Respite Open Thread: As Long As We’re Talking Chonks
Last time I updated you on Gabe, I think I was still wondering if he was happy here. He’s erased all doubts about that. One day it was like a switch flipped, and he just relaxed into living here. He snuggles when he needs attention, sleeps on my feet at night, spends time outside and comes back when I call him, accepts the ducks as just part of the general craziness here and seems genuinely happy. Oh, and he very often sleeps on top of one of the dogs. Just ’cause.
He has put on a few pounds. But we don’t talk about that here. I’m sure it had a lot to do with being put on such a restrictive diet at the shelter to heal up his UTI. And the stress of the whole upheaval in his life. As recommended by our very own WereBear, I’ve moved the cats to a mostly wet food diet. He may un-chonk. He may not. He’s still a handsome devil.
Scout is adorable as always.
Respite open thread…
So beautiful.
Big ol galoot!
Just watched the first episode of “The Boys” on Amazon Prime. Reminded me of “Watchmen”: superheroes who aren’t such heroes. Seth Rogen’s an executive producer. I’m hooked.
We’ve been watching the folk-rock nostalgia fest on public tv. My childhood is flashing before my eyes. There were so many crewcuts and striped shirts.
+++ for Gabe. I’ve been introduced to the GF’s 3 cats, 2 dogs (all rescues) & African Grey to (generally) positive reviews. Have not yet met son’s 11′ boa or 5′ python. Not scared of snakes per se, but that’s a lot of linear feet of snake.
Spotty pup remains lovely even as she embiggens.
Ahh, my fave furry guy!! So glad to see Gabe so big and fluffy and contented. And Scout’s still as adorable as ever!
Had a rough day, so this is an excellent respite!
I have SOOO many questions.
Do you know how much they weigh? And where do they sleep??
@TaMara (HFG): Anywhere they want.
@Mike in NC: I binge watched it and I don’t even like superhero/comic book stuff!
@TaMara (HFG): @Raven: They (including son) are set up in her basement. Have not been down there yet. They (not son) eat frozen rabbit.
@p.a.: An 11′ boa? That’s a very large specimen, and difficult to handle.
@p.a.: I love non-venomous snakes. I pet sat a python once. She would wrap around my wrist while I watched tv to hang out with me. When her owner came to get her, she was wrapped around my wrist when he came in the door – she bit me (I still have the scar) and unwrapped herself and headed toward him. They are just awesome.
I have nothing against venomous snakes – just the temperament and, you know, venom. LOL
I love Gabe’s face. Good to hear he has settled in.
So cute! So relaxed! Love it.
@TaMara (HFG): I’ve always heard pythons are more um… worrisome, I guess, than boas.
Smithsonian: . It is commonly believed that boa constrictors subdue their prey by crushing their bones or squeezing their lungs to suffocate them, but recent research on the constriction method revealed that these snakes employ a different strategy all together.
Once the snake has its body wrapped around the prey, it squeezes just enough to cause a “circulatory arrest” by cutting off the ability of the heart to pump blood in and out. By keeping blood from flowing to the brain, the animal dies.
@TaMara (HFG):
Spiralling upon a yellow flag.
@TaMara (HFG): I used to be a docent at a zoo and loved to take out the ball python for display. More than once it tried to get under my shirt around my waist.
@Mathguy:
[Yakov Smirnoff voice] Boa handles you!
@SiubhanDuinne: It’s a yellow boa
@TaMara (HFG): I love to curl up with Fluffy, my pet fer-de-lance!
A sweet photo of two handsome animals!
@Steve in the ATL: And here I was convinced that I was the only person in the world who would name my pet snake Fluffy!
Or Puff. For a puff adder, natch.
@Miss Bianca
And here I thought Puff was reserved for dragons who reside on the coast.
Live and learn.
;)
D’aww. Gabe and Scout.
@TaMara (HFG): TaMara, it sounds like that snake recognized her human and couldn’t wait to reconnect with him. Which is amazing. I like snakes, I like them very much, but I never thought of them as capable of emotional attachment. (Sorry she bit you, though! Talk about lack of gratitude!)
FSM help me but I find myself agreeing with Glen Greenwald
Doggos and couchos and catos – oh my!
@Litlebritdifrnt: GG isn’t 100% cuckoo. For that we have to look in the ….. wait a minute!
Now if you find agreement with him….
@p.a.:
That snake had better be able to dunk.
@NotMax: And were magic.
Aww…Gabe. Glad he’s settled into the place.
Were bear is a great resource on cat behavior. I recently discussed our destructive chewer and got some great ideas and advice. Unfortunately our two sister orphans have zero interest in wet food. I’m trying some of the other suggestions.
Gabe’s gray really blends nicely with Scout’s gorgeous color.
@p.a.: Um …. aren’t the cats & dogs in great danger from the snakes?
Gabe and Scout are healthy and happy, and that’s enough for me
@Litlebritdifrnt:
If it makes you feel better, GG only gives a shit because he has to live there. It wouldn’t even cross his radar if he wasn’t a resident of Brazil.
I think a certain amount of pet chonkiness is just genetic. Keaton and Charlotte eat exactly the same food and yet he’s at a normal weight and she’s a chonk. 🤷♀️
I think Anne Laurie said at one point that Oriental/Siamese cats like Cheryl’s run to chonkiness and Charlotte is basically the twin of Cheryl’s Ric.
Scout and Gabe😍😍😻😻
Excellent advice from Wererbear in re cats and a wet food diet. It kills me to see overweight cats, having lost my own overweight Mr. Mittens (not my choice of names, it came with the cat) at age seven to a stroke . He was the sweetest boy ever but so fat (27 pounds!), he had a hard time licking his own ass. Fat cats are not cute, they’re a life unnecessarily shortened.
@karen marie:
To be clear, when I say that Charlotte is a chonk, I mean that she’s 15 pounds, which the vet says is about 2 or 3 pounds over where she should be. But she does not carry it well, poor thing.