Friendly Fill-Ins and Pretty Eddy

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

1. I tend to forget _________.

2. I celebrate the 4th of July by _________.

3. I was a fan of _________ before it became popular.

4. I see _________ in my future.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I tend to forget the name of the plant known as the clematis.
(At least one climbing plant known as clematis has been growing at my parents' house, that being my childhood home, for decades. It has beautiful flowers, and I always recognize it when I see it, but the name of it always eludes me. My brain always wants to call it a chrysalis, which is decidedly not a plant. That, or I almost call it an unsavory disease of an unspeakable part of the body. My brain will come up with anything but the word clematis.)

2. I celebrate the 4th of July by eating hot dogs and watching movies.
(Our country's 250th birthday is a wonderful thing. That said, I'm not a big partier, and I'm also not the biggest fan of fireworks, mostly because I don't like how much they distress animals and those with related PTSD. So, I opt to spend the day at home, having a cookout with my parents and sister and watching even a slightly patriotic movie. My family always gets Nathan's hot dogs. You know, the brand they use for the 4th of July hot dog eating contest. They're honestly pretty darn good, and it's one of the only days all year that I enjoy a hot dog, or usually two or three.)

3. I was a fan of my current favorite book series before it became popular.

(I'll try not to ramble on too much here, as I've mentioned these wild and crazy books so very many times on this blog. It's the Dungeon Crawler Carl fantasy series by Matt Dinniman, starring a talking Persian tortie cat named Donut. I stumbled upon the books when the author was still independently published and had 6 books out in the series. The series has since become very popular, has 8 books out with 10 total set to be released, has been picked up by a traditional publisher, and is even going to be made into a TV show. While I'm not one of the earliest fans, I did find the books before they really blew up, and I'm glad I got to enjoy them before the craze.)

4. I see lots of kitty cuddles on the couch in my future.

(Like many people, I have a 3-day weekend. Though there will of course be plenty of chores needing done, I still want to spend as much time as possible hanging out with my kitties. I plan to use the long weekend to cozy up with them on the couch and read, write, and draw while watching some movies.)

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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Who's ready for an Eddy fix? We're sure all of you are. And so, the pretty tabby girl is here to grace you all with her presence.

If you look closely and squint your eyes, you can see Thimble's cameo in that there photo of Eddy. Though, Eddy isn't too keen on getting photobombed, so she hopes you all just focus on her.

Happy Friday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is one I scribbled up for Independence Day a few years ago. I can't remember what prompted me choose to get patriotic in this particular way, but I remember having fun drawing it.

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Tip of the Day

We're doing a bit of a repeat tip today, since it is, after all, the day of fireworks. I think we even shared this tip around Memorial Day, but we're going to share it again. On this 4th of July, there are ways to help keep your furbaby calm and safe during the often booming festivities. While those fireworks go off outside, close all window and doors, as well as blinds and curtains. This will help reduce the sights and sounds of the fireworks. You can further drown it out by putting on a movie or some music, and turning up the volume enough to mask the sounds of the fireworks. Just make sure it's not so loud that it is uncomfortable for your kitty or pup's sensitive ears.

What else can you do to help keep a nervous dog or cat calm during the fireworks shows? Try to distract them. Start a game inside with them, such as fetch or hide-and-seek. You can also offer some treats or a special meal. Sometimes simply talking to them can help, or even reading a book out loud to them.

Still, there are a few more potential ways to help a cat or dog feel as calm as possible while fireworks are set off this time of year. You can use a ThunderShirt, which, as many of you know, may help reduce anxiety in dogs and cats. You can also fashion something makeshift yet similar, using a blanket, towel, or even one of your shirts. If nothing else, simply provide a scared or anxious furbaby somewhere safe to hide inside the home. Ensure that they have somewhere to retreat that is pet-friendly, whether that be under a bed, behind a couch, or in another nook or cranny. You can also offer them boxes in which to settle down, if that helps your furbaby feel safe.

Lastly, in the unfortunate event of an escape or other emergency, ensure that your cat or dog has identification on them. Of course try to ensure that they are safe indoors and unable to get out of the house, but should they escape, be prepared. Many animals are uncertain of the sights and sounds of fireworks, and so if they find themselves outdoors on days like today, they might very well run and hide. This is why it is so important that, today and every day, your furbaby have an updated microchip and/or an identification tag to help them find their way back home. Of course no one wants to think of their furbaby escaping and getting lost, but it is always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Blurry but Cute

Hello and hi! It's Thursday, which means Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for how cute she is. I'm so very thankful for her adorable little self as well. Thimble is glad that she's adorable even when she gets overly excited about having her photo taken and so ends up blurry and rolling all over the place.

