Covid-19 Community Support and Mental Wellness Thread

a reply to: drussell41

It's a complex situation, but one we basically expected. The person in question is a manager at Hartsfield International Airport. His job, boiled down, is to respond to any problem on site, determine what's required to resolve it and who to call ( airport staff, internal contractors, external contractors or airline staff ) and then oversee the process. He deals with a lot of people, including travelers, constantly.

This past Monday was his first day of teleworking from home but we'd all already accepted that there was a pretty high risk of previous exposure regardless.

It's actually a fairly large house... 8 bedrooms ( effectively 10 if the den and home office are utilized as bedrooms ) with 7 residents. That said... Staying isolated from one another in common areas isn't really feasible.

a reply to: Hefficide

You could treat him the same way that Dursleys treated Harry in one of the books - lock him in, install a cat flap on the door and use a broom handle to shove his meals through.

I kid.

Just be super aware of everything like face touching and lots of cleaning with bleach/Lysol in the common areas.

That being said. Honestly, it's pretty well true that for most of us the fear of this will end up worse than it will be, and most of us will get it sooner or later. I'll be praying like I have been that it passes you by or only touches you and yours lightly.

Correction: I just was reminded that we have 8 people living here. In a very telling bit of erratum, I neglected to count myself.

a reply to: Hefficide

Well, "stay well" or "stay safe" seems redundant and patronizing at this point. Hopefully, his exposure was little and your households, even less.

Keep your head down and listen to Raining Lobsters by the Slay-52s?

a reply to: ketsuko

Pets and kids really add structure to one's life, to say the least.

I know about the getting oneself fed last. I often think of my grandfather who was a farmer....who had to take care of all the livestock before being fed himself.

We have 8 cats:

1. Baggins: 13 y/o brown tabbie tuxie who showed up as a starving stray with his mate, Merri. She died from cancer last year.
2. Chloe: 12 y/o Chartreuse-looking who was dumped in a snowbank with a fresh spay incision when she was 4 y/o. Someone saw her, gave her to my stepdaughter, who couldn't keep her and palmed her off on me. She is on a steroid injection every other day for what we presume to be cancer. I would be surprised if she sees 2021. She's a princess, and really wishes she were the only cat in the house.
3. Tiger: 13 y/o tabby who was dying. Another cat led him, nearly blind, to our outside food bowl. He was trap savvy, but when he really fell ill, I was able to trick/shoosh him into a carrier. He is FIV+ and has megacolon.
4. Ninja: 11 y/o solid-black feral whom we thought would stay outside in the catio because ferals are supposed to be so terrified of humans. Nope. He followed our cats in through the catflap and was discovered behind the stove, slowly cooking with the Thanksgiving turkey in 2015. We moved the stove. He drove behind the washing machine. Sheesh. He will now let us get within one foot of him if you make no move to touch him. We brought him over from the previous house because the new owners said they didn't like cats.
5. Sarah: 7 y/o soft grey female who was the mother of our outside colony. She was so tame. We don't leave cats like that outside for fear of evil humans. Her four kittens formed our small outside colony. One died.
6. NightCat: 7 y/o solid black male who came in right before Sarah. He was the Uncle to this colony. We thnk he may have been a littermate to Sarah as they're about the same age and definitely same body structure.
7 & 8: Ronin and Sammy (call name for "Samurai"): kittens who were rescued because one of our neighbors said they were sick. They were indeed sick. Sick, starving, and dying. I think they're now about 1 y/o. One is solid black and the other a black and white tuxie.

I didn't want to have this many. We've never had over nine because of the FIP risk. I've since heard they now consider 6+ at increased risk, darn it. We'll draw back down eventually. But these cats are really lifesavers to me. So much affection and, although I grumble at the chores sometimes, I think taking care of them adds some vital structure to my days.

a reply to: drussell41

Ah, well since you went into yours ...

Peeps is our granny cat. She's a 13 or 14-year-old half Abyssinian/half alley cat. She's a brown tabby, but she only has the tabby striping on her face and legs with a strong stipe down her back. The rest of her is tabby colored but more like an Abyssinian coat. She has really pretty eyes and a habit of making little, peeping mrrs when she's investigating everything. Those two things are why she's named Peeps. She is very overweight. At one point, we had her weight down to just a bit pudgy, but adding two kittens to the household has complicated matters of feeding, and she's ballooning again. Socially, she was an only cat for about a year, and we were worried how well she'd take to having new company, but she'd been in a multi-cat for so long that I think she was glad to not be alone anymore. At any rate, she tolerates the youngsters, even plays a bit with them, and smacks them hard when they get too rambunctious.

