Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

TGIF, right? Now that it is indeed Friday, how about the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? If you'd like to join in, please do so! My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. Every fall I _________.

2. It is never too early to _________.

3. I would describe my lifestyle as _________.

4. _________ requires a lot of patience.

My answers are below in bold.

1. Every fall I go all out for Halloween.

(I've probably beat this sort of answer into the ground. I love Halloween, and you get the idea. All of my indoor Halloween decor is already up, but so as not to freak out the neighbors, I have held off on putting up the outdoor decor. It's about time, though. I might even put it up this weekend.)

2. It is never too early to start your Christmas shopping.

(I've never really been one to procrastinate. It stresses me out too much to wait until last minute. I was this way even as a kid. That's probably why, especially when I reached adulthood, I got into the habit of starting my Christmas shopping in July, sometimes even earlier. I'm actually almost done with all of my Christmas shopping, and that makes me so happy. I love knowing that once the Christmas season starts, all of my gifts are in hand and ready to be wrapped.)

3. I would describe my lifestyle as controlled chaos.

(Generally speaking, I live a pretty simple, calm life. After all, I'm not a very spontaneous or social person. But, I do live with six cats and a giant dog, so chaos just sort of happens. All the time. In a sort of controlled way. Sort of. This answer probably makes no sense, but it's what I've got to offer.)

4. Dealing with people requires a lot of patience.

(No offense to any of our human friends out there. You're all great. In the real and daily life that occurs in-person, though, people are just a lot to handle. Sometimes clients at work are just so much fun, and so are co-workers, and please note my sarcasm. I'm probably also a bit worn out with people thanks to one of my neighbors. If you want the long version of that story, feel free to read on while I vent my frustration. I'm also curious if anyone else has gone through anything like this.

So, I have a neighbor who told me she wants to put up a fence. Generally speaking, this would not bother me in the least. But, then she told me that instead of determining the property line like she's required to do in our city before putting up a fence, she instead wants to just tear down the fence that for probably 20 or more years has been attached to the gate that leads into my back yard, and she wants to put her fence there. I'm pretty sure that's my property, since it is kind of attached to my gate, but she pretty much told me to my face that she doesn't care. The thing is, I kind of like my fence, and so does pup Astrid, since it sort of allows her to safely enjoy our back yard. My neighbor also already had a fencing company out to give her an estimate, and apparently they told her that a shed I built in my back yard would get in their way of maneuvering while they put the fence up where she wants it, so she also told me I need to move my shed. When I didn't do so, she turned me into the city. The city ruled in my favor, telling my neighbor that she can neither make me move my shed nor put up a fence without knowing the property line. Now my neighbor is really unhappy. In fact, after the meeting she called with the city, which I was also invited to, she actually threatened me. She also threatened my shed, but don't worry, its feelings weren't hurt. Because, you know, it's an inanimate object. Anyway, none of this is your problem, and I'm sorry for unloading it on you. This is my first time ever having a true issue with a neighbor, and this is new and very confusing territory for me. I must admit, though, that this venting session helped me feel a bit better about the situation. Now, back to regular programming, where I don't complain the entire time.)

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.

***

And 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.

As always, our resident blooper queen Eddy is more than ready to share some blurry and distracted goodness with you all. See?

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Doodle of the Day

How about a doodle in honor of decorating for Halloween, as I happily mentioned in the fill-ins today?

***

Tip of the Day

Today's disaster preparedness tip is a rather specific one, and it is to consider using a pet rescue alert decal or sticker at your house. These decals or stickers are meant to alert rescue response teams as to how many and what kinds of animals are in the home. They can be placed on a screen door, on a window near a door, or somewhere similar where rescuers can easily see it. This type of information on what animals are in the home can help in the case of a house fire or any emergency evacuation, especially in cases when you are in any way unable to inform response teams as to how many and what kinds of animals are in the home and in need of rescuing. There are a variety of these decals or stickers available online, but one easy way to get them is through the ASPCA, as you can visit their website and order free pet emergency alert decals for your home.

Alerting emergency personnel of the animals in your home can help them to more quickly rescue your companion animals in the event of a fire or other emergency. This being said, though, please do ensure that any such decals or stickers are kept up-to-date. Not only is this important for ensuring that all animals in the house are properly accounted for, but is also important for the safety of emergency personnel. For example, if one of your furbabies has passed away but it is still included on an displayed pet emergency alert at your home, then emergency crews might put their lives at risk looking for an animal who is not even present. So, while these pet emergency alert bulletins can indeed benefit your pets' safety, also ensure that you use them properly in order to keep emergency personnel equally safe.

