A life without pets is not a life for me.

Jen, 25, she/her | Petblr | I will tag any trigger you ask | This is my Primary Blog | OTHER BLOGS: jenloveshertoes (shitpost/personal), idontknowwhatiexpected (politics), 4G-LGBT, queerrider (horseblr), mentallyillwithakeyboard (mental/physical health)

[dajo42]

a perfectly average horse is unexpectedly teleported into your kitchen, precisely in the state your kitchen is at this exact moment. it is, understandably, alarmed by this situation. how equipped do you feel you are to handle this situation?

horse?

not at all. shits fucked

not very. low chance it goes well

maybe equipped maybe not. it could go either way really

somewhat. high chance it goes well

entirely. i was born for this

im bald/vanilla extract/i refuse to participate in this poll/answers

Voting ended onFeb 22, 2025

[catchymemes]

[lazyloanshark]

Yeah I'm not letting this stay in the tags. Your thoughts are on my blog now

[seerya]

[fuck-u-maga]

[zyprexazydis11]

[inklingowl]

[ur-daily-inspiration]

OMG LOOK AT IT

[maruposting]

This is the standard winged nightjar and it has one singular stupidly big feather on each wing... if you even care.

[legalise-greenleaf]

Love this guy

[a-book-of-creatures]

That’s standard as in “pennant” or “banner”, not standard as in “normal”.

But it’s not a pennant-winged nightjar. THIS is a pennant-winged nightjar… if you even care.

[crevicedwelling]

can’t forget the Lyre-tailed Nightjar! there’s actually a number of these ridiculous guys, and they’re partly why caprimulgiforms are some of my favorite birds

also the Sickle-winged Nightjar, which is. come on, that’s just a weird moth

[findersfeeders]

(Whispers) talk about their mouths now

[crevicedwelling]

ok

[crevicedwelling]

and if we’re going to make this onto a full-on nightjar weirdness appreciation post, I feel like I’ve got to mention their pectinate claws:

photo from here:

Looking at a Nighthawk

I'm running again, have been since late June, doinky arthritic toe and all. It's fine. It hurts sometimes when there's a big weather front

comb-shaped claws on the middle toe have evolved multiple times among a diverse variety of birds, found in nightjars, barn owls, herons, frigatebirds, and a few other groups. and despite looking exactly like they’re used for preening out feather parasites, they might have other uses for keeping birds clean that we haven’t yet identified:

Looking Good, Part I — Pectinate Claws (Avian Edition)

Astute birdwatchers might have noticed that some bird species have comb-like serrations running along one edge of a toe claw.  This feature,

[azaliegang]

Thinking back to the time I explained to my dad that punishing a dog for growling makes them more likely to bite without warning and he countered "my dad hit my dog every time he growled and that dog never bit him" to which I asked, "did he bite YOU though?" And he thought for a second and went "shit.. you're right"

[eredhes]

[ID: Boxed shaped clay sculpture of a Przewalski's horse. The horse's body is painted onto the box in the style of palaeolithic cave art, and the front half from the shoulders is realistic and three-dimensional, fully emerging at the end of the box. The horse is in a walking pose with the front left leg raised and the head tilted slightly sideways. Each photo shows a different angle. End ID]

Yeah, happy with this. Will be remaking it at some point, hopefully with less issues. I'll have to give it a coat of gloss as this clay is not hardy and needs protection.

[homunculus-argument]

Not to sound like I was raised by protestants, but I think those kids who argue that it's animal abuse to put working dog breeds to work doing the tasks they were bred and born for have simply genuinely never encountered the concept that they, too, could be genuinely happier if they could do work they found wortwhile and enjoyable. Like engaging in useful and constructive activities might genuinely make life better than a life of doing absolutely nothing because nobody's making you do anything.

[anexperimentallife]

Blue Heelers are herding dogs. When I had one, he decided his job was to herd our flock of cockatiels. I didn't ask him to, and in fact tried to dissuade him at first, but it worked out pretty well and kept him from getting bored. Not sure how well things would have worked out if we hadn't had something for him to herd and protect.

If you don't give your working dog a job, they will assign themselves one. Unfortunately, that job may sometimes be eating the couch.

