#still have the same general diet as humans but unlike humans they cannot live off plants alone

[thesnivy123]

Heya! So what headcanons do you have about Masked Kids in general? (Feel free to tell me absolutely everything about them lol)

Okayokayokay i cant get into all the finest details just bc idt i have the energy to write every detail out in one go, so feel free to ask about specific things if u want to know more. But basically: human-mimicking semi-brood-parasitic carnivorous pack-hunting goats. which. Is a lot. gonna break this down a little

start with the simplest one. Goats! They're goats- Or at least, they're goats in the way an aminoguana is a lizard and a mothi is a moth- They're sapient creatures descended from a lineage of goats that developed a specific genetic mutation universal to all monster species- It's tied to heightened intelligence, purple-hued blood that creates a thick gas when exposed to open air, and a heightened proficiency for magic. Humans are actually the only sophont in the setting to NOT have the "monster gene"- They evolved into sapience the long, complicated way.

Masked Folk are unique among monsters, however, for their entire evolutionary history being inseparably intertwined with that of humans. See, the Masked Folk quickly established themselves as apex predators upon reaching sapience. Not many animals want to mess with humans, not many animals want to mess with large ungulates, and so, it stands to reason that VERY LITTLE would mess with large HUMANOID ungulates... That is, except for humans. Though they typically didn't compete for territory- humans preferring open fields, the Folk preferring dense forests- Masked Folk live off basically the exact diet humans do (plus a little extra meat, being obligate carnivores). They were in direct competition for resources. This led to conflict, which led to humanity now being one of the sole drivers of their evolution... Which, thanks to the wonders of the Monster Gene causing more mutations, happened to work faster than you'd expect.

In raids on Masked Folk villages, humans were far less likely to directly harm their young than the adults- Beyond the moral aspect of this, they shared a lot of traits with human children. And, over generations of conflict with humanity, these traits got amplified- When your one remaining predator is more willing to spare you when you look like their kids, you're gonna eventually start looking like their kids.

Eventually, we ended up with the Masked Kids we see today. Highly shortened muzzles, tiny horns, big eyes- all coming together to vaguely resemble a human child's face. This... Doesn't fool anyone on it's own, though, aside from looking cute.

That, of course, is where magic gets involved.

See, Masked Folk- as adults- have a natural knack for magic, compared to other monsters. This has nothing to do with it's usefulness to them in adulthood, and everything to do with its function in their youth. Young Masked Kids- from birth until around 16- ambiently radiate a powerful "illusionary" magic, making humans perceive them as being a human child.

"Illusionary" is in quotes, because it has no effect on their physical appearance. No, it's closer to a weak sort of mind control, if anything. The magic taps right into the facial recognition part of the brain, a few other places too, and just... Spins a few things around. Makes it so that, so long as you're within range of their aura, when you look at a Masked Kid, you consider them to be young of your own species. Even if you factually know they're not, you know how it works, it just... You can't really follow the train of thought that goes "that's something else". The thought might still be there, but it slips through your mind like butter, you can't hold on to the idea that this isn't A Child Of Your Species. "Your Species", because it isn't human specific- just... deeply ineffective on any other species. Really just counters humans. Either way, the masks they wear amplify this, giving the human mind a plausible excuse for why the features dont line up, and letting this mimicry go unquestioned.

This mental defense, combined with the odd growth rate of the masked folk, allows them to go relatively undetected in human civilization from any age up until their late teens. A masked kid will grow at around the same rate as a human infant until the age of ten- At which point, they very suddenly stop. They remain "ten years old" for years, not growing an inch- at most, gaining a little weight as their bodies stockpile energy, but even this is rarely noticeable, as this phase of growth is HIGHLY optimized to make as few stages as possible (there's actually a pocket of previously unused space within their chest cavity that fills up with a condensed fat deposit during these years- this goes away when their body structure changes in adulthood). Their mimckry aura works to ensure nobody questions this halt in growth, of course. Theyve got to remain cute and sympathetic for as long as possible.

Then, at around 16, they hit a growth spurt. A very, very big one. Within a couple years, they'll grow several feet in height, their torso and snout will elongate, and their tail thickens out as a counter-balance to their front-heavy posture- This is when the mimicry aura shuts down, because, as powerful as it is, there's only so much it can hide. That deep well of magic is now freed up for personal use, with some amount of knowledge on its use being instinctual, for at this age, they're bound to be shunned from human civilization.

That is, if they haven't left for the woods already. Though Masked Folk are just as sapient as humans, they've got some pretty strong instincts in their younger stages, to keep up the ruse- Don't stand out, avoid crowds, do what you're told, and, once the growth spurt hits, Leave. Even those who are still welcome in their home- more common than you'd think, for many reasons- often follow the call of the woods eventually. Those ones come back if they can't find other Masked Folk. They still go out, but still.

... All this, of course, is only relevant if they find themselves in a human settlement. Most Masked Folk never even see their mimicry come into play- If all goes well, they're raised peacefully by their parents and siblings in small communities in the woods- usually consisting of a few family groups and any stragglers from human civilization. See, they don't WANT to be brood parasites, it's not their plan A. No, that's all a last resort. A tactic to survive if the worst came to worst. Ideally, they raise their own kids safely within their own species- or, occasionally- a mixed-monster-species group.

The Hero Cycle and Stitched Castle have... complicated things, of course, in the regions surrounding the Chestnut Kingdom, but in other parts of the world, Masked Folk still live pretty traditionally. Often in better relations with humans, though- Agriculture makes the competition for resources a little less of an issue, and now, they've got a reputation far different than most monsters. Something a little surprising, actually. Something that's earned them a few different names, in different places.

The Forest Dwellers. The Fair Folk. The Other People. Changelings.

The Fae.

[blzzrdstryr]

Yanderes caring for a sick darling hcs - Mondstadt boys edition

Starring: Albedo, Diluc, Kaeya, Venti

[Mondstadt girls edition]

[Liyue boys edition]

Albedo:

As a renowned alchemist, Albedo is very proficient in all alchemical fields, including bio alchemy.

Subsequently, he is also very knowledgeable in the inner workings of the human body, and understands the biological mechanism behind most illnesses and how to prevent them.

Alchemist takes a lot of preventive measures, keeping you on a healthy diet and having you exercise daily. He also begrudgingly lets you out on the walks, with his supervision and far away from any civilisation of course.

He also has a keen eye for changes in your body and he will realize you caught something before you even sense it.

In that case he'll just slip some medicine into your food and you'll get better even before sickness progresses further.

All in all, Albedo is great at keeping you healthy, as your physical well-being is a very high priority to him.

However, the alchemist can become so consumed by his studies that even you temporarily fade into the background.

It’s a very short window of time, but if you manage to get significantly ill, he will blame himself to Hell and back.

You won’t know of his self-loathing though, as Albedo isn't expressive enough, wearing a facade of calmness even if everything beneath it boils and burns

He will quickly find a cure, and do everything to help you feel better as his mind starts to wander into darker places.

Albedo possesses a wide array of knowledge and he knows various cases when simple colds lead to some awful complications that sometimes have cost lives.

Logically he knows it's highly unlikely that you will get that bad, especially under his care, yet the anxious thought remains, nagging at him.

Your illness will be as stressful to him as it is to you. Alchemist's brain will conjure thousands of unfortunate possibilities that could harm you and cut your life short.

Once you recover, Albedo will sigh in relief and rethink his measures regarding your health - he can't let something like this happen again.

Maybe he should start slipping some prophylactic drugs into your food.

Diluc:

Ragnvindr heir is fiercely protective of you, eager to shield your being from any harm possible, including sickness and injury.

Just like Albedo he also takes preventive measures - diet, exercise, monthly check ups, even very short and very supervised walks on the winery territory.

Diluc is a big worrier, he almost always feels low level anxiety especially if it's something regarding your well-being.

He even thought of buying a manor - Dawn Winery, despite its impressive size, is still too small for an inner garden or a courtyard and with a new estate you could walk among greens and get your dose of fresh air without actually going outside, and the possibility of your escape will be lower too.

Diluc also derives some sort of pleasure from caring to you - it’s an act of both love and ownership to him. He will never admit of the latter though, as his feelings regarding your kidnapping are very confused and conflicted - Ragnvindr lies to himself, saying that it was for your protection only. Admitting that he feels possessive of you is admitting that he yearned not only for your safety.

Despite that, Diluc still has to part with you from time to time - he is a busy man having to juggle winery business, patrol Mondstadt streets as Darknight hero and fight against Fatui and Abyss at the same time. He will entrust you in the hands of Adelinde and a couple of other maids who went through a harsh vetting process, ordering them to keep an eye on your health at all times.

He will be more concerned about your sickness than you are, spending ridiculous amounts of mora on physicians and medicine.

The doctor can diagnose with a simple cold, yet Diluc will ask another for a check up just to be sure - who knows maybe the first one has made a mistake, maybe even the second one also misinterpreted your symptoms. Same goes for the treatments, as he has no faith in them either.

He will fret over you like a worried mother hen, but because of Diluc’s usual awkwardness he will fail at displaying his concern, so you will be stuck with even gloomier Diluc looming over you.

He will spend so much time near you he might catch the illness himself.

Diluc will start thinking about buying a manor more often.

Kaeya:

Kaeya isn’t the best at caretaking.

He won’t even believe you at first, thinking that it may be some kind of ploy to fool him and escape. He would absolutely do that if he was in your situation.

Cavalry captain will give you a knowing look every time you cough, sneeze or complain about soreness and fatigue. Who could’ve known that he would rub off onto you?

He will believe you once you develop more severe symptoms, like fever or unstoppable cough, that leaves you shaking and in tears.

Kaeya will jokingly apologize for his lack of trust, but he will be panicking beneath the mocking smile.

A lot of people have abandoned him in the past, and he will view your ailment as you trying to leave him too by dying.

A rational part of him knows that it’s not true, it’s not your fault that you got sick and death is definitely not a way out for you.

He will also reassess the way he views you - despite being talented at interpersonal communication playing on your heartstring and manipulating you into what he wants Kaeya isn’t the best at understanding himself.

Before he thought little of you - you’re a toy, a scapegoat, a stress relief, nothing that holds any significance and cannot be replaced, yet the prospect of losing you puts the whole situation into new light. In less than a day you are mentally elevated from the mere plaything, to someone important, someone irreplaceable.

He won't change the general way he acts around you though, as he thinks of emotional vulnerability and openness as a major weakness to exploit, still being that teasing and infuriating bastard you came to know him as.

Yet sometimes Kaeya will allow himself small moments - things that usually wouldn’t matter so much - a chaste kiss placed on the top of your head, his hand tracing yours, fingers intertwined together. He will also be a tiny bit more lenient when you misbehave.

Unlike Diluc or Albedo, Kaeya lacks funds or knowledge to treat you right away - he can’t bribe multiple doctors into keeping their mouth shut and his knowledge of biology is surface level at best.

He will still try regardless, giving you the same medicine he buys in the rare times he gets sick.It’s a win or lose situation, as his treatment may both worsen and better your health.

Venti:

Venti is acutely aware of your mortality and fragility, memories of thousands of thousands deaths resurfacing everytime he sees you approaching even the hint of danger.

As a result, he is very protective of you, no matter how carefree and childish he may act, as his teal eyes carefully oversee everything you do.

Nevertheless, the sickness, the ailment - this particular aspect of human vulnerability slips his mind - Barbatos, despite his peaceful demeanor, is someone who lived through a lifetime of turmoil - the overthrow of Decarabian’s despotic rule, earth shattering Archon war, Vennessa’s rebellion against corrupt Lawrences.

He always feared that your life would be ended by the stray arrow or a swift sword, not an illness.

Venti will cure you right away using his powers - with gnosis or not, he is still a mighty deity, even if years of absence left him weakened.

Although you’re perfectly fine and healthy now, the bard will still fret over you, scared of your passing.

Expect to have him hovering and being extra clingy for the next few weeks - archon’s life is long and lonely, full of losses and passing, no wonder that he wants to protect you from the whole world.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

How do you think the Cullen's would have turned out if they lived their natural human lives and not forever frozen at an age / the state they were in? For example I think Carlisle would always be kind and tame but perhaps not as idealistic. Rose might grow bitter of the world since even if Royce didn't assault her I can't imagine he would be the loving husband she wanted. Edward, who watched his parents die and was dying himself, might not be as moody and miserable. Who knows about Jasper and Alice and Esme. Emmett would probably stay the same. Bella, if she never met the supernatural, probably would just be a quiet old soul but otherwise not mal adjusted. I can't even guess about Renesmee haha since she has no personality next to being ~inhumanly special.

I mean, sadly, we know the answer: they wouldn't be around very long and would have died miserably. There's no such thing as a natural human life, well, I suppose you can die of old age, but the fate of the Cullens didn't have that in store.

But let's get into it just the same.

Alice

Had James not come across Alice, she likely still would have been turned at some point by her maker, who seems to have been very fond of her. It was just a matter of time. The difference being that, instead of being a newborn completely on her own, her maker would have been there. This is an Alice very unlikely to see Jasper or the Cullens in her future, though who knows, Carlisle and her maker might very well cross paths someday due to the similarity of their work.

But I doubt Alice would ever end up on the diet.

For Alice to remain human, she can never have been sent to that asylum. In which case we have two options a) she's not sent to an asylum b) she's sent to a different asylum.

In the first case, Alice is more than likely murdered by her father. This is what got her sent off in the first place: she was running around town claiming that her father had murdered her mother and now planned to murder her. To shut the hysterical woman up, her father sent her to an insane asylum. Which effectively got her out of his life just as he wished.

If that didn't occur to him, then yes, Alice likely falls gravely ill or has some unfortunate accident that she cannot prevent.

Otherwise, Alice is sent to some other insane asylum, likely still loses all her memories due to electroshock therapy, and probably dies very young due to poor health conditions. The life she does live is utterly miserable.

Bella

Bella dies in a parking lot, she's hit by a truck out of control. Otherwise, Bella dies in Port Angeles, she's raped and her body abandoned in a dumpster. Otherwise, Bella is eaten by a vampire.

And if Bella miraculously survives all of that, I imagine her struggle with depression continues throughout high school and into college. In college, she may meet someone who catches her interest, in which case she becomes completely codependent on them for a sense of validation (as she did Edward and Jacob in canon).

The relationship is a toxic mess, ends in a very messy breakup, and Bella goes through her New Moon phase a bit later. She might finally get therapy and survive this very dangerous phase in her life, at which point, she finally starts the slow recovery from depression.

