Tonks Tuesday with a Halloween Giveaway!

My little calico Tonks informed me that she hasn't gotten to show off her adorable face recently. I realized she is correct, and of course we had to remedy that. So, here you go.

Tonks is extra excited, because today she gets to share our Halloween giveaway with you all.

Whereas this here human enjoys scribbling things in a sketchbook, my mom (the kitties' and pup's grandma) enjoys sitting down at her sewing machine and stitching together all sorts of fun things. I recently asked her if she could look at one of my cat-o'-lantern doodles and then create for me a similar pillow in her own sewing style. She of course agreed, because she's awesome. What's more, she created two cat-o'-lantern pillows, so that we could give one away here on our blog!

That there little cat-o'-lantern pillow, created by none other than my mom, otherwise known as grandma to the furbabies around here, is indeed up for grabs in our Halloween giveaway. This giveaway will also include some frightfully festive catnip toys. I set out to photograph those as well, but Thimble chased me down and tried to steal the toys roughly a gazillion times before I could even get a photo of them. I ultimately gave up and decided the toys were meant to be a surprise to whoever wins the giveaway. Also in the giveaway will be a little something I'm throwing together at my art desk, but this will also be a bit of a surprise to the winner, primarily because I haven't put the final touches on it yet. The main attraction of the giveaway is the little cat-o'-lantern pillow my mom crafted, though, so I feel like getting a photo of that was a decent enough accomplishment for this post.

To enter our Halloween giveaway, simply comment on this post. You have until 6 pm, Central Time in the US, on this upcoming Friday, October 25. I will announce the winner in our post on Saturday, and I'll ship it all out first thing next week. I didn't really mean to post this giveaway so late in October, but I obviously failed to run the giveaway earlier in the month. Better late than never, though, right?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

Tomorrow is my parents' wedding anniversary, and it has become a tradition that I bake them an apple pie to celebrate the occasion. Since I'll be baking that pie tonight, I felt compelled to share a flashback pie doodle today. Though an apple pie and a pumpkin pie are certainly not one in the same, I still felt this spookishly strange doodle from last year would suffice.

I actually scribbled up that there doodle last November, when I was still in the mood for Halloween, but when Thanksgiving was just around the corner. I'm assuming I'll have some similar doodles to share when November rolls around this year. It's so hard to say goodbye to Halloween and to those cat-o'-lanterns.

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Yesterday we mentioned keeping your kitty or pup in a safe area of the home, away from the door, in order to avoid any escapes out the front door during Halloween night festivities. Today, we're offering some additional methods you might be able to use to help keep a furbaby as safe, happy, and comfortable as possible on Halloween night. These tips are the most beneficial to furbabies who are scared of the doorbell, knocks at the door, and any other noises and happenings that Halloween might bring with it.

To begin, you can help make a nervous or uncertain furbaby feel more secure during the hustle and bustle of trick-or-treaters by closing windows and drawing blinds or curtains, to mask some of the sights and sounds of the spooky festivities. In addition, you can play music or turn on the TV or a movie to help further drown out sounds that might alarm a kitty or pup. Some furbabies might even be distracted by some treats, or by a play session with you or an interactive toy. In some cases, a cat or dog with higher levels of anxiety might benefit from the use of calming products like a pheromone spray or diffuser, or even a Thundershirt or similar makeshift item to make them feel secure. Or, some cats and dogs would simply do well to have access to a safe hiding place in a safe area of the home, where they can ride out Halloween night. The important thing is to consider your particular kitty or pup's personality and behaviors, and then determine what distractions or other techniques might best help them feel safe and secure on Halloween night.

Mancat Monday

Don't worry, friends. Evan sorted out our haunted house guest this weekend.

The ghostly ghoul is down for the count. Thanks, Evan!

Wishing you all a happy Monday that is free of haunted house guests!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is one we're sure you all know, and it's to practice proper door safety. This is of course most relevant if you are handing out candy on Halloween night, or if you are hosting a Halloween party with a number of arriving guests. Knocks on the door, the doorbell, children or adults in strange costumes, and all of the hustle and bustle of Halloween can scare some furbabies. On the other hand, some cats or dogs might enjoy guests, and so they might be attracted to the door on Halloween. Either way, if you have increased traffic at the door on Halloween, there is always the chance that your kitty or pup could escape if proper precautions are not taken. This is why it is important to practice proper door safety, so that you can avoid escapes.