[homunculus-argument]

The difference between a well-trained herding dog and an untrained herding dog is that a well-trained one won't start herding before you tell them to, and stops herding when told to do so. Herders will herd because herders must herd. I was there the first time my sister's dog (a shepherd breed) saw sheep for the first time. I swear I saw him blink like he suddenly remembered something, and instantly knew what to do. Genetic memory just clicking into place.

Everyone deserves to experience that at some point in their life. Blinking like a sheep dog seeing sheep for the first time. "Oh, right, so this was what I was supposed to be doing."

[azaliegang]

The same thing happened the first time my grandmother brought her border Collie to our farm and she saw the goats. The dog instantly ripped the leash out of her hands and started herding them who knows where. She'd never seen goats or sheep in her life. Of course, seeing a well trained sheepdog doing this job is different.. they will herd only when told and are fully under your control in both speed and direction. But what doesn't have to be taught is the love to run around and control stock. It's literally what they were made to do, and it's the most fulfilling job you can give them

[luisonte]

[margbarcis]

fucking idiot gets PRANKED

[sillayangel]

8th dimensional superbeings doing this shit to me right now

[girldraki]

[girldraki]

[phantomrose96]

It IS true and IS correct that Reddit is the last large bastion of the internet where you can go to seek the opinion of hobby-experts and get real information and real advice that has not been astroturfed through an SEO-manipulating AI-generated terminally-cancerous corporate-sponsored advertisement-hocking wretch.

But this approach is still flawed owing to the fact that every Redditor is terminally afflicted with Funniest Guy In The Room syndrome and the top-voted answer on an earnest "can anyone identify this?" post might just be "your mom" or "poop knife" or whatever's in Reddit circlejerk zeitgeist vogue at the moment so really. An imperfect system.

[azaliegang]

Man, I tried to get some advice on Reddit on a specific rare breed of LGD not found in the west. I asked a question, but before asking the question I shared a fun fact about the LGD. This was an LGD I'd been researching for months and was hoping to study further by traveling to their native country and speaking to the nomadic shepherds they are named after.

Did people answer my question? Yes, one person did. But the other 2 dozen responses were dunking on my fun fact and claiming I was spreading misinformation, because "it only takes one Google search to see you're wrong. Here's my sources, how about you cite yours?"

Oh yes, your one Google search. And your sources, which are 3 random websites no one has ever heard of which quote each other. Meanwhile I've spent the last 3 months researching by reading actual studies by scientists and translating articles written by people in the actual community who bred and raised these dogs. Why did it take me so long? Because there is almost no information in English on this breed available online, except those 3 random articles which are giving you the most vague generic information about dogs.

To be clear, this is a rare LGD which these people admitted they'd never even heard of and they had the nerve to tell me that I should "do more research next time before spreading misinformation". They got REALLY NASTY about it, insulting me personally calling me stupid etc..

People on Reddit (and everywhere really) will pretend to be experts and bullshit everything while treating you like you're stupid if you disagree with their half baked ideas

[azaliegang]

In reality though there are some Facebook groups (YES I KNOW FACEBOOK BAD) that have fucking changed my life. Problem is you have to filter through a LOT of bad groups. I joined like 20 different goat groups and ended up keeping only 2 because the others were absolute bullshit, but the 2 that I kept are fucking GOLD and have saved my goats lives. They are purely evidence based modern groups. I tried vet only groups but didn't like them. Same with LGDs, I joined 5 and kept 1. I have 2 groups for tenants rights and dude they legitimately have changed my life, I would have been in such a bad place without them.

[phantomrose96]

It IS true and IS correct that Reddit is the last large bastion of the internet where you can go to seek the opinion of hobby-experts and get real information and real advice that has not been astroturfed through an SEO-manipulating AI-generated terminally-cancerous corporate-sponsored advertisement-hocking wretch.

But this approach is still flawed owing to the fact that every Redditor is terminally afflicted with Funniest Guy In The Room syndrome and the top-voted answer on an earnest "can anyone identify this?" post might just be "your mom" or "poop knife" or whatever's in Reddit circlejerk zeitgeist vogue at the moment so really. An imperfect system.

