Thankful Thursday with Thimble and a T(abby)-Rex

It's Thursday, and you better believe Thimble is ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for spooky toys. She's also thankful for glamour shots in the sun, for which she's always happy to pose.

You can barely see the toys in that lighting, though, so Thimble did agree to a slightly dimmer version as well.

In case you still can't tell, those toys are in the shape of a piece of Halloween candy, a ghostly donut, and a rotten banana. The kitties got those for past Halloweens, and I've already bought their new goodies for this Halloween. I probably get them new toys for holidays more for me than for them, but if it makes them happy for even a couple minutes, I'm good with that.

Oh, and if you're curious which of those three toys Thimble prefers, it's the rotten banana. I believe it's a CatLadybox toy, and it has a level of catnip that Thimble finds perfect. She loves the regular nip nanners, so it's only fitting for her to like the rotten version as well.

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

1. My hometown is _________.

2. October is a good time to _________.

3. If I saw the ghost of _________, I would _________.

4. You couldn't pay me to wear a _________ costume.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Doodle of the Day

For Halloween last year, I drew individual doodles of each of my furry babies in costumes. The doodle I'll be sharing on Halloween itself this year will star all of my kitties as well as pup Astrid in those costumes again, but that's another week away. This year, I'm working on doodles starring all of my parents' kitties in Halloween costumes. Today you get one of Thimble's littermates, that being her big boy of a twin named Trapper. He gets to be none other than a dinosaur.

I started planning these doodles last Halloween, and my dad was getting into it and giving me ideas. He suggested his boy Trapper be a T-Rex, and I thought that sounded perfect.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tips is another one to help keep anxious or excitable furbabies calm and safe on Halloween night. This tip involves a couple more things you can do in order to help your kitty or pup from becoming scared or agitated when trick-or-treaters are active. For example, if your cat or dog is scared or becomes excited at the sound of the doorbell, then one 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.

Adventures with Angel Astrid the Dino Dog

Over the past few weeks, I've shared some flashbacks of my sweet angel pup Astrid wearing the jack-o'-lantern sweater I got her a couple years ago. Way before that, though, Astrid used to wear a dinosaur costume every Halloween. She outgrew it when she got a bit chunky, even after my seamstress of a mom altered it for her a few times. But, I do have some photos to share of her wearing it on a walk one Halloween day many years ago.

The costume had a head attachment, but pup Astrid wasn't a big fan of it and so I didn't make her wear it.

The collar part of this costume would also light up. I know I have a photo of that somewhere, but I can't find it at this moment. Either way, my precious pup was so very adorable in her dino costume, and people in the neighborhood always got a kick out of seeing her in it.

Wishing you all a frightfully festive Wednesday!

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Spooky Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is one I just finished the other day, knowing I'd be sharing the flashback photos above. So, here's my scribbled up version of pup Astrid the dino dog. Doodled up pup Astrid was a bit more willing to wear the head of the costume.

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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. The important thing is to consider your particular kitty or pup's personality and behaviors, and then, as needed, determine what distractions or other techniques might best help them feel safe and secure on Halloween night.

Tonks Tuesday with a Pumpkin Pal

Halloween is just around the corner, and so Tonks has been finding herself quite festively hanging out with all sorts of kooky friends.

There's a bit of a seasonal clash in this photo, since Tonks is sitting next to her pumpkin pal while posing on one of her Christmas scratchers. Perhaps she's reminding me that I haven't yet watched The Nightmare Before Christmas this season, so I need to get on that.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrifyingly terrific Tuesday!

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Spooky Doodle(s) of the Day

Today's doodle is another new Halloween one starring Hobo, the paralyzed kitty from the silly fantasy book I'm having fun scribbling up. For certain reasons, it co-stars my parents' sweet angel tuxie Talon.

In this story, there's a spooky cat café called Graveyard Dishes & Hisses. The doodle above is an illustration of the first time Hobo and his human find themselves at the café, which occurs on Halloween itself.

Around this time last year, I had just come up with the idea of Graveyard Dishes & Hisses. I immediately scribbled up a doodle of how I envisioned the sign you might see outside its door. I'll go ahead and share that doodle again right now, because why not.

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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.

Mancat Monday with Evan the Art Assistant and Michael Myers on Wheels

Evan is my little shadow. I love that so much about him. No matter where I go in the house, he's there with me. That means if I'm trying to scribble up some art on the couch, my boy is right by my side. He's my little art assistant, you could say, and he has indeed been helping me with this year's Halloween doodles.

