Last week on the forum, discussions centered around continuing education opportunities and practical challenges faced in the field. Members shared experiences about handling exotic species, highlighting the need for specialized training. There was also conversation around unusual animal sightings, with professionals sharing stories and strategies for responding to unexpected situations.
This Week’s Hot Topics
CEUs for exotic species law and handling
Members are delving into the complexities of legal and handling requirements for exotic animals. This is crucial for those looking to expand their expertise and improve safety protocols. Read more here
The “tall housecat” at 2 a.m
A light-hearted yet insightful thread about an unusual animal sighting. It sparked a discussion on identifying and approaching potentially misidentified animals during late-night calls. Read more here
Keep sharing your experiences and insights. Your contributions make this community a valuable resource for everyone involved in animal control.
Had one of those “tall housecat” calls last winter that turned out to be a Savannah — asked the caller to text a doorbell clip with a trash bin in frame for scale, and the full-length tail made the ID. If I can’t get eyes on, I treat it as bobcat protocol with the thermal; ear tufts and a short tail vs a long, straight tail usually settle it fast.
At 2 a.m. I text the caller, “turn on the porch light and film 10 seconds from inside — I’ll use the 36-inch door width for scale,” which usually lets me sort Savannah/serval-type tails from bobcat nubs without rolling a unit. If they can’t do video, first-light track photos with a coin for scale are my fallback.
, been there — @OP, what got me from about 0.02 to about 0.007 mm at 35k was ditching the stock collet nut: the nut face had about 0.01 mm wobble and was tilting the collet, so I swapped to a ground nut and verified <0.003 mm at the face. I also blue the nut face to the collet flange and, if it prints high on one side, a light lap on a granite plate or a new nut fixes it; if not, front bearing preload that’s a hair light will show as dynamic runout (KaVo notes it: https://www.kavo.com/service-support). Can you clock the nut face and the spindle nose with the collet removed?