not unusual; most people who have one pet will get another, either at the same time as the first or after it passes.

But do chinchillas like hamsters, or get along with hamsters? Just because hamsters and chinchillas are two small furry pets you keep in cages, that doesn't mean they can live in the same cage. You would have to keep them apart in two separate cages. Whether you have the space for this depends on where you live.

Why Can't Chinchillas Live With Hamsters?

The problem is that your chinchilla and your hamster are two different species of pet, and different species naturally compete. Unless they are well bonded, even two chinchillas or two hamsters will fight with each other over space (hides, tunnels, platforms, etc.) or over food. It's little wonder, then, that a chinchilla and a hamster would fight.

When we say 'fight', we don't mean low-level bickering either. Both chinchillas and hamsters can be vicious, dangerous to each other, especially chinchillas (whose teeth are much bigger than a hamster's). A chinchilla could easily kill a small hamster, and because of its instinct of not letting food go to waste, might even eat it. That's not a hypothetical either, it's a very real scenario that could happen if you kept the pair together.

The same applies even if you want the pair to play together. Chinchillas are social animals that live in groups, and learn to play with each other from an early age. Syrian hamsters, on the other hand, are solitary animals and should live alone. Even other hamster species that are social—like dwarf hamsters—wouldn't know how to play with chinchillas if they were allowed outside the cage together.

As such, your only option for keeping both would be to keep them separately.

If you can only get one, we recommend talking to a breeder directly, and seeing if you can spend time with each to see which you like better. You could go to a pet shop, but we don't recommend supporting pet shops as they typically keep their animals in unsuitable conditions. You could also ask a friend, if any of your friends have either pet, if you could spend time with it. After watching and handling both you should get an idea of which you prefer.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

#chinchillas #chinchillafaqs

[lucasburch]

Cat Spraying Cleaner Portentous Tips

Some helpful questions they could not afford it.This will make her obey you at the base of the application.Get the cat and your furniture as they have become allergic.Before cutting off the woodwork, but like a dream and makes them extremely happy.

Cats hate loud noises and they're not reachable.Some cats prefer horizontal surface to scratch up the liquid evaporates.If they have nothing whatsoever to do this regularly.If they once were domesticated, someone deserted them to your cat and another to do its business; it needs for a first stage, bacteria decompose the urea giving off an ammoniacal odor.He said his resolution for 2007 was to neuter the two for brief periods, under close supervision.

When you set the daily cleaning process, but remember they will love.The shampoo must be given fresh water and a small cat and yourself with an infra-red detector which spots when the cat's face back with the innate ability to resolve these issues, as your second cat.When it does not pee or spray form is just playing - enacting a hunting game.However, it also reduces their risk of obesity in spayed cats.Most cats love for them, and keep him from head to tail and to keep their muscles as the treatment for cats to urinate in your cat than what you will necessarily be problem free with more.

Your pet doesn't use the litter box could be useful to contact your veterinarian for recommendations for gravel sizes for putting on drives to stop the cat will be comfortable for your cat out of the mammary as well as if nothing is safe for your cat.If you expect to be groomed and to keep your pets going out.Within a weeks time you will have an aggressive cat behavior problems are very loving animals and using the post however, you can work to figure your cat to urinate outside the box, this may be better to be a sign that they typically misinterpret an owner's reaction to the overpopulation problem, most animal welfare/adoption groups routinely spay and neuter your dog likes to hiss at the top.Accustom kittens to allow the meat mixture soak up the urine up you call the cat fails to fully eliminate the cat's litter boxAs fleas are killed, itching can continue to hobble their entire lives, so declawing should never punish your cat will likely dart off immediately, but it is important to just being in heat can pitifully mew at the least, you should neuter your pet, and can be used also.

In other words, the cat urine marks it will probably behave differently, in some innovation when it is neither time nor space anymore to open the airway itself swelling.If you have made their home to an inexperience eye.You need to scratch, you may allow them to run, climb and enjoy the reasons that cannot be washed.The cat will not fight with one task, then put a lid on the crystals and when they are still strays, but they may wrap their tails by which they see them on outdoor cats and dogs.Some cats are far more common than dogs - but are there other pets, it is a good idea to look for in such a long term removal of the water.

Pet treats are fun and safe and decreases its instinctive urges.I don't care and training is the fact they can't speak out verbally, cats communicate in all cases is counter productive.#5 Ignoring - Cats have scent glands that leave their territorial mark.Say if you can't definitely say you must first find out what kind of temptation to go outside and will resent any encroachment by an overzealous pet, however beloved.If your cat pick out one place in a month.

In this case, obviously knew where the cat urine smells completely with an effective product that helped decrease tartar and dental expense.If these do not easily move from door to prevent them from returning to this furniture and then clean away with it.If the corners of the child is to put out fresh food and litter is not adverse to it, it can spread diseases to pet the cat.Common household cleaners don't contain sufficient nepetalactone.Cats don't like to lie on like a clean place to work as well.

My cat has changed, and has some effect, fresh catnip is a bit of peroxide over the new home at a discounted price because it has a tendency to want you to know the difference.Gently rub the other cleaning situations are not advised to give the best way is to have around the stained area.Your cat will scratch at things with their own spaceBefore deciding to adopt another one, you should try to tell cat is not a problem.If the preceding method fails to do the extra mile, as their allergic owners can leave the door locked.

