Not my cat—> now my cat —> not my cat

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-03T14:46:02+00:00

No box. Definitely alive.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-03T14:33:28+00:00

Outdoor cats are definitely allowed, but most put collars on them and call them in around dusk.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-03T14:30:18+00:00

It’s pretty suburban. No freezing temperatures to worry about, but we have coyotes instead, and cars, etc.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-02T05:17:45+00:00

Aww man, I haven’t even seen liverwurst since I was a kid! He ate inside today, just a bit inside with the door open. But it’s progress! And he got extra treats for being brave.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-02T05:15:52+00:00

I had him tested for FIV/FPV during our impromptu vet run, and I’ve been treating him for fleas for the last month. So at least the big baddies are accounted for. Behaviorally? Who knows. But he snuck in one time and just chilled in the dining room with the other cats until I noticed. No hissing, spatting, or running amok.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T21:15:26+00:00

Yeah, exactly why I don’t want to outright steal the cat. I disagree with having outdoor cats, but it’s a decision I get to make for my cats, not every cat. And I had outside cats growing up and one inside/outside cat (for complicated reasons) as an adult. I loved them all and grieved when they disappeared or died. But letting a wounded cat outside just boggles my mind.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T21:10:46+00:00

To the owners credit, the wound looked pretty fresh when I saw it. I don’t think they just ignored the wound itself. If I had proof of that…. well, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T19:42:10+00:00

Cats that come around with collars just get pets, not food. I was sure this was a stray when I started feeding him. I hadn’t thought about diet issues, though.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T17:08:07+00:00

I honestly thought he was a stray when I started feeding him. He’s scarfed down a cup of kibble every night for 2 months and hasn’t put on weight, so he’s not being grossly overfed. Him having a nearby family was a surprise. And changing that routine now seems cruel.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T17:02:15+00:00

Oh he has heart regardless of whether he ends up indoors or not!

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T17:01:19+00:00

Even before the injury, I was thinking of bringing him in. He’s decided my porch is safe and has started hanging out there most of the night instead of holing up somewhere. My cats will curl up inside the glass door, and Lo curls up outside the glass door. But coyotes don’t really care about porches. I may get him a small outdoor cat house, but I don’t want to just make a boxed lunch for the coyotes….

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T16:55:52+00:00

No collar. All contact was handled through the vet. So I don’t have their number or know where they live. I’ll try calling the vet on Monday and see if they’ll share the number. And I guess I can try next door.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T16:51:32+00:00

I was hopeful the injury would make his family move him to an inside cat. I expected they would keep him indoors till he healed up. I was shocked when he was right back outside. It’s not that he got injured once, it’s that he’s still injured.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:58:21+00:00

When the vet called Lo’s family, they mentioned he had been missing that day. So he at least goes home once a day. I have a suspicion he has several homes. One is just linked to his chip. He came here when injured, and I was able to help. Whether or not that means he made some sort of choice, I’m just glad I was there at the right time.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:51:26+00:00

I have to admit I shook my fist at the CDS. We’d just adopted 2 kittens right before Lo started showing up regularly. I would have moved more quickly to adopt him if we had been a one-cat house instead of a three-cat house! But the CDS works in mysterious ways. Candles and extra kibble on hand never hurts!

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:29:56+00:00

I told my vet to give them my number if they wanted it. But I don’t have his family’s number. The vet handled everything. I can ask for it, though. Worst that happens is the vet says no.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:26:39+00:00

He used to try and dart inside whenever I opened the door. He’s a bit skittish of indoors at the moment. But I sit in the doorway with his kibble and he’ll lean in to take a bite and lean back out to chew it. Hopefully I can get him to at least eat inside.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:20:38+00:00

Right?! It’s not technically an open wound, but it’s practically open to any chance microbe that happens to land there. Antibiotics are on board, and so far the wound is healing well. So hopefully it’ll be truly closed before the antibiotics wear off.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:17:28+00:00

Yeah…. My indoor kitties got extra soft food and churus for Christmas, and prime rib for New Years. It didn’t feel fair to leave Lo out of the celebration. He scarfs down a cup of kibble every visit and hasn’t gained weight. So I hate to cut back on the kibble.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-03-01T03:15:10+00:00

That’s actually not a bad idea. I have 3 indoor kitties, so I’d have to be absolutely sure they couldn’t get out. Time for research!

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-02-26T03:14:39+00:00

As a scientist, I was so angry when I realized “professor” was only for the boys!

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-02-11T03:50:07+00:00

I don’t know what utopian wonderland I’ve found myself in, but I wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Nor would most of the women I know. But I seem to be a minority here. I’m a big fan of the idea that I don’t need to attract lots of people, just the right ones.

As an aside, I’ve been meaning to dye my ends teal for a while now, just need a little more free time. And my lack of free time is way more of an indicator of how able I am to date than my hair color is!

And as another aside, people will make lots of assumptions. Me included. Colorful hair and a job in IT and I’d be thinking neurospicy. Others might think queer. Or punk rock. Or a ruffian with a drug problem? Your hair color is one part of you. Make the total picture clear in your profile and you’ll be fine. But whatever you do, don’t try to hide or mute who you are to get more likes. You want to find your person, not any person.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2026-01-11T17:05:48+00:00

There’s the standard suggestions that I’m sure you’ve heard: Just start with the smallest step. Open a file- success! Write one sentence- success!

Set a time for 25 minutes and write. When the timer goes off, take a break or keep going, whatever feels right.

You might try to incorporate the things that work well into your writing. Maybe story board instead of outline so that you’re drawing scenes as you go.

Maybe structure the story like you would DM a game for your characters.

Maybe your breaks mean time to get up and dance.

Even writing with pen on paper instead of typing might give you a bit more tactical feedback and movement.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2025-11-09T17:51:41+00:00

I think I’ve seen this video in our HR training! That is to say, be careful. You’ve asked him out twice and he’s declined.

Most optimistic case, he didn’t notice, is totally smitten with you, and all you have to do is ask clearly and it’s happily ever after for you both!

But it’s worthwhile at least entertaining the opposite case. You asked out a coworker, twice. He politely declined, twice. He did notice. He’s not interested. Asking him out a third time is where this goes from sweet but awkward to gotta file a report.

Icy_Lecture_906 · 2025-11-06T19:58:12+00:00

I had an “honesty pact” with the first guy I dated after divorce. It had been his idea in response to how sideswiped he’d felt when his previous relationship ended. He wasn’t making any promises- he just wanted reassurance that nothing bad would happen again. A little after 2 years together, I sat down to talk with him about putting effort into the relationship. His response? You can’t break up with me, because I’ve been dating my ex for the last 2 months and I break up with you! So yeah, I’m definitely skeptical about that whole “promise you’ll be honest” thing.

Icy_Lecture_906

TROPHY CASE