This and that

[rebness]

Transgender

There's a great series in The Guardian about a transgender woman's journey that I've been following. Unfortunately, this week's column devolved into a series of the most rage-worthy, prejudiced comments I've seen in a while. The good part, however, is how succinctly other users demolished their ill-informed diatribe. I think the UK has such a backward mentality when it comes to this issue, so I'm thankful that the paper continues backing this writer in the face of such alarmingly stupid opposition. I don't understand why there has to be opposition to what somebody else does with their body in the first place, but...

That Darned Cat

This was the situation with my cat last night. She's driving me up the wall lately. For some reason, despite her being 11, she's taken to sleeping outside of a night. I allowed this, but grew (sometimes physically) sick of the resulting carnage almost every morning: half a rabbit here, an eviscerated mouse there, an endangered vole on my doorstep. So I catch her and make her stay in as much as possible, locking her in my room with me of a night.

Except I feel she's punishing me for that, trying to suffocate me or running around the room - I dunno - in the early hours of each morning. Am so tired. :(

Babycakes

Carry on Dancing never did have a decent send-off as the players drifted aimlessly through space and time. Happily, the team has gathered for one final blowout to send it off properly, with a sparkle-free (apart from Lestat's pants) denouement at the end of the countdown at Moon. The plot was decided over tequilas one infamous night, so promises to be completely absurd. It's somehow appropriate.
 

Cooking Skillz

I made lentil soup last night and it was awesome. I'm really getting into soup lately, given how wonderfully cold summer in Liverpool has been for the last few weeks. I'm sad that I didn't try making nettle soup in spring, when it's supposedly the best time to harvest nettles. Ah, well. Some other year.

Comments

[pandorasblog]

Older cats can get very restless at night. When my first cat was 13 she used to wail very late at night because she'd wake up downstairs and lose bearings/be lonely for us, and someone would have to go downstairs and feed&settle her/bring her up/whatever. Now, that was a very sickly cat, and 11 is not always old for a cat these days, but if she's showing other signs of Getting On A Bit this might be one of those behaviour changes. I can see how difficult it is, though, with all the unwanted rodenty gifts!!

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Ooh, interesting to know. It's definitely a personality change in her case. She's gone all weird on me. I have no idea how she manages to catch or kill rabbits which are much bigger than her, but it's pretty distressing. Doubly so for the rabbits, I presume. ;_;

[pandorasblog]

If she seems to be in distress generally it could be worth a visit to the vet. The fact she's able to hunt down rabbits indeed makes it sound like there's not much wrong physically, but you never know - sometimes small health problems have odd complications or behavioural consequences with animals. (Odd because they come out as behavioural issues, since they can't tell us how they feel physically...)

Btw, just back from reading almost the whole of that transgender thread. Dear god. I thought I was inured to the exclusionary behaviour of so many feminists, but it's really galling to see people making womenhood into the No Homers Club. :( I don't see how Juliet Jacques being a woman diminishes my or anyone else's womanhood....

[rebness.livejournal.com]

She doesn't seem to be in pain, more just... curious? She wants to sit on me. And then check out the window. Then the computer. Then the chair. Then to sit on me. It's really distracting. Silly cat! It's like she's constantly fascinated by everything, even though she's seen all those objects before!

Isn't it just depressing? I don't see why people get so defensive over it. It's bizarre that they think it's a reasonable response.

[pandorasblog]

Google does pop up hyperthyroidism - it can often cause night-time yowling and pacing, and the cat will eat more without gaining weight (does she eat her kills?), and be more active. The vet here also suggests their own opinion, that the lighter/shorter sleep of elderly humans might also occur in cats:

http://www.vetinfo.com/catold.html

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I wish she did eat her kills, so that we didn't have to go on Graveyard Patrol each day! ;_;

The link is interesting, though. It explains a fair bit!