We humans are curious creatures. For example, according to one survey, 73% of American adults consider themselves lifelong learners.
For the most part, they go about it in traditional places — at home, work, conferences, or various institutions such as government agencies or libraries. But through it all, the internet remains an important tool. So let's see what these folks have to share.
A few days ago, Reddit user Clean-Youth8369 asked everyone else on the platform, "What's one thing you accidentally found out that now everyone has to know?" and has received over 8,000 replies.
From hard sociologic data to human behavior tendencies, and even wholesome personal observations, here are the ones that got the most upvotes.
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The actual things that happen when you declaw a cat. It’s like amputating fingers. They often get early arthritis and back problems because it changes the way they walk completely. It’s insanely barbaric and any vet who participates in the practice knowing the results is immoral and evil.
In Italy is prohibited, like any not-necessary surgery on animals
It is forbidden all over the EU, just like clipping tails on dogs and horses.
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It's banned in most countries except the US. Many vets consider it their "bread and butter". The paw project.org aims to educate. Please don't declaw. If you don't want and animal with claws adopt a rabbit! They're like cats without claws.
Oh they have claws. Last time I moved my little man put of a room he wanted to be in, he did his best to shred my chest. But, the marks are usually surface deep and you don't have to worry about as many germs! Still hurts like a mother for a little bit though!
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We didn't declaw our only cat. She was a feral baby kitten and we trained her not to scratch things up, like decent people.
Can you share your techniques? I am sure lots of us could benefit.
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Sadly the US has too many laws that prevent protecting innocent animals and humans.
Load More Replies... I volunteered at cat rescue and it's so awful for them. They struggle with litter as well because it hurts their paws to dig after declawing and so they pee everywhere, making them hard to adopt. Truly barbaric to do this to a kitty.
Before I adopted them, I had to sign a form stating I would never get my boys declawed. Never signed my name so fast in my life.
Me too! It was a no-brainer! And so sad that there are people and vets out there that still think it’s acceptable!
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One f my rescues was declawed (obviously prior to me) and I still cry about how much she must be going through. I've had her for years but it still gets under my skin. She's such a perfect baby. How can people be so cruel! Doesn't help that when I got her she also had chemical burns and a laceration her stomach. I'm so glad she's safe now. I try not to think about how hard her life had to have been. I need to go cuddle with her now and tell her she's perfect.
My much-missed Sapphire (from the shelter) had been declawed on ALL FOUR FEET! It still infuriates me! Luckily she didn’t seem badly affected by it but to this day if I could get my hands on the vet who agreed to do that…
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I think people need to realize the "cost" of a cat (or dog) will be some destruction in the house. No one expects perfection from children - why would these members of the family be any different? They are very worth the scratches down our antique desk, pulled couch, shredded rugs... (The cat on my lap just gave me a slow blink - she agrees on her worth.)
The EU prohibits declawing, tail bobs and ear trims, as well as circumcision both make and female babies. Castration of livestock must use anesthesia.Glad I live in a civilised place
I learned this years ago and wished someone had told me years before that. I have retroactive guilt over this.
Me too. I did it couple of times because I was just clueless about it. Feel awful now. I'll hug him and apologize when I come home.
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One of my cats has gnarly front paws; 3 toes and one toe has 2 nails growing out of it, that he can't retract (both paws are the same). The Rescue agency prohibits declawing but waived that for Rowney since he couldn't retract the claws. I was skeptical, but thought about it . When I looked at his paws, I realized that if that one toe joint with the 2 nails was removed, poor Rowney would hardly have any feet left to walk on! Needless to say, he still has all his toes. BTW, declawing is now illegal in my state.
It's a horrible thing to do-its easy to train a cat to use scratching posts (some like stretching high up tall posts, others prefer stretching horizontally-for them, a rolled up bit of carpet or old rug with the hessian backing on the outside is best). It's also simple to trim their claws-just the tips, most good clippers have safety guards so you don't cut the quick. Do that every few weeks and your carpets and furniture should be safe.
Declawing cats should be illegal everywhere. Look at your human fingers. Now cut every single on off at the first distal joint (i.e. the first joint below your fingernails). That is what declawing does. It is NEVER necessary. If you have cats, you either give them adequate objects to sharpen their claws on OR you realize they will scratch up your rugs/carpets/upholstery. I think my primary irk here is people who get pets and have no idea how to care for them and give them a home where the pets are happy and the people are happy.
If my kitty gets out and has to defend himself he need his talons for a fighting chance to survive.
I immediately lose any and all respect for that person and I will get up and leave. No excuse is ever good enough - ever!
THIS. People think it's like removing your finger or tow nail, which is bad enough, but it's actually like removing the entire knuckle your nail is growing out of, if not the entire digit itself.
Honest question so please don't downvote but do the negative effects mentioned vary by cat? My cat is declawed and seems fine. And no, I didn't do it. She was abandoned and I rescued her from wounds / starving / literally near dead. She is a bit less spry now but I think that is just old age setting in. I'm not sure how old she is but she was an adult when I found her and I've had her maybe 7-10 years. She is the only declawed cat I have had. I've had pretty good luck just teaching past cats to use a scratching post instead of the furniture.
