Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Outtakes in the Window

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge and would 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. Everybody loves _________.

2. If someone new entered my home, they would immediately know _________.

3. I think _________ should instead be named _________.

4. _________ was so bad I couldn't finish it.


My answers are below in bold, and are of course accompanied by my needless rambling.

1. Everybody loves Raymond.
(Weird answer, huh? Has anyone else ever watched the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond? Every time I tried to think of another answer for this fill-in, my brain would just keep going back to this show. My parents used to watch it when I was a kid, and I ultimately started watching it with them. To this day I sometimes watch reruns on streaming. I don't watch a whole lot of sitcoms, but I'll always enjoy watching Everybody Loves Raymond. Though, the titular character of Raymond is often quite annoying, but that's part of the humor and I find the show overall enjoyable.)

2. If someone new entered my home, they would immediately know that cats rule the place.
(Even if the kitties haven't dropped a fresh bomb in the litter boxes, my house is filled with cat trees and cat beds and blankets. I admittedly buy my kitties way too many toys, and they are quite literally all over the floor in every room of the house. In many areas of the house I decorate around the kitties, rather than placing the kitties' stuff around my furniture and such. Cat trees get window priority, for example, and the kitties' beds and blankets get first dibs for floor and furniture space. I'm pretty sure a lot of you know exactly what I'm talking about and live the same way.)

3. I think dollar stores should instead be named A Dollar + More Store.
(I know price increases are inevitable because of inflation and other economic factors. That said, it is still frustrating to go places where basic, cheap stuff you might need used to quite literally be $1, but now it's more than that. And yet the store is still called Dollar Tree or Dollar General. Even Target used to have the Dollar Spot section, where now a lot of things range from $3 to $5, if I'm remembering correctly. Even cheaply made stuff that'll break in no time still has higher price tags slapped on it. This is of course inevitable in the end, but it's still a bit frustrating when it comes to certain items.)

4. The Starship Troopers movie was so bad I couldn't finish it.
(This is a rather specific, niche answer, but it came up with my dad as well as a co-worker the other day. I love Robert A. Heinlein's book Starship Troopers. It came out in 1959, 30 years before I was born, but my dad recommended it to me when I was a young adult. Thanks to him, I've read and loved so many older sci-fi and fantasy books, Starship Troopers included. There is a movie based on the book, but my dad told me not to get my hopes up for it. I tried it anyway, and my dad was right. I could not finish it. After loving the book so much, the movie proved to be an awful adaptation right out of the gate and so I just turned it off.)

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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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.

Blooper queen Eddy of course has some outtakes to share. These come from a photo shoot on a sunny day in the window, when Eddy started out looking at me, but the second I went to snap photos she of course did anything but look at me.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a wonderful day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

At some point in September, probably obnoxiously early in the month, I'm going to start sharing some autumnal doodles. I have plenty of old fall flashbacks, and I also hope to complete some new ones, though right now I'm knee-deep in new Halloween doodles for October. All that to say, right now it's still August, so here's another flashback doodle in the kooky spring/summer series I scribbled up a few years ago.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip relating to taking your cat to the vet is in regard to nonrecognition aggression. In relation to vet visits, nonrecognition aggression is typically when one cat goes to the vet, and when he or she returns home, one of the other resident cats does not recognize them. This is typically because the returning cat smells unfamiliar, with odors from the vet. Though it can be a disconcerting and scary thing to witness, nonrecognition aggression is not terribly uncommon. What's more, there are ways to potentially prevent it, and to help your cats recover from it.

One way to combat nonrecognition aggression is to take your cats to the vet together. This way, neither of them will come back home smelling differently than the other. This method is easiest if both cats travel well and can safely visit the vet together. So, if nonrecognition aggression is a concern in your home and it's a viable option, do consider taking your cats to the vet together to prevent future aggression between them.

There are other options to help prevent nonrecognition aggression. One is to use a synthetic pheromone spray, or a diffuser, to help keep all cats as calm as possible. Yet another option is to gently wipe down the cat returning home from the vet in order to remove as much of the vet clinic smells as possible. Similarly, when a cat returns home from the vet, you can also wipe them with one of their usual blankets from home to help transfer their usual scents back to them. Of course these are not fail-safe methods, but they can potentially help prevent nonrecognition aggression between cats.

All of the above being said, sometimes nonrecognition aggression might occur despite your attempts to prevent it. If it does occur, first and foremost, separate the cats who are involved in order to keep them both safe. Then, reintroduction might be similar to how you introduce two unfamiliar or new cats to each other. Slowly and safely allowing them to sniff, see, and then interact with each other might take some time, but your kitties can indeed return to one big happy family with time and patience.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Blankies and Belly Rubs

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

Today, Thimble is yet again thankful for fleece blankies and belly rubs. She's shared this gratitude more than once, but those are truly two of her favorite things.

