Rest in Peace, Homer

Hello, friends. This is not the post I expected for today. I will share my Friendly Fill-Ins and link below, but I first want to give a moment for a very special kitty.

Last night, one of my parents' kitties passed away very unexpectedly. He was a healthy, robust, active, and all around amazing boy named Homer.

I just snapped that photo of Homer when I was at my parents' house this past Saturday. He was staring at my hands, as he was a firm believer that hands were always supposed to be petting him. He did indeed gets lot of pets and cuddles after that photo was snapped.

Homer would have turned 9 years old at the end of this month, and he's never had any health issues. Last night, though, he collapsed at home. He got back up after what my parents thought was perhaps a seizure, though he was not acting himself at all. They called me and I went with my mom to the emergency vet with Homer. When we got there, they rushed him to the back but then came out to tell us that he was was doing okay. His heart and lungs sounded good at the time, and they said he was purring and flirting with all of them, as he loved to do. They seemed hopeful that he'd just suffered a seizure and that they'd discharge him and we'd monitor him at home and go from there. Soon after, though, Homer's respiration started to decline, they ran some quick cardiac tests that came back abnormal, and ultimately his heart stopped. They tried CPR, rescue meds, and everything possible, but sweet Homer gained his angel wings. We were at the emergency vet until nearly midnight, and it was plain and simply an unexpectedly terrible night.

It's most likely Homer suffered some sort of cardiac event. Diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are sadly somewhat common in cats, and they can suddenly kill a kitty who otherwise seemed healthy up to that point. A very similar thing happened to one of my childhood kitties, Sammy, who passed away at home very suddenly at the age of 5. Homer could have also had myocarditis or any other number of similar issues.

Because my parents are also blessed to share their life with three of Homer's full litter mates, a necropsy is being done on Homer. His three siblings are also going to be tested for HCM and other potential cardiac issues at our regular vet. My mom has already reached out to our regular vet, whom we have a lot of trust in, and the vet is already getting Homer's siblings scheduled for him to do a cardiac blood test and ultrasound. One of Homer's sisters has a history of coughing, so we don't want to delay the tests. Though Homer's sister has been seen for her cough and nothing was found to be abnormal at that time, no true cardiac testing has been done yet and so my parents are moving forward with all of that for sweet Homer's siblings. Homer was the far more cool and collected one of the litter, though. His siblings are all exceedingly more wild, so I'm sure the vet will have fun wrangling them for the cardiac bloodwork and ultrasounds.

I will be sharing a better memorial post for Homer soon. It might be part of this litter's birthday post, as that will be March 31st. It's unfortunately been quite a while since I've shared Homer on our blog here, but just know he was a sweet and handsome boy with a big personality. We will miss him forever, and we'll also love him forever.

I'm sorry all of the above is so long and rambling. I truly find it cathartic to just purge that all out on the keyboard, and you friends of ours are always the recipients of that.

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We'll share the Friendly Fill-Ins now. 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. The longest I have been without electricity is _________.

2. I am so tired of waiting for _________.

3. I can't believe I still remember _________.

4. I wish I could go back and experience _________ for the first time again.


My answers are below in bold. I'm sorry if they don't make a whole lot of sense. I didn't get them finished before the awful events of last night, so I filled them in after and my mind was not fully in it.

1. The longest I have been without electricity is a little over 24 hours.
(I'm lucky in that I've never experienced a truly lengthy power outage like some folks have. The 24 hours I experienced happened to just 6 houses on our block a couple years ago. A relatively small tree limb fell on a line. We could see it and alerted the power company, but it took them over 24 hours to come out and repair it.)

2. I am so tired of waiting for good books and movies to come out.
(This is such a First World problem, I know. That said, it feels like books and movies just aren't as good as they used to be. Or, at least, they aren't always what I'm personally looking for. Lately, when there are books or movies I'm truly excited for, I tend to find out about them before they've even released. And then the wait is torture. There is at least one book I'm eagerly waiting to be released in a couple months, and there's a new movie I'm very excited to watch, but I'm waiting for it to come out on streaming. Again, talk about First World problems.)

