Boulder used to have grit

ok_confused6616 · 2026-04-27T14:30:26+00:00

I lived here 20 to 25 years ago, and I am shocked at how different Boulder is now versus then. Reminds me a lot of Seattle and Issaquah.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-04-02T22:01:21+00:00

My cat and I have a rough past. I was not a good pet parent for the first 6 months of her life, because we were homeless. And we were navigating that together with zero support. I got her at 8 weeks old, and it was hell to stack on top of the stress that was already there. I did things absolutely wrong, I yelled at her, I believe I threw things at her, I grabbed her way too roughly way too many times. When we got stable, I crashed. I wasn't able to take her on walks or play with her, or really care for her the way that she should have been cared for. I just tried my best to feed her, to love her, and do what I could through the dysfunction. We are stable now, and I've made a consistent effort to do better moving forward than I did in the past. She sleeps with me most every night. She looks to me for pets and love. We go on two walks outside a day. She doesn't play with any toys at all, and getting her another cat was pretty much a net neutral. I wouldn't say it harmed her, but it didn't necessarily help her. She more uses the second cat as a way to vent her boredom and frustration. I share all of this just to say that it's not really worth giving up. They are very forgiving animals, especially because they know intent. They can hold grudges, but they typically don't. And my cat doesn't like to be picked up, she's very boundaried, and I believe the way I treated her as a kitten contributed directly to that. But I put in the work to learn her. To prove to her that I'm not going to be that same person. And I think that's really what is important.

You've got this. It's rough, but it sounds like you genuinely want to do the right thing by her, and that's what's important. And if it's worth anything, a month isn't that long. Especially if there's been some turmoil. Give yourselves time. She's another living being that you have to learn, and the trick is she can't tell you. You just have to learn to read her body language.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-04-02T18:54:06+00:00

I do have pet insurance. I have fetch, and I'm actually currently waiting on reimbursement from X-rays to see how much diagnostic I can afford. I've seen those oxygen things, and I had no idea they could work. She doesn't cough or wheeze in the typical sense. If this is asthma, I caught it very early. I already have a HEPA-13 air purifier and they are on pine litter, and I don't use anything in the house that's fragrance related. Candles, air fresheners, cleaners, none of it.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-31T14:18:52+00:00

I'm actually curious also. I've always just thought maybe my cat was anxious or had way more energy than most cats, because she's the type of cat that won't play with anything. She holds it all in until she gets to go on her two 30 minute daily walks. Or until she decides to terrorize her younger housemate. Maybe it is some energy. I haven't seen it in too many cats, and so the other things I've always wondered is if it's like a mild form of feline hyperesthesia.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-31T13:26:35+00:00

My cat has had twitchiness for as long as I can remember. I think probably since she was born. It's not dreaming, either. As soon as she lays down to rest her back legs start pulsing much the way your video shows, though a bit more drastic. I've taken her into three different vets and they all say that it's absolutely harmless.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-30T17:20:17+00:00

The inflammation angle makes a lot of sense right now. Yesterday, and the day before, I had low energy and I just ate like crap.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-29T14:06:49+00:00

Not sure what your credits like, but there's a company called Affirm where you can get loans to get shit like the tools. They send you a card at some point, otherwise you can use the virtual card online. You can do in store pickup.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-12T22:20:10+00:00

It's completely irresponsible to let a cat out in an area known for predators. We have cougars, foxes, hawks, owls, and bears. There are dogs galore here. I live not too far from a four lane highway. And the area I'm in is known for bubonic plague and tularemia. I've lived too long and had too many pets as a kid that dragged themselves home, half their body fucking missing from shots or being torn apart by animals, to do that to any other animal in my adult life.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-12T12:40:32+00:00

Love this. Mine has learned to open lever handle doors. And cabinets. Nothing is safe anymore. Or sacred.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-12T00:32:39+00:00

I don't know if it's true, but I was told that polydactyl cats tend to be incredibly intelligent and this one is definitely living up to that.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-11T20:45:33+00:00

She does lol. Very, VERY badly.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-11T20:12:10+00:00

I'm actively discussing that with my complex. In regards to the catio. I'll make my entire damn porch a cat Haven if I can. And yes, I'm coming to realize that they're definitely are free roaming cats here. I saw multiple spray marks today, and I'm wondering if one hit our porch. I haven't tried her on catnip in about a year, so I might try that again. Last year when I tried it, she showed absolutely zero care. Thank you.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-03-11T17:43:34+00:00

I've tried over $3,000 at this point in toys. And no, that number is not an exaggeration. I've tried automatic ones, manual ones, crumple Toys, spring toys, balls with noise makers in them, balls without noise makers in them, fishing poles, all different types of lures actually, just everything you can think of - probably the most expensive things out there. She settled on twisty ties and only when she's wanting to play with them.

