Happy Friday!

Whew. We made it to Friday! As per usual, we're going to go right into the always fun and fantastic Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by the one and only 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader.

As always, we were given some clever as ever fill-ins.

1. A recurring dream I have is _________.
2. Turn _________ into _________.
3. _________ is driving me crazy!
4. Lately, I have been _________.

Here's how I fared:

1. A recurring dream I have is....none?
(I either rarely dream, or just rarely remember my dreams. I'm not sure which one. I can easily count on one hand the number of dreams I remember having so far this year.)

2. Turn lemons into lemonade.
(When life throws you lemons, make lemonade! I have always liked this saying. If things seem sour, just add a little sugar.)

3. The heat is driving me crazy!
(I'm not the kind of person who likes hot and humid, yet that's what Mother Nature has been doling out to us these days. And I'm not the only one, either. My furbabies, even with the air and fans on in the house, are a bit cranky some days. Especially pup Astrid. Even a simple trip outside to empty her little bladder these days seems like the ugliest form of torture for the heat intolerant pooch.)

4. Lately, I have been worried about one of the longtime neighborhood ferals.
(Does anyone remember me mentioning Hicks before? He's a feral cat who has been living in my neighborhood for years and years, and I have been feeding him and have a shelter in my yard for him. I had even been trying to think up a plan for trapping him, without instead getting the neighbor's cat or any of the other nearby family's kitties who love my yard, and at least having him neutered. But, Hicks has disappeared. In general, this is not all that unusual for him, but he's been gone for weeks and weeks now, and this time I know there were two events that precipitated his disappearance. First, construction workers began tearing up the street outside our house, making lots of racket as well as a giant canyon out front. Second, an aggressive, territorial brown tabby suddenly started showing up in my yard, and it took an immediate disliking to Hicks. Now, I pray every day that Hicks returns. I feel like I failed him, and I want nothing more than to remedy that.)


Now, as is the case every Friday, it's Eddy's turn to show off her shots of the week. These past couple of weeks, she's actually given you all some lovely views of her. She's even sat still for some of them, so that you could see her cute little face and pretty profile. Today, though, she's back to old habits.

There's my blurry girl. I was wondering where you've been.

Eddy didn't want you all to forget how she looks, though, so she requested that I doodle up a version of her that's not quite as blurry.

Now, changing topics yet again, if you saw our post yesterday, you'll know that Thimble was at the V-E-T for a recheck urinalysis after being treated for a UTI. She and I are both happy that there is no longer any sign of infection!

The not so great news is that, despite my attempts to prevent this, Eddy is yet again showing some non-recognition aggression towards Thimble since her return from the V-E-T. Since Eddy doesn't travel well I didn't take her along with Thimble, but instead gave Thimble a thorough wipe down and rubbed her up and down with a blanket that smelled like her when she got home. Eddy is not fooled, and clearly has a great nose. At least this time it is a far more mild of a reaction from Eddy. Well, that is, until Thimble decides to play it up and chase the hissing and growling Eddy around the house. Oh, my girls, you sure are giving your mommy a run for her money. Don't worry, it only took a week of hair-pulling last time to get the girls back to being friends. We'll survive.


That all being said, we wish everybuddy a happy Friday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Don't forget that cats, and even dogs, can be prone to urinary issues, such as UTIs or blockages. When it comes to UTIs, they often stem from the fact that cats' and dog's urogenital tracts are in such close proximity to the anus. This is why it is important that these furry rear ends remain clean, and that any fuzzy and shaggy furbabies are kept groomed back there so that fecal matter cannot get trapped and lead to a UTI. As for issues such as urinary blockages, this often relates to the fact that in the wild, cats and dogs don't go around feasting on dry kibble. Rather, they eat prey, which is composed heavily of moisture. So, furbabies on highly dry diets might find themselves with crystals or other reasons for blockages. For this reason, offer plenty of fresh, enticing water to your kitty or pup. Moist food is obviously another great way to add moisture to their diet. Sometimes you can get creative to get your furbaby to drink more, such as by using ice cubes. Some dogs like to chew on and eat ice cubes, for example, while some cats can be enticed to drink water from a bowl in which fun ice cubes are floating around. If you are concerned about your furbaby's urinary health or water intake for any reason, of course talk to your veterinarian.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Where to start today? How about a bit of poetry first? We're participating in Thoroughly Poetic Thursday, hosted by none other than Angel Sammy and Teddy of Two Spoiled Cats.

