• The_Caretaker@lemm.ee
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    6 days ago

    “If your mother doesn’t teach you manners, the world will.” My friend from Kenya told me it’s an old proverb where he’s from.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    My neighbors daughter had one of those water guns. I told her if she shoots at me, I’ll get the hose and retaliate. She grinned, shot at me, and ran away laughing.

    I talked to her dad, he nodded, and when she came back for more mischief, she got wet.

    • WanakaTree@lemm.ee
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      6 days ago

      Seriously my first thought if I saw this all occurring and my kid came complaining to me about it is I’d just say “well this is how the cat feels”

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Can confirm.

      I have a robot that clears snow on my driveway (it’s a diy build,). One winter, we were having problems with a couple teenage boys chucking snowballs at cars.

      Their dads conspired to teach them a lesson.

      They recruited me and S5-SY (the robot, pronounced “Sassy”,).

      So they played some mind games to get the kids to think it was their idea to record themselves-live- chucking snowballs at the “defenseless” robot.

      In the video, the robot turned to face them, drove itself into the snow bank and turned on its sweeper to give them the worst white wash of their lives.

      • Empricorn@feddit.nl
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        6 days ago

        I’m sorry, you can’t just say “I built a robot that clears snow”, like it’s no big deal! Do you have more details? Also, please link the video of it blizzarding the teens!

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          I don’t have the video (and wouldn’t link other people’s kids anyhow.), sorry.

          In any case, I’d drop a how-to, except that it’s actually rather kludgey. just getting a driveway dialed in took about two weeks. (movement is largely dead reckoning in similar manner to using an FDM printer in relative mode.)

          her working-side is a snow sweeper brush- you can buy replacement brushes online and not the whole snow sweeper, for the record. the big drum-shaped brushes. she uses a hub-mounted motor to drive that and her two driving wheels. a couple car batteries and and her control box provide counterbalance and mass (for traction,) while her 3rd wheel is a caster wheel.

          she uses an inductive charger in a cradle, with everything basically sealed in a water proof enclosure/chasis that was 3d printed.

          there’s a base station that’s mounted high up under the garage’s eaves that has a camera deciding when it’s time to go out. (she struggles with heavy, wet, snow, but this gets compensated for by going out more often when it’s warmer. the base station also provides localization and object avoidance.

          building was simple enough. I’ve a giant home-build 3d printer, PETG works, Polycarb is better if you can afford it. For sealing the enclosures, I made my own silicone rubber gaskets using silicone caulk and aquarium tubing (force the caulk into the tubing using the caulking gun. if you want it hollow, use an air compressor blower nozzle to blow out the tubing after it’s full, if you want it solid, don’t, but after it’s cured in the tubing, use the blower nozzle to get it out, either way.)

          the other thing to consider is the sweeper arm. It can just be set rigidly for simplicity (and that’s a 100% valid and probably smart choice to make…) or if you add the ability to extend on both sides, you can give the brush a cant so it pushes the snow to one side or the other… reducing how many trails you leave.

          Some flashy lights are important (and raised up so people can see them in cars!)

          Oh. also. she hums like R2D2 when she’s working.

      • brisk@aussie.zone
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        6 days ago

        Is the lesson “why throw snowballs at cars when you could be having a snowball fight with a robot instead?”

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          actually, I’m pretty sure the lesson they learned was they got more of the attention they wanted when they were funny rather than jerks.

          Their friends thought the were in on it and were laughing. not sure how they passed that off, since their faces were 1 part confusion 1 part shock and 2 parts “fuck that’s cold”

    • pugehenis@lemmy.ml
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      6 days ago

      I could take shit from people to some extent but if it is my pets, I am putting a smile on that face

      • nomy@lemmy.zip
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        5 days ago

        I personally can take all kinds of shit because I know my limits. As my pets sworn caretaker I have to do everything in my power to protect them from physical and mental stress, so i won’t let them take any abuse from anyone. Frankly my pets rank higher than a lot of humans in my life and are treated accordingly, I think a lot of people feel that way tbh.

    • InputZero@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Yeah but with a ten year old, talk to their parents first. You want to drench a child without their consent? Okay but they had better be in an environment that can explain to them that this is a tit for tat type thing. A ten year old doesn’t understand a lot of things and it’s not up to the child to perform what we expect them to. Do they need to be corrected, yes. Does doing it so callously benefit anyone? Only a bully. There’s a huge difference between constructive discipline and just straight up punishment. It takes an adult to know the difference.

      • nickiwest@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Ten-year-olds understand quite a lot of things. They don’t always think before they act, but they would absolutely understand this object lesson.

        It’s water. It’s not harmful. Getting splashed with water is most ten-year-olds’ idea of a good time in most scenarios.