There are of course a number of options for keeping a cat or dog from escaping out a busy door on Halloween. First, you can set up a safe room for your cat or dog and keep them in there during the Halloween festivities, so that they have no ability to escape from the house when people show up at the front door. Depending on how your house is set up and how determined your kitty or pup is to reach the door, you can also put up baby gates or pet gates to keep a cat or dog in an area of the house away from the door. If your furbaby is leash trained, and as long as the leash is securely held, your kitty or pup can also be kept safe in the house by attaching them to their leash, with of course someone holding said leash. You best know your furbaby as well as the setup of your home, so use whatever method is the safest, most surefire way of keeping your kitty or pup from escaping out a busy door on nights like Halloween.

Guest Sunday Selfies

After recently sharing some photos of a couple of my parents' cats, and indicating that they have 12 such felines, some of you friends of ours indicated you'd like to see of all of my parents' cats here on our blog. I figured, sure, why not. That's why today we have yet more guest selfies for you, and these star a boy named Trapper.

Those of you have visited us at certain points in the past will have met Trapper before. He is one of my girl Thimble's litter mates. The other of their siblings are Toby, who is my sister's cat and lives with us, and Talon, who also lives with my parents and who you'll see soon in the future. Today, though, it's all about Trapper.

Like Thimble and this entire litter, Trapper made his way into the family when he was about 3 weeks old. This litter of little kitties was found by my grandma's neighbor, my grandma took them in, she brought them to us with the assumption we'd find them good homes, and none of them ever left the family.

Want to know a fun fact? Trapper got his name sort of as a joke. Even way back at 3 weeks of age, Trapper was one handsome little dude, and his adorable face won my dad over in about half a second. Trapper was the first of the litter who earned a name, and, as I just mentioned, my mom chose his name as a jest. She said that he and his handsome face trapped us into keeping a litter of 4 kittens because he won my dad over so quickly. Hence, Trapper. In the end, obviously, my parents kept 2 of the 4 kittens, and my sister and I each took home 1 of the litter.

Trapper is by far the biggest cat from his litter. He weighs in at right around 21 lbs. That's exactly twice the size of his sister, my girl Thimble. The next biggest of the litter after Trapper is Toby, who weighs in at 16 lbs.

Trapper is my buddy. Then again, he's everybody's buddy. He is not a shy boy, and he will come out and investigate anyone who visits my parents' house. Trapper also really likes pup Astrid, but if I'm being honest, he also sometimes chases her and kind of freaks her out. When all 4 kitties of this litter first found their way into the family, they all took to Astrid immediately and would follow her around. They all still do this to some degree, but Trapper is probably the most ornery with Astrid and sometimes simply likes to make her run from him.

So there you have it. That's Trapper, one of my parents' 12 kitties. He's a handsome boy, and he's my little (more like really big) buddy. You'll be meeting all of my parents' kitties over the next couple weeks.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Just yesterday, we gave the tip to avoid walking your pup or kitty on Halloween during trick-or-treat hours, in order to avoid the increased foot and road traffic that could lead to dangerous situations. On the other hand, today's tip involves some ideas for staying safe should you and your furbaby find yourselves out and about on Halloween night. If you're out on a walk on Halloween night, or any night for that matter, be sure to take a flashlight, as well your cell phone in case of emergency. At the same time, though, don't be distracted by using your phone instead of observing your surroundings. What's more, ensure that your furbaby's leash and collar include reflectors, and that you yourself are wearing reflectors in some way, so that both of you can remain seen and safe.

