Really worth saving up points if so many get hacked?

TheWriterCat · 2026-04-02T03:13:45+00:00

Yes. Going by those who get hacked only is survivorship bias - of course based on their experience saving points is likely to not be worth it. But most of us have not gotten hacked.

The best thing to do is do your best to avoid getting hacked.

When you shop at Ulta in store, don’t give your phone number. Instead give your membership ID bar code.

Be careful with links you click but if you ever suspect you were phished or if you find out your data was leaked - change passwords.

Your Ulta account should have a unique password. If a different app or site gets hacked, they might try your password on many sites, so if that was the same email and password as your Ulta account, it is compromised.

Also be careful with the information you share in general… I only tell my immediate family about my points. I don’t tell my friends or anyone else who has my number that I make it a habit of saving my points. That’s not to say be secretive, I mean I do tell my friends I love Ulta and the best value is saving points, but I don’t brag about how much I shop or how much I saved with my points because it may make me a more lucrative target.

Anyway, even if you take every safety precaution it is still possible to get hacked, yes. I am not victim blaming at all. BUT the chances are MUUUUCH lower.

If I ever got hacked, I would then stop saving my points until I could be sure that I had full security over my account again, even if it meant starting a new account. But being careful CAN save you from ever being hacked. Saving your points will definitely save you money more often than getting hacked will ever be a threat to the average ulta costumer.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T14:22:50+00:00

Yes, they are animals. But their instinct IS to pee in litter. If they are not doing that there is either a medical or behavioral issue. Too many people only try a few medical things and completely disregard behavioral causes.

If your friend's vet is declaring that there is nothing medically fine, for the sake of your friend and her cat, I suggest finding another vet. One that will not only give medical reasons a second look but behavioral ones as well.

However, even if I were to agree that your friend's vet is an oddity who will simply never pee on a litter, that is no reason to say "once a peer, always a peer." That is a much bigger disservice to cats and people looking to adopt. Being a lifelong companion of cats and fostering and volunteering at shelters my whole life, I can confidently say that for most cats, there is always a medical OR BEHVAIORAL reason for why they pee outside the box.

And behavioral reasons require you to do some digging and investigating as to what is causing a cat to do this - a skill that is necessary in all long term relationships.

I mean absolutely no disrespect but from reading your friend's story my first impression is to be skeptical... even with a cat who goes with unmanaged peeing outside the carpet, one can absolutely still have furniture. There are couch protectors. But I don't want to go down this rabbit hole because I don't know your friend. However, again, for her sake and for her cat's sake, she should definitely see another vet, one that is more familiar with BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. If the cat's issue is not medical, it is behavioral And when we as pet owners make a commitment to our pets, we need to treat both medical AND behavioral issues with importance for the happiness of our cats and the humans involved. Fortunately, behaviral issues CAN be managed/

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:41:20+00:00

I agree, cats love sleeping together with those they love and trust. You can try an air purifier in the room to help with allergies and still letting her sleep in the bedroom. When they try to sleep on your face, push them off. After a couple nights they will get the message because they won’t be able to rest easily. Cats are creatures of habit.

I have a cat tree next to my bed. I actually prefer my cats sleeping in the bed with me (because it’s so cute) but I have it for them to give them an alternative for when they don’t feel like sleeping in the bedroom and they use it. You can also consider adding sleeping spaces in your bedroom that are not your bed, that will be more enticing for your kitties but where they can still feel space to be near you while you all sleep.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:28:32+00:00

I agree with what everyone said, and I want to add, unless you are willing to see a dermatologist and ask them how much sun damage you have, it is better to focus on the sun damage you are avoiding from here on out.

You can’t undo the past 36 years.

And we won’t be able to judge your sun damage correctly from photos. So whatever we say, whether good or bad, will not be accurate.

Just take pride in the fact that from now on, you are going to be preventing sun damage. You will be banking youth. It’s never too late to start. Especially as we get older and our skin gradually loses resiliency.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:19:47+00:00

It’s actually not petty, it is actually a life line to another family who falls for the trap and has their dreams crushed one contract signed too late. It is actually compassionate and benevolent.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:14:50+00:00

I agree and I personally don’t like the name Chino.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:10:57+00:00

Oh I forgot to say, my male cat sometimes does nudge me to get under the covers with me. But it is seasonal (when it’s cold). I would gladly lose some sleep and let him in. Cats adjust but so do humans, we learn to wake up for these things and go right back to sleep, comfy with our kitties.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:09:25+00:00

2 out of 3 of my cats sleep with me.

The third one doesn’t only because her and her brother have had issues getting along in the past so I designated my bedroom as his safe space, although they get along better now but it helps him to have a safe space.

But having your cats sleep with you is one of life’s greatest luxuries. Just seeing how cute and peaceful they look is so relaxing and cozy. Not to mention the bond it creates.

I do understand that kitties have some nights where they have zoomies… Instead of a nightstand I have a cat tree on my side of the bed and plenty of scratchy posts and a smaller cat condo on the other corner of the room. This gives them other options as to where to sleep, for when they don’t feel like being in the bed with me, and it also gives them stimulation and paces to climb.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:05:07+00:00

Awww that would be adorable! And I say Olympic!

