u/Sad_Cantaloupe_8162

I am always reluctant to rehab snakes with suspicious backgrounds. The snakes left behind are plains garters, and they are a little worse for wear. I will actively try to find them homes, but cannot risk my California Red-Sided population. She said he left a week ago and when she found the two in their spare bedroom, the water bowl was very dry with a bunch of dead and some living bugs in it. If I can identify the bugs I might be able to find the appropriate person to rehab them. The snakes, she said, were neglected in the last two or three months, but they have a decent body weight, do not have any stuck sheds, and no URIs. At first glance they are in better health than expected. Other than being dehydrated, they look like they will rehab just fine. Can anyone identify the bugs? They are VERY small, light brown in color, and the dish was a standard Ziploc sandwich container for reference. Any information will help. This is in Texas.

My neighbors are around 80, live on a fixed income, and our family is not well off either, so I can't afford a vet visit. This finch of theirs is about 15 years old, and has the worst toenails that I have ever seen. I am confident enough to trim them without cutting the quick, which I know can be deadly for a bird, so I was only going to trim about 40-50% off and give them some sandpaper sheaths for the bird's perches. (He has four birds, and that wouldn't cost a lot.) My questions are, what tool do you guys use for trimming them? I have very sharp fingernail clippers that are solid, but wondering if there was another option that would suit the task more? Also, the scales on it's feet are very long, are peeling, and is there anything I can do to help them out? A topical ointment? The sandpaper perches? I haven't seen it before in a bird, either. I do not feel comfortable with using tweezers to try and take them off. He looks like he doesn't groom himself very well (because of his age, condition, or the fact that his feet get stuck on whatever he grabs,) so any advice would be great. I will not do anything to the bird until they come back on the 30th without their permission.

These are my own pics taken today.

Never seen one like this before hahaha. 🤪

I forgot the variety but they are orange on the inside and smaller than the grocery store ones. Except this strange thing.

While we were driving around a parking lot, all of a sudden my husband noticed the power steering feeling rough. Then a low whine happened while just driving straight or while turning. Immediately after, the dash read, "Low Battery Limited Features." We found a parking space, and while parking, it started smoking badly under the hood. I'm attaching a video of where the smoke was coming from. What could this be before we take it to the mechanic? Any guesses as to how much it will cost?

Hey! I've been drying some mint for tea and discovered that my cat just likes to lie around it. He just likes the texture and sound. He doesn't chew on it or ingest in any way. Is it safe? Is mint toxic for cats?