Remember Me Thursday

As we're sure most of you already know, today is Remember Me Thursday. The Remember Me Thursday website has often explained this day with one poignant sentence: "Remember Me Thursday is a global awareness campaign uniting individuals and pet adoption organizations around the world as an unstoppable, integrated voice for orphan pets to live in forever homes, not die waiting for them." Just like most of you, around here we are huge proponents of adopting cats, dogs, and other companion animals from shelters and rescues. That's why our post today is indeed centered around this significant topic.

To join the Remember Me Thursday Blog Hop, visit Lola the Rescued Cat HERE.

I am of course a huge advocate for adopting shelter and rescue animals. Going one step further, though, I myself am also a huge advocate for adopting special needs—or specially abled—animals, if you are able to do so. They have so much to offer, as I have learned with my extra special Evan and Eddy.

Now, it seems perfectly timed that Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop always falls on Remember Me Thursday, given that both take place on, well, Thursday.

I am of course beyond thankful for all of my furbabies. All of them are rescues, though only one of them was actually adopted from a rescue group rather than stumbling into my life by other means. The furbaby I actually actively adopted is none other than Eddy, who is a sort of specially abled kitty herself.

As many of you might know, when I adopted Eddy, she was suffering from some sort of acute neurological issue that appeared just a day or so after the rescue trapped her. She walked and ran in circles, had a head tilt, had right-sided facial nerve paralysis, and all that neurological jazz. I was actually seeking out a special needs kitty at that time, as I had just recently lost my geriatric angel Rosie and wanted to give another special needs kitty a home in Rosie's honor. And so, I became Eddy's mom. She has since recovered from her major neurological issues, though she did adorably retain her head tilt and facial nerve paralysis.

Want to see a photo of Eddy at her first appointment at our vet? Of course you do.

That little lamb there behind Eddy was her little buddy when she was a young kitten. He had to be retired (and bleached) when he kept being dragged into the litter box by Eddy, but now he's tucked up in a closet for safe keeping. But I digress.

All that to say, Eddy and all of my rescue furbabies have brought me endless joy in life. Cats, dogs, and all animals in shelters deserve the chance to show just how much joy and love they have to offer. Because it's a lot. Today and every day, we are purring, woofing, praying, and doing our best to spread the word in order to help all animals in shelters and rescues find forever homes. They deserve it.

***

We were going to share our poem for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, but unlike in years past, I somehow forgot to tie it in with Remember Me Thursday. I don't want to take away from this day intended for the animals in need of homes, and so we'll share our poem tomorrow or Saturday.

Before we go, though, here are the fill-ins for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. Every fall I _________.

2. It is never too early to _________.

3. I would describe my lifestyle as _________.

4. _________ requires a lot of patience.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Did you know?

In honor of Remember Me Thursday, how about some facts on animal adoption?

Did you know that the average cost per day of basic pet care is only an approximate $3? That's less than luxuries like fancy drinks from coffee shops.

Did you know that roughly 25% of shelter dogs are purebred? Breeders are not the only source of purebred animals, because both purebreds and amazing mixed breeds can be found at shelters.

Did you know that a vast majority of shelter animals are already spayed or neutered and up-to-date on certain vaccinations prior to adoption? That means you'll pay the adoption fee and thereafter won't need to schedule or pay the typical cost of a spay or neuter or certain vaccinations.

Did you know that animals can make our lives happier and healthier? Science has proven this on multiple occasions.

Some of the above facts are ones you animal lovers out there certainly already know, and some are ones we've already shared in the past. Now we need to spread the word. Shelter animals have so much to gift us. They are special and filled with love. Let's get them out of shelters and into homes.

Window Wars on Woof Woof Wednesday

The battle for the window seat continues.

As is often the case, Thimble won this battle. Astrid may have over 70 lbs in Thimble, but the little tabby is still the victor. It's not even that Thimble is scrappy and fights for it. She usually wins out of sheer stubbornness. 

