Connie, what they said. I'm glad it's working out better than you feared it would. sometimes people surprise us in a good way.

Erin, my gray cat confounded me when I met him because I thought he hadn't been neutered. Vet assured me that it was a sack with no balls in it. I thought that was very thoughtful of his previous people. Less traumatic, I guess.

In unrelated, humorous to me news, i just told me younger cat that he has the softest empty ball sack i've ever petted. A little redundant, really, it's the only empty ball sack i've ever touched. Elder cat doesn't allow such shenanigans.

One night my ex-gf reached back from our bed one night to pet our cat who was standing on the window sill. She intended, I am certain, to scratch him under his chin. That is not where she pet him. It was hilarious.

I thought that was very thoughtful of his previous people. Less traumatic, I guess.

Less traumatic, how?

There's taking, basically, the balls out of the sac and leaving empty sac or untangling things and snipping just the bits that contribute to excess kittens. As I understand it.

... I bet this conversation is more uncomfortable for some dudes than when we discuss menstruation and cramps. Sorry? I hear that a bag of frozen peas is good for a sore testicular area. They conform.

Bonny, if I had the funds I'd send your neighbor a rose plant. Weekly.

aurelia FTW.

edited: also, meara, ouch. I cringed just by reading the description.

That is a marvelous idea. I'd totally pitch in!

Less traumatic for not removing the whole thing. My other neutered male cats have not had balls or sack left. Which is why Gray Cat confused me.

Sorry, gentlemen.

I'm glad things went better than expected, Connie. Much ~ma for the road ahead.

Leifur still has his sack, although he was neutered years ago. He seems fairly indifferent to the whole thing. In dogs, I remember reading about ball prostheses that vets could put in the sack after ball removal, to keep things looking, um, robust. I always figured that was more for owners who wanted the image of a bad-ass, macho dog without having to deal with them taking off after every bitch in heat in the county.

This is making me laugh. I always know which dogs are fixed because dignified, self-contained Darby loves her some uh, intact boys. That's who she is always crazy to play with.

I really doubt the ball sack or no question matter to the animals though.

Someone that I know for about 3 months and worked with for a bit asked me to write a reference letter. I said OK, and sent her a few lines.

I got back an email starting with "cute" nicknaming me (in a way that only my parents call me) and asking me to write it more "sentimental".

I could deal with the inappropriate nicknaming, or the asking to write something less "professional". Not both, missy. Not both. Especially not if we knew each other for less than three months.

(I gave up on using a flamethrower, just wrote back pretty much saying "no". But srsly. That nickname. Why.)

Shir, it drives me nuts when people call me "Stephie". BONKERS. One of my aunts persists in calling me that, and I tolerate it, though I don't like it. Everyone else knows to not call me that. But then you get the random new person, who, when introduced to me as "Steph" -- ONE syllable, easy-peasy -- calls me "Stephie". It doesn't end well.

I also don't understand when I introduce myself as "Steph" -- ONE syllable -- and the person immediately replies with "Stephanie"? And all I can think is, REALLY? I said a one-syllable name and you replied back with the long version? No one ever does that to Tim. He introduces himself as "Tim", and no one says "Timothy"?

I am perhaps a bit sensitive on this. And possibly a wee bit over-caffeinated.