#im climbing the mirror like a reptile | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

equinoxiansystem · 2 years

Text

i actually have a lot of passionate thoughts pet stores and the welfare of pets and i quite literally never see anyone talking about any of this, so im going to say a few things:

- pet stores should NOT be allowed to sell live animals of any kind, including feeder fish, mice/rats and insects. all of these animals are sourced from abusive irresponsible mills.

- fish are probably the #1 abused pet across the globe, they are viewed as decorations and objects, not living animals with needs. i dont think people quite understand how important this is until i spell it out for them: goldfish are supposed to normally live up to 15 years in captivity. and in ponds. neon tetras can live up to 10 years in captivity in good conditions. do you see the problem here? fish are not disposable decorations you keep for a year before you get bored and forget about them. they're long lived and have those lives to live.

- second note on fish because it is literally that bad: fish bowls are not suitable for ANY kind of fish, not even shrimp or aquatic snails. anything under 3.5 - 5 gallons is really pushing it, fish need space to swim, and to just generally exist, no matter how small. you can exist in a closet, sure, but would you wanna live in it?

- hamsters need a minimum of 550 square inches of enclosure space, a minimum of 6+ inches of bedding depth in order to display their natural burrowing habits, an appropriately sized wheel, and a sand bath. a hamster biting the bars of its enclosure or its owner, screaming, hissing, showing aggression, or hiding/running away isnt funny, or a sign that your hamster is an asshole. it means you're gravely abusing it and are seeing the results of said abuse.

- birds need cages with lots of horizontal space, referred to as 'flight cages', due to birds naturally flying horizontally in the wild, not vertically. birds also do not benefit from mirrors, they do not understand it is their own reflection, no matter how intelligent the bird. they just stress them out.

- the vast majority of pet store employees know absolutely nothing about reptiles and inverts, they usually refer you to the one person on shift who has generally taken it upon themselves to learn about these animals. as such, their care is generally very poor. one of my special interest is arachnids, and thus, i have a huge interest in tarantulas. most pet stores i see that have Ts have them in extremely small deli cups they can barely move around in, with no place to burrow and hide for terrestrial species, or no place to climb and hide for arboreal species. the running theme is animals in pet stores are slapped into the smallest amount of space possible with no regard to their well being or safety. that brings me to my next point:

- pet store rats are always kept in glass fish tank style aquariums with only the lid as ventilation. rats have extremely sensitive respiratory systems, and produce a high amount of ammonia in their waste. they need their living spaces to be large, active, with places to climb, nest and burrow, and to have open ventilation on all sides. pet store employees do not keep up with spot cleaning the bedding. this leads to guaranteed sick rats. i dont care if you dont like them, they deserve happy, healthy lives.

basically pet stores exist literally specifically to put money into their own pockets... they have never had it in their best interest to educate customers on proper animal care or sell them healthy animals. they want you to come back and keep buying things... be it more crappy products that break, or animals that don't last very long.

#animal abuse tw #pet abuse tw #ask to tag

489 notes · View notes

zoraspetpetunias · 7 years

Text

“Afternoon Zora.” Called the frumpy man behind the deli counter as he bent around to offer a brown paper bag to a customer. The customer quickly ducked towards the door around the throng of people in the line. The large man wiped his hands on his rustic brown apron and lifts the bar counter, coming about towards Zora. He calls over his shoulder “hey morty, take over the counter for a spell.” As he approached smiling and happy to see her a turtle of a man slinks out of the door behind the counter and with the air of a flighty reptile, begins taking orders in a nasal alto.

“Figured it was about time for you to get back in town. How ya feelin kid.”

Zora rolled her eyes up at the man, still slouched into the booth with her legs crossed at the ankles and head thrown back over the seat. "Gio, can i bum 'ere? Jus make a nest or sum'in under the booth?" The man, Giovanni, sat down heavily opposite zora; squeezing his budgy yet muscled frame into the too small seat.

"Now kid, I know home isn't much fun these days, but it beats the hell out of a bakery booth." He tried to give joking smile.

Zora rolled her eyes at him. "is got biscuits tho, and pies, and tarts." She sighed, not making him waiver. "I know it does, im jus not that excited abou' all the fightin, ya know?"

He nods sagely, scratching the week old growth on his cheek. "Your ma is doin her best, it's not easy getting over stuff when you're older; us old farts get set in our ways and that kinda change is hard to get over, no matter how long it's been." Zora crosses her arms and shrugs, scouring the table with her simmering angst.

"I had to, why can't she?" She mutters to the table.

"Because, you're tougher than the average jane kid. By far. Your ma's always been on the gentle side. Even before you were born." Gio's tempered New York accent gets a bit thicker as a touch of sorrow enters his voice. He lifts a brown thin cardstock box from next to him on the seat, as if by magic. "I had your favorite ready." He slides it slowly across the table, thick fingers leaving flour fingerprints on the side of the crispy brown cardboard.

