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ghiradellidarkchocolatebrownies · 10 months

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STORYTIME: DO NOT FEED YOUR CLOWNS THIS!!

I volunteer a few days a week at a clown shelter. Earlier this month, a Teacup-Birthday mix named Kiki was adopted by a (seemingly) very nice middle aged couple, and we were very happy to send yet another clown to a good home. But disaster struck this afternoon when the couple returned to the shelter, wanting to surrender Kiki back to us. Their reason? She was not performing any tricks and had been biting them nonstop for weeks now. I was of course very shocked and confused by this. Kiki was one of the most playful and least temperamental clowns I had ever cared for.

I asked them if she had the proper environment, if they had changed her costume or markings in any way, if they were feeding her the proper diet. They said that they were doing everything right, and were following the care instructions we had given them. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but their story just wasn't adding up. And they were shifting nervously, and talking quietly to each other when they thought I wasn't looking. I told them to wait while I took Kiki for a checkup. As I took her to the vet's office, I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to lack any energy at all. When I tried to tickle her stomach (something that she normally loves), she snapped at me (Luckily, I jerked my hand away before she could bite).

When the vet examined Kiki, it was revealed that she was suffering from malnourishment and a button infection. I went back out to talk to the owners, and they continued to deny any mistreatment. After some more questioning and prying, they finally broke down and admitted what they had been doing.

They had been feeding Kiki a mix of mice and small bones (no problem there). But for her candy intake, they had been feeding her SUGAR-FREE candy. My heart sank as soon as I heard those words. No wonder Kiki had been so sick.

Every clown owner should know that (in general) Clowns need a healthy mixture of raw meat and sugar in their diets. Feeding them sugar-free stuff can be very bad for them and cause a LOT of problems.

For one, they will not be getting their much needed sugar intake. A sugar deficiency will lower their mood, make them more easily agitated, make them sick, and can even be deadly for some clown breeds (such as Birthday and Circus). As Kiki is a Birthday clown, she might not have survived another week without sugar.

Another thing to keep in mind about sugar-free products is that they often have artificial sweeteners in them. These sweeteners are not ideal for clowns, as most clown breeds have sensitivities or allergies to them. Simply put, most clowns' digestive systems are not properly built to process sugar-free foods. Feeding your clown artificial sweeteners over time can even weaken their immune system (This is likely what contributed to Kiki's infection).

The owners claimed that they had no idea that sugar-free candy was bad for clowns (very unlikely since the care instructions specifically list sugar-free foods under the "DO NOT" section). My boss suggested to them that we take care of Kiki for a few days, but they told us they weren't coming back. As soon as they left, we informed other local shelters about them and even posted on internet forums about it, as they may go somewhere else and find a different clown to mistreat. They clearly only see clowns as entertainment and nothing else.

We gave Kiki some cotton candy, and she's already starting to return to her old self. Unfortunately, though, this means that she's back in the system. There's no telling how long until she's adopted again.

Before anyone asks, we make sure to look into anyone who's interested in adopting one of our clowns. We run background checks, call character witnesses, make sure they have the proper environment for a clown and have the money to support one, etc. Overall, the process takes about a month or so. Sometimes it can take even longer if we have a waiting list. It is extremely rare that a clown adoption goes wrong. In fact, this is the first time it's happened in the year I've been volunteering here.

TL;DR

Don't feed clowns sugar-free foods! It can make them very sick and cause a lot of complications.

#dont feed your clowns sugar-free candy #clown husbandry #clown posting #clowncore #clownery #kiki the clown #clown care #clownblr #pet clown #my post

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s0fter-sin · 1 day

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vampire bats share mouthfuls of blood to other bats they’re close to if they weren’t able to feed and now i need old vampire!ghost sharing a bloody kiss with fledgling!soap, giving him mouthfuls of blood bc his fresh fangs are too sensitive to bite with

it’s been so long since he was turned that ghost’s forgotten the deep ache that comes with growing fangs and he almost worries when johnny goes to bite into the meal he’s brought him only to whimper and pull back; only the slightest pinpricks of a bite left in the man’s neck, barely enough to bring blood to the surface

it’s only when johnny whines and massages at his gums that ghost realises his oversight; crooning at his sweet mate in reassurance. he’s not upset that he couldn’t feed, at the unintentional rejection of his offering. he’ll make the pain stop

