This Tonks Tuesday brings us to the Sixth Day of Christmas. Indeed, as we've mentioned a couple of times, the Twelve Days of Christmas only begin on Christmas itself, and of course we celebrate them all the way until the end. And then some.
That said, today Tonks wanted to show off another shot of her with her favorite Christmas tree. Tonks is a bit blurry in this one, and the lighting is far from ideal, but there's one little detail in here that I just love. On the right side you'll see a figurine. I didn't realize this little character was visible when I snapped this photo, but it's quite fitting. It's a Funko Pop of a Harry Potter character, that character being Tonks, after whom my little calico is named.
Since I still need to scan and upload new festive doodles, as well as finish some that are sitting in limbo in my notebook, how about another doodle in the old series of houses from famous Christmas movies? This one is from Home Alone, of course with a kitty added into the mix.
Yesterday we discussed feeding feral and stray cats outdoors in the cold winter months. As we mentioned, dry food is a good option in the winter as it will not freeze like moist food. However, moist food still has its benefits, and so today we're here to give some tips on how to feed moist food outdoors in the cold months with at least some success. To begin, you can resort to putting moist food out only when you know the cat or cats you feed are present, so that they will be able to eat it immediately, giving it little to no time to freeze. Sometimes, though, you might not know when a feral or stray cat will show up for a meal. In such cases, there are ways to potentially offer moist food to ferals and strays, without the moist food freezing rapidly.
To begin, you can simply check on the status of moist food as often as possible, and warm or replace food that has become frozen. What's more, a source of heat will obviously help keep moist food from freezing at a fast rate, although you of course have to ensure that this source of heat is safe. This could mean doing something as simple as warming the bowl in which you put the moist food, or warming the moist food itself, to a safe temperature. There are also both electric and non-electric heat sources that can work for keeping bowls and their contents warm. For example, there are microwavable or otherwise warmable heating pads that can be placed bowls to help prevent the rapid freezing of moist food that is fed to outdoor cats in the winter. There are also electric heated bowls that could keep moist food warm enough to prevent freezing. Other options of course include using a more extensive heat source within an entire feeding station or shelter, details which we will further discuss in upcoming tips. One important detail, though, as we mentioned just a few moments ago, is ensure that any heat source you use is safe and that it will not cause burns or fires. Always do your research before using any item that entails electricity and heating, and choose and use accordingly and wisely.
The last note to make here is that you should still of course make sure that moist food is not spoiling, such as if it manages to get too warm or sits out for too long. If a heated bowl or heat pad causes moist food to remain warm for long periods of time, do be sure to remove any uneaten food prior to spoilage. It might be cold outside during the winter months, but depending on the methods you use and the duration of time that outdoor cats' moist food is sitting out, it is always best to be aware of the potential for gastrointestinal or other issues that could result from the consumption of spoiled food.
