Flashing Light Selfies

Evan was hoping to snap a calm, soothing, snoozing selfie for today. So, he curled up next to his mom on the couch and prepared himself. The problem, though, is that this here mom of his turned on the television. That annoying box with moving pictures did nothing but flash lights on poor Evan as he tried to snooze and snap selfies. Isn't that rude? Here, see the rudeness for yourself.

Doesn't Evan look so cozy? That was before the TV was turned on. As soon as that annoying box with flashing lights and moving pictures was clicked on, it did nothing for poor Evan's lighting.

See? Do you see those lights flashing all over Evan? He even got an animation of all the flashing lights on his poor face as he tried to snooze.

Isn't that so rude! How can a boy snooze and snap selfies with these sorts of annoyances? Evan wants to know if the rest of you kitties have to put up with such obnoxious human habits as television watching? He hopes you all have naps and photo shoots far less interrupted than his!

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm still chipping away at my doodles for April's A to Z Challenge. In case you missed our announcement yesterday, our doodles for the alphabetical challenge will be in a series called "A Day at Rosie's Restaurant". As I work at preparing these doodles, we've been sharing primarily flashback doodles through the end of March. These flashbacks are in a series from last year that was inspired by various fairy tales. So, here's another one of those silly little doodles.

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Tip of the Day

We're of course here today with another National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip. It's time to give a reminder of the dirty details of keeping your kitty or pup safe. What we mean is, don't forget to keep your garbage can, recycling bin, dirty dishwasher, compost, and other similar areas safe against curious furbabies. Garbage cans or recycling bins, for example, might contain empty containers for potentially poisonous substances, such as detergents. The garbage can, dishwasher, or even compost might also contain the remnants of food that is toxic to a cat or dog. When it comes to the compost, or perhaps even the garbage can, moldy foods especially might be found within, and moldy food can contain mycotoxins, which are indeed toxic to our furbabies.

All in all, what we're trying to say is to never forget all of the details, no matter how dirty, for ensuring that your kitty or pup is free from any form of poisoning or other injury. Use garbage cans that are securely lidded or pet-proof in another way. You could even hide your garbage can in a cabinet, drawer, or room to which your furbaby cannot gain access. Also ensure that your dirty dishwasher remains securely closed, and that any compost you have is kept somewhere that your furbaby cannot reach. Even if a precaution seems like overkill, it's probably not. After all, when it comes to the health and safety of your furbaby, it is of course best to take no risks.

Rosie's Restaurant

April is just days away. That means the April A to Z Challenge is just days away. As I prepare oodles of doodles for the alphabetical challenge, I've been sharing mostly flashback drawings as of late. Today, though, we of course have a brand new doodle for you. After all, it is the day of Athena's Caturday Art blog hop. What's more, with today's doodle, we're announcing our theme for the A to Z Challenge.

Would you look at that. My calico angel Rosie has her very own restaurant. She's quite the master chef, which is perhaps why we're calling our series of doodles for the A to Z challenge "A Day at Rosie's Restaurant". All throughout April, Rosie will be sharing some of the foods on her restaurant's menu. She's sharing them from A to Z, starting with breakfast, moving on to lunch and then dinner, and ending with dessert. If you'd like to know what all Rosie is serving up, feel free to visit us throughout April.

Happy Caturday!

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Tip of the Day

Today's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip is an add-on to our tip from yesterday, when we reminded you to keep doors closed and other obstacles in place to keep your furbaby safe from substances and areas with poison. Taking that one step further, if needed, child-proofing products can be your your best friend even for those furry children in your life. For example, do you have a curious kitty or puppy who has found ways to open cabinets and drawers? This can put a furbaby at risk, such as if those cabinets and drawers contain human medications, cleaners, or other toxic items, or even sharp or other dangerous objects. To prevent prying paws from opening cabinets and drawers, you can get child-proof, or pet-proof, locks that make cabinets and drawers difficult or impossible to open without dexterity, or opposable thumbs. There are also child-proof locks to keep main doors securely closed. This can come in handy if you have a kitty or pup who knows how to manipulate certain door handles.

