Tonks Tuesday: Oh Christmas Tree

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today you get to see what the calico does within a minute of the Christmas tree going up. Pretty much every single one of these photos is in the form of a blooper, because Tonks moves fast when she's excited, but they're pretty darn cute anyway.

I'm sure there will be plenty more photos of Tonks in the Christmas tree. Maybe I'll even get some non-blooper shots. Maybe.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing our discussion on Thanksgiving food through to the end of November. For today, keep in mind that food safety around pets isn't just related to food preparation and eating. Safety precautions should continue even after you've finished your meal. What are we getting at? We're reminding you to be aware of dishes in the sink and food scraps or wrappers in the trash. Illness and emergencies can result if your furbaby licks off of plates in the sink that contain remnants of dangerous foods, or if they find their way into the trashcan where scraps or bones reside. So, be aware and take precautions to keep your pup or kitty safe from dangerous foods even after the feast is over. Immediately rinse or wash plates and keep the sink clear of dangerous food debris. Also take out the trash if it contains dangerous food items, or keep it securely hidden away from your furbaby.

Mancat Monday

Hello, friends! I'm going to apologize again for absent and late posts these past couple of days. There was a work emergency over the weekend, and a work emergency this morning. I work as a laboratory technician in a chemistry lab, and the recent emergencies all involve broken machines required for the day-to-day life of the lab. Anyway. I don't want to complain, as I'm very grateful to have an income, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't about to pull my hair out when it comes to my full-time job. That's enough of that, though.

All that said, I'm trying to prep posts to make December on our blog all shades of festive with consistent posts. That's in no small part why this post is late, because I've been focusing on posts that you won't even see for at least a few days. Well, that and work stuff.

Anyway, here's an Evan supervising me as I put lights on one of our Christmas trees.

That's not the only shot Evan has to share today, though. He also wants to show you one of his favorite things about artificial Christmas trees, and that's what great chew toys and toothbrushes they are. 

Don't worry, come December, you'll be seeing Evan in far more festive photos that don't involve rogue light strands or tree branch eating. Probably.

Happy Monday!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

Part of the December posts I'm prepping are new Christmas doodles. For today, though, I have this flashback doodle that pretty much depicts what it's like to put up our Christmas trees with some of the kitties at my house. It's all shades of wild and crazy, and I love it.

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Tip of the Day

Since we have enough Thanksgiving tips to last through the end of the month, we're continuing them. And do you know what holiday food we haven't yet mentioned? Cranberries! This here human loves cranberries, but are they safe for our kitties and pups? In moderation, plain cranberries can be given as a small treat to a dog or cat who enjoys them. That being said, it is best to steer clear of cranberry sauces and juices, as those contain excess amounts of sugar and other potential additives that might not be the best for your furbaby. Also be careful with special cranberry dishes, in case they contain not only excess sugar but potentially also toxic ingredients such as alcohol. As always, when in doubt, simply don't offer it to your furbaby.

Since we're on the topic of fruits, we'll go ahead and run through a couple of other fruity treat options for your kitty or pup. If fed in moderation, berries such as blueberries and strawberries are healthy for cats and dogs, as are bananas. Apples are also generally a healthy treat option, but only if you are careful to refrain from feeding your furbaby the seeds. That being said, keep in mind that when fruits like apples are made into pies, added ingredients such as sugar are not so healthy for your furbaby. Of course, also remember that fruits like grapes and raisins are toxic to cats and dogs, so never feed those. Even cherries can be dangerous, especially if consumed in large quantities, as cyanide poisoning can result due to the contents of the stem, pit, and even leaves. So, to be safe, don't feed your furbaby cherries, cherry pie, and most certainly not chocolate-covered cherries this holiday season. Ultimately, if you are not certain that a particular fruit or other food is safe for your furbaby, simply don't feed it as a treat.

Festive Flashback Caturday Art

After spending all of yesterday decking the halls at our house, today is a catchup day. In addition to doing the ever so festive task of mowing up the leaves in my yard, I'll also be working on the many Christmas doodles I hope to share this season. In the meantime, here's a festive flashback doodle starring all the furbabies.

That is actually the image of one of our Christmas cards from years ago. Since one of the Christmas doodles I'm working on is this year's card, this seemed fitting.

Happy Caturday!

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Tip of the Day

Surely I'm not the only one who always feasts on the classic green bean casserole for the holidays? If green bean casserole is on your Thanksgiving table, keep in mind what all ingredients are used to make it before you let your furbaby try some. A lot of green bean casseroles involve potentially dangerous ingredients, especially after you add the classic mushroom soup and onions on top. The onions themselves are of course a hazard, as are added sodium and other ingredients that sneak their way in there. For this reason, it is likely best to hold off on sharing green bean casserole with your kitty or pup. That being said, though, if you have plain green beans to serve, those can make a great and nutritious treat for that furbaby in your life!

