They’re all so adorable, but I just want to take home the little black chap. He looks like Hadji, but also, the Cole videos keep reminding us that black cats are the last to be adopted and most likely to be euthanased. Come the time Fribbie crosses over and I get a new kitty to keep Mads company, I shall look for a compatible black cat, should the shelter I go to have any.
pallygirl
10 years ago
Do you think that since that statistic was published, there will be very few black cats left and then another coat type will be the one that doesn’t get adopted?
All kitties are cute. I want all the kitties too. You can’t have all the kitties because I need some of the kitties as well.
I can see I need to move to NZ, so we can share all the kitties in a grand kitty home!
Given the Cole videos are coming out right now, I’d say it’s a current statistic. It’s about the historical shit black cats have copped – being associated with witchcraft, being unlucky, all that crap. Hence a very European-derived attitude (and the Cole vids are English).
@Contrapangloss: Yeah, I totally second you! I donât know either what it would âfeel likeâ to either feel like a woman, or feel like a man, or feel like Iâm genderqueer, or feel like Iâm agender, or⌠đ So how can you tell what you are? At the end of the day, I go with âwomanâ since that is what I was assigned, so itâs sort of default for me. But I actually have no idea, because I donât know how youâre supposed to tell.
I sympathise with this feeling on two levels.
First, I am a cis woman, I’ve never wanted to be a man, but I’m never 100% sure about being a woman either. I know I am almost 100% happier now I’m past menopause and also celibate. I haven’t worn make-up in almost 30 years, not even basics. Not that that is gender-relevant, except in the way that all women are assumed to default to make-up wearing. I guess i stuck with female because there was nothing else I wanted to be, even if I wasn’t always sure I wanted to be female.
Second, about my mental/emotional state. I was diagnosed as suffering from depression at 17. It made sense to me, but…it wasn’t a /change/ in my emotional state, it was just how I always had been. I might have a few memories of not being depressed at about 4-5, but that’s in my earliest memories, so I don’t really know.All the time I have been ‘me’ I have been introverted, social phobic and depressed. Even on meds, it’s just normally more bearable then. A medical someone once asked me something about being depressed as opposed to normal, and all I could do was shrug helplessly and say “Tell me what normal is, and I might know the answer to that”
OK, postong this now before I lose my nerve.
DJG
10 years ago
@Dvarghundspossen – I used the idea of a Kinseyesque gender scale once (not here) and nobody bit my head off over it. At the time, I was trying to describe a question of appearance and convey the idea of being taken for female a fair minority of the time, to which my internal reaction is basically neutral. Neither the M nor the F nor non-charting resonates much with me; left to my own devices, I’d present as “a” gay if people would accept it as a noun instead of an adjective. (Assimilationists certainly make me nervous enough.)
I hope this isn’t breaking any rules, but I wanted to share my friend’s gofundme campaign. He just received a second diagnosis of RSD/CRPS, which is a nerve disorder that causes severe pain and requires expensive maintenance treatments that aren’t covered by his insurance. He and his family are already struggling pretty hard. He has two little boys, and his wife is working constantly to support them. If anyone else could share this along, I’d be really grateful. They badly need the help.
@Pallygirl
I will happily make macarons to share with everyone. đ I have plans for making coffee flavoured ones tomorrow because my mum said she likes those especially.
inurashii
10 years ago
I know I haven’t been around much but I’m gonna say a thing anyway.
There’s a lot of exciting stuff coming up for me. My Patreon is slowly gaining speed. I have a professional contract to write an interactive fiction novel that’ll be sold on all mobile platforms. I just did a games industry speaking engagement and I’ve got two more coming up, and I’m running a game jam that’s been generating a lot of buzz. Also, I’m probably going on HRT next week. This stuff is all really exciting!
Got up this morning to a message from WordPress and access to my dashboard again, so hopefully it’ll stay that way. Thanks for the well wishes.
Black cats: In the area I grew up one of the issues with black cats was that, even today, the satanic ritual abuse panic is still going strong. As a result, many shelters are much more stringent in screening procedures for prospective black-cat-adopters. I found this out because my younger brother (who still lives with parents) has adopted black cats on a number of occasions, and was apparently only approved because my family had a pre-existing relationship with the shelter.
@Dvärghundspossen
I feel pretty much exactly the same as you (and others here) regarding gender identity or lack thereof. Honestly, it’s nice to see so many people feeling similarly.