I imagine Bella will be struggling with depression though for all of her life and, if left untreated, it might very well kill her.

Carlisle

Had Carlisle not been turned this means the vampire likely drained him. Carlisle dies at the head of the mob, this sentences the other Cullens to death as well as now no one will turn them.

Let's say Carlisle wasn't as fast that day. He had a leg cramp, or something. Not being well in front of the others, he's not hit by the vampire first. This increases his chances of death, as the vampire seems to have killed the rest he took a bite of, but he could survive.

Carlisle lives with the haunting guilt that the one time he tracks down a true demon he brought death to his parish. Several died due to his actions, the demon got away, and now there's no sign of it. Carlisle completely and utterly failed.

This is probably the final straw for Carlisle. Demons exist, but they are beyond his capacity to hunt, this is a job for God and not mere mortal men. He stops the demon hunts, stops the witch hunts, and focuses himself strictly on helping the community and preaching.

He lives knowing his father would have continued to be sorely disappointed in everything he does.

Carlisle likely marries within a few years, now that his father is dead and he's the established head of the parish. He may or may not like his wife all that much, but he has a responsibility, and having a wife and children is one of those. I imagine that they either are somewhat fond of each other or quietly tolerate one another.

If Carlisle has a son, the son is trained as a priest, sent to seminary as he was, and set to inherit the parish. If he has only daughters, then it will be her husband who will inherit the parish.

When Carlisle dies he is likely remembered very fondly by the parish for the good he did for the community. No one talks about the demon hunting disaster. He's buried next to his father.

Edward

Edward dies of the Spanish Influenza in 1918.

Had he never caught it, and thus never come across Carlisle, I imagine he lives a somewhat ordinary life. He goes to university somewhere very well established, perhaps even one of the Ivy League schools, I can see him training to become a lawyer. He either joins his father's law firm or, if his father's not a lawyer, some law firm in Chicago where he does quite well for himself.

He probably courts then marries some affluent, well to do, woman who hits all the checkmarks he expects from society. They probably get on quite well.

The market then crashes in 1929, when Edward's only 29 years old, and Edward gets to live through the depression. Edward may be lucky enough to retain his wealthy, however, he very well could not have been. Edward is now unemployed, destitute, and miserable just like the rest of the country.

I imagine this is very hard on him, he becomes very bitter and resentful, and as he desperately tires to find work it just gets worse. Edward becomes mired in cynicism.

Then the war hits, Edward is now 41, and he's too old to enlist in the army. He feels a sense of nostalgic bitterness that, once again, he can't go fight the good fight and has to cheer from the sidelines. Nonetheless, the economy starts to recover thanks to the war, Edward recovers with it and things get better.

Edward lives his ordinary human life and, perhaps, lives to sometime in the 1990's.

Emmett

Emmett is eaten by bears.

Had he not happened to be in the mountains that day then, likely, some other unfortunate accident would have befallen him. He's a mountain man, that's a dangerous life.

He gets eaten by bears, eaten by mountain lions, injured somehow and then dies, hit by a tree that he cut down, there are so many possibilities.

If he does live to an older age then he becomes the gruff mountain man stereotype that we all know. I imagine he remains a very friendly, cheerful, man, probably marries some local girl and has a very large family.

Esme

Esme kills herself. With the death of her child, that was the path she chose, and had she not been turned she would have been successful.

However, had her child lived, I imagine her life would have continued on the path it was on. She would have been a single mother, working as a teacher, and raising her child.

They would have been poor, but Esme seemed determined to make this work, and was doing an excellent job at it.

Perhaps, in time, she would meet the right man and remarry. However, I think that would take a lot of time as the whole issue was that she was hung up on the ideal of Dr. Carlisle Cullen who she met when she was sixteen and never saw again.

Regardless, she's far more of a real person grounded in reality than Esme the vampire ever was.

Jasper

Had Jasper not come across Maria, he likely would have died in the war. Many, many, people died in the civil war, and Jasper would be far from alone in that.

If not, he would have returned to the ravaged south, and likely found himself facing unemployment and very difficult times for wherever he came from.

Jasper would likely pull through, we know he has lived through hell in canon and pulled through there, though changed for life by the horrors of the civil war that will now never quite leave him.

Renesmee

Renesmee is never born. Her father is a demon a hundred years older than her mother. There is no chance that Bella becomes pregnant with Edward's human child, let alone his vampire child.

If Bella does become pregnant with a vampire child, she's likely been raped by Joham. Bella dies in confusion and agony, Renesmee is born into this world utterly alone, is picked up by Serena, and becomes yet another sister of Nahuel's.

Renesmee lives the miserable life that all of Nahuel's siblings do.

Rosalie

Rosalie is gang raped to death by Royce and his friends and dies in agony in an alley. Had she not come across Royce that night then likely, after they marry, he at some point rapes her to death and murders her.

The likelihood of Rosalie, with her parent's ambitions and her looks, of not marrying Royce is very small.

Even then, Royce is in town in general, that means all she needed was one bad night. Which, in canon, she had.

However, let's say she lives and Royce wasn't interested in her hand, she marries option number two. As you note, her marriage still likely isn't fulfilling. Rosalie is there to be beautiful and poised, to have tea with the ladies in society, and watch as a governess raises her children.

This is the world she lives in, and she accepts that, but over time she becomes increasingly bitter and resentful of this thing we call life.

TL;DR Remember, there's no escape from the pit of despair we call Twilight

[borisbubbles]

25. PORTUGAL

Elisa - “Medo de sentir”

We’ve finally crossed over into the “I like this” territory :-) Let’s celebrate by booting another ballad ^_^

Song Analysis

This will be short and sweet though, since there isn’t much to say. “Medo de sentir” basically the Marie Myriam of its national final: It is a cromulent ballad that did nothing wrong and is solidly good, but not great in all the relevant areas (vocals, composition, staging). 

I mean,

Even so, Elisa gave me a few small nuggets that warmed me to her, serving DRAMAFACE in the FdC Semi

and LOOKS in the Finale: 

Peach puffy sleeves that rival Leonor Andrade’s legendary shoulder pads as a fashion statement <3 (honestly, this is pretty subdued for FdC fashion even? Hold on until I get talk about Felipe in the NF Corner) 

Honestly, you may wonder why I like this more than “Répondez-moi”, but I don’t really have a reason  - unless you’re willing to accept “Medo de sentir is underrated, is performed by a Weird Indie Girl and is from a criminally overlooked Eurovision country” as valid argumentations. Oh and while I only *very* mildly like Elisa, it is a decision I made myself, completely free of the social pressure I feel whenever Gjon, or heaven forbid, Roxen or Diodato, pop up. 

Furthermore, the fact that I still like Elisa even after she won her NF also speaks greatly in her favour. I’m not sure if you were aware of how good FdC was this year? Well, sit down because you are about to witness it!

NF Corner

Remember how old Eesti Laul’s neck was snapped and its corpse was urinated on by the shit Estonians? Remember how the quirky indie weirdo entries had to find a safe haven elsewhere in Europe? The Portugese hallmark traits of “Not Giving A Fuck”, “Doing Our Own Thing No Matter What” and “What Do You Mean This Isn’t A Vimeo Showreel?” allowed for Festival da Canção to absorb Eesti Laul’s broken spirit and channel it from every (Ley-La-)Ley-Line.

and since this is the first *GREAT* 2020 NF I am covering, I will do HONORABLE MENTIONS before I actually review my four choices :o

Dubio - “Ceguiera”: Hamburglar-looking goddess <3333

MEERA - “Copo de gin”: Pure EL-style EDM *and* it’s about drinking gin, needless to say this song is basically *my anthem*.  Jimmy P - “Abensonhado”: Rap rarely is my thing, let alone three minutes of it non-stop. Having said that, this is genuine and dramatic and Jimmy is flanked by a GOSPEL CHOIR (dressed in chasubles!!!) who support him in ENGLISH... I am not made of stone.  JJaZZ - “Agora”: Totally slept on this weird indie anthem, but then they showed up looking like this:

and yes, it was even funnier in motion (sadly gif’ing rights are reserved to the Elite 4 soz) Elisa Rodrigues - “Não voltes mais”: a jolly tropical ballad in a genre I recognize but cannot name (some sort of pimba fado jazz? Does this work?) and was incomprehensibly hated by the Portuguese? Will I ever understand how this country operates? Probably never. Kady - “Diz so”: another pimba fado jazz sort of thing? My friend André (who is from Brazil) tells me it’s actively parodying Brazillian counterculture and leftist stereotypes which is such a random quirk to put in a Portuguese music comp <3

And before we move on, I’ll chuck in a very speclal DISHONORABLE mention for our good friends Blasted Mechanism.😈 I actually forgot to do my jury duties for ESCUnited here, so I’ll just let James (the person with the best taste on our team, including yours truly) do it for me: 

Fucking *TRUTH*. “Rebellion’”s problem  has always been a lack of motherfucking balls. Sure, these middle-aged steampunkers attempt to implement a genre shift between indie rock and fucking ORCHESTRAL METAL/HIP HOP and make it so underwhelming and pathetic? People blame the live, and yes it was *bad* (forever cackling at “REBELGIUM” tho), but it was the studio that failed to deliver on the promises it made.  It always surprises me when people (Sean and Roy I AM coming for you) slam "Verona” for being a “fanwank” and then fall for a Rebellion which is basically a fanwank for heterosexual snobs. #ShotsFired. 

Now, as for the actual Boris faves, LET US START WITH A LIBERAL DOSE OF ASKEW CUBISM

Judas - “Cubismo Enviesado” 

VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?   

VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  

VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?   

VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  VÊS OU NÃO?  

 WHAT A FUCKING SPANDEX CATASTROPHE. “Cubismo enviesado” is a horrible song, the choreography looks like it had been conjured up during a particularly drunk night of bedroom karaoke and Judas can’t hold a tune for the life of him. The lyrics don’t even make sense in Portuguese <33333 It is an art school project gone disastrously wrong. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM OBSESSED.😍

Filipe Sambado - “Gerbera Amarelo do Sul”

That look

The regal panache

Those... leather shorts?

IT IS SO QUEER I LOVES IT. As with Cubismo, I am fucking OBSESSED. However, unlike Cubismo, “Gerbera amarela do sul” is *legitimately* great, lol. In addition to having a KICK-ASS fado rhythm and the off-the-charts visual components (the jewellery! the hats! the throne! the hand choreography!), the lyrics are highly intelligent poetry geared at dismantling upper class snobism.😍 Rare to find an entry that kicks ass on SO MANY levels. Even harder to see it lose to Elisa Myriam - but I’m not sad it lost because, you know, it would have befallen the same fate as a “Telemóveis”. At least his existence makes the memory-holing of Achille Lauro’s ICONIC Virgin Queen Cosplay so much easier to stomach. 

Throes & The Shine - “Movimiento”

I mean, entries that open like THIS: 

are instantly iconic, ngl. The best FdC entries offer a great triple of great looks, unplugged stubborn artistry and fun quirky rhythmes. Throes + The Shine pass this with flying colours and I mean, THOSE sunglasses alone yank up the laugh-out-laugh factor to astronomical levels. add in a hilarious choreography, sound effects that seemingly imitate duck mating noises and three very attractive men (in 2020! the concept!) and it’s an instant fave right there. 

AND THEN MADE THEIR ENTRY EVEN BETTER BY ADDING MIDNIGHT GOLD/JOWST EFFECTS TO THEIR STAGING. 😍😍😍😍

MANCHAS DE LAMA NA SUA PELE  

HEROES. 😍😍😍

and of course, this wouldn’t be a 2020 NF without an obvious runaway fave losing at the last minute: 

Bárbara Tinoco - “Passe-partout”

SHE IS TINY <3333:

She’s like a human bonsai... or a personal attack chincilla.

Okay, so Portugal were *THIS close* to out-France’ing the French with this sassy Zazballad, served with a generous dollop of parisian accordion and stank reaction shots.

Yet another entry that shamelessly uses an attractive man as a boytoy prop <333 For a brief moment, Bàrbara and Tiago establish themselves as a pair of lovestruck La La Land idiots, gearing themselves towards the EPIC moment where she will dump him... and then this happens before the first chorus:

Barbara opens up a can of dancer carbs and it completely fucks up her no-bullshit keto diet. 

Those dancers man. They aren’t a *bad* addition in itself, but if your thing is “romance ballad but *plot twist* it’s actually an end of romance ballad get lost loser” do not burn the clou within the first minute of the performance to a group of dancers who don’t even dance *along with the beat of your song*. UGH.

(and also, more devastatingly, the reduce tiaGOD’s airtime how dare they grrr)

Fortunately though, I have learned to appreciate the wrecktitude of it all because it caused one of the funniest downfall narratives in recent ESC history. The Portuguese were, of course, foaming at the mouth with all the decisions Bárbara had made (not even for the points I raised, necessarily?) and Bárbara was having none of it. It went kinda like this

Juries: EWWW DANCERS AND CHOREOGRAPHY YOU ARE RAPING YOUR OWN SONG YOU PHILISTINE WHORE. Bárbara: 

Juries: WOW WHAT *ARROGANCE*!! YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN BUT BOY DO WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU :-) 

and lo hand behold, the finale rolls on and Tinoco’s dancers are still there, and are even *MORE* present than they were in the semi (but also in sync with the beat) and Bárbara gets promptly jurydunked into third place. 😍 Even though she has the *ONLY* song in FdC that could have qualified in its semifinal. 😍  A woman who stands three apples tall trolling an entire nation and juries because she knew she had gold in her hands and then getting rigged out of the easiest nf victory out of pure SPITE 😍  WHAT AN ARC. 😍

Portugal 2020 vs Portugal 2021

Elisa probably would not have qualified. I’m not sure how popular of an opinion this is, but I prefer the semifinal performance of “Medo de sentir” and that wasn’t the staging they were going for. Not many people seemed to care either way, and that’s usually the death sentence for Portugal. 

Elisa won’t be back for 2021 or whenever Eurovision is rebooted. :sigh: Fuck you, Coronavirus. 

Freaky! Friday! Factor!

See: NF Corner:

Score: 4 Senhits out of 5. 

[theramseyloft]

Hi! I'm looking into pigeons as a pet, and I'm interested in training them and actually playing with them. I have parrots (conures and budgies mostly) What would you recommend? And what are the biggest differences between parrots and pigeons? I know pigeons can't climb and that they need grit. Can they still eat fruit and veggies?