Last week, for the letter A, our poem introduced you to Annie the Astronaut. Today, with the letter B upon us, we have someone else for you to meet.

Bubba the Baker

Bubba is neither doctor nor farmer,

And he could never consider life as a snake charmer.

It is not the life of a librarian that Bubba enjoys,

Though storytime is something he quite often employs.

And, no, his life is not that of a candlestick maker.

Bubba is, instead, a mighty fine baker.

If you find yourself craving a fine pumpkin pie,

Then, lo and behold, Bubba is certainly your guy.

Or perhaps you would rather a slice of chocolate cake?

Well, that’s Bubba’s very favorite thing to bake!

Oh, and don’t forget a peanut butter cookie.

Bubba can whip one up better than any ol’ rookie.

Bubba’s bakery is surely heaven on earth,

After all, his scones bring forth nothing but mirth.

Cupcakes and muffins and pastries galore,

You’ll surely be going back for more and more.

Now, if it’s donuts you seek,

Please, don’t be meek.

Take yourself a dozen,

And then grab another for your cousin.

Strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate glaze,

The options will leave you in a bit of a daze.

Whatever you crave, please help yourself.

Grab any sweet goodie you see on the shelf.

Really, please, for heaven’s sake,

Any and every goodie is yours to take,

For there is nothing that Bubba the Baker cannot bake.

Just like last week, we decided to give Bubba the Baker a little illustration of his own. So, here he is with one of his strawberry donuts:

Now, Thimble says that it's her turn. Thursday is Thimble's day to tell you all what she's been up to. Today, she wanted to show off how she tried to win this mom of hers over with a peace offering.

Thimble thought that, if she showed me that adorable tummy of hers, I wouldn't make her go to the V-E-T today. Unfortunately, though I did snorgle that tummy plenty, Thimble still has to pay a visit to the V-E-T. But, it's simply for a recheck urinalysis, to make sure that the UTI she had a couple weeks back is all gone after her round of antibiotics (which tasted nasty, she wants you to know!).

Thimble is acting her purrfectly usual, happy, and adorable self, and so I have hopes that there will be no signs of infection this time around. Still, we'll let you all know what that stabby ol' doctor says.

My main worry, to be honest, is how Eddy will react to Thimble's return from the V-E-T. Some of you might remember how, last time around, when Thimble came home from her time at the V-E-T, Eddy was not impressed with how Thimble smelled, and so Eddy hissed and growled at her for days and days. Eddy has gotten over it, though, and she and Thimble are back to happy coexistence. And now, I have plans to hopefully keep it that way this time around.

Many of you gave the great suggestion of taking Eddy to the V-E-T with Thimble, to help keep her from reacting as she did before. However, Eddy is about the only furbaby in our entire family with whom this isn't really an option. To put it lightly, getting Eddy in a carrier and traveling with her is a bit of a nightmare. She loathes, and I mean loathes, being confined, and she lets everyone around her know it. She is also terrified of any and all people who are not her momma. I reduce her stress by taking her to the V-E-T only when she absolutely has to go.

So, with the option of taking Eddy along not really an option at all, I've resorted to Plan B. I've wiped pre-vet Thimble down with a blanket in order to transfer her smell to it, and when she returns from the vet I will do my best to clean her of the V-E-T smells, and then wipe her down with her pre-vet blanket in order to transfer her normal smells back onto her. There will also be much Feliway involved. I can only hope this will all help make Eddy accept Thimble this time. If it doesn't, then we'll probably just have a repeat of last time's post-vet week of mayhem, and then be back to normal again.

That all being said, despite her V-E-T visit, Thimble says she is thankful that she is feeling fantastic these days, and that those nasty antibiotics are all gone. She's so thankful for that, she's entering it into Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

We're thankful for the health and happiness of all of our furiends and family as well!

