š
I had never heard about this before but someone referenced it in a Nextdoor thread where people were roasting someone for saying they saw a wolfā¦ I have recurring nightmares all the time where Iām walking at night and I see lion and tigers and bears (oh my)! The way this is written is so compelling. What a tragic and bizarre story I canāt believe we allow people to own exotic pets :(
āOnly once you slide up and down these slippery moral slopes can you see how much easier it is for all of these owners to believe that they are acting with kindness to animals that they love, and that their love is on some level reciprocated. Maybe something went very astray with Terry Thompson, and so of course it is now in the interests of the other owners to draw a firm line between what he did and what they do, but my hunch is that if one had visited him a few years ago, he would have expressed the same love and care and concern for his animals, and done so with conviction. The truth is that while, on a practical level, we may feel as though we can distinguish between better and worse owners, it is logically impossible to know for certain what the animals are thinking or experiencing. Every human who interacts with an animal and then makes claims about what that interaction means to the animalāin backyards or zoos or even on the plains of Africaāis making a claim neither they nor anyone else can verify.ā
May 18, 2024
Related Recs
š
Help I finally started watching Chimp Crazyā¦ š
Nov 20, 2024
so I'm solo backpacking through greece right now which is exciting and boundary-pushing but one thing I've learned is to really keep your eyes and ears open.
the other day I was trekking to some ruins on the far end of an island and as I stopped to admire the view (see pic) I heard some rustling and banging from a big rubbish bin by the side of the road.
Naturally I approached, curious, but as I got closer the banging stopped. When I poked my head over the side, a jet-black four-legged monster with a elongated golden cylinder for a head leapt out to one side, scurried up the wall to the bushes, clanged its head and fell back to the grass behind the bin with a shriek.
this poor cat had gotten an empty tin of pet food stuck round its head, only its ears peaking out, totally unable to see and starting to pant for breath. My heart dropped. As I spoke to it, it gradually calmed to my presence, finally letting me hold onto the can so it could try and pull its head out. With each pull, though, it would claw at the can with its paw, forcing me to drop it, then flying into a panic and scrambling up the wall. We repeated this once, twice, again and again until I figured I could take off my sweater, wrap it around my hand and hold onto the can securely. With one final pull, I caught a glimpse of a frightened little black face disappearing in a flash onto the street behind me.
Wow what a relief. I turned around and saw the cat gently padding down the road, perhaps wounded in spirit but otherwise unharmed. After a few steps it turned to look back. Padded further and then looked back again. A short wordless exchange, something like a thank you in a language that transcends species.
Anyway thanks for reading this story I'm typing on my phone alone in a way-too-expensive cafe in Mykonos, I guess my rec is to help animals š¾
Apr 17, 2025
š
that was until i realized i would have to experience animal death pretty much every day. so then i quickly pivoted to paleontologist (already dead animals=better?)
Feb 7, 2025
Top Recs from @taterhole
āLife shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.ā
ā AnaĆÆs Nin
This is uncharacteristically raw and personal, even for me, and pretty heavy! I know many of you have seen me posting through it and I feel safe to talk about it openly now that Iāve safely landed at the start of my new life. Itās honestly even a little bit embarrassing but I think itās important to share.
Iāve never publicly mentioned it on here, but I have a husband; as of Friday, weād have been together for 11 years, and weāve been married for 3 years as of 2/22. I realize now that I wanted to explore what I looked like outside of my relationship with him because I had lost that. This is why PI.FYI has been so meaningful to me as a space to express myself and connect with peopleāto rediscover my voice.
I had been living a lie this entire time, to others but worst of all to myself. Heās been verbally and emotionally abusive, physically but without touching me, to the point that every day I spent with him I was in danger. Iāve been shrinking myself and walking on eggshells to avoid making him insecure and provoking his casual put-downs and fits of rage, while hanging on for dear life to the threads of good I could see.
Iāve wanted so badly to leave, more than anything, but I felt like there was no way out and that this was just something I would need to endure indefinitelyābut someone who is so very dear to me helped me see that I have wings to fly, not by acting as my savior but by reminding me of my own power. The emotional safety they built and the gentle care they showed me made me feel like I could open up to them. With their encouragement I was brave enough to tell the truth to my friends, my family, my boss, and they have received me with warm, loving and open arms and rallied to support and protect me. The financial andĀ logistical aspects were the most intimidating to me and itās going to be tough for a while but Iām going to be better than okay!
Now Iām opening up to you. This isnāt the only abuse Iāve suffered in my life, and my old therapist told me she believed it was my mission to share my strength and light with others to inspire them and show them that change is possible.
I hope that by sharing this, I can reach even just one person who is going through something similar and show that they are not alone, and they are not weak. People with certain backgrounds may be more vulnerable to abuse, but it can happen to anyone. It thrives in darkness, shame, and isolationāand breaking that silence is the first step toward freedom.
Leaving is the scariest thing I have ever done but I have so many angels around me, and I am endlessly grateful. Thank you for being here with me š
Mar 16, 2025
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyābe it a relative or one of my best friendsāwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too š
Feb 23, 2025
Schedule sent my resignation email for the morning, effective immediately ā
š
Feb 27, 2025