ghost pulls the man to his mouth and sinks in his fangs, sucking in a heavy mouthful and drops the now paralysed prey back to his feet; his throat steadily gushing with blood and spilling over his body

he cups johnny’s face, looking into his eyes, teary with pain and hunger, and purses his lips to carefully drip the blood into his mouth. the pain immediately vanishes from his eyes, replaced with pure bliss as he opens his mouth wide; curling his tongue to catch every drop. ghost presses his mouth to his in a hungry, blood-filled kiss; tongues twining together as they share the taste

johnny sucks the last of it from his lips and ghost guides him down to lap at the prey’s neck; licking up the blood he was too weak to draw himself. he’s ravenous with it, his whole face covered in red as he licks up the spill and suckles at ghost’s bite

ghost’s filled with an overwhelming pride at having provided for his mate in an even deeper way than just hunting for him. he spilled the blood johnny’s drinking; fed him in the most intimate way their kind knows and he’ll do it a hundred times over for his love

#pet peeve time i hate the vampire ‘licks a bite to stop it bleeding’ trope bc it biologically doesn’t make sense #if anything a vampire’s saliva would have an anticoagulant effect to /stop/ a bit from clotting so they can drink more #anyway back to bloody kisses lmao #thinking about the actual biological difference between humans and vampires and how much it would /hurt/ to grow a pair of fangs #like the human mouth isnt meant to have teeth that big or muscles strong enough to to support them #or the increased bite force they need #so not only are they growing new teeth theyre also growing bigger muscles and their mouths are having to adapt to them #that would cause so much pain #you ever grown in a wisdom tooth? it sucks and that nowhere near this level #on top of all that youre also starving and have an unquenchable need to feed #the intimacy of a sire feeding their fledgling from their own mouths #weaning them off their blood but still so dependent on them #and even after johnny can bite and feed on his own he still craves the closeness of being fed from ghosts mouth #and ghost never denies him #coming out of my cage and ive been doing just fine.txt #we’re a team- ghost team #soapghost #ghostsoap #ghoap #simon ghost riley #ghost cod #john soap mactavish #soap cod

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martiancatgirl · 10 months

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Linux users are the horsegirls of computer nerds

#just watched my gf spend 40 minutes figuring out how to run obs on a steamdeck #linux #gotta feed your cpu oats and pet it just right for anything to work #of course theyre proud of being linux people its a constant trial

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gunpowdercarousel · 6 months

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Yall are out here forcing your Gales to live off rings and necklaces and shit. I'm feeding my babygirl battleaxes and warhammers after staining them with the blood of our enemies.

#not only is it nutritious and filling but it's also hot as fuck #watching him scarfing down a giant ass battleaxe #hnnnngh #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 memes #gale #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #what do you feed your pet gales?

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lokiiied · 6 months

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wait till loki finds out timely called mobius his butler 😂

mobius will never hear the end of it…

[but loki will never hear the end of “he called you a wizard” and “my little pet” so they’re kind of even]

#loki spoilers ?#just a little one #between this and ‘control your little pet mobius’ they are feeding us well #loki season 2 #loki #mobius #lokius

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mawofthemagnetar · 2 years

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Birds can’t taste capsaicin.

“Come ooooon, Mumbo! Try one!” Grian said brightly, holding out one of the wizened little fruits from the depths of his plastic bag.

Mumbo peered at it. It was… just a small, shrivelled little pepper. Grian turned it over, letting him see the wrinkled spice in all its glory. Before he could comment, Grian popped the little pepper into his mouth and bit down on it with a satisfying crunch.

“No.” Mumbo said, folding his arms, “The last time I had one of your “snacks”, I saw the face of God.”

Grian rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on. It wasn’t THAT bad. Anyway, these ones are a lot milder than that last one!”

“Milder? Mate, drinking a cup of molten steel would be milder than the last hell fruit you had me bite into. My moustache caught fire.”

Grian groaned.

“I still think you should try one. They’re nice and salty. Healthier than popcorn, too! Just all around good for you.” He fluffed out his wings and offered Mumbo a pepper, placing it on his upturned palm.

“You really think I’m going to fall for this again, don’t you?” Mumbo sighed.

“I’m not trying to trick you! This one IS milder, I swear! Like it’s actually- that last one was a little spicy, even for me, but this one is nice! Almost…salty-sweet, really.”

