#oh the 7 am reasons was that our cat needed to go the vet early this morning to get a biopsy done

[blujayonthewing]

hhrhhhgh hhrhrgghh why do I feel so blehhhh

[stayed up til 7am because of reasons] [has only eaten a bagel today [clocking a slight fever, which may be because I had on too many layers and overheated but may mean I'm coming down with something] [took dayquil on an empty stomach] [blood moon rising in two days]

[annakie]

Patchy

A little under two years ago I made this post, a chronicle of Patchy, the outside feral, turned inside kitty who took ten years to learn to love being petted.

Today we got some bad news.

TW for pet illness under the cut.

Patchy’s always been a bit of a puker, usually oh, say, once a month or so she’d have a good puke for no reason.  I’ve had other cats that are pukers so it’s not that surprising.

In the late winter/early spring I started to notice more frequent pukes.

I’d decided around that time that I needed to find healthier food for my cats, with Leela, the oldest turning 16, Fry turning 11, Pemily turning 7 and Patchy turning, I don’t know, 12 or 13.  No way to really know.  They already got decent food, but I did my research and had started looking at Blue Buffalo, American Journey and Dave’s canned food. 

Patchy had been on a mostly canned food diet since she went to the vet back in early 2020 and had a bunch of teeth pulled.  Also, as a note, Patchy’s brief flirtation with hanging out in the rest of the house ended after like a month.  She and Fry fought too much, and eventually he claimed the rest of the house is his.  He also still thinks the master bedroom should be his, but, Patchy defends that territory well if anyone else encroaches. (The door just stays closed most of the time.)  I really wish they could have all gotten along, I loved having Patchy out, but both Fry and Patchy agreed it wasn’t going to work.

The food she’d been on was pretty junk-food-ish though, which she did love and eat. But I wanted everyone on more or less the same diet and the highest quality food I could readily get them.  So I bought a lot of cans of different kinds of food, and kept a list of which ones seemed to be hits and misses. (I still have a dozen cans of the kind nobody liked -- Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon -- I’ve been meaning to take to the city shelter).

Around halfway into this experiment I noticed Patchy puking more, so I decided to try to stick with her favorite kinds, which, I thought was helping.

But once I was fully vaccinated this year, it was time to get all the pets to the vet.  I noticed Patchy had still lost some weight, I thought it was due to switching around her food too much earlier, and tried to stick with the things I felt she really liked.

Then, of course, Leela got sick, spent two and a half days in the pet ER and almost died back in April, and then it was like... yeah we’re done being afraid of COVID, we’re done waiting.  It’s time to get them all their checkups.

My regular vet was doing COVID restrictions so no pet owners inside the clinic back then, so they took Patchy (and the others) in without me.  I thought Patchy had lost some weight, but Dr. B. sounded alarmed when he called me with how much lost she’d lost in the last year, about five pounds.  He wanted to do some bloodwork for Patchy, and I said of course go for it.  

He called back, sounding much calmer and was like “her bloodwork couldn’t be more perfect.  Let’s try switching up her food, get her on some sensitive stomach food and let’s see how she’s doing in a couple weeks.”

So two weeks later it did seem like she was doing better, I called Dr. B back and he said to bring her back in a month.

It was my plan to take her back next week when I had some PTO coming.  I admit, later than planned... my last couple of months have been mucn more focused on Leela... who, thankfully, continues to thrive.  But feeling like my time with her is running out, she’s been my main area of concern.

The last few days though, Patchy has really not been eating well.  Sometimes she does OK, sometimes nothing at all.  And then puking every day.  I swapped her back even to a few cans of the Junk Food (Whiskas) I still had laying around.  She’d eat it... and then puke it up.  And also she... stopped sleeping with me.  I thought... well, it’s summer.  It’s probably too hot to cuddle.  But she stopped laying on the bed.  She stopped coming up for pets when I come to bed and hang out for awhile specifically to spend time with her and pet her.  She runs under the bed again when I come into the room.  It’s like we regressed to three or four years ago... just two weeks after our two year anniversary of getting to pet her.

So this afternoon we went to the vet.  Getting her into the carrier sucked.  I tried nice methods, then I had to scare her into the closet by running the vacuum, and then pretty roughly grab her.  I have scratches and a pretty deep bite on my thumb which either maybe hit a nerve or is infected, may have to go to the doctor for it tomorrow. (Yes, washed it thoroughly with soap as soon as I could.)  I also hated betraying her trust that badly, but it’s for her own good.  But it was rough.

Dr B. wasn’t working so I saw one of the other vets.  I liked him. Also COVID restrictions are gone so I got to go inside. But after talking to him for a few minutes, going over her history and what changes I’ve made, he spent a long time rubbing her intestines (Patchy was perfectly behaved, at least.)   Then he looked concerned.  Then he said let’s do an ultrasound.

A few minutes he came back in and showed me her scans. 

Lymphoma.

I was a bit stunned for a second so I missed a bit of the technical speak he said next, but it came down to the best thing we could do is give her some medicine that may buy her more time.  It doesn’t sound like Chemo or Operating is even really an option.  I’m going to call back tomorrow and see if Dr. B or the vet I talked to can talk me through it a little better now that I’ve had a chance to digest.

If I can get Patchy to take the medicine, and if she responds well to it... she may have 3 - 6 months left.

If she won’t take it, or if she doesn’t respond, it’s at this point, a matter of her comfort and quality of life.  So... weeks.  And I’m worried about getting her to take the medicine, especially since she won’t even come let me pet her and we just had a huge trust betrayal today. I don’t know if I could take her spending her last few weeks hating me, especially if the medicine doesn’t work.

The vet also told me that... I didn’t do anything wrong.  And we did the right thing six or so weeks ago by changing her food and seeing if a few other things worked. Especially with how good her blookwork looked.  He barely felt the cancer today, he said six weeks ago Dr. B wouldn’t have been able to feel it at all.  And for this particular type of lymphoma... there’s not a lot to be done, anyway.  That made me feel better, at least.

(As a really dumb side note, after I got her home, I sat down to eat dinner and watch an episode of Star Trek to take my mind off of all of this since I’d been crying since I found out, paid my bill, and drove home, stopping at a drive through so I didn’t have the mental load of cooking.  And I’m in the middle of my rewatch of Enterprise.  I bet any trekkies reading this can guess what episode was next in my rewatch because yep I’m in season two and A NIGHT IN SICKBAY started playing, of course, so obviously I NOPED THE FUCK OUT OF THAT EPISODE.  For the non-Trekkies.... the Captain has a dog on board, an adorable beagle, Porthos.  The dog gets sick and almost dies and spends his night in Sickbay.  He does pull through.  But the ONE episode centered around a beloved pet getting sick and almost dying... and that’s the episode that fate decreed I was supposed to watch tonight. I did not.  I don’t know if I can watch it anytime soon.)

So now for the next few weeks I will spend my time being grateful that Leela is alive and thriving and pray she keeps doing so -- I will continue to give her extra love and care and attention, and also I will need to do the same for Patchy.  I can’t even do it at the same time because Patchy will not come out here, and will not allow Leela in her room. 