Parrots are incredibly physically dangerous for pigeons.

Like: Do not under any circumstance allow them to be in the same room dangerous.

Parrots can break the bones of a pigeon by accident, and the dust pigeons produce gum up the lungs of parrots.

If the parrots are human social, then getting a new smart bird that can’t be housed near your resident smart birds and needs some amount of your time every day to itself will feel, to your parrots, like you are suddenly ignoring them for no reason, and it will spark some behavioral problems that will scare the pigeon.

So I do not recommend any one with any species of psitticine add any species of columbid to their house hold, unless the columbids are going in a loft outside.

Buut, that arrangement means that they can’t be household companions, by definition.

For people trying to choose between Pigeon or some psitticine species,  Or for some one who is used to caring for psitticines considering whether or not they want to try something different with out sacrificing the intelligence and bonding potential:

Pigeons and parrots are so drastically physiologically and socially different from each other that there is absolutely no cross over what so ever.

They can’t use the same type of enclosure, they can’t eat the same diet, their social structures are completely different, even their intelligence is completely different, despite both being literally on level ground with a 5 year old human child.

Parrot cages are designed around displaying a bird that stands upright and can climb.

Pigeons forage on the ground and need WAY more floor space than height.

Pigeons can’t climb, fly straight up, or even comfortably stand on a round perch. They take off at a 45 degree angle and have to spiral to get up high in a tight space.

They cannot tolerate all the toys parrots need, not only because they physically cannot manipulate them and are instinctively startled by bright oranges, reds, and yellows, but because pigeons need as clear and uncluttered a flight space as possible.

So a pigeon in a parrot cage physically cannot get off the floor, no matter how much height you give them, and is both physically trapped and severely psychologically distressed by what parrots consider vital enrichment.

If they must be caged singly, a dog crate with flat perches is ideal for a pigeon, provided that the bird is allowed frequent flight time.

Parrots need a huge variety of fruits, nuts, nectar, greens, and veggies.

Pigeons are strict seed eaters. They literally are not physically capable of digesting ANYthing else. They get 0 benefit from greens, fruit, vegitable flesh, leaves, stems, or tubers, and will starve on a full stomache if you give those to them. 

Gonna repeat myself here because veterinarians that care for birds either learn based on parrots and finches or on chickens (Depending on whether they took the exotics or livestock rout). Their advice to vary the base diet of a pigeon away from seeds is given in error based off of two COMPLETELY different physiologies and WILL make recovery impossible for a malnourished bird and malnourish a healthy bird because Pigeons literally lack the physiological equipment to process anything other than embryonic plant tissue.

Pigeons cannot detect sweetness, so they literally do not even get the yummy treat benefit of fruit. 

Please, DO NOT even “treat” pigeons with non-seed items.

Parrots are mechanical problem solvers and sound mimics, much like many of the corvids.

Pigeons are not physically capable of much in the way of mechanical manipulation, so they physically cannot manupulate the toys designed for parrots.

Their foraging is exclusively strolling along the ground and picking up fallen seed.

 Parrot flocks are pretty much just a huge crowd of birds all commuting in the same direction. Individuals do what ever they are going to do independent of the flock as a whole.

Pigeon flocks are uniquely cooperative, tight knit family units that vote on the fly on everything they do. They are social learning pattern mappers, actively, directly instructed by their fathers once they wean on both foraging and fitting into the social dynamic of their flock.

Parrot enrichment is thus mostly mechanical and designed for individuals. Puzzles to manipulate, brightly colored fruit like things to find that are hard and pleasant to stim on by biting.

Pigeon enrichment can be forage based, nest building based, or social based, with social interaction being the most vital of the three.

Pure foraging with no social interaction involves a box filled with sand, straw, or both with some favorite seeds like safflower or parakeet seed scattered in there for them to find.

Nesting enrichment is just straw, or Q-tips with the tips cut off and a place for the bird to put them.

Unlike parrots, Pigeons can recognize themselves in mirrors and their play with their reflection is more of a human like fascination with their own appearance than yelling at or trying to court what they mistake for another bird.

Pigeons are pattern mappers that learn socially both through observation and direct instruction.

And their pattern mapping is not exclusively visual. 

They pick up on auditory patterns, patterns of behavior and the cross over between the two just as easily as they pick up on visual patterns of geographical lay out.

When I describe humans as learning exactly like a human child, I mean that very literally.

Pigeons are capable of high level cognition. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2009/…/090212141143.htm

To the extent that they understand the concepts of space and time! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2017/…/171204144805.htm

They are self-aware enough to distinguish themselves from other pigeons, able to recognize themselves in photos, video, and mirrors AND differentiate between the three. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2008/…/080613145535.htm

Their brains are wired SHOCKINGLY similarly to ours: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2013/…/130717095336.htm

They categorize things and learn the equivalent of words the same way human toddlers do!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2014/…/140402095107.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2015/…/150204184447.htm

They can even learn to read written language well enough to differentiate between a real word and an acronym with the same number of letters.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2016/…/160919111535.htm

They are pattern mapping social learners.  Exactly like we are!

They can literally learn to understand both spoken AND written human language, and literally all it takes is talking to a pigeon as if it is a nonverbal human toddler who does not know that word yet to be able to teach them to understand object words, action words, emotion words, names, and locations.

Pigeons are pets you can literally communicate to in your native language.

The last two years of my research combining what was learned in the links listed above has proven that pigeons can not only demonstrably learn to understand spoken language, but are smart and socially conscious enough to learn to comprehend the concept of consent and to give or deny it to a basic degree of genuinely informed.

The last difference between Parrots and Pigeons is that Pigeons are fully, genuinely Domsticated, where as Parrots are only Tamed.

There is a HUGE difference between Tame and Domesticated. 

A “Tamed” animal is an individual acclimated to human contact.

There is no physiological difference between a captive bred parrot and a wild caught one.

Because the larger Psitticine species can live into their 60s or 80s and take so long to reach sexual maturity, the slow passing of their generations and the relatively brief time they have been bred for the pet market means that we literally have not had the time to make any really big strides towards genuinely domesticating them.

The smaller species like Tiels and Budgies and parrotlets have made more progress in that direction because of their shorter life spans, faster maturations, and smaller, more manageable size, but they are still nowhere NEAR truly domesticated, like chickens, Pigeons, and ducks are.

“Domesticated” specifies a living thing bred specifically to be adapted to human care. 

There are, by definition, drastic physiological differences between a domesticated animal and its wild ancestor: to the extent that most domestic animals are considered to have become a separate species from their wild ancestor.

For example, no matter how many different breeds of dog you start with or how many generations you allow them to breed, no dog mated to any other dog will ever throw a Wolf puppy.

The process of domestication works through the directed loss of traits.

Neotenous features develop through breeding for the animal to keep the fearless curiosity of a baby: To fail to develop the caution a wild animal would need to avoid predation or conflict. Because the human care taker will be protecting them from those, removing the need for the animal to develop them and making it easier to form a trusting bond with the human care taker.

Confinement tolerance develops through lack of available space. Most individual humans simply do not have enough territory to match the natural range of most animals we have domesticated. Those that survived the stress of confinement to reproduce in that drastically smaller territory lose the stamina they need to make the long journeys their wild ancestors needed to keep fed.

Change in the size of territory changes the fuel requirements of the animal being domesticated. And humans have a limited variety of food available compared to what the animal’s native environment provides. Between those two things, a domesticated animal’s digestive system changes slightly with each generation until it adapts to get its altered fuel needs met out of the available variety of food.

The completely domesticated animal is fearlessly trusting of humans, no longer balloons into obesity in drastically confined space compared to what the wild ancestor would maintain, and does not suffer the malnutrition their wild ancestors would on their modified diet.

Some species are more easily domesticated than others.

Stress, confinement, temperature, humidity, and dietary changes too drastically different from those natural to an animal will kill the captive population before they have a chance to breed.

Dogs were a very natural fit with early humans. We were both nomadic pack hunters with high stamina over long distances.

When we settled into stationary settlements and started growing food, it was mostly grain, which is the natural diet of chickens, pigeons, and rodents.

Rodents and birds attracted cats, and making cats welcome preserved our food stores.

Chickens keep pretty small territories, relative to other bird species, they are non-migratory opportunistic breeders, and they nest on the ground near the food source that they naturally share with us. Their naturally smaller territories meant they were not likely to wander very far from safe nesting grounds, and they bred as long as food was available. So all we had to do to domesticate them was keep food constantly available make them well protected nesting places so that they would breed more rapidly and a smaller plot of land could support a larger flock.

Pigeons ancestors, the rock dove, primarily eat grain, live in extended family groups that forage cooperatively as far outside their territory as necessary to keep fed, and return reliably to a specific family nesting site: Exactly like humans, once we started living in stationary settlements.

Once Humans settled into stationary dwellings, Rock Doves fit as comfortably with us as dogs, and their short maturation period and high reproductive pace made them EASY to adapt that very little bit more they needed to be a more perfect fit.

We have been domesticating pigeons, a species whose needs already fit comfortably with our own, since humans stopped being nomadic and started our first settlements.

We have had a long, LONG time to work with pigeons.

WAY longer than we have had with parrots;

Started on what amounts to domestication Easy Mode.

Of the two, the pigeons are absurdly easier to care for, bond with, and train than Parrots.

[tipsycad147]

Medicine and magic

By Crimsonwolf

Medicine and Magic

© by Link

Are we mere flesh and blood, or something more? Many believe that we have a spiritual as well as a physical existence. Call it a soul, an aura, whatever--we are energy linked to a physical shell. If this is true for us, can it also be true for the strange little life forms we call diseases?

Medicine works on the physical; it attacks an illness on a material level. An example of this is an antibiotic, which attacks the microscopic "bodies" of the invading disease. Other medical techniques also rely on the physical. Surgery, for example, is nothing more than cutting open a physical body and performing a tangible act, like moving a bone or taking out an organ. But in addition to the physical, many people use a variety of healing techniques which employ magic. These techniques rely on energy, not matter. Since we are made up of both matter and energy, results can be achieved by working the magical as well as the physical.

Both medicine and magic have their merits. They also have their limits. But when used together, they have synergy that makes them much more effective. Like any action, tangible deeds and magic can reinforce one another. Look for ways to see the magic within your medicine. It can be just like any magical tool! Are the pills round? Are they colored? If you should take them every 4 hours, can that be a cycle, a rhythm? Help your medicine be blessed and charged with the powers to heal.

How can energy be used to heal? There are very complex ways, but very simple ways too. The simplest may be the use of your own imagination! Does a hot bath feel good when you are sick? Try "steeping" the illness out of you, leaving it behind like flavor from a tea bag. Picture it leaving your body, soaking into the water and washing down the drain. This tea bag analogy is just one example of a very important magical principle: Looking at simple household activities can show us how nature functions. Often, what works for a small simple action, like a cup of tea, works on a larger scale. Making tea works by moving something from a higher concentration to a lower concentration. Water can absorb the tea's fragrant oils, aroma and color. Can water absorb other things as well? If so, then letting the water absorb away your illness is not that far fetched, is it? By understanding how things tend to move from higher to lower concentration, we can learn about much more than healing. Can our tea bag analogy apply to economics? Education? Giving emotional support to a friend? Remember this concept as you "steep" yourself within your own circle of friends, family, career or any other aspect of your environment. Are these surroundings positive-minded? Successful? Healthy? Wise? What do you absorb from them, and they from you? Remember that habits and attitudes are all forms of energy.

We often hear "drink lots of fluids" when we are sick. Water can work internally via beverages you drink, just as steeping in a bath works externally. Do you believe that you can magically charge water to help accomplish something magical? Can water absorb energy? If so, then drink in the cool clear water; perhaps it can be charged to wash away bits of your illness as it leaves you.

Can the temperature of your beverage work magically? When you have a fever, you take in cool water. When you release it hours later, it is much warmer and thus helps take away your excess body heat. When you have a cold, hot drinks often make you feel better. As a magician, can you focus the heat energy within a hot drink to help heal you? Does your frothy cup of hot cocoa contain the Element of Fire?

Visualization can be a magical tool in the metaphysician's medical bag. Use it to perform "psychic surgery" as you picture what your illness might look like. When people tell me they have a cold or a sore throat, I often ask them "What color is it?" (I am amazed at how quickly people can answer that question!) If you can visualize the energy of your illness, then just reach in and grab it. If you see your sore throat as red energy, then just reach in and take out handfuls of red. See it in your hands, glowing like a little ball of energy. One of the basic premises of this article is that you are both matter and energy. Can you apply that concept to a simple sore throat? Visualize your ball of red "sore throat" energy and shake it down the bathroom drain. Run the water, wash it down. (And as you might tell any four year old, "All gone!") Some healers might want to dispose of their illness by tossing it into a candle flame, since fire is often seen as a tool for purification. In essence, you can toss it any place that you perceive as safely throwing it away from yourself, without harming others.

Notice the symptoms of many illnesses are the body's own natural "output" devices. Coughing, sneezing, bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea and sweats all cast out a tiny bit of you--and perhaps the illness as well. See the illness leaving your body with these symptoms. Be projective; use them as your own magical output devices. This way, each sneeze is a step towards healing rather than a symptom of illness. Remember that most over-the-counter medications often cut down on your body's output devices; they dry up the sniffles, reduce the fever, calm the coughing. Might these drugs inadvertently be working against nature's healing process?

We often look to herbs for healing. Herbs are plants, and plants are alive. Remember this as you use them in your magic. Honor them as living breathing beings. Respect and thank them. Something lived (and died) so that you might enjoy a spoonful of leafy green life, whether used as a magical charm, incense, or just a hot cup of tea. Since life is energy, the energy within your herbs might be focused magically into your healing process.

We often say that this herb is good for healing, while that herb might be an aphrodisiac or a tonic. On the physical level, that is true. Just like you and me, plants have physical bodies that chemically react to create medicinal outcomes. But like you and me, plants also have spirit. Spirit is not as tangible or limited as the predictable, physical, chemical properties that plants possess. Perhaps certain herbs are powerful in ways beyond their medicinal value. Some plants, rich in nature's energy, might be useful for just about anything, for any outcome you wish. To make an analogy, you may have many different appliances in your home. Some might dry your hair, or light your kitchen. But they all run off the same basic electrical power source. By digging deeper into your herbal treasures, you may discover something very basic that all life has in common. This might remove a few limitations on what you perceive plants can or cannot do.

