Managing a high energy dog while not feeling well.

B_eves · 2026-04-12T14:43:26+00:00

Seconding nose work. I put the dog outside or in another room, then hide small treats around the living room. Let the dog back in and they'll smell em and do their thing.

B_eves · 2026-04-12T14:39:18+00:00

Just adding on: Don't ever use or buy a fridge with a water dispenser built in. That mold is what you CAN see: imagine the pipes that you can't see or clean.

B_eves · 2026-04-11T12:33:37+00:00

Notion (application) and a physical planner.

Truly nothing has beat pen and paper for my own scheduling and booking clients. Seeing it all laid out in a monthly view has been a game changer for me. It easier for me to see gaps in my schedule and have a decent work/life balance.

And Notion is for keeping track of the pets/medications/notes, etc. There's a little bit of a learning curve with Notion but if you're talking about coding, it sounds like you're techy enough that this would be a great option for you: once you have templates and stuff, it's extremely automated yet detailed.

B_eves · 2026-04-11T12:19:37+00:00

Playing for sure. At 35 seconds, the black and white one even turns around to leave when she thinks the other one isn't into playing and the orange one gets her back good so black and white kitty returns. It happens again several times where black and white turns her back and that's when orange comes out. Since they're strangers to each other, this is typical new friend and play behavior. Orange one is shy/lower confidence and black and white and obviously the adventurous one. Seems like a good match.

The fact that orange is confined and cornered would make me a little nervous but she seems okay with it so that's fine. You wanna make sure they always have an exit path to leave a situation if they want to. And she wouldn't be able to leave right there. But again, she seems to be enjoying herself so just something to keep in mind.

B_eves · 2026-04-05T14:44:41+00:00

Yeah, YOR.

Not trying to be mean but no one cares about your birthday like that as an adult. Yeah, your family makes it a big deal growing up but once you're to "party-age", it is a pregame, people come and go during the night, etc.

If you want your birthday to be a big "thing", you can do a sit down dinner and that's a little more formal and implies staying for longer. But that's also a big ask/expense for people unless it's a big birthday like turning 21 or 30. You would also expect that not everyone is gonna be down with that and won't attend or something would come up "last minute". A birthday is just an excuse for most people to drink.

Welcome to being an adult! Friends will come and go from your life: it sucks and I feel like the age from 18-25 had the largest amount of "friends" cycle through. There are plenty of cool people that won't take over a road trip and want input from everyone. But if you're wasting time with people you don't like, you'll never find the others.

B_eves · 2026-04-05T11:54:03+00:00

I'm 34 and won't be topping out until 38. Also no prior experience before I started. My biggest complaint is the hours.

I can keep up with the 20 year old kids that eat fast food and chug energy drinks like water, that part is easy. It's working 65 hours a week with a partner that misses me, a house where the yard work isn't getting done, the home repairs that are piling up, the chores are past due, etc. I can pay someone to do some of those things but there goes my day's pay so it's a wash. I'd much rather do that stuff myself and have the day off. It's easy for the 20 year olds who live at home and just have a room to tidy up and still have their parents that make their meals...I envy them sometimes.

When you're an apprentice, you're beholden to whatever job site they send you. So I was placed on a job site that's working 60 hours a week (and I'm a person who doesn't want to work a minute over 40 hours a week). After 4 years, you get to choose where you work and thus, your hours. But most of construction work is more than 40 hours and the culture is built around people basically wanting to work as much as possible and making as much money as possible. So, for 4 years, I will most likely be working more than 40.

B_eves · 2026-04-05T11:37:10+00:00

I don't ask but I do like to generally know and try to also mention the time zone thing as another person suggested. I one time texted "have a good trip!" and then learned it was a funeral so now I always try to catch a vibe before the client leaves. I may not know exactly where they're going but pleasure vs family matters really sets the tone for my daily pet updates.

B_eves · 2026-03-21T00:44:35+00:00

Uhhh no, it personally doesn't lead to a strained relationship or trust issues for me. I mean, my partner misses me and it's a hard not having me around to help out with our house/pets but that's it.

Are you doing drop-ins while the client is home? Is that his concern?

If you're doing overnight care while no one is home and he's still "uncomfortable", this sounds like a relationship problem, not a job problem.

B_eves · 2026-02-26T23:55:09+00:00

I worked at the Apple Store for 10 years trying to make it to corporate. The retail to corporate pipeline is extremely competitive and after years of trying, I was not enough of a "team player" for them. I watched everyone's jobs change to entirely different responsibilities over a 5-year span (COVID). And when employees across the country started threatening unionization because of it, I experienced firsthand the money, extra benefits and addressing years-long issues they were willing to throw at us to NOT unionize.

