Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Bark louder, little dog.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Let’s finish the job.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Respite Thread: Ducks and Kitties

Respite Thread: Ducks and Kitties

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Respite Thread: Ducks and Kitties

It is a trick of the phone camera lens that Gabe looks like a smushed Jabba the Hutt.

I am in total despair over humanity right now, so let’s take a break and focus on some good stuff. As I’ve mentioned, I’m house hunting, so I’ve been cleaning, packing and paring down.

So one day, I thought to myself, the cats haven’t used the cat tree in a year, I should give it away. One less thing to move. A few days later, Cats in the Tree began happening  Suddenly they were using it every day, several times a day.

They are just mocking me now. Freakin’ psychic, mystic fur babies.

And here’s a short video of duck baths. I give them fresh pool water every 4-5 days (which they immediately muddy up) and they love a fresh pool and I love watching them splash around.

Share some good stuff with me…

Respite open thread

Reader Interactions

70Comments

  2. 2.

    debbie

    I might be tired after a week of work, but that video looks like duck synchronized swimming to me!

  6. 6.

    prostratedragon

    Cats know what you’re up to. Maybe with all the extra moving about they decided they’d better assert some squatter’s rights.

    Something nice to kick back with:

    “Slim Gaillard: A Traveller’s Tale”

    The first part of a four-part documentary for British tv about Slim Gaillard, creator of such immortal tunes as “That’s Communication” and “Yproc Harissi.” The four collectively are Slim Gaillard’s Civilization, and very civilized it is.

  7. 7.

    Bluegrl21

    Perfect timing. I need cat expert help for any so inclined.

    A week ago we brought a very sweet, submissive 6 month old cat into our house. Both he and my existing female cat (2 years old) had been with other cats. Both have laid-back personalities, both love the dog, both are spayed/neutered. Should be fine with some cat patience, right?

    I have kept them separated; he is in the front bedroom, and fed them with the door closed next to each other. Switched territories to let them smell each other’s space. Given her treats when she comes to the door without hissing at him. She is VERY aggressive and he’s still so small. I can’t have her near him at all. He is completely submissive when she goes at him. Not one bit of aggression.
    I know plenty of you have been through this. What helped?

  8. 8.

    debbie

    @WaterGirl:

    Rats. Stupid me. Long, long week.

    This doesn’t fall under pet respite, more like reading respite. My library just announced they’re closing for three weeks after Saturday and they are begging people not to return books during that period.

    This means I can catch up on the books I have out without worrying about due dates. Even better, I also just got a notice that my reserve on Hillary Mantel’s new book is ready, so I’ll pick it up in the morning.

  9. 9.

    zhena gogolia

    Our new cats Bailey and Xena arrive Monday. We’ve decided to go through with it (a) as a sign of hope and (b) because they have nowhere else to go. I’m sure we’ll need some guidance.

  10. 10.

    ET

    TaMara do you follow @caenhillcc on Twitter? Geese, ducks, cats, donkeys, chickens, goats, and lambs. Morning rush hour is a hoot.

  11. 11.

    zhena gogolia

    @debbie:

    Oh, I haven’t gotten that yet. I was waiting for it for so long, and now I feel as if I have to read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies for a second time to prepare.

  12. 12.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @Bluegrl21: Well I’m no WereBear, but my 16 year old calico has tried to kill, in order: Jake, Zander, Bixby, Scout and Gabe. Seriously, in the middle of the night she’d jump on them like LInda Blair and there would be blood.

    It took a good 6 weeks most times for her to tolerate them. Gabe was completely traumatized by it. But now she adores Bixby and tolerates everyone else. And everyone settled in with the understanding that SHE IS THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING.

    As long as they remember that, it’s all good.

  17. 17.

    cain

    How are the shelters holding up? I feel like we should be giving money or something. I’m looking for some bonded cats now to adopt.. preferably adult – ones that are having a hard time getting adopted.

  19. 19.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @cain: Full of spring fever. Laying lots of eggs, mornings are adorable and they rush out and start nibbling up whatever is thawing out of the ground (I swear, I have no pests in the backyard) and they really enjoyed the rain the other night. Difficult to get them into the coop.

