Tonks Tuesday: Tucked Into the Christmas Tree

On this Tonks Tuesday, the calico is yet again in the Christmas tree. That is, after all, her favorite place to be this time of the year.

There's more to this particular story, which you'll see in Thimble's post on Thursday. But, for today, there's your view of Tonks tucked into the Christmas tree for a nap. Luckily, Tonks is not a cord chewer. She is a tough on ornaments and so those can't be on any tree she frequents, but she's never bothered the light strands. I also put cloth ribbons on the tree, and the calico does chew on those sometimes. She thankfully never ingests them, just gnaws on them or pulls them off of the tree and bats them around the house. You can see the teeth marks in the ribbon on the right side of that there photo.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a festive Tuesday!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Continuing with our Christmas safety tips, today we're here to tell you to beware of ribbons. Ribbons, such as the kind often used when wrapping presents, can be dangerous in the same way that tinsel can. If ingested, ribbon can cause dangers such as obstruction or laceration of the gastrointestinal tract. This is why it is important to ensure that your furbaby does not have access to ribbon this holiday season. Avoid using ribbon when wrapping presents, or do not put presents with ribbon where a ribbon-loving furbaby can reach them. Ribbon may seem like a fun and festive part of Christmas, but it can also mean dangerous situations for the furbabies in your life.

Mancat Monday: Napping and Naked Trees

On this Mancat Monday, Evan wanted you all to see one of his current favorite, festive places to nap.

I think I've already shared some photos co-starring that particular tree, but I'm not sure I mentioned that I just won it at a local Christmas tree event this year. I actually won two trees, which has left me with more Christmas trees than I know what to do with. The event coordinators wrap the trees in plastic as-is once they've been won, so I brought the trees home already decorated and all that fun jazz. Both trees I won actually have all non-breakable ornaments, and so I'm trying my hand at letting the decorations stay on there. I'm having to pick up some ornaments here and there, but so far it's going better than expected. I did still put up my calico girl Tonks's favorite tree that is very dense and so allows her to climb in it with ease, and so it takes most of her abuse rather than the new trees. Tonks's favorite tree is far more naked than the one you see Evan sleeping beneath there, as only lights and cloth ribbons are safe in any tree that Tonks targets.

All that rambling aside, Evan has always loved sleeping under Christmas trees, and so of course he's already enjoying this new one. As you can see, I don't use tree skirts. I tried once. It didn't go well. My hind limb paralyzed Evan's urinary habits are not the most polite, and so tree skirts don't survive well at my house. In addition, the one time I tried a tree skirt, Evan ended up getting it stuck beneath his extra special back legs and he thereby dragged the entire tree around with him. So, we just let the trees go naked at the base, as you can see above.

Evan hopes you all get to have a festive nap!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Given some of the above subject matter involving Evan and our Christmas tree skirts, this flashback doodle seemed fitting enough for today.

I am indeed still working on finishing this year's new Christmas doodles. I did finish drawing our Christmas card, and so those will be going out soon. And now that that's done, I can move on to all the others.

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Tip of the Day

We have one more Christmas tree safety tip. If you want to have lights on your tree, but burns or electrocution are a concern with your furbaby around, or if you are concerned about electrical fires, then perhaps consider using battery-operated lights for your tree or elsewhere in the house. Some of the Christmas lights at our house are battery-operated. Our battery-operated lights even come with a remote control, with a timer option, making it easy to turn them on and off, all without the risks of electrical cords. Also, to save on the cost of batteries, we use rechargeable batteries.

That all being said, though, always base such decisions on your individual furbaby and his or her personal behaviors. The battery pack for the lights we use is very sturdy as well as well-hidden, and the kitties and pup at my house have never proven themselves chewers of such things. For this reason, my particular furbabies accessing the batteries is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, batteries can indeed be dangerous if chewed or consumed, so do keep this in mind when shopping around for anything that is battery-operated. But, if your furbaby is a cord chewer, or if you have any other concerns of the electrical nature, then perhaps look into battery-operated or other safe lighting options for your Christmas tree. Of course, still be careful of the dangers of any loose cords, whether they be attached to battery-operated or electrical lights.

Friendly Fill-Ins and the Lighting of Eddy's Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're 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, and I came up with the second two.


1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by _________.

4. When it comes to _________, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my furry family.
(I had a whole different answer to this one. I was going to say my dad is the easiest to shop for, since he is indeed the easiest human for me personally to shop for, but the reality is that my kitties are simply really easy to buy gifts for. I know that they love silver vine and catnip and feathers and anything they can bat or scratch. I had my kitties' Christmas shopping done before anyone else's. I also always loved shopping for my sweet angel pup Astrid, as she loved dog cookies and I always felt so happy picking out festive ones for her.)