Zora took a long pause, rolling his words around in her head before deciding that she liked what he was selling, and looked up. "Thanks, fer..."

He shook his head fatherly, letting her know no explanation was necessary. "Rest, eat, let me know when you leave." He knocked a knuckle on the table top softly, as if to add a finality to the words; an gentle authority to it, and got up.

Zora watched him walk away. She always saw something in him, a kindness that reminded her of what her dad had been like. Charming, awkward, just a dash of command; the kind of flair in his manner that came from seeing the bad side of a war, and coming out the other side. They'd served together in the gulf, and on a break Her dad had convinced Gio to move to England afterwards. He'd visited, just before they went back, and her dad had named Gio Zora's unofficial godfather. Gio had mentioned several times that he wasn't Italian, he was a bit polish, but it had stuck.

That same stint, Zoras dad had gotten caught in crossfire pulling another soldier out of the field. She had visited at the service and had talked to Zora. The words were hard to recall, but that look of apologetic sorrow on the pretty woman's face, all scared from a gunshot, was an easy thing to recall in her mind; insidiously easy.

Eyes blinking back sudden tears, Zora wipes her face over with her sleeve and lifts the edge of the box's lid with her fingertip. Inside sat a plump cupcake, lemon with buttercream icing and bits of lemon sherbet sprinkled on top. A single piece of craft white chocolate sat atop the whole things, a sphere with a pair of wings extended behind it in flight. Gio had called that specialty cupcake 'Lemon Fireflies' but any wizard would know what it was.

She flipped the box open all the way, and dug in her oversized backpack for a patchwork diary and opened to a fresh page. 'Love is a Firefly on the wind' She began, before sampling the cupcake in tiny, measured bites and writing down her feelings for it.

Gio stopped by, set down a mug of thick hot chocolate that had purposefully been left to chill, and went back to work without saying a word; looking pleased with how things were going. The lines ebbed and flowed out of the door, fancy and delicious baked goods were made and left, and a steady handful of hours ticked by in the bakery. The door rang open, as it always did, but the room went quiet for a heartbeat; and that's when Zora began closing the box, saving the other half of the cupcake without looking around. She stowed her diary, pushed the heavy steamer trunk away from the edge of the booth, and climbed out.

Standing rigid and alert behind her was a slim man in a off-the-rack suit, black and simple. He nodded to her, "Mam." And took hold of one side of the steamer trunk and rolled it towards the door. Zora hastily glided to the counter, letting herself behind it and hugged Gio around one arm and left without saying a word.

Gio called after her "Be good to your ma." And she threw up a hand over her shoulder in response, following her families Gentleman out the door. She glanced back after the door swung closed, getting another look at him before she went into battle. She stepped off the curb in front of Kowalski Bakery, and toward the waiting automobile.

* * * * *

Outside, trunk loaded in the boot, Reggie held the door open for Zora to step into the car. She slung her bag into the back and stepped in, avoiding touching Reginald at all possible. He smartly closed the door and stepped round the car and got in, religiously checked his mirrors and seatbelt, and shifted gears. "Home Jeezes." She whispered, hoping he wouldnt catch the off-color joke. She idly pushed the cupcake box across the leather seat next to her as she impatiently awaited what was to come.

They left the city and drove for half an hour, ending up in a small village of stately homes, each on its own modest mile or so of land. The town was reclusive, almost occultishly so, and had always bothered Zora on some level. There simply were not enough people for her taste. The car pulled towards a circular drive made of flagstones that led to a three story home that many in the city would deem to hang the word 'mansion' on. As the car stopped before the white steps leading up to the large cedar doors of the mansion, Reggie got out and around to open her door, but Zora had immediately exited and went around to open the boot. He came over and used a key to unlock it, somehow pushing her out of the way without having touched her. "Shall I place this in the wash room to be gone through miss?"

"My room, as always Reginald." Zora clipped. Her voice had a new quality, a refined old family british lilt that was anathema (ann-ath-emma; contrary or polar opposite, to the point of violently so) to her voice at school. "I appreciate your work, but if you could refrain from handling my things 'for' me while I am here on break, I would appreciate it." He nodded, this routine had played out before but he never deviated from script; he was a cock like that. She tucked the cupcake box close to her chest, slung her bag on, and marched up the steps toward her mothers home.

The front door was opened in front of her by the Maid, Sarah, who Zora actually sort of liked. She serviced a few other houses in the area, unlike Reggie, and was only a handful of years older than Zora herself. She always found a piece of chocolate or two hidden behind the spoons when Sarah knew she was back home.

"How was boarding school miss?" Sarah asked as she shut the door behind Reggie who began trudging up the staircase towards the bedrooms.

"Board-ing" Mumbled Zora, before giving a thankful smile to the woman. "How has life here been?" Zora awkwardly adjusted her bag.