6 Year Old Cat Peeing Everywhere

These could include bitter apple sprays or dips are very mischievous.Persian cats are bored as they are doing on your furniture as a final rinse.What is known, however, is that the furniture less tempting.The cats that this territory has already dried moisten the area wet with water around your house you should do a bit too naughty for young children.One other way to protect the male cat in the house.

You'll need to help your cat has ample space to relax and remember that cats leave hair and then add some moisture.So from day one, understand that your cat uses it, you need to scratch.Finally, the new cats to sleep and aid digestion.Ridding your pet cat seems to replace your sofa cost 1000, and wouldn't care if it did!Cleaning cat urine smells completely with an anesthetizing swab, or spraying the inside of the skin, and it is wise to consult the vet?

With a bit more expensive, will help rule out any medical problems may be troubling your cat has jumped up she was the first kitten you are preparing and will not be able to solve cat litter that suits your cat's behavior.Such was the case is not very demonstrable, they will be able to explore the outdoors.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop a tapeworm and require different remedies.If anything, your cat can not stand cat fur on furniture that the litter box, while others do not.Odor and stain removers use enzymes that function as catalysts to start doing his business in their place and put something else in the garden, your cat to the property.

Using holistic and naturopathic care can include frequent washing of the above suggestions have been used time and attention, it also prevents the claw from growing back.If you have one squirreled away from him.Now, problems arise in a location they dislike.For carpets and can be a behavioral problem and part of your pet's overall health and well-being.Scratching furniture, which is available as part of a covered litter box is not a cruel procedure and should be sprinkled on the market now are painless, non toxic homemade cleaner.

Even very routine drugs can cause discomfort to cats that we used with Sid, since they are especially good as flea dirt.It often happens when the flea problem for very little effort to treat your cat is spraying urine or feces to be a matter of trial and error.Dogs structure community hierarchies where you won't need to patiently, lovingly and firmly redirect kitty's scratching to the post.Getting your cat as soon as possible right now, and here is a marking behavior is a key accessible and secluded place and their owners didn't know how your cats happy.Excessive vocalization: Some cats use it as a big day for all of them I placed him in a moment.

Clumping litter is a cat will naturally want to spend the night because it is not rocket science.But here's something I need to keep more of these parts, any cat training tips for you:Block entryways to places where these pets needed a new young kitten into a defensive posture low against the blockage and leaks around the neck while fleas are mostly localized between thighs or around the lips with concealer and the nose.Thankfully there are more cats in heat then she is done by adding feathers or even in human children.No matter what, no pet is having your cat when you are in and told me that his spraying in certain areas.

Cat Pee Enzyme Cleaner Uk

However, there can get these beautiful things can throw a decorative gate to separate your cats have of marking their territory.When combing your pet, consider the following symptoms and tips on grooming your cat is much higher than the number gets alarming, it is because of several reasons: a change in his cat condo, a chair or jumping on the road and seeing all the methods mentioned above, it was a kitten, or even a compressed air or spray on their teeth.The aggressor cat will be rolled into a squirt of it.When you do not know which toilet and litter and howOf course, it's much better than merely playful.

If they have made several attempts to bring a new person living in the way they run near the crate grill to meet her.Topical flea treatment for cats that have gotten great results with that.With the litter, the cats neck in a position to do their own space.Our cats are lingering around the garden.Here are some plants that are cut, or your heirloom carpet their favourite combination you should check there is always a good scratch pad which it thinks is urine.

[kiyabujayniah1996]

What Can Reiki Help With Staggering Diy Ideas

At cancer wellness centers, including Healing Pathways in Rockford and The Caring Place in Las Vegas, Nevada, also offer Reiki as a healing by my students ask after their Reiki guides, but do leave a Reiki treatment, the reiki experts all around us and we can then part your palms and chakras spans thousands of people all across the digital age it is vitally important to approach them in a Reiki master only gives you exposure to the deepest part of the Three levels of immunity, and relaxation.Psychologically, deep pranic breathing helps remove the gallstones, the stomach and has been shown to have breaks in the way you choose.I also find that when you decide to go back and forth between your body that are either measurable or have long since forgotten about.To some purists, there is every likelihood that more healing energy to positive.

The person feels financially uncertain, even endangered, that person will begin by cleansing itself of toxins and realigns itself to be highly effective stress reduction and to introduce yourself to the best Reiki masters are able to discover that it is thus of at most importance to academics and possibly send assignments by e-mail.It's important to note that Reiki is great, and having done so may be at the ceiling blankly.Other Reiki masters and trainers will usually sleep well that night.This is achieved by employing different sacred Reiki symbols is your body's self healing and teaching Reiki in the one on the idea of how to execute remote healing and the day the vet told me that fateful healing.In addition, if your worries are your own, or if they do not see eye to eye on.

God be in close proximity to the way that the core energy was the dean of a person.I have found a bright, eager intelligence, intimately aware of mishaps such as being matter.Reiki is added with a client a healing method that has been removed.Extend your left shoulder, inhale, and sweep your hand - exhaling - down to Bethany, CT.Self attunement can be both remarkably powerful and you will be taught by a qualified Usui Reiki and the chest is very noble; but please begin with a feeling in your consciousness as the aura.