Happy Thursday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Before your furbaby goes in for any veterinary appointments, tests, or procedures, always make sure that you have clear instructions for what is required of you and your furbaby. This way, all things can run as smoothly as possible, with as little stress on you and your furbaby as possible. For example, do you need to bring any stool or other samples? Does your furbaby need to be fasted, such as prior to anesthesia or certain blood tests? If so, how long should the kitty or pup fast? If your furbaby is having a urinalysis performed, can urine be collected at home, or is a sterile collection at the vet's office required? If a sterile collection is needed, is a morning appointment available, so that your furbaby can stay there in the case that their bladder is empty and needs to fill up? Making sure that all such factors are addressed can ensure that your furbaby can be in and out as quickly as possible, without any need for rescheduling or return visits due to misunderstandings. There is no such thing as a stupid question, no matter what anyone tells you, so never hesitate to ask the vet or the staff whatever questions you have.

Wordless Wednesday

***

Our Doodle of the Day:

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Did you know that some of the most common items that dogs, as well as cats, choke on or get lodged in their gastrointestinal tracts are their very own toys? This is why it is so important to know your pup or kitty's individual preferences and behaviors, and to only bring home toys that take this into consideration and that are therefore as safe as possible. For example, if your dog chews on plastic or rubber, or enjoys removing squeakers from toys, avoid such toys so as to avoid an emergency situation. Similarly, if your kitty enjoys chewing on or swallowing small items, do not purchase any toys with small bells or other similar parts and pieces. In addition, for safety reasons, it is always important to take into account a particular toy's suggestions on size or weight. For example, if a chew bone says that it is for small dogs weighing 25 lbs or less, that is because it is likely very small and could potentially be dangerously swallowed by a larger dog. Of course we want our furbabies to have fun toys, but be sure to put safety first!

Tasty Tuesday (#ChewyInfluencer)

Pup Astrid always loves seeing if a new food is good enough to eat. After all, more often than not, the food currently in her bowl is old news. This finicky pup insists on having a wide variety of dry food available to her. We currently have something like 4 or 5 bags of food that we mix and match and rotate through on a daily basis, lest she get bored and refuse to eat. Even then, she often refuses to eat her dry food anyway, and instead waits for her daily treat of moist food.

That all being said, we're always on the lookout for new and yummy dry foods for Astrid to enjoy. That's why, as part of Chewy.com's Blogger Outreach Program, we decided to give a shot at American Journey™ chicken and sweet potato grain-free dog food.

I always love seeing Astrid get excited for some new food. This time around, I didn't even get the bag out of the beloved Chewy box before Astrid was stalking me throughout the house for a taste.

Not only was I happy that Astrid was already interested, but I also was happy that this food has real chicken as the first ingredient, and is grain-free, without corn, wheat, or soy.

Morsel size is also a huge factor for picky Astrid. She does not like to chew large pieces of dry food, and she'll often pick food formulated for small dogs over that for dogs her 70-lb size, in large part because of the small kibble size, I believe. These Amercian Journey™ kibbles are right in the middle, not tiny and not large, and so I had hope.

I'm the mean mom who then made Astrid pose with that there bowl of food.

She refused to look at me, and I can't say that I blame her. I quickly snapped the shot, though, and then told her she could have at it. And did she like it?

You bet she did! This American Journey™ chicken and sweet potato food was a huge hit with Astrid. She kept begging for more. After 3 bowls, I finally had to go hide the bag. Given her extreme pickiness towards dry food, finding one that she likes this much makes this momma giddy with glee.

Needless to say, this food gets 4 paws and 2 thumbs up!


(Disclaimer: As members of the Chewy.com Blogger Outreach Program, we received the American Journey™ chicken and sweet potato grain-free dog food in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own. We only review products that we believe will be of interest to our readers, and we never recommend a product that we do not believe in.)


We hope everybuddy has a tasty Tuesday!

***

Our Doodle of the Day:

***

Our Tip of the Day:

If you like being in the kitchen and spoiling your furbaby with healthy treats, there are a great many homemade treats you can make for your furbabies. For example, you can make your own chicken jerky strips for you dogs or cats. A variety of recipes can be found online (just make sure all ingredients and steps are safe!), but this is nearly as simple as cutting chicken into thin strips, tenderizing it with a meat hammer, and placing it on a cookie sheet to bake on low for a couple of hours. Another option is making sweet potato dog chews, which essentially involves cutting sweet potatoes into slices and baking on low for a few hours. Though many store-bought treats are safe and even sometimes healthy, sometimes recalls and unknown ingredients can make homemade treats sound like the way to go. There are tons of these such recipes out there, so don't be afraid to give it a go!