Thimble genuinely loves having her photo taken. She loves attention and cuddles in general, so that's probably why shoving a camera in her face and oohing and awwing over her makes her so excited. And I'm more than fine with that. My only other kitty who at least somewhat likes having her photo taken is Tonks, as, like Thimble, she loves the attention. Evan tolerates photo shoots, and my sweet and sassy Eddy kind of hates them.

Happy Thursday to all!

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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. I tend to forget _________.

2. I celebrate the 4th of July by _________.

3. I was a fan of _________ before it became popular.

4. I see _________ in my future.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is from a few years ago, and it's an odd one. But I promise it makes sense, at least to me. When Thimble was a kitten, her meows sounded so mechanical, as if she were a robot. While her meows are not quite as noticeably robotic-sounding anymore, they're still more than a little bit like that. All that said, ever since she was a kitten, I sometimes call her RoboKitty. So, I drew Thimble as exactly that.
 

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing with our pet parenting hack tips. So, yesterday we mentioned wrapping sisal rope around furniture legs in order to create money-saving scratching posts that also save you extra floor space. That's not the only way furniture can be used to create something special for your kitty, though. We all know that cats love cozy places to relax, including, of course, hammocks. If you yet again want to save money and floor space, you can suspend a hammock from beneath an end table or other similar piece of furniture. You would start with some cloth, which could be securely attached to or tied around the legs of the table. You could use velcro, some safely tied rope, or even just the corners of the cloth to suspend the hammock. In this way, you could create a cheap, easy, space-saving DIY hammock in which your kitty could snooze.

Adventures with Angel Astrid and Fried Chicken

Today's memory of my sweet angel pup Astrid takes us back to a few years ago, when we randomly found an abandoned tray of fried chicken while on a walk.

That chicken sat under that tree in someone's yard for days. Astrid pulled me past that house every chance she got so that she could see if it was still there, and for multiple days it was. The poor pup was devastated that I never let her take a taste of the chicken, but she still regularly checked on it until it finally disappeared.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I recently shared a flashback doodle that was concept art for the weird story I'm writing. It starred Hobo, a hind limb paralyzed cat in a wheelchair. I'm going to share another concept art flashback doodle today, but since it's Woof Woof Wednesday, this one stars a corgi named Bunny.

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Tip of the Day:

Are you interested in saving the money or space that comes with store-bought cat scratching posts? One simple option is to securely wrap sisal rope around table legs, chair legs, banisters, or other similar furniture or home features. This also can spare said furniture from damage from kitty claws. Therefore, this sort of DIY cat scratcher is not only simple and easy, but can also save you money, space, and damage to certain pieces of furniture or areas of the home.

Tonks Tuesday in the Window

Hello and happy Tuesday, friends! More specifically, it's Tonks Tuesday, and so the calico is of course here to grace you with her presence.

No matter what is on the back of that couch, Tonks will sit on it in order to watch out or snooze in the window. That window looks out into our back yard, where wildlife traffic is very heavy. That's probably why it's one of Tonks's favorite places to hang out.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is one I scribbled up many summers ago for my mom. It stars her fuzzy calico, Gilly, who loves hanging out in kitty tunnels.

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Tip of the Day

Our previous pet parenting hack was to use rubber gloves to remove furbaby hair from sofas, car interiors, and so forth. We failed to mention another option, and so we'll go ahead and do that today. If your clothing, bedding, or similar item is covered in pet hair and you're looking for a quick fix, you can try tossing it in the dryer with a dryer sheet. The anti-static nature of dyer sheets will help keep the hair from sticking to the clothing, bedding, or whatever item is in question. The hair will instead make its way to the lint trap. You could also try just rubbing a dryer sheet on the hairy item, as that sometimes will also help remove hair with the aid of its anti-static nature.

That all being said, though, please do keep those dryer sheets out of your furbaby's reach. This is because dryer sheets often contain potentially toxic components. So, keep those dryer sheets well hidden, and find and toss stray dryer sheets before dispersing the laundry. Of course, if you have any concern for your furbaby's safety, then simply refrain from using this method altogether.

