Soft, sweet, and highly trainable. Cats are the number two most common pet in the United States. I bet you thought I was describing dogs, cats are also some of the most misunderstood common pets that humans keep. They are hard to motivate but once you find what does(be it toys affection or food) then you’ll find your feline friend is just as smart if not smarter than Lassie, and don’t get me wrong they are limited in what can be taught to them but basic obedience and minor agility(on command) is very doable. 

Cats self-domesticated about 10,000 years ago, in the Middle East around the fertile crescent area. Felius Familiaris still carries most of the same traits as their wild ancestors like long tails used for balance when running and jumping, keen night vision, and sleek limber bodies that move silently on padded paws. Cat’s pupils a verticle to allow for light to enter their eyes without blinding them, and at night they have reflective tissue in the back of their eyes. The pinna’s(the outer part of the ear) job is to capture sound waves and funnel them down the ear canal to the middle ear. Cats’ pinnae are mobile, and they can turn and move them independently. Their ears help them display a range of emotions from calm and relaxed to scared and stressed, based on minute movement and the angle at which they carry their ears you can usually gauge how they are feeling. Their ears paired with the position of their tail, the way they’re walking(or lack thereof), and any vocalizations they might be making. This is why it is very important to get to know your cat and ALL of their normal behavior patterns, if your cat likes to be up high try providing lots of cat trees if your cat prefers to be on the ground make sure lots of beds and tunnels are available to them is very important for their mental wellbeing. Many cats display aggression because their needs are not being met, cats are creatures of habit so it’s vital to have a routine and stick to it. If you set up a routine and then you are not consistent with it your cat will end up very stressed out and potentially lash out. Some tools that could help create that schedule are things like auto feeders and independent play toys, and offering very specific toys in specific circumstances, like if you have to work on your computer for extended hours at a time providing your cat with a puzzle toy will keep them occupied and allow them to mentally exhaust themselves while you work and once you’re done you pick up the puzzle so it retains it’s value.

Another note there: toys that are always accessible are less valuable than toys that only come out at certain times, even if your cat can’t reach it but can still see it it will lose value.

Cats are wonderful cuddly companions that are amazing family pets, but unlike dogs they’ll only put as much work into you as they’re getting from you which is where the misconception that cats are aloof creatures comes from.

Elements of Conure care that more people should know about pt 2

CAGES! Let's break down cages, what does a good cage look like for a conure? For one a good cage has several different types of perches-dowl perches and sand perches should be used VERY sparingly due to the problems they can cause your bird such as bumblefoot which is when your bird’s feet swell up from being positioned in the same way every single time your bird perches and sand perches can be very rough on the bottoms of your bird’s feet causing cuts and irritation. Natural perches are the safest way to go and offer them a huge variety at many different levels in their cage so they always feel comfortable and have the power of choice which will ultimately lead to a more mentally worked bird.

The size of the cage should be AT LEAST large enough to allow the birds to fly around and accommodate their long tails with a dimension of 18" wide, 24" deep, and 36" high. Then you should thoroughly pack the cage with toys that challenge your bird. Note: Toys are meant to be destroyed so if you opt for toys that are made of plastic or similar material that your bird can’t go to town on you’ll quickly find you have a very bored bird. And as I said in my last post a bored bird is an angry bird. When looking at toys for your bird try to stay away from toys with mirrors, these can cause your bird to hyper-fixate on their reflection and will cause them to be depressed once the mirror is removed, small bells that can catch and cut bird tongues in the middle. Toys made of different shreddable materials and foraging toys should be the go-to, and you should have LOTS of them.

Your bird should have food and water on multiple levels of their cage(if this isn’t possible it’s not the end of the world) and should have lots of foraging toys full of treats, or just forgo the use of food bowls and strictly feed from foraging toys but do so slowly since the birds do have to learn how to actually use the toys providing them with a small bowl of food while they learn is very important. 

And, like I said in my last post, these are NOT cage pets. Conures need to be out of their cage as often as you can let them be, making sure their cage is set up properly is important but also getting them the exercise of being out of the cage is essential.

Elements of conure care that more people should know about pt 1:

They form very deep emotional connections, very similar to the bond you would experience with another human, and as such they need all of the time and attention that you can give them. They also need to be highly socialized or else they will become protective of their person and they could become aggressive towards others, they are naturally shy animals and are very cautious in new situations.