I realize I don't often give sneak peeks of my in-progress doodles, but today you're getting two of them. The one above has actually been fully completed since that photo was snapped, and you'll be seeing its completed version this week. The one below I'm still working on, and I realize how wild it looks even just in pencil form.

We have lots of Halloween doodles to share over the next couple of weeks. I have quite a few of them finished, but still some to polish off. I love drawing this time of the year, as I'm a big fan of the subject matter.

Wishing you all a magnificently spooky Monday!

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Spooky Doodle of the Day

For this weekend's Caturday Art blog hop, I shared a doodle from last year starring a kitty character from the wacky fantasy novel I'm writing. In that one, the kitty was of course in a Halloween setting, as the story does indeed kick off on the spooky day itself. Today's doodle is another one starring that kitty, whose name is Hobo, but this time he's donning none other than a Michael Myers costume.

Believe it or not, that there Hobo was inspired by my Evan. I wish my boy would let me strap him to a wheelchair, but he's vehemently opposed to wearing anything at all.

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Tip of the Day

Just yesterday, we gave the tip to avoid walking your pup or kitty on Halloween during trick-or-treat hours, in order to avoid the increased foot and road traffic that could lead to dangerous situations. On the other hand, today's tip involves some ideas for staying safe should you and your furbaby find yourselves out and about on Halloween night. If you're out on a walk on Halloween night, or any night for that matter, be sure to take a flashlight, as well your cell phone in case of emergency. At the same time, though, don't be distracted by using your phone instead of observing your surroundings. What's more, ensure that your furbaby's leash and collar include reflectors, and that you yourself are wearing reflectors or at least bright colors, so that both of you can remain seen and safe.

Another important factor if walking with your furbaby on Halloween night is to know where it might be safest to walk. Obviously, dark alleys are not the way to go, but you also want to ensure that you don't end up with a scared furbaby on the busiest trick-or-treating street. So, if you must head out for a stroll with your furbaby during trick-or-treat hours, think ahead about what route you should take. As we previously hinted, it should be a safe, well-lit area, but also one that won't be hustling and bustling with trick-or-treaters. This is especially important if the pup or kitty being walked is skittish or aggressive in any way. All in all, think ahead and make plans for where you can most safely take a walk with your furbaby should you need to go out on Halloween night.

Also, one last note we want to make is to watch your furbaby closely when walking them on Halloween, as well as on the following days. Trick-or-treaters might leave behind candy, candy wrappers, parts of costumes, or other unsafe goods. So, do keep an eye on that furbaby and make sure nothing unsafe makes it to their mouth when walking during the Halloween season, and year round.

Sunday Selfies with Eddy and Her Eerie Toys

Hello, friends! Today, Eddy is here for The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfies Blog Hop.

Eddy's selfies aren't all that selfie-ish, but she asked me to help her snap these shots. Yesterday, Eddy showed off one of her jack-o'-lantern toy bins. Today, she wanted you all to see how she does indeed make selections of which toys are worthy to play with on a given day.

Eddy quite festively chose a skeletal fish on this day. He's a silvervine toy, which Eddy loves. Also in the toy bin you might notice a ghostly donut toy as well as a rotten banana that smells heavily of catnip. Those weren't chosen on this day, but they're currently on my bedroom floor, so at some point recently they were indeed the chosen ones.

Eddy's wishing you all lots of frightening fun like she had today!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Last Halloween season, after Eddy got especially insistent with her attempts at breaking into the bathroom if I dared close the door, I decided to draw her in a Halloweenified version of the bathroom door scene from The Shining. I remember sitting down with my sketchbook and no true plan whatsoever. The result was messy and far from perfect, but it starred my wild girl Eddy and I appreciated that much. So, here's that doodle from last year.

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Tip of the Day

We're 19 days in, and our Halloween tips are still going. After all, we have 31 of them to get through. And, indeed, we have another Halloween-inspired tip for you today.

Yesterday, we mentioned the importance of keeping black cats and of course all furbabies indoors on Halloween to prevent them from becoming victims of tricks and pranks. Today's tip is similar, and it is to avoid going on a walk with your dog, or your adventurous kitty, during trick-or-treat hours. This is for a number of reasons, including the obvious one that foot traffic, and even potentially car traffic, will be increased during trick-or-treat hours. This is something that could pose a risk especially for skittish dogs or cats, as they might become frightened of the Halloween hustle and bustle. What's more, not only will more people be out and about on Halloween night, making extra traffic and noise, but many of them will be dressed in strange and potentially frightening costumes. These factors could lead a nervous dog or cat to panic, and to potentially get loose and lost. Of course, increased traffic could also lead to accidents and injuries, such as if a nervous or excited dog or cat gets loose and makes their way into the street. All in all, it is important to always take into consideration your furbaby's safety, which might very well mean house arrest during those trick-or-treat hours on Halloween night.

