Woof Woof Wednesday with Chucky and Astrid Voorhees

On Monday we re-shared an older doodle of Evan dressed as none other than the evil doll Chucky. While I do have a Chucky costume for the kitties, none of them like it. Evan especially hates it. So, I don't have any real photos of him in it because I try not to torture my furry family.

The above being said, my sweet angel pup Astrid was always such a good sport. She wasn't huge on wearing costumes, but she'd humor me for a few minutes if I asked her to. So, I also got her a Chucky costume a few years ago, and she was downright adorable in it.

Astrid really wasn't a fan of the wig, so I only made her take that one photo in it.

Wasn't Astrid the cutest killer doll ever? While she was an ornery girl, she was far from evil, but she at least made the idea of Chucky look adorable.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

While I continue to work on completing this year's new Halloween doodles, I'm re-sharing our spooky drawings form the past couple of years. These all star my furry family members in Halloween costumes. Though the real Astrid dressed as Chucky, in my sketchbook she got to be none other than Jason Astrid Voorhees.

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Tip of the Day

Today seems like the perfect day to give a tip about none other than costumes. As you might see upon visiting a pet store this time of year, Halloween costumes are sometimes just as popular for kitties and pups as they are for children of the human variety. That being said, though, it is best to only put and keep a costume on a furbaby who tolerates and enjoys it. Some cats and dogs simply do not like wearing costumes or other clothing items, and it's of course kindest not to force such furbabies to wear a costume for Halloween, or any time of the year. If you do try a costume on your kitty or pup, watch for signs of stress, such as trying to remove the costume or restlessness. If you do notice any signs that your furbaby is not enjoying a costume you've chosen for them, remove it and simply let them don their birthday suit this Halloween.

Tonks Tuesday with a Frightfully Festive Friend

Yesterday Evan shared some photos of him hanging out with a ghosty friend the kitties have. Well, Evan actually napped through the whole thing, but Tonks is here with the same ghost today, and she's wide awake.

That poor little ghost has been getting slapped around by all the kitties lately. Thimble recently found it who knows where, and now that he's back out in active toy territory, he's getting thoroughly abused. At least his misfortune is spookily festive, the poor little fella.

Tonks hopes you also have a frightfully festive friend today!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Like I mentioned yesterday, I hope to be able to start sharing this year's new Halloween doodles next week, if everything goes according to plan. For now, I'm re-sharing the Halloween doodles I scribbled up over the past two years, those being the ones in which I drew my kitties, my parents' kitties, and my sister's kitties in costumes. Every spooky season my dad and I watch the Halloween horror movie Trick 'r Treat. That movie's character known as Sam wears burlap over his head as well as carries around a burlap sack, and since Tonks enjoys going in bags and under things like blankets, I decided she would get to be Sam for Halloween. So, here you go.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was about the benefits of feeding pumpkin to your furbabies. Today's tip is related to this, but is about a part of the pumpkin that isn't as often discussed with regard to a furbaby's diet. We're talking about those pumpkin seeds. If fed in a manner that is safe, pumpkin seeds can have health benefits for our furbabies, just as they can for humans. For example, pumpkin seeds contain valuable nutrients, and they can have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed by some that pumpkin seeds have some deworming properties as well.

All of the above being said, if you decide to offer pumpkin seeds to your kitty or pup, of course do so safely. First, feed them only as an occasional treat or food topper. In addition, if the seeds are a potential choking hazard, you can cut them into small pieces. Also, of course, ensure that the pumpkin seeds are plain, and that they do not contain any added ingredients, such as onion, garlic, or even salt or sugar. We'll again also add that, should your furbaby have any health concerns, of course first discuss adding anything such as pumpkin seeds to your furbaby's diet with your veterinarian.

Mancat Monday: The Haunted Nap

This weekend I did some last-minute Halloween photo shoots with my sweet little kitties. It all started when Thimble started playing with one of her ghost toys, and I then chased down all of my kitties to participate. Some of the kitties weren't quite as excited about the festive fun as I was, but they still humored me enough to get some photos.

You'll see how it all started with Thimble in her Thursday post, but for today you get Evan and his ghostly photo shoot. Not that he was aware he was being haunted, though, since he slept right through it.