Another important factor if walking with your furbaby on Halloween night is to know where it might be safest to walk. Obviously, dark alleys are not the way to go, but you also want to ensure that you don't end up with a scared furbaby on the busiest trick-or-treating street. So, if you must head out for a stroll with your furbaby during trick-or-treat hours, think ahead about what route you should take. As we previously hinted, it should be a safe, well-lit area, but also one that won't be hustling and bustling with trick-or-treaters. This is especially important if the pup or kitty being walked is skittish or aggressive in any way. All in all, think ahead and make plans for where you can most safely take a walk with your furbaby should you need to go out on Halloween night.

Also, one last note we want to make is to watch your furbaby closely when walking them on Halloween, as well as on the following days. Trick-or-treaters might leave behind candy, candy wrappers, parts of costumes, or other unsafe goods. So, do keep an eye on that furbaby and make sure nothing unsafe makes it to their mouth when walking during the Halloween season, and year round.

Caturday Art

Earlier this week, we shared a certain flashback doodle that involved a scarecrow with a jack-o'-lantern for a head, and a cat with a cat-o'-lantern for a head. That got me in the mood to draw something similar, and so that's what we have for you today.

And that's that, I guess. Of course, this weird and wacky doodle is our contribution to Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop.

Happy Caturday, friends!

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Halloween Tip of the Day

We're 19 days in, and our Halloween tips are still going. After all, we have 31 of them to get through! And, indeed, we have another Halloween-inspired tip for you today.

Yesterday, we mentioned the importance of keeping black cats, and of course all furbabies, indoors on Halloween to prevent them from becoming victims of tricks and pranks. Today's tip is similar, and it is to avoid going on a walk with your dog, or even your kitty, during trick-or-treat hours. This is for a number of reasons, including the obvious one that foot traffic, and even potentially car traffic, will be increased during trick-or-treat hours. This is something that could pose a risk especially for skittish dogs or cats, as they might become frightened of the Halloween hustle and bustle. What's more, not only will more people be out and about on Halloween night, making extra traffic and noise, but many of them will be dressed in strange and potentially frightening costumes. These factors could lead a nervous dog or cat to panic, and to potentially get loose and lost. Of course, increased traffic could also lead to accidents and injuries, such as if a nervous or excited dog or cat gets loose and makes their way into the street. All in all, it is important to always take into consideration your furbaby's safety, which might very well mean house arrest during those trick-or-treat hours on Halloween night.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Congratulations! It's Friday! Friday means it's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. If you'd like to participate but missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ makes me nervous.

2. I should get rid of _________, but I can't because _________.

3. My ideal home would include _________.

4. You would not find _________ in my ideal home.


My fill-in answers are below in bold.

1. Leaving my furbabies home alone makes me nervous.
(I'm not a worrier about everything, but I am a worrier about some things. One of those things is leaving my kitties and pup unattended at home, such as when I go to work. They honestly don't really get themselves into all that much trouble when I'm gone, but I worry about things going wrong that neither I nor they can control. Luckily, my parents live just down the street from me, and my mom is home often, and she's always willing to check on my house and furbabies.)

2. I should get rid of the pet food bowl that pup Astrid recently broke, but I can't because I bought it for Eddy on the day I adopted her.
(The bowl is made of ceramic, and Astrid broke it in the strangest way the other day. It was on the floor, and Astrid decided she wanted to nap where it was, so she went out of her way to lie down on top of it, roll around a bit on it, and thereby break it. Luckily, it broke in two clean halves and did no damage to pup Astrid. The bowl is in two pieces now, though, and I don't trust myself to properly fix it for the furbabies to safely use again. I just can't seem to part with it, though, because I remember buying it less than an hour before officially adopting my girl Eddy.)

3. My ideal home would include a kitty highway system.
(In other words, I would love to incorporate all shades of built-in tunnels, ramps, steps, shelves, and all that jazz for the kitties to enjoy throughout my house. I would want this kitty highway system to be accessible both high and low, so that even specially abled kitties like my hind limb paralyzed Evan could enjoy it.)

4. You would not find stairs in my ideal home.
(Is this a weird answer? I do have a reason for it, though, I promise. I'm pretty sure my hind limb paralyzed boy Evan is not going to be my last specially abled furbaby. For his sake, and for the sake of specially abled furbabies in my future, I always wish to have a one-story house. This way, all kitties and pups can easily access all rooms. Now, my Evan is incredibly strong and determined, and I'm guessing he would at least attempt to master stairs. That being said, I know that wouldn't necessarily be easy for him, especially not as he ages. So, I will always happily live in a one-story home.)

