Halloween Adventures with Angel Astrid

I've shared the below photos of my sweet angel pup Astrid over multiple Halloween seasons now. I just love them so much, though. They may not look like much, but they're Astrid in the Halloween costume she wore every year until she outgrew it at about 10 years old.

The costume packaging technically said it was an alligator or something of the sort, but we always said Astrid was dressed up as a dragon. After all, her name comes from the movie How to Train Your Dragon.

The costume did come with a hood that would have given Astrid a way more reptilian look, but she hated wearing it and so I never made her. These photos don't show it, but the collar of this costume also lit up green, so she'd show up in the dark and just generally looked all glowy and cute. She got so many oohs and awws and compliments when she wore this out in public.

I'm so glad to have these October memories with Astrid.

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is one I scribbled up not too long after Astrid passed away last year. It is, of course, my sweet pup in her dinosaur getup. In my sketchbook, Astrid was even willing to wear the hood of the costume.

As for Astrid's collar, for her last few years she wore one just like in this doodle. It's the pattern of Sally's dress from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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Tip of the Day

If you think it might be fun and festive for your pup or other furbaby to get in the Halloween spirit with a chocolaty treat, consider getting them some goodies made with carob. Carob is a chocolate alternative, and it can give items such as candy and baked goods an appearance and even flavor that is similar to chocolate. What's more, carob does not contain the component found in real chocolate that is toxic to cats and dogs. There are carob pet treats on the market, and even items such as cookies for furbabies are sometimes made with carob. So, if you think your pup or kitty might enjoy some chocolaty treats of their own while you enjoy some candy on Halloween, then consider the safe and festive alternative that is carob.

A Spookily Belated Mancat Monday on Tonks Tuesday

We're sorry we missed our usual Monday post yesterday! Things were just a bit chaotic with some repairs being done at our home. So now here we are.

It's now technically Tonks Tuesday, but how about mancat Evan and calico Tonks for today? They both wanted to show off a festive little drink they've been enjoying this spooky season.

Both Evan and Tonks are willing to share their Boo Brew, so feel free to have a taste!

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Spooky Flashback Doodles of the Day

I'm unfortunately still working on completing this year's Halloween doodles. Life sure gets crazy sometimes. I hope to have all of them done to share by and on Halloween, and even for a couple days after Halloween since those days also have significance during this season.

The above being said, we still have some spooky flashbacks from last year to share. Almost all of last year's new Halloween doodles starred my parents' kitties in costumes. Let's share two today, one for an orange boy and one for a calico since that's also what Evan and Tonks are. Truth be told, though, the two kitties below aren't really in costumes in today's drawings. Instead, their own unique features were used to create their Halloween characters.

One of my parents' kitties is a big orange boy named Foggy. As I just mentioned, he's a big boy, and so last year he got to be the Blob.

My parents also have a gorgeous calico with beautiful long fur. Her name is Gilly. Because of her lovely hair, she got to be long-haired and well-dwelling Samara from The Ring.

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Tip of our Day

Today's Halloween tip is to know your local area's trick-or-treat details in order to be prepared, whether or not you are handing out candy or otherwise joining in on the festivities. Two of the important things to know are when trick-or-treat hours are, and what indicates whether trick-or-treaters should come to your door. It's important to know these Halloween festivity details so that you can have your pup or kitty home from a walk before traffic increases, for example, or to have your black cats and other furbabies safely inside before people begin filling the streets in search of candy. If you are handing out candy, it's good to know trick-or-treat hours so that you can have your kitty or pup tucked securely away from the door before the first trick-or-treaters arrive. In many areas, a house with its porch light on is one where trick-or-treaters can go for some loot. In the event that you're handing out candy, be sure to only have your porch light on when your furbaby is in a safe area of the home, again away from the door. If you are not handing out candy, it's of course still important to know the hours and other details of Halloween festivities in your area. This will ensure that you can have your porch light off at the correct hours, in order to avoid knocks at the door or the doorbell ringing and scaring your furbaby needlessly.  It's always good to be informed of the details of anything that might affect your furbaby, and that includes Halloween night festivities.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Non-Blurry Eddy with the Cat-o'-Lantern

Hello, friends! We're here and ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. I have been _________ for _________.