We've mentioned this on here before, but also don't forget the usefulness of baby gates. They also make gates that are more specifically pet-proof, such as tall ones over which dogs and cats cannot easily jump. These can be used to block access to certain areas of the house to ensure your kitty or pup's safety. For example, you can use baby or pet gates to block access to the kitchen, especially if potentially toxic foods are being prepared. These gates can also be used to block off garbage cans, laundry areas, or other areas of the home where potential poisoning might occur.

Just as with a human child, our kitties and pups can get themselves into trouble. Consider all areas of the home where danger might arise, and then do your research on what you can do to best prevent emergencies from dangers such as accidental poisoning. Do your best to always be one step ahead of your kitty or pup, as difficult as that may be.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

We hope you are all having a happy and healthy Friday! Now, are you ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, we'll share them again below. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My favorite outdoor activity is _________.

2. One positive aspect of social isolation is _________.

3. It's fortunate that _________.

4. I have _________ memorized.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My favorite outdoor activity is walking.
(I love walking pup Astrid, and I also find great joy in taking true nature walks. I live not too far away from a wooded nature center, and I love going there to just walk for a couple of hours. That being said, I much prefer walks in weather that is neither too hot nor too cold. If I can enjoy a nature walk in the early autumn, when the leaves are all golden but also still on the trees, that's my ideal sort of walk.)

2. One positive aspect of social isolation is the isolation.
(I'm an introverted homebody. Isolation is my kind of thing. I am most focused and productive when I'm all alone. I know some people thrive on human interaction, but I'm not that kind of person. I thrive far more on contact with cats and dogs. That being said, since I work at an essential business, I still go to work every day, so isolation isn't really a thing in my life even during this pandemic.)

3. It's fortunate that all of my furbabies are healthy.
(This is a fortunate thing on any day. It's especially fortunate these days, during this pandemic. Even though our state has a shelter-in-place order, our veterinary office is not closed. They are open, but in order to best practice proper pandemic etiquette and social distancing, they are focusing on only seeing pets in more dire need of veterinary care. They are also one of many veterinary offices doing curbside care, where you park in the parking lot, hand off your furbaby from there, and then wait in your car. Since my furbabies are all fortunately healthy, though, we're not in need of any veterinary care. I'm incredibly grateful for that. I feel so bad for the humans of ailing furbabies during these difficult times.)

4. I have our veterinary clinic's phone number memorized.
(How many of you have your veterinary clinic's number memorized? I'm going to guess that quite a few of you do. I don't know my own doctor's number, but I sure know the veterinarian's number.)

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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Today is extra fun. Why? Because today is the day of the Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, hosted by Mudpie and Melissa of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

As I've said before, I'm really glad bloopers are a Friday sort of thing. This is because Friday is my girl Eddy's day on our blog. Eddy is also our blooper queen, and so that's a perfect combo.

Ready for Eddy's photo fails? I recently spent a huge chunk of time trying to get photos of Eddy actually looking at me. The photos below are just a tiny fraction of the failed attempts.

If  you ask this tabby girl to look at you and say, "Cheese!", she'll very likely just turn away and laugh instead. I'm pretty sure I heard her snickering as I snapped these bloopers. Such is life with Eddy, and I love it.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today is yet another flashback doodle as I try to prepare lots of new doodles for April's A to Z challenge. We're still sharing flashbacks from last year's series of fairy tale drawings. Given that Eddy loves to lie on top of me as I sleep, I thought the flashback below was perfectly fitting for today.

Do you see that brown splotch on the grey cat's back end? I remember when that happened to this doodle. It was simply a smudge from the brown pen used for the brown tabby. I could've tried to blend it in, but that would've changed the grey cat's color, and I wasn't into that option. So, that there is a grey cat with a dirty bum, I guess.

