Shady and Co.

Okay, now are you ready to hear my biggest personal biology hot take?

Vumbi Pride lionesses versus C-Boy. This was snapped right after C-Boy growled at one of the cubs.

The cup fell, blew, or rolled into a sideways position on the rocks where it could hold some water and rain could still splash into it, but it wasn't immediately cooked by direct sunlight. There hasn't been enough rain to fill the surface of that ditch itself for years, but evidently at least one shrimp egg from the soil from a past year must have rolled into the cup or been pushed there by a bug or animal, plus some dried bits of algae and microbes, and enough dead leaf bits and soil to feed them. Then, for at least a week (based on shrimp's size), enough rain fell to keep the cup full enough to grow not only the shrimp, but enough things for it to feed on. So, now it's just in there, quietly eating microbes and filtering water in a single cup on the ground, laying clone eggs into the tiny bit of dirt at the bottom and doing whatever. It's good sized and healthy, too. This isn't even that unusual of a container; I've found them in old tires before.

This is urine from a poor kitty I had in today who was blocked. He formed crystals in his urine, which built up so much and blocked his urethra. It's unfortunately common in male cats, and the reason I have mine on veterinary food as a precaution.

Those are urinary crystals under the microscope! You can see the little dots around them if you zoom in - thats blood.

The thing is, scruffing should be your last resort, if not close to it. It's more than just the body weight.

'In adult cats, scruffing triggers fear and stress rather than relaxation. The only time an adult cat is held by the scruff is during mating—if a female in estrus, or “heat”—or when under attack by a predator. Clinically, what is often seen as “relaxation” in a scruffed cat is actually behavioral shutdown, or learned helplessness that occurs when an animal experiences a very high level of fear and stress.'

Essentially, scruffing in adult cats is a huge issue and can cause more harm than good. Even in veterinary medicine, we only scruff when absolutely necessary, to avoid getting mauled by our patients. Many clinics, especially those certified by Fear Free Pets, dont use scruffing at all.

I'm going to expand on the tags above, and please keep in mind that this is in NO WAY a callout or a reprimand to these folks - you didn't know, or you thought it was the best choice. That's not your fault! I'm here to help you expand your knowledge and find other ways to work with your cats.

1. Misbehaving - scruffing will not fix this, but training will! Cats can be trained, some better than others, but it just takes time. If you have to scruff your cat to get them out of a bad behaviour, you should try to work on that behaviour instead. Scruffing a cat for bad behaviour is more of a punishment than help.

2. Stuck in a bad place - This is something that is a little harder. If the cat is stuck in a storm drain or a wall, then okay. You dont really have a choice. However, if the cat is under the bed or behind the couch and you can't reach it? Either a. Move the furniture or b. Leave it if it isnt an emergency. The cat will come out eventually. If you do need the cat out, and if you can, get your hands around the ribs or hips instead if its safe to do so. (dont get bitten. Please. Thats a post for another day.) Big body parts like the pelvis or shoulders are sturdier than skin, and less likely to be injured.

3. Using a clip to keep your cat still for reasons such as grooming, nail trims or travel is not going to make it better in the future. This relates back again to point 1. Training. If your cat doesnt like its nails getting done, you should work with it instead. Get it used to its feet being touched; use treats, cuddles, and even a professional trainer if you need to! There is no shame in asking for help.

4. Travel. Use a carrier. Top opening carriers are great for this. Get your cat used to it! Put food and toys in there, encourage exploration, play with them around and in it. Cats enjoy small spaces. If you leave the carrier out all the time with the door open, your cat is more likely to get used to it than if its only hauled out for vet visits.

In the end, scruffing should be a last resort. If you ever do have to scruff, support the hips and as soon as you have a good hold, release the scruff. Thank you everyone for your patience, and time, and I would like to leave you with the brilliant and wonderful addition brought to you by @limacine-king

- Please be honest with us. We aren't going to report you to the police because your dog got into your stash. We need to know if your cat's wound happened two days ago or two hours ago. Just tell us what happened.

- VACCINATE YOUR PETS. We don't care about your stances on human vaccines. Your pets NEED theirs. Parvo is one of the worst things a puppy can get, it has a high mortality rate, and it's prevented by vaccinating. Distemper and Rabies are INCURABLE, and ONLY prevented by vaccines. Vaccinate your pets, even if they are indoor only.

- Your dog is not a wolf. It does not need a grain-free diet. Dogs have evolved to digest carbs and grains alongside us. Grain-free diets have been linked to causing a heart condition called DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and we are seeing more and more cases of it in younger and younger dogs. My clinic personally had 3 cases in the last two weeks, and it is a horrible thing to see.

- Spay and neuter your pets if you aren't going to breed them. If you are, do NOT breed before they're at least 1.5 years old. Two years is better.

- Besides altering your pet, leave the rest of their body parts alone. Your dog prefers having their ears and tail. Your cat needs their claws. Declawing is cruel and banned in many places, and ear cropping/tail docking isn't far behind.

- STOP LISTENING TO YOUR BREEDER INSTEAD OF YOUR VET.

- Retractable leashes are literally garbage and should be banned.

- Keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier when you bring them to the clinic! Do not carry your angry cat inside in your arms!!

- Cats do not do things out of spite. Your cat does not pee outside of the litter because it's angry. It's probably stressed, or is having urinary issues.

- Stop being rude to the vet staff. We have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession, and it's only getting worse. We have enough to deal with without you reaming us out because Fluffy needs their nails trimmed TODAY and we're booked up for 3 weeks.

- Stop scruffing your cats. Its an outdated form of restraint and it is physically painful.

- Train your dogs. Bad behaviours are 90% boredom and bad habits. Spend time with your dogs.

- Again. Please be nice to the vet staff. We're doing our best to help your pets. We're overworked, exhausted, underpaid and underappreciated. We are tired. Be gentle and be kind.

- When the vet gives you instructions: follow the instructions. Your pet isn't going to get better on their own in a lot of cases, and if you think taking the cone/cast off or not doing medication/diet/lifestyle changes is going help, you are wrong. The vet has a doctorate. Listen to the doctorate.

- Google is your worst enemy. Looking things up is going to stress you out any maybe even misinform you. If you think there is an issue, go to the vet.

- Do not stop medication for a chronic condition because the pet "was cured" by the meds. The absence of symptoms means the meds are managing the condition, not eliminating it. Fluoxetine is not a cure. Methimazole is not a cure. Levothyroxine is not a cure. Insulin* is not a cure.

your tags up because this is

super important.

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