Kitty Owner

Owner of 3 cats and 2 rabbits She/They Keep your cats indoors

[kittyowner]

Pet Guide

Abel DSH Tom 20 months

One of "The Boys." Sweet, snuggly kitty who likes to get under the covers, drool, and groom his brother. He has an actual grain allergy and flea allergy dermatitis. The latter is why he's so naked, he's been growing it back just very slowly. When he isn't naked, he can be told apart from Cain since he has no spot on his nose.

Cain DSH Tom 20 months

Other half of "The Boys." Cain's a squeaky toy who likes to get to parts of the house he isn't allowed in and cry. He loves wrestling, armpits, and pockets. My only cat with no health issues. When Abel isn't naked, he can be told apart from him with the dot on his nose.

Val Mini Lop Doe 6 Years

The sweetest bunny I've ever had. She's pretty chill and doesn't acknowledge other people much. She'd never hurt a fly. Her hobbies are home decorating, going for jogs, and eating fun new fruits. Just a kind old lady.

Quinn Generic Small Rabbit Buck 2 Years

In contrast to Val, Quinn isn't that gentle or sweet but he sure is extroverted! He's essentially a boxer in a bunny's body. Adores car rides, meeting new people, and destroying cardboard. He's starting to mellow out but not that much.

Wrynn DSH/Some sort of Colorpoint Breed Molly 5 Years

Yep, she's got a purebred mother that she bares no resemblance to, this is why you can't guess if a cat has a breed in them! She's a hot mess but I love her very much. She likes screaming loud, finding creative new places to sleep, and sniffing hands. She only has a bit of hearing and anxiety that causes middening. Prozac girl.

Not My Cats

Blue DLH Queen Unknown Age

Blue is a cat I was feeding in spring 2023. She was a lovely girl, but disappeared as is the case with many a stray. Hopefully someone just picked her up and kept her, she deserves a lovely home.

[just-another-cat-blog-2023]

Munchkin cats are a genetic abomination and no, I will not apologise.

Yeah, these cats are cute, and they themselves do not deserve hate (after all, it's us humans who intentionally breed and sell them and label their genetic defects 'adorable') but as you can probably tell, I hate the breeding and selling of these cats. It is cruel.

First, let's compare the munchkin cat's stature to that of a normal cat. Munchkin cats' legs can vary in length, though most purebred Munchkin cats will have legs shorter than that of a typical domestic cat. Many breeders have begun to group Munchkin cats based on their leg length.

From left to right: Non-munchkin (legs not short), 'standard' (legs shorter by 1-2"), 'super-short' (legs shorter by 2-3"), 'rug-hugger' (legs shorter by 3+")

As you can see, Munchkins, especially the super-short and rug-hugger varieties, have shockingly short statures. It can be hard to see just how extreme the difference is until you compare them to a standard cat. Still, how is this a problem?

Well, for one, it restricts natural behaviours. Cats are naturally semi-arboreal. They are born with the instinct to climb and jump. Their brains are wired to find comfort and security in high places.

A typical domestic cat can easily, and will gladly, jump up to 100 centimetres (2 ft, 3"). Most typical domestic cats can even reach heights of 150-180 centimetres (4 ft, 11" to 5 ft, 10").

Due to the Munchkins' short legs, the height they are capable of jumping is restricted. The standard Munchkin may be able to jump almost as well as a typical cat, perhaps up to 140 centimetres (4 ft, 7"). However, there is no way a super-short or rug-hugger Munchkin could jump so high.

You can really see the difference in abilities in these two videos:

A typical (non-munchkin) cat jumping heights of up to 101 cm (40")

A Munchkin cat jumping approximately 80-90 cm (31-36")

Cats, even Munchkins, have the instinct to jump and a love of high places. Taking an animal that needs to and loves to jump but physically cannot is unbelievably cruel. It can cause stress and frustration to the cat and, if the cat regularly attempts to jump but fails, may result in injury.

"But if standard munchkins can still jump, why not just breed them. The point on natural behaviour only applies to some munchkins, so you've got to give me more than that to convince me this breed is suffering!"

May I present you with skeletal deformities as a point then?