[azaliegang]

Man, I tried to get some advice on Reddit on a specific rare breed of LGD not found in the west. I asked a question, but before asking the question I shared a fun fact about the LGD. This was an LGD I'd been researching for months and was hoping to study further by traveling to their native country and speaking to the nomadic shepherds they are named after.

Did people answer my question? Yes, one person did. But the other 2 dozen responses were dunking on my fun fact and claiming I was spreading misinformation, because "it only takes one Google search to see you're wrong. Here's my sources, how about you cite yours?"

Oh yes, your one Google search. And your sources, which are 3 random websites no one has ever heard of which quote each other. Meanwhile I've spent the last 3 months researching by reading actual studies by scientists and translating articles written by people in the actual community who bred and raised these dogs. Why did it take me so long? Because there is almost no information in English on this breed available online, except those 3 random articles which are giving you the most vague generic information about dogs.

To be clear, this is a rare LGD which these people admitted they'd never even heard of and they had the nerve to tell me that I should "do more research next time before spreading misinformation". They got REALLY NASTY about it, insulting me personally calling me stupid etc..

People on Reddit (and everywhere really) will pretend to be experts and bullshit everything while treating you like you're stupid if you disagree with their half baked ideas

[thecooler]

You CANNOT have a cat or a dog. pick a pet

A reptile (lizards, snakes...)

An amphibian (frogs, salamanders...)

A rodent (rats, hamsters...)

A rabbit (rabbit)

A mustelid (ferrets)

An avian (chicken, cockatiel...)

An arachnid (spiders, scorpions...)

A bug or other many legged creature

Fish

I would sooner die than own a pet that is not a cat or a dog

op what about (tag)

Voting ended onMay 30, 2024

Feel free to specify in the tags :) if the animal is one that needs company assume you'd have multiple

[azaliegang]

Goats obv

[azaliegang]

I just opened this blog after almost 4 years and found 0 new notes or messages. Almost impressive considering I've had this blog for like 12 years and before that was pretty consistently active

[vet-and-wild]

When to click away from an animal video

–Any wild animal in a house/being treated like a pet. Yes, even if they say they “rescued” it. No legitimate rehabber would EVER treat a wild animal like a pet. Repeat after me: it does not matter if the animal is not suitable for release; they still shouldn’t be kept as a pet.

–Free contact with big cats. Even if it’s a “sanctuary”.

–People interacting with wildlife. Feeding, petting, playing with, etc.

–Free handling venomous snakes.

–Predator and prey interacting. Cats and birds, dogs and birds, literally anything else with birds. Cats or dogs with rodents, etc.

–Any video that claims a wild animal is domesticated. Wild animals are NOT domesticated, but they can be tamed. These are two very different things and anyone who doesn’t understand the difference shouldn’t be owning one of those animals.

–Any video claiming that (insert wild/exotic species here) is “just like owning a dog/cat!” i.e. the video that went around saying foxes are “the best characteristics of cats and dogs”.

–Facilities that breed hybrids or morphs (i.e. ligers, white tigers, coywolves, etc)

–Any video by the Dodo

–Obese animals being portrayed as “cute and chonky”.

–Click bait titles about dangerous/exotic animals i.e. “bitten by my king cobra!”, “my pet fox did what?!?”, “letting my pet alligator pick out a toy!”. You get the idea. Anyone using wild animals to get views/publicity does not have their best interests at heart.

–Any “dog trainers” promoting dominance theory (this shit has been disproven so many times and is not even accurate for wolves…)

–Owl cafes, otter cafes, or any kind of wild animal cafe.

Seriously, don’t give these people views. I understand that it can be hard to distinguish good and bad animal videos, but try and be critical of what you’re consuming. Giving these people views gets them sponsorships and money. Plus, more views = increased circulation of the video. This is honestly especially important on TikTok because there are so many younger people on that app. Look at the comment section on any pet wildlife video and it’s “omg I want one!”, “where can I get one?” over and over. And yes, this does matter. It has been proven that the media we consume does influence people to get these as pets. It is currently baby animal season in the US and my clinic is inundated with people who “rescued” baby wildlife (aka nest-napped) and now want to keep them as a pet. Mostly raccoons but also squirrels, opossums, ducklings, wild birds, and pretty much everything you can imagine.

[farm-paws]