  20. 20.

    satby

    @Bluegrl21: it’s hard to say because I’m a bit unclear by what you mean when you say your female “goes at him”. Attacks him badly enough to hurt him and draw blood (potentially if not actually)? Because a lot of cat dominance moves are noisy and seem vicious but seldom result in blood or serious injury, at least in my experience; which is not as great as WereBears’. I usually let mine sort themselves out, but for great disparities in size I did keep young ones separated from older ones.

  23. 23.

    LuciaMia

    This is a drawing I did for Barcs, our local animal shelter. Like so much now, they had to cancel their big fund raising event in April. But their online auction is still going forward.

    (Re: The drawing. Yes, thats pretty much my philosophy of life.)

    https://tinyurl.com/u98bqrf

  24. 24.

    TupeloPhoney

    They saw you glance at it and it held your gaze just long enough for you to consider its size/contemplate moving it. That was enough. They didn’t really care about it, but if faced with losing it they have to keep the option open

  28. 28.

    Bluegrl21

    @satby: She growls, hisses, backs him into corners and goes at him with her claws. She hasn’t drawn blood but she sure seems to be trying. And he simply rolls over and shows his belly and will not fight back.

  29. 29.

    Miss Bianca

    TaMara, pardon my ignorance, but I thought you had just bought a house a couple years ago?

     

    A bit tense and nervous down here in the central mountains- am adopting a horse, and sweating trying to get all the details in place to get her down here, between the schedules of my friends with trailers, the weather, and the barn manager at my new boarding stable saying that she *has* to be there by Monday, because she’s got all these other horses coming in, and I still haven’t heard back from the agency that my proposed pick-up date on Monday is going to work for them.

    Plus the theater is going dark next weekend because of a concert cancellation, and my boss at the newspaper just told me “no more going to public meetings”, which kind of sucks when you’re, y’know, a government *meetings* reporter, so I’m worried about a drop in income just as I’ve pulled the trigger on the adoption. The secret to my comic success? TIMING!

    But at least I know my bosses are looking out for me. And my horse is adorable, I will get her down here yet!

  34. 34.

    Lapassionara

    @HumboldtBlue: I’m not sure what you mean by “odd punctuation.”

    There are different printing conventions in the UK and the US. That may account for some of what you are noticing.

  36. 36.

    Catherine D.

    For respite, please do not go online with your census form. Grrr.

    But I currently have a happy purring cat in my lap, and all is momentarily right in my world.

  39. 39.

    Miss Bianca

    @debbie: I am stocked up with books from the library! Right now I have, on Mt-To-Be-Read:

    Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer (reading in little bits, because like plum pudding it’s very rich and could prove indigestible if I tried to plow thru’ the whole thing at once)

    Washington’s Spies, about the Culper Ring (the book that inspired the AMC series Turn)

    Code Girls, about the American women who worked on code-cracking during WWII;

    You Look Like a Thing and I Love You, a book about AI and its limitations, which promises to be hilarious, if the excerpts D has read me are any indication;

    and Station Eleven, which was recommended here the other day by our own DAW!

    Also a ton of DVDs: finishing up the third season of Futurama, right now.

  40. 40.

    danielx

    @Bluegrl21:

    Not much, honestly. Went through the exact same situation with a foundling male kitten we took in. Pie the calico alpha cat beat the shit out whenever he was in the same room with her and if he went to another room she would beat him up there too. Eventually he got bigger than her and she laid off a bit, but….

  42. 42.

    Mandarama

    I’m happy for jackals getting new pets! I know it’s scary, but I think focusing on love and care is good for us all right now. Thanks for sharing this video, too. ?

  43. 43.

    Miss Bianca

    @TaMara (HFG):

    *four years ago*?!

    Oh, right, my time perception seems to be off a bit – perhaps because of some *other* event that happened in 2016…

  47. 47.

    Catherine D.

    @mrmoshpotato:  Gender is completely binary and race demands ethnic origin. Didn’t want to spoil the respite thread with Trump and  Steven Miller.

  50. 50.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Lapassionara:

    I found her use of commas in Wolf Hall rather odd and it may be due to the difference you mention. I haven’t read Bring Up The Bodies yet.

  55. 55.