Friendly Fill-Ins

We hope all of our friends in the US had a happy Thanksgiving with lots of food! We're stuffed, and now we're also ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. 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. I would like a _________ of my own.

2. On Black Friday, I _________.

3. For me, the holiday season begins _________.

4. If I won a large sum of money, _________ would be the first thing I bought.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I would like a veterinary degree of my own.

(Sometimes I wish I'd earned and maintained a degree in veterinary medicine. I honestly don't know that I have it in me to be a veterinarian as my career, especially when it involves stressful surgeries and saddening euthanasias, but I'd love to be able to better diagnose my kitties and pup on my own, as well as treat them and obtain medications more easily. I'd also use the knowledge to better help stray and feral cats, and kitties and pups of my family members.)

2. On Black Friday, I stay in the safety of my home and decorate for Christmas.

(I'm not saying I don't take advantage of any Black Friday deals, but I only do so online. I don't like going out to shop on a calm and quiet day, so the thought of going head on into the Battle of Black Friday is a great big no thank you. More importantly, since I was a kid, it's been a tradition to put up the Christmas trees and deck the halls on Black Friday. By the end of Thanksgiving day, I'm usually stuffed and ready for it to end just so that I can get on with Christmas.)

3. For me, the holiday season begins the second I've finished Thanksgiving dinner.

(This is if we're talking specifically about the Christmas season. I try to give Thanksgiving its just due, but I'm always eager to move right on to Christmas. That said, if we're talking about the overall holiday season of the last couple months of the year, then for me it pretty much starts on September 1, when I just go ahead and let myself move full force into Halloween, another favorite holiday of mine.)

4. If I won a large sum of money, full amenities and medical care for the local strays and ferals would be the first thing I bought.

(I feel like my area has more and more stray and feral cats every day. We do indeed have some rescue groups in the area that help when they can, but they are kept very busy and can't always get to everything. We also don't have many veterinarians in the area who offer easy, affordable care for the many strays and ferals. I myself would love to do more, so if I had the full resources to get all the roaming kitties fully taken care of, homed when possible, and properly sheltered outdoors when homing is not possible, I would love that. Doing far more for strays and ferals is honestly a life goal of mine.)

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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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.

Our resident blooper queen Eddy of course has some outtakes to share. This time around, she got distracted and started a blurry bath during a photo shoot next to her personal, year round Christmas tree. 

Today, and pretty much every day, I have to reattach some of the trees branches since Eddy loves to use and abuse her poor tree. Now that we've really approached the Christmas season, I'll also be making this tree look more festive today. I don't know why I try, because anything I put on this tree ends up catapulted to the ground by Eddy, but 'tis the season.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Festive Doodle of the Day

This flashback doodle seemed apt enough for today. 

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Tip of the Day

We've been discussing the safety of our furbabies when it comes to common Thanksgiving foods. Though Thanksgiving has now come and gone, we're still moving on with this topic until the end of the month. At least around here we're still munching on the leftovers anyway. Now, this topic would feel incomplete without a mention of none other than stuffing. Is this Thanksgiving staple safe for your furbaby? More than likely, it is best that you simply avoid feeding any of that stuffing to your kitty or pup. Why? Because many stuffing dishes include ingredients such as onion, garlic, salt, butter (which could especially be a problem for furbabies with lactose intolerance), and other components that could have uncomfortable or dangerous side effects. If the stuffing is plain, without any potentially dangerous ingredients, then a small taste might be fine for your furbaby. But, more than likely, that Thanksgiving stuffing will contain some ingredients that are best avoided in your cat or dog's diet.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

That is, admittedly, not the Thanksgiving doodle you're supposed to be sharing. However, this here human got home from work yesterday and went straight to baking pies, and she forgot to finish today's post. I forgot to even scan this year's Thanksgiving doodle, and so you'll be seeing it in the next couple of days. But, this one is actually one of my past favorites. It's a 2018 doodke, and it stars my angel Rosie, a guest of a turkey, and in the background a giant Santa float from a certain Thanksgiving day parade.

Again, to our friends in the USA, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

To our friends in the rest of the world, HAPPY THURSDAY!

Wishing you all many blessings and lots of festive fun this time of the year!

On this day of thanks, and on every day of the year, we truly have so much for which to be grateful. We are grateful for our family, those still with us and those who watch over us. We are also grateful for our health, for the roof over our heads, and for the food on our table. We are grateful for this beautiful, festive season.

We are also beyond thankful for this wonderful community of friends. Without all of you, we would be lost. Thank you for helping give us so much for which to be thankful, friends! Wishing you all many blessings, today and every day!

I'm also going to mention here that I'm grateful that my orange boy Evan's bloodwork and other tests all came back normal. Despite some new issues potentially related to his hind limb paralysis, his vet gave him a clean bill of health overall. I truly am beyond grateful for that.

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We didn't forget about tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. We'll share the fill-in statements below. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I would like a _________ of my own.

