Mancat Monday: Christmas in July

Evan found out about this little thing called Christmas in July. So, he wanted to get festive by sharing one of his favorite blankets that he uses all year long.

Do you see that man in red there? And we're not just talking about that handsome orange tabby. Santa Claus himself regularly keeps Evan company in this fleecy form.

Evan hopes you're all getting festive this week!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Sticking with the theme, how about a Christmas in July doodle for today?

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting tip is one that relates to that dreaded vet's office. As you all certainly know, it is recommended that your furbaby be seen by a veterinarian at least once a year. But, if you're anything like me, all throughout the year you find yourself questioning this or that about your furbaby. Of course, if you notice any abnormalities that are a concern or that are in need of immediate attention, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian. Otherwise, sometimes we find ourselves with questions that we know are not emergencies and that are not truly in need of immediate attention, but that do pique our interest. That's why today's tip is to, if needed, keep a little notebook or note sheet handy, such as on a counter or on the refrigerator, where you can write down questions to ask your veterinarian at your furbaby's next exam. In this high tech world, you can also have a note sheet going on your phone. Whether it be a general question about food, exercise, grooming, behavior, or anything else, write it down when you think of it. That way, you can take your notes with you to your furbaby's next exam and sort out any questions you have in one fell swoop.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy Amazingly Sits Still

Hello and happy Friday, friends! It's time 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. _________ is a first world problem I have.

2. I'll never understand why so many people enjoy _________.

3. My sense of humor would be best described as _________.

4. I think schools should teach _________.


My answers are below in bold. Despite my best efforts, there is much rambling attached to each answer. It's not required reading, though, so feel free to spare yourself.

1. A Roku remote without a microphone is a first world problem I have.

(I recently had to get a new remote for my Roku. It no longer has a microphone and therefore no ability to take voice commands, which I was really used to having. Now I have to type out all my searches and such. I know, what a true First World Problem. Bring out your tiny violins. The best part is that it's my own fault I had to get a new remote. I didn't realize my old one was on my couch when I wrapped up the couch cover to be cleaned, so the remote went through the washer. It didn't survive. And now I'm over here complaining about how the new replacement someone gave me for free isn't as good. I should just go cry myself a river, huh?)

2. I'll never understand why so many people enjoy going out to party.

(I've mentioned this many times before. That said, this is certainly not a dig at anyone who does love going out and having a good time, as I know for extroverted folk that's a genuine joy in life. But, I'm very much so an introverted homebody. I actively try to avoid anything and everything that involves going out or a big to-do. I don't even want birthday parties for myself, because no thanks. And if there's an event I'm expected to go to for family or other social reasons, I love when it gets cancelled. I've always been like this, even when I was a kid. I'd simply rather be home in my pajamas, spending my time with my furry babies.)

3. My sense of humor would be best described as sarcastic.

(I wasn't sure exactly what to put for this at first, but then I remembered that I've been called out many times in life for being sarcastic. Kids in school used to comment on it, which was probably the first time I ever actually realized that I tend to turn to sarcasm to deal with certain things. My grandma doesn't really appreciate my sarcasm, so I do try to rein it in when I'm visiting her. I also will always remember how I had a friend in high school who came straight from Korea. She admitted that she had trouble understanding sarcasm, and she regularly had to ask me if I was being serious or sarcastic. She was such a good sport about it, though, and we got along great.)

4. I think schools should teach home economics as it was taught in the past.

(My grandparents and great-grandparents used to talk about how they were taught way more extensive home economics in the past. They had classes on cooking, general household upkeep, financial literacy, and that sort of thing. I had only one single class in grade school that taught us the basics of a bit of that stuff. That was great, but that one single class when I was maybe 11 years old was the only home economics I was ever taught in school. I know some schools offer home economics classes as electives these days, but some of that stuff should be required learning in at least some regard. I personally feel like kids these days are being kept far too ignorant on basic life skills they'll need for their futures.)

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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Who's ready for an Eddy fix? We know you all are. Recently, Eddy actually let me snap a photo of her. She quite amazingly sat still, but the look on her face says it all.

Eddy is very much both sweet and sassy, sugar and spice. I love her and her big personality so much. I wish she let more people get to know her amazing self, but she's so skittish and I'm the only person she willingly interacts with. I do find that to be a great honor, at least.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a wonderful day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Like yesterday, I felt like sharing a flashback doodle from an old series of springtime or summertime spooky doodles. Also like yesterday, I felt like picking a somewhat bookish one, so here it is, starring my sweet calico angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting tip is a simple one about creating a masterpiece of a memory using your furbaby's adorable toesies. If your furbaby is willing to participate and does not get stressed, you can get non-toxic, pet-friendly paint in order to create some paw art. After finding somewhere in your home where you don't mind making a tad bit of a mess, put some of the pet-safe paint on your furbaby's feet and either have them walk on some paper, or press their paw on the paper yourself. You can then leave the paw prints as-is, or even get creative and turn some of them into flowers or other cute designs. Either way, this is one way to create a simple yet long-lasting memory of your furbaby.

