u/kittykatsrulemyworld

Hi, I figured this might be the most knowledgeable community to post this in. I have jumping spiders and hate that their lights turn on so abruptly in the morning, so I would really like a light that I can gradually turn on and off at set times. I know there are plenty of aquarium lights like this, but none that would really work to set up over the type of enclosures I have. I was able to find a smart plant light with this feature, but it’s kinda expensive and I’d prefer to spend less and just get a smart plug if possible. I know some plugs have a feature to turn on/off at sunset and sunrise, but it’s unclear from the information I can find if this is a gradual process (kind of like the sunset alarms).

Thank you!

I know I can’t be the only one, but I have been picking pretty bad at my legs again and even KP on my arms. I already hate showing my legs bc I struggle a lot with body dysmorphia, but I had gotten slightly better about tank tops even tho I still hate my arms. But now I feel like a freak, honestly I get so worried I look like a crackhead :/ no judgement towards anyone w addiction btw, I have struggled with it myself (although not stimulants). I’ve been so uncomfortable showing my arms and I really really need to stop picking so I’m not absolutely miserable this summer. I already have a hard enough time finding lightweight clothes that I feel comfy in for summer, but this is making it so much worse. It’s been in the 90s in my area this week and it’s killing me. I just wish I didn’t hate myself so much that I could go out in a tank top and shorts and not care. But unfortunately society is not kind to fat people and I just am not at that point where I can say fuck it yet

I know this is probably fairly common among any organization that has volunteers, but I have bad social anxiety and haven’t been in a great place with it lately. I have been volunteering at an adult day center and have loved it so much. I have tried to do 4.5 hours every week since around January, missing a week here and there. Life has been hectic though and a bunch of things just came at me at once, so I have not been able to volunteer in about 5 weeks.

I am planning to return tomorrow and feel so so awkward. I emailed the volunteer coordinator each time I couldn’t come. But it just feels so overwhelming tonight anyway and I’m really anxious. I returned to school last year at 25 to get a few more pre reqs at community college and am about to be a full time again at university. I feel like I need to maybe volunteer less hours because I also have chronic illnesses that make me extremely fatigued and I’m scared I’m overdoing it lately, especially now that it’s getting hotter because I feel extremely ill in the heat. I work from home part time because I’m unable to find a job that’s accommodating physically right now, but this has honestly made my anxiety so much worse because I’m so isolated.

I want to explain some of this to the volunteer coordinator (like about being chronically ill not really the mental stuff) because I really don’t want to be seen as flakey or uninterested — this will be a really good reference for me down the road (social work student). But at the same time, I don’t want to be weird and overshare too much since I would like to have them available as a professional reference. Sorry this is kinda all over the place, I’m just feeling panicky, also switched anxiety meds a few weeks ago and the transition has been a bit rough with all of the other stressors 😅 I could honestly really use some reassurance because part of me just wants to not show up ever again. This feeling is even worse rn because my hot water heater has been broken and I’m about to have to take a cold shower again to look presentable tomorrow, I just want to sleep

I know this is probably fairly common among any organization that has volunteers, but I have bad anxiety and haven’t been in a great place mentally. I have been volunteering at an adult day center and have loved it so much. I have tried to do 4.5 hours every week since around January, missing a week here and there. Life has been hectic though and a bunch of things just came at me at once, so I have not been able to volunteer in about 5 weeks.

I am planning to return tomorrow and feel so so awkward. I emailed the volunteer coordinator each time I couldn’t come. But it just feels so overwhelming tonight anyway and I’m really anxious. I returned to school last year at 25 to get a few more pre reqs at community college and am about to be a full time again at university. I feel like I need to maybe volunteer less hours because I also have chronic illnesses that make me extremely fatigued and I’m scared I’m overdoing it lately, especially now that it’s getting hotter because I feel extremely ill in the heat.