2. _________ bores me.

3. _________ is my main criticism of _________.

4. If I threw a Halloween party, it would include _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I have been craving potato soup for the entire week.

(This is quite the random answer, but my dad shared a recipe for a new kind of potato soup early this week, and I've been craving it ever since. I've always loved potato soup, even as a kid. I haven't had it in a while, and now I'm eager to try that new recipe my dad shared.)

2. Watching musicals bores me.

(I might be in a minority here, but I don't enjoy watching musical shows. I don't mind ones put on by kids, because little ones can be very entertaining. But actual Broadway-type shows and the like bore me. They've just never kept my attention. I love music, but not this kind for some reason.)

3. Confused front desk staff is my main criticism of our regular vet clinic.

(In general, I absolutely love our vet and the clinic. Our veterinarian is genuinely amazing, as is the whole staff. The front desk ladies are simply known to get a bit confused sometimes, especially a couple of particular women who work there. They are incredibly kind and friendly, and so this isn't a huge complaint, but they do get confused enough sometimes that the client either has to clarify things or they have to go ask someone else for help.)

4. If I threw a Halloween party, it would include a horror movie marathon.

(Even if no one else wanted to sit down and watch horror movies, I'd honestly still have them playing on the TV in the background for the spookily festive vibes. I'd also have lots of candy, decorated cupcakes and other kooky baked goods, pizza, and that sort of thing. I'm pretty much describing the tiny little shindig I have at my house with my parents and sister on Halloween night every year. It's simple and quiet and I always enjoy it so much.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Throughout this week, the kitties have been sharing how much they love their cat-o'-lantern basket toy. All of the kitties who have done so thus far have mostly had bloopers to share, as this toy gets them very excited. Can you believe, though, that Eddy is the only kitty who has non-blurry shots to share?  Honestly, can you believe it? Our blooper queen is the only one without bloopers. A true shocker.

That poor cat-o'-lantern was run through the washer not that long ago, thanks to Evan and his bladder. Because of how abusive loving the kitties are to this toy, though, it's already a mess again, as you can see here.

Perhaps Eddy withheld on the bloopers today because she's waiting for that cat-o'-lantern basket to be filled with treats. It does have catnip in it, but Eddy is one of those kitties who doesn't react all that much to catnip. She does love silver vine, and actual treats, so she's likely holding out for one of those two. Don't worry, she did indeed enjoy some treats right after these photos were snapped.

Happy Friday to all!

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Spooky Flashback Doodles of the Day

Yesterday's post included a bit about my parents' kitty Iris, and so we shared a Halloween flashback doodle that starred her and her sister Josie (as well as my parents' kitty Fizzgig). Since Iris and Josie starred in yesterday's spooky doodle, today we'll share their blood brothers in their Halloween costumes that I scribbled up last year.

First up is Homer. This sweet and handsome boy very unexpectedly gained his angel wings this March due to undetected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We miss him dearly, but we'll never forget him. As for his Halloween costume last year, for certain reasons, I scribbled this boy up as Hannibal Lecter.

Next up is Kipper, a boy who is very sweet and social but unfortunately does not like being held. That's the complete opposite of Homer, who was always more than willing to let me hold him like a baby. Kipper's allowed to set boundaries, though. All that said, in my sketchbook last Halloween, Kipper got to dress up as Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. For reasons.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we mentioned keeping your kitty or pup in a safe area of the home in order to avoid any escapes out the front door during Halloween night festivities. Today, we're offering some additional methods you might be able to use to help keep a furbaby as safe, happy, and comfortable as possible on Halloween night. These tips are the most beneficial to furbabies who are scared of the doorbell, knocks at the door, and any other noises and happenings that Halloween might bring with it.