I am low-key freaking out that there’s the possibility of the nightmare scenario happening to me again.  In winter 2016, after months of being sick, I woke up on Christmas morning and my 16-year-old cat Jim had died overnight.  It was terrible, and traumatic, and I had to deal with everything all alone because anyone who could support me was... well, it was Christmas morning and my family was all out of town, too.  Posting about it on Tumblr... actually really helped me, since it’s the only place I felt like I could talk about it.

That Christmas was on a Sunday.

Wednesday morning I woke up to hearing my dog, Cebu, moaning in pain.   I rushed him to the vet, but whatever happened overnight, it was too late, maybe there wasn’t anything we ever could have done even if I’d been awake when the puking started.  The vet said the kindest thing we could do was put him to sleep.  And we did.

Also I just, JUST now realized that the vet who helped put Cebu to sleep was the same vet who I saw today about Patchy.

But I lost two of my pets within 3 days of each other.  I was very lucky that my job let us have the week between Christmas and New Years off that year.  I had a few days to pull myself together, and I needed it.  It took months to recover totally, though.  Every once in awhile I think about that week and I still cry, though.  I miss them both so much and they both had deaths that were less than ideal.

I remember thinking then “I have like, five years of reprive.  Leela will be sixteen in five years, and that’s when I have to start to worry again, when I have to be ready to say goodbye again.”

I thought then that even after that I’d have two or three years until Patchy would leave me, and two or three years past that until Fry.  And then five more years with Pemily.

Right now I’m realizing that I will likely lose Patchy, very best case in six months, but possibly before July is over.

I need Leela to keep thriving.  I don’t know how I would handle losing another two so close together again.

Patchy is... she’s the one who chose me.  I chose my other cats.  Fry and Pemily I plucked from the backyard when they were tiny kittens and brought them inside.  They didn’t have a choice.  Leela I adopted from a rescue, she didn’t have a choice.  Patchy chose to stay.  She chose to stick around when she realized I’d feed her.  It took years but she learned to trust, she chose to come inside when it was cold, when it was hot, when it was storming, and when she was pregnant.  She chose me to help raise the last litter of kittens she’d ever had.  (My entire Rescue Kitties tag is full of adventures in finding, raising and usually adopting out strays. Lots and lots of posts about Patchy and her final litter.  Been awhile since I’ve done it, though.)

I used to joke that Patchy was my roommate, not a pet.  She ate, drank, did her business, and kept to herself for a long time.  Don’t get me wrong, she was a very good, quiet, considerate roommate and I loved her.  But it wasn’t until that wonderful day she let me pet her that I felt like she was my pet. 

I loved having her just hanging out living in the house since 2014, but the last two years especially have brought me such joy.  I’ve tried to never take Patchy’s trust in me for granted.  It was EARNED.  Every small step forward was a milestone to be celebrated. I worked for every bit of trust and love Patchy has given me, and have been rewarded.  And it was worth it.  Every minute.  Every long, patient year.

Even now I’m telling myself... without me, she would have died years ago.  Probably violently, or starved, maybe frozen to death.  Getting to die of cancer brought on by older age is not something that most feral cats ever get to do.  Getting to become an inside kitty where she’s loved, and comfortable for the second half of her life was something remarkable, brought on by her wiles and will to survive for so many years, bolstered by the food I left out for her.  She’s had this much time, this much life, this much comfort and love that she would have never had otherwise, and that’s something to be happy about.

I’ve watched dozens of ferals come and go through my neighborhood throughout the years.  I feed them, I work on seeing if I can get them to trust me enough to let me TNR them, but even those that I have, I don’t keep seeing for much longer.  There’s one right now, I jokingly call him Patchy’s Boyfriend.  He still won’t trust me and never has fallen for the trap when I’ve tried.  But he’s there most nights when I feed him around 11.  He’s getting terribly thin despite the quality food I leave out.  I’ll miss him.

But none of them were Patchy.  None of them became what she is to me. None of them survived long enough to adapt and decide to live another life.

Also?  I wouldn’t have Pemily without her.  Pemily is literally Patchy’s Granddaughter and that is one more thing I love Patchy for.

I feel guilty sometimes, both because I don’t spend nearly enough waking hours with her I feel, but I have three others who need me, as well. One who’s time is growing short, as well.  And they don’t get to sleep with me, she does.  What a joy it was all winter when I would wake up and she’d be sleeping on my chest.  I’d get a bit annoyed when she’d sleep with her backside to my face and her tail would tickle my face and wake me up.  I’m a side-sleeper half the night and she hated that it was harder to get comfortable on me that way.  She still doesn’t want to have my hand just stay on her, she wants pets and skirtches, no long-form touching.  That’s ok.  I sleep better with her weight on me.

I don’t know what the next few weeks or months will hold, but at least pet-wise, it’s going to be rough.  I’m going to wrap this up and give these three out here a good pet, then go hope Patchy comes and asks for love, too.  Tomorrow is one more day with all four of them, and for that, I’ll be grateful, for every remaining day.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #206

“have you ever wished for death and prayed all night for your last breath?”