The genetic mutation causing the short-legged trait in Munchkins is referred to as achondroplasia, the genetic disorder that results in dwarfism.

This disorder is associated with multiple conditions, exhibited by the vast majority, if not all, Munchkin cats (yes, including the 'standard' variety.

A shortened, bent ulna and radius.

Lordosis - excessive curvature of the spine due to shortened muscles.

Pectus Excavatum - horizontal narrowing of the chest due to sternum and costal cartilage deformities.

(above) one of the two Munchkins rescued and adopted by Gatehouse Veterinary Centre in Wrexham, UK. The two rescue Munchkins, Bonnie and Clyde, experience issues typical of the Munchkin. They are both on long-term pain relief as well as joint supplements.

The Munchkins' skeletal deformities drastically increases the chance of severe Osteoarthritis. They are also susceptible to developing arthritis at a much younger age than a typical cat.

This condition causes a lot of discomfort and pain in the joints. It can restrict a cat's ability to jump, which, for a Munchkin (a breed that is already restricted in terms of activity), is not good.

Osteoarthritis requires regular medication to manage the pain, as well as decreased activity, which can be very distressing for a cat, who has no idea why they feel the way they do.

Pectus Excavatum is also frequently exhibited in Munchkins as a result of the gene that causes their shortened legs.

Pectus Excavatum is a condition in which, as a result of malformation of the sternum, the chest is narrowed.

This reduces space for the heart and lungs. Depending on the severity of the condition, cats with Pectus Excavatum may experience severe cardiac and lung problems, causing difficulty breathing and increased respiratory rate.

This is NOT a rare condition in Munchkins.

Lordosis is a term for excessive curvature of the spine. It is caused by shortened muscles and the impaired posture and gait having shortened legs (especially on the front side) causes.

Lordosis can cause back and shoulder pain, which can severely and negatively impact a cat's quality of life.

Over time, severe cases of lordosis in cats may cause gait changes and/or weakness.

Unfortunately, due to the Munchkin's skeletal deformities and high incidence of severe Osteoarthritis, their average life expectancy is shorter than that of a non-Munchkin cat.

While the average life expectancy of an indoor Domestic Shorthair (cat of no breed) is 15-20 years, the average life expectancy of an indoor Munchkin is 12-15 years, approximately 5-8 years shorter than a typical cat.

The Munchkin cat's abnormally high incidence of medical problems, restricted natural behaviours, and shortened life expectancy has led to legal restrictions being put in place in some places to prevent the further suffering of these cats.

In the Netherlands, as of 2014 it is prohibited by law to intentionally breed Munchkins. This is the same case in Victoria, a state in Australia.

The Australian Capital Territory (a territory in Australia) government considers Munchkin cats to be "malformed animals" and the breeding of them "unnaceptable" due to the "genetic health problems associated with such breeding".

For the health and welfare of cats, we need to ban the breeding of Munchkins worldwide.

Please, do not purchase a Munchkin from a breeder or pet store as this encourages the breeding of these cats. If you really want a Munchkin and you're prepared for the issues the cat will likely face, search for a Munchkin at local animal rescues.

Sources

https://www.petmd.com/cat/breeds/munchkin

https://icatcare.org/advice/munchkin/

https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-health-and-welfare-issues-associated-with-exaggerated-physical-features-in-cats/

https://www.ufaw.org.uk/cats/munchkin-limb-deformity

https://thelittlecarnivore.com/en/blog/munchkin-cat-do-they-suffer-health-issues-and-ethics

https://www.petrebels.com/en/cat-breeds-munckin/

[kittyowner]

New Posts soon I promise 🙏 I don't know how cat and bunny people have pet picture filled blogs because mine like to do the same thing every single day and the moment they aren't it's always unable to be captured in a picture. Sad, really.

[meangirlnurse]

remember: animal shelters/rescues will lie to trick you into adopting an animal with severe behavioral issues.

if you’re going to adopt an animal from a shelter/rescue, be cautious. don’t support irresponsible rescues.