I've shared photos like this of Evan before. For some reason, this boy loves sleeping in ways that look more than a little bit suffocating. But, whatever floats his boat, I guess. The ghost looks just as concerned as I do every time I find Evan sleeping like this. At least it's a friendly enough ghost to be worried for Evan.

I think that ghost came in a pack of toys I got the kitties for Halloween either 1 or 2 years ago. I hadn't even seen this toy around the house in months, but Thimble found it recently and has been enjoying slapping it around. I was so proud of her for being festive.

Happy Monday to all!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

I hope to start sharing our new Halloween doodles next week, if anything at all goes to plan. It never does, but I'll still try my best. This week, I'm going to start re-sharing the Halloween doodles I created last year and the year before. The particular flashback doodles I'm referring to star my kitties as well as my parents' and sister's kitties in costumes. For today we of course have Evan. I remember racking my brain to think of what costume would be good for a kitty with paralyzed back legs, and I decided on a doll that could more or less be sprawled out on the floor. That led me to thinking of the infamous doll known as Chucky. And so, here's Evan as Chucky.

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Tip of the Day

We simply couldn't go this entire Halloween month without mentioning none other than pumpkins. As most of you likely already know, pumpkin can make for a healthy treat for a kitty or pup. Plain, cooked pumpkin can be an excellent source of fiber. This can help to keep the bowels regular, and so could be something to keep in mind for those furbabies with irregular bowel movements. Pumpkin and the fiber it provides can also help move hairballs more easily through those kitty intestinal tracts. Fiber, such as that from pumpkin, can also help a kitty or pup feel full for longer, which means that it can also potentially aid in weight loss. All of these benefits are on top of the fact that pumpkin is also high in a variety of beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C.

That all being said, do of course ensure that you only feed your furbaby cooked pumpkin of the plain variety. You can feed your furbaby pumpkin puree from a can, of course ensuring that it contains no spices or other added ingredients. You can also cook up your own pumpkin and feed it to your kitty or pup as a treat. What's more, these days, there are many types of dry and moist foods, as well as treats, that contain pumpkin as an ingredient. These such foods might assist certain furbabies with bowel regularity or weight loss. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your furbaby's diet and digestion, discuss options such as pumpkin with your veterinarian.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Haunted Eddy

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. _________ is the strangest thing I ever researched online.

2. My wi-fi network is named _________.

3. _________ is both a blessing and a curse.

4. I _________ when life gets tough.


My answers are below in bold. They're random and rambling, so enter at your own risk.

1. Strangulation is the strangest thing I ever researched online.
(That sounds awful, I know. As someone who loves to write weird stories and whose curiosity is often piqued by various things when reading books, I often find myself searching really odd things online. Though I highly doubt this is the strangest thing I've ever researched, most recently I was reading a book in which a petite 13-year-old girl was defending herself and ended up strangling a full grown man with a rope or something of the sort. Great times, huh? Anyway, I found myself genuinely curious how such a small person could get proper leverage to strangle someone, and so I admittedly looked up related methods of strangulation. The best part of this was the Google AI response. Though I generally ignore those, as I'm not a fan of AI, I had to laugh when said AI plain and simply told me something along the lines of, "I cannot provide an answer for this, as I will not assist you in strangling someone.")

2. My wi-fi network is named just a bunch of boring letters and numbers.
(Though I've always meant to rename my wi-fi network, I never have. It's currently just the boring alphanumeric name from the provider. This fill-in here has me wanting to change that soon, though, so now I need to brainstorm names for it. Of course, it needs to be something relating to kitties, because obviously.)

3. Owning a home is both a blessing and a curse.
(I've mentioned this before, and I know I'm far from the only person with this sentiment. Owning a home comes with freeing levels of independence, but it also comes with sometimes crippling responsibilities when things go wrong. I have a lot of repairs and such in the works right now, because multiple things broke in a short amount of time. One of the basic indoor home repairs has somehow led to the water company having to come out and dig up my front yard, since they need to relocate my outdoor water shut off valve out from under the public sidewalk. The the city redid my neighborhood's streets and sidewalks a few years ago, and in the process they apparently buried a bunch of the homes' main water access beneath concrete. It's amazing how simple home repairs can turn into pure chaos.)

