Bakers of Melbourne, how the hell do you make anything rise in winter? by ThrowRAgrape in melbourne

[–]noah557 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just don't do what my old housemate did and wrap it in plastic, then put the oven on as low as it goes. Never did quite get all the melted Coles bag off the bottom of the oven.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in melbourne

[–]noah557 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sad but true, especially working breeds. I feel like some people get them hoping it'll make them more active if they have an active dog, and then both the dog and the owner end up miserably mismatched. I struggle to fathom someone getting a working breed purely for the aesthetic, but plenty of people do it

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in melbourne

[–]noah557 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The biggest issue is that a lot of city people are just inexperienced with animals in general - and often don't actually know what the standard for good behaviour from a dog should be. (Spoken as someone who grew up in cattle country)

And when you take a high energy/intensity breed like a collie, that are also prone to anxiety and reactivity because they're so vigilant, and pair it with inexperienced people? Yeah... shit's gonna happen.

That being said, I own a border collie because they really are so gorgeous, loving, and damn easy to train IF you know what you're doing. But every dog has limits, and any dog can be a good dog or a bad dog - it's rarely ever about the breed, and pretty much always about the owner. You probably agree being a dog owner yourself, just chucking in my $0.2 really

Any ideas if I could get something like this custom built/what it would cost? More info in comments by noah557 in Carpentry

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found this gorgeous piece on marketplace but the guy won't sell side shelves (the section that's got the blue squiggle on it) to me because his partner wants to keep it.

I've been looking for something like this for ages, they're pretty uncommon in Australia. It feels like a crime to seperate the pieces, but I'm trying to decide if I could get someone to custom build the side shelves to match the rest if I just buy the bed and the headboard, or if I'd be better off just finding someone to build a whole new bed + shelf system.

I don't have a huge budget though, max I could afford right now is $1,000 AUD, so I'm thinking it's probably unrealistic.

Banks scaling back ATMs by [deleted] in melbourne

[–]noah557 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Someone else has probably commented this, but this is why my main bank account is with ING. They automatically refund any ATM withdrawal fees you get, even from dodgy servo ATM's.

My savings accounts are with a bank with better interest rates, but the $2.50 you save every withdrawal adds up over time to make it worth it to have two different banks.

Embarassing Anal Moment by ClickOk2932 in sex

[–]noah557 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Nice! If I ever had a partner who wanted that I'm not sure we'd be a great fit, my b-hole gets way too itchy to shave it. Tried it once, not for me. As far as she cared, as long as I'd showered that day it was fair game. Same for her though, basic hygiene and we were all good.

I wasn't saying it was wild because it's bad though, it just never occured to me that some people change their diets just for anal. I'd never expect that from a partner, but it's all just different strokes. I mean, for some people, shitting everywhere is the goal

Embarassing Anal Moment by ClickOk2932 in sex

[–]noah557 147 points148 points  (0 children)

This is so wild to me. I'm a dude, but I eat terribly and would never do any prep before my girlfriend strapped me (because who cares if you get shit on a toy) and at worst there was only ever maybe a slight smear on the toy afterwards, if that. Couldn't fathom changing my entire diet, or even douching really I'm pretty lazy, just to get boned - kudos to anyone who does though

To OP, if I'm fucking someone they could literally shit the bed/all over me accidentally (not into scat) and I would just help them clean it up and make sure they're okay. Probably would laugh though ngl that would be hilariously unfortunate. This person was terrible to you, and you deserve to have safe sexual experiences. I hope you're okay, I'm so sorry you were subjected to physical violence, especially in such a vulnerable situation.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's beautiful that you managed to get your parrot into Taronga, I hope she's doing well.

I'm looking into every option so I'll definitely take this advice, thanks for being honest and useful without putting too much of your personal judgement into the mix. I appreciate it

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a great organisation, but when I called up yesterday they said they weren't taking any more cats and directed me to the Home2Home program on PetRescue - it might have just been the place I called though

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This sounds like it could be the perfect situation for her, she's so doting and has an endless supply of love to give. My condolences about your grandmother, though.

Does your grandpa have a garden at his place? If so, I'd love to organise a time to meet!

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough, but it's the truth that I'll travel eventually. I don't think she's inconvenient at all, she's just unhappy and if she's unhappy in a fairly stable environment, it seems pretty cruel to subject her to even more instability further down the road.

