Thankful Thursday with Thimble and a Teddy Bear

Hello and happy Thursday to all! You better believe Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for a few things. Not only is she yet again thankful for sunshine, but also for cozy blankets and teddy bears!

I have quite a collection of blankets and pillows and a few stuffed animals. Thimble is a cozy-loving lady and so enjoys all of them. The teddy bear behind Thimble in that photo is about 37 years old, as my grandpa gave it to me when I was a baby.

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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. My plans for June include _________ and _________.

2. _________ is the bravest thing I have ever done.

3. I swear by _________ as a cure for _________.

4. As if _________ wasn't bad enough, _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I've mentioned many times lately, I'm in a spooky mood. This happens to me pretty much every time the weather starts warming up. I start craving autumn, and then I get in the mood for Halloween, and then I feel like scribbling up spooky doodles. I hope to get some new summertime spooky doodles drawn soon, but in the meantime I'll be sharing some flashbacks. For today, here's another one from my "Halfway to Halloween" series of doodles I shared for an April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. All of these starred my calico angel Rosie. This one here is an odd one, but I remember really enjoying scribbling up Rosie in a skeleton costume.

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Tip of the Day

Today's food tip is all about those carbs. When we think of carbohydrates, things like pasta and bread may come to mind. But, carbohydrates in other forms are an important aspect in pet food. In a dog or cat's food, carbohydrates often come from plants or grains, such as corn, rice, oats, or wheat. Just as in humans, carbohydrates can serve as a source of energy and fuel for our furbaby's body. That being said, carbohydrates are one aspect of pet food that may hold different levels of importance for cats and dogs.

Dogs are omnivores. This means that, even in the wild, they get their nutrition from both animal and plant sources. For this reason, carbohydrates in the form of plants and grains are of course important in commercial dog food, just as meat products are. 

On the other hand, cats are strict carnivores, and in the wild they gain much of their nutrition and energy from the protein and fat of their prey. This is why plants and grains in commercial cat food is sometimes debated. Some studies indicate that cats in the wild do consume a small percentage of plant and grain carbohydrates, these being from whatever vegetation their prey may have eaten. Regardless, most commercial cat foods do contain carbohydrates from plants and grains, some in far higher percentage than others. This is where reading labels and comparing protein versus carbohydrate levels can be important for cat owners to do.

Not only is it important to consider a cat's strict carnivore ancestry, but it's also important to realize that for cats as well as dogs, a diet with a higher carbohydrate content can potentially lead to digestive concerns, such as diarrhea or flatulence. In addition, just as can be the case with fats and even protein, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet can potentially lead to weight gain. This is all just one more reason why it is so important to research, understand, and discuss with your veterinarian the best diet for your kitty or pup.

Adventures with Angel Astrid: A Walk in the Park

My sweet angel pup Astrid and I both always loved walking through the park that's near our house. It's just a big, open area of grass, around which spans the creek that runs through our neighborhood. Near the creek there are always lots flowers blooming in the spring and summer.

Quite a few years ago I also got these photos of Astrid posing with the beautiful blooms of a little tree in the park.

I'm really glad I got these pretty photo of Astrid, because for some reason that was the last year that tree ever bloomed.

Happy Wednesday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I've mentioned multiple times recently, I've been in a spooky mood. This happens to me pretty much every summer, when I become eager for fall weather and Halloween. The fact that many stores now start stocking up for Halloween in June just spurs my spooky mood even more. I hope to get some new summertime spooky doodles done this summer, but for today here's one I scribbled up for my "Halfway to Halloween" series I did for an April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. This one is pretty tame and mostly just involves bats, but I'll share some more from this series over the next couple of days that are even more spooky.

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Tip of the Day

We're still in the midst of repeating a series of food tips from the past. We've so far talked about protein and fiber in pet food, and now today we're moving on to fat. Fat, like other nutrients, plays important roles for both us humans and our cats and dogs. Fats are yet another source of energy for the body and its cells, they aid in healthy skin and coat, and they are also important for growth overall.

In pet foods, some fats can come from the protein source, such as chicken and beef. However, there are also other potential sources of fats in our furbabies' food. Fats can of course come from oils, such as fish oils or plant oils. The important thing is to make sure that your furbaby's food includes good quality fat sources, and in a healthy balance. For example, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which often come from sources such as fish or plant oils or chicken fat, are very beneficial, but most importantly so in proper amounts. Less quality fats and oils would include lard and other similar ingredients, and therefore do be cautious if you see these on a pet food label.