Do you always read the book before you see a movie based on a book? No. When you’re out with friends, do they ever encourage you to spend money you should be saving? 1.) I don't hang out w/ anyone now, 2.) but even when I did, they all knew I didn't make money. Is there anything you’re trying to save up money for? What? Perpetually tattoos, I want a PS4 super badly to play a novel of games I've been dying to play (SotC and Spyro trilogy remaster, I'm @ing you so hard), I need a car soon as I plan to at least try and get my license in the near future, I'd love to always have enough to immediately go to Sara's in case of an emergency, a trip to South Africa... but those are gonna take a good while to complete. I have my priorities straight for when I get a job. Have you ever watched a movie you didn’t really want to see just because a friend asked you to? Yeah. Did you end up liking the movie, anyway? There's been many cases of the above situation, so I'm sure in some instances I have. Heard any great songs for the first time lately? What songs? Hmmm, quite a number. "Radio" by Rammstein is great, and I love "bury a friend" and "bad guy" by Billie Eilish. What is your favorite urban legend? m o t h m a n and the joysey devil. Probably top two. GAH I love so many though????????????? Like Skinwalkers?????????????? And WENDIGOS????????? Have you seen all the cool shit?????????????? Do you remember the last nightmare you had? What was it? No, thankfully. Have you ever hopped on any bandwagons? HAHA. Freshman year, high school... I "liked" screamo or alternative-type bands I'd barely ever listened to or even enjoyed to fit in with the emos aldkjfalkwejr. Are you an elitist (even a little bit) when it comes to anything? What? Definitely not a complete one, but I can get pretty annoyed if in WoW we're in a heroic dungeon and people don't know the mechanics you should have already learned + read new ones that're right there in the goddamn journal laksdjfaoweir and then some people just totally ignore your advice and alskdjfwleiruwqoeif x2. Then again I've been that confused asshole in a couple raiding situations BUT LOOK they're harder and I had too much to catch up on okay. Still no excuse by WHATEVER. Have elitists on a fansite ever intimidated or talked down to you? I don't believe so. Is there anything you swear you will never do again? A few things with certainty. How late do you usually stay awake? I can literally go to bed as early as 7 to as late as 11 or rarely later. I do NOT have a schedule. Started months ago, and at first it frustrated and stressed me out quite a bit, but by now, I've just accepted it for me. Do you have pets? If so, how did you choose their names? Teddy: sister named him, but I'm sure it was the "cute as a teddy bear" type thing; Bentley: no clue; Roman: it sounded majestic, cats are majestic; Venus: pretty, and her coloration is similar to the planet; Kaiju: totally badass for an iguana that's gonna grow to be a big 'ole scaly boy; and Mitsu: I had a theme of giving my rats cutesy "M" names. Do you ever buy special treats for your pets? Occasionally. Is just being fond of something enough, or does it take more than that to be a ‘real fan’? Did a middle school student write this? If you're pretty fond of something, there you go, you're a fan. Sure, some are more intense, but that doesn't make the more casual ones not "real." What type of fabric is most comfortable for clothing? Idk, I don't pay attention. If you wear one – bras with or without a wire? Christ, without. If you wear one – are you able to find cute bras in your size? HA. No. It is RARE I'll find a cute one, and that's always only online. Make pretty ones for plus-sized women a normal find, jfc. Idk why, but I am very picky with bras. Like good fucking luck seeing me without a shirt, so like,,,, why do I bother????? What length do you like your shorts to be? UM you will NOT see me in SHORTS. Have you ever cut off jeans or other pants and made them into shorts? Perhaps Mom has when I was a kid? But I have no memory of this ever happening. Have you cut the sleeves out of T-shirts to make tank tops? I don't think so. Have you ever modified a piece of clothing and hated how it turned out? ^ What was the last disappointing movie you saw? Ah jeez, what's the last time I even watched one. Idk. What was the last disappointing book you read? And I haven't read a book in even longer. Is there anything you’re really excited about? JOB. OPPORTUNITIES. Do you ever watch compilation videos? Of what? Vines, like shit dude. I can go on massive binges. What was the last thing you rolled your eyes about? I don't recall. What would you consider the greatest song ever recorded? Why? Yeesh, that's a big thing to decide. I recently discovered "A Reason to Fight" by Disturbed though, and it is. Incredible. Just read the lyrics to refresh my mind, and yeah, goosebumps. Do you like Hellboy? If so, do you prefer the old movies or the new one? Never seen any. Favorite Disney character who isn’t royalty? Dory, probably. But man, there's too many to choose from. Last thing you purchased just for fun? *shrugs* Do you even like behind-the-scenes stuff or does it ruin the magic for you? IF I'm real into the product, I love that stuff!! I've seen like every little BTS Silent Hill thing there is, probably, multiple hours' worth. What is your favorite thing about Mac computers? They're small and lightweight. What is your favorite thing about PCs? They generally hold much more memory. What are some errands you need to run soon? I don't have "errands" yet. Have your parents ever tried to convince people there was something wrong with you, when their “diagnosis” wasn’t accurate? No. List 3 of your best memories, times you wish you could go back and repeat. In no order, just as they come to me: 1.) First hug with Sara when we met at the airport; 2.) THE LOOK ON SARA'S FACE when she saw me in her room on her birthday (probably fave memory of all time, actually); 3.) seeing meerkats for the first time at the zoo. Ohhhh or maybe the true realization I was happy without Jason. But idk, that was SUCH a gradual process where I didn't feel ecstasy in like one moment. What color was your high school graduation gown? Ew, it was this obnoxious red. The majority apparently voted for it, while I was on the navy team. Are your parents’ dreams for your life different than your own? Mom's pretty dead-set on me being a vet, but she doesn't try to push me into it or anything. I know she just wants happiness for me. I haven't got a clue about Dad. Have your dreams for your life changed? Of course. What are your dreams now? HAPPY, stable job that I thoroughly enjoy, well-off financially (I don't aim to be rich, just "safe," you could say), healthy marriage, own my own home, travel to a few places, did y'all think I was gonna forget "meet Mark???"... stuff like that. What was your dream as a child? It changed plenty of times, but my earliest goal was to be a paleontologist. Do you feel safe in your country? Sure, I guess. Safer than most places. If applicable, do you feel safe at your school? N/A Would you ever want to learn sign language? It'd be cool, sure, but it's not something I'm interested in pursuing. How many meals do you eat a day? 2-3. Sometimes just one "real" meal. Do you own any succulents? No. What color are your walls? A hideous puke green. Why. What color were the walls in the bedroom you grew up in? I don't remember at all. What was the last song you listened to on repeat? "Love Falls" by HELLYEAH. What is your favorite style (or styles) of dance? Modern. Have you ever performed a solo dance in front of a crowd? No. Have you ever sung a solo? No. Which insects are you afraid of? Most, really. Do you think it’s silly to be afraid of an insect, when it’s so tiny? It depends on the insect, of course. Even if I do know what it is and it's "safe," I'll still typically freak if it surprises me. When was the last time you had a deep conversation with someone? Hmmm. Sara, I believe? What are you waiting for? Jesus FUCKING Christ on a bike a job. What do you usually feel like doing the most at home? Stuff on the laptop. What grade were you in when you had your first crush? I don't remember... For "puppy dog love," I believe maybe the 4th grade, but I may be wrong. I'd say my first *real* crush was on a guy named Sebastian in my freshman year of high school. Shit man, did a lot go down my freshman year. I'm just reminiscing and crushes jumped between like five dudes 'til Jason won. At what age did you start experiencing sexual attraction, if any? Some time in middle school, I think? Like that's when I had my first bisexuality crisis: 6th or 7th grade. Have you ever split open a rock with a hammer, to see the glitter inside? No, but FUCK I WANNA. What type of tree do you see the most of where you live? There's a pine tree outside my window. Oh, and there's a pine tree in my back yard. Oh, what's that across the road? Woods of pine trees. Where do all birds in NC live? In pine trees. What does our air smell like? Pine trees. Where is your favorite place you’ve lived? My previous home as far as location; house itself, where I am now. It's got its issues, but it's cozy and a perfect size for just two people. What states have you lived in? Just 'ole North Carolina. Take me awaaaaaaaaaaaay- Do you wish you were someone else? Sometimes. What is your favorite thing about the month in which it is now? Literally just flowers. That's it. It. Everything else can suck a legion of dicks. Who were your best friends in high school? Hannia, Girt, Jason (if he counts), Alon, Maria... I had a few "best" ones. ^Are they still your best friends now? Girt is my closest thing to a "best friend" if you don't include my girlfriend. Do you live near the mountains? No, they're on the opposite end of the state. ;___; Do you live near a beach? We're like, two-ish hours away. What is your favorite beach that you’ve been to? Idk and idc, beaches aren't my thing. Do you collect seashells? Not seriously, but I'll keep a cool one if I find one. If you were to start a new collection, what would it be? If I was not ashamed of looking like a 23-y/o pre-teen in love with Just Bieber, I'd have more Markiplier merch than you'd fucking believe. (One of my biggest regrets in life was not buying the tasteful nudes calendar; I will eternally smite myself for being too embarrassed to have to