I think any owners/vets involved in declawing should have all their toes surgically removed.
Due to the pain they experience post-surgery, it can also lead to severe behavioural issues.
I fixed this up so the message is on the photo. Copy and paste it to your facebook page if you agree. declawed-s...0dd3a5.jpg 
Any unnecessary surgical procedure on animals (docking the tails, cropping the ears, declawing cats, etc) is strictly banned in Slovenia.
I usually ask people who say they would consider it. Then do is it okay for someone to chop off their fingernails?
Your point is well taken. But if that's the only way you are willing to have a cat in your house what's better? Destroy the stray animal or rescue it minus fingers? I'd trade the first the knuckle of my hands to save my life. I'm sure my opinion is unpopular but it it is what it is.
I have gotten cats that had already been declawed in the past, but my two cats now are not. As a kid, I did not know this but know I do.
There are situations where declawing is medically appropriate. One kitten we had several years ago was the surviving runt of his litter, and his paws were slightly deformed. Had we not had him declawed, his claws would have been chronically ingrown, keeping him in pain and risking recurrent infections. As with any medical procedure, banning outright simply takes away options when it’s medically called for. Prohibit it for non-medical purposes, but allow vets the discretion to do it when needed. If you really want to reduce declawing, prohibit landlords from asking for it or requiring it in leases. The vast majority of declawings these days are a response to a landlord’s demand.
My sister has a super friendly cat. She will jump up on me even though I only see my sister once or twice a year. Once she get comfy she starts to dig her claws in. really hurts, my sister says it's because she is resting so she digs in as not to fall.
Because some lazy assbucks are too lazy to play with the cat, won't buy it a scratchy post either, and then complain when it scratches the furniture. Or they/their kids don't respect it and it scratches them to be left alone all the time. So they declaw it so it can't do natural behavior anymore. As said, barbaric.
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My cats are not declawed and they do not shred my furniture because I provide appropriate scratching posts and I do trim their nails. It is absolutely not necessary if you actually take care of your cat.
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If I could downvote you more than once I would do so. 🤷🏼♀️
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A million seconds is eleven days. A billion seconds is around thirty years.
Cows have best friends
You have to get revaccinated for whooping cough as an adult. I didn’t know this until I caught whooping cough in my late 30s. It was honestly one of the worst things I’ve ever been through. I slept outside in a tent as I was keeping everyone awake. I would cough until I either vomited or passed out, and this went on for weeks. I broke a rib and split intercostal muscles. You’re supposed to have boosters every 8 - 10 years as an adult, and it really made me understand how babies and small children can and do die from the infection.
It starts out very much like a simple cold, slightly sore throat and runny nose. It then progressively gets worse with a cough and tightness in the chest.
Now, every time I get a slight cold, I produce a horrible cough that sounds like a braying donkey, even when I feel fine. I wish I knew about needed to get a booster vaccine, now I tell everyone!
I had mumps when I was 23. Was the most I'll I've ever been. I had five weeks off work. People don't realise that having a "childhood disease" as an adult is worse than having it as a child.
If there’s some sort of horrific injury at an accident scene, like a limb sliced off or a decapitation, emergency workers who are first on the scene will warn the other workers on their way so they can mentally prepare for it.
So if you’re reporting an accident, be explicit in describing injuries so your people can prepare.
Brass doorknobs sanitize themselves. Glass doorknobs hold bacteria.
When putting your fitted sheet on your bed go opposite corner to opposite corner. Like youre making an x. All my life I’ve struggled with the fitted sheet coming off the mattress and my bed sheets becoming a mess until a few weeks ago when I read a comment on Reddit. It’s changed my sleep and comfort in my bed.
i don't know why this blows my mind. but if you have a problem with working out a percentage, flip the numbers and see if it makes more sense.
5% of 200 is the same as 200% of 5,
80% of 50 is the same as 50% of 80.
Try it. It's awesome!
I get that most people don't realize/remember but you sort of learned this in elementary school. Maybe as far back as 3rd or 4th grade. It's called the commutative law: 5+2 = 2+5 and 5x2 = 2x5. If you make one of the numbers you're multiplying a percentage or fraction you're still multiplying 2 numbers.
It takes the average abusive relationship survivor about 8 tries or breakups before they successfully leave their abusive partner for good.
And they’re at the greatest risk of being killed when they leave their abuser.
Insect repellent works best if sprayed onto your clothing, shoes, and hat instead of only where your skin is exposed. You won't sweat it off, it absorbs into the fabric so holds more residue instead of bouncing back off into the air. And pay close attention to how long it's supposed to last. Most insect repellents contain two primary ingredients. If it says it lasts six hours? That's how long the first ingredient lasts to repel insects. At which point the weaker ingredient is no longer masked: it attracts insects. Reapply regularly if you're in a place that has insects carrying disease. Do not wait for the first bite to alert you that you need to put on more. Set a timer or check your watch. Stay safe.