3. I can't believe I still remember the lyrics to songs I haven't heard in decades.

(My mom and I were recently listening to a certain playlist of songs from a couple decades ago. I hadn't heard the songs in roughly those couple of decades, and yet I was actually able to sing along to most of them. They were songs I liked back then, though, so apparently they stuck with me all this time.)

4. I wish I could go back and experience reading my favorite books for the first time again.
(I've always thought it would be interesting to have selective amnesia, so that you can choose to forget a particular book or even movie or TV show. This way, you can enjoy it for the first time all over again.)

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'll get back to posting doodles and tips next week. Right now, nothing I have seems appropriate for today.

Thankful Thursday: Thimble's Favorite Blanket

It's Thursday, which means Thimble is here and more than ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Recently, Thimble showed off her second favorite fleece blanket. She wasn't using her favorite blanket at the time because her brother, Evan, had peed on it. So, today, Thimble is happy to show off her absolute favorite—and now squeaky clean—blanket.

Isn't that blanket almost as cute as Thimble herself? And I know Thimble looks kind of disgruntled in that photo, but I promise she's not. This cute little tabby actually loves the camera, and that there is the look she gives just before she jumps up to run at the camera and rub her cheeks around it.

Those treats in front of Thimble were my attempt to get her to stay where she was rather than obsess over the camera's presence, but it didn't work. Right after that last photo was snapped, Thimble indeed ran at the camera and purred and rubbed all over it. After that, all the photos looked a little something like this:

Even absurdly close to the camera and blurry, Thimble is downright adorable. Don't you agree?

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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. The longest I have been without electricity is _________.

2. I am so tired of waiting for _________.

3. I can't believe I still remember _________.

4. I wish I could go back and experience _________ for the first time again.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

After yesterday's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip on paint products, we wanted to also give a PSA on the dangers of certain glues. If we're to be honest, the primary danger of glue isn't necessarily poisonous effects. Nevertheless, we still want to warn of the life-threatening hazards of glue. Some glues, such as glues for wood or construction, as well as heavy-duty glues like Gorilla Glue, can lead to severe side effects. Ingestion of these glues can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, and decreased appetite. What's more, though, is that these types of glues can contain diisocyanates, which can mix with stomach acid and then expand. This can then lead to bowel obstruction. Bowel obstruction is nothing to take lightly, and often requires surgery. Needless to say, if your kitty or pup gets into glue, especially heavy-duty glue that contains diisocyanates, seek veterinary care immediately. Of course, to prevent such emergencies, take no risks and be sure to hide away any and all glues someplace where your furbaby cannot reach.

Woof Woof Wednesday: Angel Astrid's Ice Cream Adventures

The first day of spring is this Friday. Each year, Dairy Queen offers free ice cream cones to celebrate the change of seasons. I'm lactose intolerant and so never partake, but for the past couple years I would go grab a cone for my now angel pup Astrid.

Ice cream was quite possibly Astrid's favorite thing in the whole wide world. I'm sad that I won't be able to share a cone with her this year, but I'm so grateful for all of the ice cream memories I have with my sugar-addicted girl.

I hope you're enjoying lots and lots of ice cream up there, my sweet Astrid!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We've given past tips on the dangers of paint products, but we're going to repeat this for National Pet Poison Awareness Month. Unsurprisingly, paint, varnish, and other similar products can be toxic to our furbabies. Lead paints can of course cause lead poisoning, which can cause a variety of severe symptoms, including those of the gastrointestinal and neurological systems. Lead can also be detrimental to red blood cells, brain function, and other important processes in the body. Oil-based paints can also be dangerous, potentially causing diarrhea as well as having serious effects on the lungs. They may also contain heavy metals and thereby cause symptoms similar to those of lead paint toxicity. Products such as varnish can also have similar negative side effects as paint.

Also keep in mind that paint and paint products can emit dangerous fumes. Especially without proper ventilation, inhalation of the fumes can cause irritation of the lungs or symptoms such as dizziness. To avoid emergencies related to the ingestion or inhalation of paint or other paint products, of course keep these items well out of reach of your furbabies. Try to keep your furbabies safely out of areas that are being painted. Should ingestion or inhalation of paint products occur, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance.