explain why I would have that hanging above my bed rip.) If you had to pick one year and describe it as the best year of your life that you want to relive again, which year would it be? 2017 was fuckin litty titty. Is your world view the same as your parents’? In some ways with Mom, and I do know Dad and I differ on a few things. Well, if I learned more about his more political beliefs, I feel I'd probably disagree with most. What color are your glasses, if applicable? Black. Are you the person you thought you’d be when you were younger? No. Are you a confrontational person, or the peacekeeper? I'm a massive peacekeeper. I avoid confrontation like the PLAGUE. Do you like to read? Not nearly as much as I used to. Like all I ever read nowadays are RP posts as I obviously have to reply to them, but if they're long, it is common I procrastinate on reading it... ;_; Do you sleep too much or not enough? Probably too much, especially when I go to bed early. Although, I do wake up throughout the night and sometimes officially pretty early. Then some days I have a 1-2 hour nap, so that just adds to it. Who is your best friend? Sara. <3 How did you two meet? YouTube. How did you meet your current bf/gf? ^ How far away is your closest family member? Well I live with my mom, but she's at work atm. The last time you did something with BOTH of your parents was? BOY OH FUCKING BOY. My mom's the most bitter witch towards him, so even for family events, Dad usually only stops by to avoid creating a goddamn wreck, such as at birthday dinners. I think the last time they were in the same house was for my nephew's birthday half a year ago, I believe. What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween!!! Now that I have a niece and nephew who grasp the concept of Santa, Christmas is also really special to me. I don't want kids, but watching those sweethearts get so excited over their presents is magical. For me personally, the holiday has grown more and more about celebrating family, especially as we continue to branch out/go our own ways. So I guess I like the idea of Halloween better and would enjoy it more if I actually had something to do, but as far as joy goes, Christmas. Do you like pumpkin pie? I hate anything and everything pumpkin-flavored. The last time you went to the doctor, what were you there for? It was the see my psychiatrist. Do you take any medication regularly? Yeah. Is there any particular view you have on insane people? I see "insane" versus "sane" as far more of a gradient shift instead of a direct split; there're levels. I actually do legitimately think I at some juncture in the aftermath of the breakup qualified as slightly insane, yet I wasn't dangerous or entirely out of touch with reality. So if you tell me someone's actually insane, I'm going to fear them being the explosive, entirely unpredictable and loopy kind, but I know the person may be calm and somewhat stable on the outside, too. You gotta consider the severity. Do you believe in any conspiracies? 9/11 was orchestrated by the government and you cannot change my mind. I'm not totally sold on this one and lean more towards "nah" (I think), but the "we live in a simulation by a future civilization" is not that far-fetched at all if you actually look into it. It's very interesting, whether or not you're sold on it. Hell, Neil deGrasse Tyson firmly believes in it. Out of your friends, who is the funniest? Girt makes me laugh at the snap of his fingers, it seems. Anything you need to get rid of? I'm sure somewhere... Do you have any wasted talents? Animal knowledge and compassion, probably... I know I could make a fantastic rehabilitator for animals, among a plethora of other animal-related preservation and protection actions I could actively engage in. Well, I'm going back to school for zoology, but even now, I want to do more. There is a wildlife rehab place I may be able to volunteer at soon, tho! Mom's talking to a guy at work about me helping there. DAMN, livin a dream. Do you let the little things get to you? The issue could be as small as a single cell and it could still bother me. How often do you cry? Maybe once in a week, possibly longer. I don't know if you mean like really cry or just tear up/lightly cry. The latter is pretty common, but the other, not so much. Even if I want to cry, my jaw just entirely locks the hell up and I physically can't get it out. Is there anything you’re trying to prevent? I mean besides the common sense things everyone takes action to avoid, hm. I feel like there's so much, yet nothing is coming to me? Well, actually, it's usually a daily struggle to prevent at least one OCD cycle. When was the last time you were told you were cute? *shrug* When was the last time you were truly, completely happy with your life? It's been quite a while... At least over a year ago, when I began to get antsy with wanting a job and later going back to school. It just all started when I realized I was healed from the breakup and ready to move forward in life, but I wasn't. Do you miss the way things used to be between you and someone else? Multiple people. What colors has your hair been? Dirty blonde, brown, red, and purple. I've had red and purple highlights, and I naturally have blondish ones, too. I'm ready to dye it again, jfc. Most attempts are failures because my hair does NOT take color well whatsoever. It's only ever worked perfectly with the brand Splat, and my hair soaked in the dye for a LONG time before washing it out. Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette? No. Do you and your parents like any of the same bands/singers? We share interest in plenty of the same bands, Mom especially. Is there any food in your bedroom? What? No. Do you know anyone who has road rage? Who? MY LITTLE SISTER. Haven't seen the woman in three years, but I can promise you Jason's mom still has it to a legendary degree. How expensive is too expensive for a pair of shoes? I haven't looked for shoes in so long that I don't even know the average price. What kinds of cereal are in the cupboard? Honey Nut Cheerios, normal Cheerios I think, and we have a little bit of the chocolate chunk Special K cereal left over. It's got to be stale by now (it's not even closed fully); I need to remember to toss it. What’s the last thing you spent over $10 on? Ummm I'm not sure. Over $30? I think my tongue piercing was $40? Maybe even lower? Or slightly higher?? I don't remember. Do you know who lives three houses down from you? I think so. The one time I was locked out of my house in the snow with Teddy and I waited like a fucking hour until I broke down, absolutely freezing (I was in my pajamas, dude), and walked down the road to try and get help (I needed to call my mom, obviously, and I didn't have my phone), I believe it was the third neighbor who answered. Turned out being a retired deputy who was super intimidating yet kind at the same time; he let Teddy and me stay in his house (mind you, Teddy is incontinent and didn't have his diaper on, which I warned him about) while Mom was on her way home. He gave me a jacket and some water, even when I said I was fine, but you could tell he wasn't totally sure about trusting this random, sobbing girl at his door because he asked me a thousand questions about my story and quizzed if I really did live in this area. Obviously a good cop, but after a day like that, I was just terrified of an old man who appeared a bit gruff. But thankfully Mom got there to save the day and I am forever grateful for that guy. WOW what a story for a simple question. Is there a bulletin board in your room? No. Is your mom a big health freak or your dad? Or neither? "Health freak" seems a bit extreme for both of them, but Mom is more concerned about health in general. Do you know anyone who wants to be the president one day? No. What kinds of chips are in the cupboards? We just have tortilla chips, I think. I try to keep snacks out of the house to avoid temptation, and who eats plain tortilla chips. Do you have your mom's or dad's hair? Mom's. What’s the first thing you see when you walk into your bedroom? Most would probably notice my Nightmare Before Christmas poster first, being as big as it is and on the wall opposite the entrance. Do you prefer the truth, even if it’s harsh? YES. I NEED to know this kinda stuff, even if the truth is really hard to hear. Do you have any friends who have naturally red hair? I don't think so. Have you ever cried when a teacher retired? I think I did when my very first band teacher did. EVERYONE loved him. Like, the entire school. Does your kitchen look like it was designed in a completely different decade? No? When’s the last time you wore heels? Great question. Probably not since my sister's wedding in '16. Do you have your mom’s or dad’s eyes? My grampa's on Mom's side. What’s the best date movie? Probably a rom com? Have your parents ever been out of the country? No. How many pairs of jeans, all together, are in your house? Zero. Do you swear and yell while playing video games? I'll swear under my breath or seethe in frustration, but I never yell. Is there any alcohol in the fridge? No. Has a best friend ever ditched you for a girlfriend/boyfriend? Pretty much. Whenever she starts dating a guy, she dips, and whenever/if ever we talk, she rambles absolutely endlessly about him. Do you know anyone who has grossly skinny eyebrows? I couldn't possibly care less about how your eyebrows look. Do your pets chase after bugs? Roman and Bentley sure do. Bentley is a Professional Fly Moncher, specifically. When’s the last time you were so excited you couldn’t sleep? Why? Uhhh good question. Probs the night before Sara got here for my b-day. What is your mom’s favorite movie? Hm, good question! I'd ask her, but I don't want her to ask me why I am lmao. What TV family reminds you of your own family? Probably none. Did you ever really believe that the stork brought babies? No. I don't remember what I thought, but I know it wasn't that. Do you have any relatives who really spoil you? No, I think? Well Dad gives my sisters and me way too much money for Christmas and always tells us to ask him if we need anything, but I pretty much never ask him for said things, so I don't know the extent he'd go. Are there any drawers in your house that are just filled with junk? Pretty much. Is the last person you spoke to in love? That's my mom, so I doubt that with all I