#lostinthelegs

[felinefractious]

I tried to adopt a cat from a rescue, I really did. I filled out and submitted applications to 5 different rescues because the local SPCAs didn't have cats that fit my needs (social with cats and dogs, approximately 1 year old, high energy, and preferably long or medium haired).

I explained in detail the care I give my current cupcake. She's spayed, gets routine vet care, is up to date on shots. She has her own room (my room) which is set up with shelves, trees, 2 litter boxes. She gets supervised free roam of the house (not 24/7 because of lifestyle reasons). I use puzzle feeders for her meals- high end brands like The Honest Kitchen, Open Farm, Stella and Chewy (I like to mix it up to keep it interesting). I play with her at least twice a day, or whenever she asks. Indoors only. She has a water fountain. We're working on harness training. I made it clear I had a second room set up similarly and ready to go, and carefully researched introductions. Dogs are cat social and kenneled unless supervised. I don't know, I feel like my cat lives a good life. She's happy, fit, and I adore her.

Couple of weeks past and I received 5 rejection emails with reasons such: I maintain a very small flock of exhibition poultry, that I do breed and sell the chicks of seasonally, which is...immoral to them, I guess; my brother who does live in the same household has intact show and working dogs; the dogs are kenneled (what??); I don't work full-time; one even said it was because I feed my current cat dry food instead of wet food. My cat straight up won't eat wet food! She hates it! I replied and said I would offer wet food if the new cat wanted it, and they never responded.

It all just seemed like weird reasons to me. Maybe not, I don't know if that's just how rescues are. I ended up with my cat through the pregnant cat distribution system (my mom owns her mom) so I didn't have to deal with takes on cat care I didn't get.

Dejected, I started looking on Craigslist and saw a cat that perfectly fit my needs- a sphynx outcross project that tested positive for mild HCM (asymptomatic for now) so the breeder who purchased him immediately neutered him. So I asked about him, located a cardiologist and scheduled an appointment with my vet ahead of time to get a referral to the cardiologist. Did lots of reading on HCM. Met with them and they were lovely. Got all his paperwork with his health testing and his whole history and genetics. I fell in love with him immediately. Everything they said about him has been true: he's confident, well-mannered, has the exact same play style as my kitty. There was not a single point during the 4 hour drive home that he showed signs of stress, he took treats and just lounged. When I set him in his room, he waltzed right out of his carrier with his chest puffed out, head held high, and rubbed all over me, purring and bumping his head into me. There hasn't been an adjustment period, he just came out and was like, "sweet, new digs! now, pet me!" Settled into a routine so fast. Has been perfect for his nails and bathing him. We're already making tremendous progress with recall.

This cat is so fucking well socialized. And his structure? Fucking gorgeous. Exactly as sphynx are described, with a deep chest, solid belly, longer hind legs than front, long creepy fingers which he uses to grip me instead of his claws and it feels like a human infant gripping me (deeply unsettling).

It's been such a good experience, and the rescues were so weird, I honestly don't know if I can ever get a cat that wasn't selectively bred again. He's not even pure bred! His dad is 100% sphynx but his mom is a dominant blue eye project from approved sphynx outcrosses.

Don't get me wrong, I love my first bastard kitty, she's the best cat there is. But now I have two perfect cats! I didn't realize that was possible...all my friends' cats, they're often much more nervous and shy. I was prepared for my second kitty to just never live up to my first.

Here he is, my weird coated mostly sphynx:

Bonus DNA results

I wonder what that person bit is about.

Unfortunately your story is not unique.

These excessive and unrealistic standards are part of what I mean when I discuss barriers to adoption as being one of the actual issues contributing to overpopulation of homeless pets.

I’ve seen people discuss being rejected due to their age despite being staffed in the veterinary field, the person was in their early 20’s.

I’ve seen people discuss being rejected due to having intact animals in the household despite them being species that aren’t traditionally altered, like reptiles.

A rescue I knew would avoid adopting out to people who indicated they would feed a brand of food the rescue considered to be lower quality, such as Friskies canned.

I’ve spoken to rescues for a veterinary reference who were disappointed the prospective adopters most recent cat wasn’t current on their vaccinations despite being an 18+ hospice case.

I could go on and on and on.

I’m glad you were finally able to find a cat to give a good forever home to, it’s clear that you’re passionate about your animals and knowledgeable about their care.

I would put too much stock in the 12% Persian, you can’t test for breeds in cats the same way as you can in dogs. Wisdom Panel is great for health and trait testing but nonsense for breeds.

You can really see the Devon in his face in the picture you used for the test, though!

[a-wasp-in-the-hand]

I thought you might appreciate my friend.

you were correct

[superfluffychickens]

Goth Boy’s looking a bit scrungly, but he’s still curious and sweet! He’s got such a lovely shape, as much as I love big round fluffy borbs the gamebird shape is really growing on me! I’ll probably keep him too, I’ve always dreamed of having a jet-black rooster!