    Aleta

    Korean cooking video-blog by Seonkyoung Longest. Great pictures and lots of simple fast recipes like

    Salt and Pepper Shrimp,   Vegan Stir Fried Bok Choy,

    5 Minutes EASY Egg Fried Rice,    Stir Fried Pea Shoots, and   Chili Oil (homemade).

    Recipes like Korean Noodles Soup Guksu  and   Dan Dan Mian (Dan Dan Noodles)

    and other longer recipes include separate processes like making traditional toppings. She also includes what to use for vegetarian or vegan versions (non-anchovy) or what to sub. if you can’t get Korean noodles.

    Seonkyoung is an artist and dancer who worked as a teenager for Korean cartoonist, Lee Hyun Se,  (she drew all the background for 이현세의 한국사 바로보기, the Korean History Comic Book).

    She moved to US 10 years ago bc of marriage, felt isolated in that town, and got depressed staying home. Then she became inspired by watching US cooking shows.

    “I just started with a small camera I had, no lights or no plan. Oh, no video editor either. I literally just did. And I’m very grateful and happy that I did.”

    —-

  56. 56.

    Mary G

    Gideon from I’ve pet that dog has been suspended by his very sensible mother from meeting dogs on the street, but he has developed a work-around.

    I would love to pet Darby. She is a 4 month old SuperMutt mix. She loves any food on her caregiver’s plate. She lives with a dog who buries toys in the yard. Darby digs them up and proudly puts them on her caregiver’s bed. Darby’s wish is for treats, mud puddles, and more treats. pic.twitter.com/seEpKbmuyW— I've Pet That Dog (@IvePetThatDog) March 13, 2020

  57. 57.

    Denali

    @Mike S.

     

    Wonderful video.  We also saw guanacos on our trip-but not at such close range- or you have a better zoom lens.

  59. 59.

    Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)

    @Denali: Thanks, I love the chulengos, they are so cute I can’t help smiling as I watch them. I do have a big zoom lens (Nikon P1000 , a fixed lens bridge camera) but they were pretty close and all around us!

  61. 61.

    HumboldtBlue

    Just received an email from the animal clinic where I take my cat.

    We recognize that you may have questions or concerns due to the latest news and information about COVID-19. On behalf of the Staff at Sunny Brae Animal Clinic we would like to share with you some of the steps we are taking to assist our patients and clients during these uncertain times.

    First and foremost, please know that the safety and well-being of our patients, clients and employees continues to be our top priority. From the very beginning of this situation, our clinic has increased its efforts to protect all who visit us. These efforts include:

    * Additional cleaning procedures in all areas of the clinic, including increasing the frequency of these cleaning routines with an emphasis on all high-touch areas.

    * Placing hand sanitizers in key areas around the clinic, including our lobby.

    * Educating our employees on the steps they should be taking to keep themselves safe and healthy, including the expectation to stay home if they don’t feel well for any reason.

    We also regularly monitor updates from the CDC and the Humboldt County Public Health Department and are prepared to respond quickly based on their advice and recommendations.

    We are an essential health care facility and will keep providing service as needed. However, we understand the uncertainty brought on by current events and the hesitation you may have when in public. Please keep in mind that if you need to reschedule your exam for any reason we will try accommodate your needs. We encourage you to call us with any questions or concerns you may have at 707-822-5124.

    Thank you for your support and loyalty. Humboldt County is an amazing community and we will get through this together.

    Sincerely,

    ~SBAC STAFF~

  63. 63.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    @Bluegrl21: I adopted a five month old male in December and a six month old male a couple weeks later. Smaller kitten was very territorial. We did what you mention and it did not seem to help much.  I tried a spray called Feliway classic you spray it on the door jam or floor near where they are going be near each other.  It did help and after another week and a half they started getting along

  66. 66.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    @satby: I’ve had much the same experience, but keep in mind, I’ve also been fortunate. There are signs for aggression and fear – laid back ears is bad news, and so is a bottle-brush tail, for a cat facing a cat. (For a cat facing a milk jug ring, the bottle brush tail is just hilariously amusing, of course.)

    That said, I’ve also usually been blessed with healthy, non-psycho cats, and my last cats were kittens from a no-kill shelter, with the introduction happening about 5 months apart (after one of the first two littermates died, from what was likely a congenital heart condition).

    I’ve also heard – no idea if it’s meaningful or not – that two female cats are harder to deal with than multiple males who’ve been fixed.

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