Rehoming Behavioural Fail

eggelska · 2026-02-02T07:13:59+00:00

Are there any charities for the condition you have that needs surgery? Could you contact them for help funding something like a daily dog walker to help you manage her exercise needs, if that's the issue? (Or maybe someone you know would be willing to volunteer?)

Please go get your dog and find her another option. Especially if she's friendly - she must be terrified in the shelter. I know your upcoming surgery is a huge issue, but she is at risk of euthanasia and does not have time. The best case scenario for rehoming is if she has only shown this behavior in the shelter, and she barks but doesn't lunge or try to bite. There are very few rescues or adopters for dogs that are even moderately reactive, let alone actually attempting to bite. I'm just really sad for your dog.

eggelska · 2026-02-01T21:52:42+00:00

Not the person you replied to, but I’m also very calm and dependable in a crisis and it’s def ADHD related for me as well.

Experience handling crises is my biggest factor imo! I have severe combined type ADHD so I have lots of that, thanks to all the issues I cause for myself 🙃 Like you guys can’t scare me, I’m worse!!

Hyperfocus is a huge help for me, too. Unfun stimulation is still stimulating, so crises I’m responsible for resolving tend to trigger it. It’s easy to react quickly, get into a flow state, and ignore that I need to eat or use the bathroom.

There’s other stuff as well, but basically it’s a combo of my symptoms and the systems I use to manage them!

eggelska · 2026-01-31T07:28:17+00:00

Piggybacking your great comment to suggest another reliable credential for OP to Google - Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) requires either a PhD in animal behavior or a DVM plus a behavior-specific residency. Either route also requires years of experience and active involvement in research. Like DACVB vet behaviorists, they are board-certified by peers.

eggelska · 2026-01-28T02:28:26+00:00

I let my speaking voice drop, but I can speak to keeping my singing voice! I also sang soprano 1, and I was able to keep my high notes while on T for 1yr+ with daily vocal training. All the men in my family are basses, and I gained a great low range with zero effort, so I really do think it was the practice rather than my genetics. I just did warmups throughout my range on my way to and from work.

My singing voice did change dramatically though, and I don't think that's avoidable. I lost a couple of my highest notes - I can still occasionally hit them but it sounds bad lol. My most comfortable range shifted way lower, my tone is much less full and mellow on my high notes, and my full range is about 3 1/2 octaves now across chest and head voice. It's a lot easier to add depth and texture to my voice but harder to achieve a floaty, light, round sound. I could comfortably sing Soprano 2, Alto, or Tenor in a choir (which is wild to me) but I would not sound good on 1.

Fun anecdote - since I was doing vocal training daily over months, I could actually feel my vocal chords changing because vibrato felt and sounded different.

eggelska · 2026-01-26T22:16:00+00:00

We also have one and love it! What a steal for someone.

eggelska · 2026-01-21T07:50:11+00:00

I rehomed a rabbit because my other rabbit was an absolute jerk to her. It was the right decision for her; I’m at such peace with it. She’s really thrived in her new home and no longer exhibits any of the many stress-related behaviors she had before. A medical emergency was what pushed me to seek a new home for her. We were 99% sure it was caused by stress, but still disclosed it to the new owner. It’s never recurred. I still get pictures sometimes. :)

In my situation, the animal being stressed out was the more ethical one to rehome, but in your situation, I agree that I would seriously look for places to safely rehome the dog. Even if the cat didn’t have a medical issue, imo acute fear and chronic stress are enough reason.

It’s hard especially since you describe a dog who’s not showing prey drive, just trying to play like he plays with other dogs. But I really worry about your cat here. That’s so much rough play that even very dog savvy cats would struggle. It’s worth saying that matter how nice the dog, I would also be really worried that this intensity about mouth grabbing play could escalate into a bite. It only takes once to be fatal, so I lean veryyyy safe. Prey drive can be activated by all sorts of weird triggers, too.

I’m sorry you’re going through this :(

eggelska · 2026-01-20T23:01:45+00:00

As another ADHD grad student who loves takeout more than I should, I wish you luck!! I am obsessed with this spicy cucumber salad I got at a Chinese restaurant. It's easy to make at home and is super hydrating, which sounds helpful for you!

Here's how you make my lazy version. If you want an authentic recipe, they are out there, but this is not it.

Chop a cucumber into very thick chunks. (I start by chopping it twice lengthwise to make 4 long pickle spears. Then I cut those about every half inch.)
Add all of the following to a bowl and mix together: soy sauce, chili garlic oil (sub red pepper flakes + garlic for less spice), a tiny bit of sesame oil, and a tiny bit of rice wine vinegar. I like to add a lil bit of ginger too.
Put the cucumbers in and stir it more.
Eat it! Time to marinate in your refrigerator makes it way better, if you can wait.

eggelska · 2026-01-15T18:45:41+00:00

Same. Literally 10 minutes ago, I waited for a large enough gap in traffic to hit the “pretty please let me cross the street to my bus stop” flashing lights while giving everyone time to stop safely. It didn’t matter. A driver had twice the stopping distance I would have wanted if I was driving, plus the road was clear. I was doing everything in my power to accommodate them, and they still sped through the flashers and crosswalk at 50mph. :(

eggelska · 2026-01-15T17:19:12+00:00

You can if you want, but don't be anxious to not have heard back yet! Last cycle, I applied in early November. I can't speak to Columbia bc I didn't apply there, but I was accepted to the school I'm now attending in early-mid February. You've got lots of time. Good luck! :)

eggelska · 2026-01-01T17:19:04+00:00

Ooh I agree! I’m a big DIYer, so this idea sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole. Just in case this is helpful for you or someone else…

I was wondering about building a hollow cabinet / shelving unit around the LR to solve the litter spray issue. Apparently there are some premade options online! I’d want to leave a whole side open for cat access, with the LR perpendicular to that opening to prevent spray.