[montmartrasse]

yeah we're not trying to trick anyone tho. like im sorry if you've had a bad experience with a rescue/shelter but dont go around spreading bullshit like this.

number one - we do this is to prevent stigma against rescues. there are many people who follow our socials without intending on adopting ever and we have to keep a positive smiley facade and a feel good attitude to continue our existence because we rely on public support and donations. if all our dogs are labeled aggressive murder machines - no one wants to buy food for an aggressive murder machine. they want to buy food for a 'single child wannabe' tho.

number two - our rescue has a lot of bully mixes who dont get along with other dogs due to a multitude of reasons. if we label all of them with 'HATES all dogs. will KILL them. MURDER machine' that is not helping anyone. saying that it prefers to be the only dog in the house is the same thing as saying it wont get along with other dogs. im sorry if you are incapable of reading comprehension.

number three - we have to make them approachable. its fucking marketing. its the reality of rescues. take it or leave it. we need people asking questions about our animals. when we get an inquiry about a dog, we will tell you everything, and if you don't want that specific dog due to that issue, we probably have another and then another and then another that can fit you. we just need you to message us first. a lot of times, people will like a dog well enough to accept the 'issues' that we 'reveal' during the introduction talks.

trust me when i say this - we want nothing less than an 'adopted' dog returning. we will do everything to make sure they dont get returned and that starts with giving people the full info on the dog. because an adopted dog means we have almost immediately replaced the 'space' for that dog with another dog and a return means now we dont have anywhere to place the return dog. not to mention how heartbreaking and sad it is when an adopted dog gets returned.

like im sorry im pretty sure people have had bad experiences with rescues, im not saying all are perfect but also please consider that dogs behave differently in different environments. if you think the rescue hid information from you, its very likely that they also didn't know.

i foster dogs regularly, have been for the past 3ish years. ive watched more than 25+ dogs change their ENTIRE personalities over the span of 3 weeks after coming to my house for the first time. a brave, bold, energetic dog in a shelter environment can become a scared, anxious, aggressive mess in a city environment. or vice versa. 3-3-3 rule is a thing for a reason. environment matters a lot. handler matters a lot. you probably werent lied, your dog just changed. adapted into the new life if you will.

get a life, try to volunteer at a rescue before you talk shit about one.

[meangirlnurse]

the fundamental problem is your desire to adopt out dogs that are apparently “aggressive murder machines” into the community through deceptive “marketing.”

my background is training dogs professionally and volunteering at shelters. how about you try developing literally any sense of moral responsibility

[mockiatoh]

This has genuinely been really eye opening because both dog people—breeders, purebred enthusiasts, dog owners—and the general public responded VERY badly to this. Shock, dismay, disgust, making it clear they find this deceptive and dangerous.

And then you have Involved In Rescues! who are convinced that the people they want to adopt the dogs are just wrong for not wanting deceptive language about things like resource guarding, dog aggression, and human aggression to be used to increase placement.

Literally the only positive comments were from rescuers who were supporting and encouraging others to soften it—minimizing issues. And a couple even said that after the potential family is interested and invested, that’s when you would explain the depth of the dog’s needs.

The more I see horrible rescues pull this shit and “good” rescuers defend it, the more firmly against adopting I am.

[meangirlnurse]

yep!

animal shelters and rescues need to be held legally liable for dog attacks from animals that they knew to be dangerous prior to adopting them out. they will not stop until they start seeing meaningful consequences for this behavior

[zooophagous]

I would much, much rather be told straight up "this dog will attack other dogs and needs to be the only dog" instead of "prefers to be the only child."

Aggression can go further than other dogs in the home. Do I need to muzzle this dog in public and avoid other dog walkers on the street, or is the dog a jealous crybaby who whines and pees when another animal gets attention and he doesn't? Both dogs prefer to be the only dog, but the marketing tactic obscures the real problem. Just tell me in plain English what the animal's deal is.

Especially when it comes to big dogs that the owner may not be able to physically overpower if it goes over threshold.

[molosseraptor]

None of this is new and it's so dangerous. It's the main reason why I refuse to be involved with any assessment or training for dogs in shelters or rescues and that's been my policy for the last several years. I'm happy to help when a dog is in an established home, but all the outright dishonesty is sickening. Most people expect to have to put a little work into a new dog to help them fit into their home and lifestyle. They definitely don't want or expect a lifelong behavior case, even if the dog isn't dangerous to others and it's "just" separation anxiety or pica/object ingestion or escape artist tendencies. All require serious time, money, training, and management and it's so not why people choose to bring a dog into their lives.