As we've mentioned in the past, you are really more than welcome to give Thimble's tummy a little tickle. I don't give belly rubs to kitties who don't like them, but Thimble genuinely loves them and will roll her belly up for some tummy tickles every chance she gets.

Thimble wishes you all lots of cozy blankies and, if you're into it, belly rubs!

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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. Everybody loves _________.

2. If someone new entered my home, they would immediately know _________.

3. I think _________ should instead be named _________.

4. _________ was so bad I couldn't finish it.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have another bookish doodle from an old series. It stars angel Rosie and a tortie friend.

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Tip of the Day

Can you believe we're still blabbing on about taking your kitty to the vet? Indeed, we still have a few more tips to offer in this series. Some of our very recent tips have been about ways to safely get an anxious or aggressive cat to the vet. These tips included leaving the carrier out at all times, putting treats and toys in it, using Feliway spray in the carrier, administering sedatives to your cat if needed and prescribed by your vet, and using a towel or thick gloves to load a potentially aggressive cat into a carrier. Sometimes, though, even with all such measures being taken, a certain cat might still be difficult or unsafe to easily take to the vet. This might be the case for semi-feral or otherwise aggressive cats. In addition, some cats become so anxious that it's potentially unsafe for them to make the trip to the vet, such as if it causes them to open-mouth breathe or other respiratory distress.

If any of the above descriptors match your cat and taking them to the vet is extremely difficult or unsafe, then consider discussing with your veterinarian the possibility of scheduling an at-home vet visit. Some veterinary clinics do offer visits in your own home, especially if that reduces any dangers related to taking your cat to the veterinary clinic itself. In some areas, there are even veterinarians who specifically practice as mobile vets. So, if your cat becomes distressed or dangerous when it comes time to get in a carrier or travel to the vet clinic, consider the option of having a veterinarian come directly to your home. This might not always work, but it's worth a try if other options are not easy or safe for you and your cat.

Woof Woof Wednesday: Angel Astrid's Kooky Cookies

Around this time every year, our local pet store puts out their stock of Halloween cookies for dogs. They always sell out fast, but luckily the store indicates the cookies have a 6-month shelf life. For those reasons, I'd always go there at the end of August and stock up on spooky, kooky goodies for cookie-loving Astrid.

That photo is from August 2024. I did get Astrid a similar stock of cookies last year, and I snapped a photo of them. However, her health was already declining by that point and she didn't come into the room while I photographed the cookies like was our annual tradition. She also never got to eat any of them, as she passed away on September 9th last year. Everything about that time was nightmarish, but I remember at moments specifically feeling guilty for not giving her even one of her Halloween cookies before she passed. She didn't have much of an appetite at the end, but she would still eat here beloved cookies, as well as peanut butter and chicken.

I held onto angel Astrid's uneaten Halloween cookies for months. I kept them in a sealed container, not wanting to part with them, and at one point I made a passing comment to my mom about how I wished I could preserve them forever. And so, my amazing mom ended up putting them in resin for me. I have plans to display those in Astrid's honor, and so once I get them all set up I'll photograph the kooky memorial and share it with you all this autumn. I know that probably sounds silly, but I can't express how thankful I am to my mom for preserving Astrid's final Halloween cookies for me.

Angel Astrid wishes you all lots of sweet treats!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since today's post for my angel pup Astrid was about Halloween and sweet treats, here's this old but apt enough spooky summer doodle starring my calico angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

We hope you're not getting bored with our tips on feline vet visits, because we still have some more for you. Today's tip is to, if needed, take precautions for the safety of both yourself and your kitty, namely when it comes time to load a kitty up. We're primarily referring to how to safely get an anxious or aggressive kitty into a carrier. We've already given tips on using methods such as leaving the carrier out, putting treats or toys in it, using Feliway, and even using sedating medications if needed. That all being said, for some cats, some or all of the aforementioned methods simply won't work. Even sedatives can be overridden if a cat becomes agitated enough. In such cases, it is important to take precautions to keep you and your cat safe when it comes time to get said kitty in a carrier.

When getting an anxious or aggressive cat into a carrier, a simple towel or blanket could potentially be your best friend. Wrapping your cat in a towel, and putting them in the carrier when they are thus confined, can potentially keep those claws and teeth in check. At the same time, make sure that you have the sufficiently sized carrier placed in a way that loading the cat is as easy as possible. This may mean using a top-loading carrier, or placing a front-loading carrier on its back side so that the door faces up. If a towel or blanket is not enough protection, then you can also look into using thick gloves specifically designed to keep kitty teeth and claws from penetrating, thereby keeping your hands and arms safe.