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Tip of the Day

In these last couple days of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're going to summarize some tips on how to help keep your furbaby safe from potential poisons. First, as obvious as it is, we're here today to remind you to use doors or other obstacles to properly block your kitty or pup's access to potentially dangerous products or areas of the house. For example, if your bathroom, laundry room, or utility closet contain dangerous chemicals, such as detergents, then keep their doors securely closed to bar your furbaby's entrance. Similarly, keep the door to your garage shut, in order to keep your furbaby away from gasoline, antifreeze, and other dangers that might be found in the garage. If you have a shed and your furbaby goes outdoors, keep the shed's door securely closed, especially if it houses fertilizers, pesticides, or other potentially toxic products. And don't forget to consider your garden, where toxic plants might grow, or where dangerous chemicals might be used. In such cases, monitor your furbaby while outdoors, and block your kitty or pup's access to the garden, such as with a secure fence. In short, consider all areas of the house and yard where poisoning or danger might arise, and ensure proper safety against said dangers.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! We're here to do a bit of rhyming. It is, after all, time for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Our host always shares a photo prompt to help us along. This week's prompt is this sweet image here:

Sometimes a certain image will bring to my mind a very particular idea. That didn't happen this time, though, so I just sort of went with the flow on this one. As always, I threw a cat or two in there.

Best Friends

Young Zack did not want to move to the country.

He thought it would be terribly boring and frumpy.

But, alas, his parents discovered their dream home out there,

And so he was forced to move, which he found quite unfair.

Zack tried pleading one last time with his parents.

Leaving their old home would mean living his best friend Terrence!

Though his parents apologized to their son for the inconvenience,

They were still dragging him to the new country home, kicking and screaming.

Zack had to admit the new house was big and sometimes fun,

And the yard was humongous and got tons and tons of sun.

To Zack, though, all was still not well, though.

He didn't have a best friend to play with, no.

Zack wrote his friend Terrence nearly every day,

But that was nowhere near as good as having him around to play.

Zack had no siblings and he missed having a friend around.

Well, he did actually have a very good friend of whom he was proud.

That friend was Happy,

His big ol' orange tabby.

The problem, though, was that Happy was kind of lazy.

He loved to follow Zack around and to watch him playing.

But Happy, well, he wasn't one to really join in.

It's like he thought physical activity was a downright sin.

While Zack enjoyed Happy's company a great deal,

He missed having another little boy around for tag and cartwheels.

"Won't you play just one game of tag with me, Happy?" Zack asked.

Sighing and lying down on the porch was the response of the cat.

After Zack begged just a few more times,

Happy got up and left the boy's sight.

The boy dropped his shoulders and let out a sigh,

Then resorted to sprawling out in the grass and staring at the sky.

Zack did not know how long he was on the ground, bored.

He may have even began to snooze and snore.

Then, though, he heard a strange voice shout, "Hello?"

Zack sat up in the grass and saw another young fellow.

The boy was perhaps his age and had blonde hair of pale yellow.

"Hi," Zack said. "This is my new house."

"I'm Mike," the other boy replied in a near shout.

He then pointed and added, "I live just over there, or thereabouts."

Mike yet again spoke, asking, "Is this your cat?"

He pointed to Happy and then gave him a pat.

"He showed up in my yard and made friends with Kitty Cat.

Oh, by the way, Kitty Cat is my cat."

Zack pieced together the puzzle the boy had spoke.

Happy had gone to Mike's house all alone,

Where he made friends with Kitty Cat,

Who happened to be Mike's friendly cat of black.

Kitty Cat was now weaving between Zack's leg.

For pets and attention the black cat did beg.

"Does your cat need a friend?" Mike asked.

"Because he could be friends with my Kitty Cat."

Zack shrugged and said, "Both Happy and I could use friends.

We just moved here and I'm bored to no end.

Happy doesn't want to play with me,

But he'll play with Kitty Cat, I see."

Happy and Kitty Cat ran after each other in the yard.

Mike said to Zack, "There aren't any other kids around here, near or far.

Why don't we be best friends now?

That would be grand, and how!"

Zack smiled and agreed, quick and blunt.

Mike shouted, "Now that we're friends, want to play scavenger hunt?

I have everything we need at my house.

Come on, I'll show you the route!"

Just like that, Zack had Mike as a friend.