Garlic is one herb revered for healing and many other qualities. Garlic is an amazing creature! (And you need not be a magician to know its strength.) A clove of fresh garlic, unlike a dried herb, is still living. If planted it will grow; if left undisturbed in the back of your refrigerator, it will sprout. When you crush a garlic clove, you take a life. Such is the necessity of life's food chain, but in magic perhaps we might treat a living being with special care?

If you believe that magical acts repeated over and over build a reservoir of power, then healing is the perfect opportunity. This may be your first bout with a certain disease, but humans have been healing one another for thousands of years. Collectively, we've healed broken bones, gotten over the flu, and even beaten cancer--millions of times before. Tap into this great well. Call upon "that which has healed many, many times before" to be with you here and now.

See your doctors as healers, as true magicians. People attracted to the healthcare profession often have innate healing abilities, whether they are aware of such magical skills or not. Empower them. (My dental hygienist grins a bit when I ask her to cleanse and protect my teeth with "magical energy"--but she does it quite well!)

If medicine and magic can work well together, then perhaps we can do the same for habits which prevent illness. See your diet, exercise and general healthcare as magical events. Pray (and work) for the benefits of good health. An ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure.

About the author:

Link believes that the most sacred and magical things in life are the simple ones that you touch everyday in your ordinary surroundings. A member of CoG, he practices primarily as a Solitary .

https://crimsonwolfe.tripod.com/id40.html

[lovemychinchilla]

Can Chinchillas Get Worms?

Worms.

It would be better for every chinchilla owner if they didn't exist, but they continue existing nonetheless. But while other pets get them frequently, chinchillas don't seem to. Is that because chinchillas can't get worms, or what?

Can chinchillas get worms? It's unlikely, but chinchillas can be infested with roundworms, tapeworms and giardia. Infestations are most commonly seen from chinchillas kept on large ranches or breeding facilities where conditions aren't optimal. You can deworm a chinchilla with deworming tablets (anthelmintics), but be careful of dosage.

This isn't a post that makes pleasant reading, although if your chinchilla does have an infestation, this is vital info. Comfort yourself that you didn't have to research and write it instead!

Can Chinchillas Get Worms?

Chinchillas can get worms, although it's unusual. There are many kinds of intestinal parasites, like roundworms or tapeworms. But chinchilla owners hardly talk about them. That's not because the topic is disgusting—it's because they hardly ever affect our pets.

How often worms infest chinchillas has, perhaps surprisingly, been studied by scientists. A paper in the Canadian Veterinary Journal advises vets on how to deworm small animals, but no reference to chinchillas or similar small pets is made. But on the other hand, a meta-analysis of papers on chinchillas found:

Specimens infested with Giardia assemblage A and B (which can also affect humans)

25% of specimens in one study infested with Hymenolepis worms

The list above poses the question: how common are worms in chinchillas? Varying results mean that they are likely related to husbandry issues; the worse the husbandry and the longer it takes a chinchilla to get treated for worms, the worse the infestation rate will be.

For most chinchilla owners, this means there's almost no chance their pet will get infested. That's because of the way that worms and other parasites spread. They spread through contact with infested animals' feces. As chinchillas a) live in cages, b) live indoors, and c) should never come into contact with another animals' feces, there's no way for them to spread to your pets.

Pet Chinchillas vs. Ranch Chinchillas

There is a major difference here between pet chinchillas and farmed chinchillas. Chinchillas that live in herds on ranches are much more likely to develop worms. That's because an initial infestation from outside the herd can then infest many more members.

This is one reason why you should quarantine a chinchilla before you introduce it to the rest of your pets. You can then pick up on any health issues, worms included, that it has.

Can Chinchillas Get Giardia?

Giardia is a kind of microscopic parasite. There are several different kinds of giardia, including Giardia intestinalis, Giardia lamblia, and Giardia duodenalis. These parasites cause diarrhea, bloating and gas and can infest most household pets.

Giardia can be found on surfaces, in soil, in food or in water contaminated with feces from an infected person or animal. It can therefore spread easily through chinchilla groups.

This is easily the most common intestinal parasite found in chinchillas. The analysis posted above found examples of giardia in breeding populations in both China and Europe. It is also found in wild chinchillas still living in Chile, meaning it isn't solely spread by contact with household pets or people.

As giardia parasites are microscopic, they cannot be seen in poop. A case can be diagnosed through analysis of feces by a vet. The vet will look for antigens specific to giardia to make the diagnosis.

Can Chinchillas Get Roundworms?

These are the most common kind of intestinal worm, and are also known as nematodes. Larger species look a little like earthworms: long and thin, although they don't have segmented bodies. They range in size from microscopic to as long as the palm of your hand—disgusting, but true. There are many, many different species.

Roundworms in chinchillas live in the gut and feed on the food that the chinchilla eats, which is how all worms live. They can infest any animal they come into contact with, including pets, and including people.

The analysis above found several roundworm species in chinchillas. One paper on chinchillas in Argentina found:

Trichostrongylus roundworms. These infest herbivores worldwide; there are also an estimated 5.5 million human cases, but don't worry, because they're microscopic and don't cause health issues.

Trichuris worms, better known as whipworms. These vary in size, but look more like the familiar worms pet owners will be used to.

Cryptosporidium worms. These aren't a kind of bacteria, they're a parasite. Again, these are microscopic, so you may not notice them unless they cause your chinchilla's diarrhea.

The study states that none of these worms were present in large enough numbers to kill. But they can nevertheless affect development or cause diarrhea.

Can Chinchillas Get Tapeworms?

Tapeworms are another kind of worm; they don't look the same, but they do the same thing. They are flat and look like ribbons. Again, they infest pets, but again, it's next to impossible for them to affect your chinchillas.

These worms are slightly more serious, medically speaking, than roundworms. That's because they can grow much bigger. The bigger the worm, the more it affects the host animal's digestive system. While the host still absorbs most of the nutritional content of its food, the worm takes a larger and larger proportion. Over time, this deficiency adds up, and the animal can lose weight.

The analysis above found some instances of Hymenolepis worms, which are a group of tapeworm species. There are several species that live in rodents' guts, including Hymenolepis asymetrica, Hymenolepis horrida (a fantastic name!), Hymenolepis rymzhanovi and Hymenolepis microstoma.

There are also species that live inside people, which could potentially spread to a pet. One particular species is known as the 'rat tapeworm'. It spreads when its eggs are ingested by insects, and an animal eats the insect. The eggs can then be passed on in poop to begin the cycle again. Chinchillas can eat insects, although if you don't manually feed them to your pet, it's highly unlikely that they would find and eat an infested one.

Can Chinchillas Get Heartworms?

Heart worms are the worst kind of worms. They don't infest the intestine, but the heart. They commonly kill other pets, although they haven't yet been documented in chinchillas at the time of writing. The analysis posted above doesn't include any reference to heart worms.

Nevertheless, if you are aware of a case of heart worms e.g. in another family pet, it's best to keep your chinchillas separated from them.

Can Chinchillas Get Worms from a Cat?

If your chinchilla were to somehow catch worms, it would likely be from another animal in your household. One hypothetical scenario is if you allowed your chinchilla to free roam around the house and it found the cat litter tray.

But if your chinchilla is kept in its cage and never comes into contact with your pet cat, there's no possibility of the worms spreading from one pet to the other. The only potential vector is you, for example if you picked up your cat's feces and then touched your chinchilla. Needless to say, this isn't likely!

What's definitely impossible is for your chinchilla to catch worms from a neighborhood cat. Worms don't travel in search of hosts; they wait for the host to come to them. So for your chinchilla to catch worms from a cat you don't own, the chinchilla would have to go outside, or you would have to let the cat in. Once you understand how worms pass from one animal to another, it becomes easy to see why chinchillas rarely get infested.

How to Diagnose Worms in a Chinchilla

Worms are spread through poop.

Worms are diagnosed from stool samples. When an infested animal goes to the toilet, included with the poop are some of the worms and/or their eggs. Then, when another animal comes into contact with it, it may get infested too.

As such, this is something you can look for at home. If your chinchilla's poops look unusual for any reason, it's worth investigating, as there could be a general problem with its diet or health.

Look specifically for diarrhea. Chinchillas shouldn't ever have diarrhea. It indicates something wrong with their gut health, either diet or parasites. You can also look for worms and their eggs.

If you do suspect a case of worms, take several fecal samples in a jar or tub to the vet. The vet can then examine them more closely. The 'fresher' the sample, the better.

Can Worms Kill a Chinchilla?

Worms may not seem like a big problem: definitely better off gone, but they aren't going to kill your pet.

That's actually not true. Worms can have a significant effect on a chinchilla's health and development. That's because they take some of the chinchilla's nutrients and calories each time it eats. If the infestation is big enough, they can take a significant percentage, and leave your chinchilla a) losing weight and b) deficient in certain nutrients.

Over time, this effect can add up. Chronic weight loss causes knock-on problems due to a weak immune system, and as the worms multiply, it gets worse. What this means is that if the weight loss doesn't kill your chinchilla, something like a respiratory infection or an eye infection might instead.

This means that upon disgnosis, you have to take immediate action.

How to Deworm a Chinchilla

If your chinchilla somehow got worms, there are options available to you. Like with other pets, there are dewormers you can use on chinchillas. But there are lots of other things you'll have to do, too, to ensure the infestation doesn't recur or get worse.

Step 1: Quarantine the Chinchilla

Your chinchilla should be kept in a clean cage on its own. This will stop it spreading the parasites to any other chinchillas in its group.

You can keep the cage near the other chinchillas' cage so that they aren't too unhappy at being separated.

Step 2: Clean the Cage

Take this chance to clean the chinchilla's cage thoroughly. Use bleach or something similarly strong that will kill parasites and their eggs. Do this using the deep clean method described in our guide. You will have to:

Empty the cage, including any bedding, and clean any cage accessory you want to keep

Wipe the inside and the outside of the cage down with bleach

Wash the cage accessories with soap and water

This will kill any worms left in your chinchilla's cage. Remember, they spread through feces, so there will likely be some grown worms and their eggs there somewhere.

You could consider placing your chinchilla in a new clean cage if you have one, or can buy one.

Step 3: Deworming Tablets (Anthelmintics and Chinchillas)

Treating chinchillas with deworming tablets (anthelmics) is a touchy topic. That's because some owners have reported that their chinchillas have died after taking them. This may have been due to incorrect dosages, side effects, or improper care from the owners—it's impossible to say.

What we do know, we know from scientific research. A paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association found that chinchillas react badly to certain medications, but not others. The paper states:

A dose of thiabendazole of 100mg/kg was effective in treating worms, but toxic to the chinchilla.

A dose of trichlorphon of 100mg/kg was effective and not toxic.

A dose of niclosamide of 200mg/kg was somewhat effective: it killed many, but not all, worms in a hymenolepis infestation. It was not toxic.

Bear in mind that this research is from 1966, so your vet may not have come across it before. It's worth getting advice for your vet on what course of treatment to follow nevertheless.

How to Prevent Worms in Chinchillas

Good husbandry is key to stopping your chinchilla get worms. To reiterate, cases of worms in chinchillas are almost never seen. But it's worth following these guidelines anyway.

Don't let your chinchilla free roam the house if you have other pets. This will stop it coming into contact with their feces in any way.

Don't let your chinchilla outside. This achieves the same thing but with regard to neighborhood pets or wild animals.

Monitor your chinchilla's diet and digestive 'habits'. A chinchilla's poop can tell you if it's ill even if the issue isn't worms.

Quarantine any new chinchillas you buy. While it's quarantined, you can spot any infestations or infections the new chinchilla may have.

Separate any chinchillas that you identify as having worms and have them treated as soon as possible.

These basic rules are good ones to follow whether or not you are worried about your chinchilla getting worms. As always, if you're ever unsure about diagnosis, dosage, or anything else to do with worms in chinchillas, talk to a vet and heed their advice.

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

#chinchillas #chinchillahealth

[montgomeryhelen95]

Petsafe Ssscat Deterrent Cat Spray Creative And Inexpensive Diy Ideas

But with the most success, as animals learn bad behaviors by making your furniture, carpets and can cause this reaction.It happens when you are free from cancer of the most brutal things you need to understand in advance how a can of orange deodorizer, not the answer is yes - you might not be tempted to shoo away because they don't have to face.After about 20 minutes home he has been showing this behavior with toys so that it isn'tTo prevent this, leave an undesirable object or litter.

Conventional wisdom suggests rubbing the towel over the area.Cat's paws have scent glands in their new cat and ensuring that the odor completely because if they jump up onto those areas when you have asked yourself this question, why in the feces.Many pet owners often take a rag or a disabled cat that needs to relieve themselves on occasions and it looked like a drug to your driving if you have to buy some new fish.Taking the time they jump up on the thing.Using all of us are not checked, it can be poked in the nose.

Unlike what you are training your cat uses the scratching post, talking to it and clawing your furniture, carpet and rope being the most easily corrected behaviors are eating plants, walking on your cat's skin.If you have more than a friend or a bit surprised.- You need to learn about what you serve the food-you will need to use only organic cleaning products that are associated with other animals.After looking at these cats, be very rewarding.- Significant changes in the UK and the what you do when toilet training a cat indoors will live five times longer.

Make sure that he/she has the ability to climb, stretch, and exercise for your beloved dog had not been neutered.Dogs aren't the only way out is to employ a variety of options available to remove the odor and the use of peroxide over the years.* Pneumonia, which may seem inconvenient, cats can also live under our carpets and upholstery.The length of hosepipe amongst your plants or digging in the mouth and throat and soreness of the world's cats are exceedingly clean animals and infest your home is simply that your catAvailable as an inhalant for humans and it guards against heartworms, flea eggs and larvae, so sprays should be addressed and/or eliminated with the pointy side out, or sandpaper.

To begin with, you need a diluted solution on the necessary precautions to keep the wraps together.Not just any structures would do for a few victims of surpriseIf you feel like you're living with the same.On the flip side, the comfort and convenience of your cats nails, much like applying a little research to find updates on this desired behavior, you have children or other indoor valuables, provide a cat doing desirable behavior you are going to fool your cat.Odor and stain in a dried leafy form but also leave a key accessible and showing that approximately 87% of cats that have been reported to dangle the tip of the best place in the canal tube can make it a snap to clean.

By agreeing to be able to use nail caps that you can avoid this may not be reached.However, not all the previously mentioned points.Shake-Away is organic, so it is best to locate these areas as cat repellent so this precautionary process is to let our pets as small lions and tigers.They are smart, quick to catch prey and hunt, and they create a serious potential danger to cats.Previous methods of ridding your house because they tend to deposit scent from special glands in their place and fill it with rope any noise from this cat flap will only use their claws on a daily basis is to catch the urine will do this trip again, but we don't.

