Tonks Tuesday: The Rude Awakening

It's Tonks Tuesday. For the occasion, I woke the calico up from a nap, which resulted in the photo below.

As you can see from her expression, Tonks thought this was a rather rude awakening. In my defense, I didn't mean to wake her up. I was trying to get a photo of her napping, as she's quite the adorable snoozer. I bumped her, though, which earned me the look you see on her face there. Even a bit disgruntled, Tonks is still clearly so very cute. And don't worry, because Tonks got her requested belly rubs and cuddles after this photo, and then her nap resumed.

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we discussed symptoms you might notice if your furbaby is suffering from any number of dental issues or diseases. Our tip for today is a bit of a long one, and it will wrap up our dental tips. We'll start with the recommendation of, of course, taking your furbaby to be seen by a veterinarian if you notice any dental concerns. Your veterinarian can take a look in your cat or dog's mouth to get a basic idea of what might be going on. They might be able to see a broken tooth, an abscess or infected tooth, gingivitis or other gum disease, or masses growing within the mouth. Of course, a simple exam may not reveal everything, and when dental disease is noted or suspected, it might very well be recommended that the animal go under anesthesia for a more thorough dental exam, dental x-rays, dental cleaning, or extractions.

If a dental procedure is recommended, of course discuss the necessary details, options, and plans with the veterinarian. Make sure that both you and your veterinarian are on the same page. If your furbaby has other existing diseases, such as those of the kidney or heart and lungs, of course discuss with your veterinarian if or how it is best to safely proceed with a procedure.

If a dental procedure is scheduled, make sure that you understand all preparations for it. Give your kitty or pup any prescribed pre-op medications, such as antibiotics, if applicable. Just as we recently discussed in one of our spay/neuter tips, also be sure to pull your furbaby's food at 10 pm or so the night before the surgery, or whenever you are instructed to do so, in order to reduce the risk of aspiration while under anesthesia.

Also make sure you understand all post-op care. For example, give antibiotics, pain killers, or other medications as instructed. Some dental work, such as tooth extractions, requires that your furbaby go off of dry food and exclusively eat moist food for at least a couple or a few days after the procedure. Be sure that you understand if this is required, so that your furbaby can recover and heal as quickly and efficiently as possible. After dental work is performed, also make sure that you understand if your veterinarian recommends at-home care from then on out, such as brushing your cat or dog's teeth or applying certain oral medications on a regular basis to help prevent future concerns.

Mancat Monday with Evan and His Adorably Weird Ear

I've mentioned multiple times over the past few weeks how, 2 years ago, my boy Evan developed an ear hematoma. At the time he had an upper respiratory infection, and so the hematoma likely resulted from excess sneezing or shaking and rubbing his ear. Google Photos keeps giving me notifications with memories from that time. As in, it keeps reminding me of sad photos like this:

That was when Evan's hematoma was fresh and at its biggest. He was miserable, and his vet and I were trying to make a game plan. Of all the myriad health issues Evan has had over the years, I think this ear hematoma somehow made him the most miserable. This was the only time I ever witnessed him genuinely hiding. I remember one day he went under my bed and didn't come out for over 12 hours. I wanted to cry for him. In fact, I probably did just that.

Thanks, Google Photos. It's so nice of you to remind me how sad that hematoma made my poor little guy.

Given the number of health issues he already has, at the time we were trying to keep Evan comfortable with meds while giving his ear time to heal on its own rather than jump right to surgery. I would certainly have gone the surgery route if absolutely necessary, but his vet and I were trying to avoid an anesthetic event for the poor little guy. After all, most ear hematomas will shrink and heal on their own over a few weeks. Evan's kind of shrunk, but for whatever reason it never fully healed. Instead, his ear was left permanently deformed. His vet doesn't know why that was the case for Evan, but my boy has always been an extra special medical case.

I genuinely do not care what Evan's ear looks like. My only concern was the slew of ear infections he was getting as a result of the deformed part of his ear blocking airflow to the ear canal. The ear infections were making him just as miserable as the hematoma itself had. As I mentioned a couple times over these past few weeks of re-sharing the history of Evan's ear, we finally found a solution to his infections with an ear cleaner our clinic's founding veterinarian invented. As soon as I started cleaning Evan's ear with that twice a day, the ear infections stopped and Evan was back to his happy self.

I still clean his ear twice daily with that ear cleaner. As long as I do that, Evan's weird little ear causes him no issues at all. He doesn't notice or care that it's different, and neither do I as long as it's not giving him any grief.

