My wife is good with most pets but is too terrified of snakes or scorpions to ever live with either.

Which is unfortunate because I think they're awesome.

Lol. That kind of hits home for me.

Not the one I was talking about in the luv thread, but the past that came out from the shadows was also freaked out by the thought.

She didn't want to come over at first, which I cited was just irrational fear on her part. She was adamant, and I just shrugged. She than asked if you could pet it, or if there was a purpose to having it. I explained you could hold it if you really wanted too, but petting it would probably just irk it. The purpose was the same as any other pet, or a fish tank. Aesthetics.

Finally she developed the courage and saw it, getting freaked out by the sight. I kind of laughed. She said how it was soooo creepy.

I pointed out that it bathed itself, really did nothing other than sit there, and then told her how she (siddhartha) could be a mother too, and that the primal instincts she felt to protect her kid, was the exact same in this humble creature.

She got all "Awwwww!" until I took it out and showed her how tame the thing really is.

Fastest I'd ever seen a human cross a room.


Edited to add: Oh yeah that reminds me, if anyone is thinking about getting one: It's not actually recommended that you handle an Emp, as the fall could kill them, and they do tend to get awfully curious as to what this warm, squishy surface they're on is. Also, while they really are lazy gluttons, they are lightning fast. I've seen this thing cross it's cage in a fraction of a second while hunting a cricket, and when I take it out with a tupperware case and lid, my brain can barely perceive how quickly it turns around to attack the lid.

Ah the sacrifices we must make in the name of courtship and marriage.

Not really. She was crazy as it turned out.

Thought we were dating for several weeks before I found out.

At least a scorpion is honest.

@ Subrosa - Beautiful cat!

@ Blackie - ... ... ... urk. It does look remarkably like a radscorpion, lol. I picture you milking the venom and painting it and some DMSO on some surface your enemy will touch ... Gaaaaargh. End of enemy, lol.

Why does that remind me of the book "White Oleander"? (One of the towns mentioned therein I did live in for a while.)

Yes....the venom of a Emperor Scorpion! Not deadly, or debilitating, or injurious....


...but very, very annoying!

Muhahahhaahaha! ©

Acadian: Freya is fine, just jealous of Spots. She is used to having Mommy all to herself. So it is going to take her a while to get used to having him around.

Blackie: Like Mirocou and mAlX, all I can think of is "Radscorpion!" when I look at Siddhartha (I work with someone with that same name btw.). That is what I get for playing too many Fallout games I suppose. I love snakes, but I do not think I could handle a scorpion pet either.

In Shamanistic terms, a Scorpion is also a powerful guardian spirit. Particularly against malevolent entities.

No malevolent entities here so far, other than myself so I accept that as proof!

@Blackie: Not my kind of pet, but Siddhartha looks rather cool nonetheless. A vet colleague of mine had Madagascar pill bugs which we would occasionally see photos of. Fascinating creatures. It's amazing how much we learn about them when we live with them and get to observe them being - well - themselves!

@SubRosa: Adorable Spots! Sounds like he's figured out which side of the door he belongs. He'll be a happy cat come winter! My Trinity, having been born on a dairy farm and hit by a car on New Year's Eve, will not go outside and actually gets upset if someone holds the door open too long (as in letting company in or out).

So, some of you may know that I've been working part time at the Apple Store not far from home for a little over a year and a half. It's a great job, not typical retail, and I love being there. Great group of people, which IMHO makes all the difference in the world. Amazing diversity not only in the customers, but also in my fellow employees. And I get paid for talking about one of my passions!

In any case, we had our quarterly store meeting today. And we always end these meetings with announcing Best of Brand. In the week leading up to the meeting, all the employees have an opportunity to nominate someone who best represents Apple, not only to our customers, but also to each other. Some pretty amazing people have been voted Best of Brand in the past. This quarter the managers saw the highest participation for the store - 88% of the employees nominated someone. Of the people nominated, guess who won. Me.

What did I do???

I am shocked, honored, humbled and excited all at once. It's the first time I've been recognized publicly for what I am. And I'm amazed that my own fellow employees feel that way about me.

So that's my news for the day.

DMSO is a driving agent, will drive anything it is painted over into the bloodstream instantly. The person tastes oysters immediately, that is the only clue DMSO was used (while the venom rushes to his heart and brain).

Actually, DMSO does not taste like oysters, but rather like garlic.

I've used DMSO multiple times in vet school. It also comes out in your breath, your sweat, urine, pores, etc. You get the picture.