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Doodle of the Day

The scanner that was dropped on the floor (again) is up and running again. So, finally, here's a new autumnal doodle, starring a black cat, some books, and a cat-o'-lantern mug with warm coffee. Or cocoa. Whichever you prefer. I'd go for the cocoa, but that's just me. But I digress.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's National Disaster Preparedness Month tip is to, in the event of a disaster such as a hurricane, do your absolute best to consider the care and safety of animals who may not be your typical indoor companions. For example, do you help care for feral cats, even an entire feral colony? If so, please don't forget them in potential disaster preparedness plans.

Obviously, evacuating feral furbabies may not be anywhere nearly as easy as relocating your tame, indoor kitties or pups. However, do still do all that you can to ensure that you include ferals or strays under your care in the event of an emergency. Especially if there is a known threat of a disaster, try to find a way to access traps or other means of capturing and transporting ferals. And, of course, do your research ahead of time regarding safe areas that would be willing to take in ferals or strays in the event of an emergency. There may indeed be organizations willing to help with this feat. Therefore, also do your research in this regard and reach out to various animal rescue organizations to determine if they can offer assistance.

Another consideration to make are animals such as horses and livestock. As best as absolutely possible, try to always think ahead, even before a disaster is even on the immediate horizon, and make sure that you have access to trailers and other necessities for relocating large animals. And, again, do your research ahead of time regarding where you might be able to safely relocate animals such as horses or livestock.

Trying to orchestrate the relocation of numerous animals in the event of a disaster can indeed be very daunting. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, time or resources are short. In the end, though, you have to simply do the absolute best that you can. The best way to indeed do the absolute best you can is to always think ahead, be prepared, and have a plan. Make sure that you take the time to research safe options for all creatures under your care, and then, accordingly, make plans that could be implemented in the event of a disaster or other emergency.

Tonks Tuesday

It's Tonks Tuesday, so here's a sort of bloopery photo series of Tonks pestering her brother Evan. Because what are siblings for?

Do any of you kitty friends of ours ever pester your siblings?

Happy Tuesday!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

My scanner's usual settings are still befuddled thanks to me dropping it on the floor this weekend. It works, but I did something to massively mess up the way it usually scans my drawings. So, my sister is going to help me fix it tonight. She's my IT support, because I have zero technological skills beyond the basics. And so now here's yet another flashback doodle I did not intend to or want to share today.

***

Tip of the Day

We're in the midst of a series of tips for National Disaster Preparedness Month. Yesterday, we discussed preparing emergency supplies or a travel kit, so that you and your furbaby will be ready to handle a disaster, evacuation, and so forth, should the need arise. Today, we're here to remind you to go yet another step further and to have a plan. In other words, in the event of a disaster or other emergency, how and what will you do in order to ensure the safety of both your furbaby and yourself? For example, if you live in an area where disasters might make evacuation a possibility, have a safe a safe destination secured, not only for yourself but for your furbaby as well. Do you know of a motel or hotel, or another similar shelter, where animals are allowed? Or, do you have friends or family where your kitty or pup will be allowed to stay? If necessary, research veterinary offices, boarding facilities, or other similar facilities out of harm's way, where your furbaby could be taken in the case of an emergency.

Emergency plans don't just relate to possible evacuations, though. For example, if you live in an area where tornadoes are a possibility, have a plan for what part of the house both you and your furbabies can safely hunker down. Pick a safe room in the center of the house, for example, and have a plan for getting your kitty or pup there in a hurry. If needed, have leashes, carriers, or other necessary tools ready. Depending on where you live and what your situation is, always think ahead to how you will keep both your furbaby and yourself safe in an emergency situation.

One last comment we'll make on this topic is to, as needed and possible, practice your emergency plans. Make sure that everyone in your home knows the plan, and that everyone will know their part in the action. Doing a trial run or two can never hurt, to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and that everything will run as smoothly as possible in an actual emergency.

Mancat Monday

It's Monday.

Is anyone else as tired as Evan?

Is that tiredness, or just Monday rage? Either way, enjoy your day, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

The new doodle I promised for today will be shared tomorrow. Why? Because while setting my scanner up at my new workspace last night, I dropped it on the floor. Believe it or not, this scanner has been dropped on the floor before. It still works, but now it's having to do some internal realignments upon being plugged in, and so it wasn't yet ready to scan anything. I should be able to scan my new doodles tonight, once the poor scanner has recovered. Anyway, to go with our past couple days of Headless Horseman doodles, here's a flashback doodle of a girl and her cat who, though you can't really tell, are kind of supposed to be reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

***

Tip of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, we're in National Disaster Preparedness Month. Our newest series of tips, therefore, relates to this. Today, we're here to discuss having emergency supplies and travel kits prepared, should you and your furbaby need to evacuate suddenly. After all, destructive hurricanes, tornadoes, and other such disasters can, sadly, put people and their pets in the line of danger, as well as without a place to live. Therefore, especially if you are in an area where disasters might lead to evacuation, but also of course simply to be prepared for an emergency, do consider having an emergency kit prepared for your kitty or pup.