To begin, you can help make a nervous or uncertain furbaby feel more secure during the hustle and bustle of trick-or-treaters by closing windows and drawing blinds or curtains, to mask some of the sights and sounds of the spooky festivities. In addition, you can play music or turn on the TV or a movie to help further drown out sounds that might alarm a kitty or pup. Some furbabies might even be distracted by some treats, or by a play session with you or an interactive toy. In some cases, a cat or dog with higher levels of anxiety might benefit from the use of calming products like a pheromone spray or diffuser, or even a Thundershirt or similar makeshift item to make them feel secure. Or, some cats and dogs would simply do well to have access to a safe hiding place in a safe area of the home, where they can ride out Halloween night.

If your cat or dog is scared or becomes excited at the sound of the doorbell, then another option is to disconnect it on Halloween night. If you hand out candy on Halloween, you can also use options such as placing the candy dish outside for trick-or-treaters to grab some loot themselves, sitting outside to hand out candy, or simply staying near the door and watching for trick-or-treaters so that they won't need to knock or ring the doorbell. As we've mentioned in previous tips, there are still ways to enjoy Halloween and its festivities while also keeping your kitty or pup as calm and safe as possible. This might mean taking some extra precautions and finding a method that works for you and your furbaby, but it is doable.

Thankful Thursday with Angel Trapper, Iris, and Thimble

Hello, friends. It's time for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, we're thankful for all of the sweet and caring comments you left on our post yesterday, about the passing of my parents' kitty Trapper. This community is beyond amazing, and I'm truly so grateful for it.

My parents, myself, and our entire family are so incredibly thankful for all 12 years (almost 12 and a half years) we got to share with amazing Trapper. He truly was a one-of-a-kind cat, and my parents and all of us will forever be so grateful that he was and always will be such a light in our lives.

You know what else we're grateful for? That my parents' kitty Iris is doing okay. Because since yesterday wasn't already devastating enough, my parents' wild little lady known as Iris started vomiting the night before Trapper passed. And she didn't stop. She couldn't keep anything down. So, while my mom gathered Trapper up to calmly get him ready for his final vet appointment, my dad and I wrangled the wild girl into a carrier. I dropped her off at the vet since I was already headed that way with Evan for his routine grooming appointment. So, while we were saying goodbye to sweet Trapper, Iris was already at the vet, and Evan was over at their grooming facility.

All that said, Iris is fine. She has lost a bit of weight, but the likely culprit of her vomiting was her snacking on all the new, special foods my mom was giving Trapper to get him to eat. Iris is a small lady, and my mom kept finding her gorging on all the new foods. So, that very likely upset her stomach. Though she's a bit of a wilding and I have to scruff her just to help my parents trim her nails, the vet was somehow able to get her blood and urine as well as give her subcutaneous fluids, a Cerenia injection, and an antibiotic injection. They also gave her some mirtazapine to help her appetite, but she's unfortunately one of the kitties who has side effects like vocalization, hyperactivity, and hypersalivation. My parents said that they think those are starting to subside, but if they don't they'll reach out to the vet in case she needs anything to help her get past those side effects. The mirtazapine did at least work very well, though, as Iris ate a lot of food when she got home from the vet, and she was able to keep it down thanks to the Cerenia. 

Here's tiny but mighty Iris for you all to enjoy. She's not a fan of looking at the camera, and she's know to squint her eyes if she catches you looking at her, but she's still absolutely adorable.

Now, Thimble would like to share yet another bit of thankfulness today. We're still trying to enjoy the Halloween season around here, and Thimble of course wants her turn posing with the kitties' used and abused well-loved cat-o'-lantern basket toy. As with Tonks and Evan, Thimble got so excited about the cat-o'-lantern that we ended up with some blurry bloopers. But, of course, she's still downright adorable.

I did indeed put some catnip in the cat-o'-lantern, so I can't blame Thimble for turning blurry in these photos.

Thimble tried really hard to sit still for at least one photo. She is a model, after all, and so she knows she has to snap some non-bloopers to uphold her reputation.

Thimble hopes you're all enjoying a not-so-spookily festive October!

***

Now, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I have been _________ for _________.

2. _________ bores me.

3. _________ is my main criticism of _________.

4. If I threw a Halloween party, it would include _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since my parents' kitty Iris got to join in on today's post, how about the Halloween doodle I scribbled up last year that included her? This one also stars my parents' kitties Fizzgig and Josie, and all three of these ladies sometimes like to fight. As a result, I apparently thought it would be a good idea to draw the three of them as squabbling witches.