This was the bio for my weird little dog back in 2008 that this rescue paid ME $200 to take off their hands and paid for food and vet care for a year. He had blown through all their available foster homes and was looking at being sent back to the county shelter or euthanized.

Huey was definitely older than one but probably not older than 2-3. His teeth were way too bad to make a sure guess but he has not grown or physically changed in the time I've had him. He was still extremely scared. When I met him he hadn't left the crate he was put in for 2 days with the door wide open and did not eat, drink, or eliminate in that time because he was moved to a new location and couldn't cope. I had to just close the door and take him home in their crate because he wasn't coming out and pulling out a scared dog with a now multi-bite history is a bad idea. He was not just shy around men but terrified of all people and would completely shut down until he was provoked enough that the only option was biting. He does not and has never loved other dogs. He has lived with dogs his whole life with me and has been around thousands of dogs and the only dog he's ever initiated contact with was my Chihuahua. He's not dog aggressive at all, but he wants zero contact or interaction with other dogs. He was not crate trained or house broken. He was just too scared to leave a small enclosed "safe space" unless they physically forced him out. He's definitely fast and athletic and used those skills to panic run when terrified and was an active escape artist who would bolt whenever given the opportunity or was spooked by anything. He bit both of the children and the father in that foster home along with two other people in previous foster homes. All would have been avoided with the tiniest bit of common sense as he's not outwardly aggressive in any way and does almost anything to avoid conflict. In both of those pictures he's stress panting and avoiding the person/camera and they likely had to zoom in to get those photos because you couldn't really get anywhere near him unless you cornered and trapped him. These were intended to "sell" him to a potential adopter so these were definitely the best they could get.

I was volunteering to help with training some of their less adoptable dogs in basic manners. Nothing seemed particularly amiss with the first two dogs I did a little training with, but after this and digging a little deeper I cut contact with them. My plan was to foster and place him, but as we got to know each other better I decided he was just too weird to ethically place in a home. And here we are 15 years later. He's lived as normal of a life as possible and has never had another instance of aggression because he was lucky enough to land with a professional who wasn't jaded enough yet to take problem dogs home with her. I don't even want to know what his life would have been like if he was adopted out to a random family. He likely would have been behaviorally euthanized or escaped and hit by a car within a year.

[horchatarevolution-deactivated2]

[kittyowner]

Ok so update on what I posted earlier, turns out Wrynn started having issues with hematochezia (look up at your own discretion) and that was at it's absolute WORST at labor day. Since it was the holiday unless she was literally dying I couldn't get her seen since I don't have a ton of emergency vets and they were all filled to the brim with dogs who got into stuff they shouldn't've. Day after I got her into my usual and luckily instead of being something extremely life-threatening, it's just gastritis. So she got a Cerenia shot, IV, and 5 days on Metronidazole Compound. It's been a few days and she's feeling much better but not fun (doubly so now that she's healthy and strong enough to try to fillet me when I give her meds since apparently it doesn't taste good.) 🥴 Always fun times after I get my paycheck.

[deadstrangeblog]

Endemic to the Wolf and Darwin Galápagos Islands, the Vampire Ground Finch is a rare bird that drinks the blood of other living birds. During times of extreme drought, this unusual blood-drinking behaviour is crucial in the finch’s survival.

[riso-wizo]

The pigeon zine!!

[khayr]

ears baby

[grison-in-space]

sometimes life is very boring and no one will throw ANY frisbee at ALL and all you can do is curl up in your new pallet bed and bitterly eat pieces of your headrest

[kittyowner]

I need to update this blog more, I just tend to upload most pet/animal stuff to my main and forget I have this blog. I just spent a week dog sitting and it went loud lol. Wrynn's been actually getting on my bed instead of to the side and been a lot more happy in general, even if my mom still thinks she hates her and my cousin who comes over weekly is scared of her. Lol. I did get home to Abel having GI problems so he probably got into something he's allergic to so hopefully it'll pass and I can find out what it was. Cain and the Buns are all doing fine with nothing new, all being sweet and happy. Update done!