2. On Black Friday, I _________.

3. For me, the holiday season begins _________.

4. If I won a large sum of money, _________ would be the first thing I bought.

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Tip of the Day

Many Thanksgiving dinners include bread, rolls, biscuits, or other doughy goods. That being said, be cautious and aware when baking bread around dogs and cats. If a pup or kitty consumes unbaked bread dough, especially that which contains yeast, serious side effects could result. For example, unbaked break dough can expand inside the warm intestinal tract, which can in turn result in life-threatening bloat, twisted stomach, and other potential issues. Yeast in unbaked bread dough not only can result in bloat, though. It can also ferment. Such fermentation produces alcohols, which can then be absorbed into a cat or dog's bloodstream and result in alcohol poisoning. Needless to say, unbaked bread dough can be very dangerous, or even deadly, if consumed by a cat or dog. So, never leave unbaked bread dough unattended. Keep your kitty or pup out of the kitchen, or do whatever else you must to keep your kitty or pup from giving that dough and other dangerous Thanksgiving feast foods a taste test.

Autumnal Adventures with Astrid

Astrid loves walks in the autumn. Not only does she love the weather, but she also loves all the piles of leaves we come upon as we journey the neighborhood.

Don't misunderstand, though. Astrid doesn't like playing in or even walking through the leaves. She'll actually try to walk around or hop over any leaves that are in her path. What Astrid does enjoy is, well, peeing on piles of leaves. I've told her that's rude, but she wholeheartedly disagrees. I actually tried to catch a photo for evidence, but she decided to have a shy bladder this time around.

I also wanted to express how grateful I am to see Astrid using her back right leg. That might sound like a weird thing to say, but after she tore her CCL, awaited surgery to repair it, and then finally had the surgery, weeks passed without her using that leg. It's now been 6 weeks since she had that surgery, though, and she's doing great. She's not so happy to still be disallowed running, jumping, playing, and all that jazz, but she is allowed her walks, and that she loves very much.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm going to be honest, I had a bunch of autumnal and Thanksgiving doodles in the works that I never did end up finishing or sharing. That said, I actually transformed some of them into Christmas doodles, since that's really all I've been wanting to scribble up. So, we'll be sharing a brand new Thanksgiving doodle tomorrow, of course with Christmas elements, and then after that we're moving right into all things Christmas. Now that I've rambled all that, here's a flashback doodle starring the furbabies and pumpkin pies.

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Tip of the Day

A discussion on Thanksgiving dinner foods would not be complete without noodles, would it? At least, in my family Thanksgiving isn't complete without noodles. If noodles are part of your holiday meal, it could likely be considered safe to feed your furbaby a small amount of plain noodles. Noodles can be a good source of energy in the form of carbohydrates, but of course they are best enjoyed in moderation for your furbaby. That being said, as always, also do consider any ingredients added to the noodles. As we've indicated in many previous tips, refrain from feeding your pup or kitty noodles that include garlic or onion, for example, or that include any fatty or other sauces that might lead to gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, or other issues. So, if your furbaby fancies a taste of pasta, as long as it's plain, they can enjoy that little taste.

Cantankerous Tonks Tuesday

Tonks knows I'm getting her Tonks Tuesday post up late yet again, and so she's looking a bit cantankerous today.

That's fair, Tonks. I deserve that glare.

This may have been a quick post, but we're still wishing you a happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Continuing on with our Thanksgiving feast tips, yet another common holiday dish is white potatoes, such as mashed potatoes. When it comes to feeding your furbaby white potatoes, those that are cooked and plain can be a reasonable treat in moderation. When additional ingredients are added, though, then you have to start being extra cautious about offering potatoes as a treat. For example, butter or sour cream might cause gastrointestinal distress, especially for cats and dogs who are lactose intolerant. In addition, as we've said before, added ingredients such as garlic, onion, or excess salt can potentially be dangerous if consumed by a kitty or pup. So, you can let your furbaby try out those mashed potatoes, but first make be sure to take into account how they're prepared.

In addition to white potatoes, Thanksgiving is also often a popular time for sweet potato dishes. If plain and simple, sweet potatoes can make for a great treat for a kitty or pup. They are a great source of fiber and vitamin A, as well as vitamin C, potassium, and a variety of other beneficial nutrients. Plain steamed, baked, or mashed sweet potatoes would be a great treat to allow your kitty or pup during that Thanksgiving dinner. That all being said, though, do be cautious of dishes such as sweet potato casserole. These altered versions of sweet potato often contain added sugar, sugary marshmallows, and other potential seasonings or ingredients that could be unhealthy or lead to gastrointestinal side effects. So, sweet potatoes are a great treat to offer that furbaby in your life, but do be sure it's of the plain and healthy variety. Just as with white mashed potatoes, make sure you know how sweet potatoes are prepared prior to letting your furbaby have a taste.