That is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for the loss of the dog. And I'm very sorry if it conspires to deprive someone of his livelihood, especially as there wasn't anything he did wrong. Harvey just climbed into my arms and is purring his very best. I presume he is sending his best comfort to you.

Harnesses have a reputation as more secure than a collar, except that they are by no means foolproof. At least with cats to make a harness truly secure requires fitting it tighter than many a careful person would wish to do. And I can see how with some dogs, the collar is a boundary limitation that is learned and obeyed, whereas a harness might be more of simple restraint with no moral imperative.

Even Darby has houdinied herself out of a harness.

We use a Gentle Leader (like a Halti) on Kato, and he's stopped and pawed at it to try to get out of it. (IIRC, he did manage to get out of it once, but since we can leave his collar on with the Gentle Leader, I lunged for his collar and kept him from going anywhere. Scared the crap out of me.)

(Unlike the time he decided to stop and paw at the Gentle Leader, which made me trip OVER him and sprawl on the sidewalk. On my birthday, thank you, Kato. I just stayed on the sidewalk for a minute, trying to figure out if I was injured or just, you know, had an owie. So Kato looked at me for a minute and then laid down next to me, like "So this is what we're doing now? Okay!")

Kitty holsters come recommended for cats, as more secure than harnesses, but with little dogs, it's harder. I'm so sorry, bonny, for all concerned. I hope you can help the walker work through this.

"So this is what we're doing now? Okay!"

Yes, Kato. This is what we are doing now. In addition, we are going to have a little lesson in spatial geometry."

I hope you can help the walker work through this.

Thanks, Bev. I had him in this afternoon and that went pretty well.

It's been this emotional roller coaster for all of us today and holding space for everyone has just worn me right out.

People I should be able to trust made some huge mistakes so there was a lot of bailing of unnecessarily hurt feelings.

I can't even. Tonight will be feet up, stupid tv.

So hey, more pet-related worry: the very old kitty has started sneezing blood. She's seemed to have a chronic respiratory issue for at least a year, maybe more, that seem like allergies. Just kitty sneezes, and the occasional hacking cough that is NOT a hairball cough (totally different vibe). She's otherwise ridiculously healthy for a 17-year-old cat (possibly 18). But earlier this week, she started sneezing blood when she sneezes.

Just last week it got cold and super dry, esp. at night. And *I* am yielding blood when *I* blow my nose. So in the absence of any other symptoms, I'm wondering if she just has super dry, very old nasal passageways.

(I know that no one can diagnose cancer of the kitty sneeze over the internet. I'm mostly just wondering if that's a thing -- do cats, like people, get dry nasal passageways and sneeze blood? If it keeps up, we'll take her to our regular vet next week. But right now she seems her healthy old self, other than sneezing blood, so I don't want to take her to the emergency vet if I don't have to. I'd rather our regular vet, who knows her, see her. Plus, if it *is* cancer of the kitty sneeze, I'd rather hear it from our own vet.)

It looks like a scene from CSI in here, I tell you what.

In addition, we are going to have a little lesson in spatial geometry.

In all fairness, we call him "Speed Bump" because of his uncanny knack for finding the exact spot where he's in everyone's path (living room to hallway, living room to dining room, dining room to hallway -- he has found the nexus) and then flopping down and not moving. So he was probably just getting back at me for the Speed Bump jokes.

So he was probably just getting back at me for the Speed Bump jokes.

No doubt.

I would definitely suggest seeing the vet.

Is the blood unilateral? Meaning blood from one nostril over the other?

Oh, Bonny, I am so sorry. How awful for all involved.

There's a site for representations of people of color in European art history (largely to refute those who say there weren't any).

If it's MPOC, it's a hot mess of problematic awful with an unfortunate cult of personality, inflated claims of qualifications, a habit of talking over POC and ethnic minorities, especially European ones, and I'd suggest one of many, many other people talking about the subject. (Disclaimer: most of them have actual jobs in academia, or a grad students, and don't have the time to post as often as That Other Person does.)

One day, it'll probably all blow up in the runner's face, which would make me laugh and laugh and laugh except for where people who are doing serious work on the matter are going to find themselves painted with the same brush.

Is the blood unilateral? Meaning blood from one nostril over the other?

No, it's pretty equal opportunity. Dr. Google says that cats do sneeze blood for pretty unalarming reasons, including allergies/drop in humidity. But yeah, we'll still take her to the vet to be sure.