Some cats are simply less willing to visit the vet and are overall less amenable than others. Differences in personality are part of what make kitties so unique, after all. That being said, if your cat is one who is anxious, aggressive, or otherwise difficult to handle, always take precautions to keep everyone involved safe when vet appointments roll around. When in doubt, of course discuss with your veterinarian the best options for handling your cat.

Nose Boops on Tonks Tuesday

It's Tonks Tuesday, and the little calico hopes you're not getting tired of seeing her adorable nose. She shows it off pretty regularly, but since it's so cute I told her that you all would surely be happy to see it again. So, here you go.

Feel free to give that little nose a boop. Tonks actually loves that. She and I have a routine where if I stick my finger out toward her, she'll press her nose to it and I'll say "boop!" or "pop!" She loves it. I love it. It's a great nose-booping time.

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I watched a Halloween movie last night. It was the goofy one on Netflix called Hubie Halloween. It stars Adam Sandler, if that tells you anything about it. I simply wanted to watch a Halloween movie, but I'm waiting until September to start watching the classics and my other favorites. All that to say, I'm ready for autumn and spooky season and so here's an old and very Halloweeny spring/summer doodle starring my calico angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

We still have some tips all about taking that kitty to the vet. Today's tip is to, if needed, discuss with your veterinarian medications that might help calm a cat who becomes especially anxious, or even aggressive, when it comes time to visit the vet. Some cats are calm and collected, even at the vet. Other cats, however, simply become reactive when they see a carrier, when they get into a car, when they visit a veterinary office, or when they meet strangers. If you have tried the usual tricks—which of course include leaving the carrier out at all times, using Feliway, using treats to coax and distract, and so forth—yet your kitty still becomes anxious or difficult to handle, then there are some potential sedating medications that could be given when it comes time to visit the vet. Your veterinarian would be able to determine if or which sedatives might work best for your particular kitty, given said kitty's behavior as well as health. So, be upfront and honest with your veterinarian regarding the ease and safety of getting your cat in a carrier and to the vet. Your vet can of course also witness how your cat acts when visiting the clinic, and with all of those facts, the two of you can discuss potential options for making vet visits as easy and safe as possible for you, your cat, and the veterinary staff.

Mancat Monday with Adorable Evan

It's Mancat Monday, so here's my adorable, cute, sweet, best boy Evan. You're welcome.

Evan and all of us here wish you a wonderful day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Saturday was my grandma's 80th birthday, and so we had a little bit of a shindig. She's my paternal grandmother, and she's my only surviving grandparent. My mom is the youngest of 5 kids and so both of her parents were much older and have passed. My dad is the oldest of 5 kids, and both he and his parents had children in their early 20s, so I have an 80-year-young grandma who has always been a pretty big part of my life.

All that to say, in honor of my grandma, here's a doodle I scribbled up for her a few years ago. She loves her Boston terrier dogs, her tabby cat named (Mr.) Bean, and her camera. So, here's this.

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Tip of the Day

We're still in the midst of our series of tips on taking that kitty of yours to the vet. Today's tip on this topic is a plain and simple one, and that is to take with you to the vet your kitty's favorite toy(s) or treats. This might not work for all cats, but in some cases, toys or treats can make for great distractions or positive reinforcement during your cat's exam or vaccinations. That being said, though, do try to choose wisely when it comes to what you take as a distraction. For example, does your cat get hyperactive or even aggressive when under the influence of catnip? If so, try to avoid toys laced with catnip, and avoid taking anything else that might cause a problem rather than assist during the vet visit. So, all in all, consider whether a simple toy or some treats might help your cat make it through a vet visit. If so, pack those so that they can go along.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Window Woes

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

1. _________ sparks my creativity.

2. _________ zaps my energy.

3. My dream _________ would have _________.

4. _________ is the silliest way I've injured myself.


My answers are below in bold.

1. Cats and books spark my creativity.
(As is the case for many people, a lot of things spark my creativity. Cats, dogs, and all animals. Books, movies, TV. Nature. My favorite holidays, namely Halloween and Christmas. But, when it comes to my creative outlets of drawing and writing, cats and books are two of my biggest inspirations.)

2. Socializing zaps my energy.
(Need I say more?)

3. My dream home would have a huge library.
(I'm not really interested in having a big house, as I like feeling more cozy. But, in my normal-sized home, I would love for the biggest room to be a library for my hefty collection of books. For a variety of reasons, I'll very soon be reorganizing and relocating certain things in my home, and as a result I'm going to be turning one of the bigger rooms of the house into my library. I'm really looking forward to that. Oh, and don't worry, there will still be plenty of toys and beds in there for the kitties.)