My first year of vet school was marked by barn fires at two large horse farms within a week. The large animal clinic downstairs was full of horses being treated for smoke inhalation and other related injuries. DMSO was given IV to reduce the inflammation (it is a very potent anti-inflammatory), and the entire place reeked of garlic. The smell even seeped through two sets of pressurized fire doors to the small animal clinic upstairs. We certainly had no issues with vampires for the two weeks these horses were there!

And that is simply wonderful. It is good to know your co-workers are as discerning and tasteful as us here at Chorrol...

Congratulations- you certainly deserve the recognition.

I am not worried about Grits, Ser Trey.

I am deeply worried about mALX. I promise to *never* do anything to ever tick you off.


EVER.

ROFL !!! That should be classified as "never try this at home," lol.

I've actually only heard of a few DMSO related deaths, usually from miss-handling it because it bonds with almost any chemical you may touch and drives it instantly into the bloodstream. One died in the clinical testing of it where it was painted topically on their chests.

The only murder I've ever heard of using it was done by painting the venom of a poisonous snake on the steering wheel of someone's car and painting DMSO over the venom. (of course then everyone that touches that surface dies too, meaning eventually it will be discovered and they will look for people that wanted that person dead who might have access to DMSO + venom).

The well known oystery taste is a dead givaway DMSO was used, but figuring out what the poison was that it drove into the person's bloodstream and what surface it was painted on that they touched is the hard part for anyone investigating the crime, lol.

Again I'd like to point out that DMSO provides a garlicky taste, not oysterlike.

Here is more information about DMSO at WebMD.

The deaths mALX referred to likely are due to the use of industrial grade DMSO, which likely contains toxic impurities. DMSO itself is not toxic, unless there is pre-existing kidney or liver disease (in which case just about anything is toxic). DMSO made for medicinal use is pure, and quite safe.

As mALX points out, DMSO can be used as a transport for drugs. In equine medicine, we often mixed it with nitrofurazone ointment to sweat out lower limb swelling due to injuries - DMSO for its antiinflammatory effect and nitrofurazone for its antibiotic effect. The mixture would be wrapped with Saran wrap and covered with Vetrap (a type of elastic bandage - it is commonly used over fiberglass casts in human medicine).

It might be a perfect murder, except for the smell. Even dead bodies will reek of garlic. I speak from personal experience!

I doubt very much a clinical trial on humans would use industrial grade DMSO, lol. If it was at all important to this discussion or this thread, I just pulled out the pharmaceutical printout for a bottle of 99% pure liquid DMSO and it describes it as an oyster taste.

It is probably a matter of what whoever is tasting it thinks it tastes like, and the manufacturer went with oyster. I personally have used it topically on horses for decades and tasted oyster; you obviously correlate it with garlic. It doesn't matter how you want to describe it as, neither description would be considered wrong, but personal impression.

Regardless, let's not pull this thread off topic; did you have a pic of a pet to post?

People of the chorrol forums! Allow me if you will to introduce our new family member, Smulan! She just came home

Inside the house
What is this place..?
Do I smell.... food??

Heh. Smulan is adorable

She´s a cute little bugger

And she seems to take it all in pretty well. She does´t seem nervous or anything. Despite my presence

Congrats, mirocu! She's gorgeous!

Smulan is adorable!

Congrats on the new kitten!

Where did you get the cat house? I could use something like that to put on my porch for Spots, so he has somewhere to go when he comes by while I am at work.

I´m glad y´all like her!


I made it myself and since I´m currently out of a job, you´re more than welcome to place an order

Production pixie

By the way, can we see another shot of Spots?

I absolutely LOVE your workshop and the talent you have with making things, Mirocu!

Oh, pish-posh

I´m not that good, really. I made the house fit for a dog, don´t know why! On the other hand, that way we can put a toy on a string on the ceiling for the kitty

Won't it get yanked up into the blades (AKA Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory "We're getting too close to the fan Charlie! We've got to go back!" "I can't!" "You have to fart, Charlie! Do it now!" "I can't!")

Hey! Don´t misquote me!

I'm sorry. I didn't have my glasses on, and thought it said "Ceiling Fan." So I answered, posted, put my glasses on, read your post - low and behold, it only said "Ceiling," not "Ceiling Fan." How embarrassing!

(But after a little adjustment to your post, my embarrassment was ended ... .... .... er .... )


*mALX runs and hides*

Smulan is adorable!