Of course, any fats in too large of quantities could lead to health concerns. For example, obesity and pancreatitis can both potentially stem from or be worsened by diets high in fat. For reasons such as these, as we've said before, try to educate yourself on your cat or dog's health and the best nutrition for them, and of course discuss this with a veterinarian as needed.

Tonks Tuesday in a Box

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today the little calico is again showing off just how obsessed she is with boxes.

It doesn't matter how many cat trees, couches, beds, blankets, or any other cozy places to snooze that there are in the house. If there's a box, Tonks is going to choose it.

Tonks hopes you all get to enjoy a box (or two or three) today!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've shared this old doodle a couple times in the past, but it seems fitting for today as well.

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Tip of the Day

Our food talk continues today with a little something known as fiber. Fiber is a very important nutrient that, for one, aids in digestion for not only us humans but also kitties and pups. In terms of digestion, fiber can play more than one role. Depending on the circumstances and the particular type of fiber consumed, it can assist with both constipation and diarrhea. That's not all, though, as fiber can also play a beneficial role in weight loss. Fiber can make food more bulky, and in turn can help a kitty or pup feel full, which can then lead to less gorging and therefore aid in weight loss. Still, though, fiber's roles in a cat or dog's health does not end there. Studies have also indicated that high fiber diets can benefit those with diabetes, such as by helping to control blood sugar. For all of these reasons and more, be sure to educate yourself on your furbaby's fiber intake and overall health and diet, and of course discuss options with your veterinarian.

Mancat Monday with Evan and His UTI

It's Mancat Monday, and Evan is doing okay. He's on his third and final week of antibiotics for his stubborn UTI. For the most part, he's no longer having major symptoms of said UTI. I'm grateful for that, but he did unfortunately start urinating blood again this weekend. It did occur right after he strained and struggled to defecate, courtesy of his megacolon. This has happened before, as in the past he's previously caused himself to urinate blood after difficulty defecating. It also doesn't help that he's fresh out of a flare of cystitis related to his UTI, and so his bladder is still a bit unwell and fragile. He did thankfully get a lot of stool out this weekend after his initial difficulty evacuating his bowels, so hopefully everything can now really get back to normal for him again.

All that said, though, despite the bloody urine, right now Evan is actually a very happy boy. He's active and cuddly and purrs and is just generally my sweet little guy. He also takes lots of naps, courtesy of the gabapentin that helps keep his bladder happy and pain-free.

Wishing you all a magnificent Monday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Probably because I'm not the biggest fan of summer and I'm always eager for autumn, I've been in a spooky sort of mood lately. There's also the fact that a lot of stores have started bringing out Halloween in June or thereabouts. I know that annoys a lot of people, but I don't mind one bit. I love me some Halloween. I'll stop rambling, though, and share this summerish yet also spookyish flashback doodle.

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Tip of the Day

At some point I'm going to research some new, fresh topics in order to share new series of tips. For now, though, I was going through old tips and found yet another repeat series that goes into detail about our kitties' and pups' diets. So, let's revisit that again.

Over the next couple of days, we'll give some tips specifically regarding pet food ingredients. As you all surely know, the ingredients that go into a furbaby's food and therefore into their body all play an important role. Let's start today with protein, which is of course a significant part of any diet. Just as with us, our cats and dogs need protein, which can be broken down into amino acids, which can in turn be used to build up new muscles and other tissues. This is why high protein is especially important in a kitten or puppy's diet, as it ensures that they can form the tissues they need to grow into healthy adults.

There are also some other special considerations to make when it comes to protein. For example, furbabies suffering from pancreatitis or diabetes often benefit from high protein diets. On the other hand, a cat with renal disease requires a low protein diet for the health of their kidneys. So, while protein is indeed an important part of any diet, do be sure to do your homework and certainly discuss with your veterinarian what ingredients you should consider for your furbaby's diet in order to keep them healthy.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Blurry Eddy in the Window

Hello and hi! 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 fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. _________ is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

2. _________ is the most unusual item in my refrigerator.

3. My _________ is lacking.

4. I have more than enough _________.


My answers are below in bold. At least one is accompanied by far too much rambling, but what's new.