4. Reaching for a roll of toilet paper is the silliest way I've injured myself.

(I won't go into detail on a story related to the bathroom, but I once dropped and therefore had to reach for a roll of toilet paper. I ended pulling a neck muscle, and that injury has since flared up many, many times over the years. Early last year I aggravated the old injury badly enough that it ended up spreading into shoulder pain for which my doctor had to prescribe me extra-strength anti-inflammatory pain meds. And now that shoulder pain also flares up every few months. All because I dropped a roll of toilet paper something like 20 years ago.)

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 an Eddy fix? We know you are. Today, Eddy wanted to share one of her attempts to watch out the window. The problem is that this window's blinds don't always work well, which means we can't always raise them very far. Which leads to annoying blinds in Eddy's face while she's trying to spy on wildlife and neighbors.

Just look at those rude blinds. They need to stay in their lane, the darn things.

Eddy hopes you all have an unobstructed, unbothered view out the window today!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback summertime spooky doodle is a bit more in-your-face than some of the previous ones we've shared recently. But vampires exist all year long, right?

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip for taking your cat to the vet is to consider using a pheromone spray, such as Feliway. A synthetic pheromone such as this can potentially have a calming effect for your cat. One idea is to spray the pheromone into your cat's carrier, or onto a blanket placed in your cat's carrier. This could potentially help make the experience of getting into the carrier more calm for your cat, as well as potentially make the car ride and time at the vet a calmer experience. Also consider taking the pheromone spray with you to the vet, where you can spray it in the air in the exam room, or again spray it on a blanket or toy you might have brought along to the vet for your cat. Of course a pheromone spray isn't always guaranteed to work, and it might not work the same for every cat, but it definitely wouldn't hurt to try it in case it might help your kitty feel calm and soothed.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Window View

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

Today, Thimble is grateful for window views.

Here, Thimble is gazing out our back door. When I first moved into my house over a decade ago, I was so glad that door had windows all the way down to the floor. Both my front and back screen doors also have windows all the way down to the floor. I was mainly thankful for this because it allows my hind limb paralyzed Evan to easily have views of the outdoors. Though my other kitties can all far more easily get onto their cat trees and the furniture that's situated by higher windows, they also enjoy sitting on the floor and watching out the door. And I love that.

Thimble wishes you all a good window view today!

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And now we'll of course 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. _________ sparks my creativity.

2. _________ zaps my energy.

3. My dream _________ would have _________.

4. _________ is the silliest way I've injured myself.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As always, I'm in a spooky mood. So, we're sharing yet another flashback doodle from a past spring/summer series of kooky drawings.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on taking that kitty of yours to the vet is about selecting the best kind of carrier for your cat. There are a number of considerations to make when it comes to carrier type. The size of your cat, the size of the carrier, how willing your kitty is to enter a carrier, your cat's behavior while in a carrier, and the material out of which a carrier is made can all play a role in the kind of carrier you might want to use.

To go into a bit more detail, let's start with the size of your kitty. For example, take into consideration the comfort of a large cat when selecting a carrier. A small carrier will of course be less than cozy for a large cat, not to mention that it might not be easy to get a large cat into a small carrier in the first place. At the same time, though, it is important to make sure that you can carry your cat's carrier with relative ease. This is especially crucial for emergency cases, when you might need to move quickly and therefore won't want to have difficulty transporting a cat-filled carrier.

Another consideration to make is how easy it is to get your cat into the carrier. Yesterday, we mentioned some tips on getting your cat used to the carrier. Those all being said, some cats may simply not be the easiest to coax into a carrier. With this in mind, consider what type of carrier will be easiest for you, your kitty, and your particular situation. If your cat is difficult to get into a carrier, for example, a top-loading one might be easier than a front-loading one. Then again, if it's possible and safe, you could set a front-loading carrier on its back end in order to load your kitty in through the door while it's standing up in that manner. Also keep in mind how sturdy a carrier is and how easily this might make it to load a kitty inside. Mesh or other flimsy carriers, for example, could collapse as you try to load a difficult cat inside, making the task even more challenging.

Yet another consideration to make is how your cat acts inside a carrier, and how details such as carrier material might be affected. For example, is your cat a digger while in their carrier? If so, a mesh carrier may not be the best option for them, especially if they are an insistent digger who might tear a hole in the mesh or dig at the zipper and escape. Also take into consideration if your kitty has a nervous bladder or nervous bowels. If your cat is known to urinate or defecate in the carrier, consider what type of carrier might be best able to withstand this and be cleaned afterwards. A plastic carrier might be a good option in this case.

There can be a great many considerations to make when selecting a carrier for your kitty. Those we mentioned above are just some considerations you might need to make. It all depends on your particular furbaby, their personality and behavior, as well as on you and your capabilities or preferences.