[crevicedwelling]

a cicadakiller wasp dug a burrow in a crack in the sidewalk, but the prey she gathered to feed her larvae couldn’t fit! she’d gathered five Neotibicen tibicen & two N. linnei, likely all today. I plugged the entrance, so hopefully she’ll start a successful burrow somewhere else.

she can’t use these cicadas anymore (instinctual one-way trip from tree to burrow behavior), so I took them. they’re still alive, which is a little creepy, but totally unable to move due to her sting.

…I don’t have room for this many pinned cicadas though, so I’ll probably parcel a few out to local yellowjacket nests, which will be fun to watch!

[crevicedwelling]

oh no

OH NO

SHE’S BACK FOR HER CATCH AND SHE FOUND WHERE I LIVE

…actually this is likely a hilarious coincidence and an entirely different wasp (and even if it was the same, she’d not hold a grudge), but sometimes cicada killers do get attracted to lights at night when they can’t return to a burrow. this one flew right inside when I opened the door to check for moths!

fortunately I was able to pop her in a vial quickly and return her outside after a couple photos.

really impressive how a solitary wasp, brawny though she is, can track down a very flighty, nervous bug larger than she is in the treetops, wrestle it to the ground, and lug it back to a burrow. but a mother will do anything for her kids—the adult wasp uses no part of the cicada prey, accumulating her cache solely to feed her young.

also here’s a shot of her vibrating with hostility after being grabbed with forceps

[crevicedwelling]

maybe a little silly but I kept hearing her smack into the window so I caught her again, and gave her a makeshift burrow made from a leaf and some rocks. it’s no five star hotel but she seems to have fallen asleep for the last ten minutes under her magnolia blanket

[cyalaterbyeyall-deactivated2025]

i also don't see zoos as like, a "necessary evil" that will go away when we've ended capitalism and learned to live more sustainable lives or whatever.

for starters, i don't believe conservation is an issue that will ever end. for example, certain species are inherently more vulnerable to extinction, and those species may need a helping hand if disease or natural disaster strikes their populations. this is especially true of species with slow reproductive cycles or small populations, or extremely limited habitat. working with these animals and having a captive stock of them will be vital should something happen to their wild populations.

but also zoos serve another function beyond conservation, and that's education. zoos offer people the ability to really connect with animals they may not ever see in the wild, whether because the animal is very secretive, it doesn't live near the people visiting the zoo, or the people don't have the ability to go out on hikes or whatever and observe them in the wild. it's hard to become passionate about something that only exists in the abstract, and it's hard to want to learn about something you have no concept of. people are also scared of things they don't understand, which leads to conflict between humans and animals. good zoos create a space where people can safely observe happy and healthy animals and get to know them without either party being pushed past their limit. this fosters passion for, interest in, and respect for animals that people might not care or even know about otherwise.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

That last paragraph ^^^

It deeply disturbs me the number of people who claim that… animatronics or VR or even nature documentaries can replace seeing an animal with your own eyes. Not that those things don’t have their place—they certainly do—but to see something, to understand that it’s real, is life-changing.

And, in an ironic twist, the same groups clamoring to replace zoo animals with robots are the ones who whole-heartedly believe that animals undergo the full spectrum of human experiences.

[canisitsnotlupus]

I think this is super important to remember.

[rubyvroom]

No kill shelters result in animals dumped on the highway and tossed in the river because the rescues wont take them. That’s the part they never tell you.

Meanwhile the spca will take every animal, and if they have to euthanize them at least it will be done kindly and not via neglect or cruelty.

[rubyvroom]

Because people in the notes are not getting this, let me explain:

No-kill shelters TURN AWAY animals. When they’re full - and they often are because most of these no-kill shelters are small - they stop taking them in. While they are “taking their time to find the right homes for every single animal”, many other animals never get in the door. Somehow they don’t count those animals, or track what happens to them. A success for them doesn’t include the ones they turned away. They’re taking their time because they can. 

The No-Kills who brag about 100% adoption rates are the worst, because they tend to reject the most. The animals who will be difficult to adopt out? They just don’t take those. Special needs? Too old? If they’re going to be hard to adopt out, they can claim to be full, even if they’re not. 