Warm wishes from Evan and his adorably weird little ear!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

As part of our series of tips for National Pet Dental Health Month, today we'll be discussing some of the symptoms to look out for related to dental disease. First up, of course, is halitosis, or bad breath. This can signify any number of issues, including an infected tooth or gum disease. Of course, bad breath can also come with certain diseases, such as oral cancer or even kidney disease. For these reasons and more, never ignore abnormally rank breath in your cat or dog. Moving on from bad breath, though, if your kitty or pup is suffering from certain dental issues, they may also of course have a decreased appetite, or seem pained or have difficulties when eating. In some dental cases, you also might notice blood or excess drool coming from their mouth. There is also the chance you might visibly notice broken teeth, loose teeth, discolored teeth, or even tartar buildup. Also don't forget that the teeth are in close proximity to and therefore often linked to the eyes and nasal cavity, and so discharge from either of these can also potentially signify an oral concern. All in all, if you smell, see, or in any way notice concerns relating to your furbaby's mouth, or any part of their body, do be sure to have them examined by a veterinarian. Dental health can even be linked to heart health and other systems of the body, so this is again one of those cases in which it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Annoyed Eddy

Hello, friends! We're 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. I _________ for fun.

2. I am tired of seeing _________.

3. I once had the crazy idea to _________, and it worked.

4. I spoke too soon when I said that _________.


My answers are below in bold. Yet again, I've rambled more than I have any right to. My apologies, again.

1. I read lengthy books for fun.
(Don't get me wrong, because in order for this to be fun for me it needs to be a genre, author, and just overall book that I enjoy. That said, when it's a book I'm excited for, I love seeing that it's over 600 or 700 pages, or more. That many pages means there's more story to enjoy, and for longer. One of my newer favorite fantasy authors has two books coming out over the next few months, and they're both over 600 pages, and that makes me so happy. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who get excited over a big book to read. But, I thought to put this answer because when I was recently talking to a fellow reader, they couldn't believe I was excited for books with that many pages.)

2. I am tired of seeing stories of animal cruelty.
(None of us like these terrible stories, that's for sure. Animals offer unconditional love and deserve nothing but the best, so seeing stories of cruelty towards them boils my blood. Since I follow so many animal accounts on social media, my algorithms will give me all sorts of animal stories, including the devastating ones. Animal abusers deserve the same treatment they give to the innocent creatures of this world, a sentiment I feel every time I see these heartbreaking stories.)

3. I once had the crazy idea to try alcohol markers, and it worked.

(I can sometimes be a stick in the mud. When I have a preferred method for doing something, I'm not always comfortable changing it. For my entire youth and early adulthood, I would draw using just pencil and/or pen. Then I started seeing more and more artists sharing their work created by alcohol markers. I was very intrigued, but I kept dragging my feet on getting any. I apparently mentioned my intent to someday try them to my sister enough times that she showed up one day with a set of 12 alcohol markers and told me to try them already. I did, and I've never looked back. Thanks, sis! I used to never draw in a bright, colorful, cartoon style, but now that's pretty much all I create. I enjoy it so much.)

4. I spoke too soon when I said that my old car and old furnace were behaving.

(My car is 16 years old and my furnace is 26 years old. They've both been doing great for their age. I even made the fatal error of saying that out loud recently, and mentioned it here on our blog. Not long after that, my car started throwing some warning lights. Luckily these were found to be the result of my poor old car being more sensitive to cold weather these days, and after a quick checkup it's still hanging in there and serving me well. I have faith in you, car. As for my furnace, it started making multiple failed attempts to run the other day. I was worried it was croaking, given that it's a quarter of a century old. Turns out, the flame sensor was just dirty and it was a quick and cheap fix. Whew.)

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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I mentioned last week how Eddy isn't a big fan of cameras or having her photo taken. I can't go without photographic memories of my sweet girl, though, so I do sneak photos ops when I can. She always notices, of course, which more often than not leads to annoyed looks on her cute face.

Though she might look a little dour there, Eddy still wishes you all a fantastic Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I had forgotten about this kooky, spooky winter doodle I scribbled up a couple years ago until I scrolled past it in my archives yesterday. So, I figured I'd go ahead and share it again.

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Tip of the Day

Among other things, February is National Pet Dental Health Care Month. So, of course we'll be giving a couple of tips on keeping those pearly whites healthy and happy. Let's start with a quick discussion on at-home care and dental disease prevention. First and foremost, of course, is the act of brushing your furbaby's teeth, which can help remove food morsels, plaque, and other debris that could lead to tartar and other dental issues. Though this is not a job that every furbaby enjoys or even allows, if they are trained to accept it and it is done correctly, brushing can help keep those teeth healthy and happy. There are pet-friendly toothpastes and other oral cleansers out there, as well as pet-friendly toothbrushes and other similar tools for cleaning those teeth. There are even products on the market that more heavily focus on helping treat gum disease, such as for those furbabies with a history of gingivitis or stomatitis. Not all dental products are created equally, though, so if you are unsure what is safest or best for your furbaby, then most certainly discuss the options with your veterinarian.