Your home-made remedy is not going to save you from malaria or whatever else is in the area. Choose deet, choose the strongest concentration, check the package.
You can ship bees in the mail!!!
I was waiting in line at the post office, and the clerk came back with a package, and the customer says, “No, these aren’t my bees. Is there another one back there?” And I thought, “Holy s**t. Not only can you ship bees but enough people do this that it could result in a bee mixup. What in the actual eff.”
I got on the phone and told everyone I could think of.
A hot spoon on a bug bite distroys the protein that makes it itchy and subsequently the itching stops!
needs to be like 60°C which will also slightly burn you. Also, there are dedicated battery powered "heat-sticks" for this (and cold sores)
That plants take in CO2 and break it apart and take the carbon and turn it into stems, leaves etc. they literally build themselves out of the carbon in the air. This is how plants are carbon sinks, and why burning plants (fossil fuels) releases the carbon back into the atmosphere. I actually didn’t realize they built their bodies with the Carbon they take in from the air!
I forget the exact percentage, but a ridiculous number of those diagnosed with ADHD as adults are diagnosed after their child receives a diagnosis first.
Just to be clear, this is just the diagnosis. Edit: For further clarification, I am saying that Adults do not develop ADHD as a result of their kids having it. Rather, the adult had it all along, but was never diagnosed.
I have aphantasia, didn't figure it out until I was in my 30s. I thought when people said like imagine or picture something it was a figure of speech. Had no idea everyone has brain pictures and a very small percentage of people have no visual imagination or what's called aphantasia.
That any A.I. smart enough to pass a turing test is smart enough to know to fail it on purpose.
And here we are using CAPTCHAs to prove to computers that we are human. (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart)
Sudden hearing loss. It happens overnight in one ear, can happen at any age and they don’t know the cause. But if they treat it in 48 hours you have a good chance of it returning- the longer you wait the less likely you’ll recover anything.
It's called sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) and if you experience it you need to go to the emergency and insist on seeing an ENT immediately. You need a high dose of prednisone and hyperbaric oxygen therapy if available. If treated within the first couple of weeks there is a good chance of recovery, but it dwindles to near zero chance shortly after that. Don't listen to anyone who tells you to just rest, get exercise, etc.. You can and will lose your hearing in that ear permanently.
Anyone old enough to remember when old dog s**t will turn white? It doesn't happen anymore because they made a change to the dog food.
I thought that was part of the process of it breaking down! But i haven't seen white dog poop in quite a while, indeed. How odd.
If you want to reheat white rice and have it be just as tasty as the first time you cooked it put it into a strainer and pour hot water over it. It comes out like you just cooked it and all fluffy again. (Preferably really hot water from like a kettle)
Same thing for leftover pasta. I pour some (near) boiling water into the container, stir it around for a few seconds then use the lid to drain the water. That save the trouble of cleaning a strainer or colander. PS. IDon't listen to Uncle Roger. f you try to reheat rice in a colander instead of a strainer you can expect a lot of the rice to go through the holes along with the water.
Feeding your cat higher quality food, or going to a raw meat diet (with assistance from a veterinarian), will make your cat's poop and pee nearly and sometimes completely odorless.
Robins see their reflection in your glasses and go into attack mode.
Robins are very violent. They can kill other robins in territorial disputes. https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-brain/do-robins-fight-to-the-death
People who use sign language have accents.
It's less of an accent but more of a dialect! Different signs in different regions :) You can also "mumble" in sign language, which is when you sign a bit unclear. I'm not deaf myself but learned it for a year and it's stunning how you have the element of time and space incorporated into the language. We cannot do that in spoken word.
Buffalo sauce is just hot sauce with butter.
Only one in ten family fortunes survive to be passed to a third generation.
If you want to win Monopoly, be a shark, buy everything you touch if you're low on cash mortgage properties to buy more properties. Don't bother buying hotels, buy all the houses as soon as possible so nobody else can.
Owls have eyetubes, not eyeballs
Which is why they can turn their head so much to compensate for their eyes being fixed.
Not everyone has internal monologue
I sometimes wish my inner monologue would shut up. I can't hear myself think.
The fuel gauge on a car’s dashboard often has a little arrow on one side of it. It indicates which side the fuel cap is on .
We had cows and slaughtered one for meat. I thought it would make it easier to eat, as I simply cannot stomach the cruelty of mass production. Anyway, the way that the steers mother reacted was horrifying. She was in the next paddock over, but afterwards she ran over to where it happened and screamed. She pawed at the earth for weeks, crying. It haunts me. I can’t actually believe how we process animals.
You thought that slaughtering an animal, within proximity of a herd member, would be a good idea, and wouldn't affect the other herd members??? You are a fecking idiot! The most basic humane method is Isolate, incapacitate, relocate, then dispatch.
Note: this post originally had 41 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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