[共犯者!]

I do want to emphasize, again, that cults (and toxic groups with cult-like attributes, I’m using this term pretty loosely) don’t usually look like what you’d expect. A lot of toxic and dangerous religious movements are tiny and you won’t find much about them via Google. Cultish non-religious movements are the same way.

Start-ups, multi-level marketing companies, activist groups, fan groups, political groups, and internet mystics who run retreats can all be cult-like and dangerous. Tune your BS detector, ask family, friends, and experts for advice.

Here are some warning signs:

Pressure – pressure to make quick decisions, to give (or pledge) considerable amounts of money, to move in with a group, to abandon family or cut off friends. Elevated Leaders – anyone claiming special insight, special powers, or that they aren’t human. Demanding special treatment (compared to other followers). Misuse of funds or money collecting at the top. physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. Lack of accountability or oversight. Isolation – encouraging (or requiring) members to cut off family relationships, friendships with those outside of the group, leaving jobs, moving to isolated areas, taking away communication methods. Strong “us-vs-them” mentality. Vilification of ex-members. Love-bombing. Altered states of consciousness – long work hours, sleep deprivation, lack of access to adequate food or water. Otherwise unproblematic activities like meditation/prayer/chanting, but done for hours. Discouraging doubt – discouraging or punishing doubt and critical thinking.

(Source 1, Source 2, Source 3)

Do not flip rabbits upside down (it can literally kill them)

While we’re talking about rabbits, do not bathe them in water

Rabbits can’t eat lots of carrots, they have too much sugar

75% of their diet should be hay

that cage you bought for your hamster is most likely too small

Any tank or bowl under 5 gallons is way too small for anything unless you are keeping snails

Your aquatic animal needs a filter

Yes, your beta fish needs a heater (as do all tropical aquatic animals)

No, fish are not decorations

Goldfish and koi are pond animals, goldfish can live in some tanks but they need to be big

You can not just buy 2 fish that school (like guppies, neon tetras, etc)

Trust nothing that petsmart or petco tells you about fish they actually know nothing

When you purchase a reptile you need to be willing to take care of it for it’s entire lifespan (some of the common reptiles sold at the store can live up to 50 years)

Your reptile needs a heater

Live feeding rodents actually isn’t that good and can harm your snake (only do this if the snake refuses frozen)

DO NOT RELEASE REPTILES INTO THE WILD! ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN A WARM STATE LIKE FLORIDA!

your reptile needs a water dish

Your turtle can’t live in a fish tank that just has a floating log for them to rest above water on

Most birds are social and should have companions

If they do not have a companion you need to make sure you spend enough time with them daily to make up for that

They can’t live off just seeds

You can’t cohabitate large and small birds

You should not put bedboxes or encourage nesting for tropical birds unless you plan on becoming a professional breeder and taking care of the babies yourself when the parents are incompetent

On the opposing side, domestic birds like pigeons and chickens need a nesting box because they will lay eggs reguarly (although these eggs will be unfertilized)

The chicken eggs you buy at the store are not unhatched baby chickens

Chickens legit don’t care if you take their eggs, they will eat the unfertilized eggs if left in the coop for too long, the eggs have a lot of nutrients that can help them, but do long as the chickens are getting a good diet they won’t need to eat the eggs

Honeybees make way too much honey and taking it from them prevents them from swarming (something that most of the time ends in the death of the entire colony)

You know how your neighbor/farm down the road/etc has horses? Yeah it’s fun to pet them and all but do not feed them random stuff you bring, you don’t know if they have special diet regulations or what is/is not poisonous and sending a horse to the vet is very expensive if you want to feed them something ask the farmer beforehand

I shouldn’t have to say this but do not enter any cow/horse/large animal pasture without the owners permission

Cows aren’t as sweet as the media makes them out to be, never let your guard down around a cow

Pigs are not herbivores, they are omnivores, they eat meat and basically whatever else they can

The same applies to chickens

Do not release domestic or domestic raised animals into the wild. Ever

You shouldn’t declaw your cat (get those rubber claw covers instead!)

Also don’t let your cat be an “outdoor” cat

That doesn’t mean don’t let your cat go outside, but when they are outside it should be under supervision and on a leash

If you don’t want to leash train them, get a catio!

Your omnivorous or carnivor animals CANT BE VEGAN

One rat needs minimum 2 cubic feet of room. You need a minimum of 2 rats (3 is better) (unless the rat is not friendly with others, in which case you need to make up for that lack of social interaction) so you need a BIG cage.

My cage was around $200 CAD and is suitable for 4 rats. Bigger is better

For some reason people think that red eyed rats have a meaner temper? Their red eyes only mean that they have worse eyesight than their black eyes counterparts. They’re all so sweet.

don’t give out your socials to random people. i was just in an among us room with a 14 year old giving out her instagram and asking others for theirs. DO NOT DO THIS.

if someone makes you even the TINIEST bit uncomfortable, block them! don’t feel bad about it. don’t worry that your reason for doing so isn’t “good enough”. just block them.

don’t post any sort of identifying information about yourself. anything beyond like, your first name and the state/country you live in, should be kept to yourself. this goes double for dms with people you don’t know irl.

if anyone asks for your “asl” block them and do not answer. these people are always creeps. i block them as an adult! (asl refers to “age sex location” and the vast majority of people asking this are looking for someone to hit on)

Transcript:

Therapist: So how have things been?

Patient: Maybe I was just put on this earth just to die.

Therapist: Ok.

Patient: Like I’m not meant to find love or be happy.

Therapist: I got you.

Patient: Like I’m just supposed to die.

(the patient turns to the therapist who nods. the camera zooms in.)

Therapist (putting a pen up by his mouth): It do be like that sometimes.

Patient: It do be like that sometimes.

(the camera zooms in more)

vol 12 cover has been revealed today

i have a very distinct memory, in my childhood, of the moment of my disillusionment.  i believed that grown-ups knew what they were doing, and that the things that seemed so obvious to me had to be obvious to them, too (things like DON’T GO TO WAR IN IRAQ, for example).  i believed that, and had that belief pulled out from under me, so my disillusionment comes with a sense of betrayal.

-everybody forgot target only has 2 red circles

-some people are drawing legitimate local variations of the logos

“What he lacks in agility he makes up for in brains”