There are also other types of products on the market that can potentially help teeth remain as healthy as possible. These of course include treats and food formulated for dental health. This is something that again can be discussed with your veterinarian, as he or she will best be able to guide you to products that are the most reliable and effective.

Dental care can of course start at home, but do keep in mind that it is still possible for tartar, gingivitis or stomatitis, and other forms of dental disease to arise even with brushing and other at-home care being used. Tomorrow we'll discuss some of the symptoms you might notice if your furbaby's oral health is in need of further assistance.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: What Big Eyes You Have

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is of course here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for what big eyes she has. They're quite adorable, don't you agree?

In these photos, Thimble was excited by the lights my phone was reflecting onto the walls thanks to the sunshine. This girl loves chasing lights on the wall, and so that's what she had such big eyes for this time around. No matter the reason, though, I love my girl Thimble's giant eyes.

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And now 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. I _________ for fun.

2. I am tired of seeing _________.

3. I once had the crazy idea to _________, and it worked.

4. I spoke too soon when I said that _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Our last tip related to Spay/Neuter Awareness Month is to make sure that you know and follow the proper pre-op preparation and post-op treatment for your furbaby's operation. Just as with any anesthetic event, there are some rules that will need to be heeded for your furbaby's health and safety. To begin, a cat or dog's food should be withheld well in advance to going under anesthesia. This is in order to prevent aspiration of food during surgery. Ask your veterinarian how early to pull your kitty or pup's food, as their age can affect this. For example, adults may need their access to food cut off at 10 pm or thereabouts the night before surgery, whereas young kittens or puppies may need to be allowed access to food until the early hours of the morning of their surgery. Of course, also ask your veterinarian if there are other requirements prior to surgery.

The at-home care will continue after the surgery as well, of course, so also be sure that you follow these instructions from your veterinarian. For example, make sure you know how much and how often to give any medications that are sent home with your furbaby after surgery, which may include pain medication or antibiotics. It is also of course important to keep spayed or neutered furbabies calm and as least active as possible, so that they can recover safely and quickly. This is especially important for females, so that their abdominal sutures remain intact and their incision heals properly. If necessary, a kitten or pup can be secluded to a safe area of the house, where they can recover and heal as needed. Spaying and neutering is incredibly important, but so is the care required before and after the surgery itself.

Pawprints in the Snow with Angel Astrid

I was going through old wintry photos of my sweet angel Astrid, and I found lots more involving her pawprints.

See that 3-toed pawprint we also showed off a couple weeks ago?

We used to have a Great Pyrenees dog living near us, and if you don't know, that's a pretty darn big breed of dog. In the photo below, Astrid's pawprint is on the right, and the pawprint of the Great Pyrenees is on the left. For a bit more reference, Astrid reached nearly 90 lbs and was far from a small dog.

We don't just see adorable dog prints around here, though. Astrid and I more than once found lots and lots of duck prints by the creek that runs through our neighborhood. See the webbed prints surrounding Astrid in the photo below?

And the last photo below not only stars Astrid's adorable paw, but tiny prints of a rodent on the left, a possum's prints in the middle, and kitty's pawprints on the right.

That was photo was snapped in our back yard. The kitty's prints either belonged to the neighbor kitty or one of the ferals I feed in my yard. And, since I feed kitties in my yard, we do indeed get lots of possum visitors.

Warm wishes to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I have drawn a number of wintry doodles of my angel Astrid in sweaters over the years, so here's yet another one. I'm pretty sure this was the doodle I scribbled up for the sweet girl's birthday last year.

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Tip of the Day

For today's Spay/Neuter Awareness Month tip, we're discussing how it is important to be aware of your cat or dog's age and size, and to have them spayed or neutered at an appropriate, safe, effective time of their kittenhood or puppyhood. This is important, for one, because cats can potentially become pregnant as early as 4 or so months of age. Dogs fall not far behind that, with the potential for becoming pregnant at 5 or so months old. Should your kitten or puppy get loose, this means they could come back pregnant even at such a young age.