Box Bonanza!

Evan always looks foward to Mancat Monday. He is, after all, a studly mancat. This time around, though, Mancat Monday is even better than usual. Why? Because it's also International Box Day!

Not only is Evan a mancat, but he's also the resident king of boxes. If there's a box in sight, most likely Evan's lurking inside of it. That's why he, of course, knew that he was the purrfect candidate for showing you our celebration of International Box Day. Oh, and remember, Evan is hind limb paralyzed, so boxes around here are best enjoyed on their sides. You gotta do what you gotta do!

But a good box sure is hard to hide. You always have to be on the lookout for invaders.

You know, like giant canine sorts, who like to steal your spotlight.

That's when you have to relocate your beloved box. You have to pack up and move, yet even then you still always have to keep an eye out for any more of those invaders.

But a good box sure is worth it!

Happy International Box Day to all of our furiends!

***

Our Tip of the Day:
A box can make for a fun cave or castle or even snoozie spot for our kitties and even pups. That being said, always first inspect and pet-proof any boxes you gift your furbaby. Consider what was shipped or stored in the box, and if it was anything dangerous or potentially hazardous, select a different one for your cat or dog to enjoy. Remove outer tape and stickers if needed, especially if your kitty or pup is a chewer of such things. Some boxes are even held together with staples, so be sure to check for these and to avoid any such boxes that could potentially injure your furbaby. Boxes can be great fun, but don't forget to always make sure they're safe!

Happy Father's Day!

Today is not just the always fun Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue of The Cat on My Head, but also Father's Day. While the furbabies here may not have a human father, they do have their beloved Pawpaw, who just so happens to be this here human's dad.

One of Pawpaw's number one fans is none other than pup Astrid. She's pretty sure he's the best thing since sliced bread, and he feels the exact same way about her. So, of course, Astrid wanted to be here today to wish her Pawpaw, and all fathers out there, a happier than happy Father's Day!

To all fathers out there, and to all those who play a father's role, we wish you many blessings today and every day! (A special shout-out to the Pawpaw of this family here!)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

If not neutered, one male cat can leave behind a legacy of thousands upon thousands of kittens in his lifetime. In addition to this serious contribution to pet overpopulation, an unneutered male cat is more likely to display behaviors such as spraying and aggression. Of course, male cats left unneutered are is also at risk of testicular cancer, and are also more likely to produce prostate cancer. For reasons such as these, please have your kitties neutered. And, if or when possible, perhaps look into helping with or supporting TNR efforts, so that even feral cats in your area can be neutered and therefore live safer lives without contributing to overpopulation.

Caturday in the Library

The only thing better than the weekend are the fun blog hops that it brings with it. Today, of course, we have the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by lovely Athena.

There isn't a whole lot of explanation for the piece we're sharing today. Really, we just hadn't drawn anything bookish in a while. And since we quite enjoying creating a bookish piece here and there, that's what we went for today.

We are wishing everybuddy a beautiful Caturday! And hey, if it's hot outside, what a perfect day to stay inside and read a good book.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Don't forget that, especially if you're running low on space, you can give your kitty a special place to snooze by using shelves you already have. Leaving a bit of space on one or two shelves of a bookcase, for example, can allow a kitty to use their instinct of utilizing vertical space and resting up high, all while saving floor space. As long as the shelf is deep enough and safe, you can even put a favorite blanket or kitty bed on the it for your kitty's comfort. If you use this method, though, always be sure to take into consideration your cat's size as well as their typical behavior. For example, if your cat is large, be sure to leave them enough room so that they can feel comfortable and so that neither they nor other items on the shelf fall. And, if your cat is known to bat at items, ensure that nothing fragile or dangerous is kept on the shelf for their enjoyment. And if your kitty is a chewer, again, don't leave any sentimental or potentially hazardous items near any shelf space reserved for the kitty. All in all, remember that, even if you're low on floor space, there are still easy ways to allow the feline in your life to climb and snooze up high.