As morbid as it sounds, in the future, you will likely be glad you created these such lasting memories while your furbaby was still with you. We all know that some similar items, such as clay paws, are often created during a time of grief. This is why the aforementioned paw art is one way to create such a memory in happier, healthier times. Again, as morbid as it may sound, it's never too early to think ahead about what memories you might want to have after your furbaby is gone. Of course, do take into consideration your furbaby's comfort. If your furbaby is too stressed to participate in paw art, for example, brainstorm and think of other ways to create lasting memories with them. The options are endless.

A Sunshiny Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is so excited to be here today for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is so very grateful for sun puddles. This girl will happily chase them around the house all day.

It's been very sunny but also very hot here lately. I'm glad for the kitties that it's sunny, but I could really do without that nasty heat and humidity. Thankfully, next week they're claiming we'll have at least one day in the 70s, for which I'm very excited.

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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. _________ is a first world problem I have.

2. I'll never understand why so many people enjoy _________.

3. My sense of humor would be best described as _________.

4. I think schools should teach _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've been doing a lot of writing lately, so this flashback doodle seemed fitting enough for that. It helps that it also somewhat scratches the spooky itch I've got these days.

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Tip of the Day

We've all seen those chew toys for pups. Puppies, and even grown dogs, often love to chew, and so chew toys can allow them to gnaw on a designated item rather than one that is not ideal or one that is dangerous. But, did you know that there are chew toys for cats as well? Like dogs, some cats love to chew. Chewing is sometimes more common in kittens, but some adult cats are chewers as well. If this is the case with your cat, perhaps look into getting them some feline-friendly chew toys. This could potentially save them from chewing on items that they should not, which could be beneficial to your goods, and also of course to your kitty's health.

Of course, whether a chew toy is for your kitty or pup, it is important to take into consideration the material out of which a chew toy is made, as well as whether it will withstand a particular furbaby's level of chewing. Some toy brands will label whether a chew toy is suitable for powerful chewers, for example. Even so, you know your furbaby best, and so you must decide whether a toy will be able to survive their chewing habits, and therefore whether it might be a hazard. There are a great many pet toys available these days, you simply have to consider a toy's benefits and safety for your furbabies.

Angel Astrid's Birthday Wishes for Her Grandma

Today is the birthday of this here human's mom. As in, it's the birthday of the furry babies' grandma, or Gammy. Sweet angel pup Astrid would be more than happy to share one of her birthday goodies with her beloved Gammy, so today's memory of the sweet pup is indeed just that.

Happy Birthday, Gammy! Angel pup Astrid as well as all the kitties and us humans hope you have the best day ever!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Despite the fact that I've had my mom's birthday doodle completed for many days, I failed to scan it to share today. So, we're sharing one of her birthday drawings from the past. This one stars her fuzzy calico Gilly, and a couple of gifts she has to offer.

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting hack of a tip is one to help you sleep better at night. Does your kitty or pup ever wake you up during the night, perhaps seemingly bored or hungry? The first step in a case such as this is of course to make sure there is no medical explanation. If your furbaby is indeed healthy, though, and they simply wake you in the middle of the night for some playtime or a midnight snack, then there are a couple of simple things you can do to try to combat this.

First, you can do a bit of a pre-bedtime play session with them. One of the last things you do before you go to bed can be a game of fetch, perhaps a little fun with a wand toy, or anything that your furbaby finds fun and that expends their energy. This will help tire your furbaby out, and will hopefully help satisfy their desire to play so that they can sleep through the night.

Second, in the case that your furbaby wakes you up in the middle of the night out of hunger, perhaps save their last meal of the day for right before bed. Fill their bowl just before you go to bed, so that they will go to bed with a full stomach. If needed and possible, you can also make this nighttime meal their largest of the day, to even further satisfy them and their stomach. In some cases, this is all it takes to help keep those hungry furbabies satiated until their breakfast.

Just like us, our furbabies are not immune to restless nights or a desire for a midnight snack. If a medical concern has been ruled out, then try to find a way to help both you and your furbaby sleep through the night. Satisfying the play or hunger drive just before bed may be all that is needed.

A Rare Tonks Tuesday in Bed

It's Tonks Tuesday, but we're starting this post with a comment on a certain orange boy. You see, yesterday Evan shared how much he loves his favorite bed. While seeing Evan in his beloved bed is a very common sight, seeing Tonks use a cat bed is very rare. Which made this photo shoot with not only Evan but also Tonks something special.

When I saw Tonks enjoying the other cat bed in the background there, I absolutely had to get a photo of her. This cute calico has never had much of an interest in cat beds, but perhaps she's changing her mind.

Tonks hopes you all get a cozy nap in bed today!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is a bit of an odd one, but it was part of a Christmas in July series of drawings I did a few years ago. I remember thinking it would be fun to draw a somewhat Wild West one, and that resulted in this.