DC is our bottle baby. He's a medium haired, jet black cat with one single white whisker. He also has deep gold eyes. If a cat can have ADHD, he does. He is into everything all the time and is easily the most active. C stands for "Cat", and the D stands whatever word you want to go with Cat at the moment although originally it's for Determined because he's determined to do whatever the hell it is he wants. We once had a cat named AC whose named sort of worked the same, only the A stood basically for Attitude. It's a legacy type naming arrangement. DC will jump up after your hand if he wants. He'll jump up after the food bowl in your hand if he wants (he wants). He's basically a food insecure cat thanks to his early life experience. An empty dish is panic time.

Shazam is the kitten we adopted at a shelter to help socialize DC and teach him claw and tooth control. Shaz-bot is a tabby and white tux. He has the most beautiful liquid honey colored eyes ever. He's also a champion cuddler. Where DC is a brawny brawler in build, Shazam is long and lean. Our son chose his name, the shelter name was Billie, and kiddo felt that since he was coming home a family of fosters/adoptees like Billy Batson, he was really transforming into Shazam like the movie/DC comics character (and lo and behold, our new partners in crime were DC and Shazam). Shazam is content to sit back and watch while DC creates the trouble and then he'll move in and check out the chaos. He always has that air of "See? *I'm* the good one!"

I have Toes.



That's his baby picture. Since then he hit puberty, grew much longer face and head hair - a mane I suppose - and stopped being nearly as affectionate as he was when this pic was taken a year or two ago. He currently entertains himself by disappearing for days, coming back home to eat and then driving me insane until I let him back outside again. Rinse and repeat.

He came to me named Toes. I don't really call him that. I call him Babyboy or several variations of s@#thead - depending upon mood.

That said, he did come home from one of his galavants last night. He spent the night here, with me in bed, and is currently asleep somewhere in my closet.

a reply to: Hefficide

I call him Babyboy or several variations of s@#thead - depending upon mood.

Toes is gorgeous! I miss cats.

I can relate. I have a Brody-dog (that, in a fit of absolute pretention, I named "Brodosaurus Rex" because he was so tiny) and I almost never call him by name. It's always "beautiful boy," "baby boy," or some variation of f-face or s-head.

He is currently curled up with the twins, frantically tearing a tennis ball into tiny pieces. We had cold, wet snow last night and I haven't walked him yet, but he is normally high-strung regardless.

a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Isn't it funny how pets and humans relate?

If a cat can be a dog for a kid, DC is that for our son. He'll chase kiddo around the house forever like a puppy would. In the mornings when kiddo and i warm up, sometimes he'll hide behind the end of the couch and wait for kiddo to come running by and he'll try to tackle him. It becomes a game. I try to get kiddo to keep himself under wraps, but he always gets wound up. Sometimes DC gets a pretty stiff knee to the ribs when he full on tries to tackle, but he just shakes it off and circles back for another try.

He's so patient with kiddo. Those two really operate in their own little wavelenth.

Well, if we're doing cats, I have Lily Lightpaws. She's about 5 years old, black except for a white patch ("charm", someone called it) between her back legs. She was my Halloween rescue from the local pound and is 15 lbs of purr and fur. Although she was a skinny little thing when I got her, she hasn't missed a meal since then!

a reply to: drussell41

You are my kinda people! Stories like yours, is exactly how I have acquired my current (6) but through the years, there have been countless. I love them all so much.

I'm pretty cynical and lazy for the most part, and I often say if not for my animals, I'd probably never get out of bed or work. So, they have definitely given me purpose.

Ferrets are absolutely lovely and soooooo entertaining. Such funny little buggers. But yah, you got your hands full and don't need more responsibility, cleaning or veterinary costs I am sure.!!!

I've had as many as 8 and then I would foster kittens too. I had more energy then...Also, I worked for the SPCA and had access to major veterinary medical hospital every day, where I worked.

