I hear something to this effect almost every day. Why is it that when people want money from you - and for very good causes - they phrase it that way? I mean it's brilliant. On Larchmont Boulevard where I go often to run errands, there are always people there collecting money for homeless shelters and homeless children programs.
One dude was really cool and I had just spent $4 on my coffee from Peets so I felt like I might as well talk to him. I ended up making a $20 donation to some homeless outreach program. It's fine, I'd rather donate to that than give money to panhandlers. But then literally the next day, I was walking down that same stretch of street (they ALWAYS hang out right by Crumbs so they can ambush you right when you're at the most vulnerable point of your sugar coma and/or guilt for spending $3.50 on a cupcake) and some other girl asked me to donate to another homeless thing. I very nicely told her, "Sorry, I just donated to a guy yesterday for a similar program." She shouted after me, "But this one is for homeless CHILDREN!" It doesn't change the fact that I can't give everyone with a worthy cause $20 every time they ask. It's not personal. And I think it's great that they are doing it, but the way these people ask, you are forced to sound like a horrible person when you decline.
Yesterday on campus, the Greenpeace guy asked, and I quote, "Do you have a second for the environment?" Of course I have a second and of course I do care about the environment, but this isn't going to take just a second and I don't want to sign up to have you take x amount of dollars out of my bank account every month. I looked at him and actually laughed when I said no. Because there is no way to say no without it sounding rediculous. But he and I both knew he set me up. That's how they get you.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Our dizzy kitty
Long story short: our kitten has vertigo.
He was at the vet following his declaw surgery and presented with symptoms of idiopathic feline vestibular syndrome. Idiopathic, meaning it has not definite cause as they ruled out other things that could cause it like inner ear infection. He had rapid side to side eye movement, tremors, a right head tilt and could not stand due to dizziness. After three days of treatment at the vet he was eating and drinking on his own and able to stand long enough to use his litter box. His tremors and eye movement subsided after less than a day there, and he was left with what is essentially kitty vertigo - dizzy kitty. He can walk and run a little, but he lists to the right and sometimes falls over. He can't jump up on things and certainly not down from things without falling - hard. It's kinda funny if you didn't feel so darn bad for him. So we try to play with him gently and help him climb up to his favorite spot on the back of the couch (which he can usually do on his own now; he just can't get back down).
The vet wants to see him in two weeks for a follow up. What I've read online about it gives him a good prognosis. He could be back to 100% in 7-30 days. There's a chance he could be left with slight symptoms and a very slight chance of symptoms recurring. But for now we hope for the best and are learning to live with a disabled kitten. Who would have thought.
He was at the vet following his declaw surgery and presented with symptoms of idiopathic feline vestibular syndrome. Idiopathic, meaning it has not definite cause as they ruled out other things that could cause it like inner ear infection. He had rapid side to side eye movement, tremors, a right head tilt and could not stand due to dizziness. After three days of treatment at the vet he was eating and drinking on his own and able to stand long enough to use his litter box. His tremors and eye movement subsided after less than a day there, and he was left with what is essentially kitty vertigo - dizzy kitty. He can walk and run a little, but he lists to the right and sometimes falls over. He can't jump up on things and certainly not down from things without falling - hard. It's kinda funny if you didn't feel so darn bad for him. So we try to play with him gently and help him climb up to his favorite spot on the back of the couch (which he can usually do on his own now; he just can't get back down).
The vet wants to see him in two weeks for a follow up. What I've read online about it gives him a good prognosis. He could be back to 100% in 7-30 days. There's a chance he could be left with slight symptoms and a very slight chance of symptoms recurring. But for now we hope for the best and are learning to live with a disabled kitten. Who would have thought.
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