[homeofhousechickens]

It so annoying when people constantly misidentify normal sumac as poison sumac and tell you to pull them up or mow them. These people are depriving you of a berry that naturally tastes like pink lemonade/sweet tarts!

These pictures below are of the edible sumacs you might find. All three of them are different and all three of them are safe. They are Smooth Sumac, Rough Sumac, and Shining Sumac respectively.

There is even more rare native species of sumac but basically if they have red berries and flowers like the other three that's a decent way to identify them in the field.

Here below is a picture of Poison Sumac. It's more so related to poison ivy I believe (not a relative of normal sumacs!)

The flowers and berries are off white and droop downward which makes it easy to identify from afar.

It sucks that when you Google poison sumac Google will show you pictures of harmless native sumac and not these guys.

Poison sumacs look completely different and with a little plant education you will easily be able to tell the differences.

I'm summoning @lostinthelegs since they love sumacs and know way more than me.

[onenicebugperday]

@lostinthelegs submitted: Zuko, my Psyttala horrida nymph a few hours after a molt.

A gorgeous adult Reduvius personatus I collected recently.

A few adult Zelus luridus spotted locally.

And, my absolute favorite, a male adult Arilus cristatus I collected while passing through Virginia. What's your favorite assassin bug?

What an excellent collection of assassin bugs! Wheel bugs are definitely in my top five just because I love their shape. Not sure I could choose a favorite but I'm a big fan of ambush bugs and kissing bugs, despite the latter being vectors for disease. Also thread-legged bugs in Emesinae!

[littlewigglers]

@lostinthelegs here they are, they want OUT

[homeofhousechickens]

Fondue is doing great in his new home with @lostinthelegs

[homeofhousechickens]

Storytime! This is the story of Debbie and Dorothy.

Picture this, it's about a week after Easter. My sister gets a call from a friend. "Hey, I know you have chickens..." (The friends family also has chickens, but they live in an area that limits them to 4, my sister lives in the county and does what she wants.)

The friend says, "my mom was driving and saw these 2 chicks on the side of the road, she stopped and grabbed them but we can't keep them, do you want them?"

Of course my sister said yes, which is how we acquired two mystery chicks.

We suspect someone got them as Easter chicks and then decided they didn't want them 🤬🤬 and dumped them. Which is stupid, they're babies! But they got a happy ending, because now they have a big backyard and only have to share with a couple of ducks and one crabby old hen, and she's gotten better about them.

Dorothy is reddish and Debbie is more buff, but they both have white by their tails. We still have no idea what breed they are, but Dorothy laid her first egg last week!

Ahhh this story is so sweet and makes me so happy. You had a random chicken distrubutation event! It reminds me of my friends two black sexlinks @lostinthelegs

[homeofhousechickens]

Katsu is a cockerel. @lostinthelegs was right

You can see how he is feathering in compared to Haia. As he gets his adolescent feathers his head will turn white and his chest and undersides will be black while his body feathers will look a bit messy before molting into his adult plumage.

Haia will get a patterning all throughout her grey to brown body and her head will also be mostly white. Her chest feathers will be red however.

[homeofhousechickens]

Seeing that family tree makes me wonder, does Fluffernutter have siblings? If he does how similar do they look compared to him?

He had a sister/clutch mate named Puddin. She looked a lot like their mother Rigby so she didn't have a crest or feathered feet. She was also a brown base and not ash red.

Sadly she passed away.

Fluffernutter has a lot of cousins though @partykeet has Oliver for example and @lostinthelegs has Freddy who is also a cousin I believe

[homeofhousechickens]

Chicken wire topic - what is your ideal materials list for optimal chicken coop protection?

I haven't built one myself personally but good strong wood and hardware cloth is what most good coops are made of. You don't need a ton of different materials. @lostinthelegs built a nice and cute coop recently

[homeofhousechickens]

cursed fancy chicken idea 2: the body type of a shamo and the feathering of a silkie. the Yeti

@lostinthelegs might have something similar with their modern game bantams one day due to Fondue lol

[homeofhousechickens]

Are you keeping Fondue?

No Fondue is reserved for my friend @lostinthelegs

[homeofhousechickens]

Thank you!! Will the other breeds of hens being there make the gamefowl more comfortable if I have to separate and then reintroduce one?

From what I have seen modern games are quite friendly but the only problem is the large fowl are prone to cancer. My friend is a modern game bantam breeder here on tumblr @lostinthelegs they could probably tell you more.

The liege fighters I know all seem to be well mannered birds, sometimes the roosters can be aggressive to each other but the hens rarely seem to have problems and I actually haven't seen them in a set up that separates them like typical game fowl.