4. I often neglect my hobbies when life gets tough.
(I know this is nothing unique to me. Things are a bit extra crazy in my life right now, and I've been helping my parents gives daily fluids and other care to their sweet kitty Trapper, who was very recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. The usual life craziness mixed with that grief has led me to neglect my hobbies, almost intentionally so. Honestly, most days it doesn't feel right to try to seek joy in my art, writing, and that sort of thing. I know that's wrong, though, and I need to get back to those things, as they do indeed bring me joy. Not to mention, I like to honor the kitties in my life by bringing them into my art and writing projects, and that is a very healing thing for me. I don't know if any of that made sense, but rambling is also very cathartic for me, so here we are.)

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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Eddy feels like she's being watched. She's just minding her own business on her cat tree by the window, but she has a haunting feeling. Perhaps you can help her figure out why?

Eddy hopes you all have a not-so-spooky Friday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

I still have not finished this year's new Halloween doodles, in part for reasons mentioned in fill-in #4 above. I will get to those drawings this month, but in the meantime I have tons of spooky flashback doodles. The one I'm sharing today is a drawing you might remember, as I scribbled it up a few years ago and re-share it every year. It's one of my favorites. After all, I drew it with the intention of bringing in a great many of my favorite things about Halloween.

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Tip of the Day

We've been discussing potential dangers and toxins associated with Halloween. Today, we're going to finish that topic with a couple of slightly random yet still relevant Halloween products with which to be cautious. We're referring to items such as glow sticks and fake blood. These items sometimes make appearances on holidays like Halloween, and they might very well contain ingredients that can potentially be toxic to kitties and pups. Glow sticks can especially be dangerous if they are bitten or otherwise punctured, and fake blood can also pose a risk if ingested. Be cautious, therefore, of using these items, as well as any other items that might be dangerous to your furbaby. If you do have any of these items at your home, keep them securely hidden away so as to prevent any emergencies.

Thimble Thursday with Another Update on Trapper

Hello, friends! I again want to thank you all so, so much for the purrs and prayers for my parents' kitty Trapper. As I've mentioned before, he's my girl Thimble's littermate. He's 12 years old and was diagnosed with cancer last week.

That there was Trapper a few years ago, even before he was diagnosed with diabetes back in 2023. This tough boy has been through a lot over the past few years.

Trapper had his oncology appointment yesterday, and it's pretty much certain now that he has pancreatic carcinoma. This is a very rare and also very aggressive cancer, and because of both of those things, the oncologist indicated that there is really no known treatment that would truly extend Trapper's life. The only potential option might give him an extra couple of weeks at most, in the rare event it worked at all, but it would very likely complicate his diabetes, lead to pancreatitis, and take away his current continued willingness to eat, among other side effects.

That said, my parents have chosen to make Trapper as comfortable as possible with palliative care. I would have made the same choice in their shoes. For now, though Trapper continues to lose weight and muscle, he is still interested in food, water, and some of his other usual things. I've been helping my parents give him fluids every day at their house to combat his dehydration, and they also have on hand pain meds and other treatments for various symptoms until Trapper lets them know he's ready.

I know I don't have to tell any of you fellow animal lovers how difficult and heartbreaking this is. The truth is that Trapper does not have much time, but he has already surpassed the median survival time of this cancer. Said median survival time is 7 days, which is just downright awful and makes me hate cancer even more than I already do. That said, the oncologist commented how good he currently looks, given his diagnosis and prognosis. I think her exact words were, "He ticks all the marks for having pancreatic carcinoma, except for how good he's doing."

For a bit of levity to the situation, Trapper has always been a very personable cat who doesn't mind getting in a carrier and going to the vet. After a bit of time at the oncology department yesterday, Trapper turned to his old habit of coming out of his carrier and prancing around. The vet and her student (our local veterinary oncology department is at a teaching hospital) were getting a real kick out of him, not to mention they couldn't believe how good he looked as he paraded around the room, all things considered. They also took him over to their dermatology department, as he does have paraneoplastic dermatitis as a result of his cancer, and they wanted the dermatologist's input on what would best alleviate those symptoms. When the oncologist and the student returned with Trapper, they informed us that he not only had at least 15 people oohing and awwing over him, but that he taught a lot of students about paraneoplastic dermatitis while winning all of their hearts. That's sweet and handsome Trapper for you.