In the highlights of the trip we took a walk on The Downs (in Devon, just above the town of Brighton).
Considering where you’ve been, Pecunium, I’m not surprised you got this one confused – that’d be Sussex, not Devon. I am so envious about the worked flint – always hoping to find something like that. /pedantry
Have been doing THTM-lite, the past few weeks (no particular reason, just busy in meatspace with other things) but am about caught up. So glad that so many of you decided to stay – this has been a great community and I would miss you all if you went for good.
titianblue
10 years ago
Also yeah for inurashi and glad WP is playing ball for maistrechat.
Obviously I de-lurked again at the right moment if you’re posting about black kittehs.
The two lads I adopted last year (witchy kitty & his brother) struggled to find homes – the vetinary nurse who saved them from euthenasia had people call up, ask the colour of the kittens, and say they weren’t interested as soon as they knew they were black. I think I astonished her by calling her, asking the colour and going “ooh, black, outstanding! Can I have 2?”
I wonder if this is isn’t as much of a thing in my city. When I adopted my cats there weren’t all that many black cats there and when I adopted Dracarys there was a family adopting the only black cat there. But when I went with my mom to adopt her cat in Las Vegas the shelter was filled to the brim with black cats. Luckily it was a no kill shelter. My mom ended up getting a ginger and white cat but considering that he had lived in shelters for 4 years I don’t think she has anything to feel bad about. He really needed a home and some love.
pallygirl
10 years ago
@inurashii: hooray. The interactive fiction novel sounds really interesting, I would be interested in knowing a bit more about where the genre is going if anyone has any recent links.
@maistrechat: yay for your blog being put right. đ
Thanks for the kind words! I do have excellent local support with family and friends – I don’t think they can make the full-time employment I need magically appear for me anymore than I can for myself, but you know, if I had to choose between excellent family and friends and full-time employment, I do have the better part of that.
Also, big hugs for grumpycatisagirl’s good family/friend support while job hunting. Knowing you have support is a big, ginormous plus. A paycheck would also be nice, but at least you have support in the meantime!
I’ll still cross my fingers for good jobs popping out of the woodwork with interview requests and for speedy application processing. Don’t be too worried if they aren’t speedy, though.
Bureaucracy can be slow, even if they actually really want to hire you. I know I went for about two months wondering why I wasn’t hire-able before suddenly getting inundated with interview requests from my applications.
Hoping that places are faster for you, because those two months ate dead mice.
Hi all. Just a general note from me, I won’t be around nearly as much for a while. I’m having difficulties moderating my internet use when it comes to politics, so I’m voluntarily having my usual political haunts (including here) blocked on my work computer.
Wow, there was a discussion on genderqueeritude I missed? Oop.
I only figured out I wasn’t exactly woman between the ears about 2010 ish…I just knew I couldn’t wear something girly unless I wore something guyly to compensate, balance.
…Then I figured out I was…well, androgyne’s the term I prefer.
However… genderqueer seems to be the more socially common term.
Butbutbut…when I was a flaming Queer Nation Stompystomper type in the 90’s, genderqueer always struck me as a term that connoted more of a “performance” aspect. Like unto drag, I suppose?
Walking around wearing the cultural signifiers of both genders in order to challenge gender norms. A political statement and performance more than an expression of gender.
This is the most comfortable and genuine expression of my being, though.
(That I can manage. In my social climate and financial situation, anyway.)
I have not ruled out taking some testosterone if circumstances permit later.
On black animals…silliness. But my vet tells me that a lot of black dogs get dumped out in our part of the county. One of whom I ended up being the caretaker human of…
Then again, I’ve got this sign somewhere on my property that says “HANG AROUND AND PER WILL FEED YOU” Only animals can see it, but they see it very well.
titianblue
10 years ago
@kittehs, my theory is that every cat’s biggest fear is that something will happen somewhere without them knowing about it. Hence the whole having to accompany you to the bathroom thing. Because something might happen. And they might not know! The horror! đ
We Hunted The Mammoth
Oh dear me, those kittens have VERY spotty bellehs.
They’re all so adorable, but I just want to take home the little black chap. He looks like Hadji, but also, the Cole videos keep reminding us that black cats are the last to be adopted and most likely to be euthanased. Come the time Fribbie crosses over and I get a new kitty to keep Mads company, I shall look for a compatible black cat, should the shelter I go to have any.