know. Do you know anyone who has security cameras in their house? I don't believe so. What was the last movie to make you cry? I think the last was Coco. Moana may have made me tear up, but I can't remember... Has anyone you know ever pulled the fire alarm in school, joking around? Not to my memory. What time do you usually go to sleep at sleepovers, if ever? I haven't been to a sleepover in God knows how long. Who was the main character in the last book you read? Alice Liddell. Who are the last people you saw kiss? Via YouTube, Jeffree and his boyfriend. Irl, I don't know. Have you ever posted a fan fiction on a website? No. Do you ever fantasize about your future wedding? Who’s the bride/groom? Not very much. Like I've had brief daydreams about it, sure, but it's not something that's on my mind a lot. Still got a long time before that happens. What was the last unpleasant thing to wake you up? My cat not knowing how to keep his mouth shut. Would you rather look at clouds or stars? Stars. Well, it depends; stars if we're in a completely isolated area where you can see them crystal clear or the clouds are boring, but otherwise, clouds if their design and colors are cool. Do you have any relatives who are expecting a baby really soon? No. Do you ever wonder what the opposite sex do at sleepovers? No. When you get married, who will be the maid of honor/best man? My mom, no questions asked. When’s the last time you broke plans? Why? I wasn't feeling well. I was supposed to see my VR coach that day. Have you ever been in a wedding? What were you? Yes, my sister's. I was a bridesmaid. It was an absolutely awful experience because I was hot as fuck, it was triggering as HELL with me still grieving Jason, and I felt positively hideous in a dress when I was at such a horrible weight. I wish so dearly I could redo that day; I fell like I put a serious damper on my sister's big day. Would you feel safer with an alarm system or security cameras? Hm, depends on the scenario... I guess an alarm system? Like security cameras will show a murderer climbing through my window, but they're not gonna wake me up to save my ass. Does it matter to you what kind of shampoo you use? So long it smells nice, isn't watery, and doesn't only add oil to my hair, I don't care much. Has a stray dog ever tried to bite you? No. When riding a bus, do you prefer to sit in front, in the back, or in the middle? Hm... idk. When I took the bus home with Jason, we always sat in the back, and that's really the only time I took a bus regularly. I think otherwise, I'd prefer the middle, closer to the front? I think I usually did that on occasions like band competitions and such. Have you ever been on a cross-country train ride? No. Are you normally a person to tell people off? No, that's rare. Is there any TV show that ended that you wish hadn’t? Meerkat Manor. Though I would hope they'd lessen down on the false story-telling. Stick to the true KMP events. When you feel stressed, do you take things out on the wrong people? Sometimes. Do you even wear any jeans other than skinny anymore? I don't wear jeans period. What did you talk about at lunch today with your friends? N/A Are you sensitive to caffeine? Definitely not. My system's too used to it, probably. How do you usually get around? Mom drives me. I'm 23. :^) Which languages do you wish you could speak fluently in? German. Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? SURPRISINGLY no, at least to my memory. Do you like Vitamin Water? Never tried, don't want to. What was the last thing you took a picture of? Dad and me on his birthday. Do you know anyone that uses Sprint as their phone carrier? Idk. Well, I think. When you go to McDonalds, what drink do you usually get? Coke. Do you have a Kindle or iPad or neither? Neither. Would you rather read or write? Write. When was the last time someone took a picture of you? Sometime during Bobby's visit literally days ago. I already forgot who took it... and who else was in it lmao. Do you own a pair of slippers? Yeah, two. A meerkat pair and then a far less extra pair that're closer to socks. I think they have cats on them? I got them for Christmas I think and haven't worn or seen them much. Would you rather see Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood in concert? Not a fan of either, but Carrie Underwood is more tolerable and even has a couple songs I enjoy. Name something negative that you hate about yourself: I'll jump to a conclusion within .02 seconds of something negative happening. Or not even "negative" or something that's purely in my head. Is your house currently hot, cold or just right? The house itself is fine, and my room is just right because I have my fan on. Is there a Dead End road near where you live? I can't think of one off the top of my head, but it's likely, really. There's lots of those here. Growing up, did you see your cousins often? No. We live many states away on both parents' sides. Where was your first job at? GameStop. Who are you tired of seeing in the news a lot? (Celebrities) It's been like two days and I'm over seeing the James Charles/Tati drama everywhere. You can't be interested in the YouTube community without being drowned in that shit right now somehow someway on any YT-coverage page and YouTube itself. Have you ever had to call and complain about a product you bought? I personally haven't. Would you date someone who’s shorter than you? I very openly and severely judge you if fucking height means that much to you. Do you mind being the third wheel? Not really, no. I'd only feel uncomfortable if they were getting pretty intimate. Has a kiss ever made you weak in the knees? Um I didn't know that was actually a thing so no. Do you feel comfortable buying condoms? Never been in that position. Have you ever dated two people at once? No. Have you ever been tested for STDs? No. Well wait, that time I gave blood I probably was just out of safety protocol. Have you ever run into your ex with his/her new sweetie? No. Have you ever felt guilty after doing something sexual? When I was in that "wait does this break the abstinence rule" phase, yeah. God was I technical. Have you ever had a condom break during sex? N/A Do your parents know if you’re having sex? Well considering I'm with a girl and she lives states away, that answer's obvious. Do you eat chips or crackers more? Chips. Would you rather be a singer or a dancer? A dancer. Would you rather be a musician or a painter? A painter, maybe? If I could play the electric guitar, though... idk. What social media sites do you visit the most? Facebook. What did you hair look like in high school? Long, thick as fuck, brown (or dyed black) with some sort of highlight, and it was split to the left with the hair swooped over my right eye. Basically "I want the emo swoop but my hair is too fucking thick to obey hairspray." :^) Which dollar store do you shop at? Depends on what's closest, usually. We rarely ever stop at one unless it's for candy to bring into the movie theater, seriously lol. I think usually Dollar General? Do you prefer candy corn or conversation hearts? WE DON'T KNOW EITHER. Skeletons or scarecrows? s k e l l y b o y s Has anyone ever given you the silent treatment? Yep. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever had in your mouth? I learned on that day I hate giving blowjobs. Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No, thankfully. (If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you ‘shortie’ instead of girl? BOY I would fucking cackle. I hate that word. No. Do you ever watch The Simpsons? No. Have you ever sent an embarrassing moment of yours into a mag to be printed? OH MY GOD I remember that!!! But no. What IS your most embarrassing moment? Too lazy to go through the novel of 'em to pick the worst. Do you think you’re more cute or sexy? You assume I find myself either. Do you own any mini skirts? I don't own any skirts period. Do you draw little hearts and stuff with eyeliner next to your eyes? No. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever lost? Idk. Has your mom ever lied to you? I'm sure she has before. Do you have a deep voice? For a girl, yeah. When’s the last time someone made breakfast for you? *shrugs* Exclusively for me, probably never. Do you do something new with your hair practically every day? No, it's the same everyday. When someone knocks on the door, who do you think it is? Delivery guy. Has anyone ever licked your foot? Ew no. Do you play games with boys/girls, like ‘hard to get’? I'm not 15. Has a guy ever quoted a romantic Shakespeare line to you? No, and I'm glad, as I'd cringe into another realm. Is there a Sonic where you live? Yes, I LIVE- Do you smile with your teeth? Usually. I look less high, at least. What did you eat for lunch today? A pb&j. What do you like on your pizza? Pepperoni, jalapenos, or meat lovers. What is in the back seat of your car right now? I don't own a personal car. Mom has a a load of stuff in the back of hers, at least I think... That's super rare, but she's been so ungodly busy idk if she's had time to clean it out. I haven't paid attention so can't recall. What was the last thing you threw up? Idr. Menthol or regular cigarettes? I don't smoke and never have, so idk. What is your favorite episode of Friends? I don't watch it, and I haven't seen many episodes at all if for whatever reason I was in a room and it was on. Does anyone have any blackmail on you? No. Have you been to a strip club? No. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Hell if I remember. It had to either be my 16th birthday when Jason's family was all together watching the Super Bowl, or a hockey game with my dad. Last person’s house you were in? Besides my own, my sister's. Who is the last person you sent a message to on Facebook? Nicole. Ever go to camp? No. Were you an honor roll student in school? Yeah. Do you have a tan? HA no. How old do you want to be when you have kids? I don't want kids. Are you someone’s best friend? Yeah. Favorite gemstone? Dragon's breath opal. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Drive thru, almost always. Does your first memory involve your dad? No. When was the last time you went swimming? Last summer at the beach. Holy fuck the water was so perfect. Has your luggage ever gotten lost? No. Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar? No. Like... just why. Do you ever get flu shots? No.