Tonks Tuesday: Camera Shy

Usually, just like her sister Thimble, Tonks is a bit of a ham for the camera. She generally likes have her photo taken, probably because she loves her some attention. But, there are still times when Tonks is not really in the mood to have her photo taken. Like in these photos here, when she refused to look at the camera no matter how much sweet talk I attempted.

Don't worry, though, because Tonks still got lots of cuddles and her beloved belly rubs after these photos were snapped.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrific Tuesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We haven't reached the end of National Pet Poison Awareness Month yet, so we'll keep these tips coming. Today's tip on potentially poisonous household items relates to batteries. If a dog or even a cat bites a battery or ingests it, the acidic or alkaline components could leak out and enter their gastrointestinal system. This material is corrosive in nature, and can therefore cause serious side effects, including oral ulcers, vomiting, other various signs of gastrointestinal distress, and even fever. Due to the corrosive nature of battery components, vomiting should not be induced in the case of ingestion, as this will cause further damage. Immediate care can include rinsing out your pup or kitty's mouth with lukewarm water to remove as much of the battery material as possible. Of course, quickly follow that up with immediate veterinary care. To prevent such emergencies, keep all batteries tucked safely away where curious furbabies cannot get to them. As always, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Mancat Monday with Evan and His Extra Special Ear

Hello and happy Monday, friends! We've mentioned Evan's adorably deformed ear quite a bit over the last few weeks. You know, the one that had a hematoma a couple years ago that for whatever reason did not heal in a normal way. On this Mancat Monday, Evan wanted to give you a close-up of how handsome and tough he looks with his special ear.

Evan doesn't seem to notice or care about the deformity of his ear. And as long as I administer our vet's specially concocted antimicrobial cleaner into Evan's ear canal every day, he stays free of ear infections and other such issues.

Neither Evan's vet nor myself know why Evan's ear hematoma didn't heal like most do. But, as long as he's still happy and healthy even with an odd little ear, I'm happy.

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

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Still continuing on with our National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we are today reminding you to keep any questionable kitchen products well out of reach of your furbabies. Just as laundry detergents can be dangerous, so can those used in the kitchen. Dishwasher detergent or tablets, for example, can often have corrosive or other dangerous side effects. Other potentially toxic kitchen products include degreasers, oven cleaners, and drain cleaners. These products can also potentially have corrosive effects, among other adverse reactions. If your furbaby ingests any such products, they might display gastrointestinal distress, oral ulcers, lethargy, or other symptoms. As always, if you think your kitty or pup might have ingested a toxic kitchen product, seek veterinary assistance.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Attempt to Sit Still

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. My favorite kind of pie is _________.

2. I will celebrate St. Patrick's Day by _________.

3. I was correct when I predicted that _________.

4. I didn't see _________ coming.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My favorite kind of pie is chocolate pudding pie.

(I'll gladly eat pretty much any form of pie, including pumpkin, apple, and any kind of berry pie. But, in this very moment, chocolate pudding pie sounds the most delicious. I recently started making a chocolate pudding pie that has an Oreo crust as well as Oreos crumbled on top, and now I'm hungry for that. All that said, tomorrow is Pi(e) Day, and I'll be making apple pie for my family to enjoy for the occasion. I do this every year, and I always add the pi symbol (ℼ) to the crust. I think I have a photo from a previous year, so I'll share that here.)

2. I will celebrate St. Patrick's Day by eating a hefty serving of Dublin Coddle.
(My mom always makes foods popular in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. Most of what she makes involves corned beef and cabbage, as that's apparently often eaten in Ireland. I'm not a big fan of cabbage, and so I instead eat the dish my mom makes that's called Dublin Coddle. It's a stew that contains sausage, bacon, potatoes, and other deliciousness all cooked in at least part hard cider, or something akin to that. I'm already looking forward to this year's batch.)

3. I was correct when I predicted that Evan's intestines would go haywire after finishing his most recent round of antibiotics.