Mumbo sighed.

Grian ate another one, humming in delight.

“Well, nothing ventured…” Mumbo said warily.

“What do you call these things, anyway?” He asked Grian, popping it in his mouth before waiting for a reply.

Grian turned over the package and glanced at the front.

“Says they’re called…Carolina Reapers. Fun, hey? Mumbo? Mumbo? Are you okay?”

#magnetar writes #based on the fact that birds can shovel habaneros into their mouths without worry #Grian fic #Mumbo fic #hermitcraft fic #PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR PET BIRD A CAROLINA REAPER

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flock-talk · 1 year

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Transparency With Parrot Food Manufacturers

There's been a significant rise in the expectation of transparency between pet food manufacturers and the general public. Dog food manufacturers, for example; have AAFCO, feeding trials, and an array of nutrient digestibility charts, base nutrient expectations, and sanitary guidelines to follow which a lot of brands then openly share with the public. These standards help pet parents make more active choices in what they feed their pets, tailor their pets diet to meet their individual needs, trust that their food meets a base line of nutrition, and that the food was produced in a sanitary manner. The dog food industry is far from perfect and even these regulations have their flaws and the tests aren't without fault but it is a good base for us to compare to when we're trying to sort out what we want from other pet food manufacturers. In this case I'm focusing on parrot pellet manufacturers.

I had a few different goals heading in to this.

I wanted to see how transparent pellet manufacturers would be with sharing information that is common to ask dog food manufacturers (information is not confidential, revealing formulas, secrets, etc.)

The availability of nutrient analysis charts (breakdowns of how much of each nutrient is in their pellets)

What standards parrot food manufacturers held themselves to

If any feeding trials were performed on their pellets

And to preface this with my own bias, I am pro-pellet, I currently feed pellets.

Before we get too deep in to this let's break things down a bit.

As it stands there really aren't any regulating bodies above parrot food manufacturers as far as I could find. There doesn't seem to be much of any standards when it comes to their sanitization or product quality, the best you get is the FDA/ CFIA which basically just make sure a food isn't outright toxic. As it stands there haven't been enough studies done on parrot nutrition for there to be a governing body stating what the minimum nutrient requirements are for parrot food, we simply do not actually know what those requirements are yet so there cannot be a set standard for it. This unfortunately leaves us open to a lot of problems, if there's no nutritional requirements and no standardized testing then we're really just putting a lot of trust in to a company that wants to turn a profit. We're hoping that the food that says it's nutritionally complete is what it says with no evidence to show for it, and no science to confirm it.

So with that said no parrot food can actually claim to be "100% nutritionally complete", we do not know what nutritionally complete looks like for parrots, there is no science to back up those claims.

So I set out and emailed every parrot pellet manufacturer I could think of and asked them the some questions.

"Does your company do feeding trials? If so, is that data available to the public anywhere?"

"Do you have a nutrient profile available?"

Feeding trials are very simply a test where you feed a set of animals exclusively one diet and then monitor them to see if the food is capable of providing the base essential nutrients needed to live. Usually they do blood work, urine and fecal alongside regular physical exams to monitor things like nutritional deficiency, ailments, and nutrient digestibility. This helps show that a food is capable of providing what the target animal needs to survive without causing health problems and provides vital information on what amount of vitamins/ minerals in the produced food are actually being digested and absorbed. These tests are common among well-known dog food companies and most are more than willing to share that data to give their consumers peace of mind with easy transparency.

And let me tell you I am beyond disappointed at what happened when I asked parrot food manufacturers the exact same thing.

TOPs: No nutrient profile listed on the website, does have a detailed breakdown of why every single ingredient was added though. Happily discloses that parrot nutritional science doesn't have all the data to claim any food as 100% nutritionally complete and advises for the feeding of fresh foods in addition to their food, didn't specify exactly how much of each to maintain optimal nutrition.

I emailed them three times and never got a response back from any of them.

Harrisons: Does say you can feed 20% vegetables by weight while the pellet should be 75%, has an easily available nutrient analysis on their website.

also emailed three times with no response back.

Caitec: no nutritional analysis listed on their main website, website did not state how they want their product to be fed, product packaging states that veggies should be a treat/ addition and lists the pellet as a "complete diet".

emailed three times with no response back.

