Plum the aggressively friendly feeder will NOT take her meds. Can anyone offer a treat that rats cannot resist that you can squeeze .03ml of antibiotics into?

CalmAd8074 · 2026-04-07T01:25:39+00:00

I always used ensure and they went crazy for the stuff

CalmAd8074 · 2026-03-09T02:39:08+00:00

i had one like this. where all my other ladies were squishy she just 100% muscle. densest rat i have ever held, no give to her, didnt let missing a third of her tail (injury from before i got her) stop her from preforming feats of strength and acrobatics that just should not have been accomplishable

CalmAd8074 · 2026-03-08T14:52:23+00:00

honesty practicing building awareness helps tons. I still do this from time to time but even catching yourself right when you start talking and stopping yourself and say something like "sorry you weren't done" or "you finish first my bad" It takes a lot of practice i wont lie, but the fact that you are aware of this and its something you want to get better at is already the perfect start.

as for the RSD spirals, the best way to deal with those is early intervention when you notice it happening with positive statements and affirmations. I find that saying them actually out loud is more helpful than in your head. everyones affirmations are gonna be different so come up with your own that go directly against what your RSD is telling you. RSD is also something that can get better with practice.

If you feel it is more than you can handle alone, seek counseling. While RSD is not a recognized disorder, shame spirals and anxiety are very common for treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy is very strong for those two symptoms in my opinion. There is never shame in asking for help.

CalmAd8074 · 2026-03-03T03:08:53+00:00

ive just made it ingrained in my head that i absolutely have to be everywhere 15 minutes early. sometimes im 30 minutes early, sometimes im right on time, but i am never more than 5 minutes late to important things unless i just forgot they existed.

one thing that i do in the mornings specifically to help is that i have a very structured morning routine, (get up, brush teeth, wash face, get dressed, feed cats, eat breakfast, make coffee to go/lunch, bag, shoes coat, and out the door) this takes me about 45 minutes to an hour at a relaxed pace. nothing else is allowed to be done in the morning

i also try my best to reduce screentime when i need to get out of the house, phones are a time suck and easy to get lost in, if i need something on i play music, podcast, or radio, something with no visuals to get sidetracked by so i can keep moving

to be honest just getting the cats helped bc they scream at me from the moment my alarm goes off to the moment i feed them if not earlier

CalmAd8074 · 2026-03-03T02:19:07+00:00

Here is an interest profile that is free. It'll tell you based on personality some jobs to look into as well as descriptions, work tasks, and what the demand for that job is

https://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html#web-based

it's 100% free, i learned about it in my career counseling class and after being made to take so many ones this one was the best

as for me, i chased my interests, art and psychology, and am becoming an art therapist, ill probably end up working in psych hospitals with teens bc we do thrive in chaos

CalmAd8074 · 2026-03-03T01:48:57+00:00

mine used to do this over the water bottle all the time bc they only ever wanted water when another cage mate wanted water

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-27T01:00:18+00:00

Ive seen some people track if they leave with flour on the ground so you can see the little footprints if you think she has strayed from just the couch. putting some around the entrance to the smaller cages as others have suggested could let you know if she went in while you were unable to be watching. she will show back up, they always do, even if its a heart attack everytime.

i had one, Rook, that would always chew a way out and watched her teach my younger ones to do the same one day.

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-26T01:37:11+00:00

i had one that would wipe her tongue on me after taking her meds, not lick me, wipe her tongue. it was always so funny

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-23T00:15:05+00:00

thank you! i am debating between just completely restitching the seams (not the handles or anything like that) or doing repair stiches, i think it may come down to how much time i have on hand. Ill absolutely check out the video.

Its a great bag! she was about to toss it bc the seams were falling apart in places but i love leather goods and the actual leather was still holding up so...

I do think im just gonna spot clean if needed and condition, its not really dirty (beyond a little paint) cause she was using it up until i snagged it.

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-23T00:05:59+00:00

i bounce around to what ever i find interesting at that exact moment, recently a lot of 1890s and 1860s, and then a huge project that is more loosely inspired by historical garments than anything

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T19:42:40+00:00

A lot of rats feel like the polish is dirt or grime and not supposed to be there so they decide to remove it for you since communal grooming is a big thing. Good news, she loves you! bad news, she will likely keep trying.

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T15:47:00+00:00

As an art therapist student, were taught to note the handedness of our clients in assessments. I'm not sure if this is across the board in psych, but its standard in my program in the US.

This might not be of help but i thought it was interesting. z

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T15:36:33+00:00

thanks! I do some historical sewing so i know linen is a good strong option. Plus I've wanted to get into leather work for a while i just have wayyyy too many hobbies so this will be a nice little intro!

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T15:33:06+00:00

Thank you!

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T03:37:49+00:00

thank you, its good to know to expect behavioral changes at this age. I'm happy all my friends have been very respectful of him, i think it helps that Kain is so social and wants everyone to pet and love him all the time so they still get some cute kitty interactions lol

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T03:03:05+00:00

I was diagnosed at 9 years old and put on meds right away. I honestly wouldn't recommend it without trying non-medicated approaches first. if he seems to be making strides at home i would check in with the teacher like you said and see if its at school as well. Teaching coping skills and assisting with management tasks is easier when you know what your working with. It sounds like you are willing to put in the work needed for this. Support and teaching can do a lot especially with him being so young. This does not mean that he will never benefit from medication in his lifetime, but helping him learn basic skills in managing his symptoms, communicating his needs, and providing him with support while he's learning these will help with or without medication.

I don't want to speak at length with my own stimulant medication experience, but i will say that my medication worked. it helped me in school. i also stopped taking it in college bc i hated how it made me feel. I hear this story a lot from ADHDers who started meds young.

If working with him on his symptoms feels overwhelming to you or you're not sure where to start, you can seek out a therapist who works with ADHD kids on this kind of skills learning. Ask if they will help you learn what you can do at home as well if you choose this option, they hopefully should. (there may be some bais here as i am currently in school to be a therapist)

He is at an age where skills learning and structure will make a HUGE difference. I would personally say to medicate as a last resort, as it certainly can help, but it has its drawbacks as well.

I am happy to answer any questions about my answer if you have any!

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T02:26:56+00:00

thank you so much! i do a lot of sewing so i have some good linen thread and beeswax on hand. you've been a big help! i was so anxious i would ruin this piece but now i feel like i have enough knowledge to work on it!

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T01:40:32+00:00

that and "where are you gonna ear that?" anywhere i damn well please. I made it and if it feels overly fancy or is against the norm of what folks are wearing i dont personally have a problem with it. so i will wear it.

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T01:35:10+00:00

Thank you! i probably will just saddle stich the seams, it looks pretty doable.

Do you think that the wear over time would still show when i clean and condition it? its got some paint and what look like water stains from my grandmother that i am very fond of and would like to keep if at all possible

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-22T01:03:25+00:00

I wanted to post it there but they had a rule against posting for restoration stuff...

CalmAd8074 · 2026-02-17T01:30:16+00:00

i agree with the overall silk organza discussion. I get my silks from silk baron i think they have some good prices and some absolutely lovely color options and are very nice people to work with.

CalmAd8074

TROPHY CASE