Alyssa

I had a little feeder goldfish in a 10 gallon.

My brother had a 29 gallon with several goldies that he was neglecting, so he gave it to me.

The fish grew, and I got a 50 gallon.

Now all but my original goldie have died or moved on to a pond. Just one little 2" guy in my big aquarium, and I've read only goldies do well with other goldies. I want more variety. I'm thinking about moving him back to the 29 gallon.

That leaves 50 gallons to do something fun with, but I'm no fish expert.

I'm thinking:

-Fresh water, I've never had a salt tank.

-I do have heaters but have never had to use them or maintain water temperature

-I've never had to feed multiple species.

-I prefer species that are bred, not wild caught

-I've been on a weekly 10% water change and gravel siphon schedule.

Any ideas? I like rainbow shark minnows. I don't particularly care for large flat shaped fish like angelfish. I loved my little zebra oto!

I will of course read more about the care of any fish I will get, so don't worry that I'll just buy a bunch of fish because they look pretty!

I just realized that I've never had to choose a pet. The dogs I had growing up were given to us by people who didn't want them. My cats were pulled off the street, or were fosters I kept because of special needs.

I'd like a dog in the next few years. I don't know how to walk along rows of barking cages and pick one. I just know it will be a pit type, my local pound is overrun with them and I like them.

So how did you choose yours? Did you start knowing what gender/breed/age you wanted? Did one just catch your attention?

We live in a 1 bedroom apartment now, and in a month we're moving to a 3 bedroom across town. I've got all the free cardboard boxes I need and have started investing in plastic totes for long term storage (Christmas decorations, etc.)

My biggest problem is organization. There is none. There's also very little space to spread out. I've got one "moving corner" stacked with organized boxes, but I have to keep unstacking them every time I add things. The box I need is ALWAYS at the bottom. I can't afford a moving pod or anything to create a space. And I really need to get things boxed up and ready! I feel like I need a gymnasium to spread out in.

We plan to get a truck for 12 hours for the big stuff first, then we'll have about two weeks to do loads by car/van. We're getting paper dishes so the kitchen can be boxed. We're packing a bag like we'll be on vacation. The cats can board at my work if needed.

I had asked a question for ideas on keeping cats out of each others' food because one is overweight and I can't meal feed them all.

One user immediately got aggressive and says I feed them "cheap crap" (I never said what they've been eating), and that I have to feed a particular type of food only. I'm an LVT, and I've learned that this type of food isn't always ideal, so I replied saying cats can overeat on any food, and don't choose a food just because it says meat on the bag. She gets even more aggressive, says it's bull because her cats aren't fat, and snoops through my other questions and making comments trying to make people think I'm 12 and lying about my age and education. She makes claims like I can't be an LVT because I also own the cat, so she's being crazy and illogical and getting off topic from my question.

I don't particularly care about me. She's some angry person I'll never meet. She can question my license all she wants, but she's not getting my number because no way I'll allow her to get my address and harass me in person.

But has this "Meow" person been harassing anybody else? I'm afraid if she does it regularly, she may end up hurting someone more sensitive than me. Cyber bullying and harassment isn't ok. If nobody's had any issues with her, and she's just targeted me for who knows what, I won't bother flagging because I can just block her. But if she's abusing people regularly, I'll be glad to flag her.

I have 3 cats. 16 FS Callie, 6 FS Juillet, and 1 MN Horus. I've had all since they were kittens. The girls have always been free fed, and never had any weight problems at all. My boy Horus was a foster kitten I kept last year because he's had a long recovery from head trauma.

Horus never grew tall, and was overweight at 7.0 pounds in May. Today he weighed in at 8.4! He should be 4.5-5lbs, so free feeding isn't an option any longer.

While I'm gone, I plan to separate them so the girls can have their food out, and he'll get measured meals. While I'm home and they're out together, I can just pick up the girls' food.

But I don't know what to do over night. They all sleep in my bed. I don't want the girls to gorge in the morning and ruin their self food regulating. I don't want to feed meals to all 3 because my old girl is thin and needs regular small meals. And they'd probably never be able to regulate themselves again.

Even though Horus is special needs, I don't doubt his ability to crawl and jump anywhere I could hide the girls' food. I know some people can poke skinny cat sized holes in a box to keep fat cats away from the bowl, but because he's stunted he's not that wide.

So, can you think of anyway possible to keep them all with me overnight, while only the girls can eat? Any tips in general, like how to make him not wake me up for his morning meal or how to encourage him to play harder? And have you had any luck with diet food vs. just less of his normal food?

It sounds bratty, but I've been disappointed most birthdays and Christmases for quite a while from my mother. She always asks what I'd like, I give her several detailed and broad options at varying costs.

Last birthday after giving my list, she asked what Script gift card I'd like. That's a program where like 2% of the cost goes towards my neices tuition. It's a pretty limited list of gift cards, and when I didn't particularly care for any she got angry.

Last Christmas after asking what I wanted, she asked if I wanted pajamas. I said no thank you, I'd rather pick out my own and try them on. A couple days later she asked what pj size I wear. I said again that I'd rather pick out my own and try them on. And I got pj's for Christmas.

