A Chat with Mother Nature on Mancat Monday

Today, Evan is having a bit of a chat with Mother Nature.

This past weekend, we finally had us some cool, crisp weather. It was open window weather, and the kind of weather that allows for this here human to walk pup Astrid in a sweatshirt, rather than in a sweat-drenched tank top. But, then, Mother Nature threw us some extra sun and it reached nearly 90°F again. None of us here were impressed by that, so Evan scheduled a meeting to discuss the matter with Mother Nature. We hope the meeting goes in our favor.

Have a magnificent Monday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Our current series of tips is about disaster and emergency preparedness for both yourself and your furbaby. Today's tip on this topic is to contemplate and decide on a proper caregiver for your furbaby, should there be an emergency rendering you incapable of caring for them. Thinking on such unfortunate hypothetical situations is never something anyone looks forward to, but it is nonetheless something important to consider. You will want to ensure that someone you trust might be prepared to care for your kitty or pup in an emergency. It is of course important to discuss this with the person in question, and to ensure that they are truly able and willing to take on the care of your furbaby, should the need arise. In some cases, this might mean including in your will that this person would become your furbaby's caregiver. Overall, though not an ideal topic with which to occupy your mind, it is indeed significant to have a safe and secure plan for your furbaby's care should something render you incapable of caring for them. Think of family or friends whom you trust, whom your furbaby knows, and whom have displayed an ability and willingness to take on the care of your kitty or pup.

Sunday Selfie

We'll make our post today short and sweet and to the point. After all, our internet is really on the fritz these days, and it's a legitimate toss-up as to whether or not it will be working at any given moment. We're going to have to have a real heart-to-heart with our internet provider.

Anyway, it's Sunday. What does that mean? The selfie, of course!

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday's tip discussed having rescue alert stickers posted at your home, to aid rescue workers in getting all of the animals at your home to safety in the event of an emergency at your house. Today's tip is to have a means of alerting rescuers that there are animals in need of care at your home in the event that something were to happen to you while you are away from home. For example, you could have a pet alert info card in your wallet or in your car, indicating the types and number of animals at your home in need of care should you, God forbid, be rendered unable to make it home to care for them as needed. It is never desirable to consider the possibility of such emergencies or disasters occurring, but it is nevertheless important to think ahead and plan ahead for your kitty, pup, or other companion animal's care in the event of any type of emergency.

The Caturday Scarecrow

It's the beginning of autumn, and I refuse to believe that it's 90°F outside. So, I'm just going to keep scribbling up autumnal doodles like this one over here in my happy corner by the air conditioning register.

Our two black cat housemates, Toby and Winky, informed me that they don't get to star in enough doodles. So, this one's for them!

Of course, that doodle up there is our contribution to Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.

We don't properly thank our blog hop hosts enough. So, Athena, thank you for always hosting this fun and fantastic blog hop! We look forward to it each and every week.

Have a beautiful day, friends!

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Our 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.

Friendly Fill-Ins

If you're looking for some Friendly Fill-Ins on this Friday, you've come to the right place! In case you missed them yesterday, we'll share the fill-in statements again below. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. The last time I _________ was _________.

2. _________ isn't _________.

3. _________ is a blessing in disguise.

4. My favorite word is _________.


Now, if you want to know how I answered these, go ahead and read on.

1. The last time I cuddled a kitty was roughly half a second ago.
(My girl Thimble is the kitty in question this particular time around. When I'm at home, there's usually at least one kitty in reach. All of my kitties seem to have accepted the fact that if I catch sight of them, they're probably going to get hugged on.)

2. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
(Maybe you just need to water your lawn? Growing up, I remember my mom teaching me that everyone is responsible for their own happiness. You have to water your own metaphorical lawn and your own metaphorical garden before envying how nice your neighbor's looks.)

3. Pain is a blessing in disguise.
(I debated whether to put this as my answer. But, I kept coming back to a song that was popular when I was in high school. This song, "All at Once" by the band The Fray, includes the lyrics, "We'd never know what's wrong without the pain." Those lyrics have always stuck with me, because though they're a bit sad, they're also very true.) 

4. My favorite word is Rosie.
(My angel Rosie's name always was and always will be one of my absolute favorite words. My dad named Rosie, back when my family adopted her in 1993. I've always thought it was such a pretty name, and it means so much to me. Fun fact? Both Rosie and her brother Sammy were named after characters from The Lord of the Rings. Rosie was named after Rose "Rosie" Cotton, and Sammy after Samwise "Sam" Gamgee.)

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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Around here, Friday also means that you all get a fix of Eddy. We yet again, miraculously, have a non-blurry to share of this girl!

All of us here are wishing all of you out there a fantastic Friday!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our 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.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday! Whew. What a mouthful. It's all for good reason, though. Let's start with that poetic part.

It is indeed time for Angel Sammy and Teddy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. Every week, our hosts give us a photo prompt to guide us on our poetic journeys. This week's photo prompt is this cozy, candlelit one here:

To be honest, when I first saw this image, it brought to my mind Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. But, more specifically, this image made me think of at least one of the Christmas scenes from this story. I'm not quite ready to start scribbling up anything Christmas yet, though. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Christmas. But, I also love me some autumn and Halloween and am sort of stuck on that topic.

Anyway, trying to think of something besides Little Women Christmas scenes, I focused on scribbling up a poem about the magic of books. This made me think of all those times when, as a child, I got lost in a book with my angel kitty Rosie and her brother Sammy as my reading buddies. So, that's what I went with, sort of, more or less.

Oh, and perhaps it would help for me to explain that one of my nicknames for my Rosie was Rosie Posie. Sometimes I even called her Rosie Posie Pudding Pie, and that one even had a little song to go with it. I can still sing that strange little tune all the way through, even though my dear Rosie has been gone for three years.