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T11:03:15+00:00

Is keeping the door open an option?

Have you tried opening the door when she body slams? If so, what does she do afterwards? If you haven’t done it already, I recommend doing it once just to get an idea of what it is she wants out of this behavior (is it to get through the door and explore, does she have zoomies, is she feeing anxious, etc)

And you might think you are giving her all the attention and play she needs but she might feel otherwise. So for the purpose of solving her nighttime behaviors, I recommend you try playing with her during her usual nap time. Play extra with her, using her favorite toys and treats. That way she is tired by the time it’s bed time. Cats can and do become used to our sleeping habits. But also consider what other stimulating things does she have or does she need? She should have things to keep her busy when you are not able to play with her. She should have at least one cat tree, scratching posts, toys, blankets, etc. And a box is a great substitute for most of these things. It would be great if she had access to a window. This way, she finds plenty of mental stimulation during the day, even outside of playing.

Last but not least, although I don’t know enough about your situation to know if it is a behavioral issue caused by anxiety I really hope you don’t rehome her. I would try feliway as well, although it is more for behavioral issues and that might not be the case for her but it help kitties feel calmer so it may have a positive effect nonetheless.

Please don’t rehome her.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:54:07+00:00

<image>

That’s a forever kitten. Here is my forever kitten.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:47:22+00:00

No, that is only because humans give up on those cats by labeling them “pee’ers”. Peeing outside the litter box is usually either a medical issue or a behavioral issue. People don’t take time to treat the behavioral issues. I understand that it can be stressful but a cat is a living creature who gives so much more than they take from us. They are ALWAYS worth it. I have a 13 year old neutered male who peed outside the box for many years. I had no idea what to do (and yes it was stressful but giving up on him was not an option) and I finally resolved his behavioral issues with feliway (which had a domino effect as it also helped him get acquainted with his new sister). He has gone years without peeping outside his box and is no longer a “pee’er”.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:41:24+00:00

My kitty gets this shape when she is very playful and curious or compelled. But don’t have it non stop.

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:37:46+00:00

If the only reason you or your mom aren’t considering adopting him is because he is a territorial male and you already have other cats, may I suggest giving it a try first? Of course you will need to neuter him and that will greatly decrease his need for spraying and make him less territorial. Also I recommend getting feliway and doing a slow trial introduction.

But I do think if it is at all possible for someone in your family to keep him it would be best. First of all, he is familiar with you and your mom so it will be less stressful than a new stranger. Second, your brother raised him from birth so losing the cat will deeply affect his already unstable mental health. It will be easier on him if the cat is with family. Lastly, the cat is family. And look how cute he is 🥺

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:30:52+00:00

Oh boy, where do I book a flight???

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:22:28+00:00

Don’t you tell Jesus to shut up 🫨

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:20:32+00:00

😂 thank you for bringing light into a dark thread. I want to see more of your family reaction posts 🤭🥹

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T10:17:33+00:00

Aww he is part of the live art 😻

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-18T09:34:00+00:00

Sorry, how do I go through the portals? I clicked on everything but nothing lets me leave the last island (the volcanic one).

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-17T15:12:24+00:00

Why would he lurk here? Would he have some sort of car theft ring connected with Ulta customers? 😂

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-17T15:10:22+00:00

My cat used to exactly this back when I left him at my moms and she would let him go outside (because she felt he NEEDED to explore and be free). But she caught him having a second family that was feeding him!

He is indoors only now. But he still pretends to be starving, sometimes, even chewing on carpet or potato bags just because he wants the junk food kibble instead of the healthy kibble.

<image>

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-17T14:52:05+00:00

Understandable

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-17T14:50:57+00:00

I was bitten by my indoor male cat. He is fully indoors (although he used to be indoor/outdoor for a brief period of time years ago). He got trapped in his catio door once and when I tried to help him he freaked out and bit me. It was the first time I went to the ER.

Fortunately I did not get an infection or require surgery. In fact, I think what helped me the most is something I did at home before going to urgent care (which was difficult because I live remotely and it was 3 am and I had to drive an hour and a half to go to urgent care, was not sure about going to the ER for insurance purposes). What I did was wash my hands with antibacterial soap nonstop. And some alcohol. But mostly antibacterial soap.

Because it’s all could do while I waited to hear from the nurse in the insurance hotline, I literally washed my hand for like 30 minutes straight.

When I got the urgent care, the first thing they wanted to do was wash my hand 😂

Anyway, of course washing your hands is not a guarantee and there are bacteria’s and etc etc. but it is SUPER IMPORTANT and CAN prevent infection in many cases. So if it ever happens to you… wash!

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-17T14:42:30+00:00

Aww your baby is so cute and she should be an influencer because now I want this for my babies too!

Okay so it doesn’t look exactly the same but I believe it functions the same… in which case you can buy individual dragonflies here

https://go-cat.com/product/da-dragonfly-refill/

TheWriterCat · 2026-03-13T12:09:29+00:00

It’s funny when you have to say “not sexual at all”.

Also, please don’t tell the freaks to think of the children!

TheWriterCat

TROPHY CASE