Even with a 50% discount in those days, boy oh boy did I spend a lot of money on veterinary bills.

a reply to: ketsuko

Thank you so much for their descriptions and a little of their stories! They sound so adorable!!

a reply to: Hefficide

He's adorable.

originally posted by: toolgal462
a reply to: drussell41

You are my kinda people! Stories like yours, is exactly how I have acquired my current (6) but through the years, there have been countless. I love them all so much.

I'm pretty cynical and lazy for the most part, and I often say if not for my animals, I'd probably never get out of bed or work. So, they have definitely given me purpose.

Ferrets are absolutely lovely and soooooo entertaining. Such funny little buggers. But yah, you got your hands full and don't need more responsibility, cleaning or veterinary costs I am sure.!!!

I've had as many as 8 and then I would foster kittens too. I had more energy then...Also, I worked for the SPCA and had access to major veterinary medical hospital every day, where I worked.

Even with a 50% discount in those days, boy oh boy did I spend a lot of money on veterinary bills.

I have spent thousands. On a disability retirement income, it has been a chunk. But it added (adds) value and meaning to my life. I'm happy to hear of your rescues and work too! I used to foster for Maine Coon Cat Rescue and the Siamese Cat Rescue Center out of Virgnia. I was on the Meezer Express transport too, which is like an Underground Railroad for cats.

originally posted by: Byrd
Well, if we're doing cats, I have Lily Lightpaws. She's about 5 years old, black except for a white patch ("charm", someone called it) between her back legs. She was my Halloween rescue from the local pound and is 15 lbs of purr and fur. Although she was a skinny little thing when I got her, she hasn't missed a meal since then!

z

What a wonderful name!

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: 0zzymand0s

Isn't it funny how pets and humans relate?

If a cat can be a dog for a kid, DC is that for our son. He'll chase kiddo around the house forever like a puppy would. In the mornings when kiddo and i warm up, sometimes he'll hide behind the end of the couch and wait for kiddo to come running by and he'll try to tackle him. It becomes a game. I try to get kiddo to keep himself under wraps, but he always gets wound up. Sometimes DC gets a pretty stiff knee to the ribs when he full on tries to tackle, but he just shakes it off and circles back for another try.

He's so patient with kiddo. Those two really operate in their own little wavelenth.

Love this!

a reply to: Hefficide
Nice kittie, After 8 years I have yet to figure out posting pics here so I cant put my boy Riff up. He is old, but very much a people cat.

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: Hefficide
Nice kittie, After 8 years I have yet to figure out posting pics here so I cant put my boy Riff up. He is old, but very much a people cat.

How did Riff come into your life?

Our fur buddies are so much a part of the family, and right now they are getting so spoiled with our constant presence.

It's going to be a tough adjustment when we all get back to our daily routines.

a reply to: Hefficide

There is a lot of research, going back quite some time, looking at how zinc ionophores (hydroxy cosoquine is one) can be extremely effective in halting viral replication. Specifically in the cases of SARS-CoV and I believe ARDS (again, not just this one.. right now its SARS-CoV-2).

Do note.. Im no doctor.

Its actually very interesting stuff, beyond just its possibilities in this current time. Perhaps most pertinently, hydroxy cosoquine is not the only zinc ionophore.. Some of the research was looking at things like quercetin and EGCg (green tea extract!). And unlike hydroxy cosoquine, they have significantly lower risks. Not "no risk" though.

Its not "preventative," though zinc supplementation can be good as a general booster, but if you start to run into this damn virus directly.. It could be worth looking into.

I say it a lot, but I just want everyone to be ok. I know that, our bodies at least, are mortal.. But not a year has gone by since I was ~14 that I havent lost someone I love. Its all Ive ever really known, and alongside all the health issues.. Used to make me very, very angry and bitter. I think (or hope) at this point, Ive grown past that into a good man. Though, my posts are still laden with "I's" and "me's."



@Kets: That shipping container couple is a good story! I had actually looked at using shipping containers as the platform for my LV, but ended up going with a more universal framework. The idea was to enable materials like bamboo to be used extensively, alongside standard materials and re-using things like shipping containers.

Shipping containers, in particular, are a very clever foundation for any structure. The part I love most is how scalable they are, and it fit into the concept of "adult legos."


Im probably more willing to take my dogs health issues seriously than I am my own..

Lost my pup of about 15 years last year and that was.. tough. She was amazing. Still got my shepherd, who is a certified dumbass. He makes me laugh though.. Every day