Do you think that since that statistic was published, there will be very few black cats left and then another coat type will be the one that doesn’t get adopted?
All kitties are cute. I want all the kitties too. You can’t have all the kitties because I need some of the kitties as well.
I can see I need to move to NZ, so we can share all the kitties in a grand kitty home!
Given the Cole videos are coming out right now, I’d say it’s a current statistic. It’s about the historical shit black cats have copped – being associated with witchcraft, being unlucky, all that crap. Hence a very European-derived attitude (and the Cole vids are English).
I sympathise with this feeling on two levels.
First, I am a cis woman, I’ve never wanted to be a man, but I’m never 100% sure about being a woman either. I know I am almost 100% happier now I’m past menopause and also celibate. I haven’t worn make-up in almost 30 years, not even basics. Not that that is gender-relevant, except in the way that all women are assumed to default to make-up wearing. I guess i stuck with female because there was nothing else I wanted to be, even if I wasn’t always sure I wanted to be female.
Second, about my mental/emotional state. I was diagnosed as suffering from depression at 17. It made sense to me, but…it wasn’t a /change/ in my emotional state, it was just how I always had been. I might have a few memories of not being depressed at about 4-5, but that’s in my earliest memories, so I don’t really know.All the time I have been ‘me’ I have been introverted, social phobic and depressed. Even on meds, it’s just normally more bearable then. A medical someone once asked me something about being depressed as opposed to normal, and all I could do was shrug helplessly and say “Tell me what normal is, and I might know the answer to that”
OK, postong this now before I lose my nerve.
@Dvarghundspossen – I used the idea of a Kinseyesque gender scale once (not here) and nobody bit my head off over it. At the time, I was trying to describe a question of appearance and convey the idea of being taken for female a fair minority of the time, to which my internal reaction is basically neutral. Neither the M nor the F nor non-charting resonates much with me; left to my own devices, I’d present as “a” gay if people would accept it as a noun instead of an adjective. (Assimilationists certainly make me nervous enough.)
I hope this isn’t breaking any rules, but I wanted to share my friend’s gofundme campaign. He just received a second diagnosis of RSD/CRPS, which is a nerve disorder that causes severe pain and requires expensive maintenance treatments that aren’t covered by his insurance. He and his family are already struggling pretty hard. He has two little boys, and his wife is working constantly to support them. If anyone else could share this along, I’d be really grateful. They badly need the help.
http://www.gofundme.com/cwo4t8
But black cats are gorgeous. Especially big black cats like Cole and my Turbo, who I now have to post a picture of because he was the best cat ever.
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4057/4468347949_ef3a6c496e.jpg
@Pallygirl
I will happily make macarons to share with everyone. đ I have plans for making coffee flavoured ones tomorrow because my mum said she likes those especially.
I know I haven’t been around much but I’m gonna say a thing anyway.
There’s a lot of exciting stuff coming up for me. My Patreon is slowly gaining speed. I have a professional contract to write an interactive fiction novel that’ll be sold on all mobile platforms. I just did a games industry speaking engagement and I’ve got two more coming up, and I’m running a game jam that’s been generating a lot of buzz. Also, I’m probably going on HRT next week. This stuff is all really exciting!
Kind of, like, overwhelmingly exciting. I’m actually really exhausted. o_o
I think some of it is “There’s all this exciting stuff!” Well what does it mean for you and your future? “I HAVE NO IDEA!”
Couple things:
Got up this morning to a message from WordPress and access to my dashboard again, so hopefully it’ll stay that way. Thanks for the well wishes.
Black cats: In the area I grew up one of the issues with black cats was that, even today, the satanic ritual abuse panic is still going strong. As a result, many shelters are much more stringent in screening procedures for prospective black-cat-adopters. I found this out because my younger brother (who still lives with parents) has adopted black cats on a number of occasions, and was apparently only approved because my family had a pre-existing relationship with the shelter.
@Dvärghundspossen
I feel pretty much exactly the same as you (and others here) regarding gender identity or lack thereof. Honestly, it’s nice to see so many people feeling similarly.
inurashii! Yaaaay!!
Oh, also YAY for inurashii!!