They are telling owners they absolutely cannot take their fifteen year old cat because they are full of litters of kittens. Adorable kittens that will turn over quickly, and boost their adoption numbers. So what happens to the fifteen year old cat? After days of being rejected at the shelters they get dumped on the side of the road somewhere, or worse. 

You cannot imagine the VOLUME of animals that a city shelter deals with. The kill shelters are not allowed to turn anyone away. The difficult cases, the special needs, the elderly, the feral. The dog that bites, the cat that pees everywhere. Every animal is going to be taken in and treated with kindness. They are going to be assessed and treated for their fleas and conditions and behavioral problems. They will get their time on the adoption floor. They will get the best chance possible to find a new home. And if it’s not possible, they will be humanely euthanized, and that cage space will go to the next animal who is already waiting for it. It never stops. While you were working on the paperwork to adopt out 1 cat, three people brought in 4 more. It’s a numbers game that you cannot win if you aren’t turning people away.

A lot of times kill shelters get the animals that the no-kill shelters refused to take. Maybe their owners bring them. Or maybe they got literally thrown in the garbage, abandoned, or put in a bag and tossed in the river, when the no-kill shelter said they were full. The police and rescuers will bring these poor injured animals to the city shelter where they will be cared for. The volunteers will spend days and weeks trying to wash the tar out of their fur, or treat their broken bones, or whatever other horrible thing has happened to them. They will feed and house them. They will put most of them in new homes. They will save many many more animals, by orders of magnitude, than a no-kill shelter ever will. A no-kill shelter will brag about dozens or maybe hundreds of  adoptions. Kill shelters are dealing in thousands of successful adoptions, and they still have to euthanize because it just isn’t enough. There are just so many animals to take in.

And then, after all this, the No-Kill Shelters get to claim the moral high ground somehow, and self-righteous types will refuse to adopt from the only shelter that takes absolutely everyone. It’s infuriating. 

[is-the-fox-video-cute]

So foxes don't naturally avoid incest? Does that not cause problems for them even when there is a healthy population number of foxes?

Foxes strategy for avoiding incest is that the cubs will move out of their parents territory in Autumn before the breeding season starts and travel many miles away from where they were born. During this time of year food starts to become harder to find, so the parents become more aggressive towards the cubs in order to drive them away, as there wouldn't be enough resources for them all to survive the winter in the same area.

Problem is, in urban areas people feed them so much that the cubs have no reason to leave. There's more than enough food for all the foxes so the parents don't have the same motivation to drive the cubs out, and the cubs don't want to give up an easy life. That leads to a lot of inbreeding in urban populations, which may be partly why they suffer so much from disease. Health conditions, such as dwarfism and genetic dental disease, are also cropping up more commonly in urban foxes and may be related to inbreeding.

[is-the-fox-video-cute]

As well as foxes naturally moving out to new areas, predation from larger predators, such as lynx and wolves, also helps to encourage more movement in the fox population and prevent young foxes from staying in the same place where they were born.

In the absence of these predators, culling by humans has been found to significantly increase genetic variability in fox populations and prevent inbreeding;

Allozymes and mtDNA sequences were used to assess genetic variability in six hunted and three nonhunted populations of red foxes Vulpes vulpes in Central Europe and the Mediterranean area. Allozyme variability was very low (P = 0.0- 4.4; He = 0.0-0.006) and significantly smaller in protected populations than in hunted ones (P = 8.9-15.6; He = 0.010-0.044). As a trend, this result was confirmed by the distribution of mtDNA variation. Differences of genetic variability were independent from sample size. Most likely, foxes evolved under predation by larger carnivores, which probably have primed the turnover of territorial reproducers. In absence of predation, hunting could superficially mimic such an effect and favour a greater genetic variability and, thus, a better viability in the red fox. This may suggest an explanation to the failure of intensive hunting campaigns as a measure to reduce strongly the population size of red foxes. - Does protection from hunting favour genetic uniformity in the red fox?

Other studies also suggest that foxes in areas where culling takes place tend to be healthier and have a higher reproductive success than in areas with no culling. This is why I'm not against regulated hunting/culling of foxes as long as it's done humanely and not to excess.