Caturday Art: Halloween on Wheels

Today, my contribution to Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop stars a certain kitty character from the weird and wacky fantasy story I'm currently writing. The story starts out on Halloween, because of course. The main character is a woman who does indeed share her life with a cat. The kitty's name is Hobo, and he's inspired by my own orange boy Evan. Except, unlike my Evan, Hobo is willing to wear certain attire, which means he's okay with donning a set of wheels.

That rambling aside, a couple of my new Halloween doodles for this year star Hobo. I'll be scanning and uploading those to share next week. For today, though, how about a frightfully festive flashback doodle of Hobo that I scribbled up just last year?

I don't know if anything I said above makes sense. Long story short, meet Hobo the extra special kitty.

Happy Caturday, friends!

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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 inside 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.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Pumpkin Pail

Hello, 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. My _________ is _________ because _________.

2. I stopped _________ because _________.

3. I'm _________ away from _________.

4. _________ is the scariest experience I've ever had in my own home.


My answers are below in bold, accompanied by some unnecessary rambling that is certainly not required reading.

1. My house is filled with cat trees and toys because my kitties run the place.
(My kitties' stuff takes up just as much if not more than my own stuff. And I'm more than fine with that. I love having my house built around them, because they make me happy and so I want them to be happy.)

2. I stopped giving Evan buprenorphine because it makes him endlessly stare into space.
(When Evan had a urethral obstruction during Christmas of 2022, the emergency vet I took him to prescribed him buprenorphine during and after his hospital stay. They intended for him to stay on it long-term for his chronic cystitis issues that had developed. Even when I gave him a small dose, though, Evan would just stare into space, even refusing to eat and drink, which is incredibly unlike him as well as not great for him. I called his usual vet, and they immediately switched him to gabapentin, which works wonders for my boy while also allowing him to still act like himself. That said, Evan has had to take buprenorphine in addition to gabapentin once in recent history for a particularly bad cystitis flare. He did indeed stare into space on it, but he only needed it for a few days before he was feeling well enough to go off of it again.)

3. I'm a few drawings away from completing my Halloween art for the year.
(There's only one drawing I haven't even started yet, and it's the one I will be sharing on Halloween itself. All the others are either finished or in-progress. I still feel so behind on the fun Halloween stuff I had planned, both in terms of my art and other stuff, but, like everyone else out there, I'm doing my best. As always, I am behind on scanning and uploading my drawings. I'll be working on that this weekend, and I think I have enough drawings finished or in-progress to share one every day for the rest of the month. Actually, I'm so behind now that once I finish them all, I'll be sharing them into the first week of November. I love Halloween, though, so I don't mind extending it.)

4. Creepy, quiet knocking on my front door late at night is the scariest experience I've ever had in my own home.
(I'm lucky to have never experienced any major medical emergencies or anything like that in my home, so my answer is nothing traumatic like that. But, a few months ago, someone very quietly knocked on my door in a very melodic way late at night, perhaps 10 pm or later. The knocking was really quiet but also being done in a very melodic way. It was creepy as sin. I had actually fallen asleep on the couch and only woke up because all of my kitties quite dramatically came running to me, tails puffed up and looking at the door. I only then heard the knocking. At the time mostly deaf pup Astrid was sleeping in another room, so she was none the wiser. I did peek out the front window, and no one was there. When I was certain I saw no one through every window I checked, I opened the door (armed, because I'm not some horror movie character with a death wish), and indeed no one was in sight. My parents live just a couple doors down from me, so I called to ask them if anyone knocked on their door in that freaky way. They said no, and my dad came down (also armed, because he's equally reluctant to turn himself into a horror movie trope) and looked around, walked the perimeter, and like me came up with nothing out of the ordinary. I don't currently have any cameras for outside of my home, so I have no idea who it was, but that weirdly quiet, melodic knocking late at night certainly creeped me out. It took hours for my kitties to fully calm down, which freaked me out even further.)

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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I believe last year Eddy shared how her favorite toy bin is a pumpkin bucket. Actually, she has two of these that she loves to pick toys from all year round. I only got a shot of one in this year's chaotic photo shoot, but the other bucket is very similar, and Eddy loves selecting toys from both.

I can't even remember how or why I started using the pumpkin pails for Eddy's toys in my room. It was many, many years ago, and their duty as toy bins will continue.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a freakishly fantastic Friday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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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.