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting hack of a tip is one to help you save on floor space. When it comes to storing some of your pet supplies—whether it be treats, canned food, medications, brushes, toys, or cleaning supplies, just to name a few—you can try using a shower caddy or other similar shelving system. You can even get shelving units that are meant to hang from a door, such as by a hook that goes over the top of door, to further save on both floor and wall space. Sometimes our furbabies come with a lot of supplies, and we have to find a place to put all of those items. So, as needed, think outside the box and find ways to use a variety of storage systems that will help save you on floor space or even wall space.

Mancat Monday: Beds and Baths

It's Mancat Monday, and my boy Evan is yet again showing off how much he loves his favorite bed.

I do indeed put a blanket over his bed, as Evan has urinary incontinence. What I'm getting at is that the bed has a better chance of survival if it's covered in a sacrificial blankie.

Evan had one of his routine sanitary shaves last week, hence his bald bum. He gets groomed every 2 weeks, so he always looks a tad bit like a baboon. Oh, and don't mind how wet some of his fur looks, as these photos were taken right after his morning bath. He would like everyone to know that he gets disrespected like this every single morning. Bath time is easily his least favorite part of the day, but washing up his back end with antimicrobial cleaner every day is the only way to keep him from getting urine scald.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting hack tip is a simple yet important one. Especially if your furbaby is a known chewer, do consider getting covers for power cords and other cables. I'm sure you all know the dangers that chewing on a cord can pose to our furbabies. So, to prevent this, cover up those cords and cables. There are a variety of cord and cable covers available on the market. There are covers that encase cords so that they are safe yet still able to be easily moved, and there are ones that essentially pin cords safely and securely to the floor. Of course, those are just two examples as to how you can make cords and cables safe around your furbabies. Perhaps do a bit of research, and, depending on your home and technological setup, determine what kind of cord and cable covers would best work for both you and your furbaby. As we always say, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Aquamarine Eyes

Hello and happy Friday, 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. If I were to start a museum, it would be a museum of _________.

2. If I see _________ one more time I am going to lose my mind.

3. _________ is the strangest thing I believed as a child.

4. If my life had a mascot, it would be a _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. If I were to start a museum, it would be a museum of drawings starring cats.
(I'd also be happy to include some doodles in there with dogs and other animals, but I'd mostly have a museum filled with drawings of cats in all sorts of seasons and settings and situations. I already have a ton of sketchbooks and notebooks filled with such feline drawings, so this answer is mostly me taking the easy way out.)

2. If I see a pregnant cat in my neighborhood one more time I am going to lose my mind.
(My neighborhood has always had feral cats. I put food out for them, and I'm happy for them to find a safe place in my yard. I've been able to trap-neuter-release one very feral kitty in need of vet care, and one pregnant cat was very sweet but without a family, and so I got her to a local no-kill rescue group. The newest issue is that a family in our neighborhood has started letting their intact cats roam. These cats have collars and a home, but the males are well-endowed and the females keep showing up pregnant. And that just means the cycle will never end. I wish people would be more humane and, well, smarter.)

3. Leprechauns living in my sandbox is the strangest thing I believed as a child.

(When I was a kid, my parents often made various holidays extra fun for my sister and me. One St. Patrick's Day when I was young, we wrote letters to leprechauns and made little homes for them in our backyard sandbox. If I'm remembering correctly, my parents even made tiny, fake footprints in the sand. Thereafter, for I don't even know how long, I really thought leprechauns lived in our sandbox outside.)

4. If my life had a mascot, it would be a cat reading a book.

(My mascot would be a cat for sure, because that's my life. Since I also love reading and writing, as well as drawing cats with books, I'd be more than happy with a bookish kitty as my life mascot. I fear this might make me sound full of hubris, but I'd like to turn one of my bookish kitty drawings into my mascot. Perhaps one of my bookish doodles of my calico angel Rosie.)

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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Are you ready for some Eddy? Today, we figured you were all due for another reminder that Eddy has absolutely stunning aquamarine eyes.

I just love her eyes. Well, I love all of her and her entire cute face, but those eyes are just stunning.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a fantastic day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have two flashback doodles, and they're yet more of the spookyish variety. Well, sort of. I scribbled them up a couple summers ago, when I simply felt like drawing a kitty Grim Reaper as well as a kitty zombie. Because why not.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip is one a bit more for the dogs, but of course could be used for kitties if the situation applies. What we're talking about today is bell training. It can help to have a way for your dog to tell you they need to go to the bathroom. Since jumping and scratching at the door is not all that ideal, you can hang a bell, or a strand of bells, on the doorknob. Of course, make sure the design of the bell and any attachments are safe for your furbaby, especially if they're a chewer. Once you've selected and placed the bell to be used, training techniques such as positive reinforcement can be used to teach your dog to ring the bell prior to going outside to use to the restroom. This will allow your dog to make the connection that, if they ring the bell on the door, they will be let out to use the restroom. Just as with any training, this may take time, but with patience, practice, and positive reinforcement, everyone involved can get the hang of it.