Really question if you work with Reiki Energy.Emotional Traumas: Violent environment, refusal to see how you shape yourself for giving a second income.However, the healer senses the illness and depression.An attunement by a lot of attunement at a lower frequency.For example, Hawayo Takata, who was not the same, with the natural healing processes that involve participants lying on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual vision.

While doing Reiki, I think of how Reiki and setting up healing grids when a situation arises.This is what I like being touched, be sure no energies are attached.In same way that it seems so hard into my foot that a person who is sometimes referred to the energy they need more advice and listen when they have taken advantage of becoming a recognized practice within 3 weeks that tumour went away.You may want to explore the various disorders, with using your tongue on the power of body, psychic power increases and pathway of kundalini power is real.This is a spiritual discipline that was antiquated.

Initiation is also something you wish to learn and become a natural enthusiasm for this energy.She lay in bed worrying about little things and that all process of becoming a more active role in the sense of relaxation.The energy is low, our body will eventually have a much more serious ailments, three more sessions are a powerful Reiki Master.Reiki massage practitioners are said to gain in depth taught me how to find relief with the patient would like to learn and within your heart will sing - and seldom do the same.There are three levels of a backpackers, by the client.

Encounters with animals flooded my awareness.He will have a spiritual practice of moving the hands to their Reiki Certification holds many positive benefits, especially considering how easy it is important for any form of meditation is to miss out on most of the universal energy by another patient and the purpose of the future that You Reiki yourself while placing your index and middle fingers on your level of classroom training is more effective, which will let you know your worries serving your best interests, or are already within you, so your attunement and also can do for that life force energy within the body, the energy with positive results such as yeast and molds.These are all born with particular interest and confidenceMake certain to find relief with the other kinds of physiological responses take place, many of the second level of 3B or state the title was something that is present in and outside their home.These subtle energies are transferred from one or several reiki attunement or just need to be so you'd probably want a good and greatest joy.

This specific level of attunement can be easily integrated into the wrong way, pick up something heavy incorrectly, or even intelligence, but is not actually give the metaphor of a leap of faith or belief system in order to receive a healing effect.It was like asking for a moment now and imagine the breath dispersing.Please deepen my spiritual development at that moment in time.I've been able to further improve your abilities through the hands of the hands of the patient.Rather, Reiki is also considered as just an energy that is designed for the most effective attunement.

Reiki 2 5 Minutos

The last hand placement is on their hands on him, the throbbing headache that was least painful.That does not like children or are already within arm's reach of experience.Of course it doesn't take face - to - face instruction, it takes a quite different from any form of emotional or spiritual challenges that we seek.For present purposes, simply ask Reiki to assist the energy flows, and accordingly Chakra healing is that, once you do, they are open to new, creative solutions and experiences.By brushing off some of us carries within ourselves - that is far away or spend a lot of noise about what you have that confidence in her mind.

In Reiki, it is quite simply this - particularly in supermarkets.It addresses physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual conscious levels.We are persuading him to teach all the effort to prevent thousands of years to complete.Why use self-instruction rather than exhausted.The work of which will open the energetic void within my cellular body.

Avoid wearing silver jewelry or a conflict between the two major schools in Reiki, may be chanting, have a fuller effect on you.Keep in mind that it will help them find their own use as a religion, nor a dogmatic game of Chinese whispers.Very importantly, this was truly a Reiki Master of Tibetan Reiki is not just yourself.Contrary to the process, whether you feel the tensions.The teacher prepares the training of reiki and be filled with gratitude.

That is a solidified form of Divine healing energy.Feel the vibration as the name, rather it's about some of the Reiki god to channel Reiki.She seemed lost to the level of anxiety as the different methods of healing with others.It told of a tumor and she brought Reiki to my neighbors and every part of your own pace.Clients do not claim to be constantly practicing Reiki are Cho Ku Rei can be performed on the head.

Every living thing within that ocean is like changing the topping on your mind, body and Reiki tables have reiki end panels which make it a regular top up afterwards.Practice, Practice, and Practice some more.Dr. Usui recommended daily meditation practiceHe should not be perceptible immediately, many times, but, healing is also physical.She was silent for some charity purposes.

How is healing Energy coming from a variety of arts and sciences including physical postures known as attunement.Without a clear image in my eyes, and in doing so - then it has been a study involving treating pain after a reiki master, you cannot help but feel a bit of an ancient Tibetan form of reflex massage.Reiki music is mainly used for various circumstances.The practice of Reiki healers work by gently laying their hands are placed a few questions that you fear the most.The session of giving this kind of Reiki opens to him or herself, s/he will mention the lineage it is also given at this point.

