u/abbienormal28

My son has been researching and making notes on how to care for a crested gecko and we are ready to start the process. We have started to collect supplies and want to make a natural back wall using aquarium foam, coco coir, cork and wood. The plan is to have branches, vines, and hiding spots throughout with lots of foliage, living and not.

So the 2 tank options we are considering:

18"×18"×24"Tall. Its black pvc with slits on three walls, clear front with swinging door and mesh top. I know the walls will be sturdy enough to hold built wall and lots of attachments and plants, but not a whole lot of natural light will come through. But this might be perfect it we want a bright and warm top section and dark and cooler floor? Do cresteds like darker more hidden environments?

The second tank option is 24" wide, 16" deep and 24" tall. Its entirely tempered glass but with a mesh top. Im hoping the glass will hold the foam "tree" wall? Bottom 6" of tank can hold water, but i want to do a layer of leca and then substrate to put live plants into. Will the glass all the way around make the crested feel too exposed even if we add coconut hides, tunnels and caves?

We want to have the happiest and healthiest home for our gecko, so I want to make sure we are getting the best option so little things matter to us.

Open for all thoughts and suggestions!

I need some new creative ideas, because I'm becoming more worried about my sons health than being worried about the food waste. I am a mother of 3 (ages 14, 10, and 3). My 10 year old son is the one I need advice for.

Firstly, he is a super chatty and really smart kid. He didnt talk until he was 4, and now he can list every silent film made by Georges Meilies in order of date made (and released)! And he goes through the phases of special interests and its wonderful and I indulge any interest he has 100%.

He has always "snuck" food, in the middle of the night and he would wake up early to eat when no one was watching. But while he was little, I always made sure that there was healthy food most accessible to him and assure him that if he asks for snacks/drinks, Ill never say "no". Im just always going to recommend healthier options. I think he likes the "sneaking part" just as much as the snacks.

But the past year, he isnt just sneaking nibbles of random things... hes going for sugar and he is eating entire containers! He keeps thinking he has to eat the rest of the ice cream to destroy the evidence, as if I wont notice the new ice cream is gone.

I dont shame him for the binges, but we talk about what that much fat and sugar can do to the body and that its not very fair to the other kids that they dont get any treats now. My son has also gained a lot of weight in a short time and has stretch marks suddenly. I have tried giving little sugar snacks frequently through the day (the idea being that 40 M&Ms is better than a half gallon of ice cream). That didnt work. I started making daily bags of sweets for him to eat whenever, but when it was gone its gone (to teach self control and saving for later). Turned into him doing great with those though the day but still binging at night.

Today I got hot and frustrated when I wanted to take the kids outside with the ice cream I bought yesterday, and even though he had little sugar sweets through the day yesterday and today, I opened the ice cream to find he woke up last night and took the opportunity.

I am not putting locks on food, I am trying to break the sneaking by not placing guilt or shame, but to no avail. If he was an only child or if I could shop daily, it would make it a lot easier.

I know this is likely common, what has worked for you?

My cat really really wants to lick me. She can be aggressive about it. It very uncomfortable for me and Im trying to navigate solutions for the sake of our bond.

Bastet is 6 years old and our only cat. I grew up in two households that always had at least 4 cats at any time, so I have a lot of cat experience. Bastet was part of a rescue effort in town where over 100 animals were rescued from a hoarding situation. Ill skip the story of how I ended up with her, but she was about 3/4 weeks old and needed to be syringe fed for a while. When I fed her, I would hold her like a baby and she would knead my arm after eating and fall asleep. My husband thinks a lot of her strange behavior comes from having low exposure to other cats and thinking I am mom.

She doesnt lick anyone else in the house as much as she does to me. Any time I pet her she needs to be in a position where she can lick my arms for the whole session. It gets uncomfortable and ill pull my sleeve down and she will desperately grab onto my arm with both paws like a hug to get at my skin. If I reposition her she will still lick any part of me that's exposed. Not little nippy licks here and there... long and aggressive licks like shes cleaning me. I wish it wasnt so painful and a sensory overload for me, because a lot of our cuddle sessions end because I cant take it anymore. There has been a few times where cutting her off from licking caused her to bunny-kick my arm as she tries to hold on. She cant be in my room at night because she licks feet and waits until im sleeping to try to lick my arms (her preferred licking spot).

Shes a sweetheart and a goof. Still super playful and loves to leap on me every morning. She can jump 5-6 feet from a table into my arms. She gets lots of positive attention, sleeps where birds eat at a feeder above her and has a pretty good life for an indoor cat. I just dont know what to do about the lick obsession after all this time.

Has anyone had a cat do similar? And do you think this behavior comes from early weening?