She also bought hair stuff from my cousin who just entered beauty school. I've never been girly, always used cheap shampoos. She got me salon shampoo. I feel like it was more a gift for my cousin than for me.

But then I feel so bratty! I should be happy to have a mother, and get gifts regularly. But I don't feel like she's thinking about me. Why does she ask for ideas if she just picks something different? I'd rather have a 25¢ toy from a machine if thought was put into it, than pajamas that I repeatedly said no thank you to. I say thank you and everything properly when I get these things, but then later I mope and throw it into the back of my closet.

My birthday is coming up and she'll ask what I'd like soon. How do I get into a better mood?

I've heard so many horror stories about young women trying to get their tubes tied. They keep running into rules like they have to have 2 children, be certain years old, ask for one on 3 separate doctor visits, etc. Some people would rather risk the surgery than be filled with birth control hormones for decades.

My coworker is 22, has a kid, and they won't do it. I'm 27, have known I don't want kids since I could talk, and they're still fighting.

I don't understand the reasoning. It's not our duty in life to raise kids, the planet is overpopulated anyway. And should I miraculously change my mind in my 30's, there's plenty of children to adopt. I've known a lady who had three children and got tied, and after two died in a car accident, she still had another by in-vetro (spelling?) An 18 year old can get married, get crazy body mods, vote, smoke cancer sticks, and make their own healthcare choices, except tuboligation?

I work for a cat shelter. Despite our attempts to get volunteers to brush our long hair cats regularly, a few of them get knots. That's very uncomfortable for the cat, and they start avoiding attention from potential adopters because petting doesn't feel good. It's my job to shave them. I usually do a lion cut, leaving their head, feet, and a tail pouf. Our goal is to keep the cats healthy and adoptable. So, if you went to a shelter to pick a cat, would a lion cut be a good or bad thing? I haven't seen many other patterns besides leaving dinosaur spines down the back. There's usually mostly good comments once they stop laughing. It's mostly the rump and armpits that knot up, and they look unhealthy just spot shaving.

I'm not looking to start a fight. I'm wondering if there's been any research made by people not involved? I'm open to facts, but most anti facts I've seen involve autism and Mercury, which have been debunked. And I'm biased because my brother is an anti, but he also believes in Bigfoot and stocked his basement for the end of the world in 2012. I've also heard, that suppose it did cause autism and other complications, it's still significantly less of a risk than getting the diseases. I've vaccinated thousands of cats. You would think their vaccines are less well studied and controlled than human types, and I've only seen two kittens react poorly, and they only slept hard for a day. It's controlled our calicivirus outbreaks.

So, only logical constructive answers, please. I'm not having children, so there's nobody in the balance. I'd just like real information without all the hostility that seems to follow vaccine debates everywhere. No bullies.

I hate clothes shopping. Right now, my closet is literally blue jeans, unfitted t-shirts, and work uniforms. I'm afraid that people laugh behind my back. I'm asexual, I don't dress to impress men or compete with other girls. But I want to feel good in what I'm wearing. People nowadays assume that clothing is a huge statement about yourself, not that you're just covering your body. I feel frumpy with my clothes, I also wear it til it dies because I hate shopping!

First off, I'm overweight. Nearly all the plus size clothing is crazy bright colors. I don't want to wear a circus tent! And everything is usually too much specific "style", like there won't just be a little bit of lace, the entire thing will be an ode to lace! And if it is plain, it will have an embroidered collar like for a 50+ year old. And I don't keep a ton of clothes, I want to be able to wear things again, I'd never buy pants that only match one shirt. Then there's the problem with a large amount of women's clothing that are odes to boobs! I won't walk around with my boobs bouncing out.

When I'm forced to dress nicer, I usually choose tan or black pants with a solid colored button shirt. I can handle buttons, collars and buckles, but not crazy ruffles or oblong neck holes.

So I guess I'm saying, I just want to be neutral. I don't want to be noticed for not looking feminine, but I am very uncomfortable in overly feminine clothes. Where can I find clothes, plus size, that aren't too "unique"?

I'm 27. I have a bachelors in zoology, and an associates degree to get a vet tech license.

My VT internship was a horrible experience. I worked a temp job at one clinic, then quit the next because they misled me into thinking it was full time.

Now I'm a barely above minimum wage shift manager sales associate, and an LVT once a week at an animal shelter.

Besides the vet being bipolar, the shelter job would be ok-ish. If it had more hours. The associate job has decent coworkers, but I won't retire from a nonprofessional job.

Everybody gets excited and tells me when a vet clinic is hiring, but I get filled with dread worrying it will turn out like my internship. And they forget I originally went to school for zoology.

I have no working experience with my zoology degree. There are no zoos, animal rescues, or research labs nearby. Even if there was, my associate job's schedule changes weekly and is posted 3 days in advance, so I couldn't even be a steady volunteer.

I can't afford to quit my jobs and move. It took me 3 years to find full time employment! Transportation is also an issue, I don't drive, I can't afford a car.

I've been focusing on paying off my student loans. I don't have an emergency reserve, so even a few weeks unemployed would ruin me.

So how do I break the cycle? How do I get zoology experience if I can't even schedule volunteer time? How can I safely move to a new job, and what do I do if it doesn't work out?