Lafeber: Primarily promotes mixed seed and pellet formulas, doesn't state any risks of parrot's selective consumption (study on that problem), does promote the feeding of fresh produce in conjunction with their formulas at 20% of the diet, no nutrient analysis on their website.

emailed three times with no response back.

Zupreem (Compana Pet Brands): did respond back but they phrased their response in a way to dance around the subject, after some pushing they confirmed they do not do feeding trials. Encourages use of fresh foods with their formula, at least 60% pelleted diet recommended. Had an extremely small nutrient profile that just skipped over the important nutrient requirements like the Ca:Ph. I asked for a nutrient profile which they did not want to provide but were able to tell me that the naturals pellets have 0.59% calcium

Roudybush: Says fresh foods can be fed but "as a minor part of the diet", does say that science doesn't have enough information to make a product tailored to each species of bird, did make changes to their formula recently to remove menadione in favour of alfalfa due to it's potential toxicity. does seem to be evolving as science progresses. Ingredients list wasn't listed on the website, nor was a nutrient profile.

did not reply to any emails.

Tropican (HARI): I was hopeful for this one by the way their website boasts about their feeding trials and research. So so hopeful.

Talks about doing feeding trials openly on their website, recommends 70% pellet to 30% fresh foods (by caloric content not weight) but mentioned that their birds eat 100% pellets. Easily accessible albeit basic nutrient profile but it covers the main things.

After my email Mr. Hagen actually ended up calling me and what I was hoping would be a motivating call ended up being very hostile. Whenever I asked questions about data or results of a feeding trial I was immediately shut down, the topic was changed, I was interrupted mid-sentence over and over again. I was able to get small tidbits of info that were as vague as "we've fed multiple generations of birds on this food" and "we do annual weigh-ins". He would casually mention data from a study he had done but then dart away if I asked for the name of the study so I could read it later. It was an extremely off-putting phone call. Completely unwilling to say how many birds were in a trial, how many years the trial went on for, if there was bloodwork or nutrient digestibility charts, nothing at all. He also casually mentioned that once the birds are old enough they get sold to stores which was very unnerving to me.

So I guess they maybe do legitimate feeding trials but they will under no circumstances offer that data to the public? I don't know. They wouldn’t provide any published articles or data to actually prove that the trials exist and I will definitely not be contacting them again to find out. They suggested I was trying to steal their formula and lying about my identity. I'm not going to try to get a simple answer out of them again.

Mazuri: recommends 20% fresh foods 75% pellets, nutrient profile available on the website.

did not reply to any emails.

Pretty Bird: Does not do feeding trials, prompt to reply, at least knew what a feeding trial was. Couldn't find feeding recommendations on the website, no nutrient profile aside from the generic guaranteed analysis having a few add-ons but still skipping on the important nutrients you'd want to know about.

Kaytee: Did not know what a Feeding Trial was. Thought I wanted samples and offered me a coupon. I had to explain to this animal food manufacturer what a feeding trial was. Unsurprisingly they do not do feeding trials. Website had no listing of a nutrient analysis. Recommended 70-90% pellets to some fresh foods. In their own published article they went over how damaging seed diets are for parrots but then they also sell seed-only diets with the ingredients they were specifically bashing in their own article. When I asked for a nutrient profile this is what I was given:

"Nutrient levels are calculated based on ingredient data, feed compendium tables and direct diet analysis. Actual levels may vary slightly due to ingredient and analytical variation."

Kaytee exact naturals cockatiel pellet:

"0.4% Calcium 0.2% Available Phosphorus (non-phytate P) 0.1% Magnesium 120 ppm Zinc 140 ppm Iron 700 IU/kg Vitamin D3"

and that's just extremely limited information. I'm glad they were willing to provide something but in comparison to some of the others it's just not a lot of data.

Psittacus: advises for the use of grit in parrots, recommends 100% pellets but says you can feed a minimum of 70% to make room for fresh foods. Their response to feeding trails was really vague: "our products have been evaluated and tested in our centre as well as collaborating centres. This information is for internal use and it is not published anywhere". Wouldn't say what tests were done or elaborate further than that in any way. I then inquired for a detailed nutrient analysis chart saying that Mia's calcium has been a bit of a struggle (since it has been), curious if their brand may have more calcium than the ones Im using now to help her out to which they replied with "our food contains the calcium levels appropriate for him/her". (you literally cannot say that, you haven't run tests on my bird, you haven't worked with my vet regarding my bird, you cannot guarantee a blanket statement like that.). They did offer me a link to this catalogue which has more detailed info on their pellets production and a more thorough nutrient analysis chart.