Every kitten is, right?

I set up a little house on the porch for Spots to sleep inside of when I am not around. Or when I am sleeping and don't know he's outside (he came to visit at 5am this morning and it is only luck that I happened to have gotten up to go to the bathroom then and saw him to let him in).

He came over about a half hour ago, and it started to rain about five minutes later. The sound of the rain scared him, and I had to let him back out. He always wants out when he gets scared. Half the time he just sits on the porch and does not go anywhere. I think it is the open spaces that comfort him. He knows he can run somewhere. Where inside there are all the walls making him feel trapped.

I love how Spots and Freya's markings almost perfectly complement each other. I hope Spots gets more comfortable inside.

The rain eased up to a little drizzle, and Spots came back in. Now Freya is sleeping in her usual spot next to my monitor, and Spots is laying in his happy place behind my chair. Thank goodness for the peace. They kept me up all last night thanks to Freya harassing Spots.

I met the girlfriend of one of my neighbors, and she said she knew him from when her gf lived in one of the nearby buildings, and they were hoping to adopt him too. It sounds like money is an issue right now though, so they won't be able to do it for a while. I told them I thought that would be great, and asked her to keep in touch. As much as I adore Spots, I would love to see him have a happy home - without an old set in her ways cat like Freya always on his case, not to mention adding to my stress.

Nice little place for the kitties there. More size-appropriate unlike what I made. In there a full-grown cat have enough room to do gymnastics!


Uh-oh! I think it´s time for a D´AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW moment!

Aww, Spots looks so sweet in his sleeping perch! Like Acadian said, Spots' and Freya's looks complement each other so well. Even if Freya doesn't change her mind about him, maybe his time indoors will help him make a good transition to a permanent home. A hopeful thought for the long nights when you're grinding your teeth over the cat spats.

Freya and Spots seem to be getting along better than I thought. I think they are actually playing, not fighting. They paw at one another, but don't use their claws. Plus there is none of the usual hissing, hair standing on end, ears pinned back, etc... behaviour you usually see from angry cats.

Yesterday I sneaked in on them to watch, and saw Freya run around Spots in a circle, jump up on the small cat climby thing I have in the bedroom, fall halfway off, catch herself, then jump away. All the while Spots just sat there looking clueless. I could not stop laughing.

In the meanwhile Spots likes laying on top of his new cat house, and sleeping inside. Now when he goes outside, he often just sits on the cathouse for hours.

@ SubRosa -

What a nice little housing on the porch, and curious (or jealous) Freya watching, lol. Spots has found a nice roosting place behind your chair, lol. Loved this pic! Your home looks like a cat heaven, lol.

My two favorites are Spots on top of and in his house - now that is a cat, lol. We bought some of those rug covered boxes for our feral colony of cats, and the only time they got inside them was to reach their paws out and play with whichever cat was on top of the box.

Loved all these shots, these are great!

Heeeeeeeeere, kitty-kitty-kitty!

Do they have to be my pets?Can I just post random cute animal pictures?

Although I suppose that'd defeat the purpose of the thread.

You are right, that would defeat the purpose of this thread. Nothing random here, but you can post cute pics on the "Everything" thread.

Another one of Smulan

I know, I know. I take pics too close, but with this one that was the point It doesn´t look good on the screen though, she sorta jumps at you!

Yay, Smulan! Love her colors.

Yes, back off with that camera and give us some cute pics of her playing, lol. She is adorable though!

Smulan looks adorable! But you might turn the flash off for those really close up pics.

That pic I took on the fly, as a joke But you´re all right; I should definitely back away with the camera. I generally take pics too close which I don´t think when I look at the camera´s screen. But when I put it up on the monitor... WHOOAA!!

@Rosie! Spots is very handsome, his patches and spots are soooo cute, her coloring is rather like my Bastian's

@mirocu YES all kittens are adorable but YOUR little Crumble (=Smulan) is just too cute to be true! I love torties and she will grow up into a very beautiful cat

@Blackie I think you are brave to keep a Scorpion as a pet! I mean I'm just terrified of those animals even thouh they are beautiful, but still *shrugs*

Here's my kitty. Unfortunately, she won't be around much longer. She has a nasty type of cancer and she probably only has a few months.

Aw KC, I know how much you love that cat, I am so sorry.

I'm so sorry, KC. I'm glad you're where you can give her lots of hugs in the time you have left.

Very sorry to hear that, KC. Glad you had her 14 years but, still, I know the loss will be hard.