I want to explain some of this to the volunteer coordinator as well because I really don’t want to be seen as flakey or uninterested — this will be a really good reference for me down the road (social work student). But at the same time, I don’t want to be weird and overshare too much since I would like to have them available as a professional reference. Sorry this is kinda all over the place, I’m just feeling panicky, also switched anxiety meds a few weeks ago and the transition has been a bit rough with all of the other stressors 😅

Hi, I have 10 neocaridina shrimp that I got a couple weekends ago and have 12 more that are arriving today. The first batch was from someone in person who ripped me off and only gave me 1 female to 9 males. Anyway, my hot water heater went out last week and my landlord is waiting on the part to arrive so it can be fixed, but it’s been more delayed than expected.

I totally didn’t think about water changes when this happened, but I’ve been matching my tap water for water changes to my tank water. For reference, my tank is at 75 degrees and my tap water is at 70 degrees. I would really like to do a roughly 20% water change before the new shrimp arrive today, but is that too much of a difference? I have a 10 gallon, so I think that’s important to note. Would it be better to heat some water on the stove and mix it with my regular tap water to bring the temp up? Or just go for it? I know boiling water removes oxygen, so that’s my concern. Thanks in advance!!

btw my nitrates are at 20ppm is why I want to do the change, my tap water is naturally at 5ppm and I think I’ve been adding too much liquid fertilizer. Hoping to get some floaters ASAP to help reduce this longterm

Hi, I know this is probably not a normal post for this subreddit, so I apologize if this isn’t appropriate. My kitty was at the emergency vet last weekend due to a urinary blockage. For those unfamiliar, this can lead to death within 24 hours as being unable to urinate is simply incompatible with life. We have him on prescription food, but one of the other things we are doing is trying to reduce his stress as much as possible. His risk of blocking is highest during the first month as the crystals dissolve, so this is a critical time to keep him as calm as possible.

I guess I’ve just had shit luck this week, because our hot water heater went out a few nights ago. We rent thankfully so we don’t have to worry about the costs. But I am so stressed out about how loud it will be. I’m trying to kind of figure that out now to prepare for how sedated my cat will need to be tbh. My apartment isn’t all that big, I had him in a back bedroom when they came to diagnose today with music playing but he was still so anxious. Thank you in advance

Hii everyone, I just got my Bloody Mary shrimp yesterday and want to switch out my dwarf hair grass (isn’t doing well anyway) for a Christmas moss carpet. I have Java moss and subwassertang already from a local seller, but got hydra from them and really don’t want to deal with that again, since I want the shrimp to breed as much as possible.

Totally fine with snails and whatnot, but please lmk any hydra in your tank! Thank you! 🫶🏼

I have a 13-year-old Persian, who I took from my mom when I moved out. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with HCM last year and has to take blood pressure medicine, plus echos 1-2 times a year. This is expensive, it costs $700 each time and I’m struggling. He also was “diagnosed” with diabetes in December, but went into remission extremely quickly. After looking everything over and talking to his cardiologist, we are not entirely convinced he ever even had it because although they did a curve, they did not do the other test that takes weeks (I forget what it’s called). Plus his numbers on the curve really weren’t even THAT high, reasonable for an anxious cat

Anyway, after his HCM diagnosis, I looked at pet insurance and got it for my two now 4-year-old boys. I am SO glad I have it because we just dealt with a urinary blockage with one of my boys due to crystals. This is really making me wish I had it for my Persian way before any of his conditions started, and I’m not even sure it’d be worth it atp? I was quoted pretty damn high due to his age and pre-existing conditions, and ofc it wouldn’t even cover what I really need it for (echos, meds, etc). So it would primarily be for any illnesses, like with my younger boys blockage

Has anyone been in a similar situation, and was the insurance worth it?

also I really wish there was an insurance that covered prescription food, because we are trying to do primarily wet food at least for the first month to dissolve his crystals and oof it adds up

My kitty Zuko had a urinary blockage Thursday night, which I noticed after he was crying horribly after leaving the litter box and desperately licking himself, unable to pee.

They successfully unblocked him that night and kept him until this morning. Thankfully, we caught it early and his bloodwork looked fine, but he is full of crystals and will need to be on a prescription diet. They removed the catheter early this morning and he was super super anxious, hunched in a corner terrified. They decided it was riskier to wait for him to pee with how stressed he was, so they sent him home with us and thankfully he immediately peed.