Am I rambling again? I'll stop. So, here is yet another one of my weird and wacky rhymes:

Rosie, Posie, and Friends

Once upon a time, there were three little girls.

The three girls' names were Posie, Mary, and Coral.

Oh, and of course there was a kitty,

A calico who was really quite pretty.

She was the best friend of the girl named Posie,

And this kitty's name was none other than Rosie.

The girl Posie was not quite, well, ordinary.

This did not matter, though, to Coral and Mary.

And of course it didn't matter to her kitty Rosie, the good girl.

After all, true friends never took you for a kook,

Even if other folk claimed that you bothered and spooked.

Really, Posie never meant any harm,

Even if her habit did spark a bit of alarm.

When she was around, nothing was boring,

So much so that her presence sent townsfolk soaring.

There really was no better word for it than magic,

Which Posie nor her friends deemed even a little bit tragic.

You've heard of spellcasting, dark magic, and all sorts of cauldron cooks.

When it came to Posie, though, hers was the magic of books.

Perhaps the problem wouldn't have been so profound,

If in books Posie's nose was not always found.

After all, if her eyes met a sentence starring a dragon who breathes fire,

That very beast would end up right in front of the town's mercantile!

Unable to help herself, Posie oft found herself lost in her magical reads.

That was why her kitty Rosie never left her side, indeed.

After all, who else would alert her when she might need a break,

So that no one in town was eaten by a dragon, or a giant snake?

Not all those in town were appalled by the bookworm of a girl.

After all, do you remember Posie's friends, Mary and Coral?

They were the best friends a girl could ever have,

In addition, of course, to Rosie the loyal calico cat.

Can you guess what the girls did with Posie's magic?
They started a book club, of course, and you better believe that!
Fantasy, mystery, history, and all sorts of action,
Rosie, Posie, and friends even once read and caught a literary assassin!

Of course, the girls knew their club was not quite typical.
Thanks to Posie's skill, it was instead magic and mystical.
Now, was it wise for them to meet in the park or town square to read?
No, it was not, and on that they agreed.
After all, do you remember that fire-breathing dragon we mentioned before?
Rosie, Posie, and friends remembered how cleaning up after that had been a chore.

Posie had long ago befriended the town librarian.
His name was Clive and he was, it seemed, a nonagenarian.
The library had a grand basement made of stone,
And nearly every visitor left it deserted and alone.
That made it the perfect place for the bookworms' magical club,
And Clive didn't mind one bit if the basement was the club's hub.

To the library, Rosie, Posie, and friends headed at least once a week,
Eager to select a book to read, watch, live, and critique.
When one particular week finally arrived,
Their excitement the girls really could not hide.

It was nearly, you see, none other than All Hallow's Eve,
And what kind of little girl didn't crave a book fit for screams?
Indeed, Posie, Mary, and Coral searched the library shelves.
All of the thrillers and horrors they debated amongst themselves.

Should they go for this one about gremlins here?
It was sure to bring them all sorts of wonderful fear.
Or, what about that one there, starring a haunted house?
It would send chills up their spines, without a doubt.

Oh, but wait, what did Coral find over there?
Yes, that one was sure to spook and scare!
Over to the table they ran with it, and fast.
They were more than ready to feel shocked and aghast.

The front cover of this one alone was perfectly chilling.
Posie could certainly make this read all sorts of thrilling.
And so, they opened up the book and the first page they began to follow,
This All Hallow's Eve story called The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

I'm half tempted to draft up some sort of sequel to this little tale for Halloween. I wonder if that will happen. Maybe I'll surprise myself and it will.

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So far we've rhymed on this Thursday, and now we're about to go all Thimble and Thankful. Ready?

That's right, friends.

Thimble is again thankful for more and more boxes! This here human has a serious addiction to this place called Target. Boxes appear from that place far too often. Well, Thimble doesn't think so. This human, though, thinks she might need an intervention. In all fairness, said human is actually already nearly halfway through her Christmas shopping, and so the oodles of boxes contain all sorts of unseasonally festive goodies.

What's more, this here human raided the infamous $1 bin at Target the other day, and found all sorts of Halloween cat goods. We have enough goodies to do three or four Halloween giveaways in October. We're super excited.

So, in all of that rambling, we're trying to say that we're so very thankful for, yes, boxes. Also, though, we're grateful for the upcoming holidays. We're thankful for our family and our friends, and that of course includes every single one of you.

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Last but not least, we're here to help you prep for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. The last time I _________ was _________.

2. _________ isn't _________.

3. _________ is a blessing in disguise.

4. My favorite word is _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Our 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.

Ahoy!

Ahoy, mateys! Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day. Shiver me timbers, we mean Meow and Bark Like a Pirate Day! Aye, aye. That be more like it. Would ye like to sail the seas with us?

Argh, those be strange looking seas. Never mind that. Sail ho! To where would ye like to go?

Yo ho ho!

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Our 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.

Tabby Tuesday

It's Tabby Tuesday, so why not give you all an up close and personal dose of some tabby stripes?

Always the model, Thimble was happy to donate her tabby stripes to a good cause. She hopes you enjoyed them. She also hopes you enjoyed how stunning her profile is.

Are any of our tabby friends showing off their stripes today? Or, are you going more for the tummy side of things? Or toesies? Or, what about those tuxies out there? Or you pretty torties we know? What sort of Tuesday are you having?

No matter what kind of Tuesday you're having, we hope it's a terrific one!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. This is timely, as many in our nation are currently affected by Hurricane Florence. Given this month dedicated to disaster preparedness, 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.