When preparing an emergency travel kit, think of the things your pup or kitty might use or need on a daily basis, or even weekly basis. Anything that they need on a regular basis can, of course, be included in an emergency kit. For example, an emergency kit for your furbaby would do well to include a week or so worth of their food, water bottles, bowls, and any medications they require. That is often not all that can or should be included in a cat or dog's emergency travel kit, though. If you rack your brain for anything that might be useful in your furbaby's emergency kit, you might consider a blanket or two, a spare leash, a carrier, a transportable litter box, litter, toys, your cat or dog's medical records, pictures of your cat or dog, and even cleaning supplies, such as paper towels and dish soap. All in all, consider anything and everything your furbaby uses or needs on a regular basis, and then create a travel kit based on that. In the case of an emergency, having such supplies already prepared can allow for you and your furbaby to evacuate and get to safety in a timely manner.

Squeaky Clean Sunday Selfie

Evan debated what type of selfie to share with you all today. He decided to go for a squeaky clean one.

Does anyone else bathe right in front of a window? Evan says it's totally normal. I'll just take his word for it.

Happy Sunday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

We'll be sharing more new spooky doodles starting tomorrow, what with the resurrection of my scanner. I think I'm going to have to make some of them recreations of these past couple of flashback doodles starring the Headless Horseman, because I remember how much fun these were to scribble up.

***

Tip of the Day

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. And so, we'll be doing a series of tips on this topic. Our first tip in this series is a simple precursor to the more detailed tips that will begin tomorrow. And this tip today is to please realize and understand that if a situation is not safe for you, then it's not safe for your animals. For this reason, please do absolutely everything in your ability to never leave your cats or dogs behind in the event of a disaster. If the only safe option for you is to evacuate, then that is also very likely the only safe option for your furbaby. For this reason, never wait until last minute to consider preparations and plans, as then it might be too late. Always have preparations and plans thought through or ready. We'll start discussing such preparations and plans in more detail tomorrow. For now, though, when it comes to potential disasters, please indeed keep in mind your furbaby's safety in addition to your own.

Caturday Art

Today's Caturday Art is late to be posted and is a flashback doodle. This unfortunately has become our norm as of late. But, that said, this should be the last time this is the case. I mentioned awhile back that when August ended, work at my full-time job finally settled down after a wild and chaotic summer. I intended to then get back on track with my scheduled posts and new doodles being shared at least 4 or 5 times per week and flashback doodles only filling in the remaining days. Then, though, I started using my free time to revamp my workspace at home. I got a new desk and all that jazz, and because of that I haven't had my scanner set up. I have a backlog of new doodles to share, all because I've been too distracted and lazy to temporarily set up my scanner. I'm finishing up revamping my new workspace this weekend, though, which means the scanner will be set up again and all the new doodles can finally be scanned and shared. There will be cozy autumn doodles starring cats and books, there will be cat-o'-lanterns galore, there will be spooky doodles inspired by some of my favorite spooky movies, and there will be poison apples and other creepy treats.

Anyway, all of the above rambling aside, for today I decided to share one of my favorite freaky doodles from roughly this time last year. I am a huge fan of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, its Headless Horseman, and of course cats, which is why this doodle came to be last year.

Who remembers this one? Kind of weird, huh?

Happy Caturday, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

Today is the last of our autumn pet safety tips. This one is another about wildlife, in particular predators who increase their activity during cooler weather in search of food. In some areas, this might mean an increase in the activity of coyotes, wild cats, or other predators. To such wildlife, cats as well as small or even large dogs can be considered prey on which to feed. Therefore, especially if you are in an area where coyotes, wild cats, or other predators might be present, be very cautious letting your furbabies outdoors at night and unattended. If you and your furbaby make a trip outside, keep them close to you, such as on a leash. Be sure to not only monitor your furbaby closely, but also your surroundings Always err on the side of caution in order to keep both your furbaby and yourself safe from hungry predators and other dangers.