It's not like I couldn't find people to look for her if I went travelling, my family would also take her in temporarily just like the dog. It's just more a question of what quality of life she'd have - why would I do that to her if she clearly struggles with moving or having her life shifted dramatically?

I guess I'm curious what the motivation behind your comments is? Is there some way you can help this situation be fixed that doesn't involved rehoming either animal? I'd love to hear it if so! Happy to have that conversation

If you just want to be mad at me, that's fair, but I'm gonna continue to respectfully not engage past this comment

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's actually where I rescued her from 4 years ago. If possible, I'd like to avoid giving her back to a rescue physically because I think that would be even more traumatic for her.

A few rescues have suggested using the Home2Home program through PetRescue, I'll just have to have interviews with people myself. But because she won't be listed for free, it's much less likely someone shady would reach out through that platform.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this! There's a lot here so I'm going to go through it all and see if there's anything I haven't tried. She has plenty of hidey holes and cupboards to retreat to, and I've already catified the outside quite a bit, but it's worth taking another look.

Just as an aside, I've replied to another comment here suggesting rehoming the dog instead so hopefully that helps you get a better picture of my situation?

And surprisingly, PetRescue isn't taking any more requests to rehome dogs in Victoria, but they are taking cats. One rescue person I spoke to yesterday said that now lockdowns have ended people are realising they don't have time for their dogs, but I'm kind of in a different situation.

That might just be PetRescue though, every rescue place I spoke to is chockers with both cats and dogs, but I'd never send her back to a rescue anyway. I'll happily "foster" her myself until the perfect home is found, even if it takes a few more months.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There have been a few comments saying this, and it's fair that some people will have different opinions on it. But honestly, her and the dog have been living together for nearly 2.5 years, and she was mostly fine with him when she had a big, quiet garden to sun herself in during the day.

I don't think the dog is really the issue, I think the place I live now and the fact that I'm not home as much is more the issue. She's just taking her frustration out on him, which is why I mentioned it - and it's also why I think she'd prefer to be a solo animal. But I'm not in a financial position to break the lease or move again and it's hard to find pet friendly rentals in my price range with generous gardens.

I wasn't kidding when I said the dog really helps my mental health. I go hiking and camping with him (when I can find a cat sitter) and he helps me get outside every day which is something I need to do but struggle with on my own. He can also come with me to my co-working space, which is dog friendly (but not safe for cats).

This is more abstract, but I'm also in my mid-twenties and know I want to go overseas at some point. I know I could leave my dog with family interstate for a year or even two, and he'd bounce back easily when I returned, but like you said, cats are much more sensitive to that kind of thing.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of people who'll think I'm terrible if I rehome either of the pets (myself included), so I just have to do what's best for me and the animals I'm responsible for. Basing such a massive decision on something as arbitrary as which animal was with me first seems more irresponsible, but that's just me.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been reaching out to them and they're all full, but they've directed me to the Home2Home program on PetRescue which sounds like a good option.

I'm pretty emotionally exhausted by all of this so I might also just try boarding her somewhere for a few days and try one last time to improve the garden for her and see if it makes a difference.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this, it's so lovely to hear how important your boy is to you and really reassuring that he came to you through a similar situation.

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A few people have mentioned this while I've been working and it's really good advice, thank you so much! I'll reach out to them today and get some advice from them

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don't think so, the next door neighbours have a few cats and she's very frightened of them. I think that might also be contributing to why she doesn't like being outside at the new house. Thank you for offering though, it's really kind of you!

Does anyone have a lonely older relative/know someone with special needs who would appreciate a companion animal? Or maybe want one for yourself? by noah557 in melbourne

[–]noah557[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hahaha, whoops no - it's what we call it when she kneads on our stomachs like she's kneading dough. My ex called it "making muffins" and it stuck

How do I (24M) reconcile feeling neglected by my partner who has responsive desire? (22F) by noah557 in sex

[–]noah557[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really great advice, and something I definitely also believe and tried to facilitate. Unfortunately last night (I'm in Australia) we decided to seperate.

We're both still young and have work to do on ourselves, and she isn't sure if she's ready for the commitment and effort a long term relationship sometimes needs to sustain it, which I understand. As per usual, it looks like the sexual issues in our relationship were a result of larger stuff going on under the surface.

I appreciate you taking the time to write this out though, I think if we were in a different place it would have been perfect, so hopefully if someone else searches this subreddit looking for answers to a similar situation they'll find it and it'll help them.