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'm kind of glad you guys are used to Eddy's photos being blurry and all shades of low quality, because I have yet another such photo of Eddy to share with you all today. Just like last week, I wanted to share a photo I snapped of Eddy in the middle of the night. That means the lighting is atrocious.

To preface this photo, Eddy is a snugglebug when it comes to bedtime. If I want Eddy cuddles, I have to crawl into bed. On one recent night, I woke up to Eddy adorably curled up right next to me. Even better, she was flashing her adorable snaggletooth as she snoozed!

I wish I could have gotten more of her face in the shot, but if I move too much at night, Eddy will be wide awake and running a marathon around the room. So, I had to settle for a shot of her snaggletooth. I don't mind that one bit, though, because I love that little tooth of hers.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day: Flashback Friday

For today's flashback doodle, I yet again decided to go through last year's Halloween doodles and see which one caught my eye first. This was the chosen one:

Last year, I did a series of doodles in which each of my furbabies was scribbled up in a Halloween costume. The above was Thimble's doodled up costume. I happen to think she would make the cutest pumpkin ever.

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Halloween Tip of the Day

We know we don't have to tell you wonderful folk that all of those superstitions about unlucky black cats simply aren't true. That being said, there are unfortunately those out there who do believe such things. There are also, sadly, people out there who might even think to play unjust tricks on black cats on or around Halloween. This is why today we are here to remind you to ensure that your sweet and innocent black cats, and all of your furbabies, are safe inside on and around Halloween. Even if you live in what is believed to be a safe neighborhood, please do keep your black cats, and all of your furbabies, inside and under close observation during the Halloween season. This will help ensure that they don't fall victim to the tricks and pranks of any callous or superstitious people out there. As always, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! We're all ready to rhyme today for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help us get poetic. This week's prompt is this lovely image here:

This cozy campsite looks so inviting to me. I've always felt drawn to the forest, and I really think I'd enjoy living a calm and quiet life amongst the trees. I decided to use that thought for my poem this week, but of course with a couple Halloween vibes thrown in there.

The Witch of the Woods

The cauldron boiled and the cauldron bubbled.

The witch was having all shades of potion trouble.

This brew was supposed to neither boil nor bubble.

She frowned as she found herself with trouble doubled.

Outside the witch's window car horns honked and squawked.

Outside the window people and more people walked and talked.

The witch was living an urban sort of life,

And so far it had caused her nothing but strife.

The witch found that city life allowed her very little focus.

The same seemed to be felt by her feline familiars Hocus and Pocus.

They all three found the situation really quite bogus,

Even though feline familiars Toil and Trouble still managed mischief quite focused.

On her thirteenth attempt to stir up a new lucky potion,

The witch threw her hands in the air in an exasperated motion.

"I can't take this anymore!" she said with a stomp of her foot.

"All the ruckus outside has ruined my potion again. Just look!"

Hocus, Pocus, Toil, and Trouble all pranced right on over,

Their whiskers and tails long enough to touch their shoulders.

They all nodded in agreement that the potion was a bust.

"I have to get out of here," the witch said. "I must!"

Hocus and Pocus made their way to the corner and mewed.

Toil and Trouble climbed until something hit the floor all askew.

The witch turned to the corner where her cats were causing a scene.

Alas! The felines had found a solution far from obscene.

The witch quite liked what was splayed upon the floor at their furry feet.

After all, it was the tent she used when vacationing and camping.

And so, just like that, the witch packed up all her camping gear.

"Come now, my kitties," she said. "Let's get out of here."

The witch and her felines waltzed right out the door,

Immediately cringing at the city's hubbub and roars.

They walked some of the trip and flew even more,

Until they all realized they were ready to settle down for a snore.

Luckily, their destination was now just below.

It was a beautiful forest filled with squirrels and crows.

The witch stopped in the middle of the forest and put down her pack.

