Tuesday with Tonks and Thimble

Hello and happy Tonks Tuesday! The calico would like you all to see her enjoying some sunshine. After all, it's getting pretty chilly here, which makes that sunshine feel extra nice.

Can you see that little tongue poking out of Tonks's mouth? Ever since she had 3 of her canine teeth extracted due to resorptive lesions a couple years ago, her tongue sometimes makes little appearances like that. Pretty darn cute, huh?

Tonks will be having another dental this year, in December. We're going into it hoping she's just getting a cleaning to take care of some gingivitis and tartar. Last time around her dental radiographs showed some hidden issues that led to extractions, though, so we'll see if that happens again.

Now, let's give a little update on Thimble. She had some imaging done yesterday. Since her lab work all looked good, we wanted to make sure we weren't missing any reasons as to why she's lost a pound and is a bit of an insomniac at night lately. The good news is that, for the most part, everything looked great on Thimble's imaging.

Thimble was not thrilled about fasting overnight and then being dropped off at the vet yesterday morning, but I promised her it was for her own good. And it gave us good news, so that's another plus. She also did not need to be sedated like some kitties require, because she's such a docile and cooperative little lady.

As for the results, the vet noticed a bit of spinal spondylosis on her spine, but he said that often causes little to no issues or symptoms, and that seems to be Thimble's case, at least for now. The only other things noticed on her imaging was one single slightly enlarged lymph node around her intestines and a bit of inflammation in one small region of her stomach. With everything else looking good and no new related symptoms, Thimble's vet doesn't think any of that is a concern at this time. He believes those abnormalities are likely caused by some localized issues that could resolve themselves. Even so, he did measure both of those areas and we will recheck them in 6 months to make sure nothing has progressed.

Tonks hopes you all enjoy some sunshine, and Thimble wishes you all a vet-less day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

We have another seasonally confused flashback doodle for today. We often accompanies ones like this with a Happy Hallowthanksmas!

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip in our Thanksgiving series is about pie. As we've said on many occasions over time, plain pumpkin contains fiber and other nutrients that can have benefits for our furbabies and their health. That being said, though, not all components of Thanksgiving pies are as equally beneficial. For example, another popular Thanksgiving dessert is pecan pie, but do be cautious with this around your furbabies. Pecans are not particularly safe to feed your pup or kitty. One reason is simply that pecans can cause an upset gastrointestinal tract, and could also lead to bowel obstruction. Also take into consideration any other pies you make and what ingredients they contain. For example, chocolate pies or those containing raisins are of course dangerous to cats and dogs. What's more, when it comes to any kind of pie—whether it be pumpkin, pecan, or another—added sugars and other potential added ingredients can be less than ideal for our kitties and pups to consume. So, when you're making or eating those Thanksgiving pies, keep dangerous ingredients and the final products well out of the reach of your furbaby.

Mancat Monday on the Couch

Hello, friends! It's Mancat Monday, and today mancat Evan wants to show off his spot on the couch.

I typically sit in the center of the couch, and though Evan does sometimes enjoy sitting on the other side of me, he most often picks that spot there to my right. Often to my left is my little calico gal Tonks.

All of us here hope you have a cozy couch buddy like we do!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

As I've done in years past, from now through Thanksgiving Day here in the US, we're going to give some tips on food safety. After all, Thanksgiving is a time when we humans tend to indulge in all sorts of tasty foods. That being said, though, some of those foods are not ideal or safe for our kitties or pups to eat. We've given many tips like these over time, but this seems like the perfect season to repeat some of them.

Let's start with the obvious foods that most of you likely already know to be dangerous. For example, foods in the Allium species, such as onion and garlic, can be dangerous to cats and dogs. Be careful to keep those out of reach when cooking with them, and of course keep out of your furbaby's reach any foods that contain them. What are some of the other obvious ones? Grapes and raisins, such as if you have a fruit dish set out or if you've made a dessert with raisins, should be kept away from your kitty or pup. And don't forget the toxicity that chocolate and alcohol can pose to cats and dogs. Many tasty foods find their way to the table for Thanksgiving, but some of them are dangerous to our kitties and pups. Always be aware of that, and plan your menu, food placement, and general kitchen safety protocols accordingly.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Barely Blurry Eddy

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're here and 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-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. My November to-do list includes _________, _________, and _________.

2. _________ never disappoints.

3. If I haven't _________ by this time of the year, then I _________.

4. I'm proud of myself for _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My November to-do list includes writing, drawing, and taking kitties to the vet.
(This is pretty boring and makes me sound like a broken record, but it's all true. While I thought I'd finish the nearly-completed book I'm writing in September, that got stalled when my parents' kitty Trapper was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The same goes with my other art endeavors. I helped my parents with sweet Trapper's hospice care and spent precious time with him, and he sadly passed on October 21st. I just this week started feeling my inspiration come back, so I've finally returned to my writing and drawing projects. Just as with all the furbabies in my life, Trapper makes an appearance in my book as well as my drawings. As for the last part of my answer, my kitties also have lots of vet visits this month, but what's new.)