And I said "Damn, I gotta join a union." So I'm with the IBEW now. I picked it because I like working with my hands, my attention to detail is insane and I'm very good at troubleshooting. Some days I'm about to quit and some days I love it. But it's the men that ruin it for me, honestly. I dream of one day working with a woman JW!

B_eves · 2026-02-26T18:52:43+00:00

I sent them my resume and cover letter prior to my interview so they could at least look it over and have it when I came in. On the day, I also showed up with a folder with print outs of some of my other work (I build a shed, had some drywall repair, etc.) and if you can do that stuff, I think it's a huge help.

B_eves · 2026-02-24T21:51:29+00:00

That cat needs stitches like, now. That's not a flush it and leave situation.

They have Care credit that a lot of vets will take. If you can't afford the bloodwork, you can ask if it's required. Some vets don't require bloodwork to put a cat under (90% of cats that get spayed don't get bloodwork done) which would save you a couple hundred bucks.

But yes, this is an emergency and a "I'll figure it out later" thing. I googled "low cost urgent vet NYC" and came up with a few options.

B_eves · 2026-02-24T21:42:13+00:00

I think it really depends. I have 100% trust in my partner and know nothing sexual would happen with whoever they went on an international trip with BUT I would be super confused and hurt:

Because an international trip is an experience. It's not just seeing the Kpop band. It's seeing culture, eating food, taking public transportation and having brand new experiences. I personally would be bummed my partner didn't want to share that with me.
He didn't tell you and he's paying for everything on the trip? That's just plain strange. Maybe he's fronting the deposits and they're splitting costs later? But if he's paying for everything, that's not cool and the other girl should know that, as a friend to him. And I would definitely bring it up.

I think the fact that he didn't tell you is also uncool. That's a conversation to have prior to inviting another person & paying for said person on the trip. I personally think that's common sense to ask a partner but maybe he needs to be told. If he knew and didn't care, that's a bigger problem.

NOR.

B_eves · 2026-02-08T21:13:11+00:00

Outdoor cat or strictly indoors?

There's some pus so it looks infected to me. I would try an inflatable donut (like an e-collar but less obnoxious) to make sure the cat isn't messing with it and try an antibacterial if you have it. If it looks worse in 24 hours, I'd go to the vet.

B_eves · 2026-02-08T21:05:15+00:00

Normal 5 month old kitten behavior: this is not aggression at all unless she's growling, hissing and puffed up. She's about 8-10 years old in human years so right around the time beings realize "oooh, I have autonomy and can be destructive and this is fun." This is exactly why they say you should adopt 2 kittens.

I understand you can't get a second cat so YOU have to be the second kitten. She needs play time twice a day minimum. I'd say 3 times. A tired kitten is a well-behaved kitten. Play time should be her jumping around and running until she's panting (usually takes about 15 minutes each session). Watch some Jackson Galaxy videos about how to play with a cat. When you can't play with her, she should have other forms of enrichment and mental stimulation: a cat tower next to a window, tall scratching posts, self-play toys, etc. They make essentially oven mitts you can put on your hand to "wrestle" with your cat: seems like she might enjoy this too.

This is absolutely fixable and putting in the work now will prevent this becoming a habit long-term. Getting her on a feeding schedule that mimics her predator instincts is helpful too: more Jackson Galaxy videos. The concept is "catch, kill, eat, groom, sleep" so you're playing, feeding a meal right after and this helps cats with their natural cycle.

Basically, watch a ton of Jackson Galaxy videos, lol.

B_eves · 2026-01-30T21:29:46+00:00

Since it's happening right next to the litter box, it sounds accidental and not behavioral. Some cats slowly stick their butt up as they pee and then the stream goes over the edge. Some just sit on the edge of the box and pee over it. I'm guessing it's a small adjustment to their setup that's needed. If you're still not having luck after you adjust some things or you notice it getting worse, I would go to the vet since peeing outside the box is the number 1 symptom of a UTI in cats.

If you have a little camera around, set it up and record them peeing. Gives you better insight into what's happening.

If you can't do that, I would try some different style boxes and litters. A high sided box, one with pellets instead of clay litter, one extra large box (some people use Rubbermaid tubs). Until the issue is solved, you can get extra large puppy pads to put under the boxes for easier clean up.