And just like a bond you would have with a human conure personalities vary bird to bird(this goes for just about all animals). If I'm talking about just Jackie I would describe him as curious and very sassy, he likes to be the center of attention and is very needy. He loves to be close to me and out and about and just involved in everything I'm doing. He understands my routine and has even figured out how to get the cats in trouble.

That Bond is not unique to us but it took us a lot of work which is another thing people need to very much understand. Conuers are not easy pets, they are not cage pets like finches or anoles these animals need to be involved in everything you're doing and they need mental stimulation more so than smaller birds because if you do not meet the mental needs of your bird they will become destructive and very antisocial, on days when I'm not able to spend as much time with Jackie as he needs he often is very nippy.

Bringing us to point number three of part 1, Conuers need to be trained. There are several amazing YouTube channels out there that have helped me a ton but they need to be trained because they are essentially toddlers with can openers on their faces and if they are not taught bite inhibition they have the ability to break skin, which is very daunting for a lot of first time bird owners.

I'm just a puppy waiting at the door

Waiting for you to walk through it

My ears once held high now lay on my head

My tail that once wagged so furiously now lays still at my side

I call for you but you don't come

Just a puppy waiting at the door

YOU’VE SET UP YOUR TANK! CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve got your cute little school of mollies and tiger barbs...but you want more(or you want another tank). Here’s a list of the most common fish in the hobby and some information about them.

Mollies, swords, guppies, and tiger barb-I covered these little fish in my last post about fish

Bettas- otherwise known as Siamese fighting fish, need at least 5 gallons with a heater and a filter. Small “betta bowls” should NEVER be used due to their size and shape(which makes it almost impossible to have a heater and filter). NEVER put two males together no matter what size the aquarium is the males will find each other and fight to the death of one or both(I speak from experience with a 125gal). Depending on your experience and comfort level you can put a single male in a community tank(a tank with multiple different kinds of fish) but monitor your new male to make sure that he’s not being aggressive but also make sure he’s not being picked on. Females are much more docile and sweet, at intermediate comfort level and above you can attempt to do a sorority tank-which is 20+ gallons with an ODD number of females all about the same size. If you attempt this remember NEVER add only one at a time.

Tetras- there are many different kinds of tetras the most common you’ll find are neon tetras, black tetras, and white tetras. These fish make very good community fish and need schools of 5 or more per species you have. If you get one white tetra, two black tetras, and two neon tetras they won’t school together. They need water temperatures between 75-80 degrees and they can be housed in a tank as small as 10 gallons (neons only). They originate in Africa and central and south America.

Plecos- DO NOT buy common plecos UNLESS you have more than 125 gallons to offer. These are pond fish and are VERY VERY dirty. They are not good cleaner fish at all and grow to be about 2ft long from the tip of the nose to the end of their tail. There are many different kinds of plecos so if you are dead set on having one in your tank PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research and don’t just buy the first one you see at the store because it’s small and it fits right now.

Snails- I LOVE SNAILS! There are two different kinds of freshwater snails that are common in the hobby: Nerite snails which can’t reproduce in freshwater and Mystery snails which abundantly reproduce in freshwater(this is another one that you’ll either have to have multiple tanks or you’ll need to knock down the egg cases due to there being so many stores won’t take them). Nerites have a beautiful spiral of lighter colors and darker browns. Mystery snails come in a wide range of colors from brown to blue they are all beautiful. If you have snails in your tank you need to be aware they are sensitive to most medicines marketed towards fish tanks so you’ll need to cut the dosage in half and treat less frequently.

Coy and goldfish- THESE ARE POND FISH ONLY! They grow to be over 3ft and are VERY messy! They come in lots of pretty colors and are wonderful additions to any and all ponds, they eat pellet food and are generally peaceful overall.

Who doesn’t love the sound of running water? It’s so peaceful and calming! That’s one of the top reasons people set up aquariums because the tranquil peace of the water and the calm movements of the fish. BUT actually fish are quite a bit of work when all’s said and done, from researching the different requirements of each fish to the actual setup process. I’m going to break down a few basic fish and their care and the setup process that I went through with my 55gal aquarium.

