The BBB is just Yelp wearing a fancy suit.

Yes.

(sorry)

I have too many to fit them into relevant posts.

I used to put my cat’s kibble in a bit of water so it’d get soft (and it’d trick him into staying hydrated, too). It’s great for picky eaters and elderly pets!

I feed my pet things that I eat, too! Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, various squashes, fresh blueberries, etc.

Except for his bugs. I don’t like cockroaches or worms very much. But he seems to like them! So he gets those, too.

I used to hitchhike, and one day, got a ride with a trucker hauling blackened animal organs to be turned into pet food (they were blackened as a mark to show they were unfit for human consumption at the place where they were mass harvested). It was the worst smell I’ve ever smelled in my entire life. I remember gagging for a few minutes as the driver laughed and told me what the deal was.

Still not the worst road story I have lol.

But be aware of what your pet’s food is made from. Or make your own, if you’re worried about it!

There’s typically warning against eating pet food on the bags for that very reason.

I am constantly cleaning my glasses. I’d like to recommend “koala cloths”! Because those standard microfiber cloths are absolute butt & seem to just redistribute smears. Koala cloths cleans out those smudges in seconds!

Seriously: it’s a miniscule investment, and you’ll thank me once you try it.

💪

Definitely adopt an adult! Just be aware of their lighting, space, and food requirements. Many are essentially friendly pet rocks that simply enjoy hanging out & looking cool. (:

As long as you get one with scales, I’d highly recommend it! They do require at least a 75 gallon habitat, though. Ideally 120 gallons! Also, ideally a front-opening one (they get spooked if you come at them from above).

Also will need a heat lamp and a long UVB fixture that spans at least 1/3 of the habitat.

Oh, and they eat insects & greens. Babies eat 80/20 bugs & greens, but transition to 20/80 bugs & greens as adults. Crickets or dubia roaches are the best insect staples!

My dragon is around the size of my forearm, but they won’t get much bigger than your entire arm.

As babies, they are very skittish / energetic, but as adults, they are pretty mellow. If you’d like a smaller, chill cuddle-buddy to just hang out with, a dragon is for you!

He certainly has his charm, that’s for sure!

His skin is the issue, mostly. Bearded dragons shed by rubbing themselves on rough surfaces. Due to having no skin protection from scales, he is prone to cuts and scrapes from such surfaces. Cold-blooded animals are notorious for slow healing, which means open wounds heal extremely slow, leaving the animal very prone to infections and further complications. SO, I’ve sanded down corners, sharp edges, and other things in his enclosure.

He also requires lotion, aloe, and massages to keep his skin / shed healthy. If this is not done, the shed can become stuck on certain appendages, which can lead to loss of blood flow, with can lead to rot/infection, which can lead to required amputation or death. Common stuck shed amputation parts for scaleless beardies are tail tip, all toes, and even eyelids.

So this dude has a better skincare routine than I do, gets weekly massages, gets humidity checks (too little = dried out skin, too much = respiratory infection), has temperature control, special furniture, etc.

Given me more white hairs worrying about him more than anything else in my life, that’s for sure!

His name is Pączki! Pronounced like “Poonch-key”. (native Polish speakers, please do not come for me lol)

My stupid, ugly lizard.

I had my eye on a beautiful female leatherback bearded dragon with great genetics! She was around 200$ and I was so ready to buy her. Contacted the breeder and was told that she had been sold just a few hours earlier. Absolutely crushed.

Then the breeder offered up a defect dragon. It was going to be culled due to a genetic fuck-up that caused it to be born without spikes or scales. They’re much much much much much more difficult to care for into adulthood, due to their special needs. 20$ adoption fee + shipping.

He was the opposite of what I had wanted.

So naturally, sucker that I am, I adopted him.

He’s turning 5 this November.

I love my stupid, ugly lizard. 💕

(here is what a standard one looks like:)

“Dang. This is, like… the never-ending soda.”

“Porco Rosso” is a about an ex-military seaplane pilot who battles air pirates. He also, incidentally, has been turned into a pig. It’s both fantastically funny and very occasionally heart-breaking.

It also has one of the best lines in cinema: “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.”

Ghibli movies always appealed to me growing up because their female protagonists were very grounded, weren’t hyper-feminine to a comical degree, and actually did interesting things, like go on adventures. Their stories also did not focus solely on falling in love with a male character, and focused a lot on their unique internal struggles.

I would strongly suggest that anyone with a daughter give them the opportunity to see Ghibli movies. “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Porco Rosso”, “Whisper of the Heart”, “The Cat Returns”, and “Castle in the Sky” were important to me in my formative years. Boys may like them, too! My son particularly loves “Porco Rosso”, “Ponyo”, and “Spirited Away.”

Definitely give your kids a chance to see them.

Your time and effort are valuable! Please do not work for free! Especially if someone will be profiting from your work!

I always carry a water bottle with me, no matter what the situation.

In a daily outing bag, I also always carry bandages, Vaseline, nail clippers, pepper spray, phone, glasses cleaning cloth, a portable charging bank/handwarmer, and a small stuffed animal (for emotional support).

I should start carrying sunscreen, but I 100% always spill things in my bag— be it ink, drink, or anything else.

For anyone reading this: purchase an Owala water bottle!! I don’t recommend brands often, but as someone who used to be chronically dehydrated AND always spilling shit: get an Owala. It has a lid that opens with a button push, a very good carrying handle that doubles as a button-guard when down, an easy to clean lid with removable/replaceable parts, and you can choose between swigging it or sipping it up without a straw!! I hate putting my mouth on straws, so that was a great option (even though I only swig lol— but the straw is inside the waterbottle). I’ve had mine for 2 to 3 years now, and apparently they’re popular now. Seriously, 100% recommend them. Only real downside is they are a bit too large for some cupholders and they can’t hold hot liquids, but that’s it.

Stay hydrated.

The less girls know about their own body, the easier it is to take advantage of them. Knowing helps them to understand what would be considered inappropriate conduct if accosted by an adult.

Knowledge helps to give girls & women autonomy. Conservatives don’t want that.

My meds come in boring orange plastic bottles and I still pay too much.