Black cats appreciation post ♡

saying hi

Little sister got big big

because I am aware that photos of rats are popular on the internet, I just want to post a reminder that rats are not cheap and not easy pets. they are cute but they are a lot.

they will chew through their toys and hammocks often, meaning you need to be very careful with what you offer them and you need to be prepared to replace it.

they are very intelligent and need lots of activities and toys to keep them enriched & they need time out of the cage. and the cages you need for them are not cheap— they need more space than most people would think.

the vet bills can be expensive— my girlfriend and I have a group of 6 girls and they have sniffles (not even full blown upper respiratory infections or anything) and the meds to prevent URI infections ended up being close to $100 in all and that is cheap. removing a mammary tumor for one of our girls was ~$500. and we are fortunate to even have a good exotic vet nearby.

they need regular fruits and vegetables to stay healthy and so that they can have fun eating different things than their usual lab blocks.

rats can be messy and you really need to stay up on their cleaning especially with how prone to URIs they are.

also, domestic rats are generally good about not biting but they are still animals! some rats might bite & it can hurt, you need to recognize that while domestic rats have been bred since the 1800’s, they are still animals.

TLDR: rats are very cute but always do your research and don’t just fall for the cute photos! research vets in your area before you consider “exotics”, see what the base expenses are (cage, food, bedding, enrichment, etc), and always try to have money set aside for emergency vet appointments. I love my rats but taking care of them is a lot & they get expensive fast!

this is not directed at anyone, I just think it is important as a rat owner to spread more awareness of the amount of care that they need. I’m always happy to answer questions to the best of my ability! 💞

This is a reminder. I am adamantly against allowing your cat to roam freely outside. I'm very for indoor only, leash trained, catios, or escape proofed back yards for cats. But if your cat is physically capable of leaving your property on its own where it will face predators, cars, poisons, people with pellet/bb guns, diseases, etc, you are an irresponsible owner of that cat.

I don't care what country you're from. No country is completely magically free of any danger to or from your cat. Indoor outdoor cats may be the norm there, but that doesn't mean it's safe. If your indoor outdoor cat made it to old age, congrats it's an outlier. As a vet tech both in general practice and in a shelter I see what happens to most indoor outdoor cats regularly. I have photos I can share, and stories.

You will not change my mind.

I will die on this hill.

If you are upset or angry about this, block me. If you send me messages to say your situation is different, I will block you. If you comment about how x country really is safe, I will block you. I'm sick of this shit.

Since the free-roaming cat people have been crawling into my mutual’s posts, a reminder of where I stand. I’ve already blocked 6 people today.

Please share this and spread the message. Pet safety around the 4th of July is something too many people overlook because it just doesn’t occur to them. Keep them safe!

Toxic Holiday Plants for Pets

It’s a jolly season, until one of your babies gets their mouth around a plant that won’t treat them well.

Watch out for these plants during the holiday season, no beauty is worth possibly injuring your beloved.

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Poinsettia: contains an irritating sap that causes nausea and vomiting

Holly + Mistletoe: harmful leaves and berries, will cause everything from vomiting, to hallucinations, to death

Cyclamen: a winter bloomer, it’s a common gift that can cause vomiting, convulsions, and paralysis

Amaryllis: poinsettia’s competitor, it has Lycorine and other substances that cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy

Jerusalem Cherry: literally in the nightshade family and will easily kill as it is highly toxic to animals

Lillies + Daffodils: especially harmful to cats, these will cause vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmias, and convulsions

Fir/Pine/Cedar/etc. Tree: the center of many homes during the holiday season, its oils are irritants, its needles can puncture their insides, and the water bowl is a cesspool of bacteria, mold, and any chemicals used for its creation and preservation. Especially bad if it was covered with a flame retardant.

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So, definitely not saying that you shouldn’t decorate with or gift these items, but you know your pet the best. If they’re a chewer, keep an extra eye on them, but, of course, no pretty plant should be worth more than their lives.

About my cat.

I think it’s funny that some people think cat’s aren’t loving and affectionate. Both of our cats are, though my cat is especially. She often gets lonely and will seek people out if she is left alone too long. She can’t stand it when everyone is in a different room than her and she will seek out the room everyone has gathered in, give a little mew, and jump onto a person and go from lap to lap gathering pets from each before she settles down somewhere. And if people all move out of that room, she will too once she notices.If you let her she will sit on you for hours. She is shy of new people but once she gets used to you she will happily take over your lap as well. She has the softest fur I have ever felt in my life, and so far everyone who has touched has agreed, including everyone at her vets office. Anytime anyone new touches her at the vet they go around making everyone else feels how soft she is. She hates the vet but she never mews or scratches, just gets really quiet and sheds a lot… kind of like me when I’m anxious, haha. She gets carsick and throws up on car rides which is the actually the worst part of going to the vet. She a rumpy Manx, very tiny, only 6.5lbs, and 17.5 years old. She’s starting to have health problems and it’s making me really sad and scared. We’ve been through so much together. I can’t imagine living life without her. I read the average life span for a manx is 8-14 years old, so I guess I should be happy she’s made it this far but it doesn’t seem like it’s been all that long since she was a kitten. I also read the average life span for cats in general is 15, but I think many of them live much longer that. Have you ever had a cat that lived longer than 15? Our other cat is 12 and he has so many health problems, but when my kitty was 12 she was still super healthy and hyper. I could go on, but I wont. I could talk about, and listen to people talk about cats for ages though. It’s one of my favorite subjects~ In closing, here is a recent picture of my precious baby, Cole.

I adore this

this video cured my anxiety, my acne, my life 

@nicejewishgirl

i’m laughing out loud at my doctors appointment because this is honestly me and my dog on a daily basis

https://instagram.com/p/BT0wnN9grAD/

say hello to Lady!!!!