#pet care

[nemfrog]

Cat-lifting tip. Tibs cat book. 1948.

[fischotterkunst]

my brother had a brilliant idea that i wanted to share with other people who have four-legged family members: he trained our two cats to go directly to the door when they hear the fire alarm.

obviously at first the fire alarm sent them scrambling for cover, but he started slowly by giving them treats whenever it went off, when someone burned food or forgot to open the fireplace flu. he then progressed to calling them to the door to offer treats immediately after the alarm went off. and it actually wasn't too long before the cats voluntarily started going to the door upon hearing the alarm.

i think this was genius because in the event of a real emergency we know exactly where the cats will be and we will not have to waste precious time trying to find them to rescue them. i think this method would work equally well with dogs and probably other free-roaming pets such as rabbits, ferrets, etc. and i certainly encourage others to give it a shot!

[oarfjsh]

quick PSA to fishblr, snailblr, and anyone it may concern.

over the last year, more and more people on reddit have brought to my attention a new man made horror beyond my comprehension: the expansion of "acid dipping" to the neritid family of aquatic snails.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AquaticSnails/s/vPCUTXWyAq

this heinous practice has been applied to other pet snails for a longer while, but the reports of treated nerite snails are new, and steadily increasing.

as the name implies, these snails are submerged in an acidic solution and/or sanded down with tools to give them the "rare" or "novelty" white shell colour and then sold for higher prices.

not only is the process stressful and potentially lethal for the snail, the white colour is achieved by stripping the shell of its outermost layer called the periostracum.

https://aquariumbreeder.com/snails-external-anatomy/

the periostracum acts as a protection for the prismatic layer below it, which is more susceptible to erosion, giving the snail a lifelong impediment. THESE SNAILS CANNOT REPAIR OLD SHELL GROWTH. THE NEW SHELL GROWTH HOWEVER WILL APPEAR IN ITS NATURAL FORM AND COLOUR.

in this context it is important to note that all, or at least 99.99%, of nerite snails that are sold are wild caught animals as successful captive breeding is currently not possible at a meaningful scale. surviving transport and adjusting to captivity is already a major stressor to them without the nonsense of human aesthetic preferences.

so far i have seen one species in particular targeted by bleaching, Neritina pulligera (aka: military helmet nerite, steel helmet snail, dusky nerite, black/brown/olive racer nerite, algae snail or algae nerite). this species is naturally a shade between jet black, dark brown and olive green or light brown. in the pictures you can see areas of these colours where the shell was not stripped very thoroughly. they are sold under the name "beluga nerite" or "beluga snail", or as "white [common name]".

in the aquarium trade, naturally plain white nerite snails are extremely rare, if not unavailable - some species can have a whiteish/cream/light grey base colour with a distinct pattern in black, brown, pink, green, etc. on top of it. if in doubt, assume it is acid dipped, and do not support this trend.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AquaticSnails/s/jNDmUge7uj

for more info and discussion, visit the reddit links. sadly i cant seem to find all of the threads i grabbed pictures from anymore; i assume they have been deleted.

[thegayneapigs]

current boarders are tiny agents of chaos (Kobey & Jordan) 🏀🐾

[leapsandsqueaks]

🛑 Rabbits are NOT Easter gifts! 🛑

They are sensitive animals who live 10–15 years, and during that time they require consistent attention, proper nutrition, regular veterinary care (with an exotics specialist), and a clean, enriching environment. They’re not ideal pets for young children without active adult involvement, and they are definitely not low-maintenance!

Every year after Easter, shelters and rescues see an increase in abandoned rabbits because people weren’t prepared for the responsibility. That’s not fair to them.

If you’re thinking about bringing a rabbit into your life, we implore you to reconsider if you have not done proper research or are unaware of their husbandry needs. We are here to answer all of your questions, and if you are interested in a rabbit or wanted to foster to see what you would be getting into first, please reach out to us! 🌷🐾

[sup3rqu33n]

here’s another camera closeup.

we don’t take a picture of phyllis. phyllis is taking a picture of us. with her soul!!!

[queueniform]

my brave boy at the vet

& my grumpy boy after the vet