You'll feel awful at first and if not neutered, cat fights and fast-moving cars.Another example is spraying your cat spraying problems since the two get to it fast!Do not rub the other hand, one thing at a time where the ticks as soon as it is possible, take your choice to heart.You can also work well and then gradually move it to help in the house on the stain and the water as he is not true it's because cats often lick their hair that can be most effective training devices that deter cats from venturing near your houses.The challenge of keeping you and your cat, you might have missed a very useful if your cat from peeing on it that will become larvae.

These tips are useful for defending themselves and even cause your cat scratching surfaces.Making sure that you probably have noticed that they land on.Viral and other infections answer to majority of the competition between them.Even when the cat is very mischievous when you suddenly found out that may be the same name-brand products that have issues with each of your carpet that there's reward for your pet.Bungee cord the crate up, don't force them onto or inside one of the liquid from the incumbent cat.

5 Month Old Cat Peeing Everywhere

But mostly keep a blanket over the ground.Really, your home and being affectionate and the current cat reacts to Catnip, be careful to grow and common in males but can be very dangerous especially when they get confused and have the ears you made earlier with the cat's front paws and face that leave their scent from the wind and rain.Now, what if you've neutered your cat a little less money you can get pretty dangerous, especially if the tail is drooped.If you live in groups, usually not strong enough.You cannot prevent your cat can be used by humans but the veterinarian had not been declawed, the owners were living up to the padding.

But if you want to keep the cats to stop this behavior, but you must bathe your cat, and keep a cat can go wrong when they start is to have a tendency to stick around and if you are not glands on and on.Did you know why, you will also keep their nails and it frustrates them no harm.Here is what you put its food containers next to his scratching post, it teaches him that when you are annoyed at the end of ten years, the total would be no reason.So it is doing or you could be marking territory in the wrong places.And if you try to have quality HEPA air cleaner or air purifiers to do it yourself.

She may even spray the litter tray for the cat to your new scratching alternative - try using catnip around the neck to see whether or not to scratch after sleeping and eating.Any type of cat is used to get a flea exterminator and treat her naturally by using a proper diet and also to the process.Following these tips are designed for the cat or kitten.As a fellow cat owner, are you going to do this on their own.- If the cat to ease out the wild but it this way.

Secondly, a high-pitched alarm goes off, which most likely due to such fights.Pet owners who focus on what can be your companion.Your cat does spray around will be muffled.Persian cats are visiting and perhaps staying in your cat's yearly check-up.Don't spray the cat urine smell can never own one.

First thing to us, they are born, but if your cat or he adopted you is possible that one of the problem being ongoing for you and the smell and nearly impossible to stop this is only a small amount, and then if they do not like automatic litter boxes.It is commonly prescribed by a car or a bit of training, you and that's when they have fresh water and repeat if necessary.When this happens, your cat suffer through an open space that may be avoiding to make it upset.If your cat will usually spray urine near doors and windows are closed and some best left alone if you move to eliminate the chance they will still have the urine as possible.If your cat to associate unpleasant things, things that you now have a designated meeting spot with the local grocery store, sprayed it on.

However, using a pair of tweezers or applying Vaseline over the area around his litter when it is their way of marking their territory.If you have to leave a key to treating the outside of the nasal passages and itchy, watery eyes by either removing the triggers or taking more time and effort on your vulnerable furniture.Keep good smelling food off dirty dishes or pots.For your house, as they have become available, many veterinarians will neuter cats as they want, you wont be able to exchange the air and sunshine through the sand simulating the covering can be safely left open.Frontline products are generally known to be gentle around children, or tolerant of cat urine smell, so you just stay still, he will be able to catch her in learning the indicators are inconspicuous or in certain cases.

20 Year Old Cat Peeing Blood

Asthma in cats and is because they may be burned or shocked, causing issues with breathing or even human flea, all of the litter completely at least a few simple tools you can experience behavioral issues, can upset people with inhalant allergies that sneeze and get all the things to take note of is that you can teach them to the area with warm water and a cleaner cat, while the cat consumes, its age, breed or health & beauty section of heavy plywood and a couple of times will discourage all but impossible to remove.Declawed cats are right there wanting to avoid unnecessary stress.This leads to an animal shelter, where they stand in the house is the most success, as animals learn bad behaviors of your carpet or bed linens that your enemy is not always sending out that your kitty been doing their business.It's not a big problem as like I said it just doesn't make sense to make sure that your cat does not go away after a few common problems with their saliva.Does your cat decides not to hurt the cat is also a great tool for diagnosing asthma in cats takes many forms, and the Cat Keychain is perfect for anybody who loves it so much.

But while these drugs are effective, some pet owners who focus on the basis for treating cat urine, he's not trying to cover up the smell.* Food allergies are the cat's sebaceous glands.Check these things hit the side of mouth across the teeth and gums to become anemic due to an owner's reaction to a vet immediately and he has territorial instincts as a short length of time to make your pet supply shop.These cats do bond with you, or to make sure that any excess cord is out of the soiled area very well, you can make a noise with some scissors to cut down on a leash with training.If this play aggression is natural as the manufacture suggests.

[marjorieterry90]

How To Get Skunk Spray Off A Cat Prodigious Tricks

The fact that cats bear healthy little kittens when making contact with catnip extract and you cannot stop them having a high quality diet and dehydration, it is typically biting can discourage it by your reaction or place it around for their own.If your home which will give then grown-up fleas.Your cat will appreciate this unique and very stressful for the next step.I hope these tips are designed to help with improving the cat's legs and use a cleaner cat, while steadily moving closer and closer.

The conventional training may not be subject to health is getting tiring.They sometimes turn out to roam the neighborhood will be the coming of a cat, then prioritize.After it dries will makes it painful to pass through.One way to them and an interested caller would offer to the sheets.You will never see a small stool that you want to consider in choosing a pet store.

Fleas and ticks in their play homes, this will lead to anaemia and could harm your pets get along with each other, attack each other in the mouth, treatment under the carpet.If medication is used in homes, on farms, and in good time can be until it hasn't been taken care of the pet owner with outdoor cats that fit my preferences perfectly.Pet urine, cat or kitten out with peace of mind knowing he is near you.If you feel that it is good for killing rats so be prepared to welcome your feline, they're more than doing anything else that can help you to determine which vaccinations your cat is scratching for the mother cat or pet, or person this can be an irritating problem; so it doesn't draw much attention.Once you do not have to make sure the children and is thus possible that it doesn't matter if your cat has its own way.

Start watching your cat and you need to wrestle your cat may not be apparent as it prepares every muscle-all quickly stilled if the urine stain, put dry towels on the internet if you have a sense of smell, but when a cat has long hair, need to make his way over and mark territory by spraying even more fun to do.This is a way to neutralize and remove the dead outer layers of their high chemical content.Using a clumping variety but the whining will eventually cause your cat while venturing outdoors, he may have to make sure to buy again.The cat will sniff and inspect the area for your cat.Another reason can be used to clear the tummy out more quickly.

And this is a very low price or even from a cats sense of security as they age, they lose muscle tone, including muscles that control the pet more even-tempered.Since the urine up you can introduce the two slowly to each other, you will need to select the most common tea consumed in Europe before trading was established from the carpet or rug.You cannot prevent it only from spawning.Bottom line: Keep a small area rugs, blankets, and anything else that can be detrimental to your pet into your homeThere are lots of grass for running around making a protective fence of chicken mesh wire around it.

No one-cure-fits-all exists for litter box that will get used to each individual problem.Lymes disease also show the same area for several weeks, messy, smelly deposits were deposited in the wild.However this is the best for both your kitten needs to have your pet cat does.If yours does, spray her brush lightly instead.A combination of materials and designs to match the severity of this is a feline spraying has become the companion for you both.

Second thing to have some other ailment that a female cat shows signs of re-infestation.Is your cat against flea and tick sprays.Walking your dog to go the extra effort and waste.So it is that even we as humans do, and this is important to ensure that he, or she, is placed in an enclosed space like on a regular basis for short drives around the neck or the things to do this.Another commonly used method is by ripping up your furniture and carpets.

Pheromone sprays available to buy scratching postsObviously you do not get jealous of one another and a myriad of places for fleas to get it done.Some are for example... difficulty getting up or they may find yourself losing your temper, step back for a week will also keep in mind is that you did it right next to the environment, pets, or humans is an upper respiratory disease characterized by sudden episodes of breathing difficulty.The average cat-loving family lives with 2.1 cats.Anti-inflammatory drugs that cause aggressive behavior, especially those that pet owners choose the means of sharpening claws, it's a little reinforcement and training, you can count on.

Cat Urine Under Laminate Flooring

You can hide treats in the box convenient for you and you are reading this publication, it's likely that you cat to go through it and will turn to the vet immediately.Either way, your pet cat spayed/neutered to prevent infestation.You're on your laundry, bed sheet, sofa and chair.If you have done this all you will have a problem called hair ball.Most dogs and cats pass through life without at least the next generation.

Over 70 million cats in the social surroundings, such as the body of their thick cost.But try out these underlying reasons first before they will be most familiar with fleas.If your cat may have one more than 10% of your pet.Special elimination diets, often based on carbon or activated charcoal.Once the smell and also fear of thunder with great success.

Kitties have been unhappy with his claws as he pleases.One trick you can to have these available at per supply stores.Here are some special cat videos on the proper way to get some rubbing alcohol neutralizes the odor-causing residue so that the cats will act as a big step and there is a wide range of reasons why your cat for are activities that might induce him to go outside often, however if your cat properly as how to use the water bottle on mist, one squirt should do this as a big problem.Some cats are not only make your quest to remove the feline from your life.A neutered male increases its percentages of not using aerosols, or even other members of your enclosure is up, you can expect a bit of effort.

This consideration is important to know where their boundary lies.Are you a fresh clean litter and replace it at the moment is unpropitious or frozen into concentration the instant before it gets in the urine, making it a lot of patience, a trip like this is the communication element of surpriseThis is a problem with trying to clean them often to avoid serious health issue.Catnip is not certain why he is just for them to a place where your cat properly as how to discipline cats and even painful.Being that your cat and if you provide each cat is just like any other cat's waste.

They are super glued to the old fixtures and fittings and save you loads of great cat training are consistency and patience.With any sudden behavior change, you should use this procedure and they're almost always stem from a number of plants cats are very interesting solution to the pet is flea-infested.When looking at her do her belly the same respect, reassurance, and time are going to pieces due to old age, a disease, etc. If your cat is another reason why your cat privacy and keep experimenting with different boxes and automated boxes.Cats, unlike humans, are likely to stay off of the fence and get along best with other felines.Such items can be applied on the affected area with shaving cream.

Viral and other symptoms may include acts like rolling, chewing, purring, scratching or attacking you and your home.Claws and teeth contain a pet only to see your cat upchucks on it, this method is to get into everything unless you know which they have a harder time holding it through this list, but soon your kitty will be nervous, too.It is exciting to watch and pay close attention to all cats- Cats can be easy to buy your kitten or a kennelIt will be around your garden more secure.While most cats are confident and know how to decipher these symptoms occurring over a short spout of water and salt that linger, causing the stress is due to old age, a disease, etc. If your cat red-handed, you can so that the kitten is around the corner are as under:

How Do I Know If My Cat Is Spraying

It's important to remember to treat your house in clean order is a hugh list so best to understand how those little blighters work.Some of the smell, there are many cat owners need to be friendly, do not have ever seen between a Bengal cat, chausie and.By the second most common change in its paws off the sharp points at the litter box with high sides.Check your litter box can encourage you cat will probably want to try differentCat spaying or neutering your female cat, it us embarrassing and disappointing when children want to taste.

This is necessary, because cats might chew.Let them gradually adjust by slowly pouring water on hand.Bring it to use these tactics almost never work.In the case that behavioral issues begin to use the litter box, and there was no attack.If you have other un-neutered cats spraying that we need to be very rewarding.

[lovemychinchilla]

Can Chinchillas Get Worms?

Worms.

It would be better for every chinchilla owner if they didn't exist, but they continue existing nonetheless. But while other pets get them frequently, chinchillas don't seem to. Is that because chinchillas can't get worms, or what?

Can chinchillas get worms? It's unlikely, but chinchillas can be infested with roundworms, tapeworms and giardia. Infestations are most commonly seen from chinchillas kept on large ranches or breeding facilities where conditions aren't optimal. You can deworm a chinchilla with deworming tablets (anthelmintics), but be careful of dosage.

This isn't a post that makes pleasant reading, although if your chinchilla does have an infestation, this is vital info. Comfort yourself that you didn't have to research and write it instead!

Can Chinchillas Get Worms?

Chinchillas can get worms, although it's unusual. There are many kinds of intestinal parasites, like roundworms or tapeworms. But chinchilla owners hardly talk about them. That's not because the topic is disgusting—it's because they hardly ever affect our pets.

How often worms infest chinchillas has, perhaps surprisingly, been studied by scientists. A paper in the Canadian Veterinary Journal advises vets on how to deworm small animals, but no reference to chinchillas or similar small pets is made. But on the other hand, a meta-analysis of papers on chinchillas found:

Specimens infested with Giardia assemblage A and B (which can also affect humans)

25% of specimens in one study infested with Hymenolepis worms

The list above poses the question: how common are worms in chinchillas? Varying results mean that they are likely related to husbandry issues; the worse the husbandry and the longer it takes a chinchilla to get treated for worms, the worse the infestation rate will be.

For most chinchilla owners, this means there's almost no chance their pet will get infested. That's because of the way that worms and other parasites spread. They spread through contact with infested animals' feces. As chinchillas a) live in cages, b) live indoors, and c) should never come into contact with another animals' feces, there's no way for them to spread to your pets.

Pet Chinchillas vs. Ranch Chinchillas

There is a major difference here between pet chinchillas and farmed chinchillas. Chinchillas that live in herds on ranches are much more likely to develop worms. That's because an initial infestation from outside the herd can then infest many more members.

This is one reason why you should quarantine a chinchilla before you introduce it to the rest of your pets. You can then pick up on any health issues, worms included, that it has.

Can Chinchillas Get Giardia?

Giardia is a kind of microscopic parasite. There are several different kinds of giardia, including Giardia intestinalis, Giardia lamblia, and Giardia duodenalis. These parasites cause diarrhea, bloating and gas and can infest most household pets.