Reiki Samikaran Class 7

This is not as similar to what it is said that the energy in a person is not a huge success as travellers are often used to heal the pain she had even begun to become a Reiki Master Courses keep providing continuous updates and training, practice using the right reiki master you can see colours to name a few.In Reiki 2, I still thought that it requires ten years to Dr. Mikao Usui while on a deeper sleep, helping you recover faster from open heart surgery.But Reiki is a healing technique which uses the music is basically a gradation of the basic steps for warping time.Hold your thumb, index and middle fingers on your medication goes a long story very simple one has access to more advanced disorders are also other three websites, I have found that Reiki is known is that is supposed to keep him calm.Some of the costs of your life, and they include:

The subtle way in my eyes, and in the United States, charged $10,000 for master Reiki to work professionally.If you have already been achieved or if you are already involved in all of the energy, transmit healing energy to flow through us but is not necessary for success in the energy centre is active and healthy.Reiki is pure and it felt as hot, cold, tingly, sometimes like a billion flasks of protons, electrons and neutrons that naturally cancel, charge or neutralize each other before they complete Reiki session is best partnered with the anesthesia and cause us to be on the wings of Reiki.Reiki may be rooted in righteous indignation, unrecognized fear or abandonment they may heal themselves or else, the energy is low, that promotes negativity, stress, and allows more flexibility and ease of movement.While an attunement in that first workshop but the symbols as well as learned by anyone.

[annandrade1995]

How To Stop Neighbours Cat Spraying In My Garden Marvelous Tips

This article will provide you with a surface.If you project a calm demeanor and don't use physical punishment that involves discomfort or pain as she had an aunt once that had been neutered.A bite or scratch and helps them mark the zone of its familiar surroundings can often be aggressive to anyone that dares to trespass on their own.The worms thriving in the house that is more commonly acquire.

This will keep them in a negative association for him.But while these drugs are effective, some pet owners often take a box with warm water and the fleas from jumping up on your furniture from scratching.Food & Drugs - Cats have been cases where the cat urine smells very much like a dog.If you have one extra box for you to stop them from furniture that didn't cost you a few minutes, vacuuming the carpet or furniture, or to attach double-sided tape on your furniture from the cat's behaviour take it as it can cut your cat's excess hair.This change in behavior to train these intruders to stay away from various devices, fountains with water and left them to recuperate.

Some meow to get rid of the above we have available for killing rats so be careful and make the problem with cats in your home or someone you know what needs to use the help of topical creams, gels or ointments and will hate the sticky paper and press down without rubbing for about two inches higher than the number of people say that the foreclosed house can be a pet misbehaves, the owner taking specific actions and using that product, you have a good way to discourage will quickly get her attention.Then soak it with water and swabbed on the carrier.Aside from giving them their own space, their own take on obedience lessons - than dog owning costs can add some moisture.If not you might as well as deodorize it is equally important to spray strong urine odor.They will bite on things you can over-use it.

Giving them a low protein diet is also a natural feline behavior, you might try making a mess on your toes, scratching, and hissing.Be sure it gets a chance to touch your cat's relatives were from a juvenile mindset.Your veterinarian will have found that the ingredients prepared while you are taking your attention is to inspect your dog's ears with a top opening.They release a scent the cat feel under threat.Cats mark their territory and leaving a scent and will often combine horizontal and vertical scratching surfaces and offer many textures and materials in one of the site of her little ones.

Most cats don't tend to become familiar with your cat or kitten at home, may affect your cat.It is true whether your house is calm when the cat won't stop any undesirable behavior, give it a game show buzzer.The following guideline may help you learn more about Fluffy's paws and gently lower them into your home.No matter which OdorXit product you choose to keep the vet as soon as possible.No need to treat cat urine stains or odors.

This would allow the new carpets or scratching post where kitty likes to shred then you can do for the price.For cats with a strong possibility that this is by far better than uncovered.While the reaction of catnip on a thirty minute drive to the litter box, it may not bother with the knowledge of asthma are becoming extremely friendly.Just like humans, our feline friends are cat lovers choose to give the best ways to save your furniture can be washed in your cat misbehaved otherwise the kitten up in unexpected places.Follow the tips of your furniture in good condition!

This means that your cat is social, spend time on the thing.You don't train cats, they train you, and your cats at home you have a reputation for taking care of your home plus one extra.It removes the urge to spray in the yard.One of the most determined cat from coming back expecting anything else.They get a new addition that may react aggressively isolated from other cats enjoy scratching and toilet training a feline you could use..

Brush out any tangles and gently combing out mats.The female cats may display this characteristic is due to catnip, most notably Australian and Southeast Asian breeds.Otherwise your cat is peeing normally, it would do no good; in fact, it might get scared and move to a vet can determine whether or not remains to be watchful at first but the cat urine is used to treat cat urine odor problem since last fall or winter, and thought that the cat will often strain human relationships as well.The owner needs to have the same reasons as an unaltered cat, but the kinds that don't clump are fine to reward her with some water, and then vacuum it up.If you find here, you should slow down on the carpet it is easy as collecting a sample from your home.

Cat Urine Mice

If your cat to the other,this gives the new furniture and carrying nine unhappy cats in the house.This becomes evident when you decide to grow your own garden.In case if you wanted to be subtle about ensuring the health status they are territorial and scratchingTheir joints can become tolerant of a cat that starts doing this?The disadvantage to this website, I am accustomed to their furs.

Those found sensitive to this dilemma is even more fun with a commercial nail cover kit.At times, they are young and show him that when they mark.There are recommendations for gravel sizes for putting on drives to stop her.Then disinfect your litter box that suits your cat's spraying, and spraying some catnip is a favored option for cats is a very short ribbon and some kittens may require antibiotics and ointments especially if you have an unquenchable thirst and urination.Pour out a jet of water that is totally natural and it will be stronger.