[mrjdwyer]

Irma and Me

So while I'm waiting for #Irma, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on some of the comments I've been seeing online:

For one, I've been nervous about the storm since last week, but we were all advised to wait until mid-week to determine any actions.

I just recently started a new full-time job after being out of work for a month. Summers for freelance designers are usually, horrible, and even more so when the new business development person at your jobs decides to quit and steal the top-paying clients, leaving the agency on the verge of ruin. Long story short, I had to find another job. It took what felt like forever, but I landed one. And so far, it seems like a really like place to work.

Anyway, we were let off work early on Wednesday to prep and/or evacuate. My boss wanted everyone to leave. It was really generous of him (many people worked until Friday). This is a new job, just 2  weeks into it. Not exactly a situation where I can dictate when I can come into the office.

It seems that many people just don't understand that sometimes (many times) you just CAN'T up and leave; it's just not that easy or simple. Not unless you don't care about your job, or you have a job that gives you that kind of freedom to take days to return after a storm. Realistically, most of us don't have that option. You may not care about work right now, but afterward, you're going to need to pay the bills and rebuild. And that doesn't happen for free. So when I hear people being insensitive and writing and saying things like "well you should have evacuated and you had the time," it really ticks me off, because they act like it's no big deal and it shows a total lack of sympathy or empathy.

Let me explain a few things: Being able to evacuate is all nice and well but, but it's pretty costly. Whether you're flying or driving, it's going to be expensive. Preparing for a storm is also expensive, but not as costly (if you plan accordingly) as it is to get out of town by plane. Do I need to remind everyone that most of this country live paycheck to paycheck?

Flying wasn't an option this week as tickets were just way too expensive. Last week was the time to buy some seats. But guess what? We have jobs to do. School to attend. No vacation time. See where this is going? We don't have thousands lying around in our bank accounts to do whatever we want. More power to you if you do.

Driving until yesterday (when it's really too late since you've devoted all your time and energy into prepping your home and ensuring the safety of your family and property for days on end), wasn't a realistic situation. Why? Because as of Monday, getting gas became a real problem. Unless you're able to get up at 2:00 AM in the morning and be lucky to find a station that had a tanker come in at night, you had a real problem. In fact, I know that on Wednesday, ALL tankers coming out of Port Everglades were diverted to the keys, ensuring the local residents in the keys had fuel to evacuate.

Luckily I filled up on Sunday and Mary did the same on Monday, because gas was extremely difficult to come by for many of us. I know of folks who took US 27 north (on Friday) and luckily had no problem but I do know that the I-95 corridor and the turnpike were just a traffic nightmare. My friend's son was in town in West Palm Beach and it took him 11+ hours to get to Savannah to get a plane to NY. To put that in perspective, Ft. Lauderdale to Savannah is generally a 5-7 hour drive. Imagine doing that in traffic and having to get off multiple times to find gas for your car because many stations were limiting how much gas you could buy. What happens if you ran out of gas and were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hotel (since most in the entire state were booked solid by Wednesday according to reports).

By Wednesday, I had a half a tank left after running errands and commuting to work. I was able to find the only gas station in a ten-mile radius according to GasBuddy, on Friday evening to fill up. It took me over an hour in line. I literally drained their tanks. They ran out totally while I was filling up. Luckily my gauge is on full. There were literally DOZENS of cars behind me though. Hopefully, they were able to get some yesterday.

So Thursday was the beginning of the mad rush to get everything that needed to be secured, secured. The good thing about hurricanes is that in prepping for them, you get to do the things you've been procrastinating for YEARS to do. Like, purge your house and garage.  

It's also an amazing way to lose weight. 12+ lbs in 3 days. Not bad.

Anyway, preparing for a hurricane is very, very hard work- especially if you don't have nice modern, impact resistant glass throughout your home or accordion shutters, or aluminum shutters.

For us, it's plywood.

1/2" plywood is not fun or easy to lift and mount. In fact, it's miserable. I had bought all my plywood in 2003 for another hurricane and had a friend of my father help me measure and drill holes and show me how to do it properly. I am still using that plywood all these years later as I've always kept them dry and secured in the garage. When I was younger, I could do the entire house in a day without any help. And that included lifting a couple of sheets on to the roof to cover our aviary/atrium (I need a little help with that one). Now that I'm approaching that half-century mark, which a number of persistent ailments, like a should er that just won't stop hurting, it's no longer something I can do by myself. Thanks to my friend, Lucas, who's the little brother I have always wanted, and his mother, who is such a sweet woman, we were able to get just about everything up and ready on Thursday in about 6 hours in 92°F with a heat index of about 100°.

Yesterday, I decided to plywood a section I had never done before (but had the wood ready for it) and Mary and I purged the garage to ensure that 1 car was able to fit in there. It worked! And it's actually neatly done to boot! It was actually a pretty big task, but we went about it very diligently and methodically. I am grateful for the tools I purchased 16 years ago, they have served me well.

During the entire time of prepping, Mary was the busy bee making sure the food supplies were all good, cooking foods ahead of time. Making sure laundry was done. Paperwork collected and secured. Being the glue in this time where stress can really take a toll on a marriage and family. The outside was my domain, the inside was hers.

