[QUOTE=xilman;553308][URL="http://www.horg.com/horg/?page_id=2"]Taxonomy of Occlupanids
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I hate those things. :censored: Something that is supposed to seal a bag should not poke holes in it. We have a large supply of slightly-used produce twist ties, and replace the offensive things.

[QUOTE=xilman;553308][URL="http://www.horg.com/horg/?page_id=2"]Taxonomy of Occlupanids
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Thanks for the delightful neo(-at-least-to-me-o-)logism. Indeed, said critters, though serving admirably - many would say too admirably - at preventing the bagged contents from spilling out, it is important - analogously to ticks and other tenacious subcutaneous-burrowing bloodsuckers - to have mastered the proper method of safe removal. I confess I am ignorant of what medical schools teach ER physicians in this regard, but the method that works best for me:

1. Twist the neck of the bag into as tight and thin a bundle as possible, so that only the extreme tips of the mandibles are still contacting the bag material, and the offending Occlupanid can be easily rotated around the twist-tautened bag neck without catching;

2; While maintaining tension on the bag neck with one hand, firmly grasp the abdomen of the Occlupanid between the tips of thumb and forefinger of the other, then apply torsional force to the grasped part to impart a 45-degree twist to the abdomen (about the long body axis formed by the center of the mouth and the anus). If done properly, this will force the tips of the 2 mandibles apart just enough to - gently! - pull the twisted bag neck out of the beastie's grasp. The removed Occlupanid should be safely disposed of, or saved for later reattachment via the reverse procedure, should the bag require later resealing and no other good means of sealing are available.

"Other good means" include, among other things, chip clips, twist-ties, looping of the twist-tautened bag neck into a loose knot, etc. My own preference is small loops tied of scrap shoelace-style material, which are then looped removably around the bag neck in the manner of a Prusik knot wrapped around a climbing rope, and pulled taut. Easy to remove and re-usable after a given bag has been emptied.

Oh, I have also found a fine use for removed-from-bag Occlupanids - my apartment has long vertical blinds on the windows. These alas have a very cheap design for the square hole at the top which fastens into the little vertical clips of the blind runner, such that the thin bridge of plastic which clips into the latter is unreinforced and easily torn off. I've found that stapling an Occlupanid into place over the resulting open gap, with mandibles facing vertically down toward the floor, allows the Occlupanid's abdomen to replace the torn-off segment of bridging material. The runner clip snaps into the same opening between the mandibles that the plastic bag neck formerly did. In this function the toughness and flexibility of the creature's exoskeletons serve as a plus rather than an annoyance. I bet there are lots more practical uses if one only cares to keeps an open mind and look.

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[url=https://egghead.ucdavis.edu/2020/07/30/contrafreeloading-and-cats/]Contrafreeloading and Cats[/url] | Egghead Blog, UC Davis
[quote]It’s said that there is no such thing as a free lunch. But in fact, given a choice between free food and performing a task for food, most animals will perform a task. This is called contrafreeloading and has been known since the 1970s.

But not domestic cats. Given the choice, cats prefer eating for free to working out a simple puzzle to get their food, according to a paper by researchers from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine presented this week at a virtual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society.

UC Davis cat behaviorist Mikel Delgado with colleagues Brandon Han and Melissa Bain offered 18 house cats a choice between a food puzzle and a tray of free food. Cats ate more from the free tray and spent more time on the free food, they found.

“It wasn’t that the cats NEVER used the food puzzle, they just used it less, ate less food from it, and typically would eat from the freely available food first,” Delgado said.

That makes cats an exception compared to rats, mice, gerbils, birds, dogs and chimpanzees, and other animals both wild and domestic that have been tested over the years.[/quote]
To most specimens of [i]felis catus[/i], the real puzzle appears to be why other animals - including ones noted for their supposed high intelligence - are so daft as to work for their food when they don't need to.

Speaking of cats, we found a kitten two weeks ago and we are caring for it now. We think it was about one week old (4oz) when we found it.

:mike:

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;553361]Speaking of cats, we found a kitten two weeks ago and we are caring for it now. We think it was about one week old (4oz) when we found it.

:mike:[/QUOTE]
I hope it does well.:cat:

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;553361]Speaking of cats, we found a kitten two weeks ago and we are caring for it now. We think it was about one week old (4oz) when we found it.

:mike:[/QUOTE]

Oh, dear, the "awwwww" is strong with this one - is pic from the 4oz days, or more recent? How are you feeding it - droppers of milk? Let us know when its eyes open, then the real fun begins. :)

That picture was when we first got it.

This picture is from last week.

From what we have read they can't see too good for the first few weeks.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;553361]Speaking of cats, we found a kitten two weeks ago and we are caring for it now. We think it was about one week old (4oz) when we found it.

:mike:[/QUOTE]

Many years ago, my sister found a kitten of similar age abandoned at the side of a road, and immediately adopted it. Kitty (as she was named) became very attached to my sister. She was like her little shadow. For some years she would not eat while my sister had to be away for some days.

You're right about kittens that young being basically blind.

People who abandon kittens at that age should be

a) Stood against the nearest wall and shot
b) Broken on the wheel
c) Hanged and drawn
d) Burned at the stake
e) Subjected to [i]Lingchi[/i]
f) Subjected to the Rat Torture till done
g) Any of the above
h) Other suggestions welcome

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;553426]h) Other suggestions welcome[/QUOTE][url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull[/url]

[QUOTE=xilman;553308][URL="http://www.horg.com/horg/?page_id=2"]Taxonomy of Occlupanids
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Good one!

I've never had any trouble removing them without damaging the bag. Instead of struggling to put them back on, I almost always replace them with twist ties, or just twist the end of the bag and tuck it under when I put it on the fridge shelf. Occasionally I tie the end of the bag in a slip knot.

So far I have been too lazy to research what kind of plastic the things are made of, so I don't know whether they're recyclable. Not knowing, I toss them in the trash. They will no doubt remain intact for a [i]very[/i] long time in the landfill.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;553426]

People who abandon kittens at that age should be

[/QUOTE]

The real economy is being ravaged now. A lot of pets will be let loose in rural areas. Try to have some empathy.

[QUOTE=masser;553430]The real economy is being ravaged now. A lot of pets will be let loose in rural areas. Try to have some empathy.[/QUOTE]
Yes, yes, I'm sure it's quite impossible to have the creatures euthanized humanely.

I remember hearing about what happened when the economy was ravaged around 1990 in Teller County, CO (where Cripple Creek is located). People were walking away from their homes, leaving their pets behind. When abandoned dogs started forming packs and attacking people, the county issued guidelines to the effect that stray dogs should be shot on sight.