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my human family.
(My parents and sister aren't really that difficult to shop for, but they're simply not as easy to shop for as my kitties. There's always the question of whether you're getting them something they'll actually like or have use for, or if it's something they already have. In my family, though, we do typically give each other gift idea lists, something that has worked well for us for decades. I also always get them each one or two surprise gifts that I know they don't have, and those are always fun to pick out.)

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by giving to those in need.
(I do my best with this. With aging kitties requiring increased vet care and medications, not to mention the general state of the economy, I always wish I could do more. My church always has gift donation opportunities for various causes during the Christmas season, though, and I always do at least one of those.)

4. When it comes to traveling for the holidays, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.
(To visit my grandma or any other extended family, my parents, sister, and I have to drive nearly 2 hours. While I of course want to see my grandma and such, I admittedly dislike traveling. I dislike being away from home. We no longer do any such traveling on Christmas itself, as that became too stressful and overwhelming for all of us, but we do still drive to visit my grandma and often other family for a day at some point in the Christmas season. I'm always glad to see my grandma and other family, but I'm never glad about the whole spending so much time in the car and being away from my kitties part.)

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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Are you ready for a festive Eddy fix? You are? Well, good. Today's photos of Eddy were snapped right after I strung the Christmas lights on her beloved year round tree in my room.

For some reason, that's where Eddy tends to sit and stare at the tree each year when I first light it for Christmas. It's like she's taking in the sight of it, and I love that so much.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a festive Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

There's one more flashback doodle from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a few years ago, and it's one of my favorites. So, here you go.

I'd still love to recreate that with my slightly adjusted drawing style these days, but I do still love the idea of that there original doodle.

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Tip of the Day

Our last Christmas tree tip relates to real trees and how they might affect your furbaby. If you have a real tree, be cautious of letting your kitty or pup drink from any accessible water in the tree stand. It is possible that certain chemicals, such as fertilizers or even pesticides, are used in some tree lots. Some of these chemicals can then end up in the water that the tree is resting in, and this can potentially lead to toxic side effects for your furbaby. Another concern relates to stagnant water in the tree stand, which can harbor potentially harmful bacteria. In addition, be careful of pine needles falling from real trees, and even artificial trees, for that matter. These needles are pointy and sharp, and if consumed this can potentially lead to internal damage. So, keep that tree water covered or somehow out of reach, and keep those fallen pine needles cleaned up, so that your furbaby and the Christmas tree can live in harmony.

Thankful Thimble Thursday by the Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Thursday! Thimble is here and ready to share something festive for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

This is Thimble's first post since we put up our Christmas trees, so she of course wants to share her gratitude for the festive fun. She especially loves this particular tree, as the window behind it gives her some lovely glamour shots.

Thimble has already snapped even more glamour shots like this one. I need to go through them all and add them to our blog album, but I do know that there are a couple stunning ones with Thimble and the tree just glowing in the sun. We'll share those soon, of course.

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And now we have 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. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by _________.

4. When it comes to _________, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I really do hope to finish some of my new Christmas doodles this weekend, but for now we're still sharing flashbacks. And today is another from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a few years ago.

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Tip of the Day

A series of tips on Christmas tree safety simply would not be complete without a comment or two on tinsel. Long story short, please do not use tinsel if you have furbabies in your life. This stringy stuff can be quite tempting to kitties, for example, but it can also be extremely dangerous. If consumed, it can cause problems such as gastrointestinal obstruction or laceration. Keeping that in mind, if your furbaby does swallow tinsel and you find some hanging from their mouth or even their anus, do not pull on it, as this can cause even further internal damage. If you find yourself in a situation such as this, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Again, though, to prevent such incidents, it is highly recommended that you simply do not use tinsel as part of your Christmas decorations.

Snowy Adventures with Angel Astrid

We've gotten a lot of snow this week, I believe at least half a foot. I know that's nothing compared to what some folks get and probably more than a lot of folks actually got this week, but it's a decent amount for us this early on. It's also very cold. My sweet angel pup Astrid loved cold weather and snow, and so this weather makes me think of her very often. It's my first winter without her, and I miss her so much, but I'm so grateful for all of the memories I share with her.

See the snow on Astrid's nose in that photo? She was notorious for shoving her snout into the cold white stuff, and even picking it up in her mouth and throwing it.

I hope you all can find even a fraction of the joy my sweet Astrid had for winter weather!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is the image I scribbled up for our Christmas card a couple years ago. Astrid played her version of Snoopy, with the kitties enjoying Charlie Brown's special little tree.