(Granted, this is an easy prediction to make. Evan's intestines are always a mess. He has megacolon, which means he often combats constipation. That said, his meds to combat the megacolon and constipation in turn sometimes result in loose stool, or even blowout diarrhea. He also gets antibiotics every couple weeks to prevent his chronic UTIs. Antibiotics are known to cause intestinal havoc, and they more often than not do just that for my boy Evan. Because of that, I reduced his usual megacolon stool softener in an attempt to prevent too much of a mess while he was on the antibiotics recently. That didn't help. The antibiotics are still hitting his intestines extra hard this time.)

4. I didn't see Thimble's early kidney disease diagnosis coming.
(At Thimble's senior exam this past October, her bloodwork came back with at least one value that our vet considers indicative of early stage kidney disease. I wasn't expecting that, simply because Thimble has lost no weight and acts completely like herself. I'm grateful that she's still doing so well, and I've started her on the renal nutraceutical AminAvast, which worked wonders for my angel Rosie when she was diagnosed with kidney disease. I'm thankful we caught it early for my Thimble. At nearly 12 years old, she's still her happy self. Luckily she is only in the very early stages of the disease, and I hope to keep her kidneys happy for as long as possible.)

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 your Eddy fix? We know you are. The lighting might not be great in this photo, but I'll take any shot I can of Eddy willingly sitting still. She was really trying to stay in place for me here, and those opportunities are few and far between, and fleeting. So, here's what I managed in that moment.

Though the lighting doesn't do them justice at all, I'll take any chance I can to show off Eddy's gorgeous aquamarine eyes.

Oh, and you better believe we also have a blurry shot of this blooper queen.

And there's that adorable snaggletooth! I love it so much.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a happy Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Our next set of tips for National Pet Poison Awareness Month will cover some of the random household items that could potentially be toxic to your kitty or pup. To begin, don't forget that some laundry products could lead to ill effects for your furbaby. For example, fabric softeners and dryer sheets often contain detergents that can be corrosive in nature. If your cat or dog gets into such products, the adverse reactions could include gastrointestinal distress, oral ulcers, and lethargy. For such reasons, do be sure to keep all laundry products well out of reach of your furbaby. If your kitty or pup does get into any such products, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Another Blanket Fort Sequel

Hello to all! It's Thursday, and you better believe Thimble is here and more than ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble hasn't been crawling under blankets as much as she was a couple weeks ago. After all, it's starting to warm up outside. However, we've been having a couple of cooler days, and so she decided to partake in making a blanket fort again. I'm so glad to get to see her do that, and she's thankful for the coziness as well.

We had to share this again, in case the warmer temps make it so that Thimble doesn't sneak under a blanket again for a few months. Oh, and Thimble also often enjoys treats under blanket fort.

She did indeed eat those treats once she stopped rolling around like an adorable little cutie. She will only eat treats under a blanket if I'm not actively giving her attention under there, because attention always trumps food for this sweet tabby girl.

Thimble hopes you all get some blanket fort naps in before the weather warms up!

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And now, of course, 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. My favorite kind of pie is _________.

2. I will celebrate St. Patrick's Day by _________.

3. I was correct when I predicted that _________.

4. I didn't see _________ coming.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday, as part of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we discussed the danger of human medications if ingested by our kitties or pups. It's not just human medications that are potentially dangerous, though. Even veterinary medications designed for pets could lead to toxicity in certain circumstances. This of course can occur if a particular furbaby gets into a furry housemate's medication that he or she do not need. In addition, even a medication prescribed to a particular cat or dog can cause them issues, such as if taken in larger quantities than instructed. This could perhaps occur due to human error in administering, but also if the animal finds their medication stash and helps themselves. Some veterinary medications are formulated to smell and taste enticing to our furbabies, making them all the more desired by said furbabies. If your furbaby likes the taste of one of their medications, or one of their housemate's medication, then they may try to sneak quantities out of the safe range, which could indeed lead to detrimental effects. So, of course, hide those medications away.

Don't only take into consideration oral medications, though. Even transdermal medications can result in toxicity, such as if your furbaby finds and in some way exposes themselves to large quantities of it. The short story is, just as you must keep your own medication hidden away from your kitties and pup, you should also keep all veterinary medication hidden away so as to prevent any and all such emergencies.