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Gryph

@lfgryph.com

Minnesotan in SC, daughter of Yooper. Sisu. Bi. ADHD. She/her. Writer. Early 40's. Animal shelter worker. TNR. Many cats. :) Links: https://linktr.ee/gryph42 Cat Sanctuary wishlist: https://throne.com/sarahgryph

5538 Posts18771 Follower242 Folgt
Gryph@lfgryph.com · 3d ago

Stand by. Cat pics will resume eventually. Brain has been in full ADHD crisis mode of HYPERFOCUS FIX EVERYTHING DO ALL THE THINGS for like two months straight and it's taking time to come back down from it. 🙃

Calvin, an ear tipped brown tabby is standing with his front paws on my leg as I sit cross-legged in the grass next to my car. His green eyes are super bright.
Gryph@lfgryph.com · 3w ago

Thinking out loud about working through feelings of burnout. Mostly related to my animal shelter job, but not actually related to animal care as much as the peopling aspect - the public and also staff. Also most likely complicated by neurodivergent burnout.

Veronica@veronicaf.bsky.social · 4w ago

Look at this boy. Look at him! A bit after this, I didn't have my phone handy, but he rolled over and begged for all of the belly rubs. He also pressed his forehead into my forehead and it was good.

Ernie, a tabby cat sprawled in his crate. He has wiggled so his head is in his plate of dry food. I am rubbing his belly and he is looking up at the camera with wide, unbothered eyes.
Gryph@lfgryph.com · 4w ago

Pretty sure I came within centimeters of actual complete burnout last week, so that's not great. Here's your reminder that things like stress and sleep dep are *cumulative* over time, since I seem to have forgotten that. 🙃

Veronica@veronicaf.bsky.social · last mo.

Ernie HISSED at me! I'm so proud of him. Hissing means he's feeling brave enough to let me know his boundaries. He still let me pat him, although he was a bit offended I touched his very own personal tail.

Ernie, a tabby cat inside a brown cat cave. He has his mouth open, and his bottom teeth showing. He hissed at me and then froze like this. His eyeballs are huge and he's looking very worried about setting a boundary.
Gryph@lfgryph.com · last mo.

Tried to get video of Chessie making murder biscuits this morning, and nearly got murdered myself. 😂 (Video: Ear tipped tuxedo cat lying on my porch swings her head around to rapidly, but lightly, bite my hand that was petting her chest.)

Gryph@lfgryph.com · last mo.

Getting back into The Silt Verses, hoping I have a little more focus than the last few weeks and ye gods (no pun intended) I'd nearly forgotten how gorgeous the writing and voice acting is. ❤️

Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

This is also a really good point about rescue this time of year. Sometimes people are just super busy but mostly fine, and sometimes they do need someone to check in. ❤️

Crits For Cats, Inc. Cat Rescue@crits4cats.org · 2mo ago

Hey honestly, we ARE drowning and if you’re not hearing from us, it probably means we would really love it if someone did check in on us. Rescue work, like a lot of humanitarian work, has a very high burnout rate & mental health toll. Lots of us have a really disproportionate empathy:capacity meter.

Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

Still alive! There are some work situations that I can't really talk about making kitten season Expert Difficulty for me this year. But there are also perfect little beans like this one who cheered up after I convinced him scritches are actually okay. ❤️

Very smol, very concerned looking grey tabby kitten with white chest and muzzle. He is sitting on a brown blanket in a pink plastic cat bed.
Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

I would like a cookie for successfully managing ADHD impulsivity, RSD, and emotional dysregulation in the face of stressful circumstances this week. Short version is I did NOT lose my shit at someone that it would have been a bad idea professionally, and I would have regretted it just as a person.

Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

So, I actually love my header. It's a pic one of my friends and coworkers took of me at the cat sanctuary, feeding churu to some of the ferals. I don't have a lot of sneaky shots of me, and I love this one even though it didn't save in perfect quality. I was so happy, and I look it. ❤️

Blond white woman in her early 40's, sitting cross legged on a concrete walkway in a large catio. She's wearing glasses, a dark blue sweatshirt, and light blue scrub pants. Her hair is back in a loose ponytail. A black cat and a tuxedo cat are in front of her, leaning in to lick a churu treat. The pic is a little blurry and low quality, but I am smiling so huge at these two cats.
Ocho@ocho.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I mean...

CK DexterHaven@ckshowalter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Just think before you post. Take a minute to read back. Remember that every cute kitten pic has hours of work behind it. We love to share our passion with you. Respect the work. Respect us. 3/e

CK DexterHaven@ckshowalter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Be gentle, be patient, and give extra grace right now. We regularly have to make miracles happen on a shoestring. This year we have half a shoestring and it’s rotting. All that general omg stress y’all feel? So do we. We just have the added bonus of juggling tiny lives. 2/

Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

Seconding. For me I'd like to blame it on added stress from moving up the organizational ladder, but I'm hearing from a lot of others that this year is just being A LOT for everyone in sheltering/rescue.

CK DexterHaven@ckshowalter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A PSA- animal rescue is rough on a good day. This summer/winter is shaping up to be anything but for rescuers around the world. The crazy initiated by Trump is impacting supplies, medicine, and donations. Rescuers are pushing deep, and running on empty early. 1/

Gryph@lfgryph.com · 2mo ago

I feel like I've had a headache or almost-headache all week, and I can't tell if it's bc POTS and heat or stress from work. I mean, realistically probably both. 🤷