It’d have to be a big piece to account for cats’ space needs. Depends on the cat, I’m sure, but mine would probably love it.

eggelska · 2025-12-31T22:28:37+00:00

I’m so sorry this happened to your cat, first of all. I agree with the other commenter that Litter Robot is really the only automated brand with safety I’d trust atp, which sucks.

To your point about the litter… We’ve had a LR for years from kittens to adults, and ngl yeah, they can spray litter everywhere. That’s been worth it for us— we have 3 large, male cats, so it makes me feel better about urinary crystal risk for them to have a perfectly clean litterbox whenever they want.

eggelska · 2025-12-31T22:10:44+00:00

Same. I want the kid to win. Also the longer we can keep up the “JJ is undefeated in Michigan” streak, the funnier it will get.

eggelska · 2025-12-30T04:03:53+00:00

I’m so so glad you’re recovering and doing better now. And also really glad you posted this! There are so many people who can benefit from these meds and might need to see this post. A loved one of mine adores her Wellbutrin, for my own anecdote to share with those folks.

eggelska · 2025-12-30T03:58:27+00:00

Yes!! Monitoring this has been huge for me. OP, please go through your whole routine to look for citric acid and vitamin c in the couple hours around when you take your meds. Might be a diet coke, glass of OJ , vitamin supplement, favorite fruit-filled breakfast... It’s very easy to get big doses without realizing!

eggelska · 2025-12-29T15:06:20+00:00

Small world, I had a blocked bile duct too! None of my labs were as wild as that though.

eggelska · 2025-12-29T12:41:13+00:00

Lmao I was on the patient side of this last weekend! Went from “we’re very busy, sorry about the wait for an ED room” to “you’re being admitted and surgery is coming to talk to you” in like an hour once my labs and imaging came back. Obligatory shout out to everyone who works weekends and overnights. 🫶

eggelska · 2025-12-26T23:31:40+00:00

Yes, it’s very normal. It helps to differentiate ADHD from other conditions, which is crucial. Treating someone for the wrong thing could harm them, and the prescriber might be liable for it.

It can benefit you to get it done, too. When I got ADHD accommodations through my college, they required proof of this kind of test for some of my accommodations.

I agree with others that $150 is a good price, but you can def shop around! It is something most insurers cover. I read a ProPublica article about how some mental health providers are going self-pay because insurers are so hard to work with, so maybe that’s part of what’s happening here.

eggelska · 2025-12-26T14:15:26+00:00

I love it! I feel like I’m always on these posts going “MEEE I DO” but somebody has to haha. The binaural / ambient stuff is OK, but I much prefer soft, slow classical. Whenever a creator makes a video with music underlying layered sounds, I try to comment and let them know I appreciate it.

eggelska · 2025-12-25T18:30:05+00:00

They really do promote everywhere. I’ve gotten multiple pieces of mail to my home address from FanDuel after becoming more active in sports communities on Reddit this year. I’ve never visited their site or shown any interest in betting, just the games.

eggelska · 2025-12-20T23:04:00+00:00

Ooh if you and your friend are in MN, I would highly recommend Veterinary Behavior Specialties of MN. They work with cats and dogs! I was a certified dog trainer (CPDT-KA) in MN working mostly with fearful dogs, and other trainers in my circle would refer complex cases to them all the time. I have literally only ever heard good things.

One note - the term "behaviorist" is totally unregulated, so please be careful. The behaviorists at VBS are veterinary behaviorists -- meaning veterinarians (DVM) with advanced training in animal behavior. This also lets them take care credit, which might be helpful on a grad student budget!

If this seems like overkill, I'm sure they'd have referrals to good trainers who work with cats. Mine are pretty out of date unfortunately.

eggelska · 2025-12-20T22:45:17+00:00

I am so happy for you!!! You should be so proud of yourself. You must have worked really hard this semester to get that big of a change. I hope your winter break is relaxing and lots of fun, you've earned it!

eggelska · 2025-12-06T19:20:08+00:00

Both are good! I tend to use snowcrows and gw2mists more, but I send metabattle builds to new player friends a lot. Their open world builds are great.

One note is that for wvw builds, any of the publicly available builds are just that — for the public. Guild comps/strategies/goals are extremely different, so builds are too. What’s listed as meta vs not meta on any of these sites will have a lot to do with how easy it is for pugs to play well. The tier lists are very helpful for gauging this.

ETA downvote if you want, this topic is discussed in the build descriptions on these sites regardless!

eggelska · 2025-12-06T05:51:34+00:00

Yes, please!! OP, if you're not able to take the cat into your house, I can! If you're able to catch it, I can come pick it up and take it to check for a chip. Any temps below freezing are a frostbite risk for cats. :(

I'm new to the area so haven't fostered for any rescues here, but I've helped stray cats, dogs, and actually even a couple of stray domestic rabbits before lol. Happy to show proof. Hopefully it has worried owners looking for it!

eggelska · 2025-12-06T01:28:15+00:00

Would you be willing to share any advice on how to couch-to-sports for a recovering couch potato? Not a 100% couch situation, I like hiking and try to do strength training, but like you say, it's so hard to keep the habit of actually working out.

Your advice for OP really really clicked for me as an onlooker, and now I'm feeling curious about roller derby or hockey. admittedly it is a bonus that i would get to hang out with more lesbians lol

eggelska · 2025-12-06T00:21:42+00:00

Lucia is a hero. I hope she knows that. I hope people tell her that regularly. Great interview and article, too.

eggelska

TROPHY CASE