"A new family moved in last week, they've got a lazy son who likes to paint. So not too boring, if ya know what i mean." She gave her a wink.

Zora tried not to roll her eyes, though the impulse was strong. "Of course, I hope he's nice." Zora turned away before making more of an awkward conversation, stepping carefully through the once wide hallway; now packed with displays and dressers and shelves of collectibles.

There was something odd about the Abbott house, Her mother, Rhatamiwa, was a hoarder. Of their once extensive family, only Zora and Rhatamiwa were alive. All the worldly possessions of her various cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grand aunts and uncles, and great grand parents were organized somewhat haphazardly and put for melancholy display about the endless house. Right next to the entrance, like a sentinel, was a display with a military coat folded neatly on top and a picture set above it. Zora absently ran her hand over the coat as she passed it, a ritual of hers for luck.

In the den she found her mother, drinking wine and reading over a large-print book. Around her were a few others, partially read, and a scrapbook turned to a random page. It was difficult to get to the couches that her mother favored in the middle of the room, and consequently her mother rarely left this room except to sleep or lounge on the lawn in the back on temperate days. "Mother." Zora cooed.

"Yes?" The nearly middle aged woman removed her thick glasses and slipped on another pair that dangled from a thin gold chain about her neck. Her thin, frail, but lithe form twisted towards Zora. "Zoralia Rosaline Petunia Turquis, come give your mother a hug." She got up slowly, almost dramatically, as Zora snaked around china cabinets and shelves of clothes. She tried to hug her mother tenderly but the woman still gave a small jolt of pain from the embrace. "Welcome home my little bird, I hope you kept up with your Bible reading while at that," she paused over the word, almost finding a way to not sound condescending, "school."

"Yes mother" Muttered Zora as she pulled away, glancing around the room for some means of escape. "I'm feeling a bit off from the train ride, I think I'll go upstairs."

"Of course dear, reggie will fetch you when supper is prepared." She sat back down airily, picking up her glasses and book. As Zora was almost gone she called after "And do your reading before bed, God knows when you don't."

* * * * *

That was the general mood of the entire christmas break, up until the day of. Solitude, false bible study, and sneaking down her roof outside her window to explore the woods on their land. A few creatures lived there that shouldn't. Zora would take as many opportunities as she dared to visit her transplanted pets, her odd little family of a streeler, a handful of spiteful knarls, some odd toads, and a snake that protected the woods from muggle poachers. Senya, Zoras friend snake, would slither up close to a muggle and then rapidly go right past them; too fast to catch or shoot, but enough that they ran for the safety outside the woods.

On christmas morning, having said three prayers already, Zora's mother handed her a present. "To keep you safe, I know it will get frightfully cold." She opened the unwrapped box (mother did not appreciate shiny, flashy wrapping for a few years now.) and inside was a slightly moth-eaten scarf of deep green material, soft and girly. "It was your great aunt Geraldine's. She wore it whenever she wanted to look fancy at winter, always matched her eyes. She will watch over you if you wear it." Zora refrained from any words other than. "Thank you mother." and set the box aside.

She handed a small, simply wrapped box to her mother. "It just pops open, no ripping." She made sure her mother knew that before getting obstinant about having to rip it open. She lifted the lid and inside, on a bed of satin, were a pair of half moon reading glasses much like her real glasses. She lifted them out and turned them side to side, admiring the rose gold frames. "This is lovely, just lovely." She unfolded them slowly and slid them on, turning to Zora to show her. "Oh." She said sharply and her hand drifted up to grab the glasses before she caught herself. She peered around the room, down at the books still littering the table and couch, and then back at Zora.

"It is a new type of lense, from the store mother. A new type of optical layer on the glass." Her mother looked at her sharply, a fit of anger behind her eyes.

"This didn't come from your school, little bird? You wouldn't lie to your mother." She said it not as a question, but as a warning.

"No mother, from the store. If you don't like them I can have Reggie take me to retur-"

"No that is fine dear, just fine." Her fit seemed to deflate and Zora exhaled, mentally tallying the days until break was over in her head. "They work wonderfully. Thank you." Zora relaxed, knowing that the enchanted lenses she had gotten work done on from a curly haired boy in gryffindor would greatly help her mothers eyes.

"May I go into town, to see Gio for christmas, mother?" Zora asked politely. She had a little gift for him as well, a miniature tree that grew candies from Diagon Alley.

Her mother made a show about looking about, thinking hard on the topic, as if it were somehow improper to ask. "I suppose, but be home before dark." Zora got up and left, hopeful for just a bit more actual enjoyment from her break before returning to school. With plant-in-box under one arm, and dressed in a more mother-approved sunday dress and low heels, Zora slipped into the car and left for the city.

The rest of the break swept by. Zora said goodbye to her woodland friends, and Sarah one last time before packing her trunk and departing for platform nine and three quarters.

0 notes