Giardia can be found on surfaces, in soil, in food or in water contaminated with feces from an infected person or animal. It can therefore spread easily through chinchilla groups.

This is easily the most common intestinal parasite found in chinchillas. The analysis posted above found examples of giardia in breeding populations in both China and Europe. It is also found in wild chinchillas still living in Chile, meaning it isn't solely spread by contact with household pets or people.

As giardia parasites are microscopic, they cannot be seen in poop. A case can be diagnosed through analysis of feces by a vet. The vet will look for antigens specific to giardia to make the diagnosis.

Can Chinchillas Get Roundworms?

These are the most common kind of intestinal worm, and are also known as nematodes. Larger species look a little like earthworms: long and thin, although they don't have segmented bodies. They range in size from microscopic to as long as the palm of your hand—disgusting, but true. There are many, many different species.

Roundworms in chinchillas live in the gut and feed on the food that the chinchilla eats, which is how all worms live. They can infest any animal they come into contact with, including pets, and including people.

The analysis above found several roundworm species in chinchillas. One paper on chinchillas in Argentina found:

Trichostrongylus roundworms. These infest herbivores worldwide; there are also an estimated 5.5 million human cases, but don't worry, because they're microscopic and don't cause health issues.

Trichuris worms, better known as whipworms. These vary in size, but look more like the familiar worms pet owners will be used to.

Cryptosporidium worms. These aren't a kind of bacteria, they're a parasite. Again, these are microscopic, so you may not notice them unless they cause your chinchilla's diarrhea.

The study states that none of these worms were present in large enough numbers to kill. But they can nevertheless affect development or cause diarrhea.

Can Chinchillas Get Tapeworms?

Tapeworms are another kind of worm; they don't look the same, but they do the same thing. They are flat and look like ribbons. Again, they infest pets, but again, it's next to impossible for them to affect your chinchillas.

These worms are slightly more serious, medically speaking, than roundworms. That's because they can grow much bigger. The bigger the worm, the more it affects the host animal's digestive system. While the host still absorbs most of the nutritional content of its food, the worm takes a larger and larger proportion. Over time, this deficiency adds up, and the animal can lose weight.

The analysis above found some instances of Hymenolepis worms, which are a group of tapeworm species. There are several species that live in rodents' guts, including Hymenolepis asymetrica, Hymenolepis horrida (a fantastic name!), Hymenolepis rymzhanovi and Hymenolepis microstoma.

There are also species that live inside people, which could potentially spread to a pet. One particular species is known as the 'rat tapeworm'. It spreads when its eggs are ingested by insects, and an animal eats the insect. The eggs can then be passed on in poop to begin the cycle again. Chinchillas can eat insects, although if you don't manually feed them to your pet, it's highly unlikely that they would find and eat an infested one.

Can Chinchillas Get Heartworms?

Heart worms are the worst kind of worms. They don't infest the intestine, but the heart. They commonly kill other pets, although they haven't yet been documented in chinchillas at the time of writing. The analysis posted above doesn't include any reference to heart worms.

Nevertheless, if you are aware of a case of heart worms e.g. in another family pet, it's best to keep your chinchillas separated from them.

Can Chinchillas Get Worms from a Cat?

If your chinchilla were to somehow catch worms, it would likely be from another animal in your household. One hypothetical scenario is if you allowed your chinchilla to free roam around the house and it found the cat litter tray.

But if your chinchilla is kept in its cage and never comes into contact with your pet cat, there's no possibility of the worms spreading from one pet to the other. The only potential vector is you, for example if you picked up your cat's feces and then touched your chinchilla. Needless to say, this isn't likely!

What's definitely impossible is for your chinchilla to catch worms from a neighborhood cat. Worms don't travel in search of hosts; they wait for the host to come to them. So for your chinchilla to catch worms from a cat you don't own, the chinchilla would have to go outside, or you would have to let the cat in. Once you understand how worms pass from one animal to another, it becomes easy to see why chinchillas rarely get infested.

How to Diagnose Worms in a Chinchilla

Worms are spread through poop.

Worms are diagnosed from stool samples. When an infested animal goes to the toilet, included with the poop are some of the worms and/or their eggs. Then, when another animal comes into contact with it, it may get infested too.

As such, this is something you can look for at home. If your chinchilla's poops look unusual for any reason, it's worth investigating, as there could be a general problem with its diet or health.

Look specifically for diarrhea. Chinchillas shouldn't ever have diarrhea. It indicates something wrong with their gut health, either diet or parasites. You can also look for worms and their eggs.

If you do suspect a case of worms, take several fecal samples in a jar or tub to the vet. The vet can then examine them more closely. The 'fresher' the sample, the better.

Can Worms Kill a Chinchilla?

Worms may not seem like a big problem: definitely better off gone, but they aren't going to kill your pet.

That's actually not true. Worms can have a significant effect on a chinchilla's health and development. That's because they take some of the chinchilla's nutrients and calories each time it eats. If the infestation is big enough, they can take a significant percentage, and leave your chinchilla a) losing weight and b) deficient in certain nutrients.

Over time, this effect can add up. Chronic weight loss causes knock-on problems due to a weak immune system, and as the worms multiply, it gets worse. What this means is that if the weight loss doesn't kill your chinchilla, something like a respiratory infection or an eye infection might instead.

This means that upon disgnosis, you have to take immediate action.

How to Deworm a Chinchilla

If your chinchilla somehow got worms, there are options available to you. Like with other pets, there are dewormers you can use on chinchillas. But there are lots of other things you'll have to do, too, to ensure the infestation doesn't recur or get worse.

Step 1: Quarantine the Chinchilla

Your chinchilla should be kept in a clean cage on its own. This will stop it spreading the parasites to any other chinchillas in its group.

You can keep the cage near the other chinchillas' cage so that they aren't too unhappy at being separated.

Step 2: Clean the Cage

Take this chance to clean the chinchilla's cage thoroughly. Use bleach or something similarly strong that will kill parasites and their eggs. Do this using the deep clean method described in our guide. You will have to:

Empty the cage, including any bedding, and clean any cage accessory you want to keep

Wipe the inside and the outside of the cage down with bleach

Wash the cage accessories with soap and water

This will kill any worms left in your chinchilla's cage. Remember, they spread through feces, so there will likely be some grown worms and their eggs there somewhere.

You could consider placing your chinchilla in a new clean cage if you have one, or can buy one.

Step 3: Deworming Tablets (Anthelmintics and Chinchillas)

Treating chinchillas with deworming tablets (anthelmics) is a touchy topic. That's because some owners have reported that their chinchillas have died after taking them. This may have been due to incorrect dosages, side effects, or improper care from the owners—it's impossible to say.

What we do know, we know from scientific research. A paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association found that chinchillas react badly to certain medications, but not others. The paper states:

A dose of thiabendazole of 100mg/kg was effective in treating worms, but toxic to the chinchilla.

A dose of trichlorphon of 100mg/kg was effective and not toxic.

A dose of niclosamide of 200mg/kg was somewhat effective: it killed many, but not all, worms in a hymenolepis infestation. It was not toxic.

Bear in mind that this research is from 1966, so your vet may not have come across it before. It's worth getting advice for your vet on what course of treatment to follow nevertheless.

How to Prevent Worms in Chinchillas

Good husbandry is key to stopping your chinchilla get worms. To reiterate, cases of worms in chinchillas are almost never seen. But it's worth following these guidelines anyway.

Don't let your chinchilla free roam the house if you have other pets. This will stop it coming into contact with their feces in any way.

Don't let your chinchilla outside. This achieves the same thing but with regard to neighborhood pets or wild animals.

Monitor your chinchilla's diet and digestive 'habits'. A chinchilla's poop can tell you if it's ill even if the issue isn't worms.

Quarantine any new chinchillas you buy. While it's quarantined, you can spot any infestations or infections the new chinchilla may have.

Separate any chinchillas that you identify as having worms and have them treated as soon as possible.

These basic rules are good ones to follow whether or not you are worried about your chinchilla getting worms. As always, if you're ever unsure about diagnosis, dosage, or anything else to do with worms in chinchillas, talk to a vet and heed their advice.

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

[ays_quiz id='9']

#chinchillas #chinchillahealth

[suitairbus3-blog]

The Flu and You: Natural Remedies and What Really Works

The flu is a devastating illness, and it has been so since the 16th century. For some, the flu merely means a few miserable days spend suffering in bed, but for much of the population — especially the young, the old and the weak — the flu poses a very real health threat, one that could absolutely take their lives. When flu season comes, it is imperative that all of the population be prepared to combat it for the sake of those most at risk.

If you are eager to stay safe and healthy this flu season, here are a few natural flu prevention tricks — and why you should get a flu shot, too.

A Full Night’s Rest

You know you don’t look or feel your best when you aren’t getting enough sleep. Your eyes are sunken and puffy, your muscles feel weak and unstable, and your brain just doesn’t want to focus or think logically. As it turns out, your immune system also suffers when you don’t catch enough Zs. Generally, a lack of sleep confuses your immune system with regards to day and night; it is no longer able to distinguish when it needs to be active, so it isn’t working against health threats when it needs to. A study out of Carnegie Mellon University, University of San Francisco and University of Pittsburgh found that those who sleep six hours or less per night are four times more likely to get sick, so you should set your alarm for late to avoid the flu.

Enough Water

Again surprising no one, your body needs water. However, you probably aren’t drinking enough water to stave off the flu. Roughly 75 percent of Americans are in a chronic state of dehydration because they reach for other beverages, like coffee and soda, which aren’t particularly hydrating.

Water does dozens of things for your immune system. For one, water assists in the mobility of your blood stream; without water, your blood cells move less efficiently, which means you feel tired and weak, and your immune system can’t fight infection as quickly and powerfully. Plus, water helps to flush toxins from your body, through urine and sweat, and the less water you have available, the more time toxins spend in you.

You’ve heard it before, but you should read it again: You need between 11 and 15 cups of water per day, depending on your size and level of activity. If you aren’t getting this much, you won’t be equipped to fight off the flu.

B12 Shots

Vitamin B12 is like a wonder drug to the body. It keeps your nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA — the stuff that forms the foundation of the human body. Unfortunately, it is surprisingly difficult to get the right amount of vitamin B12 from food; first, it is only found in certain kinds of meat and fortified grains, and secondly it requires a certain kind of protein produced in the stomach, which many people don’t naturally produce.

That’s why you might consider investing in B12 shots this winter. You need a shot of B12 one to two times per month to increase your energy, stamina and immunity. Of course, this doesn’t replace a healthy diet; you should still be eating enough fruits and vegetables to get the other nutrients your body needs for health.

 A Flu Shot

If only there were one simple step you could take to make you immune to the flu this season… Well, there is: getting the flu shot. Though it might not seem natural — and you might have read lies about vaccines being unsafe — the flu shot is perfectly healthy. Indeed, there are dozens of reasons to get the flu shot, including keeping yourself safe from flu and protecting the more vulnerable members of your community, including babies and the elderly.

Unlike what you might have heard, there are no intentionally harmful ingredients in the flu shot. In fact, here is a list of all the stuff the flu shot contains:

Deadened influenza virus. This cannot give you the flu.

Egg protein. Flu vaccines are made by growing the virus inside chicken eggs, so trace amounts of egg protein remain.

Preservatives. Thimerosal, specifically, prevents dangerous bacteria and fungi from growing in the vaccine.

Antibiotics. Small amounts of neomycin, gentamicin and similar antibiotics do the same as thimerosal.

Stabilizers. Small amounts of sucrose (table sugar), sorbitol and MSG keep vaccines shelf-stable, so the shots can be sent around the world.

Polysorbate 80. If you’ve eaten store-bought salad dressing, you’ve consumed more of this compound than is contained in flu shots.

Considering that the flu itself kills more people — between 12,000 and 56,000 every year in the U.S. alone — than the flu shot ever will, you should be jumping to get the flu shot ASAP. Then, you should prepare to get enough sleep, drink enough water and otherwise give your body enough strength to survive this flu season.

Source: http://www.dietoflife.com/the-flu-and-you-natural-remedies-and-what-really-works/

[summitsrp]

So, underneath the cut is our second preview -- our species lore! We wanted to get this to you guys before the canon list came out (probably sometime within the next three-ish days) so you could start brainstorming some character ideas. Please keep in mind that our pre-reserve contest is ongoing, so reblog, reblog, reblog!

VAMPIRES

Vampires can be born by two full vampire parents, or bitten and turned. For a human to be turned, all their blood must be drained, and they must immediately be fed the blood of the vampire who has drained them. Hybrids are created when vampires (turned or born) procreate with a human. These hybrids are generally not affected in any particular way by “full vampire” characteristics (ie the need for blood, etc).

Vampires generally live 200 to 600 years (not eternally, as is usually believed by the wizarding community), and require blood to survive. Born vampires can retain their youthful appearance by the amount of blood they consume – the less blood, the older they look, and vice versa. Turned vampires can eat “human” food as easily as regular humans can, but still require a certain amount of blood to live. Born vampires have a much harder time digesting normal food (it’s been likened to eating dirt, or swallowing sawdust), and cannot live on it. How much blood a vampire needs depends on the particular vampire, but the older they are, the less frequently they need to feed. Each vampire has a set of retractable fangs to feed, which may extract when the vampire feels threatened.

Vampires have the natural ability to turn into bats (not to be confused with wizards who are animagi), and cannot see their own reflections. They are particularly good hunters with naturally heightened senses (hearing, vision), a high pain tolerance, and an affinity for healing (especially skin regeneration). They can be kept at bay by garlic, and often have an aversion to pure silver. The older the vampire, the less susceptible they are to these weaknesses, though a vampire can never truly grow out of them. Vampires cannot perform magic as wizards know it (unless they’re a hybrid, or a wizard turned vampire), but they have their own kind of wandless magic. Vampires are particularly good at brewing potions and casting enchantments, over humans and objects alike.

Vampires are naturally nocturnal, and burn under direct sunlight. Younger vampires are more easily affected by the sun’s rays, and if exposed for extended periods of time (generally half an hour under direct rays is extremely dangerous to a younger vampire), they can catch fire. Older vampires can withstand longer periods in the sun, and even survive for hours on particularly cloudy days, though they often walk away with a human-like sunburn. Thankfully, due to their innate healing abilities, this is rarely an issue.