Mancat Monday: Sunbathing...in a Cage

Last week Evan went to our vet's groomer for his routine bath and sanitary shave. I always love how, when he's done and knows he's going home, he is so happy and purrs all the way home. What's more, he also seems to really enjoy watching out the car windows and soaking up the sun.

I never thought Evan would look so happy to be sunbathing in a cage, but alas, there he is.

Evan and all of us here wish you a magnificent Monday! Though Evan enjoys the sunshine in the car after his grooming visits, he still hopes you all get to enjoy a day free of any vet visits and unwanted excursions.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've mentioned probably an obnoxious number of times how not only do I love to write, but I'm currently writing a weird and wacky fantasy book that co-stars a hind limb paralyzed cat like my Evan. Except this kitty's name is Hobo. And, unlike Evan, he lets his human put him in a wheelchair and enjoys going for walks outside. I was again going through old drawings, and I found the series I drew for last year's April A to Z Challenge, pretty much all of which starred this kitty named Hobo. Like this one here.

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Tip of the Day

We've decided to do a repeat series of tips on life hacks for pet parents, especially cat parents. These hacks may be all sorts of random, and most of them are indeed repeats of tips from the past. But, we hope these might offer some pet parenting tips for saving money, saving space, saving time, and, of course, keeping your furbaby happy and healthy.

Do you have furbaby hair on your sofa? What about in your car? Surely not on your clothes? Our pet parenting life hack for today is to keep some rubber gloves on hand. Why? Because, aside from the more commonly used lint roller or piece of tape, rubber gloves can be a reusable tool for removing furbaby hair from surfaces such as sofas and car interiors. You just put on a rubber glove and run it over the hairy sofa or other surface. The rubber glove and a little thing called static electricity will help lift the hair from the surface, and the hair will instead stick to the glove. When you're done using the glove to remove furbaby hair from your furniture, one easy way to get said hair off of the glove is by submerging the glove in water. The hair will float off of the glove, and then you can dip the hair out of the water and toss it. So, if you're looking for a quick, easy, reusable tool for removing your furbaby's hair from your furniture, consider giving the rubber glove trick a try.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Festive Bloopers

Hello and happy Friday, friends! It's time 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 summer bucket list includes _________ and _________.

2. _________ was one of the best summers that I ever had.

3. I'm getting ready for _________ by _________.

4. _________ immediately makes me _________.


My answers are below in bold. As always, my answers are also accompanied by excessive amounts of rambling. My apologies.

1. My summer bucket list includes reading lots of books and finishing writing my own weird book.
(I bought and downloaded a bunch of new e-books when Amazon informed me my old Kindle was being aged out and would no longer be able to download new books. I can still read whatever was already on there, so I loaded it up a couple months ago before it was officially cut off. So now I have a ton of new books I'm really excited to read and hope to get through quite a few this summer. And, as always, I've been working on writing my own weird and wacky story, a fantasy tale that co-stars a hind limb paralyzed kitty much like my Evan. I've been making better progress on it than ever before, and writing it makes me genuinely happy. As has always been my dream since I was a kid, I'm writing these stories as an entire book series, so I hope to finish the first book and start on the second this summer.)

2. Any summer with lots of reading was one of the best summers that I ever had.
(As a kid, I used summer and its no school and therefore no homework situation to read a ton of books. I'd also write my own weird stories on my summer breaks, but this answer is all about reading. There were multiple summers when I was a kid that included the released of a new Harry Potter book, and as a huge fan of Harry Potter I always read those on the day they came out. I have wonderful summer memories of nestling in on the couch with my sweet calico angel Rosie and reading a new Harry Potter book.)

3. I'm getting ready for Halloween by creating spooky art.
(I've first and foremost been going through all of my old summertime spooky drawings, but also my old doodles from actual Halloween seasons. These older drawings have really been inspiring me to plan out this year's spooky doodles, both for the summer and autumn. I can already envision quite a few I want to draw, and I plan on at least outlining a couple of them this weekend. I've also been inspired by seeing all the Halloween decor stores have already been releasing, and at least one or two of my upcoming drawings will be based on some of those pieces I've seen.)