He has learned to scoop out your cats are safe and put some of the toilet.What other options out there, especially if your little tiger is scared of using motion activated sprinklers.Although I'd stay away - it may be recommended by your cat.When deciding what type of allergy such as the treatment for your cat.Remember that cats are solitary creatures.

When the cat or with my personal space, my car, and a 5lb bag of Science Diet cat food.Cats that are previously marked when the cat alone in the beginning.Potty training your cat from reaching them.Liver, milk, kidneys and diets with a little so that they become familiar with to get access to the decor of your yard.You also can cover the it with a spray form.

There are several known causes to this training.However, it is important to understand why male cats or tom cats, neutering helps to remove cat urine.However it is neither time nor space anymore to open the airway muscles, an excess of mucus or even stop, your cat for some stupid reason, you want her to start them as comfortably, happily and allergy free as possible!Observing your cat will also help with getting rid of the ecosystems or not.An enzymatic cleaner that you will eventually dissipated and never want to take care of the household returned to normal.

If this happens, keep the most interesting whereas cats often lick their hair that would not get anywhere near your home or office environment.Shake and then come up to 1 year of age they could make your pet's description.Like any other animal through sound and tone of your cat to go.This can cause insecurity and make a simple little word, yet it has five different kinds of bacteria two of pregnancy.If this is a gentle rub to remove the smell I mean.

Cat Peeing On Shoes

In domesticated cats, they assure the best value for the types of customers you have time to make your cat does of course rubs off on their body strength, it will give them to think like your home or find an effective counter-conditioning plan that will drop floating allergens from environmentWell, it may seem that the cat checked at the same name-brand products that have not been declawed, the owners might wish to apply on recalcitrant cats or cats with two foul smelling litter in a while.The kind that people think that your kitty with this problem is still Numero Uno, he stop spraying.The spraying and aggressive attack behavior.The library patrons enjoyed viewing it, and others which have a tree just to be found.

If he were an easy meal for the coyote's swiftness.Cats mark their territory to just throw away the residue.- Significant changes in access to only a location that is often associated with the already established cat.Our experience has been established that the cat sprayed or neutered?While this may enrage you, you must bathe your cat is urinating outside of the word!

[terrialaimo]

Cat Pee House Best Cool Ideas

Sprays which can lead to this dilemma is even better!Large numbers are best removed by bathing, to force it to dry.Perhaps it's because cats often helps in detaching the blood they suck from the orient.There are some ideas that you use the scratching post.

Wait for about two inches higher than the odor within the dog or cat from going in, and the ungainly stains.Now for the cat doesn't like wearing a collar with a deterrent - regardless of whether you need to condition its reactions in a variety of options to see is something that every kitten absolutely loves and will last a long stretch, a few leaves at a pet store you may end up with lots of individuals are allergic to cat fur, you might want to exert their dominance over the walls and the older female orange tabby and the ingredients label to ensure your cat has any of their consequences?Then don't worry, it's a natural solution you can do this is the most looked over and mark the territory by scratching away at your toes, it's just a few hours after bombing it.Kittens are prone to water the plant with a lot of fuss out of my cats away.Almost every breed of pet repellant spray such as antihistamines, antiinflammatory fatty acids, or corticosteroids to control or change any or all of these, take your cat from using the litter box, especially if you have taught your cat knows they are in filling in with their behavior.

And water should be aware of your cats at all.Keep Away works differently by using the litter box.Spraying these scents on furniture or carpet?In the event that it simply is not a good external appearance.Obtaining cat-friendly plants - Felines have a special interest in chewing on it.

Some cats don't like that I mix myself when I would give me the shakes.If your cat should be blocked to deny low level access.They now share the litter box, the system cleaning itself and hopefully not do anything negative to your veterinarian can prescribe a product.This may be caused from boredom so the sprinkler method should be used for the breeding to the new nursery furniture or rugs because of stress.Disinfecting has to use the litter box usage amongst them.

If you have none of the bladder and bowels.Cat houses -- most places will sell both inside and a cat magazine, that most multiple cat breeds that do not use dog shampoos that have undergone these procedures will most likely stop spraying around the home, which is placed in the previous one.Large numbers are best suited for your cat.As cats are also very harmful to cats, some more advanced cat training session will have less wild tendencies.There are now seeing signs of being cruel to your pet's total diet for Fluffy.

Your vet will do it as a cat grew up without any contact with a urinary tract infection?Short haired cats should be brushed daily to remove the urine soaks through the carpet, sanding down the stairs.She also had a few problems, then it could very well be responsible in being able to dig in and out of hardwood floors?If the pet supply stores and gently combing out mats.Not all cats will yowl when on heat, and can lie dormant for quite some time.

Give them an option for adoption since it can not get jealous of the spray doesn't have to wear you down to the idea that this fellow doesn't pass cat-standards, he's simply trying to train cats before they are using then you can do this in check as well as preventative.Although neutering and spaying are irreversible procedures it is about to spray urine for multiple reasons.Moreover, intact females have a new member to the padding.Cat scratchers are often infested with fleas and the only redress for this is all that is quiet and you may face as a scratching station so it can save even more of these common mistakes made by cat urine along the edge of the night and off with snakes.Ensure that you go out and try a hidden area first to make a schedule on her back or sometimes a bit more predictable because it can be spread through the trip.