A couple of other things to take into consideration: leaving your home leaves it open to theft. There is something that a lot of homeowners with alarm systems aren't aware of: lack of communication. After a hurricane, there will undoubtedly be power outages for an extended period of time. There will also undoubtedly be a lack of cell coverage as towers will be down. So there is no way for an alarm system to alert the service provider if there is a break in. Professional thieves know this, and the aftermath of a hurricane is prime time for burglars. There is just way too much LIFE in my house to not try to protect it. Personally, I am worried about identity theft along with just having a lot of my personal data and computers taken.

The other thing that is of prime importance to me is my parents. There is no way I can leave the state and have them fend for themselves. That is just not what we do. They've always been there for us, and there is no way I am not going to do what I can to be there for them-- especially as they get older. And they made up their minds to secure their house and wait it out.

My parents-in-law are also in Florida. In fact, as I write this, the hurricane is slated to run directly over where they live. They live just 45 minutes north of Ft. Myers, which at the time of this writing is where they are expecting landfall. So yes, I am especially worried about their safety at this moment. Luckily, my father-in-law lives in a nice solid concrete apartment building and my mother-in-law will be staying there with him for the duration of the storm and maybe through the aftermath.

We also have pets. Yes, there are some shelters that allow pets, but most don't. And if you know anything about our pets is that they are... different, to say it mildly. Traveling is something they don't do very well. In fact, going to the vet's which is only a half a mile away (a 3-minute ride WITH lights), usually results in them either peeing or crapping all over themselves. Or both. I would hate to abandon my house to go to a shelter and not be able to take them.

So now, the house is as secure as we could possibly make it. Mary is busy sleeping through some of these intense squalls outside. The Kid is doing the same. The A/C is set to 73° (which is freezing for us), the cats are snuggled under the blankets, I am here writing and trying to explain just what it is that people go through in a hurricane. Am I scared? Oh, hell yes, I am scared. Terrified, actually. I don't like hurricanes at all, and I remember all too clearly the last two that came through, one of which, even at Cat 2/3 did tremendous damage to Broward county and did some costly damage to my house as well.

So we're going to do our best to weather the storm and deal with life in the aftermath, and I hope this helps shed some misconceptions about just what millions of us have to go through and the reasons why we choose to stay.

[petsitterlife-blog]

Clear Priorities

7:00 am. Mongo remained true to his reputation of making HuMongo Poo. He went in the yard before the walk and I thought I was going to get off easy today. On the home-stretch he had to go again and it filled two bags, one of which did not quite stay in tact and I had to gingerly remove another bag from my pocket without getting poo on my pants. A third bag was needed to contain the two. There is a reason we walk them on Tuesdays - it’s garbage day in the neighborhood. Note to self: always take wet wipes. You would have thought I’d have already remembered to do that after one particularly eventful walk when I had to wash my hands in a puddle.

7:45 am. The neighbor across the street came over to talk to me about pet sitting her dogs, one of whom we’ve not met. They are infrequent travelers as the last time we did that job was in 2014. I made her account active and sent her the login link with scheduling instructions while cooling off in the car before heading to the next job. It’s better to do these things right away before the day makes me forget incidentals like that.

8:37 am. Walking the dogs I normally bike as the day before we had a flat tire and had to walk home with the bike. Chaos Client messaged me. She saw my car out front and she wanted me to stop by to meet her chickens (she lives next door to Biker Dog client). Hmm, what an odd request. I have a bad feeling about why she really wants to see me.

9:15 am. Finished talking with Biker Dog client and a pet sitter, who will be providing back-up service since it is so hot so early that it is becoming impossible to get to all the dog walks before it is too hot. Went over to see Chaos Client. She was sitting on a piece of plywood on the side of her house having coffee with her 3 chickens. There is no fence to keep them from running out into the street, only a wire that is forehead high and I wasn’t about to ask its purpose - other than to foil human visitors who can’t see it. Chaos Client finally got around to telling me that we ruined her weekend camping trip when her former roommate appeared at the campsite to advise her that I had dropped off vet wrap on Saturday. She had spent the rest of the weekend fretting and debating whether to drive down the mountain and not return due to her disability making the bouncy road not worth that effort. Over vet wrap.

9:30 am. The team chat is quite active. A quick glance shows that one of the sitters is upset that she has too many jobs on Saturday and she cannot do the morning job at all as she is taking her dogs to a vaccination clinic and they are her priority. I should have remembered this, she said. I choose to not respond and decided to do the rest of my jobs before I read the rest of what they are all going on about.

12:05 pm. No answer at the door to Flake Out Client for the scheduled Free Consultation. I had talked to her 3 times, at length, about her situation. She is a temporary roommate with one of the local veterinarians who gave her blessing to use our service to take care of Flake Out Client’s puppy during her upcoming trip as the vet works very long days and won’t be able to go home. I texted Flake Out Client that we were there and would reschedule. She texted back that she is already out of town and her boyfriend has the puppy. Just wow.

12:10 pm. Drove all the way back to the other side of town to make a free stop at Miserly Client to fix their automatic fish feeder as the husband responded to my last visit report (with picture of feeder) saying it wasn’t working, as I had suspected. The fish had been going 4 days between feedings when I would give them a pinch of food that was eagerly devoured. Gave the lonely cat another can of food while I was there. I don’t kid myself that they will offer a gratuity as I marvel at their beautiful home (the cats are being kept in the mother-in-law suite with separate garage and entry from the main house) and the pool being put in. They are clearly on a budget as they didn’t take me up on my suggestion that we visit their very social and lonely cat more than once every 4 days while they are in Greece. She breaks my heart.

1:00 pm. Read the group chat and I tell the other sitters that they cannot do the high-paying job on Saturday morning. Why? Because they hadn’t met the client and, yes, I know they often go to other jobs when that is the case but they can’t with this client. One sitter, in particular, argues back and it makes me mad.

1:15 pm. The sitter who can’t work Saturday morning just put in 14 Days Off in July. July! The busiest month of the year and she decides to take another vacation. Coinciding with Argumentative Sitter’s prearranged time off for the Air Force Reserves duty. I ask in group chat if anyone else has any plans for July so I know how many more sitters I need to hire. Argumentative Sitter asked why I would hire more people when they all have idle time between busy times. I pointed out the obvious - I am having to cover jobs on yet another weekend despite having 9 pet sitters and, oh, did you not just participate in the entire Time Off In July conversation?!

I will tell them at the meeting on Thursday that the Time Off calendar should be titled the Higher Priority Calendar as it is their way of telling me when they have higher priorities than serving their clients. My priority is to protect the business from that calendar and I will hire as many pet sitters as it takes to do so.

[windycityparrot]

8 Simple actions you can take to keep your bird healthy

1 - Weigh your bird Birds are prey animals. Evolution has taught them that if they look weak they are more subject to an attack by a predator in the wild. Thus it is not uncommon to see a bird appear to be healthy one day then fall over dead the next because there's no visual symptoms like you can see with a cat or dog. One of the most precise tools you can obtain for a mere $19 is our best bird scale ever which can be used to weigh birds from budgies to large macaws. When you weigh your bird regularly at least twice a month you can easily see large swings in weight gain or loss possibly indicating an illness without being visible by looking at the bird.