He had Happy to thank for that end.

He gave his furry friend a pat and a pet,
And then for a pet Kitty Cat also did beg.

Mike showed Zack that he lived just down a dusty dirt road.

It didn't look like much, but it thereafter became Zack's favorite place to roam.

Zack, Mike, Happy, and Kitty Cat walked that road day after day.

There was nothing like having best friends with whom to walk, talk, and play.

***

Thimble is now of course here with her Thankfuls.

Thimble is grateful for a warm spot in bed. This girl is a pro at stealing her human's spot in bed, her human's spot on the couch, and you get the idea. Of course, she always gets her way and I always have to find somewhere else to sit.

We are also very thanfkul for our health, the health of our family, and the health of our friends.

***

Last but not least, we have for you the fill-in statements 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. My favorite outdoor activity is _________.

2. One positive aspect of social isolation is _________.

3. It's fortunate that _________.

4. I have _________ memorized.

***

Tip of the Day

Yesterday's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip was about being cautious of the potentially poisonous bites of certain snakes and spiders. In a similar yet also different tip, we are today talking about those critters who contain substances that could be toxic if ingested by our furbabies. For example, there are certain toads that contain substances on their body that can lead to severe toxicity. Two of the most poisonous toads are the Colorado River toad and the Marine toad. A pup or kitty making oral contact with these toads can lead to nearly immediate side effects such as drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, difficult breathing, difficulty walking, and potentially death if left untreated.

Other critters that can poison a dog or cat if ingested include a butterfly or caterpillar that has eaten milkweed, which can be incredibly toxic to our furbabies. In addition to this, there are some caterpillars with hairs or other means capable of injecting venomous toxins, which can spell out trouble if a cat or dog puts the caterpillar in their mouth. Monarch caterpillars and a variety of moth caterpillars are some of those known to have the ability to inject toxins when threatened.

Even fireflies can have poisonous effects on a cat or pup if ingested. Though their less-than-ideal taste is likely to keep a pup or kitty away, if ingested, they can cause vomiting and other gastrointestinal distress. For all of these reasons, especially if you are unsure of a critter's potential effects on your furbaby, simply do all that you can to prevent your kitty or pup's contact with or ingestion of bugs and other critters. As we mentioned yesterday, do your best to be aware of the types of critters in the area, and which ones can pose a risk to your pup or kitty. And, if your furbaby does come into contact with or ingest any bug of which you are unsure, do not hesitate to contact a veterinarian.

Woof Woof Wednesday

Pup Astrid decided to change up her look a bit today. So, do you like how she styled her ear?

For the record, I did not pose Astrid's ear for this photo. Her ears are usually perfectly floppy, but on occasion they do a little stand-up comedy. This was one of those times.

Well wishes to all on this Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I continue to try to focus on preparing lots of doodles for April's A to Z challenge, we're sharing a series of flashback doodles from last year. These flashback doodles were inspired by fairy tales. So, how about a fairy tale with a big bad wolf?

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Tip of the Day

As part of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're now talking about the risk of poisonous bites your kitty or pup might receive from other critters. Depending on where you live, or where you might be visiting with your furbaby, you might find it necessary to be on the lookout for critters such as snakes and spiders whose bites can have toxic effects. When it comes to snakes, some of the dangerous ones include certain coral snakes and rattlesnakes. As for spiders, as most of you certainly know, black widows and brown recluses are among the most dangerous. Bites from such critters can result in any number of dangerous or life-threatening side effects, including cardiovascular shock, respiratory distress, neurological damage, and tissue damage, among others.

When outdoors, especially in areas where snakes, spiders, or other venomous critters are a known possibility, always monitor your furbaby and keep an eye out for danger. As needed, research the wildlife of areas you will be, so that you know what snakes, spiders, and other critters of which to be cautious. Of course, if your kitty or pup is bitten by a spider or snake, especially a known venomous one, do not hesitate to seek veterinary care. In many such cases, counteracting the venom in a timely manner is crucial.

A Tonks and Toby Tuesday

When I came home from work yesterday, I stumbled upon a sight that I don't see often. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen this sight before.