1. Finding each and every one of my kitties is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.
(I'm not even the one who "found" all of my kitties, but I still feel so lucky about how they each came into my life. I did personally find tiny kitten Evan abandoned in a carrier outside of a cat clinic where I used to work. My grandma found both Thimble and Tonks as kittens, as they were born to a feral cat in her neighborhood. And my girl Eddy came to me when I reached out to ask about another special needs kitten at a local rescue. It turns out that kitty wasn't actually special needs, which they learned after she was properly nourished. That kitty also already had a lot of interest, but they then told me about another kitten suffering from neurological issues at the time. That was my Eddy, and I adopted her just days later. No matter how they made their way to me, I am so lucky to have been introduced to every single one of my kitties.)

2. A syringe is the most unusual item in my refrigerator.
(My fridge is pretty boring. All I can think of that's a bit of strange in there is the syringe I use for Evan's antibiotics, or maybe even the antibiotics themselves, which have to be refrigerated. I have a ton of syringes with all of Evan's meds that are kept ambient, but I tend to keep the antibiotic syringe in the fridge with said antibiotics since it has that particular dosage marked on it.)

3. My social battery is lacking.
(This is pretty much always the case, and I'm sure all introverts can relate in one way or another. I'm just not a social person whatsoever, and my energy for social gatherings is pretty much never there. I once saw a cute piece of art that portrayed the idea of someone's social battery being low, and that felt so relatable. I've been wanting to recreate a feline version of that in my own style ever since I saw the original art piece.)

4. I have more than enough ideas.
(I have so many ideas for things I want to do. Most of them are creative ideas, such as for drawings or writing projects There's no way I can complete all of them in my lifetime, but at least I have a large reserve to pull from when I'm working on creative projects.)

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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Both Eddy and Thimble have recently shared photos of themselves enjoying window whiffies. So, for her bloopers today, Eddy decided get good and blurry while watching out the open window.

This cute little tabby girl makes it so easy to share outtakes. Sitting still is far from her favorite thing, and so over half of my photos of her are some level of blurry.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday, we talked about the safety of our furbabies around various insects and related pesticides. Today, we have another insect topic, but these buggers are more of a nuisance than a danger. What are we talking about? Ants! If you have a feeding station outdoors, either for your own furbabies or for strays and ferals, there is a chance that you've seen some ants helping themselves to the grub. However, you can attempt to keep ants out of the food with the aid of chalk. Using chalk, you can draw a box or circle around the food bowls, as that will often prevent ants from entering that area. Similar techniques could perhaps even be attempted indoors, should the ants make their way inside. You can even use colored tape or something else similar to form an ant barrier around your furbaby's food dishes.

That all being said, remember that pesticides can, in many cases, be dangerous to our furbabies. This includes pesticides aimed towards ants. If you have ants in or out of your house, be cautious when using any form of ant bait or pesticide. Either find safe alternatives, or keep any and all ant traps well out of reach of the furbabies. It is of course always best to err on the side of caution, and to never use any products that could potentially harm your furbaby should they find it.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Window Whiffies

Hello and happy Thursday! Thimble is of course here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is so very grateful for window whiffies weather.

I'm too paranoid to leave my windows open around my kitties for very long, or to walk away and leave my kitties unattended for even a few seconds. When I was a kid my calico angel Rosie was sleeping in a window, and apparently when she leaned against the screen it popped right out and she fell outside. We luckily lived in a one-story house and noticed pretty quickly, and so Rosie never even left our yard and was soon back inside. Even so, ever since then, I don't trust window screens. The screens at my house seem secure, but I'm still too paranoid. So, Thimble only got to enjoy window whiffies while I sat there for a few minutes. But, even that bit of time made this cute little tabby very happy.

Thimble wishes you all lots of sunshine and window whiffies!

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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. _________ is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

2. _________ is the most unusual item in my refrigerator.

3. My _________ is lacking.

4. I have more than enough _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I've mentioned over the past few months, I actually have a number of new doodles that I've never shared. I simply need to get them all scanned and uploaded. I still haven't gotten my scanner programmed to my new laptop, though, and it's a real chore to use it in its current state until I do that. So, I've been putting off scanning all of those doodles I've finished over the past few months. I think I actually have some doodles that I finished over a year ago that I still need to share. This is yet another reminder to myself to get those kitty doodles scanned and shared here on our blog.

All that rambling aside, today we have yet another flashback doodle. This is one I often use as my springtime blog banner. Since I didn't get it put up there on top of our blog this year, though, I'll just put it here for today.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is to beware the bugs. A variety of bugs begin to make appearances this time of year. That being said, many of those bugs bring with them their own sorts of danger. For example, some spiders, as we've mentioned before, have bites that are toxic. Bees, wasps, and other similar bugs can sting, and this can prove incredibly dangerous for furbabies with severe allergies to these stings. There are also of course mosquitoes, who can harbor those nasty, dangerous heartworms.