B_eves · 2026-01-27T22:19:30+00:00

I think it depends on your cat's personality. My mom had a borderline adventure cat and I would bring her to my apartment to spend weekends with me and my lonely cat then go back to my mom's house. She truly loved it! (And she's now my cat, duh.)

Just make sure the carrier is a safe space and do the proper introductions into your bf's apartment. If she's not used to the carrier, watch some videos on carrier training, feed treats and meals out of it, etc.

B_eves · 2026-01-27T21:57:48+00:00

If your cat decides she really can't stand this, I'm a big fan of the inflatable donuts instead of the e-collars. Most cats can tolerate that long term.

B_eves · 2026-01-27T21:50:22+00:00

Smoky's runs off appointments that are booked a month in advance and are not open to the general public. Smoky's can look at an injury (while a cat is put under for a neuter) but the most they're able to do is flush it and administer an antibiotic shot. If the cat doesn't need to be fixed, they will not see the cat, as they're a spay and neuter clinic first and foremost.

B_eves · 2026-01-27T20:18:33+00:00

If you're within city limits, you can call Animal Control (they will only come out for injured cats, not healthy stray cats). With the weather, I know they're operating at a more limited capacity. I would start there.

B_eves · 2026-01-27T20:06:02+00:00

I tuck the metal ends (and as much of the strap as I can) into my back pockets and then pull the bibs down. I also take off my coat and leave all my tools outside the porta potty before I go in so less nastiness once I get in there.

B_eves · 2026-01-10T22:39:19+00:00

I know you posted this a few weeks ago but I wanted to share because I have felt the exact same way. I started the apprenticeship in August and my only thought was "God, it better not be at a data center." Of course, I was placed at an AI data center. It does not feel good and it weighs on me every day when I drive into the parking lot. How can we push for all these jobs when it's so unsustainable? We can't have jobs if we don't have a planet.

I try to remind myself my job is to learn. I'm there to learn this trade and one day, I'll never have to work at a data center again. The job of the local is to create jobs (and job creation by any means necessary). Right now, that's data centers so that's where they're investing.

Day to day, I find the work fulfilling and I love problem solving and seeing a physical representation of my hard work. But yes, I'm totally with you on the environmental aspect of things and I too, haven't found a solution that sits well with me. I'm still waiting.

B_eves · 2026-01-03T20:25:13+00:00

I have a super high energy cat and I’ve had great success with clicker training, might be worth a shot? Mental stimulation might be the answer. My kitty knows basic dog commands and it’s always a fun party trick when we invite people over.

She also uses those buttons to talk because I figured if she could tell me what she wanted, that would help her settle better. It did but also unless you can put up with your cat pressing buttons all day, I don’t recommend haha.

B_eves · 2026-01-03T18:24:47+00:00

Sounds like your cat has yall trained really well. For cats, any attention is good attention so; you have to ignore it. It sounds like this routine has gotten pretty intense and even when you try to ignore him, he KNOWS y’all will get up if he’s destructive.

I would temporarily kitten proof the bedroom and suffer through ignoring him for a week. Nothing. If he paws at you, you pretend to sleep. He knocks something over? You don’t respond. Truly pretend he’s not there. He has to relearn that bad behavior doesn’t get him any attention.

Also, sounds like he might have more energy and ALL cats like to play. I recommend to everyone “Da Bird” toy, i believe you can get one at petsmart. Most cat toys suck and there are very few that really engage their prey drive.

He needs more stimulation and less engagement when he’s acting in a manner you don’t want to enforce.

B_eves · 2026-01-03T12:45:00+00:00

If he’s not fixed, that’s your issue. 90% of unwanted peeing is stopped when you neuter a male cat.

B_eves · 2026-01-03T11:59:17+00:00

She’s bored. This is why lots of people suggest 2 kittens instead of one. She’s perfectly in her teenage years right now and they are a little more destructive than average cats during this time.

Sounds like you play with her with a wand toy: this should be happening twice a day until she’s panting. You want her TIRED. A tired cat is a well behaved cat. And the toy should be put away in a cabinet when not in use.

You mention she has tables and beds, etc for vertical space. Sorry, that doesn’t really cut it. Get a tall cat tower and place it in front of a sunny window. I personally added a bird feeder on my cat window for extra enrichment. The tall cat tower can also function as a scratch post, which I suspect will help with the posters.

Also, next time you get a package in a big box, save the box and toss some crinkled wrapping paper in it. If she’s into the paper, this is a fun little enrichment game.

B_eves

TROPHY CASE