4. A person speaking poorly of animals immediately makes me dislike said person.
(I know not everyone loves animals as much as I do, or as much as you all do. Not everyone wants or even should have an animal in their home or life, and I'm more than okay with that. But, it's when someone goes out of their way to talk down to animals or refer to them in derogatory ways that immediately makes me want to get out of the person's presence and never interact with them again.)

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.

***

Yesterday was halfway to Christmas. To celebrate, Eddy wanted to share a photo of her sitting on her kitty Christmas blanket. It doesn't matter if it's summer. Eddy will still gladly snooze on her soft and cozy Christmas blankie. You can also sort of see her year round Christmas tree behind her chair in this photo.

That photo there is surprisingly non-blurry for Eddy. That said, you better believe Eddy has an outtake from this festive photo shoot to share. Which is perfect, since it's now time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Eddy is indeed our resident blooper queen, so she of course has a blurry shot for you all.

Merry halfway to Christmas!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is one I scribbled up for halfway to Christmas a couple years ago. It was inspired by Eddy and her beloved year round Christmas tree.

Though Eddy doesn't climb the tree as often as she did when she was younger, she still loves hanging out with it by her favorite window.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip for strays and ferals relates to the trap-neuter-release (TNR) practice. TNR is crucial for keeping the feral cat population under control, as well as keeping individual ferals as safe and healthy as possible. This being said, always keep the weather and environment in mind when embarking on a TNR effort.

The summer heat can of course pose an extreme danger to cats being trapped. Potentially fatal overheating or heat stroke can occur if a cat is trapped and left sitting in the trap in the sun. In addition to this, traps are often made of metal, which means that if these traps are sitting on a hot surface, such as asphalt, the trap as well as the cat inside can overheat in this way as well. To combat such issues, try to trap and thereafter keep ferals in the shade. After they are trapped, do not leave the cats sitting out in the sun and heat, but instead transfer them somewhere cool as soon as possible. Also keep in mind the cats' safety when transporting them. For example, as you all surely know, the interior of a car can quickly become like a deadly oven in the summer months, so do not leave any animals, including trapped ferals, inside hot cars.

TNR is of course a very important practice for the safety and well-being of feral cats. That doesn't mean there aren't risks to the cats, though, and that includes the weather. So, if you are assisting in the significant task of trapping ferals, of course always ensure the cats' safety in all weather.

A Throwback Thankful Thimble Thursday

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

I often find myself going through old photos. I have hundreds and hundreds and probably thousands and thousands of pictures of my kitties, and so I have lots of options to look at. Today, Thimble is grateful that even in these flashback photos, and no matter what pose she struck, she has always been adorable.

That photo is indeed a throwback that was taken many years ago. I can't remember why Thimble gave me that look, but she's an incredibly sweet and docile and unbothered little lady, so I know it was nothing as serious as it looks. Either way, Thimble is downright adorable.

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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. My summer bucket list includes _________ and _________.

2. _________ was one of the best summers that I ever had.

3. I'm getting ready for _________ by _________.

4. _________ immediately makes me _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have yet another spooky summertime doodle, this one starring none other than Thimble. And yet another ghostly feline friend, of course.

I know today is halfway to Christmas, and Eddy has a flashback doodle to share for that tomorrow. So, she'll be getting festive in a less spooky way.

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our tips on summer safety for outdoor strays and ferals. Today we're moving on to the topic of food. When feeding furbabies outdoors, you of course have to take into consideration the heat of summer. Food can spoil in extreme heat, as you all surely know. Dry food is often the best one to feed strays and ferals on hot days. After all, moist food will spoil far more quickly, and will also quickly dry out in the sun and heat. You can try adding additional water to moist food to keep it from drying out too quickly, but even this method won't be able to combat the heat for long. No matter what type of food you feed to strays and ferals, do try to keep it in a shaded area or under a shaded shelter. What's more, remove old food and offer fresh food as often as is possible and needed.

It's also worth noting that though dry food is easier and safer to feed to outdoor cats in the heat, you still have to take precautions. Not only can dry food lose its freshness and safe status in the heat, but also think of instances such as rainy days. Dry food that gets wet will swell, become unappetizing, and can easily spoil if not cleaned up. So, when feeding dry or even moist food, of course keep in mind not only the heat, but other environmental factors such as rain. All in all, keep those strays and ferals healthy this summer with fresh food that is in the shade and protected from spoilage and other issues as best as possible.