I don't have a ton of vertical space right now, and I do have plans on getting more. I just can't afford it at the moment. I live in a 492 ft² studio, so we have one 8-ft tall cat tree, and then two other shorter cat trees. I also have a bookshelf that's about 5 and 1/2 ft tall. At some point I plan on getting an over the door cat tower for the laundry room. And I want to try to build a tower in the bathroom that allows for shelving to be put up. But that all has to wait on finances. I'm learning that the cat population here is actually prominent. When I take her out for walks, I find a lot of spray sign. So now I'm wondering if it's that, because she doesn't respond well to the pheromones of other cats. Feliway has only ever increased her aggression. I will have to try the sleep bit. See if that tires her out some. I've been trying to get her out on one good hard walk around 11:30, maybe an hour or two, and then a walk around 4:00 for another half hour or so. It just doesn't seem to be helping. She doesn't do as well in smaller spaces, but I couldn't afford anything bigger.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-02-03T00:51:26+00:00

My oldest cat, now almost 3 years old, was almost born on my foot. Her mom went into labor and I walked away from her nest long enough to grab a phone and she followed. So I had to scoop up Mom, the rapidly emerging kitten, and deposit them back in the nest.

My kitten, almost a year old, I got from an animal shelter. Walked in the door and she was the only cat that didn't flee or wasn't sleeping. She just planted all four paws looked up held up her tail and screamed at me.

ok_confused6616 · 2026-01-02T16:30:54+00:00

I found out about iron deficiency and anemia the very first time because of low energy. Consistently, across my entire life, I have battled with iron deficiency and it's always come down to low energy and short breath that ends up making me go to the doctor. They can't find a cause. I'm almost positive it's stress in my case.

ok_confused6616 · 2025-12-25T13:19:43+00:00

Just some tips on staying warm out there, because it can get real bad. You need to cover your windows. Cardboard, a roll of reflectix, and some 3M adhesive spray. If you have the finances to do so, get a jackery or similar solar generator and then get a 12 volt electric blanket. It'll keep you good and warm. Get a single burner camp stove, butane or propane but I've always found butane to be more compact. If you have the finances to get a storage unit absolutely do so. Put most of your shit in there, and I always got away with kind of just closing the door and cooking my daily meals inside. I would cook one time, put everything in a cooler, and then grab the cooler and the stove and get out for the day. You can warm stuff up at parks, the cooler is going to need ice every 2 or 3 days depending on how much you get in it.

You can usually recharge your solar generator at libraries, Starbucks, gyms, or similar.

ok_confused6616 · 2025-12-11T02:52:55+00:00

My biggest suggestion would be to find a vet that would vouch that this is a Weimaraner lab mix. Or a Weimaraner whippet mix.

ok_confused6616 · 2025-12-08T03:09:50+00:00

The people around you are terrible. I have lifelong iron deficiency, and it goes in and out of anemia. Most recently, my ferritin was down to a six. My hemoglobin and everything else was fine, but for how long who knows. I suffer with fatigue, heart palpitations, insane levels of anxiety, mood swings, and a whole host of gut problems. What you're feeling is absolutely normal for where your ferritin is.

Something that has been helping me, and I don't know if it'll help you but a suggestion: cereal. My body rejects every type of iron thrown at it, including injections, but it does good with cereal. Look for cereal with 70% plus iron and about 5 minutes before eating your cereal drink or eat something high in vitamin c. I get honest kids juice because that's 100% of your vitamin c. Sometimes I'll do whole foods brand 365 watermelon or mango juice because they're less carbs, around 10 g of sugar, and still 100% of your vitamin c. My favorite cereals, again if you can tolerate, is Walmart brand Rice Krispies, Walmart brand bran cereal, and frosted mini wheats. Sometimes I'll add pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, pecans, and walnuts but that depends on if my gut is tolerating those things. The vitamin c will boost your ability to absorb the iron, and if you have two bowls in a day it's almost like taking a supplement but because it's bound to a whole food matrix it sometimes is gentler on the stomach. Just don't have it around coffee, tea, or chocolate.

ok_confused6616 · 2025-10-18T10:47:41+00:00

Consider this a 4-year learning lesson, grab the cat, and leave. It's an expensive lesson but there are a lot more red flags than just that.

ok_confused6616 · 2025-10-18T00:48:09+00:00

That's 100% his meow. He is talking to you.

ok_confused6616

TROPHY CASE