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is one we're sure you all know, and it's to practice proper door safety. This is of course most relevant if you are handing out candy on Halloween night, or if you are hosting a Halloween party with a number of arriving guests. Knocks on the door, the doorbell, children or adults in strange costumes, and all of the hustle and bustle of Halloween can scare some furbabies. On the other hand, some cats or dogs might enjoy guests, and so they might be attracted to the door on Halloween. Either way, if you have increased traffic at the door on Halloween, there is always the chance that your kitty or pup could escape if proper precautions are not taken. This is why it is important to practice proper door safety, so that you can avoid escapes.

There are of course a number of options for keeping a cat or dog from escaping out a busy door on Halloween. You can set up a safe room for your cat or dog and keep them in there during the Halloween festivities, so that they have no ability to escape from the house when people show up at the front door. Depending on how your house is set up and how determined your kitty or pup is to reach the door, you can also put up baby gates or pet gates to keep a cat or dog in an area of the house away from the door. If your furbaby is leash trained, and as long as the leash is securely held, your kitty or pup can also be kept safe in the house by attaching them to their leash, with of course someone holding said leash. You best know your furbaby as well as the setup of your home, so use whatever method is the safest, most surefire way of keeping your kitty or pup from escaping out a busy door on nights like Halloween.

Rest in Peace, Sweet Trapper

This morning, my parents' kitty Trapper gained his angel wings. The aggressive cancer had started to cause rapid decline, and my parents made the compassionate decision to let him know peace at the Rainbow Bridge.

Trapper came to our family at 3 weeks old in 2014, alongside his littermates, including his angel brother Talon, with whom he is now reunited. Talon and Trapper both owned my parents, and their other 2 littermates are my girl Thimble and my sister's boy Toby. We bottle fed all 4 of them, and we've loved them from the moment we met them.

When we first met these 4 adorable kitties, we had every intention of just caring for them until they were old enough to adopt out. See how that went? Truth be told, Trapper got his name because my dad fell in love with him and his handsome face immediately, and so we always joked that he "trapped" us into keeping all 4 kitties. So, he earned the name Trapper, and he wore it with pride.

Over time, Trapper collected a variety of nicknames. My sister tended to call him Trapper John, but I always had a preference for Dapper Trapper. After all, he was one handsome fella. I even had a little song to go with that nickname, and it would get him excited every time.

Trapper was a big boy who weighed over 21 lbs at his heaviest. He always looked a lot like my girl Thimble, except 10 lbs heavier.

Trapper was diagnosed with diabetes in 2023, and he was our veterinary clinic's first cat to ever try the diabetes pill known as Bexacat. Trapper did great on it, and his diabetes remained perfectly controlled on it for over 3 years.

As a fun little tidbit, Trapper's favorite toy was red string. In the photos below you can see his original beloved red string.

After that string started to fray after much playtime, I got Trapper some red shoelace for Christmas a couple years ago. He loved it so much. He and I had a lot of fun play sessions with that thing, and I'm so grateful for those memories, including the one below.

My parents, myself, and our entire family are really going to miss sweet, handsome, and just all around amazing boy Trapper so, so, so much. But, we are grateful that he's no longer suffering, and that he's reunited with his brother Talon.

Trapper can now also enjoy playing with angel pup Astrid again, as the two of them had a very special bond.

We love you so very much, Trapper. Always and forever. We'll never forget you. Until we meet again, sweet boy.

Tonks Tuesday with a Cat-o'-Lantern and Pennywise the Clown

Just like Evan did yesterday, Tonks is here today to show off how much she enjoys the kitties' beloved cat-o'-lantern basket toy. Also just like Evan, Tonksy's photos all ended up as blurry bloopers. Not only was she moving around a lot, but I also didn't realize until afterwards that the lens of my camera was smudged. Even so, here's blurry Tonks and her favorite Halloween toy.

I did put catnip in the cat-o'-lantern before snapping these photos, which Tonks greatly enjoyed.