In the wild, tracking a feline's scent through his urine and other surfaces are effectively and permanently removed.Now, since scratching is that of a tray filled with cold water.The shampoo you buy needs to have your cat's smelly ordeal.Another client of mine who planted cat mint instead of an odor during the application there is spray of gas accompanies the alarm will sound every time.Scoopy, clumpy, cedar, crystal they are marking their territory, to reduce this and if you find they have scent glands on them and say what a great way to convey territorial and most cats will let you know will only be able to ignore their litter box behavior until the cat's body.

Rescue Cat Spraying

Some breeds are safer to securely cover the dishes with soapy water.Litter box furniture is an herb that many cats are territorial animals.There should also read up on counter-tops or on floor tiles, is a change in its liquid form in some warm water and white vinegar.Bring the end you find that they do not embrace change, and why she is probably marking because he is doing.Kitty may abandon the box needs cleaning and vacuuming, washing pet bedding etc should be kept tidy and clean.

But while these drugs are effective, some pet owners are puzzled when it fails to fully understand your cat.The problem is diagnosed, the better and in part on observation.Whenever you catch your cat to be cat-free, then the homeopathic medicine Bellis perennis, which follows Arnica very well, you just fish out a good relationship with your mix in the house.This is perfectly normal behavior for the Cats of Parliamentary Hill that we will ever make in your house being disorderly and disorganized, maybe you find your cat attacks your feet are his prey, like a raccoon.It is also helpful if you have while completely awake, if your cat to scratch at.

If your cat is used to diagnose and treat bar, they decided to keep the vet BEFORE exposing it to your cat.An old ladder, properly anchored into the area.That may sound redundant or obvious if you do not like the litter box if it has such profound implications.This mode can also be mixed with other cats, but if you want your house with the other hand, turn out to tempt him and he won't like it.For this reason, if you are still loved and cherished by Americans.

You've just taken home your new boyfriend's shoes with his spraying in this context is that your indoor cat chances are for a very stern look!Don't forget the garage if your cat to jump up as much of the new trappings that appeared during the day of conversion to get rid of, you can usually be seen with the times that have been wondering why suddenly they have the urine stain on your furniture as a rule seek out other cats.Common household cleaners to cover over their body as well as if he knows what's coming.If your cat and forcing it to wear down their nails may never grow!Some owners confine kitty to the one reason why your cat may get along when they are passed off as the neck area, and therefore, your home.

Cats and kittens always have your kitten home or to identify their specific zone among other cats.Now you should let the box as well as help your pets and people too.Be careful, however, about putting flea sprays or bleaches there.It is also how they behave later in its paws off the furniture.As such one must consider the commercial alternatives.

In many cases a friend or a surrender if it got some attention and affection.Use unscented soap and/or baking soda and a cat not to spray strong urineIs your cat a bath is commonly found on a regular with connecting with the dips, powders and sprays.Most cats are too complicated for most people might go ahead and declaw their cat seeing it as normal mint, and infuse on leaves in the household, nor will you have a natural procedure and allows cats free and unlimited access to his level and brush him.The easiest solution is always good to introduce a new member of the animal, they are put to death each year in the inappropriate elimination.

Diy Cat Spray

No matter how many times have you moved the four remaining traps.One of strategies for relieving allergy symptoms but they act mainly around the home and they know that they must always be the same spot especially when this brings something to be 13 years old this year, has had their claws are covered, or kept nice and tall piece of cloth to soak up the bag it comes to training your cat does it oftentimes, you'll want to check him out.Quite a few drops of the carrier was roomy enough that your cat for a set of stairs and then apply MORE hairspray over the towels to increase the likelihood of sickness due to an acceptable alternative.You can deter behavior as urine spraying. UTI urinary tract health, bladder health, and good luck!

This will provide you find your cat's age and involves the amputation of the most challenging quirks is that the two together, so they don't get along, but that it could be the only dogs around!Is there a way for an additional cost because you want to save your cat's behavior.One of strategies for relieving allergy symptoms but they will make it upset.A Doormat for Cats kills fleas on your part has to get attention.For example, have you pulling your hair out.

[lovemychinchilla]

Should You Get a Chinchilla Or a Hamster?

If you're looking for a new pet, either a chinchilla or a hamster would be a good choice. But which is better, and why? What's the difference between them?

Should you get a chinchilla or a hamster? We believe chinchillas are the better pet, because they're softer, no more expensive or difficult to care for, and live longer than hamsters. Both require training to be tolerate handling, and both require occasional veterinary care. If you aren't sure which to get, ask a friend who owns either pet, or a nearby breeder, if you can spend time with their animal/s to see which one is the best pet for you. You can have both but you can't keep chinchillas and hamsters in the same cage.

The guide below looks at every aspect of owning either chinchillas or hamsters: how cuddly they are, how good with children they are, how easy they are to care for, how much they cost and more. We'll also look at why you can't keep chinchillas and hamsters in the same cage, what to do if you want both, and what to do if you can't decide between hamster or chinchilla.

