Hey bro is everything okay? I could tell your heart wasn’t really in it at group meowing today

I just thought this was a good, temporary catio option for people in apartments or without a good space to build a more permanent structure.

You can check it out here.

my brother had a brilliant idea that i wanted to share with other people who have four-legged family members: he trained our two cats to go directly to the door when they hear the fire alarm.

obviously at first the fire alarm sent them scrambling for cover, but he started slowly by giving them treats whenever it went off, when someone burned food or forgot to open the fireplace flu. he then progressed to calling them to the door to offer treats immediately after the alarm went off. and it actually wasn't too long before the cats voluntarily started going to the door upon hearing the alarm.

i think this was genius because in the event of a real emergency we know exactly where the cats will be and we will not have to waste precious time trying to find them to rescue them. i think this method would work equally well with dogs and probably other free-roaming pets such as rabbits, ferrets, etc. and i certainly encourage others to give it a shot!

I trained Neelix to alert me to Sounds. So in the even of A Sound he'd find me to let me know about it. Oven timers, knocking at the door, weird creature stuck in the yard, etc. This has the added effect of being able to scoop him up and bring him to safety in the event said sound is a fire alarm or a tornado siren.

The downside is, when I had a baby, every time it cried he'd barrel into the room to let me know. Even if I was already in the room. And if I couldn't make The Sound stop (because an infant works differently than an oven timer), he'd start biting me urgently. 😅

Confused, but doing his best:

Oh, context is that I'm deaf not that I wanted to create a beast that'd harass me over sounds.

[Image description: a photograph of an orange and white cat sitting on a small Sesame Street-themed chair. End I.D.]

If you test your alarms weekly (you should), you can use that as training time as well.

just so everyone is aware - one of the best ways for bird flu to spread is by encouraging birds to congregate. while the bird flu epidemic from 2022 continues strong into 2023, you should almost always stop feeding birds. this illness can spread between types of birds - you encouraging birds to feed in your backyard could cause the death of the person down the road’s backyard chickens. the disease RARELY spreads to other animals and humans, but it is zoonotic and CAN infect both pets and people, so be cautious and discourage spread of the disease. if you find a deceased bird do not handle it without protective wear and do not let pets interact with dead wildlife. im not going to launch into an outdoor cat spiel but if you have a cat that catches birds regularly, consider stopping them from doing so while this is going on for their & your safety.

[i.d.: two articles found on a google search. the first, an article from france 24, is headlined, “Largest global bird flu outbreak ‘in history’ shows no sign of slowing”. the second, from the guardian, is headlined, “‘Pandemic potential’: bird flu outbreaks fuelling chance of human spillover”. end i.d.]

I've not said much about it because it's hard for me to even voice, but my boy marlon has really really not been feeling well. he's having stomach issues. he's gotten an ultrasound and they say he should get an endoscopy to see what's really going on.

we've waited almost an entire month for his appointment on Monday and they text me a confirmation with a bill for $3800 due in 24 hours. I'm losing my mind. they told me they wouldn't be able to give an estimate until they did their own $275 consultation and then they hit me with this the morning before.

I'm going to call and complain and ask to establish a payment plan, but regardless I think this is what it will come to. he needs the endoscopy.

I'm not the caricature of a pet owner who won't let go. I've been through this many times. he's not on deaths door, but he's not healthy. he's still my happy boy who just wants to cuddle and hang out. I'm going to get him this procedure to see if it's a) worth treating or b) too crazy and I just need to make him comfortable so he can live out whatever time he has left. I want to erase that last sentence because I hate writing it. but he's an old boy. I've had him 10 years. I owe him everything.

ok I suck with asking for anything. I'm hoping to raise like $2,800. not counting on it at ALL I've got $1k I'm fairly certain won't kill me if I put it down now and whatever I can't collect I'm going to pay down asap because debt makes my stomach turn.

please do not send me money if you can't spare it. I make a decent living I'm just shit with money and don't have much in my account. something always comes up and I don't want the fact that I'm a failure to prevent me from caring for someone that means so much to me.

thank you to the couple people that gave us your money. we appreciate it :')

Hanukkah PSA for reptile owners!

Hanukkah is almost upon us (woohoo!), so I wanted to give a quick reminder to all my fellow Jewish reptile keepers to avoid lighting candles in the same room as a reptile!