Tonks and all of us here wish you lots of festive fun today!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since I'm still working on my new Halloween doodles for this year, this week I'm sharing flashback doodles starring my parents' kitties in costumes. Their kitty Talon passed away last April, but I of course still included him. For reasons that probably only make sense to me, Talon got to be Pennywise the clown from Stephen King's It.

Talon was the littermate of my parents' kitty Trapper, as well as littermate to my own Thimble and my sister's kitty Toby. As we've mentioned many times over the past couple of weeks, Trapper was recently diagnosed with an aggressive, terminal cancer. My parents have been keeping him comfortable with lots of medications, and I've been going over every day to help them give Trapper fluids. Even so, the sweet boy has started to decline more and more, and my mom told me a bit ago that today is the first time in all of this that he's starting to turn down food. We know our time with him is very limited, and the only consolation we have for when the time comes is that he'll be free of this awful disease and will be reunited with his brother Talon.

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Tip of the Day

We know we don't have to tell you wonderful folk that all of those superstitions about unlucky black cats simply aren't true. That being said, there are unfortunately those out there who do believe such things. There are also, sadly, people out there who might even think to play unjust tricks on black cats on or around Halloween. This is why today we are here to remind you to ensure that your sweet and innocent black cats, and all of your furbabies, are safe indoors on and around Halloween. Even if you live in what is believed to be a safe neighborhood, please do keep your black cats, and all of your furbabies, inside and under close observation during the Halloween season. This will help ensure that they don't fall victim to the tricks and pranks of any callous or superstitious people out there. As always, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Mancat Monday: Evan and the Cat-o'-Lantern

This week I'm sharing photos of all my kitties enjoying their used and abused well-loved cat-o'-lantern basket toy. I didn't realize until now that all of Evan's shots ended up blurry. It probably didn't help that I put catnip in the cat-o'-lantern toy before the photoshoot, and Evan was indeed accordingly active for the camera. All that said, here's Evan and the cat-o'-lantern. Believe it or not, this toy used to be so bright and clean.

I almost pulled all the hair and such off of the poor cat-o'-lantern before taking these photos, but I decided against it so that you all could see it in its far more accurate state. This toy gets played with so often, and it's regularly tossed under couches and into every nook and cranny of the house. Tonks once even threw this thing so high in the air that it landed in the tall kitchen trash can.

I know it doesn't look like it, but the cat-o'-lantern has actually been laundered many times. For some reason, Evan tends to target this toy when he rage pees as I prepare his medications and such. I can never believe how dirty this poor old toy can look despite the number of times it's seen the inside of the washer.

Evan hopes you all enjoyed seeing the blurry side of him!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

This weekend ended up far more chaotic than I expected, and so I'm still working on completing this year's new Halloween doodles. That's okay, though, because I have a ton of flashback ones to share in the meantime, such as the series I scribbled up last year. All of those starred my parents' kitties in Halloween costumes.

Though his aggressive, terminal cancer is unfortunately yet unavoidably progressing, my parents' sweet kitty Trapper is still with us. His medications are so far keeping him comfortable enough to slowly and quietly enjoy some of his favorite things. Last year I drew Trapper in a T-Rex costume, in part because of an inside joke in our family. So, here's sweet Trapper as a T-Rex.

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is about bats. Bats may be a staple in Halloween lore and decor, but the reality is that they are one of the primary carriers of rabies. What's more, bats leave very small bites that might go unnoticed, especially on kitties or pups with fur that can hide such minuscule bite marks. For such reasons, do be aware and cautious of the presence of bats, such as if you and your furbaby are walking through a park with trees near nightfall.

Bats are not always found outside, though. Bats can sometimes find their way into buildings, including attics or other areas of homes. If you live in a house or apartment where bats are discovered, keep your furbaby away (and also, of course, try to keep yourself safe), and certainly do not allow your furbaby to chase or play with any bats. A bat can bite quickly and without notice, and rabies could potentially be transferred that quickly if the bat at hand is infected with it. If a bat is unable to be safely escorted out through a window, or in another safe means that does not mean direct handling, then contact animal control or another relevant organization for the safe removal of bats.