        Is this the most constructive way to go about teaching a kid how to behave properly? No.

        Is this going to scar the average kid for life? Also no.

      • the_wiz@feddit.org
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        6 days ago

        At age ten I was coding in Assembly on my C64 and build radio controlled model airplanes without assistance from an adult… so I guess in this case the ten year old should have a pretty clear understanding of his action and the consequences. And to be honest: What did happen? He got wet. Booo-hoo what a tragedy! Would he have gotten a good spanking (would perhaps have happened when I was this age in the 80s), then perhaps I could slightly understand the outrage from his dad.

      • nednobbins@lemm.ee
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        6 days ago

        talk to their parents first

        This is key. It’s one thing to stop a child from harassing your pet. If you “teach them a lesson” after the fact without the parents’ permission, there are now two wrongs that need to be dealt with.

    • ratel@mander.xyz
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      6 days ago

      Who tf gets a pet cat and doesn’t let it outside? If you don’t have space for a cat don’t get one.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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        6 days ago

        Who tf gets a pet cat and doesn’t let it outside?

        People that love their cats and don’t want them to die young. Outdoor cats live an average of 2-5 years, indoor-only cats live an average of 10-15 years. By allowing cats outside, they’re exposed to pathogens, parasites, and dangers that they wouldn’t otherwise experience. In my area, there are coyotes, bobcats, rattlesnakes, hawks, and owls, all of which will quite happily make a meal of a cat. There are also cars; they don’t tend to be able to stop on a dime.

        • Vandals_handle@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          Worldwide domestic cats kill billions of songbirds annually. Many songbirds are insectivores that prey on mosquitoes and flys helping to keep their numbers in check.

            • Vandals_handle@lemmy.world
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              6 days ago

              Habitat loss, bioaccumulation of Neonicotinoids and predation by invasive species (domestic cats included) are top three issues for declining numbers of songbirds in the US.

              Edit: added region

              • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
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                6 days ago

                Even the studies most friendly to your position put the conglomerate that cats are counted it in 4th place - e.g.:

                1. Habitat Loss & Degradation (40-50%)
                2. Climate Change (20-30%)
                3. Pesticides & Chemical Pollution (10-15%)
                4. Predation by Domestic & Invasive Species (5-10%)
                5. Collisions (5-10%)
                6. Disease & Parasites (1-5%)
                7. Illegal Hunting & Trapping (1-3%)
                8. Light Pollution (<1-2%)

                Let’s be very generous and concede cats could contribute 5% (sorry magpies, crows, etc pp. - you contribte almost nothing)

                I don’t argue this point because I am way to fond of cats. I don’t even agree with the above scale - at least when it comes to (formerly) common birds such as house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and common blackbird (Turdus merula). Their main problems are Usutu virus and loss of insect biomass.

                I am shit-scared about the loss of insect biomass. I am old and observant enough to have recognized the Windshield phenomenon by myself. I concur with the Danish study hinting at a 80% decrease from 1997 until 2017 (I actually think it is higher now). I live in major city with nice parks - the decrease is observable here too.

                If the food supply of songbirds has declined by at least 80% that is your biggest problem right there - and it does not only affect songbirds and not only insectivores.

                Over-emphasizing cats in this situation is a smoke screen/ red herring akin to BP pushing the carbon footprint of the common man.

                • Vandals_handle@lemmy.world
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                  6 days ago

                  Major environmental effects of climate change be it sea level rise, ocean acidification, drought, intensifying storms and temperature rise are all changes to abiotic conditions. Changing abiotic conditions leads to changes in biotic conditions. A habitat is defined by the combination of biotic and abiotic conditions. Therefore climate change should be included in habitat loss.

        • ratel@mander.xyz
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          6 days ago

          Sounds like a perfect environment to not own a cat. Don’t get get a cat if you live in an area that can’t accommodate them - they aren’t a universal pet despite the fact people treat them like they are.

          • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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            6 days ago

            Under that criteria, there are a grand total of zero areas that can accommodate them. Same goes for dogs.

            But that’s a stupid criteria, because cats are tamed, and thrive indoors.

            Hope that helps.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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            6 days ago

            Don’t get get a cat if you live in an area that can’t accommodate them

            What is an area that can accommodate pet cats lol

      • IceyPea@lemm.ee
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        6 days ago

        People with coyotes for neighbours.

        I’m not gonna shame people for outdoor cats… but you’re being a little obtuse here.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        6 days ago

        Letting it roam freely risks it getting hurt and without you being there to help it. It’s not very responsible.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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            6 days ago

            And they’ve been dying in some horrific ways during that time. Now there’s also a lot of extra, human caused dangers. A responsible pet owner wouldn’t subject their pet to such dangers.

            • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
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              6 days ago

              Please elaborate your claims about past and present dangers for pets, I’m curious about specifics.

              Also how are you mitigating the risk of “such dangers” for pets and children?

              • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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                6 days ago

                Well you might have heard of cars, highways and other such human created things that haven’t existed during all that time.

                Here’s one study where they examined the welfare concerns over unrestricted/unsupervised outdoor access (and other concerns). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7070728/#sec5-animals-10-00258

                Also how are you mitigating the risk of “such dangers” for pets and children?

                I wouldn’t allow a cat or a small child to roam around unrestricted. It just seems due to the inherent threats pretty irresponsible.

                • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
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                  5 days ago

                  The study weighs the pros and cons of outdoor and indoor keeping. It also offers some ideas how to mitigate the cons. It’s an interesting study, you should ask someone to explain it to you.

                  The study mentions that risk factors of outdoor keeping vary by location. There is no mention of historic risk and therefore no assessment how these may have evolved.

  • drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    That the risk you take with an outdoor cat. It’s not even like water is harmful to it.

    I used to have an outdoor cat and if that happened I would have shrugged it off and expected him not to go there again.

    • Jyek@sh.itjust.works
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      7 days ago

      That’s the risk you take with an outdoor brat. It’s not even like water is harmful to it.

      I used to have an outdoor brat and if that happened I would have shrugged it off and expected him not to go there again.

    • BambiDiego@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      “Nobody got hurt, just LET ASSHOLE BE ASSHOLES! MUH FREEDUMS!”

      Nah, I’m a firm believer in ‘Fuck around and Find out’

    • rumba@lemmy.zip
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      7 days ago

      That the risk you take

      Well someone might just hit your car, that’s the risk you take by driving, nobody got hurt, they shouldn’t be held accountable. I would have shrugged it off and started taking the bus.

      This is fun, we can remove all accountability from everything that’s not harming someone directly!

    • Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      It’s the risk you take letting your kid go outside. It’s not even like water is harmful to it.

      I used to have a kid that went outside and if thst happened I would have shrugged it off and expected him to not go there anymore.

  • robador51@lemmy.ml
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    7 days ago

    We’ve a lot of cats coming through the garden. I wouldn’t mind if not for my dog, who does and goes insane when she spots a cat. So I’ve been thinking about getting a super soaker to chase them away. I think that’s pretty harmless, and perhaps they learn to skip our garden after a while… What do you lot think?

    • hessenjunge@discuss.tchncs.de
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      6 days ago

      As a cat owner I approve using a a super soaker. I use a mini-soaker on my own cats in rare cases (being bengals they love water but despise being sprayed) - they probably catch on quickly and should bolt when they see you reaching for it soon.

      That being said throwing a whole cup at a cat or making it soaking wet is not ok.

      • robador51@lemmy.ml
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        6 days ago

        Thanks 🙂 I don’t intend to use one of those canon sized ones, I was thinking a mini like you said. Just a little squirt should do the trick 😇

      • InputZero@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Hahah simply. I’ve only trained a handful of dogs, so professional dog trainers sound off here but there are dogs that are more or less untrainable. Sure difficult dogs can learn a few manors or tricks, but either because an abundance or lack of intelligence they’re not going to ever be a show dog. Depending on the dog maybe the best they get is just not as reactive instead.

    • alekwithak@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Get a cat from your local shelter. Take them to the shelter to get spayed or neutered and adopted.

        • alekwithak@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          If they’re collared or chipped they can be returned to their irresponsible owners, and if the owner is so irresponsible they their unfixed uncollared cat is roaming freely then good riddance.

          • snugglesthefalse@sh.itjust.works
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            6 days ago

            Well I’m pretty sure I responded to a comment about catching cats going through your garden. I’m talking about normal cats, not strays. Most people fix them or at least that’s what it seems like.

  • alekwithak@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    How DARE you interact with my poor, helpless cat, who I lovingly toss outside to slaughter songbirds, pick up parasites, and maybe get flattened by a car. I don’t generally give a single solitary shit what happens to it out there, but this splash of water is TOO FAR.

    Edit:

    Please stop letting your cat out. It’s not good for your cat or the local wildlife.

    https://daily.jstor.org/environmental-danger-outdoor-cats/

    https://www.bbc.com/news/scienceenvironment-21236690p

    https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380

    https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/cats-responsible-for-driving-many-species-to-extinction/all/amp.html

  • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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    6 days ago

    If someone intentionally caused harm to any of my cats, I live near a large national forest, and once you get a few hundred yards off a trail, no one is going to find a body.