If like me you have zero parenting and fathers day is painful try !dadforaminute@lemmy.world It's a great group of dads there for pep talks, big hugs or dad advice. Totally lgbt inclusive

He was a little nervous.

I'm thinking of getting a cat or two. Ideally two sisters that will play and get along with each other. I've been talking with someone a few hours away about rehoming a pair of Siamese sisters, but that isn't set in stone yet. Here are some questions and thoughts I have, but I would welcome any advice you might have for someone who hasn't had pets in years.

I really want to use horse bedding as cat litter. I'm looking at getting this litter box.. I've watched some YouTube videos on the topic, but any thoughts or gotchas?

If I end up getting kittens from three hours away, what gear will I need to bring to make the trip successful? One big cat carrier? Two separate ones? If they seem calm, would it be okay for a passenger to let them out in the car on the way home? Or would it be best to keep them in the carriers?

I've gone through this page and I've got a few of their suggestions in a list and ready to order. Anything else that I should look at getting? Supplies, tools, furniture, toys?

Best way to choose a vet? Cheapest? There's one very close to my house but there are a number of options and I could start making calls.

Once the cats can have kibble, what's a good way to choose the kind to buy? What should I avoid and look out for?

Also, what would be some great names for a pair of sisters?

Thanks!!

Edit: Can I feed cats/kittens tuna from a can once in a while? Sardines? Anything to keep in mind with this?

I'm thinking of getting a collar for each and putting a Bluetooth tracker on them. Any experience with this? Maybe this would be the tipping point of finally setting up ESPresense. 🤔

Another edit: Anyone have a Red rocket cat litter pail? That seems to me to be better than the litter genie. But also I'm not sure if it will be needed if I use pine bedding and baking soda for cat litter. Maybe just decide later if I need it?

If any trans women here have been admitted to a psychiatric ward, I'm looking for advice/experiences. My main concerns are the following:

• Losing access to DIY HRT
• Inability to shave, or is I can shave, having to be watched while doing it
• Being strip searched
• Transphobia from other patients and staff
• Food

Context - I live in a blue part of Washington State, fairly progressive, and I'm working with my therapist to get a personal recommendation for a facility (she mostly treats LGBTQ+ patients, so I'll be asking specifically about that).

I currently take Estradiol Cypionate by injection, once per week as monotherapy. I've used a tool to estimate my E levels, and I've determined I could likely go 14 days before things get bad (below 100pg/mL), but obviously that would not be an ideal experience for me hormonally. I just tested my levels last week and my E came back significantly higher than I expected (could maybe go longer than 14 days), and my T levels were incredibly low (16ng/dL). So much so that I was planning to reduce my dosage this week, though I think I'll wait to reduce until after my stay in case it lasts longer than I expect. I am almost 100% not going to be able to get them to administer my DIY hormones to me, but if anyone else has had this experience, please comment. I think I've rationalized it enough that I wouldn't be devastated if I were denied access (or more accurately, when I am), assuming my stay isn't longer than 2 weeks. I'm worried that they'll see them and throw them away instead of just locking then up, which would be a big problem because shipping would take about 2 weeks and I don't even have the money for it right now.

However, I am quite concerned about shaving. Since I'll be a voluntary admission, I've heard there's sometimes leniency for supervised face shaving, but I'm also worried about being able to shave my body. Granted, I'll be wearing clothes that cover up all my skin, but the feeling of being unshaven is incredibly dysphoric for me. I could live with it, except for genital hair. I unfortunately have extremely sensitive skin, and I'm pre-op, so if I don't shave for a few days, I will get intense chaffing and irritation, which is the most dysphoric thing I have ever felt in my life. I would be in genuinely severe mental distress having to live like that. But even if I were granted some exception to let me shave there...I'd have to be supervised. And I'm having a really hard time trying to mentally prepare myself for someone watching me shave naked. Especially because I don't know if I'll be allowed to ask that it be a woman that supervises. I've been told it varies wildly from place to place for strip searches, and I assume it would be the same case here.

And then...there's being strip searched. Again, no idea if I can decide if a man or a woman watches me strip and reveal every square inch of myself, which is horrifying. I would feel mildly less mortified if my genitals matched my gender identity, but...I'm not there yet.

The fear of experiencing persistent transphobia while I'm there is also incredibly present for me, especially given that I'm nowhere close to passing. This will be my first time publicly presenting femininely but I think it's what's best for my mental health because it's exhausting having to hide myself in person when I have been open online for almost a year now, and on HRT for 5 months as of today. The only thing holding me back has been living with transphobic parents with a long history of abuse. There are two angles to the transphobia fear. The first is that there may be other patients admitted who are transphobic, and in severely deteriorated mental states, and the second is that staff could be transphobic, and they hold an immense power over me as a patient. Both are terrifying to me, and I don't know how I would deal with it.

And perhaps something more inconsequential is food. I have a milk allergy, so I'd need that to be accommodated, and I'm also autistic so I have a lot of food triggers. I'm worried about not being able to eat enough, to be honest.

None of these things are going to prevent me from admitting myself, I know I need help right now, and I need serious intervention to be able to recover and to keep myself safe...from myself. I'm not going to get into the details because that isn't what this post is about, I've just been having some anxieties about what it's going to be like, and the chances of me leaving the hospital severely traumatized.

If any of you have been through it, what has it been like for you? Any advice?

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S. aren’t just affecting American Pride celebrations this year. Events across Europe are reportedly also feeling the pinch as corporate sponsors pull back their financial support for fear of crossing the president.

I'm looking for someone or some place that prints miniatures. I'd be supplying the file. I've never sent anything to 3d print and I must be awful at searching because I can't find a single site that has like a rough quote for minis. Of course I understand they would give me a different quote once I supply a file, but so far I have absolutely no clue on what to expect. $20? $150? Do you get a better deal if you print multiple items? Does it matter if they're different or all the same?

That, for starters. Next - what material should I be getting these prints on?

What resolution/parameters do I need to keep in mind for my files?

Does anyone have any recommendations for Australia?

Thanks

Source (Instagram)

So let me apologize for skipping a few days here and there, started a new gig and got some family in town visiting.

First, she had a wet spot on the end of her tail from pretty much when I got her from the Aunt's dog until today. Turns out it was an injury, although she never complained when I examined it. Today the tip of her tail fell off(maybe a mm or two) and now it's just a little pink nub.

Second, her step grandma is in town and got her one of those crinkly toys that she absolutely adores!

Third, the eldest cat finally stopped hissing at her and actually played with her a little(the thing I have been most excited for!

Fourth, she weened herself of the kitten food and seems to actually prefer the adult food. Although she has one more can of the Royal canid kitten food left in the box I plan on giving to her tomorrow.

And last, her flea bathes scared the crap out of me cause she's white and her hair is incredibly fine, I could see soooo many fleas. Well she is officially 2 pounds as of yesterday, and got her first small cat dosage of advantage II. And that seems to work like magic in just a day cause I flea combed her just now and couldn't find a single on!

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/post/141656

Car Talk with Martok.

Season 1 / Episode 1

Episode List Here

Original Source: DominionMediaTV

(Original picture by Brocken Inaglory, 15 April 2010)

Alternative title:
Michelangelo: "Oh no! DUCK!"
Leonardo: "...you made me look stupid, didn't you?"