So, for now, Trapper is still with us, and my parents and myself will of course be giving him so, so, so much love.

As I mentioned above, Trapper is my girl Thimble's littermate. Though photos don't always do this fact justice, they've always looked quite a bit alike. So, here's my little Thimble, that being Trapper's twin. I tried to pick a photo with same sort of look as Trapper's above, but photos just never do justice to how twin-like these two really look.

I'm again sorry for all the rambling above. I'm not much of a talker in person, but I do get a lot of comfort from typing out all of my thoughts.

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Now, of course, 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 strangest thing I ever researched online.

2. My wi-fi network is named _________.

3. _________ is both a blessing and a curse.

4. I _________ when life gets tough.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip relates to Halloween parties or other festivities of that nature. There are a number of potential dangers that such gatherings can pose. First, parties mean that guests are arriving, which means the door will be a busy place. When guests are arriving, keep your kitty or pup away from the door, such as by secluding them to a safe area away from the door, so that there is no chance of them escaping the house. Sometimes it might also be best to keep your furbaby secluded to a safe area during Halloween or other similar parties, for their continued safety. There will be extra foot traffic in the house when there are guests, which could potentially lead to your furbaby getting stepped on or otherwise injured.

In addition, there could be toxic foods present at a Halloween party, such as alcohol or chocolate. If your furbaby steals a taste of such foods, or if unwitting guests feed your kitty or pup treats of chocolate or other foods, there could be dangerous side effects. There is a variety of dangers to your cat or dog that can be present at festivities. Therefore, always do what you must to ensure your furbaby's safety during Halloween or other parties. Even if your kitty or pup is friendly and enjoys the company of others, there are still many dangers for a kitty or pup when gatherings are hosted at their home. If there is any doubt for their safety, or simply to prevent any accidental dangers, keep your kitty or pup confined to a safe area of the home during festive gatherings.

Off to Trapper's Oncology Appointment

I failed to get today's post ready yesterday, and this morning I'm headed to the oncology appointment for my parents' kitty Trapper. My mom asked me to go with her, as we're sure a lot of information will be thrown our way, and of course I'm happy to go along for her and Trapper. We're not sure there's much that can be done at this point, but my parents of course want to at least see what the oncologist has to say. Even if there's just something to alleviate some of Trapper's symptoms, that would be a good thing to know.

I'm not sure if I'll come back to update this post today, but I'll either do that or give a little update tomorrow.

And I'm sorry this post is so quick and lacking some of our usual things. If I get a chance today I will come back and add a Halloween doodle and tip. Otherwise, thank you all for the continued purrs and prayers for sweet Trapper. My entire family appreciates it so much.

Another Pumpkin Pal on Tonks Tuesday

Tonks found out that yesterday Evan shared some pumpkin pals. So, today, the little calico wanted to do the same.

Tonks wishes you all a not-so-spooky sort of day!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We're just in the early stages of our October-long Halloween tips. Today, how about we get one of the most common Halloween tips out of the way? That's right, today we're talking about candy. The long and short of it is that you should never leave candy sitting out where your furbaby can find it and help themselves. Whether it be candy you're saving for yourself, or the candy dish you've prepared for those trick-or-treaters, always keep it well hidden from the kitties and pups.

As you all certainly know, chocolate can be very toxic to our furbabies. Another candy danger includes artificial sweeteners like xylitol, which can be found in sugar-free candy, among other foods and goods. This candy discussion can also include raisins, and the double whammy that is chocolate-covered raisins. After all, raisins are toxic to kitties and pups just like chocolate is. To be on the safe side, no matter what kind of candy you're handing out this Halloween or have around the house, keep it hidden away from curious paws and maws.

In the event that your furbaby finds the candy, know the potential signs of toxicity. These can vary, and might include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or even neurological symptoms. Should you think or know that your furbaby has gotten into your candy stash, or should you observe any signs of toxicity, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance. It also does not hurt to have on hand a poison control number, such as the ASPCA at 1-888-426-4435.