That all being said, keep in mind that many bug sprays can also be toxic to furbabies. Spraying in your yard, or near or inside your home, can be dangerous for this reason. If your furbaby licks or comes into contact with certain pesticides, they could become sick and have serious side effects.

There are ways, though, for you to help keep your furbaby safe from insects. For example, keep any water in your yard fresh and clean, as stagnant water attracts mosquitoes as a place for them to lay eggs. To ward off buzzing bees, try to keep plants that attract them away from areas where your furbaby frequents. When you are somewhere unfamiliar, perhaps steer clear of gardens, not only to keep your furbaby safe from toxic plants, but also from bees that might be hanging around the area. Though not always easy, keeping buggers such as spiders out of your home might be easier if you keep doorways and the like regularly cleaned. Ridding doorways of cobwebs, for example, can lead to less arachnid inhabitants.

It is also worth noting that there are some pet-safe insect repellents on the market. Some products can keep bugs away in a more natural manner, such as by using certain scents to which insects are averse. This being said, though, even some of these more natural products can pose risks for furbabies, such as if they contain dangerous essential oils or other potentially toxic ingredients. For this reason, always read product labels, and discuss any concerns with your veterinarian. What's more, should your furbaby become sick due to an insect bite or sting, or due to ingestion of a pesticide, seek veterinary care immediately.

Adventures with Angel Astrid

Today's memory of sweet angel pup Astrid is yet another one from a walk from a few years ago. It was a bright and sunny day, and we took a nice stroll along the creek that runs through our neighborhood.

Astrid always loved watching wildlife, both on walks and in her yard. I thought she was watching ducks in this photo, but I don't actually see any in the water there. Either way, something had her attention, and I hope she enjoyed watching whatever it was that piqued her interest.

Happy Wednesday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm in a spooky mood and also recently watched the movie Frankenweenie, so here's a fitting flashback doodle I scribbled up for our "Halfway to Halloween" April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. Just as with all the other drawings from that old series, it stars my calico angel Rosie, and of course a little zombie dog.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is about your furbaby's care in the event that you are traveling this summer. We'll begin with if your furbaby is staying behind while you travel, in which case it is important to plan well in advance for their care. If your furbaby would do best being boarded, then be sure to schedule this well ahead of time, to ensure that they can stay at a veterinary or other boarding facility that you trust.

Another option is of course having your furbaby stay home and having a trusted pet-sitter come in to care for them, or to have your cat or dog stay with someone you trust. No matter what route you take for your furbaby's care while you are away from them, be sure that whoever is looking after them has all of the resources and information they might need. Make sure that your furbaby's food is stocked up, as well as their medications, litter, and anything else of importance. Ensure that their caregiver knows the details of their care, including what, when, and how much they are fed, as well as any medication administration instructions they might need. Don't forget other resources a pet-sitter might need, such as any pertinent details of your furbaby's medical history, as well as the contact information for their veterinarian.

Then there are the times that our furbabies travel with us on vacation, and it is also important to plan accordingly in this case as well. To begin, make sure that you pack all that your cat or dog might need. This would include food, treats, water, medications, leash, carrier, and anything that is significant for their daily care. It is of course also important to plan in advance for pet-friendly lodging at your travel destination. Are you staying at a hotel? If so, is that hotel pet-friendly? Or, are you staying with family or friends? If so, do they have a pet-friendly home? Are there other animals at this home, and if so, will it be safe for the animals to interact? Be sure that any such details are ironed out well in advance.

With all of the above planned out, there is then the actual act of traveling with your furbaby. If you are traveling by plane with a pup or kitty, this will of course require you to learn of the airline's requirements, and that you do so with plenty of time to spare. A veterinary visit and a certificate of health may be required by some airlines. Regardless of whether a certificate of health is required, it is important to discuss with a veterinarian whether your furbaby is safe for travel by plane, especially if they are sick, geriatric, or if they do not travel well. If it is by car that you are traveling, ensure that your cat or dog has a cage or seatbelt for safe restraint during travels. Make sure that your furbaby has a chance to eat, drink, and bathroom during long trips. At the same time, make sure that they are safe from escape anytime you stop and open any car doors.

Summer is a time for travels for some people, and perhaps even their furbabies. Whether you leave your furbaby home or take them with you, always plan well in advance. Always keep in mind your furbaby's health and happiness, and discuss any concerns with a veterinarian.