Even the smoke from small Hanukkah candles can be very dangerous for reptiles, especially hatchlings and juveniles. Reptiles can't cough, so any smoke they breathe in stays in their lungs and can cause respiratory illness very quickly. It's less dangerous on the first night when you've only got two candles going, but by night eight, it can be a recipe for disaster! This is true if you have an oil-based chanukkiah, too!

To keep your pet reptiles safe and healthy, make sure you always light your chanukkiah in another part of the house, and keep your reptiles out of the room while your Hanukkah candles are burning.

!חג אורים שמח

[ID: a simple digital illustration of a menorah with all eight candles lit, placed on a blue windowsill with blue curtains (with golden ties) on either side. The night sky behind it has white and gold dots. end ID.]

This also applies to birds!

cats are small and you can pick them up

but watch out

Special Pickle Man update!

This little potato boy had his 5-year CKD anniversary last month, and I want to celebrate his continued existence on this earth with you.

Five years ago he was diagnosed with CKD, chronic kidney disease. We have been extraordinarily lucky that even though we didn't catch it early, he responded well to pretty minimal maintenance treatment and despite some bad scares has stayed with us for an astonishing FIVE YEARS.

I NEVER expected this. Every day with him is a stolen gift, and I adore him so much. Even when he is being a little bastard.

All I would ask for, if you want to celebrate this with us, is that you try in the next year to get your cat a checkup and have their numbers run. I know money is always a concern because hellscape, but if you CAN, a little preventive bloodwork can make a huge difference.

[IDs: three photos of a very fluffy, smoke point cat with a snaggletooth relaxing in someone's lap. /End IDs.]

*sung to the tune of your favorite song* meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow

How to Make Home Made Puzzle Feeders

Are y’all bored as I am while stuck inside? Are your cats driving you crazy? A good way to keep you and your cats sane during quarantine is to create some home-made puzzle feeders!

All of the puzzle feeders I will be making today are created using scrap recycling and cat toys found around my house. If you don’t have all the materials, get creative and see if there’s anything else you can repurpose!

Egg Carton Enrichment

Materials Needed:

Step 1: Place treats or dry kibble in the bottom of each compartment of the carton.

Step 2: Cover each compartment with cat toys.

Step 3: Enjoy!

Modifications: To make this easier for some cats, remove the toys so the treats are visible. To make this puzzle harder, keep the lid on the carton so your cat has to tear through it first.

Treat Tube

Materials Needed:

Step 1: Put treats into the toilet paper roll

Step 2: Stuff newspaper in both ends

Modifications: To make this easier for some cats, loosen the newspaper or use smaller pieces that can fall out on their own. For a more difficult toy, crumple the ends of the tube so it is more difficult to get the paper and treats out.

Treat Roller

Materials:

Step 1: Cut some holes in the tube (large enough for treats to come out with movement).

Step 2: Tape one end of the tube.

Step 3: Add treats.

Step 4: Tape the other end of the tube.

Modifications: For an easier toy, add more/larger holes. Add fewer holes to increase difficulty.

Treat Digger

Materials:

Step 1: Cut your toilet paper tubes into varying heights. Make sure to cut them to a length shorter than your cat’s legs.

Step 2: Glue the tubes onto your large cardboard piece.

Step 3: Tape your cardboard piece onto a flat surface to prevent it from moving.

Step 4: Fill the tubes with treats!

Modifications: Cut the tubes shorter to make this puzzle easier. For added difficulty, stuff newspaper or toys into the tubes.

As a note: always watch your cats while they are using puzzle feeders to ensure they do not eat anything they are not supposed to!

wow op must've had the zoomies when they wrote this lmao 🤣

just like, random PSA but if you buy stuff at Petco (and I think Petsmart but I've never tried it there) always check the prices on their site because sometimes its like half off and the cashier will give you the online price when you check out

like they don't price check against other stores, but I just had to go get a jar of repti calcium at petco that was listed for like $10 in store but it was $5 on petco.com, so I got it for $5

hey. hey. hey.

pick me up please.

ok. that’s enough of that. put me down!

um. sorry but. that was nice. why’d you put me down? please pick me up again

If you have a little cat. And you come home, from outside. Remember this: they cannot ask you questions in the way another human can. And you cannot tell them things the way you can amswer another human. So when they sniff you. And you let them sniff you. That's them asking about your day.

hirokisan79

Just because you are kitty does not mean you can't play musical instrument