2. A kitty's unconditional love never disappoints.

(This answer popped into my head, and it seemed perfect. So, that's that.)

3. If I haven't finished Christmas shopping by this time of the year, then I panic and kick it into gear.
(I know. It's still just early November. But, I'm the opposite of a procrastinator and feel a major sense of anxiety when I don't get things done early. I've always been that way, for whatever reason. And this time of the year, I especially love having my Christmas shopping done early so that I can truly enjoy the season without that shopping panic. I don't mind grabbing things like gift cards a bit closer to Christmas, but I have a few more true gifts to buy, and then I can relax.)

4. I'm proud of myself for doing my best.
(I genuinely couldn't think of anything else to put for this. That's not to say I'm not proud of myself for things here and there, but when life gets crazy, I'm usually just happy if I'm genuinely doing my best. I think I am doing that, mostly, so I'll do a little jig to that.)

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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In true Eddy style, today's photo is a bit blurry. But just barely. And I still love this shot of her. It shows off Eddy's adorable face, including her gorgeous eyes and that precious snaggletooth of hers.

Eddy wishes you all lots of cozy window views today!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm not a fan of coffee or pumpkin spice drinks, so I'm hoping that gal is enjoying a mug of hot cocoa after her trip to the library.

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Tip of the Day

We're not finished with our Pet Cancer Awareness Month tips just yet. Today we want to remind you all that, just like us humans, it is possible for our furbabies to be affected by cigarette smoke, and cancer could potentially develop as a result. For this reason, if you smoke, avoid doing this in the home or around your kitty or pup. In addition, when out in public, do your best to keep your furbabies away from areas where smoking is common. Smoking affects more than just the smoker, so for the sake of both yourself and your furbaby, do try to avoid it.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Vet Adventures

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble has a very particular bit of gratitude for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is thankful that she's back home after being whisked off and stabbed endlessly at the vet yesterday. She was there for her senior exam and lab work. Just—sh!—don't tell her she's going back on Monday. More on that below.

Overall, Thimble's lab work looks pretty good. Her kidneys were showing signs of very early kidney disease last year, so I started her on the renal supplement AminAvast. Her values are holding steady, and yesterday a couple of the values were actually a bit better than her last bloodwork. AminAvast worked wonders for my angel Rosie, so I'm hoping it continues to do the same for Thimble for many, many years. The vet also did a quick ultrasound of Thimble's kidneys, and he noted that the left one is smaller than the right, which at this point likely means the right one is compensating for the left one in her early stages of kidney disease. For now, overall, her kidneys are staying steady, and I'll gladly be continuing to give her AminAvast.

Also, I shared that there picture above for Thimble today because it's one of many photos I have of her choosing to stay up all night rather than sleep. I mention that because Thimble's nighttime sleeplessness is one major thing I spoke to the vet about yesterday. Thimble doesn't wander the house or seem confused at night, but instead stomps on me and pokes at me all night to keep me awake with her. I genuinely don't mind if she just wants attention, but she used to sleep way better at night, so I want to make sure she doesn't have something going on that's causing her sleepless nights. Her vet doesn't think her nighttime shenanigans sound like dementia behavior, and she's also a bit young for that even at 12 years old. Her vet and I were wondering if perhaps she has hyperthyroidism, especially since she also lost a pound. Though she's always tended to have thyroid levels in the upper end of normal, they're still hanging out there and have not inched up any more since her last bloodwork. So, her vet is fairly certain that's not the cause of her weight loss or her all-nighters.

As I mentioned above, Thimble did lose a pound. She's now 10.5 lbs. She's a small cat and that's still a healthy weight for her, but it's still a pound of weight loss that her lab work and eating habits don't explain. Since Thimble is a littermate of my parents' boys Trapper and Talon, who both passed away from rare cancers that did not show up on lab work whatsoever, her vet and I agreed that full imaging of Thimble's abdomen and chest would be a good idea. That way, we can rule out something unseen causing her weight loss or wakefulness at night. I'll be dropping her off on Monday morning for her to get a full workup of radiographs and ultrasound imaging.

All of the above said, Thimble is seemingly doing really good. Even when she stays up all night, she's always happy and purring. So, I'm hoping she's just a happy and active girl and that nothing out of sorts shows up on her imaging.

Oh, and Tonks also went in at the same time as Thimble for her own senior exam and lab work. Tonks got a clean bill of health, except she needs another dental. She has some pretty gnarly gingivitis and tartar. A couple of years ago she went in for a dental for those exact reasons, but back then the gingivitis and tartar were actually hiding some resportive lesions that led to 4 of her teeth being removed. So, she'll be getting another dental this year, and we'll see if there are any more problematic teeth hiding in there like last time. Her vet has a pretty full surgery schedule right now, so she'll be getting her dental on December 9th.

I apologize for all of that rambling above. I just can't help myself when it comes to my kitties.

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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 November to-do list includes _________, _________,  and _________.

2. _________ never disappoints.