I am shocked by the responses I received. I am disappointed in parrot food manufacturers. I am frustrated with parrot food regulations.

I knew I wouldn't get much out of these emails since the standards for parrot food are so low but the amount of companies that just pretended not to get my emails or didn't even know what a feeding trial was is ridiculous. The amount of companies that were making claims that science can't back up, or making claims that science actually disagrees with is astounding.

The complete lack of transparency is terrifying.

#I am never doing this again #don’t ask questions to pet food companies they will try to throw you in jail #dude straight up was like WHAT WILL YOU DO WI THE THAT INFO YOURE NOT A VET???#HUH?????#feed my birds a diet that’s confirmed to be healthy for them……..#bring the data tm my vet and ask if this looks like a good option for my pets……#I will now be rethinking their diets entirely #thank you for coming to my ted talk #pellets #science

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dead-philosophy · 6 months

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I don't normally post stuff like this but I want you all to know I have a giant gold mystery snail and his name is Dorn.

He is a creature.™

#dead talks #pets #snail #aquarium #your purchases and donations help me feed this monster #thank u #rogal dorn

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bewilderedbunny · 1 year

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Eddie definitely feeds the stray cats in the trailer park. One morning he goes out to feed them breakfast and when nine scruffy little cats show up he says, "My! The whole fellowship decided to join for a meal together before their quest." The cats rub against his legs and meow at him ❤️

#i thought of this while feeding the colony of strays who live in my neighborhood #it started out as one pregnant cat but here we are #pls spay and neuter your pets #eddie munson #eddie headcanons

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scoriarose · 4 months

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Every time I feed my snake

Goes right for the middle. Every. Single. Time.

#snake #snakes #pets #reptiles #memes #PLEASE #EAT IT FROM THE END #YOU CANNOT FIT THE ENTIRE THING SIDEWAYS IN YOUR MOUTH #This is why I have to tong feed her #If I leave it I'll find what looks like a murder scene later where she repeatedly struggled to eat it from the side for who knows how long #before giving up

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pushing500 · 5 months

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Hi Gracie, I'm hoping you might have some advice for me. My colonists are starving, because I have more people than I know how to feed. Is there any way I can tell them to stop feeding their meals to the animals?

They keep cooking meals, feeding the meals to the animals, and then eating raw meat and being sad about it!

It's mostly the dogs they're feeding the meals to, too, because the haygrass finally grew enough for the pen animals. And dogs can eat raw meat just fine, so it would make way more sense to feed the dogs the meat instead.

(I am trying to solve the underlying problem by 1. assigning more people to plants so they will sow the fields my current farmers are apparently neglecting, and 2. increasing the population cap of my animals so that they produce more excess, but both these things take time and in the meantime they are constantly running out of food and I'm hunting pretty much every wild animal that wanders onto the map to keep my colonists alive.)

Hello! I have this issue a lot, too. Those silly colonists want to prioritise their beloved animals over their own comfort, which is sweet, but very airheaded of them.

I can usually stop animals from eating meals on their own by simply changing their allowed areas to prevent them from accessing the fancy "people food", but it gets trickier when tending to injured animals or training them.

I have found a mod called 'Animal Controls' on the Steam Workshop which says it adds animal food restrictions, however, I haven't had a chance to test it out myself yet so I'm afraid I can't vouch for its effectiveness. Perhaps I'll test it out in my next RimWorld game!

#asks #rimworld #gracie plays #rimworld mods #I always shake my head in disbelief watching my colonists stand next to the kibble shelf to feed their dogs lavish meals #Admirable effort to treat the pets nicely #But I really don't think the dog would care if it got kibble #I'm pretty sure I've seen my irl dog eat actual dirt sometimes #Of her own free will!!#The rimworld dogs can survive on kibble or raw meat #It always struck me as odd that you can restrict the medicine used for your animals in rimworld but not the food #I feel like that should be a vanilla feature #But alas we are left to find mods for it #thanks for the ask!!#Have an amazing day! <3

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