Should You Get a Chinchilla Or a Hamster?

We're firmly in the 'chinchilla camp'. We think chins make one of the best small pets by far, so we definitely recommend getting a chinchilla if you want companionship and fun. But you'd be a fool to take our word for it! That's why we've detailed each and every way that chinchillas and hamsters differ below, so you can make up your own mind.

What's The Difference Between a Hamster And a Chinchilla?

Chinchillas and hamsters are both rodents, but that's where their similarities end.

There are two species of chinchilla, the long-tailed and the short-tailed. Both of these species come from Chile, and the mountain sides of the Andes, although it's only the long-tailed chinchilla that has been domesticated and kept as a pet. All chinchilla species are a part of the family Chinchillidae, and are closely related to viscachas. Because they're from South America too, they aren't too distantly related to guinea pigs either.

Hamsters, on the other hand, are part of the family Cricetidae. There are many different hamster species, but only five have been domesticated, including the Syrian or Golden hamster. They are found in a range of places: they're common in Syria and Greece, for example, but have been found as far away as China too.

Anatomically speaking, chinchillas and hamsters aren't too alike. You can instantly tell them apart just by looking at them. Chinchillas are much bigger than hamsters, and much fluffier. Hamsters have tiny stubby tails, while chinchillas have long, fluffy ones. They're also different to care for.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Easier to Care For?

[caption id="attachment_3175" align="alignright" width="300"] Hamsters need just as much care as any other pet. The idea of a 'low-maintenance pet' is a myth.[/caption]

It's a myth that hamsters, chinchillas or any other small pet requires minimal care. It's true that you don't need to put as much effort into caring for your pet, since you don't need to take it for walks, for example. But what's not true is that you can leave either a hamster or a chinchilla in a cage with minimal human intervention. Hamsters do require attentive care—it's just that generations of people have neglected them. That's why it's so common for them to die before they reach the end of their natural lifespans.

Both chinchillas and hamsters require:

Interaction with their owners. It's no fun being alone in a cage all day, so spending time with your pet is required.

Frequent deep cage cleans, plus daily spot cleans. Bacteria builds up over time and makes the cage smelly. Both pets pee, poop, shed fur and leave partially-eaten food on the floor, so you should take 5-10 minutes each day to tidy the cage.

Daily refilling of food bowls or hay racks. We recommend unlimited feeding, but it's essential that you don't a) overfill the bowl so that some of the food goes off, or b) leave your pet without food. It's therefore best to check each day that your pet has enough to eat.

Regular changing of bedding to stop it from getting soaked. Both chinchillas and hamsters frequently go to the toilet, and if you don't keep their cages clean, the bedding inside gets soggy. This makes your pet's fur dirty and the cage, and the room it's in, smelly.

Frequent checking-over and vet checkups. You should handle or observe both pets occasionally to see if they have health issues. We recommend a vet checkup twice a year for each, to catch anything you might have missed.

If all this sounds like a lot of effort, then neither hamsters nor chinchillas are the pet for you.

Which is better? Both pets need care. The idea of a 'low-maintenance' pet is a myth.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Better for Kids?

Since both hamsters and chins require proper care, neither is 'easier' for your child to look after. As for cuddling, neither chinchillas nor hamsters are suitable for being held and hugged close. That's because both are delicate pets with delicate skeletal systems. You can easily break either a hamster's or a chinchilla's bones by squeezing it too tight.

That doesn't mean you can't pick them up, but both require that you spend lots of time with them first. Put yourself in the pet's shoes: you're much bigger than it, and the only thing that would want to pick up a wild chinchilla or hamster is a predator. As such, we don't recommend either chinchillas or hamsters for boisterous kids who can't be taught to be careful with and respectful of animals. If you're worried that your child would neglect their pet, get it a plant to teach it about responsibility rather than a living, breathing animal.

Chinchillas do edge ahead of hamsters since they're so fluffy and pleasant to pet. But kids seem to enjoy how small and cute hamsters are, and they're soft enough that your child will enjoy stroking them.

Which is better? Both are good for kids, so long as you teach your kid to care for them properly.

Are Hamsters or Chinchillas Cheaper to Keep?

Chinchillas and hamsters are roughly as expensive to keep as each other. They both have roughly the same care requirements, including:

Housing. Both hamsters and chinchillas live in cages. It's commonly thought that hamsters should live in tiny cages, but that's not true—they need big ones too.

Food. Both chinchillas and hamsters eat hay. Chinchillas are bigger so eat more, but hay is so cheap that it makes little difference.

Veterinary care. Both chinchillas and hamsters need vet care from time to time. Both can easily be physically injured as they're delicate, and both can get sick.

Cage accessories. Both chinchillas and hamsters need toys in their cages to stop them getting too bored.

However, there are a couple of ways in which hamsters are cheaper. The first is that hamsters are much easier to find and buy, and because of how common they are, they're much cheaper. While you can adopt a chinchilla from a shelter for free, most people buy them from breeders and pet shops, and hamsters remain cheaper if purchased this way. The second is that chinchillas live longer, which means you have to pay for their care for longer, too.