[actuallycuteanimals]

I suspect that people think that other animals will actively think 'that other animal is my offspring/sibling/parent therefore i cannot reproduce with it' or 'oh this animal would make a nice partner because i know its not my family!'

Theres also a tendency for people to, while explaining concepts, use phrases such as 'nature ensures' or 'this species strategy is' or 'nature has come up with way to' which a think has a tendecy to make people think that nature/animals are sitting around a conference table, drawing up diagrams and discussing methods on how to do this thing.

Or like traits that evolved in animals to do a certain task were planned for - as if the species was like 'oh this is what my environment is like and this is what i need to do!' But then people get surprised at how the species succeeds in that task 'thats so inefficient! Why dont they (alternative way of doing the Thing that is much more efficient)?'

And it's something that's fairly difficult to explain concisely in English, I think. But the best way I can explain it is:

What nature does, what a species does and what a species evolves purely depends on which animal has babies before dying. And whether those babies have babies. And which genes those babies (who had babies, who had babies, ad infinitum) had.

So, to take the foxes, them chasing away their offspring to avoid inbreeding would NOT have looked like:

Parent foxes: 'oh look our babies are growing up. We better make sure they leave home so that they can find mates who are very unrelated to them.' *chases the babies away*

It would have probably have been something like:

Fox A has offspring. A is very unaggressive and never chases their offspring away, no matter how much food there is. Their offspring thus end up mating with their parents and siblings. Group A becomes very inbred and they all die out due to lack of genetic vitality. The genes for 'be friendly to offspring and never chase them off' die out.

Fox B: has offspring. Fox B is aggressive to their adult offspring when there is a limited amount of food. Fox B chases their adult offspring off, who have to move far away, near other foxes (who are not closely related). Fox B's offspring now have offspring. Maybe some of these offspring act like fox A and thus they die off like group A. But some of these foxes act exactly like B and do not die off due to a lack of vitality because each generation is chased off, away from their close relatives.

Thus, the genes for 'chase adult offspring away when food is scarce' is passed on and becomes common in the fox population.

And this works well, because food is generally not overabundant - there is a limited amount of food in an area and this limit does not (significantly) increase or decrease.

But now the people are there and decide to feed the foxes - and suddenly, there is no food limit, because whenever the environment reaches carrying capacity (or even before then) suddenly the humans just start giving out even more food. The genes for 'chase adult offspring away when there is a limited amount of food' doesnt work as an anti-inbreeding strategy because there is no limit.

Inbreeding starts causing health and fertility issues at about... 10%, IIRC?

By pedigree*, the matings between the following animals who are otherwise unrelated:

The mating between a parent-child or between two full-siblings produces offspring with 25% COI.

The mating between double first cousins, uncle/aunt-nephew/niece, produces 12,5% COI offspring.

Grandparent-grandchild and single first cousins offspring have a COI of 6,25%.

A mating between fifth cousins causes a COI that is so low, it is essentially 0.

*this is just the COI by pedigree — it is the probability that the offspring are geneticially similar. The actual genetic variability can differ a lot more than what you calculate on paper. That's why pugs, by pedigree, have an average COI of like 5%** but their actual COI is close to 40%**.

**these values are what i recall it being offhand when i looked it up a few months ago. I could very well be wrong but this is what i remember.

[ultrafacts]

Source: [x]

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[weaselle]

If you get a puppy at the standard time, around 9 or 10 weeks, it is YOUR responsibility to teach them this. As you are playing, anytime they bite even a little too hard, make a sharp noise like a yelp or a hissing intake of breath or even just “hey!” not angry, more like in pain, and immediately stop playing. If they try to continue to play turn your shoulder or back to them, ignore them until they stop and let you recover. Then you can go back to playing with them. You are showing them what it looks like when they bite too hard, and what is expected of them in that situation, which is to wait to be invited to play before reengaging. Not only does this train them to not bite too hard, it lets them calibrate to each person, dog, and situation.

Maybe one of your hands is hurt – having grown up learning bite inhibition this way, your dog will pick up that you are wincing or stopping to inspect your hand or making a noise and will adjust their bite force/play style. This is a key aspect of socialization, and will let your dog play well with other dogs, children, etc.

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