3. If I haven't _________ by this time of the year, then I _________.

4. I'm proud of myself for _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet cancer prevention tip is to steer clear of products with potentially dangerous chemicals, such as certain lawn treatments and detergents. These types of products can be dangerous for a number of reasons, just one being that some of the chemicals in them have been found to be potentially carcinogenic. This goes for both our furbabies and our human selves. For this reason, always do your research, check ingredients, and when in doubt, simply do not use it.

Adventures with Angel Astrid: The Burning Bush

I've been seeing a lot of burning bushes turning red in our area over the past couple of weeks. I can't remember the actual scientific name of these shrubs, but that's beside the point. I always like seeing them this time of the year, probably because I enjoyed watching the leaves turn bright red on the one in my parents' yard as a kid. That said, today's memory with my sweet angel pup Astrid involves her investigating one of the many burning bushes in our neighborhood.

We hope you're all enjoying some fall foliage! Well, at least those of you in climates that permit that this time of the year. Happy Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is a very old one, but I share it pretty much every November. After all, it portrays how the holidays feel this time of the year.

I have drawn multiple doodles in this vein over the years. I even already have a similar-ish one outlined for this year. I hope to work on it soon, if the chaos of life permits.

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Tip of the Day

In case you missed it, we're doing a series of pet cancer prevention tips during this Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Today's tip is one we've mentioned on more occasion than one, and is one that many of you have probably heard. This tip is to always keep in mind that it is indeed possible for cats and dogs to get skin cancer, especially on vulnerable parts of the body such as the ears and nose. For this reason, monitor the amount of time they spend outdoors in the sun, but also the amount of time they spend sunbathing in windows or doors. If your furbaby does spend a lot of time in the sun, perhaps look into pet-friendly sunscreen, and discuss safe options with your veterinarian as needed. There are also windows or window films that block out UV light, which is another option for keeping our furbabies and their skin safe during their sunbathing sessions. The sun can indeed be fun, but also dangerous, so do keep a close eye on those furry sunbathers.

Tonks Tuesday with Unicorns

On Halloween Tonks showed off her favorite spooky blanket. Today, she wanted to show off another favorite sleeping spot of hers. My mom recently found this old blanket with unicorns, and she gave it to me for my blanket-loving kitties. Tonks absolutely adores it.

Though I don't yet have a photo to prove this, those unicorns glow in the dark! I didn't even realize that until I turned the lights out one night and the couch beneath Tonks looked radioactive.

Tonks hopes you all have a cute and cozy blanket to snooze on!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I thought I had shared this old series of autumnal doodles in September, but when I checked I don't see that I did. So, let's share them now. I hope to get at least a couple of new doodles in this vein done in November, but for now here's an autumnal oldie.

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Tip of the Day

It's Pet Cancer Awareness Month, so we have another cancer prevention tip for you today. We're here to talk a bit about vaccines. While vaccines can be important for the prevention of various diseases, especially for those furbabies who go outdoors or are in another way more susceptible to disease, it is still crucial that you be knowledgeable about the potential side effects of some vaccines. In some cases, vaccines can lead to injection-site tumors, commonly cancerous fibrosarcomas. To help prevent these, you can keep furbabies, such as cats, indoors. This could render some vaccines far less necessary, since your furbaby would likely not be exposed to the diseases certain vaccines cover. In other cases, such as if your furbaby does go outdoors or might be exposed to certain diseases, simply do your research. Ask your veterinary office what types of vaccines they use, as some vaccines do not contain the components typically believed to cause injection-site tumors. Vaccines are often a highly debated subject in any case, so always be knowledgeable about them, about what kind your veterinary office uses, and which vaccines your kitty or pup might need.

Mancat Monday: Evan's Halloween Aftermath

I failed to share a day-after-Halloween post yesterday like I meant to. So, on this Mancat Monday, Evan is here to give a demonstration on how we all felt after indulging in far too much candy. Or, in Evan's case, indulging in too much Boo Brew.

I can't judge Evan on his current status. I myself ate far too much pizza and candy on Halloween. I also made some festive cupcakes for my family and had more than my share of those. Afterwards, I felt very much like Evan looks above.

Evan and all of us here hope you had a happy and frightfully festive Halloween!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

It's become a tradition for me to share this here old doodle right after Halloween. After all, it portrays not only how Halloween night goes, but also how the world turns to Christmas pretty much as Halloween is ending.

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Tip of the Day

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. We have many times before shared tips on the prevention of cancer in our kitties and pups, and we're going to repeat that series of tips over the next few days in honor of this month's importance. We'll start with none other than spaying and neutering. Spaying and neutering your furbabies is not only important for population control, but also because, like humans, they can develop cancers of the reproductive tract and related systems. This can include uterine cancer, mammary cancer, and prostate cancer.

What's more, timing of spaying and neutering can also be crucial. It is important to ensure that a kitty or pup is of course old enough and big enough for neutering, but also not too old. This is because, for example, there is an increased risk of mammary cancer in female cats and dogs who are allowed to go through one or more cycles prior to being spayed. We could go on and on about this topic, but let's suffice it to say that, as most of you certainly know, it's incredibly important to spay and neuter your cats and dogs for more reasons than one. We'll even say it again. Please spay and neuter your kitties and pups, and do so before they can be affected by an increased risk of cancer.