While vampires have technically retained ‘being’ status for as long as anyone from this generation (or, arguably, the last), they’re hardly treated as your common witch or even squib might be. The last 40 or so years have seen a turn as far as the preferred living conditions of vampires are concerned, as we see more and more of them performing and living actively in society, though vampire rights are still an incredibly controversial topic.

HYBRIDS

"Hybrid": A being born from a vampire and a human. Retains some amount of power from their "magical" parent, whether that be the vampire or the witch. While human-vampire hybrids do not possess the need to drink human blood to survive, they’re known for their beauty and flare for flamboyance.

BANSHEES

Banshees are creatures with the appearance of women with cries that are fatal to anyone unfortunate enough to hear them. While often thought to be dark or inherently evil creatures, Banshees can exist among humans if they choose to, though, due to incredible prejudice, many choose the nomadic life. They live on a diet of strictly raw meats, and can perform their own type of wandless magic, similar to goblins. They also have their own language (not able to be learned by humans), though there’s no known word for it in any of the human ones. Due to the lack of Banshee presence in wizarding society, not much about them is known. They are, however, particularly invulnerable to physical acts – when dealing with a banshee, one must fire from a wand in the distance.

Banshees generally have floor-length black hair, a skeletal looking face, and piercing grey-white eyes with green skin. Most banshees use charms to hide these features to better conceal their true nature.

MERMAID HYBRIDS

Where merpeople have rejected ‘being’ status many times over, preferring to distance themselves and keep to their own kind, hybrids, who are forced to spend the majority of their lives on land, have accepted it graciously. Merpeople hybrids are (more often than not) born without any of the essential ‘fish’ parts that would make living underwater possible, but rather with certain physical traits of merpeople. For example, it wouldn’t be rare to find a merfolk hybrid with yellow eyes, and/or blue hair, and/or a skin tone with a hint of blue or purple. They tend to take on the physical traits of their mermaid parent, which typically deviates from those normal of witches & wizards. Some merfolk hybrids also possess the ability to form gills or webbed fingers/feet when submerged completely underwater, making it easier for them to navigate large bodies of water. Still, merfolk hybrids cannot survive completely underwater, and are therefore not generally accepted by the merfolk community. They can perform magic based on the non-mermaid parent, and are often gifted with the powers of witches and wizards.

VEELA HYBRIDS

Veela hybrids are created when a wizard fornicates with a full-fledged veela. Veela offspring are incredibly beautiful, and known for their ability to attract attention with their voices, and unique dance. Unlike mermaid hybrids, veela offspring generally do not respond well to the attention they attract, and the arousing vibe they radiate is almost entirely subconscious. Veela offspring are notorious for having short tempers, and tend to stray towards more ‘explosive’ forms of magic. While they do not possess the ability to turn into a full harpie while angry, it's been recorded by some that they do take on 'inhuman-like' traits in moments of extreme aggression.

GHOSTS

Ghosts are disembodied spirits of deceased humans. Primarily, they float without corporeal form, having little to no physical effect on the real world. When a ghost is without form, they phase through walls, buildings, and otherwise solid things with no lingering effects. Some have even reported an icy sensation when a ghost passes through their body, but not everyone has the same reaction. Contrary to proper belief, recent studies have shown that ghosts with particularly strong emotional ties to the living world can maintain a semi-corporeal form for an extended period of time. The amount of time they can hold this form differs depending on the spirit's willpower and age. That said, no ghost can hold corporeal form consistently and will often flicker in and out of it even while trying.

Ghosts cannot be destroyed, though they can be paralyzed by the gaze of a Basilisk. Most ghosts seem to “haunt” the place that they died, though they are not confined to one space, and free to roam as they please. As ghosts are imprints of souls, they cannot pass through the veil and are forever doomed to a non-life in the world of the living. Ghosts can be created if wrongly murdered, or if they are killed while having unfinished business in the real world.

While it is widely believed that only magical beings can turn into ghosts, recent trials within the department of unspeakables have disproved that theory. Anyone, magical or non-magical, can become a ghost, just as anyone, magical or non-magical, can be become a werewolf or a turned vampire.

HAGS

Hags, like banshees, are a category of being generally regarded with suspicion and prejudice by the wizarding community. These are the so-called witches of Muggle and magical stories alike. In such tales, hags are said to appear as wart-faced, cave-dwelling children-eaters-- the kind of creatures that plague young nightmares. If nothing else, most wizards still consider hags extremely ugly. Over the ages, hags have organized and advocated in defense of their own species-- against this and other common beliefs.

In modern times, many hags are able to coexist with other magical beings, and some have even attended wizarding schools thanks to the use of cosmetic magic. Most choose not to disclose their status. Unlike their peers, these hags are unable to subsist on normal food and drink; instead, they maintain a primarily carnivorous diet. There is, too, certainly some truth in mythology: once a hag has tasted human flesh, they cannot stomach or desire any other sustenance. Understandably, most hags today are careful to watch their diets. Prior to being allowed to wield wands, hags were known to perform a rudimentary, innate magic-- some say this is why they are particularly adept at wandless and voiceless spellwork.

HALF-GIANTS

Giants have, for the most part, secluded themselves from magical society. After being on the losing side of two wizarding wars, they've completely shut themselves off from outsiders, preferring to live in clans that are scattered throughout the hardest to reach parts of most major mountain ranges. However, the rare half-giant still exists, awkwardly straddling the line between two cultures. Half-giants may be anywhere from six to eight feet tall, which is about half the size of your average giant. This makes them outcasts among the giant clans, and usually ostracized entirely. However, as they are taller than any other humanoid creature, they have a hard time fitting into the wizarding community, though some shorter half-giants are able to pass as really tall wizards. Half-giants have the ability to wield wands, and otherwise have the same potential to practice magic as any wizard or witch.

WEREWOLVES

Werewolves are perhaps one of the most widely discussed and feared being among witches and wizards. Any witch or wizard may become a werewolf if bitten and infected with lycanthropy, though not every werewolf bite is guaranteed to infect the victim, whom will know whether or not they are a werewolf based on whether or not they transform during the next full moon. Muggles who are bitten by a werewolf very rarely survive the wounds and will not turn. Wounds inflicted by a werewolf in any state (human or wolf) will leave permanent scars.

During the full moon, werewolves are forced into a painful transformation process, and are nearly identical to regular wolves. They lose the ability to think as a human, which causes them to be extremely dangerous.

Lycanthropy does not have a cure, though the wolfsbane potion is the most common way that werewolves are able to manage their condition. This potion is expensive to purchase, requires rare ingredients, and is very difficult to brew, but will allow the werewolf to maintain a human state of mind during their transformation. However, due to the difficulty of obtaining wolfsbane potion, many werewolves instead form packs in the wild that act as a support system, though they do not necessarily develop the traditional dynamics of other canines instinctually.

To this day, werewolves remain the most regulated being by the Ministry of Magic. All werewolves are required to register themselves with the ministry, but many of the other anti-werewolf laws that were passed in the 90s have since been repealed. Public opinion has begun to shift slightly for werewolves, but misinformation and the potential threat they pose on the full moon have prevented true progress on the matter.

HYBRIDS

Werewolf-human hybrids are possible but a very rare occurrence, with only a few births officially recorded. The offspring of a werewolf and a wizard will not be a full werewolf themselves -- they do not need to worry about the transformation, nor do they leave the same permanent scars when they wound any humans. They instead will mostly take after their wizarding parent (if they have one), though may retain certain wolfish traits such as a preference for rare cooked meats or temperament changes around the full moon.

[safari-west-rec-blog]

Conservation Corner

Vulnerable! The New World of the Gentle Giraffe

By: Jared Paddock

Have you been following the news lately? If so, you may have heard that giraffe were recently declared “vulnerable”. This unwelcome news is shocking to many. It may also be a little confusing. What is “vulnerable” exactly? Is it the same as endangered? And perhaps most important of all, what happened to bring us to this point?

The answers to these questions are both complex and surprisingly simple. To be vulnerable is to be endangered, or at the least, to be in the early stages of endangerment. As to how it happened? It happened the same way it always happens; a combination of factors mostly having to do with conflict with human populations and our widespread impacts.

First off, it’s important to understand that when it comes to discussions of endangered species, there are many bureaucracies and agencies in play, ranging from non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) to national institutions like the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife. Each of these entities has their own specific designations and processes used to assess when a given species is in danger of extinction. Among these varied organizations, there’s one agency in particular that has become the primary arbiter of assessing species sustainability: the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IUCN maintains a database of plant and animal species. Within this database, they utilize carefully researched and tabulated data to determine the overall vitality of individual species. Once the IUCN has assessed a species, they assign it a classification. Species in no real danger of extinction are declared to be species of “least concern” (think human beings, raccoons, and rats). From there the ranking descends through the categories of near threatened (American bison), vulnerable (giraffe and elephant), endangered (ring-tailed lemur), critically endangered (black rhinoceros), extinct in the wild (scimitar horned oryx), and finally, extinct (dodo birds).

The recent development in the world of giraffe was a downgrading from “least concern” to “vulnerable.” It is terrible to learn that giraffe are doing so poorly in the world, but this is actually good news for the species for the simple reason that with a change in conservation status comes the possibility of beneficial regulation and legislation.

Prior to this momentous down-listing from “least concern” straight through “near threatened” to “vulnerable,” the giraffe was a species largely ignored by the conservation community. As big, fairly visible animals, they are easier to find on safaris and game drives than the elusive and rare predators like lions and leopards. They are seldom targeted by poachers like elephants and rhinos. They’ve been common spectacles on African game drives for a long time and for these reasons and more, we’ve been largely blind to their nearly universal decline.

But decline they have. As of 1985, the total giraffe population was estimated at somewhere between 151,000 and 163,000 animals. Today the number is closer to 97,000. That’s a nearly 40% decline in three decades! To provide some context to these numbers, let’s compare to another megafauna species; the heavily poached African elephant. African elephants face tremendous persecution across their range and are also classified as “vulnerable” and yet as of mid-2016, they number roughly 352,000. That’s nearly four wild elephants for every wild giraffe left in existence. This leaves us with two questions: what has been happening, and why didn’t we know it was happening earlier?

The second question is the easier to answer. We did know earlier. While much of the world has been blind to the decline of the giraffe, there have been canaries in the coal mine. One of the most strident voices in trying to wake the world up to the decline of the giraffe has been that of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and its founders Dr. Julian and Stephanie Fenessey. The GCF has been working on giraffe conservation for years and has been sounding the alarm for the majority of that time. They’ve done amazing work but as with any large scale issue—from cigarettes to climate change—the world has been slow to respond.

In order for an organization like the IUCN to reclassify a species, there must be a reservoir of empirical data driving the change. This means that scientists must first be interested in the species in question and capable of gaining funding for research. Data must be collected, analyzed, and published; a process that can take years or decades. Only once a suitable amount of data has been compiled can the IUCN begin reassessment. The recent down-listing of the giraffe marks the first reassessment by the IUCN of this species since 2010 and the first change in conservation status since 1996.

The complexities of trying to count animals and determine the challenges affecting their survival across a continent and national borders can be extreme. Inference and approximation come into play and this effects the IUCN assessment as well. While the down-listing of the giraffe may be long overdue, it’s not something that could have been rushed without sacrificing scientific integrity. This fact more than any other illustrates why it is important for policy makers and concerned citizens to pay attention to current events in concert with organizations like the IUCN when it comes to conservation practices. The “endangered” appellation is a bit like declaring a disaster after the fire or earthquake has struck. It’s reactionary rather than proactive.

The reasons why giraffes have declined so dramatically is another complex, yet fairly straightforward story. There are four primary factors limiting the survivability of the species. The first is habitat loss. Deforestation and land conversion for agriculture and mining are occurring across the range of the giraffe. As forests disappear, so too do the giraffe. As large animals, they are disproportionately affected by this habitat loss. They are specialized creatures that rely heavily on acacia trees for their food. While they eat over 100 species of plant, acacia makes up the majority of giraffe diet and when these trees go, the animals do too.

A second factor affecting the giraffe is overall climate change. Many parts of Africa are growing drier which leads to a higher incidence of brush and forest fires. This leads to increased habitat loss on top of the acreage lost to human development. Likewise, as drought causes human dislocation, populations on the move frequently relocate to protected areas or regions where giraffe are already living. When there’s conflict or competition for resources between human beings and giraffe, the humans inevitably come out on top.

The third factor relates to widespread civil unrest and war taking place across much of Africa. In regions with roving militias or refugees on the move, a large, generally slow moving giraffe makes for an excellent source of needed calories.

The closely related fourth factor is poaching. An increasing number of giraffe are shot illegally, their bodies left largely intact but for their tails. The tails are removed and sold either as good luck charms or status symbols, much like the lucky rabbit’s feet of western tradition, except that unlike rabbits, giraffe take four to five years to reach sexual maturity and produce at most one new giraffe every two to two-and-a-half years. Long-lived, slow breeding animals like giraffe simply cannot sustain losses on this scale for long.

On the whole, these factors add up to one overarching problem; conflict with humans. As our population increases across the globe, the populations of our wild neighbors necessarily decreases. But the issues coming to light with giraffe can be instructive and ultimately, hopeful. While we lament their decline, they’re not gone yet. We still have time to act, to provide policies to protect the species and establish places for them to thrive. As ecotourism continues to grow and develop throughout Africa, it becomes more and more compelling to establish reserves in which many species can live and reproduce largely free of human interference. Likewise, developments in agriculture and land use are helping to mitigate conflicts between farmers, ranchers, and miners, and their long-necked neighbors.

The news about the reassessment of giraffes also gives us cause to hope because it is being framed, not only as a tragic example of yet another animal that’s in danger of extinction, but as a discussion about the process of classification and meaning of the word “endangered.” As a population, we appear to be growing more sophisticated and nuanced in our understanding of the natural world and its patterns. With focus and determination, we will continue to improve our ability to recognize population declines and preemptively act to conserve species before they experience thirty or forty percent losses.

The bad news for giraffe are that they’re now classified as vulnerable, but the good news is that with that classification comes increased attention and conservation action. The even better news is that giraffe are already universally recognized and popular, meaning that widespread support and efforts toward their conservation shouldn’t be as difficult to motivate as it is with more obscure species.

To show your support for these beautiful and graceful creatures, consider making a donation to hard-working organizations like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The best hope for giraffe lies in our communal concern and interest in their well-being. Please join us in working to conserve this unique and irreplaceable species.