Both her and the four cats yawned and stretched their backs

It was a cool, crisp autumn night,

And they happily slept by the warmth of campfire light.

When the sun and birds announced the beginning of the next day,

The witch and her cats craved their breakfast of curds and whey.

They emerged from their tent with smiles and purrs.

They were happy to have left behind that city life so absurd.

The forest was lively yet quiet and calm,

And with it they had not even a single qualm.

With breakfast eaten and the sun shining overhead,

The witch was more than happy to face the day ahead.

She opened her pack and reached a hand inside.

There were a great many things the pack did hide.

From it the witch withdrew books of spells and so much more,

As well as cauldrons that numbered at least four.

The witch gave new life to the campfire outside of the tent,

And atop it she placed her favorite cauldron covered in dents.

She looked around the forest, and with her ears she listened.

This time, there were no cars or folk to bring her potion plans to an unfortunate end.

Hocus, Pocus, Toil, and Trouble nudged a spell book into her hands.

"Thank you, my dears," the witch said to her feline friends.

She opened the book with a smile on her face.

She was certain she could perfect any potion in that beautifully forested place.

That day, the witch brewed and bottled up potions galore.

She brewed more than she'd managed during her time in the city, and more.

She could not even slightly imagine leaving that forest.

After all, it was calm and quiet, with only the birds to sing a chorus.

It was the only place her potions brewed so well and good.

Perhaps that's why she that day became the Witch of the Woods.

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Next up is of course Thimble and her Thankfuls. This girl has a lot for which to be grateful, but today she's sharing one fuzzy bit of gratitude in particular.

Thimble is indeed grateful for that fuzzy tummy of hers. After all, a simple flash of that tummy will get Thimble whatever she desires. Needless to say, this here mom of Thimble's is also happy to have that fuzzy tummy in her life.

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And now, of course, we're sharing the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, be and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ makes me nervous.

2. I should get rid of _________, but I can't because _________.

3. My ideal home would include _________.

4. You would not find _________ in my ideal home.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is about bats. Bats may be a staple in Halloween lore and decor, but the reality is that they are one of the primary carriers of rabies. What's more, bats leave very small bites that might go unnoticed, especially on kitties or pups with fur that can hide such minuscule bite marks. For such reasons, do be aware and cautious of the presence of bats, such as if you and your furbaby are walking through a park with trees near nightfall.

Bats are not always found outside, though. Bats can sometimes find their way into buildings, including attics or other areas of homes. If you live in a house or apartment where bats are discovered, keep your furbaby away (and also, of course, try to keep yourself safe), and certainly do not allow your furbaby to chase or play with any bats. A bat can bite quickly and without notice, and rabies could potentially be transferred that quickly if the bat at hand is infected with it. If a bat is unable to be safely escorted out through a window, or in another safe means that does not require direct handling, then contact animal control or another relevant organization for the safe removal of bats.

Woof Woof Wednesday

That pesky ghost strikes again. Astrid is not impressed. This pup hopes you all have a Wednesday that is wonderfully devoid of ghosts and ghouls!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

I recently saw an image of a Halloween cupcake, complete with a spooky topper scene and all. That's about all I have to explain today's weird and wacky doodle.

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Halloween Tip of the Day

We talked about sparing unwilling furbabies from dressing up for Halloween, and about selecting safe costumes for those furbabies who do enjoy dressing up. Today, we're here to remind you that, if you yourself are planning to don a costume for Halloween, to again take your furbaby into consideration. Any costume worn by yourself, or anyone else in the house, should be safe around your kitty or pup, such as by being free of parts and pieces that a kitty or pup might chew or ingest and thereby put themselves in danger. Earlier in the month we also talked about the toxicity of items such as fake blood, so of course it's safest to refrain from including that in any costume you wear.

Aside from costume dangers, also keep your furbaby's comfort and happiness in mind if you have any sort of costume for yourself. Wigs and masks, for example, might scare some cats or dogs, especially those who are already skittish. It's not only important to ensure that any costume you wear is safe around your furbaby, therefore, but that it also does not scare them.