Peaches came to us at 108 g she should be close to 120 g (male Senegal parrots should be 130 g 140 g) in addition to her regular diet of Higgins Safflower Gold or Hagen Tropimix I give her lots of fresh walnuts, (I crack them open for her) unshelled almonds and sunflower seeds. Yes, there are those that say "my vet said that's too fatty for my bird" which it is when your bird's wings are clipped and it resides in a cage much of its life. Peaches has yet to fly because her wings have not grown out fully but I make her walk up a ladder several times a day and she usually even goes to the top of her cage and I then take her down again and repeat it. I'm trying to get her to walk down the ladder which she won't do, although she climbs down the ladder on her playstand. I am employing clicker training to motivate this new activity until she is fully flighted. Find out what your bird's weight should be here 2 - Toweling/Restraint This baffles me - I see the same issue with cat People, they can't get their cat into a carrier to go to the vet. It's so important to practice toweling and restraining your bird because there will be a time in the birds long life that it will need to be restrained for medical treatment or even grooming. Heck, it took me 65 years to sprain an ankle. A while back I made a video using Popcorn are cockatiel to show what I called the Zombie Death Grip. This is the proper way to restrain a bird taught to me by an avian veterinarian. As soon as I posted the video on YouTube you would think that I was drowning puppies. How dare I this and you're an idiot that. I recently posted a “softer” video on bird restraint produced by: Susan Orosz PhD DVM Diplomat American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Avian) European College of Zoological Medicine (Avian). Once again if you read the thread in the video below some comments are mind numbing “someone needs to give that woman a dose of reality!!!! what a load of crap” Again we provide an answer to solve a problem and what does this cage bird keeper say about that”

"Lol oh my god. I was just going to say that about my albino tiel Snowy!!! She HATES being restrained oh my god. She bites so hard you almost need stitches. My other two tiels that I had were pieces of cake. But Snowy is blind now. So she's even more stressed 😢😢😢" I hope the majority of you who are not aware of this very helpful practice will realize that once you learn it and rehearse, you can literally avoid getting bit while handling your bird. If you notice in the video they use towels and have four different sized towels laid out on a medical tray in a veterinarian's office. In another Facebook group thread, I'm reading about biting birds and how they hold up a towel and use the towel to threaten the bird not to bite and get back in the cage. Naturally, I asked what their plan was for a medical emergency. Of course, no one bothered to respond. Enjoy the video.   3 - Examine its feet Birds are on their feet 24/7 unless they are in flight. Even those of us who have flighted birds, flight time is minimal and usually seconds at best. If you need a refresher course on how birds feet work you can read this. They literally clamp down like a vice grip which enables them to sleep on one foot. The problem is while they are up there sleeping on the wrong surface (wrong perch) they are gently moving throughout their sleep cycle meaning a potentially rough surface (grooming perch) or a knot on a wooden perch could be grinding into the bottom of their feet. One of the reasons birds can land on prickly bushes and barbed wire is they don't have a lot of nerves in their feet so they may not even be aware of an impending injury.

An examination is easily done once you know how to towel your bird. You can then flip the bird over on its back. It is usually easier to have a second person help you to spread its feet apart and just look at the bottom of the feet for any sores or cracks. By the way, we find this to be a feather plucking trigger. The bird is just reacting to pain not knowing where it's coming from. Also, check for swollen joints and toes. 4. - Check your birds poop By looking at your bird's poop you can learn about your bird's health. Bird poop has three parts Feces which is normally green and brown and for lack of a better term tubular in shape. Urates are the creamy white stuff that kinda looks like toothpaste Urine which is clear and watery. You want to look for changes, undigested food, blood and even things like parasites. Other microorganisms can be found using something called wet mount evaluation, flotation, Gram stain, and cytology. 5 - Sexing We talk about this a lot. It's important to know what your bird's sex is. About 20% of parrots are dimorphic meaning you can tell the sex by the color. Green Eclectus parrots are boys, red Eclectus parrots are girls as an example.

Because your bird is not laying eggs it does not necessarily mean it's a boy. Eggs can get trapped in a birds body in several places and you'll never know that you have a brooding hen that requires anything from additional calcium supplementation to veterinary intervention. Knowing if you have a female parrot will guide you to lots of stuff like NOT put tents in their cage to promote brooding activity for instance. I see pet owners who will buy $200 dog bed but not spent $18 to have the birds DNA sexed. It's well worth the investment. 6 - Vet visits Because birds hide symptoms of a disease, signs of the beginning stages of a disease often go unnoticed. Annual checkups are advised for early identification and management of potential disorders. What responsible dog owner doesn't take their dog in once a year for a checkup and "shots"? When I lived in Buffalo Grove Illinois for many years, new police recruits would go from door to door looking for and listening for dogs. They had a list of all the licensed dogs and you had to produce your most recent rabies vaccination. If you did not, you would have been issued a ticket. Nobody is truly concerned about birds. I get it, about 3% of American households have birds today (as opposed to more than 50% of households having dogs and/or cats)

Just because your bird doesn't need a vaccination, it makes no excuse that an annual vet visit should not be part of its care. 7 - Learn the warning signs that your bird may be sick and watch for them Labored breathing is easy to detect because a bird's chest normally does not move in and out like mammals who have a diaphragm. Popcorn our cockatiel had Ascites, fluid build up in her abdomen, which pressed against her air sacs (birds have 9) and lungs causing her to constantly pant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigxJXFJF4U&t=35s If your bird's feathers are constantly fluffed this could be a sign of anything from running a fever to that they are simply cold because that's what birds do when they are cold. Dull eyes, swollen eyes or discharge from the eyes is a signal of illness and must be attended to quickly. If your bird's wings are droopy your bird is sick and requires veterinary attention quickly. If your bird hangs on the side of the cage with its beak for a long time instead of sitting on a perch, you got a problem. If the feathers are matted and or dirty it is time to go to the vet.

Cockatiels are known for night frights. They can fall off their perch flapping their wings uncontrollably causing a winged to get caught in cage bars or toys and break so you want to watch how your bird holds its wings. A night light is helpful. Know how much your bird drinks on a regular basis. Popcorn our cockatiel never took more than three sips of water with her beak at a time. Peaches our Senegal parrot always dunks 6 to 7 times. If those numbers increase with your bird, it may be a sign of illness. Limping can be caused by an overweight bird landing the wrong way. This happened to our cockatiel Popcorn. Her foot was in a cast for a couple weeks. She was overweight from the aforementioned Ascites. You should also look for things that your bird is not doing like preening. If your bird isn't preening somethings wrong. If your bird sleeps too much or spends his day with its eyes closed they may be ill. So many people talk about their birds suddenly changing its behavior and begins to lunge or starts to feather pluck. This would be a good time to make that Vet visit. There are other symptoms that could indicate illness like seizures and collapse and nervous system signs that can be very serious. The point is to know your bird(s) intimately because they will never communicate to you that they are sick other than by indicating through the symptoms mentioned above. 8 - Deploy full spectrum lighting over your bird's cage. Use a timer and set it for 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness while not respecting daylight savings time. By not doing this you are damaging your bird's circadian clock that tells the time of day more precisely than a Rolex.

Not providing regular light cycles can trigger behavioral issues like screaming and plucking. written by mitch rezman approved by catherine tobsing your zygodactyl footnote   via GIPHY Click to Post