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Encyclopedia bleg
By Jay Levitt on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 10:29pm
I need to build a "staircase" for my three-legged cat to get up to my couch; he's no longer able to jump up more than 3-4 inches.* I'm using phone books right now, but they're pretty slippery.
An old set of encyclopedias would be perfect; they're large, they're hardcover, and they have a nice grippable surface. Does anyone have a set that's too old to bother giving to schools, but too new to be a Valuable Antique?
* More accurately, he's no longer interested in jumping up more than a few inches. When he's excited, he forgets that he can't do it, and he jumps two feet. Yesterday, as I was rebuilding his phone-book staircase, he jumped up on the couch to see what I was doing. I'm pretty sure that was a Tom & Jerry cartoon once. Maybe Road Runner.
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Comments
Let me see
My parents have a couple of old sets of Brittanica in their living room that they keep talking about getting rid of as part of an upcoming remodeling. Don't rely on this if you can get them elsewhere, but I'll see what I can do this week while I'm down there in MD. If I can bring them back up with me, I'll post here to let you know and we can arrange for you to take them from me (I'll post here either way so as not to keep you guessing).
Thanks!!
If it's a PITA, don't kill yourself for it... :) If not encyclopedias, I'm sure I can MacGyver something up.
Biggest problem
The biggest problem probably isn't even whether I can get them up here or not. I'm renting a car for the trip, so there'll likely be room. The bigger problem will be convincing my parents that it's okay to give the books up even though they won't have started the rest of the renovation, etc. My mom will probably be all for it. My dad will probably think that he doesn't want the empty shelves staring at him or something. We'll see.
Empty shelves do suck
I have lots of books I didn't get rid of for just that reason.
A decorator friend tried to use plants and chotchkes to fill in the gaps. Didn't quite work:
http://www.wellesleycarriagehouse.com/images/site/...
Got the okay
Still need the books? I have the okay to take them back. They are about 9 x 12 x 2 and I have about 40 total. How many do you want/need?
How much milk have you been drinking?
I'll take 'em all, or as many as you have the willpower to drag into your car.. thanks!
e-mail me at "jay at jay dot eff-emm" when you get back, and we'll figure out how I can come get them from you.
there's a full set on sale...
at the Newton Free Library. I think they want $15 for the entire Britannica set
Free Books
I have 3 boxes of Cruise World Magazine. They are nicely bound in green. You can have them for free if you can pick them up in downtown boston. I can even provide parking. I think they would look nice in any living room (much better than an encyclopedia.
These sound great
anon: I'll call the Newton Free Library. Thanks.
@librarian: E-mail me at "jay at jay dot eff-emm" with contact info?
Free Books
I have 3 boxes of Cruise World that have been bound in green. Each volume is about 2 inches thick. If you want these you can have them for free. You would need to pick them up in Downtown Boston. I can provide free parking. I think they look nice and would do the trick.
The Local Freecycle group might help
Try joining the local freecycle group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycleboston/
I'll bet someone there can come up with a set for you.
You can also post it on Craiglist Boston's list "wanted" section
http://boston.craigslist.org/wan/
encyclopedias
Jay, I have a 1996 set of Funk & Wagnall's encyclopedia -- book size is smaller than Brittanica or World Book -- more like trade paperback sized hardcovers. Roughly 25 volumes, way out of date, they're yours for your cat if you can pick them up in JP where I live. Best, David
[email protected]
Thanks! / VAS
Those would be too small, I think; he loses his balance when he walks. But thanks for thinking of them!
Also, I should do a PSA here: If you have a cat, please make sure your vet knows about Vaccination-Associated Sarcomas. We don't know exactly what causes them, but they strike somewhere from 0.1% to 0.01% of vaccinated cats; amputation is nearly always required. Your vet should:
* Vaccinate as low on the leg as possible, in case it comes to that
* Use a modern rabies and leukemia vaccine that's been reformulated
* Always use the same leg for the same vaccine, and keep records of injection sites and vaccine brands
Most modern vets know this, but it never hurts to make sure.
is this really what the
is this really what the internet was created for? soliciting donated encyclopedias for a cat stairway?
Not quite
It was really created for people to whine about people soliciting donated encyclopedias for a cat stairway...
...and the people that whine about them.
As someone who helped create the Internet
Yes, actually.
[Insert some joke about CAT-3 cabling]
Al?
Mr. Gore, I will tell no one about your secret identity.
Kitteh Stairs
Jay, have you seen the foam pet stairs?
http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/doggy_steps.h...
If the encyclopedias don't pan out, you can usually find these at the Christmas Tree Shop for ten bucks.
No, I hadn't
I'd searched for cat stairs, and these were only marketed at dogs, so I completely missed them. Thanks!
Between those, librarian's Cruise World, and maybe Kaz's books, I think Pewter is going to have one highly accessible apartment. Oh, U-Hub.. you've done it again.