At home, he is on gabapentin, onsior, and acepromazine. He was pretty restless at first and loving on my partner and I so much, but calmed down after eating. He has been resting a lot, but his eyes haven’t been completely shut and he hasn’t fully laid his head down, so I can’t tell if he’s just falling asleep sitting up or if I’m just missing it. I really can’t tell if I should stay with him all the time for now or just let him be. He’s in our bedroom so we’ll be with him tonight anyway (and ofc I’m checking on him). Any advice here? I am so scared to stress him out, I want him to be as chill as possible

Other required info:
• Domestic medium hair, male, neutered, 4 years old, ~13.5 lbs
• Location: NC

My 4 yr old male kitty had to go to the emergency vet last night and had a urinary blockage. They successfully unblocked him and he doesn’t have any stones, but the vet noted a couple areas within the sediment that could potentially be stones forming. If he becomes blocked again, I think it will be best to do the surgery because this already cost $3k (possibly $4k, I will know for sure when he hopefully is good to come home tomorrow). I will be doing the prescription food and literally every single thing I can to prevent blockages tho so I am praying it doesn’t come to that. The vet said it might be inevitable, not sure if something specific about him is making her think that tho, or if she just prepares people for that possibility since it is so expensive to even do the catheter and monitoring

Not trying to think worst case scenario but I also need to be realistic and just know ahead of time. I will probably call around next week just to have an idea, but just figured I’d ask here first. If you’ve had a cat who had this procedure 1) how much did it cost? 2) how long ago was it? 3) where did you have it done?

Edit: I want to make it clear that I am aware of how mentally taxing this job is for the vet and techs as well. This post did not intend to single out the receptionists because their jobs are difficult compared to vets in different ways. My only point was in situations last night, the receptionist is the one taking the call, not the vets or techs. So they might have to deal with situations where owners are so negligent they don't even want to come in. I think most people know that being a vet or tech is an extremely difficult and emotional job if you love animals. But I doubt most people consider how hard it is for the receptionists to witness as well, that is all. At leat I never did before having to go to the ER vet two times in the past year. The receptionists honestly have to deal with owners just as much if not more than the vets themselves

This is coming from someone who is going into social work to work with HOSPICE PATIENTS. I could NEVER do what vet offices do. I couldn’t handle it mentally

My sweet baby had to go to the emergency vet last night for a urinary blockage. I was already extremely emotional and this was heightened because we had to euthanize my childhood cat in January, so it was surprisingly triggering. A dog came in for euthanasia while I was there which was difficult. Another couple of ladies brought a dog in that was pale and lethargic and said she was “probably around 10,” had never went to the vet even ONCE or gotten her fixed, which made my blood boil

The worst thing I witnessed was while I was waiting to put my deposit down. Someone called the receptionist and basically they had been on a cruise for two weeks. Nobody had checked on their poor dog since LAST FRIDAY. LAST FRIDAY. Almost a whole week. The dog got into rat poison while they were gone. They didn’t even want to pay the euthanasia fee to come put the poor baby out of its misery. I literally sat there and cried with the receptionist because it fucked me up to even witness. I cried so hard when I got home because just thinking of that poor dog suffering in this moment was breaking me. I genuinely do not know how people do this job. I think I would actually lose my mind

I know AI use in healthcare is inevitable okay. My other doctors already use it for note taking, and there have been times I’ve noted it has picked up quite irrelevant information. I haven’t attended my first session yet, but the paperwork for my new therapist office included a disclosure forum to use AI note taking. I don’t know if this is even reasonable of me or if ALL therapists are using it at this point, but I really don’t like that. I already don’t love my other doctors doing it, but honestly it crosses a line for me when discussing extremely personal matters. Not even so much of a privacy concern as much as I’m worried about inaccuracies. I kind of want to reach out and see if I can refuse, but I don’t know if that is completely unreasonable :/ any advice is appreciated!