Considering where you’ve been, Pecunium, I’m not surprised you got this one confused – that’d be Sussex, not Devon. I am so envious about the worked flint – always hoping to find something like that. /pedantry
Have been doing THTM-lite, the past few weeks (no particular reason, just busy in meatspace with other things) but am about caught up. So glad that so many of you decided to stay – this has been a great community and I would miss you all if you went for good.
Also yeah for inurashi and glad WP is playing ball for maistrechat.
Obviously I de-lurked again at the right moment if you’re posting about black kittehs.
The two lads I adopted last year (witchy kitty & his brother) struggled to find homes – the vetinary nurse who saved them from euthenasia had people call up, ask the colour of the kittens, and say they weren’t interested as soon as they knew they were black. I think I astonished her by calling her, asking the colour and going “ooh, black, outstanding! Can I have 2?”
I wonder if this is isn’t as much of a thing in my city. When I adopted my cats there weren’t all that many black cats there and when I adopted Dracarys there was a family adopting the only black cat there. But when I went with my mom to adopt her cat in Las Vegas the shelter was filled to the brim with black cats. Luckily it was a no kill shelter. My mom ended up getting a ginger and white cat but considering that he had lived in shelters for 4 years I don’t think she has anything to feel bad about. He really needed a home and some love.
@inurashii: hooray. The interactive fiction novel sounds really interesting, I would be interested in knowing a bit more about where the genre is going if anyone has any recent links.
@maistrechat: yay for your blog being put right. đ
Hi Pallygirl,
Thanks for the kind words! I do have excellent local support with family and friends – I don’t think they can make the full-time employment I need magically appear for me anymore than I can for myself, but you know, if I had to choose between excellent family and friends and full-time employment, I do have the better part of that.
Also, it’s great to see you’re still here.
Three cheers for Inurashii!
Also, big hugs for grumpycatisagirl’s good family/friend support while job hunting. Knowing you have support is a big, ginormous plus. A paycheck would also be nice, but at least you have support in the meantime!
I’ll still cross my fingers for good jobs popping out of the woodwork with interview requests and for speedy application processing. Don’t be too worried if they aren’t speedy, though.
Bureaucracy can be slow, even if they actually really want to hire you. I know I went for about two months wondering why I wasn’t hire-able before suddenly getting inundated with interview requests from my applications.
Hoping that places are faster for you, because those two months ate dead mice.
Hi all. Just a general note from me, I won’t be around nearly as much for a while. I’m having difficulties moderating my internet use when it comes to politics, so I’m voluntarily having my usual political haunts (including here) blocked on my work computer.
@Maistrechat: I think so too, nice to see that other people have similar experiences.
@Leftwingfox: I know what you mean, engaging in internet discussions can really suck you in…
inurashii, yay, congrats!
Kim, Turbo is beautiful. Is (or was) he part Oriental? He’s got that lovely long face.
Here’s one of the first pics we took of Hadji when he was a month old at most:
http://i.imgur.com/T0yoK.jpg
Here he is a little later, being Baby Drac:
http://i.imgur.com/IQlLpzs.png
And here he is all grown up. No, I don’t know why he had a thing for hanging around in the dunny.
http://i.imgur.com/q3M31id.jpg
<3
Wow, there was a discussion on genderqueeritude I missed? Oop.
I only figured out I wasn’t exactly woman between the ears about 2010 ish…I just knew I couldn’t wear something girly unless I wore something guyly to compensate, balance.
…Then I figured out I was…well, androgyne’s the term I prefer.
However… genderqueer seems to be the more socially common term.
Butbutbut…when I was a flaming Queer Nation Stompystomper type in the 90’s, genderqueer always struck me as a term that connoted more of a “performance” aspect. Like unto drag, I suppose?
Walking around wearing the cultural signifiers of both genders in order to challenge gender norms. A political statement and performance more than an expression of gender.
This is the most comfortable and genuine expression of my being, though.
(That I can manage. In my social climate and financial situation, anyway.)
I have not ruled out taking some testosterone if circumstances permit later.
On black animals…silliness. But my vet tells me that a lot of black dogs get dumped out in our part of the county. One of whom I ended up being the caretaker human of…
Then again, I’ve got this sign somewhere on my property that says “HANG AROUND AND PER WILL FEED YOU” Only animals can see it, but they see it very well.
@kittehs, my theory is that every cat’s biggest fear is that something will happen somewhere without them knowing about it. Hence the whole having to accompany you to the bathroom thing. Because something might happen. And they might not know! The horror! đ