melbaboutown
@melbaboutown@aussie.zone
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🐇Sunday 5th April 8 hours ago:
spoiler
Strange how even the shitty times were better than this because Melbcat was still with me. Looking through photos and videos of her. She was so loving and such a beautiful cat. I wish I had more videos. Especially of the mundane things I saw every day. Of her walking back in from the other room, and of her coming to the side of my bed waiting for me to lift the doona and let her climb in. It was the routine and how I remember her. Now I’m seeing tiny odd little symptoms I recorded adding up. I just want her back.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🐇Sunday 5th April 13 hours ago:
It was a cleaning day today. Bootstraps are doing some heavy lifting
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
Thanks Low 🫂
I’ll do my best
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
🫂
Thanks, I’m hoping I’ll be ok.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
Thanks 🫂
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
TW suicide
So apparently this is complicated grief. Currently receiving extra support because of the strong urge to surrender the visitor cat and end my life. And the contamination ocd is going crazy. Seeking help, waiting on grief counseling, considering a dose of antidepressants that would aid mood, yada yada. This sucks.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
That’s the issue. Constant reinfection will happen unless I quarantine him and do the whole treatment and cleaning for weeks to months
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🍎 Saturday 4 April 2026 1 day ago:
Thinking about how to get these ringworm tablets down the black cat when and if I can get them. If I can’t sneak them down in food it may not be safe to forcibly pill him.
Thinking about whether that toxic carpet foam affected him and if the carpet washer will get it out. Whether he’ll use the shelter in winter, and as it gets colder if there’s an eskie with the right dimensions to become an insulated shelter-bed. If he doesn’t I may be forced to let him in again 😔
spoiler
Lying in bed completely physically exhausted, struggling to stay hydrated and seeing memories of Melbcat come up on my phone. I really care about this cat, feel guilty, and haven’t lined anything up… but I’m truly not coping and feel slight relief that there might be a safe option for someone else to take him and ensure he’s cared for. If there’s a foster place and they would accept him. I’m feeling it out and sitting with the idea that I may not be able to keep him.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
That’s good. Still concerned
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
Let me know if they’re as dodgy as they’re painted out to be. I avoid surrendering cats to shelters after seeing they were being investigated
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
I can’t help it. My brain has gone out of control in the worst way. And my immune system is really weak so it may not be able to beat it.
The lady is going to call me about getting him some tablets. I still have no idea what to do about him (and he’s started trying to kill the magpies)
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
The easy way is to do nothing (no) or surrender him to the kill shelter (no). Doing nothing means I stay on the ringworm hamster wheel.
There’s no easy answer so I’m asking if I can get some oral treatment for him or if I should surrender him to this rescue which will skip the pound and take him to foster.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
I had the bright idea of using an antifungal pump spray on the cat’s legs as a quicker application (because he doesn’t stay still and pulls his legs away). It just scared him.
I’m feeling so stressed and trapped about the whole situation. The loss of Melbcat has severely destabilised me, I don’t know how to solve this, and my own treated lesion seems to be coming back. Ignoring the cat and not helping him is not an option. I’m just going in circles here.
I’ve contacted the rescuer again. Asking if I can get some oral medication for him. Explaining my difficulties with topical. And about being unable to get help from the vet or find his owners. Asking if I would be able to treat him in the community or if I should surrender him to her organisation :(
I’m going to go put a found poster outside where I was told these alleged owners live, but it’s highly possible they could have moved or just don’t give a damn
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 2 days ago:
That’s a twist on bread and butter pudding
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🧼 Friday 3 April 2026 3 days ago:
Checking the Bissels. One is $299 at the moment and another with steam is $479… both deals ending April 8. The Kmart generic is $119 which is more my budget but I wonder about the vacuum quality and therefore drying.
Cleaning
Hate having carpet. Whose idea was this? Considering just spraying it down with diluted benzalkonium chloride from one of those big sprayers or using a cheap handheld steamer bought off eBay. But it is kinda grubby and I’m a bit worried about leaving the toxic to cats carpet foam spray I used on 😕
TW grief/mental health
Grief is combining with everything else going on and has pushed me into an actual mental health crisis. I’m getting help and all but my god this sucks. I just wish it would end. Starting Endep at a very low dose to try and dull this abdominal pain because it’s worsened under stress and so severe I can barely eat.
- Submitted 3 days ago to melbourne@aussie.zone | 52 comments
- Comment on Discussion Thread ✌️ Thursday 2 April 2026 3 days ago:
Ok that’s great to hear!
- Comment on Discussion Thread ✌️ Thursday 2 April 2026 4 days ago:
spoiler
I wasn’t able to vacuum much while Melbcat was alive. I’ve done a lot now but concentrated on the main areas so missed the strip between the wall and our bed. It’s full of crumbs from the treats I fed her in bed, and her hairs. I picked over with my fingers and saved another of her little whiskers. Angel wishes. I’m tempted to leave it like that. It’s like a time capsule of our life together. I still can’t accept this.
- Submitted 4 days ago to melbourne@aussie.zone | 65 comments
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Tired, achy, sore behind the nose… I checked and the pollen count is low so I found and used a Covid test that expires this July. No sense in wasting it. It was negative but yeah.
I’ve been slack but really should start masking again. Especially as I’m using laundry sanitizer so I can just throw cloth ones in the main load and especially as an especially nasty flu season is coming. I wonder if my doctor or the chemist has the new flu shots yet, the ones against Super K.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Thanks dude
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Good call
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
spoiler
Ugh… I’m feeling terrible for avoiding grief by being busy (and for making bad decisions that create more work) but if I get a quiet moment it all starts flooding in. All my life I’ve been forced to soldier on through the next crisis so I don’t know how to grieve healthily. I can’t deal with it. 😔
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Thanks, I’ll bookmark it
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Thanks. I just can’t find the special cleaners. I’ve been searching but can’t find which one I’m meant to use
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Change of plans on the Anko steam cleaner, I returned it after seeing that you couldn’t use the steam function with the long telescopic attachment and the larger nozzle. That’s only for spills on hard floors and windows which are now what I needed it for.
Machine looked great for the price and I expected to have to put some extra time and patience in using something labeled as a spot cleaner. I might have kept it even using the little brush nozzle. But I wasn’t doing the entire carpets hunched over with a tiny handheld.
I got a cheap HEPA vacuum because my cheap stick is starting to fall apart, and will just have to constantly vacuum until I sort out and save for a proper steam cleaner.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Yeah, it really sucks. It’s like the current situation has literally swept and washed her away.
But I have a fur clipping and her whiskers still
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
I had name ideas but realistically I don’t know if I’d be able to keep him even if I made that choice to. I’m trying to work out for sure if he’s chipped
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Yeah. I think you have hit burnout. Sorry for feeding into the urge to fix it by posting recipes and stuff.
I think it really is time for outside help to be brought on board because caregiving does all get demanded from one person and can turn monopolising and even abusive.
Maybe consider a caregiver support group even if you don’t continue at this level because caregiver burnout is a different beast. I never had any support or training but having either might have helped me look out for myself and recover better.
- Comment on Discussion Thread 🃏 Wednesday 1 April 2026 4 days ago:
Thanks Spud.
It feels like the cat distribution system has glitched because it’s way too soon. I have no idea if I’d be able to keep him. And the ringworm thing/uncertainty are both sending my ocd crazy.
I just hope it works out ok 😔 I’m just trying my best