I honestly don't believe I've ever seen Tonks and Toby sitting so close to each other. That's not to say that they don't ever share furniture, but they just aren't necessarily the best of friends. If I'm being honest, Toby picks on Tonks. Perhaps that's why I was even more surprised when Tonks cozied up even closer to Toby.

As with any photo shoot, this cuddle session also had a couple bloopers to offer. The first one came when Toby decided to show off his fangs.

The next blooper is even more blurry, and it's also way more rude.

In case you can't tell, in that second blooper Toby is kicking Tonks in the face. And they say chivalry is dead.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, we'll be sharing quite a few flashback doodles over the next week or so. This is simply because over these next few days, I'm using most of my artsy fartsy time to gear up for April's A to Z challenge. I want to have a good chunk of my A to Z doodles done before April hits.

The flashback doodles we're sharing these days are all from one particular series we created pretty much this same exact time last year. It's a series of doodles revolving around various fairy tales. Yesterday's flashback doodle didn't star a beast, but it did star Belle, some cats, and of course a book. Today's stars a redhead, or two.

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Tip of the Day

Today's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip is about the toxic gas known as carbon monoxide (CO). CO is not only dangerous to us humans, but also incredibly dangerous to our kitties, pups, and other animals. CO most often results from car exhaust, fire/smoke, and when generator systems fail. When a large amount of CO is inhaled, this can lead to cells in the body becoming deprived of oxygen. CO poisoning can thereby result in life-threatening effects on the cardiovascular system, neurological system, and other important systems of the body.

Needless to say, do all that you can to prevent both your furbaby's and your own exposure to CO. Set up CO monitors in your home, and ensure that they are always properly functioning. Of course also ensure that you have functioning fire and smoke alarms. There are all-in-one alarms on the market that detect fire, smoke, and CO. In addition to this, properly maintain any generators that you have, and do not use them if they are in any way malfunctioning. Also, of course, do not let your kitty or pup into a closed, unventilated garage where a car or other motor vehicle is running. CO can be a silent killer, so do all that you can to protect your furbaby, as well as yourself, from it and its deadly effects.

Mancat Monday

Today, on this Mancat Monday, a certain orange boy is lamenting the state of our little home library.

That there bookshelf is the most high-traffic one in the house. That unfortunately means that books, and even random decor and other this and that, is often haphazardly placed on the bookshelf in a rush. This shelf is sometimes tidied up, but it never stays clean and organized for long. This here human really needs to remedy that, because the kitties are not impressed.

Happy Monday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm going to admit that you'll be seeing a number of flashback doodles over the next week or so. This is because the A to Z challenge is coming up in April, which of course starts next week. As always, my A to Z challenge will be coming in the form of doodles. The only problem is that life in general has gotten a bit crazy and so I've gotten more than a bit behind in prepping all of those A to Z doodles. So, in order to have time to get a better head start on the A to Z challenge, I'm going to mostly share flashback doodles over the next week or so. There will still be a brand new doodle to go with our Thursday poem, and of course for the Caturday Art blog hop, but other than that it'll be all flashback doodles for just a bit.

Luckily, I was perusing the doodles I shared last spring and came across a series of them that I completely forgot about. It's a series of doodles inspired by some relatively famous fairy tales. The first flashback doodle we're sharing from this series not only correlates well with Evan's bookish thoughts today, but is also the one we first shared exactly one year ago today. Does anyone remember this?

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Tip of the Day

We're nearing the end of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, but we still have a couple more such tips to share with you all. Today's tip is about those pots and pans in your kitchen. Primarily, be cautious when using nonstick pans, such as those with Teflon, as heating these to high temperatures can lead to poisonous fumes for some pets. As many of you likely already know, this is primarily a concern when it comes to pet birds. Still, to be on the safe side, be careful when heating such pots and pans around any pets, especially those that are small. For that matter, also be careful with other similar kitchen items, such as aerosol cooking sprays and self-cleaning ovens, as it is not impossible for fumes from these to also pose dangers. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and simply do not use it.