First things first: RESEARCH!! So you know you want a fish, and you have an idea of how you want the tank set up but Holy Moly there are so many choices! So you need to decide how many hours a week do you want to spend on maintenance? If you don’t want to spend a lot of time on your tank(contrary to what you might think) get a bigger tank. There will be less fluctuations in your water parameters and levels, you also have a lot more possibilities open to you. Any tank 2gal and under SHOULD NOT HAVE FISH IN THEM!! So you’ve decided what size tank you want, a 30gal is about medium-sized and is recommended for beginners, now what do you put in it? Well you need to decide if you want a salt tank or a fresh tank(I personally only do fresh, I’ll make a separate post about salt) since fresh is so much easier that’s what a lot of greenies to the hobby go with, and have no fear there are still plenty of colorful options available to you. If you decide to get a bigger tank(75+gals) you’ve decided you’re ready for a bit more monitoring, and I’d recommend a cichlid tank. Yellow labs are very nice beginner cichlids( note: cichlids aren’t beginner fish due to their aggressive temperaments) so are angelfish but if you do angelfish you have to make sure you get solely one gender or else there will be lots of fighting as they pair off and begin to mate. A good beginner fish for a 75gal aquarium is mollies, guppies, platys, and swords; all of these fish can cohabitate together, and maybe even adding some tiger barbs would be beautiful. Mollies, guppies, and swords all like water temps of anywhere from 79-85 degrees and are pretty resilient when it comes to parameter fluctuations. Tiger barbs are also very resilient fish and enjoy similar water temps.

Make sure you have your tank set up and running for about a month before adding ANY fish, this is to allow the good bacteria that the fish need to survive to build up and grow. Make sure when you’re doing your research to look into the nitrogen cycle and take very good notes on it because knowing this will help get you off to a better start. If you add fish too early they will all die due to lack of good bacteria.

Second: WHICH FISH TO BUY? You’ve done your research and decided on a 55gal molly tank. Now...where do you go for the best and healthiest fish? My best recommendation is to go straight to the source, find a breeder or someone looking to give away their fish, or if you can’t find a breeder or private seller try to go to your nearest mom and pop shop-due to their smaller size they’re able to better maintain the health of all of their animals and fish. As previously mentioned mollies enjoy 79-85 degrees and are very peaceful, they are good with almost all other peaceful fish. Mollies need to be kept in the ratio of 1 male to 3 females. BE AWARE: MOLLIES BREED LIKE NO TOMORROW IN GOOD WATER CONDITIONS AND RATIOS, FEMALES EAT THEIR BABIES SO IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THEM JUST KNOW THAT MOST STORES WON’T TAKE THEM IN. Swords are the same basics as Mollies and the only difference with Guppies is that you only need 2 females for every 1 male. Tetras are another basic fish with a beautiful variety, however, I personally am not a fan due to their need to be in schools of 5 or more and the fact that they are very prone to Ich (which is a parasite that appears as a piece of salt on the body and fins of your fish-it can be fatal due to it’s resistance to most treatments)

Third: Introducing your fish to the water. This part is the easiest, after you’ve cycled your tank and picked out your long-awaited fish all you need to do is float their bags for 15mins to allow them to acclimate to the temperature difference then make sure you DO NOT mix the store water with your own. I usually empty the bag out in the sink and sift it through a net to make sure I don’t lose my fish and then i release them using the net in their beautiful new home.

Note: Monitor your tank for the first week for any fighting between males and between different species

Cats are sweet, cuddly, and a bit full of themselves. They love to play ut what do you do if your normally sweet and loving ball of fluff takes a bad turn with someone? First thing to do is to remember cats are not naturally social so if you are trying to introduce your cat to people in its later years you’ll need to be VERY patient. If you’ve got a kitten and you’re trying to socialize her keep the interactions short and positive, allow your company to give her treats, and play with her using her favorite toys. If your cat is like mine trying putting catnip all over the area you’ll be introducing your company this will relax your cat and help them associate your company with positivity.

Remember to give your cat space, when you walk in the door with your company ask them to be respectful and NOT chase or pester your cat, when your cat feels like being social allow her to be social but if she changes her mind and wants to be alone allow her that space. If your cat decides to be territorial and refuses to remove themselves when not wanting to be social then don’t raise your voice or scare your cat away this will only create a negative interaction with people and will make it harder to truly bond with your cat. Instead of loud voices and fear use treats to lure your cat away and try doing a game with them. When I was socializing my cat he liked to stand his ground against certain people(I never figured out why it was only a specific group) so I began clicker training with him, starting with basic commands I involved whatever company I had over and he eventually began to associate people with treats and positive experiences. I ALWAYS prioritized my animals’ comfort over the enjoyment of my company, if my friends came over and told me to get my cat I would call him and pick him up but then I NEVER restrained him if he wanted to leave he was allowed to and several times my friends tried to tell me that he’s just a cat. LOL my cat is still in my life and they are nowhere to be found, keep that in mind: Cats are a 20+ year commitment and friends aren’t.