In addition, spaying or neutering your furbaby before they go through their first estrus or pregnancy will give them the best chance of remaining free from related health issues later in life, such as mammary cancer. Spaying or neutering before their first cycle can also help to potentially reduce the display of certain behaviors, such as spraying. Though certain such health or behavioral issues can still arise even if a furbaby is spayed or neutered, having this surgery performed before their first cycle can reduce the risk.

So, then, when should you have your cat or dog spayed or neutered? The short answer is to discuss this with your veterinarian. Ultimately, it depends on the individual animal's overall health and development. For typical, healthy kittens and puppies, the AVMA has endorsed spaying and neutering as early as two month of age, and/or when the kitten or puppy has reached two pounds. Many shelters and rescues follow this practice. Some veterinarians will prefer to wait a little longer, such as when the kitten or puppy has reached 3, 4, or even 5 months of age. Essentially, a veterinarian will best be able to determine when is the best time for your furbaby to be safely and effectively spayed or neutered, so of course discuss this with a professional.

A Roly Poly Tonks Tuesday

Today, on this Tonks Tuesday, the cute little calico is feeling a little roly poly.

This girl greatly enjoys shimmying around and doing a little jig when she's excited.

And Tonks also truly loves having her belly rubbed, so feel free to give it a little tickle.

Tonks wishes you all a terrific Tuesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

With February being Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, we are giving some tips on this significant topic over the next couple of days. Today, we have a few words on how a kitty or pup's health can benefit from being spayed or neutered. Just to give a couple of examples, spaying a female cat or dog can eliminate the risk of uterine cancer or infection, and can reduce the risk of mammary cancer. For male cats and dogs, neutering can eliminate the concern of testicular cancer and can reduce the risk of diseases of the prostate. Of course, pregnancy itself can be risky, so a spayed cat or dog is also free of unexpected pregnancy and the dangers that come with it. There are a great many other health benefits that can potentially result from having a cat or dog spayed or neutered. Due to their reduced risks of various diseases, spayed or neutered cats and dogs are sometimes more likely to live longer, healthier lives. So, for the above reasons and more, spay and neuter your pets. And, as we mentioned yesterday, also consider assisting with or donating to the neutering efforts of feral colonies, so that these furbabies can also live as healthy of lives as possible.

Mancat Monday: Cuddles on the Couch

It's Mancat Monday. The Monday part of that is unfortunate, as it means it's back to the workweek grind. But, I'm glad that I got to spend a good chunk of my weekend cuddling my sweet Evan on the couch.

I wasn't able to work on many of my drawings this weekend due to my handsome boy's proximity to my dominant hand, but I was able to pull out my laptop and work on the story I've been writing. It co-stars a kitty heavily inspired by my Evan, so I had a lovely time with that.

Evan and all of us here wish you a magnificent Monday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Last week I shared a doodle I scribbled up a couple years ago, when Evan had a URI that resulted in an ear hematoma and ultimate ear disfiguration. Evan was having a rough time with ear infections and discomfort back then, before we found a regimen that worked to keep him and his ear happy. I coped by scribbling up doodles of my poor boy, and so this was another one I drew back then.

Though disfigured, Evan's ear doesn't bother him at all anymore. I clean it twice a day with an ear cleaner that was invented by the founding veterinarian at the clinic we go to. It's the only ear cleaner that keeps Evan's ear completely free of infections and discomfort, and I'm so grateful for that.

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Tip of the Day

We're going to try to start some new series of tips at some point in the future, but for now we're yet again doing some repeats from the past. That being said, February is a busy month. At least, in terms of important messages it is. February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, National Pet Dental Health Month, and National Cat Health Month. For the past few Februarys, we filled the month with tips on all of these topics. We've decided to do the same again this year, since the topics at hand are significant ones. Brace yourself for a month all about health and wellness.

We'll start with spaying and neutering. As you all surely know, spaying and neutering your pets, as well as ferals outdoors, helps significantly reduce cat and dog overpopulation. This in turn reduces the number of homeless animals, the number of furbabies awaiting homes in shelters, and the number who are, sadly, euthanized due to lack of space in the shelter system. That being said, if possible, don't just stop at getting your kitty or pup spayed or neutered. If possible, consider assisting in or donating to trap-neuter-release (TNR) efforts, so that even those kitties who are most comfortable with an outdoor life can enjoy a life that does not involve contributing to pet overpopulation. All of us here certainly love animals, but all of us also certainly feel heartbroken when we remember that there are a great many cats and dogs without homes due to uncontrolled reproduction and overpopulation. So, have your pets spayed and neutered, and, if possible, do what you can to help in the efforts to have feral cats spayed and neutered as well. Stay tuned tomorrow for some facts and tips on the health benefits of spaying and neutering your furbabies.