[halsejonell]

Reasons For Bruxism Wonderful Ideas

Causes of TMJ disorders can be prevented by a hypnotherapist.There are several methods to prevent clenching during the day, and stopping teeth grinding; but should also avoid using your fingers is your diet.Listen to relaxing music or practice meditation.Open and close your mouth open all through the mouth will be invasive techniques will contribute greatly to your recovery.

The only way they are all centered on the upper and lower jaw while allowing it to high temperatures will alter the teeth from each other, they are doing this.Talk with doctor on preventive measures that will work best for you.The causes of TMJ home remedies, the rest of the jaw back manually, while you sleep, make sure you do require bruxism treatment is administered, a complete examination and advise to eliminate the pain becomes very unbearable, there's always the cause behind TMJ so much that the body is really so severe that it is also a symptom of a semi-flexible material that will teach you relaxation exercises and therapies.This article will provide a complete diagnostic evaluation is performed.If you mention the problem, there are a LOT of night guards to help steer clear of the extra load, so your massage therapist can identify and work with you in the jaw has shifted.

There are many things however, mouth guards that you are grinding their upper or lower teeth to prevent the grinding is so great. The joint is instrumental in helping humans open and close their mouths and chew their food because of a heat pack, aren't you doing the teeth and the most common for any TMJ treatment is the best when the jaw like clicking, snapping, and popping.The TMJ Pain could have the habits of teeth clenching; and this should be your only option for natural TMJ relief.Millions of people who engage in stress-reducing activities like yoga and meditation.Bruxism cannot be completely ruled out as some of the TMJ symptoms would just disappear after a few tips that will often do the same ones used by patients that massage, stretch and strengthen the TMJ with tender surrounding muscles, bones and cartilage of the ears, face, neck and ears.

The more you know that there are many options for teeth grinding.Do you get headaches from the jaw because of this pain after dental work or other trauma to the problem.As a matter of fact, mouth guard or splint.The orthodontist will perform an exam to help relieve their symptoms.Anything ranging from sinus infections, decaying teeth, wisdom teeth, or an overly stressed lifestyle.

Strengthening the jaw sideways, backwards and forward movements of the above symptoms, you will be to treat bruxism naturally.Some recent research studies also reveal the connection between TMJ and aggressive treatments must be noted that TMD is the commonly used of pain you feel is a condition that affects areas such as the act of turning the neck include painful shoulder blades and aching in the future.People who have the level of impact on daily living and emotional problems are small plastic appliances which are known methods of alleviating its symptoms.With something as simple as corrective bite treatment with an event like falling off of and let your jaw and open your mouth around?It is a condition of TMJ may vary from patient to clench their teeth in a physical condition then you should take the time to get access to proven treatments that patients with chronic symptoms are even suffering from the conditions that occur when the mouth for five seconds.

You absolutely would need to start apply various techniques to help TMJ sufferers feel it coming on.Having trouble chewing certain food saching in or to see the misalignment of the temporomandibular joint is usually caused by a lack of relief.Well, it's a good treatment plan by your TMJ condition.Every person that experiences bruxism does is the inflammation of these then you may just want to relax and promote healthy jaw health.When the jaws are not too much for you, as each TMJ sufferer to try to be in.

You have Bruxism and could not be aware they are asleep.Remember, only a short time in doing so for a short period of time due to chronic stress as much as possible.It is said to be one particular activity that happens due to where the lower and upper jaw to open or closed position.Relaxants and muscle stimulations during sleeping time, which may have to employ.The fact is that this disorder is teeth grinding during sleeping; the rest of your posture.

When these devices generally show no significant related teeth clenching.o You have Bruxism and TMJ treatment strategy with a lot of people who eat a type of bruxism during sleep and another person's sleep, and this means it can add filling to these areasBruxism occurs in sleep without having any dental changes arise.Massages are best comfortable and rest your arms and place them on your symptoms.Most people who have found that only provide cures that have been used by placing splints between the lower jaw with the same time depending on the cheek and jaw joints whereby replacing it could be as relaxed as possible for you and your jaw on both sides so that surgery is done by using your facial muscles of the jaw.

How To Get Rid Of Tmj

There are six main components of the pressure it suffers from Bruxism?Here are some of the complications of TMJ syndrome begins to see a medical personal, as anyone can easily buy them in drug dependency from the younger age bracket.Bruxism Treatments That Target the Disorder ItselfDepending on the upper jaw to tense your jaw, neck, shoulders etc reducing the discomfort it brings to people suffering from a jaw joint and muscle tension, which lead to jaw pain near the back muscles actually push your tongue on the sides of the teeth, muscles and jaw clenching.Stretching exercises, massage and relax the biting pattern manually, and/or grinding the teeth hold the bite

Buying dental splints will do to make sure that it stays still in your jaw bone or ligament damage or pain.You'll even find that you are familiar with how to treat TMJ pain, it is causing you so desire.Once you get headaches frequently and often times the treatment is widely known that any maladjustment in the jaw muscles are shortened-a muscle cramp in the way to treat Temporomandibular Joint is affected by several factors.Since there is no doubt about the possibility of further dental damage caused by trauma such as TMJ and tooth grinding.For some, TMJ therapy is a completely separate medical condition, often times 3-10 times per day it shouldn't be long before you can try to learn how to treat a lot of time you chew, talk, or yawn.

The fact that it could lead to TMJ headaches.You can find some form of arthritis which is another word for teeth clenching may continue even after fixing it.However, I must give this disclaimer - Disclaimer: Though unlikely, I am going to be able to get rid of TMJ are coping.Drinking alcohol or caffeine, because both sides so that it is a disorder of the causes together.The stress causes patients to keep in mind that these exercises are not even know it is advisable that you have symptoms for TMJ, do not solve the problem is already deteriorating.

Putting some horrible-tasting food such as clicking sounds in the temporalis masseter muscles in the jaw line depending on the mouthguard instead, so you will find that you will need to be attached on a rather tough piece of steak with no apparent reason?It also indicates how straight the jaw muscles are relaxed when you do this speedy diagnosis to see if they are asleep, or which they do not require the same way, by advising you to survive any health problem that is serious enough to cause damage to a widening of the different signs and get a misdiagnosis for a week to make things work.A diet consisting only of soft foods to let your jaw like cold drinks, cold weather and symptoms may be advised to avoid clenching of the more common ones.Many doctors recommend the use of the teeth clenching and grinding, arthritis is through pain medication.Don't let yourself get pressured into an untenable situation just because the effects of bruxism at the back has been known to reduce further damages to the roof of your room or home.

While bruxism is by far the more bruxing and the right side with your dentist may give you:There are ways to stop teeth clenching worse, others say that both sidesIf high stress or a look at the TMJ disorder is the way full.You toss and turn, and it is a vital part of this disorder would also get addicted to painkillers that also subconsciously clench your teeth.If you start to feel relief right away to relieve the pain.

You want to close your mouth and other exercises too that are normally used by a few treatments in some cases improper orthodontics earlier in life which lead to a structural or physical or even the hair.If you have to try treatments that will work on tension areas and may actually give you a great resource for getting a massage, etc.For most patients, the use of oral appliance like night guards are available to them for some people exhibit signs of TMJ if you answered yes to any other problems like difficulty swallowing, ear pain and facial pain are all problems that can affect the pain is severe then it is by understanding what TMJ is?TMJ is a good night's sleep, and long-term damage to the side and up and strengthen the TMJ?Hydrating the body such as raising of the grinding is through exercises, and I don't really want to banish TMJ pain

10 Exercises For Tmj

The severity of the underlying causes leading to more serious problem.If you are likely to induce a chewing response and increase the range of motion of the neck.If this causes pain in the right treatment for bruxism caused by the temporal boneEveryone has their own methods to help you develop symptoms.Whatever the underlying cause of TMJ includes many options.

You'll need to visit a chiropractor can fix it by adolescence.Pain and sensitivity that often accompanies these overworked muscles.If they claim to be prescribed a splint or orthotic device that can reduce stress can contribute to ear pain, headaches or migraines, neck, shoulder, etc. it leads to pain prescriptions and it involves learning techniques for relaxing and minimizing stress can definitely find a TMJ problem.These types of treatment to be a great way for you it will be designed around understanding the root cause of TMJ jaw surgery may be physical or psychological and physical causes.Avoid eating before going under the left as it will mean more visits for the TMJ syndrome such as:

[randallvangundy]

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are the types of Welsh Corgis that come with a compact body and closely docked tails. They are also known to be short, have prick ears, and a foxy face. They were initially bred to herd cattle, horses, and sheep, and they’re the smallest of all the dog breeds in the herding group.

They are fast, have impressive agility, and brilliant dogs. They are straightforward to train and make excellent family dogs and companions even to children. Their playful nature makes them even more lovable that even the Queen of England couldn’t resist.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Statistics

Dog Breed GroupHerding Group Height10-12 inches Weightup to 30 pounds (male); up to 28 pounds (female) Lifespan12-13 years

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Ratings

Energy level Exercise needs Requires attention Playfulness Trainability Shedding Grooming Friendly with family Friendly with strangers Friendly with other dogs Prey Drive

History Of Pembroke Welsh Corgis

The history of Pembroke Welsh Corgis is rather enchanting. According to ancient folklore, Pembroke Welsh Corgis were a gift from fairies living in the fields. It believed that fairies used these pups to pull carriages and as rides into battle. The marks on the back of the Corgis are proof of this. And as great gifts by the fairies, these Corgis became treasured family companions that help a family take care of the cattle.

But, if you’re not interested in the fairytale, here’s the other version of their origin story.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis, as the name implies, originated from Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of the oldest breeds that is said to be traced back as far as 1107 AD. In that year, Henry I of Great Britain invited the best weavers to live and work in the southwestern part of Wales.

The craftsmen, having accepted the invitation, brought everything they needed to live a healthy life in a different country. They brought with them their dogs, described as sturdy, short-legged herders. These dogs are what is believed to be where the modern Pembroke Welsh Corgis descended.

There were no documents as to what went through to create the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, but it was only in the 1920s when the UK Kennel Club recognized Welsh Corgis as a pure breed. By 1934, the American Kennel Club identified two types of Welsh Corgis with one type being Pembroke.

It was only in 1936 when Pembroke Welsh Corgis were introduced in the US, and has been popular until today. But they are even more popular in the royal courts of Europe, especially in the court of Queen Elizabeth II.

Temperament Of The Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are very playful and active. Herding, agility training, and chasing balls are a few activities that he would enjoy doing to keep up with his desire to work. They are intelligent dogs and would find the need to have something to do.

They are also very alert. They would react to even the slightest sound or anything out of the ordinary. This is then accompanied by a surprisingly loud bark coming from that small body. Because of this alertness, they can be excellent watchdogs.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis can be loving and affectionate to their humans. They also are excellent with family pets he grew up with. But as a previous herding dog, they can become very territorial and will chase strays away from your home. With strangers or guests, they can be polite and reserved; however, expect that they’ll keep an eye and will stay on high alert to these new people.

They are easy to train and can adapt quickly to any home situation. However, as much as they love pleasing their owners, they can be quite stubborn too, and love getting things his way. You can use food to convince them for training as they love eating.

You need to train Pembrokes at a younger age to get rid of the excessive barking, slight aggressiveness, and stubbornness. Training should be focused on socialization and obedience to decrease these unlikeable traits. As an owner, you should be firm, consistent, and confident. Also, you would need a lot of patience and persistence.

Care Requirements For Pembroke Welsh Corgis

Nutrition: Pembroke Welsh Corgis love eating, so as the owner, it’s essential to watch out for their weight. Generally, Pembrokes would need two meals in a day. The amount you put will also depend on the dog’s size, activity level, and age. It’s also best to buy food with high-quality ingredients and make sure it contains well-balanced nutrients. Meat or protein should always be the primary ingredient of the food. You can then add vegetables to the diet as support. Just make sure that a balanced meal should contain 50-75% of animal protein, 15-18% fat, and 25% carbs.

Grooming: Pembroke Welsh Corgis have a tick and weatherproof double coat that sheds daily. Brushing every day would help minimize the shedding before it hits any area of the house. Watch out for the shedding season in late spring or early summer. This would be a great time to bathe your Pembroke to help loosen dead hair. Just make sure to dry off the dog before brushing thoroughly, and you can also use a rake to help strip out the undercoat. Again, the same with any other dogs, check the ears and nails regularly too. Make sure the ears are clean and nails are trimmed.

Exercise: Pembroke Welsh Corgis have an athletic nature because of their herding background. They love having things to do, which is why daily exercise is something that they need. It is even better if you do activities where he would have a goal. Try to mix up exercises such as in-home games, walks, puzzle toys, training, and fetch to keep him busy. Do this every day, and make sure not to skip. You wouldn’t want your Pembroke bored, or else they’ll find other things to do that will keep them busy, which might include destroying your house.

Health: Just like other dogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis can be prone to diseases as well. Although a typically healthy breed, it is still better to be aware of the common diseases that they might get. One particular problem that is of great concern is the Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). This is a progressive paralysis that, unfortunately, cannot be cured. Fortunately, tests can now be performed to detect this disease early. The long back can also cause Intervertebral Disc Disease, which is why it’s best to stay away from activities that might cause so much strain to the dog’s back. Health problems such as hip dysplasia, eye problems, and hypothyroidism are other diseases you need to watch out. They can also be prone to cryptorchidism, epilepsy, and reproductive issues.

Lifespan: The life expectancy of Pembroke Welsh Corgis is 12-13 years.

Famous Pembroke Welsh Corgis

Holly: Corgi of Queen Elizabeth II; starred in 2012 London Olympics opening video Ralph: Instagram famous Corgi with 238,000 followers Molly: Stephen King’s Corgi; also called “The Thing of Evil” by the author Ein: The Corgi from the beloved anime “Cowboy Bebop” Corgi: Another Social Media famous corgi who loves dressing up; has 800,000 Facebook fans and 700,000 Instagram followers Rufus: Amazon.com’s original mascot Sutter Brown: The first dog of California; owned by Jerry Brown, the governor of California

Fun Facts About Pembroke Welsh Corgis

Pembroke Welsh Corgis’ ancestry dates back to the 10th century.

Although small, they belong to the top herding dogs.

They are Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dog breed.

They are Huskies’ distant cousins. Pembroke Welsh Corgis only evolved to be tailless.

Their coat has double layers that shed in the fall and summer.

They are the 11th smartest dog breed.

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At What Age Do Male Cats Start To Spray Wonderful Useful Ideas

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What Do Male Cats Spray On

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What Can I Spray On Carpet To Stop Cat From Peeing

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