Daily Discussion Thread: 😴 Tue 23 Jan 2024

I’ve had three from Lost Dogs and one from Lort Smith. Kittens cost more than adult cats. If you want a calm snuggler consider a Senior. A kitten is more likely to climb the curtains and other such mischief. Do not forget to buy a scratching post! How much you send on toys etc is a how long is a piece of string question. Do not leave cats alone with bits of string! Don’t use plastic food bowls. And don’t trust the photos on adoption sites, they are notoriously terrible.

https://www.neko.org.au/ these guys were FANTASTIC. Both mine are from there and I couldn't recommend them enough. if you have your eye on one bring a carrier with you (one from kmart is totally fine) and chuck a blanket in it. They feed them (or used to at least) Royal canin, so if they still do with having that at home along with the essentials (toys, bed, food bowls, water dish/fountain).

Read the profiles, but know they arnt always 100%. If you are in a position to take a bonded pair its totally worth it too. They are social creatures.

RSPCA are great. They match the cat with the person. You are right for the cat , giving it the kind of life it needs, and the cat is right for you.

Lort smith are good, too. That’s where we got our last kitty from

At work but look into Second Chance Animal Rescue, tis where I got my cat. He was 3-4 months old, but they have young, adult, and senior cats too :)

We got our from the Lost Dogs Home. They generally have a good selection of cats as well.

Exciting times for you!!

I went for a mature dog so I'd skip the infant/toddler stages. It worked out for me.

What sort of cat do you want in terms of temperament?

Seniors are quite expensive in terms of vet bills so definitely factor in costs. But they’re often chill easygoing lovebugs that will cuddle. If you can afford it and know how to recognise when they need vet care they’re amazing pets.

With adults their personalities are already developed so you can have an idea of who you’re adopting (though they may not shine while stressed in a shelter).

With kittens you will need two, otherwise you’ll have a crazy bored destructive animal that doesn’t properly know how to behave, ie. playing too roughly and seriously biting you. Look up single kitten syndrome. Also strongly consider using paper pellets instead of clumping litter as some kittens eat it and need the vet.

Also the cost of the pet and startup is probably the least you’ll pay. Make sure to budget for at least one or two vet visits each year, more for seniors. I have no idea about pet insurance.

Just some tips in case you’re not experienced with cats -

Steer clear of supermarket brand flea and worm stuff or flea collars. The collars contain pyrethrins and the shonky flea drops can be contaminated with it too, it’s toxic to cats. Choose a good brand from the pet shop or the vet (by cat’s weight). Never use a dog flea product on a cat for the same reason, it will make your cat very sick or they can die.

Look up signs of pain in cats and know how to spot a uti or blocked bladder (especially in male cats).

It’s a very good idea to feed a lot of wet food (even if it’s cheap wet food and you also use dry) and also stir some hot water from the kettle into the wet food to a lukewarm temperature - this warms it up if the rest of the can was in the fridge but more importantly it gets your cat to hydrate more.

Also while this may be controversial I don’t think Hills or Royal Canin are good food. Vets and shelters will push them but they’re full of cereal filler and very expensive for what it is.

Also if your cat starts getting the runs and stomach aches with everything else ruled out, know that cats can become allergic to frequently eaten proteins. For my cat it was chicken.

Finally don’t overspend too much on toys at first, not every cat likes every toy. Some cats get up high to feel safe, others might want a hidey hole or a box. Definitely get a scratching post and/or cat tree. And some cats prefer scratching horizontally, so a piece of cardboard on the floor is great.

I reckon you should get onto worksafe. That is absolutely not on. I've been on a worksite that had the tiniest bit of asbestos mixed in with the soil in some areas (and it was all wetted down and not friable) but there was a full blown asbestos inspector on site and they were very strict about PPE. Had to throw out your coveralls even if you just wanted to pee

Can I suggest you keep your doors and windows closed. Hose down your driveway and paths. Wipe everything in your house down with wipes. Switch on air filters in your house, if possible have the air current draw away from where you spend most time. Even your vacuum cleaner can help as it has filters.

What kind of doughnuts?

It's great that plasma TVs can still be used. External smart tv devices like firestick and chromecast can really extend the life of "dumb" TVs. I bought such a device off a mate's mate who was clearing out his and his mum's stuff before they all moved abroad. Just need a decent screen and let the smarts happen elsewhere.

recycling is cool 😊

I’ve been doing this since I was young

I absolutely loved to sit in cafes and also when Borders was around in Chadstone I’d sit upstairs looking down.

I don’t think too much of it but I appreciate and enjoy the going’s of life and watching odd things happen along the way as people go through their normal lives or days.

One such memory was I was at a cafe with a freeing but I was staring and looking outside at the people having their own lunch and some of them brought their dog with them.

Well the dog was pretty well behaved but restless and kept moving hut eventually the dog managed the wrap it’s lead around their owner’s chair without knowing.

I didn’t stay long to see what happened in the end but it’s still just a fond memory and nothing much about it is profound.

You just take those little moments to enjoy what happens in life.

I think you've just copped a dose of tout lasse, tout passe, tout casse. Happens to us all.

🤬

Maybe keep an eye on who is ordering a whole box (or 2) of Who Gives a Crap ...

In all fairness, so many people plant chillies as ornamentals only that the culprit MIGHT have thought that they would go to waste if not harvested. Maybe grizzle a bit at the next owner's corp meeting about theft of chillies.

Or (heh heh) put a placard up against the plants - with something like "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!"

Noooooo!

We need vera on the case unacceptable behaviour!

It might not be a neighbour, I had all my chilis stolen overnight by a rat a couple of years ago. I blamed possums initially, but then I found the rat's nest in a pile of timber and it was stuffed full of chilies 🤣

The shitting thing is that I woke up and checked the metro page preying for an outage so i didnt have to get out of bed, it was clear so I got up only to sit on the train for nearly 2 hours.

At work, wishin I was on the train,
Being here is causing so much pain.
At work, wishing ill on my coworkers,
Would -I- be at fault if I went bezerk-ers?

If the burn is still red tomorrow, then def see a dr as it's probably a 2nd deg burn. If it subsides overnight then that seeing a dr may be overkill for a 1st deg burn. Hope it goes away overnight for you. Burns is horrible painful. I'm not sure what the current advice is for 1st deg burns. Maybe a nice g & t will help you sleep.
EDIT: misspelling

You may need to see your GP to help clear the post viral cough.

X-Files is a classic but does go downhill towards the end. Make sure you watch the first film at the right time in the series!

First two seasons have some absolute classic episodes though (I'm currently on a rewatch)

My cough hung around for 2 months, but I’m also asthmatic

Taxes... leave a lot to be desired

Enough said, really.

Toast & tea please.

Ramen maybe?

It was a bit of a slog lugging around the pressure washer on a slope in the afternoon heat but I can't describe how grateful I am that it's not a muggy night. I have definitely earned my sleep tonight!

Someone was hit at Parliament. Someone was also hit earlier on the Pakenham line.

A downvote?? I didn't think my question was contentious lol

I used to have to travel to Footscray for uni all my connecting trains ran straight from flinders to spencer and vice versa.

On public holidays I was always forced to use a train to take the loop and also weekends as well.

I think also what happens is that some trains that go north bound will be forced into the loop.

That’s all I know from my experience.