So to recap everything make sure there are only positive respectful experiences and your cat will soon associate people with good! If your cat is older you’ll need to give them a bit of time and introduce them more slowly to people but the same method applies.

This is Valentino. He is a 3-4 month old male cinnamon banana morph ball python. I got him from Chief Reptile on October 9th of 2020. He's a sweet little shy boi, only measuring 1.5 ft right now but he will grow to at least three feet potentially up to four.

Ball pythons need their enclosure temperature to be between 80-85⁰ on the cold side and they need a basking spot of 90⁰. Their humidity should be kept at 80% throughout their enclosure always and it should be raised to up to 90⁰ when they are in shed. Young ball pythons, like Val, should be fed every 5-7 days and older ball pythons like Java should be fed every 7-10 days. You shouldn't handle a ball python for 24-48 hours after it has just eaten and you shouldn't handle them while they're shedding which they will do once a month when they have a regular feeding schedule.

I feel like a snake in shed

My eye caps are just starting to lift

My skin feels too tight

I can't see through the hazy reflection

Brushing against everything I possibly can

Trying to see clearly

And suddenly it starts to peel

Suddenly I am free

I see the world for what it is

I feel like a snake in shed sliding through my skin

I am made new

Why isn't there a such thing as a therian/otherkin subscription box?

You would tell them your kintype(s), and you would be sent little things like kintype-related snacks, wearable things like tails/ears/masks/fangs, art, forest scents, etc; and they would let you select whether you're comfortable receiving meat snacks or items with real animal parts (like fur, bones, scales, feathers, etc).

It should also include a special item or two from time to time to help you act out your instincts; such as gardening claws to dig with, bird calls/whistles for birds, swimming fins for aquatic animals, climbing claws for kintypes that climb, heat pads for reptiles, water filter straws for wild animals (you can drink out of natural water sources), relevant toys for enrichment, etc.

Do any of you think this is a good idea? I personally would have tons of fun with something like this if it were ever invented!

That moment when you realize most of your mental health issues are because you haven't been allowing your animal sides to have a voice

This is Java Bean, she is a two and a half year old female normal morph ball python. I adopted her from Chief reptile two weeks ago, she is eating small size rats every week on Thursdays. If you ever adopt a surrendered reptile make sure you give them extra patience because they are not like a dog or a cat whose body language can be read easily, and unlike a dog or a cat this is like it isn't really known how much they remember. My first time holding Java she curled and uncurled very angrily and hissed at me, the second time she tried to bite me, because of these reactions I know she was not cared for in the best way. She is a very confident snake and likes to explore. She is still learning how to be handled, due to the fact that she likes to explore she does not sit still and is constantly trying to go see more and explore more, she is not trying to escape out of fear(there's certain body language that goes along with that, which is very different than curiosity)

Female ball python fun facts:

They reach sexual maturity at 2 years old

They can grow to be up to 6 ft long

Clutches of eggs can range from one egg to 11 eggs

They live up to 35 years

Just remember to have patience and give Grace if you adopt an animal

I am reworking my blog yet again and I'm going to be using it for animal education and as a general daily blog of the animal shenanigans that my babies get up to!

My short hair

Does not ponytail

I am sad

May we raise children who love the unloved things - the dandelion, the worms & spiderlings. Children who sense the rose needs the thorn & run into rainswept days the same way they turn towards sun… And when they’re grown & someone has to speak for those who have no voice may they draw upon that wilder bond, those days of tending tender things and be the ones. ~ Nicolette Sowder Art by Lucy Campbell

I’m so sorry I’m such an idiot but can someone who is willing and ready please pm me about kinning and explain it to me in depth because I am interested /gen

Annoying

Am I annoying?

Maybe I am a pest

Worse than bugs he tells me

Jokingly said

But lodged deep in the crevasses of my mind

Worse than the cat- I knew he loved that animal more

The most annoying girlfriend he's ever had

Annoying, pest, worse girlfriend

Guess that's me