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Tip of the Day

We're nearing the end of our Christmas tree tips, but not just yet. Today's tip is to be aware and cautious of edible tree decorations. Whether they be something such as candy canes, cookie ornaments, or strings such as those made from popcorn, be very careful if there is anything edible on your Christmas tree. This can be dangerous if your furbaby eats potentially dangerous goods off of the tree, or even if they eat too much of an otherwise safe human food. Of course, a furbaby trying to reach edible tree decorations could also lead to falling trees and related injuries. So, for the sake of your furbaby and the tree, it is likely best to avoid decorating with edible goods. As we've said before, it is still possible to be festive, but do be sure to keep your furbaby's safety in mind as well.

Tonks Tuesday in the Christmas Tree

On this Tonks Tuesday, the Christmas tree-loving calico wanted to share some of the first festive photos we snapped this year.

I took these when Tonks was "helping" me put up her favorite Christmas tree. I actually bought this tree off of a coworker's mother for a great price a couple years ago, when she wanted to upgrade and I needed to replace our previous, used and abused tree. And this new one is great because it's incredibly dense, which Tonks absolutely loves as she can really nestle in and nap in it.

There will certainly be more photos like this. After all, this calico spends a good chunk of her day in or near that Christmas tree. It's her favorite thing this time of the year.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrifically festive Tuesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

While I continue to work on some new Christmas doodles for this year, today's flashback is yet another one from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a couple years ago. This is far from my favorite doodle from this series, but I still wanted to include it nonetheless.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we mentioned the importance of securing your Christmas tree against any furry climbers in the home. Today, we have another Christmas tree safety tip, this time regarding those light strands and ornaments. As you all certainly already know, always be careful of cords and the dangers they pose, such as if chewed on or if a furbaby becomes tangled in them. If your furbaby only seems interested in the lower branches of the tree, perhaps only place lights on the upper portion. Or, if necessary, do not use lights at all. If you do decorate your tree with lights, always unplug them if left unattended.

The same sort of rules can apply to ornaments, as needed. You can avoid placing them on the lower portion of the tree, or refrain from using them altogether. If glass ornaments might become broken and cause potential injuries, consider using only plastic ones. Also consider the dangers of ornament hooks, or the choking hazards the ornaments themselves might pose. At our house, for these reasons, ornaments are not included on the tree but are instead hung from strands of garland that are attached to the wall, out of certain furbabies' reach. You don't have to throw your festive spirit out the door if you have adventurous and Christmas tree-loving furbabies, you simply have to take necessary precautions.

A Merry Mancat Monday

We put up our Christmas trees on Black Friday, and I've of course taken lots of photos of the kitties enjoying the festivities. I haven't yet organized all of those photos yet, but that doesn't mean we don't have one to share with you. For today, you get to see Evan in his new favorite place to sleep.

Do you see my boy curled up in his cat tree beside the Christmas tree? Being hind limb paralyzed, Evan isn't easily able to get to that level of the cat tree himself. I do put his pet stairs beside the cat tree, but he seems to prefer being lifted and put in there by his human, which I'm more than fine doing for my sweet boy.

Have a merry Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I did not get around to all the art I hoped to scribble up this weekend, so until I finish more of my Christmas doodles for this year, it's time for more flashbacks. I do have lots of those, though, including this old-fashioned one from a couple years ago.

I scribbled up that one and a couple other similar doodles when I was in A Christmas Carol sort of mood a couple years ago. I had a lot of fun with those, and I plan on doing at least one vintage sort of doodle like that this year.

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Tip of the Day

We seem to be repeating old tips these days. 'Tis the season, apparently. That being said, this festive season we'll be repeating some Christmas safety tips that we also shared the past few years. It's an important topic this time of year, so we'll keep going with it.

How about we start with that good ol' Christmas tree? To begin, if you put up a Christmas tree, make sure it is securely in place. This is especially important if you have a kitty or pup who enjoys climbing or otherwise giving the tree lots of attention. You can try putting the tree in a corner of a room, if that helps to keep it safe and upright against adventurous furbabies. Moreover, to be extra safe, you can find a way to anchor the tree to the floor, wall, or even a heavy, sturdy piece of furniture. There is also the option of weighing down the base of the tree, such as with weighted bags, as long as they are of a safe and secure sort. Another option, especially if your furbaby is overzealous in their love for the Christmas tree, is to block their access to it altogether, whether that be with baby gates, closed doors, or another means. Whatever it takes, if you put up a Christmas tree in a home with a tree-loving furbaby, do be sure to try and find a way to prevent a fallen tree and potential injuries.