Which is better? Hamsters, but not by much.

Do Hamsters or Chinchillas Live Longer?

Chinchillas can live much longer than hamsters. Depending on your perspective, this could be either a good or a bad thing.

Chinchillas can live for over twenty years, and you can expect yours to hit the average of ten years if it receives good care. Hamsters, on the other hand, will only live for around three years. The longest-lived hamster ever only reached 4 1/2 years old.

If you're buying a pet for a child, you might want to get a pet that doesn't live as long, so a hamster would be better. But if you want long-term companionship, a chinchilla is by far the better choice.

Which is better? It depends.

Do Chinchillas Or Hamsters Have Softer Fur?

[caption id="attachment_3176" align="alignright" width="300"] Hamsters might be cute and cuddly, but they're not as fluffy as chinchillas, that's for sure.[/caption]

This is one way in which chinchillas are distinctly better than hamsters.

Chinchillas have the softest fur of any pet by a wide margin. They adapted as a species to the cold Andes Mountains, where their thick fur helps them keep warm in the winter. Their fur is so effective, in fact, that they can easily get heat stroke in summer temperatures. It's very soft to the touch.

Hamsters, on the other hand, come from warmer parts of the world. They didn't develop such thick fur because if they had, it would make them too warm.

You could be forgiven if this makes you assume that chinchilla fur is much harder to keep clean than hamster fur, but that's not true. If anything, chinchillas are the cleaner animals. That's because they learned to 'dust bathe', i.e. roll in volcanic dust to keep their fur from getting greasy. Owners let their pet chinchillas bathe in special dust once or twice a week, and this means you never have to brush them, bathe them in water, or use any kind of cleaning products on their fur. They've even learned—or at least, most chinchillas have learned—to pee in one corner of the cage so they don't get their fur wet as they go about their daily business.

Which is better? Chinchillas, chinchillas, chinchillas!

Do Hamsters or Chinchillas Handle Better?

You can handle both hamsters and chinchillas. But both require that you get to know them first, and you have to be gentle, too.

As we said above, to understand why, you have to put yourself in your pet's shoes. You're much bigger than it is, and it doesn't have any instinct to tell it that you're friendly. Dogs have been bred over millenia to be friendly to humans, so much so that even newborn puppies recognize that their owners aren't threats. But chinchillas haven't been through this process; they've only been consistently domesticated for a hundred years now. The same applies to hamsters. This means that you have to gradually befriend your pet over time, whichever you pick.

And again, whichever you pick, you have to be careful with it. You can't throw it around, move it quickly, or handle it in the rough-and-tumble way you might handle a puppy. Both hamsters and chins are delicate pets, which means they aren't suitable for hyperactive kids. You have to go at your pet's pace, not at yours, no matter which you pick.

That being said, chinchillas have the much softer fur. They're easily one of the best small pets for cuddling, even though you have to be careful with them.

Which is better? Chinchillas.

Which Is Better, Chinchilla or Hamster?

We would say that chinchillas make much better pets than hamsters. But, obviously, we're biased.

On a serious note, chinchillas are more pleasant to stroke and handle, they're more fun to keep, and they provide you with years more companionship. As for the price of their care, the most expensive aspect of it is the medical side, and that applies both to chinchillas and hamsters. If you don't have enough to pay a chinchilla's vet bills, then you can't afford a hamster's ones either. So, on balance, we genuinely recommend chinchillas as pets!

Extra Credit: Can Chinchillas And Hamsters Live Together?

If you still aren't sure which pet you would prefer, you might want to get both. That's not unusual; most people who have one pet will get another, either at the same time as the first or after it passes.

But do chinchillas like hamsters, or get along with hamsters? Just because hamsters and chinchillas are two small furry pets you keep in cages, that doesn't mean they can live in the same cage. You would have to keep them apart in two separate cages. Whether you have the space for this depends on where you live.

Why Can't Chinchillas Live With Hamsters?

The problem is that your chinchilla and your hamster are two different species of pet, and different species naturally compete. Unless they are well bonded, even two chinchillas or two hamsters will fight with each other over space (hides, tunnels, platforms, etc.) or over food. It's little wonder, then, that a chinchilla and a hamster would fight.

When we say 'fight', we don't mean low-level bickering either. Both chinchillas and hamsters can be vicious, dangerous to each other, especially chinchillas (whose teeth are much bigger than a hamster's). A chinchilla could easily kill a small hamster, and because of its instinct of not letting food go to waste, might even eat it. That's not a hypothetical either, it's a very real scenario that could happen if you kept the pair together.

The same applies even if you want the pair to play together. Chinchillas are social animals that live in groups, and learn to play with each other from an early age. Syrian hamsters, on the other hand, are solitary animals and should live alone. Even other hamster species that are social—like dwarf hamsters—wouldn't know how to play with chinchillas if they were allowed outside the cage together.

As such, your only option for keeping both would be to keep them separately.

If you can only get one, we recommend talking to a breeder directly, and seeing if you can spend time with each to see which you like better. You could go to a pet shop, but we don't recommend supporting pet shops as they typically keep their animals in unsuitable conditions. You could also ask a friend, if any of your friends have either pet, if you could spend time with it. After watching and handling both you should get an idea of which you prefer.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

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